The evil forces were situated somewhere in the middle of the Dark Zone, clearly marked on the map, so they weren't difficult to find. Following the map's directions, I easily located the entrance to the evil faction's territory. What surprised me, however, was the small number of warriors cultivating there—including me, there were only about ten. In addition, there were six Taoists and seven Mages. They seemed to be organized into three distinct small groups, and my solitary presence also drew their attention. Coincidentally, the large, bald man who had previously stopped me was among them, which gave me a strange feeling of destiny. Damn heaven, this big guy and I truly have a strong connection.

Of course, the big guy's group spotted me as well, displaying expressions of disbelief. "Hey, kid, what are you still messing around here for? Did you get lost?"

"Shut your mouth!" I was instantly furious at being constantly called a little kid: "I'm a genuine Warrior, don't treat me like a child, got it, big dummy."

"Hahahaha!" The twenty people around them burst into laughter: "Little kid, Brother Guan is being unusually kind! You had better head back quickly; this isn't a playground for children."

"That's right!" The beautiful Taoist woman with the big guy's group chimed in with concern: "If you can't find your way, let me escort you out."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I have no intention of leaving, and my destination is inside," I said, pointing toward the massive stone gate ahead.

"Heavens, what is wrong with this child? Is he mad? That's the gate to the Evil Faction. Don't tell me you're going in to cultivate the Blazing Fire Sword Art," mocked another tall Mage, sizing me up.

"Is that not allowed!" To silence these self-important giants for good, I decided to show them a taste of my power. I had truly had enough of this kind of treatment. As I spoke, I drew the Hundred Battles Saber from my spatial pouch.

"Whoa! Whoa there, little one." The big guy immediately tensed up when he saw me pull out my weapon: "Let's talk this out, don't do anything rash." Instinctively, he raised the Hellfire Battle Axe he held to his chest.

"Hmph!" I couldn't be bothered wasting words on them and swept my blade out instantly.

Clang! Whoosh! The dazzling arc of light vanished instantly, but on the stone wall twenty meters ahead, a shocking, deep gash had been carved by my Crescent Moon Qi slash.

Whoosh! I returned the saber to its sheath.

Silence descended. The twenty-something onlookers, who had been ready to laugh, now stood like wooden statues, staring dumbfounded at the deep mark on the wall.

Hmph! The annoying flies were finally silenced!

I walked toward the stone gate without looking back. Honestly, I felt a tiny, triumphant surge of pride. Haha, I bet my pose at that moment was incredibly cool!

"Crescent Moon Slash!"

"Heavens, did I just see that right? That little brat actually used the Crescent Moon Slash!"

"How is that possible?"

"But it's definitely real; look, the mark on the wall is still there."

"............" The big guy still couldn't accept the reality before him: "This little punk, who in the world is this kid!"

"Let's go," the beautiful Taoist woman said, her expression complicated. "This kid isn't here to wander around."

"Six months ago, he was alone," the tall Mage murmured. "Now he's gone inside alone again. Who knows how long it will be until we see him next!"

"................."

Silence returned to the area.

"Only six months?"

"When did the Earth City produce such a terrifying little monster?"

"Just like Longyuan Feixue."

"Hard to say. Longyuan Feixue was already at the peak level of Scarlet Moon."

"But Longyuan Feixue also took six months to master the Crescent Moon Slash."

"And then it only took him a year and a half to master the Blazing Fire Sword Art."

"If this kid comes out in a year and a half, he'll be the second Longyuan Feixue."

"These young brats nowadays, one worse than the other," the big guy finally sighed with resignation after a long moment.

"Heh! Then we had better work harder!" the beautiful Taoist woman smiled faintly. "Otherwise, how will we survive in the future?"

"It's okay! There are only one or two little monsters like this," the tall Mage reassured himself. "So, no need to be too pessimistic." ......................... The layout of the Evil Faction was roughly similar to the setup in Legend: a giant, concave space. Unlike the Dark Zone, the monsters here were densely packed—huge beasts the size of small cars. Their appearance was somewhat similar to Sandworms, but the tonnage and physical scale were vastly different. Moreover, their external armor was silvery-white, giving the impression of immense durability and thickness. Another striking feature was the pair of horns on their foreheads: thick and large, like two massive crescent blades, exuding an indescribable sense of gloom and dread. At this moment, these behemoths were charging and smashing around the area like miniature cars running at full throttle. Surrounding them were countless flashes of fire and arcs of electricity whistling down. It turned out several groups of high-level Rangers were coordinating to fight these monsters.

Frankly, this was my first time observing the combat coordination between high-level Taoists, Warriors, and Mages up close. Compared to Long Xin and her group, these Rangers were leagues beyond them. Innumerable bolts of lightning and flames relentlessly hammered the targeted Evil Sandworm. As the Sandworm was coated in layers of red and green poison by the Taoists, its body constantly shifted colors—sometimes entirely crimson, sometimes a vibrant emerald green—looking like a gigantic ice sculpture constantly changing its angle, colorful and dazzling. However, I knew clearly that the Sandworm must have been in extreme agony, because the heart-rending roars of pain it emitted never ceased. At this moment, it managed to lock onto its target: the female Taoist standing atop a high boulder.

Strange, that female Taoist looked a bit familiar. I was inwardly shocked; could I know her? At that moment, the female Taoist swung her Dragon-Patterned weapon again while simultaneously launching a Soul Fire Talisman from her left hand.

I searched my memory carefully, and soon I remembered.

Heh, so it was them. I finally recalled that the female Taoist was part of the Warrior-Taoist-Mage trio whose carriage I shared with Jin Hong when traveling from Fandi to Earth City.

Roar! The Evil Sandworm charged wildly toward the boulder, leaping high into the air. The sight reminded me of the top-tier speeders in Death Race. The entirely red Evil Sandworm resembled a Porsche at full throttle, carving a streak of red lightning as it lunged toward the female Taoist on the boulder.

"In trouble!"

"Danger!"

Several Rangers who had just entered from the doorway followed close behind me, and the big guy was among them. These two cries of alarm came from the big guy and the tall Mage.

Hmph! On the other side, the Taoist on the boulder remained unhurried, calmly watching the rapidly approaching figure, completely unfazed.

Whoosh! The massive body of the Evil Sandworm was just about to collide.

Boom! With a sudden, violent crash, like the shockwave from a bomb explosion, I and the Rangers who had just entered were caught off guard and nearly thrown to the ground by the impact.

Only then did I realize that the charging Sandworm had been intercepted mid-air by a Warrior wielding a Hellfire Battle Axe—it was the big Warrior! The Warrior shot forward like a cannonball; the moment he struck the Evil Sandworm, the Battle Axe, swung into a semi-circle, smashed fiercely against the creature's thick armor.

The two figures, one large and one small, plummeted rapidly toward the ground.

Thud! Almost instantly upon landing, the Warrior executed a nimble backward flip, bouncing back a dozen meters. The massive body of the Evil Sandworm then rolled over the spot where the Warrior had just fallen, like a tank.

Phew! That was close. I was certain that if the Warrior's reaction had been even a fraction slower, he would have been ground into paste by the Evil Sandworm.

Almost simultaneously as the Warrior bounced away, several bolts of lightning slammed down, striking the massive body of the Evil Sandworm again. It seemed the beautiful female Mage had made her move this time. Glancing over, I confirmed it was indeed the blonde, golden-eyed, mature, and enchanting female Mage.

Bang! These flashes of Lightning Spell were like huge saplings, carrying terrifying magical power. They struck the Evil Sandworm's body and continued to shoot out thick blue arcs of light. The sight involuntarily reminded me of modern high-voltage electricity—damn, it was too frightening. Even though they were all Lightning Spells, Long Xin's spells were like toothpicks compared to these; there was no comparison. But even these powerful bolts couldn't instantly electrocute the Evil Sandworm; instead, they drove it into a more frenzied state. The Evil Sandworm contorted its body into a circle, then suddenly sprang up, charging at incredible speed toward another female Mage who had inflicted much suffering upon it. As the Sandworm sprang up, the female Mage instantly erected a Magic Shield, which enveloped her like a giant golden eggshell.

Whoosh! Almost the instant the Evil Sandworm launched, that green streak of light zipped across the sky again.

Crash! Followed by a violent impact. The Evil Sandworm seemed like an intercepted missile, smashing into the ground without warning. Only then did I see it was the same Warrior again. Just as before, the Warrior quickly rolled away upon landing, taking a stance ready for the next aerial interception. Meanwhile, the Mage and Taoist standing high above never paused; Lightning Spells, Poison Spells, and Soul Fire Talismans rained down like a storm upon the huge body of the Evil Sandworm.

Roar! The enraged Evil Sandworm attempted to leap up and attack the Mage and Taoist on the boulder again, but each time, the Warrior intercepted it successfully. Before long, when the Evil Sandworm slammed down from the air again, it could no longer move.

Only then did the trio of Warrior, Taoist, and Mage breathe a slight sigh of relief. It seemed this Evil Sandworm had been eliminated.

"Hooray! It's the Hall Masters!" The big guy behind me cheered.

"Ah, it's the Twin Moon Trio!"

"What exquisite coordination!"

"I've long heard that the experts from Twin Moon Palace are highly skilled, and now I see it's true!"

"Indeed! Just three people dared to challenge the Evil Sandworm, and they took it down in less than thirty seconds!" ......................... A buzz of discussion rose from behind me. It seemed the trio were not ordinary figures; they appeared quite famous. I analyzed inwardly. Based on their attacks, I noticed that the Evil Sandworm's defense, attack power, and movement speed were all astonishingly high.

But in my eyes, it didn't seem like such a big deal. Honestly, if that was the Sandworm's true strength, I thought I should be able to take it down solo with my current abilities. My speed and strength had reached considerable levels, and I didn't even spare a glance for the Sandworm’s speed. Even if its attack power was immense, the fact that it couldn't utilize Battle Aura, coupled with its insufficient speed, meant it couldn't hit me. The only real concern was its defense. I observed that the Taoist-Warrior-Mage combination had to repeatedly attack a specific spot on the Sandworm's body to finally pierce its outer armor and kill it. Their tactics were undeniably brilliant; I should consider adopting that method.

My Hundred Battles Saber technique utilized a unique method of rapid blade work designed to penetrate hard armor defense. In terms of attack power at the moment of impact, the power displayed by my saber was definitely stronger than that shown by the axe. However, I could also see that piercing the Evil Sandworm's tough outer armor easily wouldn't be simple, even with my attack power. I figured I would likely need to adopt the same method as the trio: repeatedly striking a specific area of the Sandworm's body.

As I was pondering how to breach the Evil Sandworm's exterior defense, the surroundings had already erupted in activity.

"Hah! Hall Masters, you were amazing!" the big guy was extremely excited.

"Heh heh! You all came too! Faster than we expected!" the female Taoist holding the Dragon-Patterned weapon smiled faintly. "Since you all have advanced, you must work even harder from now on."

"Absolutely." Another, younger female Taoist was even more energized. "We will definitely become as powerful as the Hall Masters."

"Heh heh! Enthusiasm is good, but being too reckless can lead to losses!"

It seemed those who entered were all experts from the Twin Moon Palace. This made me feel like an outsider, a bit awkward. At the same time, the three Hall Masters noticed my presence.

They simultaneously sized me up.

"........" I bowed slightly, offering them a silent greeting, and then turned to leave, looking for a suitable place to cultivate alone.

"........" The elder female Taoist looked stunned. "Do we know him?"

"Yes! I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," the Warrior muttered softly.

"Of course, we've seen him," the blonde female Mage stated. "He rode in the same carriage from Fandi to Mengzhong with us. Even though he was wearing a Taoist helmet, I recognized his build instantly!"

"Oh, right," the Warrior said with sudden realization. "It's that black-haired, black-eyed youth."

"That's rare; you actually remember other people," the elder female Taoist chuckled lightly.

"If it were anyone else, I surely wouldn't remember," the Warrior grinned sheepishly. "But that kid's black hair and black eyes are too distinctive; it’s hard to forget!"

"I see!" the blonde female Mage teased. "I thought Big Dumb Ox had suddenly developed a memory."

"Hahahaha........." The female Taoist, the big Warrior named Guan, and the surrounding Rangers burst into laughter.

"By the way, what is that kid doing here!" The Warrior, called Big Dumb Ox, didn't mind the teasing at all and became very interested in the little guy.

"You might not believe it if I told you!" the younger female Warrior made a sweeping gesture. "That kid might be here to cultivate."

"Cultivate??" The three Hall Masters were stunned simultaneously.

"Yes!" the tall Mage affirmed. "He can use the Crescent Moon Slash; what else would he be here for besides cultivation?"

"Cultivate?" Big Dumb Ox paused slightly. "Could that little guy already be a high-level Warrior?"

"And even if he is cultivating, he wouldn't come in alone, would he?" the blonde female Mage asked with alarm.

"Interesting! Let's go take a look!" The elder female Taoist showed a hint of playful amusement. "It truly is true that you cannot judge a person by their appearance."

"He walked in that direction," the young female Taoist pointed toward where Xing Chen had disappeared.

"Let's go!" Big Dumb Ox looked very eager. "I want to see who this kid is, daring to venture into the Evil Faction alone."

The group of over twenty also showed expressions of anticipation; it seemed quite a few people were interested in Xing Chen.

The twenty-odd people quietly followed the direction indicated by the female Taoist.

"Um! Are we being a bit too unscrupulous doing this!" the Warrior named Guan said somewhat timidly. "Peeking isn't a very moral thing to do!"

Thwack! The female Taoist beside him gave the big Warrior a sharp rap on the head without patience. "What peeking? Do you think we're looking at some young lady bathing?"

"Pfft!" The twenty-plus people following behind were almost doubled over in laughter by the antics of these two.

".........." The big Warrior and the female Taoist both blushed deeply and quickly fell silent, though the female Taoist still managed to land another blow on the big Warrior's head.

"Ow! Why did you hit me again!" The big guy rubbed his head in pain, looking genuinely aggrieved.

"Try talking back again!" The female Taoist raised her fist menacingly.

"........." The big guy looked terrified, but he didn't utter another word.

This caused another round of chuckles from those behind them.

Wooo! A shrill howl from an Evil Sandworm echoed from ahead!

"Ah! Could it be, they've already started fighting?"

Everyone was shocked and simultaneously quickened their pace.