The blazing sun, the endless yellow sand.
After entering this area, they rarely saw other spirit beasts; it was like entering a no-man's land.
Or rather, a beast-free zone, a lifeless zone.
All they could see was yellow sand, undulating hills stretching as far as the eye could see. A lone
plume of smoke rose straight from the desert!
As evening fell, night descended.
Ma Hongjun remained cautious, constantly observing his surroundings; he dared not place his hopes on the four of them.
They chose a sand dune to rest temporarily.
Not long after they stopped, it was completely dark, and Ma Hongjun heard a rustling sound.
It sounded like something was crawling on the sand.
To hear such a distinct movement in the desert, then…
"Oh no, it's a sand scorpion!"
Hadabatel shouted. He
then quickly summoned his spirit.
His spirit was a Flame Lion, with six spirit rings surrounding him:
yellow, purple, and black. Zhu Xiaofan and the other two middle-aged spirit masters also summoned their spirits. All three of them possessed the Earth Fire Dragon Serpent spirit. Two middle-aged Soul Masters, one a Soul Emperor and the other a Soul Saint. Zhu Xiaofan was a five-ring Soul King. Both possessed optimal Soul Ring combinations. Under the light, Ma Hongjun finally saw clearly. Countless yellow scorpions were crawling towards the sand dune where they were. Most of these sand scorpions were ten-year-level Soul Beasts, but they were incredibly terrifying, forming a sand scorpion army, with many being hundred-year or thousand-year-level. "Protect the camels!" Hadabatel shouted, there were simply too many sand scorpions. Killing these sand scorpions wasn't difficult for them, but it wouldn't be the same for the camels. These sand scorpions were venomous, and even though the camels were also ten-year-level Soul Beasts, they couldn't withstand the scorpion venom. "Just some little scorpions, what's the big deal!" The Soul Emperor with the Dragon-Snake Soul glanced at Hadabatel with disdain and said dismissively. His body was already covered in fiery red scales, and a long fiery tail materialized from his tailbone. His Soul Rings lit up! With a single fiery tail sweep, he killed hundreds of sand scorpions. The Earthfire Dragon-Serpent is a hybrid soul beast, with the upper part being a dragon and the lower part a serpent. It possesses both earth and fire attributes. In the Star Sand Kingdom, it is a very powerful martial soul because it is very suitable for the environment of this region. "The appearance of the sand scorpion swarm means the Yellow Sand Sandstorm is not far away!" Hadabater said calmly. He had seen countless arrogant people, all of whom died in the mouths of sand scorpions. Sand scorpions are not strong, at most at the thousand-year level, but their numbers are extremely large, and they can use yellow sand for defense. Their fire attribute resistance is very strong, and ordinary flames cannot harm them at all. The Dragon-Serpent Soul Emperor who was just disdainful is now starting to get nervous. He can sweep away hundreds of scorpions with one move, but he can't kill half of them. After those sand scorpions fall, they continue to crawl towards him. His flames are much less effective. Sand scorpions are earth attribute, and earth is inherently fire-resistant. These sand scorpions can burrow into the sand to neutralize the power of the flames, and they are very resilient with a certain degree of recovery. Even before the Yellow Sand Salamanders have appeared, the swarm of sand scorpions before them is enough to keep them occupied. This is the difficulty of hunting Yellow Sand Salamanders; besides their power, there's also the overwhelming swarm of sand scorpions. The sand scorpion army arrives without warning, quickly and fiercely. They live in the yellow sand, burrowing into the sand during the day to avoid the scorching sun, and emerging at night to hunt. Therefore, the seemingly calm desert is actually fraught with danger. "Quickly! Get out of here!" Hadabatel shouted, then chose a direction to clear out the sand scorpions. The Soul Emperor's strength is formidable; despite the large number of sand scorpions, they are no match for their powerful soul skills. Whether they are hundred-year or thousand-year level, unless a ten-thousand-year level sand scorpion appears. However, sand scorpions are relatively low-level soul beasts, and it's extremely rare for one to reach the ten-thousand-year level. Generally, once they reach the ten-thousand-year level, they evolve into Yellow Sand Salamanders. "This is a sand scorpion's nest, and the area below has been hollowed out by the sand scorpions." Hadabatel is a seasoned desert hunter, and his experience is exceptional; he immediately identified the problem.
Their luck was terrible; they'd stumbled upon a sand scorpion's lair.
No wonder the scorpions appeared so suddenly.
Sure enough, as more and more sand scorpions appeared, the desert beneath their feet began to shift and sink.
The enormous camels were already in a panic, completely out of control, as the sand scorpions crawled all over them. The camels
fled frantically, and one camel immediately sank into a sand pit, its body covered in countless sand scorpions, letting out a pitiful howl.
The yellow sand beneath their feet was already shifting rapidly; at this point, there was no time to worry about the camels.
Ma Hongjun didn't summon his martial soul; he was using a black iron spear to clear away the sand scorpions before him.
The iron spear was more than enough to deal with these sand scorpions.
He didn't want to reveal his martial soul yet; his soul ring configuration was too dazzling, so he wanted to keep a low profile.
Ma Hongjun was now considering what to do: retreat directly to the south or stay and travel with these people.
However, at this sudden moment, a violent tremor emanated from beneath the hill.
Ma Hongjun sensed powerful auras surging forth from beneath the yellow sand.
"Scatter!"
Hadabatel shouted, no longer caring about anyone else, leaping down the hillside.
"Uncle Xiang, Uncle Kun!"
Zhu Xiaofan cried out, as she was lifted up by a massive object.
A monster that had suddenly emerged from the yellow sand had risen right beneath her feet, launching her into the air.
She had originally been in the center of the hill, behind two middle-aged Soul Masters who were clearing sand scorpions in front of her, but now, suddenly lifted up by the monster, she was in the most danger.
Ma Hongjun, not far behind Zhu Xiaofan, was also lifted up by the monster, though he seemed to be standing on its tail.
Uncle Xiang and Uncle Kun were frantic. One of them, a Soul Saint capable of levitation, immediately took to the air to rescue Zhu Xiaofan.
However, more monsters suddenly emerged from the ground ,
heading towards them.
The five were now split into three groups.
Uncle Xiang and Uncle Kun were on one side, Hadabatel on another, and
Ma Hongjun and Zhu Xiaofan on the third, though Zhu Xiaofan was now in the air.
Several more monsters emerged from the bottom of the hill.
"The Yellow Salamander!"
Ma Hongjun heard Hadabatel's voice.
Even in the darkness, the monster's outline was vaguely visible.
Its enormous head was scorpion-shaped, its black scales reflecting light.
Connecting the head was a long dragon tail, and Ma Hongjun was currently positioned on the tail.
"Is this the Yellow Salamander?"
Ma Hongjun thought to himself.
At that moment, the Yellow Salamander beneath him and Zhu Xiaofan finally emerged completely from the sand.
The powerful force sent Ma Hongjun and Zhu Xiaofan flying.
Several more emerged at the same time; in the darkness, Ma Hongjun couldn't tell how many Yellow Salamanders there were, their bodies too long and large.
However, judging from the situation, the other three were also entangled.
He and Zhu Xiaofan had to rely on themselves.
Ma Hongjun didn't recognize the Yellow Salamander and couldn't determine its age, but judging from its strength, the one beneath him was at least ten thousand years old.
The Yellow Salamander sprang up, opened its enormous mandibles, and spread its two large pincers, ready to clamp down on Zhu Xiaofan and devour him.
At the same time, its tail moved, and surprisingly, a scorpion's stinger remained at the tip of its long dragon tail.
The stinger extended, sharp and gleaming, with a few glistening specks of venom on it.
The tail tip was thin, and the stinger, like a needle, moved with incredible agility, striking back like a scorpion's sting.
The speed was astonishing.
In a flash, under the threat of death, Ma Hongjun summoned his Martial Soul.
A wisp of red light flashed.
Zhu Xiaofan, in mid-air, looked over.
Red,
purple, and black!
Five shimmering Soul Rings, especially the red one, which stood out vividly in the night.
Her eyes were filled with astonishment, utterly shocked.
(End of Chapter)