"Boss, the brothers we sent out are all..."
"Hm?"
In the palace, a man in a suit leaned back in his chair. Upon hearing his subordinate report, he responded impatiently.
"All what? How many returned?"
The subordinate was a writhing worm with a single large eye on its head. When the eye opened, it revealed a mouth.
Hearing this, it stammered, "N-not a single one returned."
"Impossible!"
The worm flinched back, startled by the man's powerful aura.
"I-it's true! Boss! Those few Spirit Hunters on the beach are incredibly powerful! All our men were annihilated!"
"Are you spouting nonsense?! Four whole days! I sent out thousands of my subordinates, and you tell me they were all annihilated?!"
The man shot up from his chair, walked forward, and grabbed the worm by its "neck," his voice chilling.
"W-well, boss, what could I do? I thought we could outlast them, but I didn't expect those few spirit users to be so powerful!" The worm felt like crying. If it had a human body, it would have fallen to its knees begging for mercy.
"Hmph! Fine, then I'll go myself."
The man cast a cold glance at it and walked out of the palace gates.
The worm, relieved, burrowed into a nearby corpse and took its place.
"Ah… quite beautiful."
She glanced at her stunning reflection in the mirror, casting a flirtatious glance with satisfaction.
"Boss Feng! Wait for me!"
"Can't you hurry up?!"
Feng Wei was somewhat annoyed. Why were all his subordinates so stupid? Not a single one of them had a functioning brain!
Not long after, he found a group of people by following a strange surge of spiritual energy.
"Is it them?"
The worm... no, the woman shook her head. "No."
"Nonsense!"
Feng Wei smacked the woman on the back of her head. Ignoring her wronged gaze, he glared and said, "Aren't they the only group of people here? And you tell me it's not them?"
The woman's face fell.
"Boss Feng, it really isn't them!"
She remembered that the group had a man who looked rather decent. The group had both men and women, as well as children and pets. However, the group of people in the distance seemed to consist only of men and women, with no children or pets.
"Regardless, they are spirit users. We can't just let them go!"
Feng Wei's eyes widened, and the woman immediately shut her mouth.
"Over there... is that Duan Chen and them?"
Jun Ci saw a man and a woman arguing from afar, but it was too dark inside the barrier, and they weren't very close, so he couldn't see clearly.
"No," Qin Nanyuan answered him concisely.
"In this situation, apart from us and Duan Chen, there's only one other type of creature that can appear within the barrier."
Du Qingyi walked slowly towards the man and woman in the distance, with the others following closely.
"It really isn't them."
"Hey, you!"
Du Qingyi called out lazily.
"Huh?"
The woman approached them with feigned politeness. She originally intended to follow Feng Wei's instructions: first gain their trust, then use them to find Duan Chen's group, and finally round them all up.
"Oh my, greetings, sirs and madams. Meeting living people in the barrier... this cursed place truly makes us happy. May we know your esteemed names..."
Du Qingyi's expression remained impassive.
"The woman is an evil worm, and the man is the leader of a group of heretics named Feng Wei. Don't be fooled by her act."
Neither Feng Wei nor the evil worm expected to be seen through so quickly. Their expressions changed instantly. The act was dropped, and the evil worm retreated to Feng Wei's side.
"Little girl... quite sharp."
Clearly, Feng Wei, the boss, wasn't very bright either. He assumed Du Qingyi had judged them based on their words and actions.
Du Qingyi rolled her eyes.
"Big brother, I read it, I didn't see it."
"You can read minds?!"
"Enough, you idiot! What are you wasting time talking to them for! Attack!"
"Yes!"
As the evil worm opened its mouth, a stream of purple viscous liquid spewed out.
"Ugh—how disgusting!"
Qin Nanyuan exclaimed with disdain. She unleashed a Fire Dragon from her hand, instantly scorching the viscous liquid dry.
"Trash, let me!"
Feng Wei's face darkened. He pulled the evil worm behind him, raised his hand, and said coldly, "Blood Blade!"
He bit his own wrist, and blood, as if alive, surged from the wound and formed a sharp blade in his palm.
"He's a Blood Drinker!"
"Good eyes!"
Feng Wei sneered and charged forward in a few swift steps.
"Xue'er!"
"Received!"
Mi Xue'er gripped her long sword tightly and clashed directly with Feng Wei's Blood Blade!
"Clang!"
To their surprise, Feng Wei's Blood Blade had a corrosive effect, splitting Mi Xue'er's long sword in two.
"Bang!"
At the critical moment, Jun Ci also fired a shot!
"Whoosh!"
Feng Wei's expression remained unchanged. He controlled his blood to surge from his temples and collide fiercely with his bullet!
"Tsk!"
Forced to retreat, Mi Xue'er then directly took off her sword-shaped pendant.
*Buzz!*
The long sword reappeared!
"Come on!"
Feng Wei was undaunted!
...
"This spiritual energy..."
Duan Chen, as a King Chess piece, was sensitive to White Chess pieces. Although Mi Xue'er herself didn't have a King Chess piece within her, she inherited Mi Buwei's power, and thus, had the energy of White Chess within her.
"What's wrong?"
The group was enjoying their meal at a seafood restaurant, marveling at how no heretics had come ashore today, perhaps meaning they might see the organizer in a few days.
"Something's not right!"
Duan Chen threw down his chopsticks and rushed out of the seafood restaurant!
"We'll follow, you guys stay here!"
Jia Yunlian reacted quickly, grabbing Nia and following closely behind.
"What the hell?"
Qi Qing and the others looked bewildered, while Wu Suowei seemed lost in thought.
"They're here already?"
...
"Clang!"
Another collision!
"Your sword can actually resist my corrosive power?!"
Feng Wei's face was filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected to be evenly matched with a young girl!
Mi Xue'er took a deep breath. She no longer wanted to prolong the fight.
Buwei Heart Sword Style, Fifth Form: Moon Slash!
Gales raged around them!
"Not good!"
Feng Wei's face darkened. This was merely the charging stage, and he could already feel a threat from Mi Xue'er's sword. If she were to complete her charge, what then?
He immediately moved to stop her.
"Do you take us for dead men?" Jun Ci shouted coldly.
"Annoying!"
Soon, Mi Xue'er completed her charge and was about to unleash a sword strike!
"Stop!"
Was that Duan Chen's voice?!
She paused.
The next second, a golden light flashed. Feng Wei's expression turned to shock as the golden light rapidly magnified in his pupils, finally slamming into him with great force.
"Gasp—!"
"Agh! Boss Feng!"
The woman shrieked and looked in the direction from which the golden light had come.
A tall, slender figure slowly emerged!