The overwhelming pressure came and went in an instant.
As the oppressive aura faded, both the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and the Snake-People were stunned to find a man in white suddenly standing between them.
His abrupt appearance startled both sides.
However, the mercenaries soon steadied themselves. Since the newcomer was human, they assumed he wouldn't side with the Snake-People.
Meanwhile, the Snake-People glared at the uninvited guest, their faces twisting with rage.
The lead Snake-Man, his triangular pupils glinting coldly, wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, two of his subordinates—both Five-Star Dou Masters—swung their tails and charged at Gu He with vicious intent.
Gu He lifted his gaze, inhaling the faint scent of blood carried by the desert wind. His brow furrowed slightly, and streaks of violet flame flickered in his eyes.
Suddenly, without warning, the two Snake-People burst into violet flame. In an instant, they were completely engulfed.
"AHHH—!"
Their agonized shrieks pierced the air before the flames consumed them entirely, leaving nothing but ashes scattered by the wind.
The mercenaries behind Gu He gaped in shock.
'What kind of power is this?'
Even the hardened warriors of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group froze at the sight.
"This guy… is terrifying!" murmured the group's most alluring member, Xue Lan, her red lips parted in disbelief as she stared at Gu He.
"Hey, Sister Xue Lan! Are you alright?"
From behind a nearby dune, a mercenary named Lao Wu rushed down excitedly, rejoining his comrades.
"Lao Wu?!" Xue Lan's expression darkened. "I told you to go to Rock Desert City for reinforcements! Why are you still here?"
Lao Wu quickly raised his hands in defense. "Sister Xue Lan, this brother here is the help I brought!"
"Him?" Xue Lan's eyes flicked to Gu He, then narrowed suspiciously. "Who is he? He's not from our mercenary group. Why did you bring a stranger?"
Mercenaries lived by caution—trusting outsiders in the ruthless desert was a death wish.
"I don't really know him either," Lao Wu admitted sheepishly. "He saved me earlier, so I asked him to send word to Rock Desert City for help."
He scratched his head awkwardly. Asking a favor from someone who'd just rescued him was already pushing it.
"But then," Lao Wu continued, "when I mentioned I was from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, he suddenly got interested. He even gave me healing pills!"
"Does he have ties to our group?" Xue Lan mused, tucking a sweat-dampened strand of hair behind her ear.
The Snake-People's lecherous gazes burned into her, but she ignored them.
"Have you ever seen him before? Could he be an old friend of the two leaders? Given his earlier attack, he must at least be at least a Dou Grandmaster."
Lao Wu shook his head helplessly. "No idea. But since he's willing to help, isn't that better than being captured by these Snake-People?"
Xue Lan nodded reluctantly.
Meanwhile, the lead Snake-Man's triangular pupils contracted as he watched his subordinates burn to death.
"Human," he hissed, his forked tongue flicking nervously, "who are you? Provoking the Snake-People in the Tagore Desert is unwise!"
Gu He merely smiled.
"Leave now, and I won't kill you," the Snake-Man added, his voice laced with concealed fear.
Gu He shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Then die!" the Snake-Man snarled. "Kill him first! The women are ours to enjoy!"
With a chorus of hisses, the remaining Snake-People lunged forward, spears raised.
"We'll help too!" Xue Lan shouted, gripping her weapon.
"No need," Gu He said calmly, glancing back. "Stay where you are. I'll handle this alone."
Xue Lan stiffened.
'Is he looking down on us?!'
Her temper flared—no one had ever dismissed her like this. But then she remembered: this man was their only hope.
Gritting her teeth, she stepped back, arms crossed over her ample chest.
'Fine. Let's see how strong this arrogant bastard really is.'
Her skepticism didn't last long.
Within moments, shock replaced her irritation—mirrored on every mercenary's face.
As the Snake-People charged, Gu He remained still.
Then—purple flames erupted from his body, engulfing him in a blazing sphere.
The mercenaries gasped.
"What kind of technique is this? Even a Dou Grandmaster couldn't do this!"
Xue Lan's eyes widened. "Is he… an alchemist? Only they can control flames like this."
"But why would an alchemist be in the Tagore Desert?"
The group exchanged bewildered glances.
Lao Wu gulped. "No wonder he dared to face them alone…"
Another mercenary sighed. "Arrogant, but damn, he does have the right to be."
Xue Lan bit her lip. "Where did he come from? I've never heard of someone this strong nearby."
No one had an answer.
Shaking her head, Xue Lan muttered, "Doesn't matter. We're just lucky he's on our side today."
The Snake-People, however, panicked.
They'd seen their comrades incinerated—now the same violet flames loomed before them.
Gu He's eyes gleamed.
With a thought, the flames detached from his body, morphing into fiery serpents that slithered toward the Snake-People.
The moment the flames touched them—screams erupted.
The fire clung like a curse, devouring flesh, clothing, even their dou qi.
One by one, the Snake-People fell silent.
A flick of Gu He's wrist, and the flames returned to him, vanishing into his body.
All that remained was ash.
The mercenaries shuddered.
"This… this power is monstrous."
If those flames had turned on them…
No one dared move.
Gu He sighed inwardly.
He'd haven't even used 20 percent of his strength—his true strength far surpassed this. But his goal wasn't to terrify them.
He needed to join the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and meet Qing Lin.
Of course, he could've just forced them to hand her over.
But he wanted her as his disciple. And first impressions mattered.
So, he'd play the mysterious expert.
Turning, Gu He approached the mercenaries.
The mercenaries flinched.
With a faint smile, Gu He retrieved water pouches and healing potions from his spatial ring, placing them on the sand.
"Take these."
The group hesitated, then relaxed slightly.
Finally, Xue Lan stepped forward.
"Whatever your reasons for helping us… thank you." She bowed slightly. "I'm Xue Lan, captain of this squad and a subunit leader of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group."
Gu He nodded. "My surname is Gu."
He offered nothing more.
Xue Lan's brow furrowed. 'Gu…?'
No memories surfaced.
"Master Gu," she ventured, "where are you headed next? If you have time, we'd love to host you in Rock Desert City. Our group repays debts—you've saved us, and we won't forget it."
She added quickly, "The city's just half an hour away. It won't delay you much."
Gu He smiled. This was exactly what he wanted.
"Very well."
Xue Lan brightened, distributing the supplies.
"Then let's return now. Lao Liu—fetch the camel cart!"
A mercenary hurried off, returning with a cart laden with monster carcasses—their earlier hunt.
The cart was too cramped for passengers, so Xue Lan ordered, "Take the prey back first. Inform the leaders of what happened."
The driver grinned at Gu He. "They'll be thrilled to meet you!"
With a crack of the reins, the cart rumbled toward Rock Desert City.
…
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