Chapter 163

With over ten thousand male beasts joining, the Planting Base's speed instantly increased by more than tenfold, and the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau also added two squadrons of three hundred Deputy Escort Heads, bringing the total number of escorts to 1,200.

Over a thousand escorts each received only one order: to gather soil from all over and bring it back.

The shocking event that occurred in Kuangsha City a few days ago stunned the entire city, and to this day everyone still dares not speak loudly about it.

Mo Lie led his beastfolk army, whose aura was vast to the point of shocking, and in just one night swept through the headquarters of the leaders of the northeastern and southern districts, leaving Kuangsha City with only one major power and its citizens unable to regain their composure even after several days and nights.

Even the ordinary citizens inside the city, the Wushen Temple outside the powers, and even the merchant caravans still traveling across the desert to Kuangsha City gradually came to know exactly what had happened in that night's great battle.

In the desert a thousand li outside Kuangsha City.

The daytime wind and sand were strong, blowing yellow sand with a whooshing sound, the temperature extremely high; stepping on the scorching sand almost cooked a person.

Even large merchant caravans rarely travel at this time of day, instead they all set up camp and rest in the shade behind the dunes, where the lack of sunlight instantly makes it ten-odd degrees cooler.

As the largest merchant caravan across all continents, the Luo Lai Caravan's stopping point always draws the remaining caravans to gather and rest nearby.

Consequently, the number of merchant caravans plus adventuring hunting teams in this shady hillside exceeds six thousand, so the bandit gangs hidden in the nearby desert dare not even show their faces.

People gathered together, far from Kuangsha City so they need not worry about being overheard, and someone in the crowd started speaking, after which discussion voices continued to rise:

"Even a leader whose Beast Form is as huge as a small mountain is no match for the Xicheng leader; with three leaders leading tens of thousands of capable fighters surrounding him, the Xicheng leader's tens of thousands of Beastfolk Warrior Legion cut through them like slicing meat, leaving the three forces powerless to resist—the Xicheng leader is incredibly strong!"

"Exactly! I was in Kuangsha City that night and saw it with my own eyes! Every male beast the Xicheng leader brings is absolutely a ferocious beast, incredibly strong, feeling like they could instantly tear apart the proud back armor of the Xi Ze!"

"The strongest part is that the Xicheng leader actually managed to gather so many strong and mighty male beasts together, defeating the Viper Lin leader, the Ostrich Sect leader, and the Tiger Soar leader—these three major powers all surrendered in submission."

At noon, exactly when the Beastfolk were lounging after a full meal, chatting idly, their talk about the shifting powers within Kuangsha City instead caused the merchant caravans to feel uneasy.

"No way, Kuangsha City must be in chaos now—can we even still enter the city?"

"Definitely not, the three powers collapsed overnight, and among those who depended on them there are surely Beastfolk unwilling to submit; they are now forming their own forces, busy seizing territory, and in the fractured Kuangsha City danger lurks everywhere—once they start fighting, they won't care who you are."

"What bad luck! I was hoping to make a big profit bringing my goods to the An Sen Da Lu, but if I can't pass through Kuangsha City, the water I'm carrying can't even take a detour—the loss would be huge!"

"You're still worrying about this loss, don't you care about your life? I'm planning to head back soon anyway—my life comes first."

Voices of departure rose again among the caravans, and among them, the male beasts of the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau mixed in as guards couldn't help but speak out:

"Nonsense! We just came out of Kuangsha City; the city is exactly as usual, with no chaos at all—don't believe me? Look at the several large wagons of goods we are escorting this time!"

These caravans are all potential customers of the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau—how could they be led astray?

If they don't go, how will our Fierce Sand Escort Bureau's business come about?

This escort was none other than the Deputy Escort Head of the Second Squad, Xi Ze, who frowned and spoke firmly: "If there really were fighting, how could these few wagons of goods possibly make it out safely? They would have been looted long ago!"

"Oh? Do you know who the Xicheng leader is?"

A pleasant voice rang out in the scorching desert, like a clear spring welling up, causing everyone to turn toward its source.

In the middle of the Luo Lai Caravan, a sudden shade canopy appeared in the desert, luxurious animal pelts piled with comfortable cushions, several burly male beasts kneeling beside it, holding banana-leaf-sized shark-silk fans, slowly turning their heads to bring a cool breeze.

Seated in the center, surrounded by the crowd like stars holding the moon, was a black-haired male beast who at first glance exuded a strong aura; before he spoke, no one had noticed him.

When he finally spoke, everyone turned to look, first seeing his exquisitely delicate features, black hair flowing like a waterfall, and his golden eyes shining brighter than the sun in the sky; at a single glance, everyone gasped and averted their eyes.

No one dared to look directly at him, and in the desert heat they instinctively felt a tingling dread on their scalps.

The scorching air suddenly became very still.

Receiving no answer, that person lifted his golden eyes, impatiently gazing at the speaking male beast of the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau, his clear voice like a blade: "Answer me, male beast of the Xi Ze."

Xi Ze, who had been locked onto, felt as if he were about to die—a feeling he only had when facing the leader Mo Lie; he could not defy the opponent, and trembling, he replied:

"The leader of Xicheng… is our Fierce Sand Escort Bureau's leader; he has never taken off his outer robe even in human clothing, never revealed his name, and even the commander of the Flower Regiment in our First Legion only calls him master… this, this is something everyone knows."

Golden-Eyed Beast: "Heh, is that vitality elixir produced in Kuangsha City?"

"Yes, the vitality elixir comes from the hand of Lady Su Li of the main Wushen Temple in Kuangsha City." Xi Ze answered, unrelated to his own leader, his expression easing a little: "The main Wushen Temple limits production to six hundred elixirs per day, with the rule that each male beast may purchase only one."

Golden-Eyed Beast: "What is the primary medicinal herb for the vitality elixir?"

"Well, I don't know," Xi Ze replied honestly, his face flushed.

I was scared to death!

I thought they were coming for Kuangsha City.

Now I know this powerful male beast has no interest in our Kuangsha City's forces whatsoever.

Hehe, they're after the vitality elixir—good~!

He answers every question: "Probably only Lady Su Li knows, oh, right, I know Lady Su Li has left, but the main Wushen Temple still sells vitality elixirs; as for the vitality elixir, that's all I know."

The Golden-Eyed Beast withdrew his gaze, shook the clear water in his glass cup, his tone tinged with great interest.

As the sun approached the horizon, the various merchant caravans rose and began to organize their ranks; the captain of the Luo Lai Caravan also carefully finished forming up, bent at the waist, standing not far away and gazing off in this direction.

He only dared to ask a guard for permission, the time of departure, and then that guard would report to the central authority.

After hearing this, the Golden-Eyed Beast raised his hand to dismiss them and ordered a tall male beast in attendance:

"I'm becoming more and more interested in Kuangsha City's Wushen Temple. Alright, pass the order down: the merchant caravans will proceed at their usual speed, and we will leave this place first."

"Yes." The tall guard received the order, as if accustomed to his master's whims, suddenly no longer wishing to pretend to be a low-key merchant caravan, making arrangements to leave at a moment's notice.