The ball of Skull Ghost Fire split mid-air, morphing into five searing white lances of flame. They didn't slow, they didn't hesitate. They simply impaled the five lizard beasts, punching clean through their scaled hides.
A moment later, the lances detonated. A wave of fire washed over them, and in the blink of an eye, the lizard beasts were nothing more than drifting ash.
Luo Zhen opened his mouth and inhaled, drawing the Ghost Fire back into his belly.
The entire exchange—from the moment the fire left his mouth to the complete annihilation of his enemies—had taken maybe three seconds. Tops.
By the time the last wisp of flame vanished, the big yellow-skinned snake at his side was still frozen, his jaw slack.
Luo Zhen paid him no mind. With a flick of his tail, he started toward Flying Sand City.
It took a full ten seconds for the yellow-skinned snake to reboot. When he finally did, the realization hit him like a physical blow: he'd just been saved by a master of terrifying power.
He scrambled to catch up, his voice a mixture of awe and frantic sycophancy. "That... that was incredible! Sir, you're on another level!"
He gestured wildly back toward the ash. "Do you know who those were? That was the Vicious Lizard crew! Famous around here. Even their weakest member was a mid-stage Sky Profound cultivator!" he stammered. "And you... You just coughed up a little white fire and poof! Gone! Simply unbelievable!"
The snake was so worked up that flecks of spittle flew from his mouth. He prattled on for another minute before realizing he was the only one talking. Luo Zhen hadn't so much as glanced at him.
"Ah, hehe... got a little carried away," the snake said, swallowing hard. He tried for a more composed tone. "My name's Huang Mao. It's an honor, sir. And you are?"
"You have a name?" Luo Zhen finally spoke, casting a sidelong, surprised glance at him.
Most demon beasts didn't bother with names. They had titles, maybe a nickname, but rarely a proper name. It was a cultural blind spot—they just didn't know what to call themselves. This snake, 'Huang Mao,' wasn't exactly a poet's choice, but it was something.
"I am Luo Zhen," he said, his forked tongue flicking the air.
"Luo Zhen! A fine name, a powerful name!" Huang Mao's grin was wide and eager. "So, Brother Luo, you're heading to Flying Sand City?"
"I am," Luo Zhen confirmed with a slight nod. Then he added, "You're safe now. You don't need to follow me."
"Oh, I'm not following you, I'm going there too!" Huang Mao insisted. "I grew up in Flying Sand City. I know every faction, every back alley, every power player. If you've got business there, I could be useful. A guide, you could say."
"Oh? You grew up there?" Luo Zhen paused, genuinely intrigued. If the snake was telling the truth, a local guide could be invaluable.
"Alright," Luo Zhen said, his tongue tasting the air again. "Then start talking. Tell me about the city."
"Right away!" Huang Mao beamed, launching into a detailed breakdown. "Flying Sand City is a paradox—filthy rich and brutally chaotic. Two Demon Kings run the whole show..."
As they journeyed, Huang Mao painted a vivid picture of the city's complex politics and treacherous streets. By the time the city itself came into view, Luo Zhen felt like he already knew the place.
A magnificent earthen wall, dozens of meters high, rose from the desert floor. It wasn't elegant, but it was immense. The main gate alone was wide enough for a herd of colossal beasts to pass through abreast. And guarding it weren't ordinary soldiers, but several half-human, half-demon hybrids—Demon Generals.
"For a place like this, Flying Sand City is easily in the top ten of the entire Red Desert," Huang Mao said with a touch of local pride.
"Hmph," Luo Zhen flicked his tongue. "Let's go. We're heading in."
After handing over a few spirit stones to the guards as an entrance fee, they passed through the gates.
The inside was even more alive. Streets teemed with activity, lined with shops selling everything imaginable: spirit stones, rare herbs, magical artifacts, raw materials. At one intersection, Luo Zhen even spotted a lavishly decorated building with a sign that read: "The Peony Club."
"You've got to be kidding me," Luo Zhen muttered. "They even have a brothel."
"We should check it out, Brother Luo!" Huang Mao nudged him eagerly. "I've been once. It's full of fox-spirit girls... the service is, let's just say, legendary!"
"Not interested." Luo Zhen swished his tail and moved on, leaving Huang Mao to scramble after him.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a commercial street in the northern district. It was called Camel Street, named for the Demon General who controlled it. The street was thousands of meters long and packed with vendors and customers—a bustling artery of commerce.
Huang Mao finally ventured a question. "Brother Luo, we've walked nearly the whole city. You never told me what your business here is."
Luo Zhen smiled, a cold, thin line. "I only have one objective."
"And that is?"
"To take over."
"To—what?!" Huang Mao yelped, stumbling back a step. "Brother Luo, I told you! To hold territory in this city, you have to be at least a Demon General!" he hissed. "And they're all in alliances! You touch one, you fight them all!"
"I know," Luo Zhen said calmly. "But you also told me that the boss of this particular street—the Camel Demon General—is the only one who works alone. So, he's the one I'm going to make an example of."
The color drained from Huang Mao's face. So that's why they'd come straight here.
"He's a loner because he's too strong to need allies!" Huang Mao pleaded. "He's a late-stage Demon Core master! He's terrifying! They say he has 'frenzied blood'—when he goes berserk, his power explodes. Not even peak-stage Demon Generals want to mess with him."
"He goes berserk, you say?" Luo Zhen's eyes narrowed to slits. "Then I'll just have to kill him before he gets the chance."
And before Huang Mao could protest further, Luo Zhen coiled his massive body and let out a roar that shook the very cobblestones.
"CAMEL DEMON GENERAL! GET OUT HERE! YOUR TERRITORY IS MINE!"
The sound echoed down the street. Instantly, the crowds vanished. Vendors and shoppers scattered, knowing a storm was about to break. Within seconds, Luo Zhen stood alone in a wide, empty circle.
"WHO'S THE BLIND FOOL MAKING A RACKET ON MY STREET?!"
A figure charged through the space, a bizarre fusion of man and beast. From the waist up, he was a muscular man; from the waist down, the body of a camel, complete with two large, fleshy humps. He looked like a grotesque centaur, brandishing a massive battle-axe in one hand, his eyes burning crimson.
The Camel Demon General stomped to a halt, his furious gaze sweeping the area before landing on the lone serpent.
"You're the one challenging me?!" he bellowed, a scornful laugh already bubbling in his throat.
"I am," Luo Zhen replied, his head held high. "Leave now, and I'll let you keep your life. Stay, and you'll die here today."
"Hah! Hahaha! That's rich! A little snakelet from the Sky Profound Realm has come to challenge me!" The Camel General threw his head back and roared with laughter.
His words drew the attention of the onlookers peering from windows and alleyways. They squinted, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"No way... is he really just Sky Profound?" one whispered.
"He is! An early-stage Sky Profound at that..."
"This snake has a death wish. I've seen it all now."
The Camel General gave Luo Zhen a dismissive sneer. He considered his axe, then decided against it. Why waste the effort? He simply opened his mouth and spat a glob of red demonic fire. A simple attack, but more than enough to incinerate a creature of Luo Zhen's supposed level.
If Luo Zhen had been an ordinary snake, he would have been right.
But Luo Zhen was anything but ordinary.
He met the incoming fire with a faint smile and answered with his own: the Skull Ghost Fire.
A torrent of searing white flame erupted from his mouth, weaving itself into a net of pure energy that shot forward. It collided with the Camel General's demonic fire and tore right through it without slowing. The Camel General's arrogant smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of surprise. Before he could react, the net of ghost fire was on him, wrapping him in its incandescent embrace.
Then, it tightened.
"AAAAAAGH!!"
A shriek of pure agony ripped through the air, echoing across the city. The onlookers watched in stunned silence as the mighty Camel Demon General, a late-stage Demon Core master, was consumed. In less than ten seconds, he was reduced to a pile of fine gray ash.
Only his great battle-axe remained, clattering to the ground. Luo Zhen had deliberately spared it.
He slithered forward, coiled his tail around the weapon, and tossed it into his system interface, instantly converting it into Mall Points.
Then, Luo Zhen raised his head and let his voice boom across the silent street.
"As of now, this street belongs to me. Any objections?"
Silence. Not a single creature dared to breathe a word against him. Who would? They had just watched him effortlessly erase one of the city's most feared loners. A Sky Profound snake had killed a Demon General. It made no sense, but it had happened right before their eyes.
The takeover was swift and bloodless. Luo Zhen renamed the street "Golden Snake Street" and moved into the luxurious courtyard that had once been the Camel General's residence.
Inside, Huang Mao followed him, still reeling. "Brother Luo, that was... I mean, you actually killed him! That fire... that was your Beast Fire, wasn't it?"
Luo Zhen stopped. "How did you know it was Beast Fire?"
Knowing of its existence wasn't unusual. But identifying it on sight was. His Skull Ghost Fire was pure white; it had no special visual tells.
"Hehe, I've seen it a few times before," Huang Mao said with a nervous chuckle. "So I kind of know what to look for."
"And where have you seen it?" Luo Zhen pressed.
"My fiancée," Huang Mao explained. "She's a snake, too. She possesses her own Beast Fire."
"Your fiancée?" Luo Zhen gave him a curious look. For a creature of such middling strength and bloodline, Huang Mao had somehow landed a partner with a rare and powerful gift.
Just then, his new subordinates arrived, hauling in the entirety of the Camel General's accumulated wealth.
"Alright, that's enough," Luo Zhen said to Huang Mao. "I need to cultivate. You're dismissed."
Huang Mao opened his mouth as if to say more, but then closed it, sighed, and quietly departed.
Once everyone was gone, Luo Zhen stood alone before a mountain of spirit stones, herbs, and other priceless resources. Most high-level beasts like the Camel General amassed fortunes they couldn't possibly use. Their physical bodies and bloodlines put a hard limit on how much energy they could absorb each day.
Luo Zhen had no such limits. He could devour it all.
But this time, he had a different plan. He wasn't going to consume them. He needed points.
"System," he projected inwardly, "confirm it again. Is there a strange bloody light on me?"
"Confirmed," the system replied instantly. "Multiple scans show a faint aura of blood energy clinging to your body. It carries the signature of the Nascent Soul martial artist from the State of Lu. This is the tracking curse he used to hunt you."
"I knew it," Luo Zhen said. "Time to get rid of it."
The system mall offered a "Spirit Cleansing Talisman" designed for exactly this purpose. The only problem was its exorbitant cost. His current points weren't nearly enough. But now...
He converted the entire pile of the Camel General's treasure into Mall Points. The transaction gave him more than enough. He purchased the talisman and activated it.
A brilliant white light enveloped him, forcing a shimmering, blood-red aura out of his body. The red light struggled for a moment before dissolving completely in the pure white radiance.
Meanwhile, far away in the State of Lu...
The red-faced old man, still recovering from the grievous wounds he'd suffered in the Red Desert, sat in deep meditation. At the exact moment the talisman cleansed Luo Zhen, the old man's eyes snapped open.
"That damned demon snake," he hissed, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. "He broke my Bloody Light Curse?!"
A cold dread settled in his stomach. "This is a problem. Without the curse, I have no way to find him."