Chapter 36

This time, the invading sand bandits numbered at least seven or eight hundred. The four battalions that arrived first were unable to stop the bandits from spreading into the mine area.

Zhou Lu and his two companions, Xiao Luan and Ke Ling, galloped towards the Array Fire Pavilion. On the hill behind them, many sand bandits had already broken through the defenses and charged over. Along the way, bone spears rained down, and many of the tribespeople, who had just woken up from their sleep, were impaled and killed as the bandits burst into their tents.

Arrows of fire shot towards the felt tents, which caught fire immediately. The roaring flames prevented the people inside from escaping, and those who did manage to escape were engulfed in flames, rolling on the ground in agony and screaming in pain.

Zhou Lu, Xiao Luan, and Ke Ling gritted their teeth, the veins on their foreheads visibly pulsing. Their hearts were heavy as they urged their horses forward without a word. Ahead was the tall stone staircase leading to the Array Fire Pavilion. The heavy stone gate of the Array Fire Pavilion was slightly ajar, and the Eastern Pavilion Master and the alchemists stood there, holding eagle-eyed goggles, anxiously looking out.

"Quick, look, it's Xiao Luan. They're safe, they've finally returned."

Huan Jie, with her sharp eyes, was the first to spot Xiao Luan galloping over through the eagle-eyed goggles. All the alchemists turned their gaze in that direction, heaving a sigh of relief. The Eastern Pavilion Master, whose fists had turned white from clenching, finally relaxed them.

Rushing to the foot of the stone staircase, Zhou Lu and his companions dismounted and hurried up the steps. The Array Fire Pavilion was fortified with numerous mechanisms, as secure as a fortress. Once they returned to the Array Fire Pavilion, they would be completely safe.

The alchemists quickly came down and surrounded Xiao Luan and Ke Ling.

"Xiao Luan, are you all right?"

"Did you encounter any sand bandits on the way? Are you hurt?"

"Oh, that was too dangerous. You just went out to search for minerals, and the sand bandits attacked. Next time, don't go out so casually. Even if you have to, at least inform the Eagle Wing Army."

The alchemists asked with concern.

A man with a sword-like brow and a heroic demeanor pushed through the crowd, his face full of concern. "Xiao Luan, Ke Ling, are you hurt?"

"Senior Brother? You're back?"

Xiao Luan and Ke Ling's eyes lit up as they greeted him. "We're fine, not a scratch. Everyone can rest easy."

Is this the Senior Brother Ye Laoqiang?

Zhou Lu glanced at the man, who wore a water-blue robe, had clear and sharp eyes, a strong and well-proportioned build, and a faint tattoo of a demonic bow on his brow, giving him a unique charm.

"Indeed, he is very impressive and handsome."

Zhou Lu nodded inwardly, but at this moment, he had no room for any other thoughts. He borrowed an eagle-eyed goggles from someone and anxiously looked towards the distant valley.

Xiao Luan pushed through the crowd and borrowed an eagle-eyed goggles to look at the distant mountains.

Now they were safe, but the battle below still tugged at their hearts. So many people had died, and Xiao Luan, who had narrowly escaped death, deeply felt the brutality and cruelty of war. Those who had smiled brightly yesterday were now lifeless corpses, and the ruthless harvesting of lives filled her gentle heart with anger and helplessness.

Through the eagle-eyed goggles, she focused on the distant valley, and everything became as clear as if it were right in front of her. In the smoke and fire, she saw a fierce sand bandit wielding a machete, slicing a middle-aged woman, who was wrapped in a coarse cloth, in half.

Blood spurted out, and the woman's body folded in two, her intestines and organs scattered on the ground.

The sand bandit, like a demon, licked his lips, stepped over the bloody ground, and took a quick step forward to find his next victim.

Xiao Luan vomited, her face as pale as paper.

Such a cruel scene was beyond her psychological capacity to bear.

The Senior Brother, concerned, caught Xiao Luan, who was about to fall, and shouted, "Don't look, Xiao Luan, come inside the cave."

"No."

Xiao Luan broke free from the Senior Brother's arm and stubbornly held the eagle-eyed goggles, her eyes filled with flames of anger. She wanted to see everything with her own eyes and remember the images of the demons who had slaughtered her tribespeople.

She herself did not have the strength to fight those demons, but if she ever had the chance to hold power, she would order the complete extermination of those marauding demons on the wasteland.

On the other side of the valley, a wild and strong man with fiery red hair and a blood-red robe charged through the rolling sand like a wild bull.

The bone spear in the man's hand was terrifyingly long, and with a whistling sound, it swung out, deflecting a long spear of an Eagle Wing Army hunter. The hunter was knocked off balance and flew into a pile of rocks, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The man, like a madman, charged towards the fallen hunter.

The nearby hunters, seeing this, turned red-eyed and shot arrows at the blood-red man like rain.

The blood-red man's bone spear spun like a whirlwind, accurately deflecting the arrows. Even those that came close were blocked by his left soft shield. In the rain of arrows, the man charged forward unscathed, watching the hunter who had fallen and was desperately trying to escape.

The hunters who tried to block him were all deflected by the bone spear, and no one nearby could match the blood-red man.

The alchemists on the hill, seeing this, all felt a chill run down their spines: Blood Savages?

The Blood Savages were an extremely fierce and primitive tribe. Although their numbers were few, they were incredibly strong, even the old, young, and women could fight for thirty rounds against the powerful Eagle Wing Army.

The hunters of the Blood Savages were even stronger, probably surpassing even the centurions of the Eagle Wing Army. Their strength was terrifying.

The Blood Savages did not practice nomadism or hunting. This tribe relied on being hired by other forces. On the wasteland, when the sand bandits planned to rob a tribe, they would often pay a high price to hire a few strong Blood Savage hunters to lead the charge.

In practice, the Blood Savages proved to be exceptionally useful. Wherever they went, there was bloodshed, and they left no survivors, their cruelty striking fear into the hearts of their enemies and bringing the sand bandits unimaginable rewards.

It was said that the blood-red robes of the Blood Savage hunters were dyed with the blood of their enemies.

On the wasteland, the name "Blood Savages" was enough to make even children stop crying at night.

Zhou Lu, seeing this, felt a chill run through him. He had long heard of the Blood Savages, and in the midst of the sand bandits, he had seen at least ten of them. Now he realized just how strong they were.

Zhou Lu estimated that even with his archery skills, he would be unable to defeat such a strong Blood Savage.

Archery was just a means of long-range attack, capable of catching people off guard, but it was not invincible on the battlefield. The Blood Savage, with his soft shield, had a reaction speed that was almost supernatural, and a mere skilled archer could not defeat him.

The Blood Savage, chasing the hunter, kicked a pebble with a whistling sound, which hit the hunter's back.

The hunter spat out another mouthful of blood, stumbled, and the Blood Savage, taking a few quick steps, leaped forward, driving his bone spear into the hunter, pinning him to the ground.

The bone spear stood tall and trembled, while the hunter's body convulsed.

"No!"

The Eagle Wing Army, watching from a distance, roared in anger.

Zhou Lu, holding the eagle-eyed goggles, tears streaming down his face, felt his body tremble uncontrollably from the surge of adrenaline.

In the eagle-eyed goggles, Zhou Lu saw Centurion Lei Meng running over with a hunting knife, charging towards the demon-like Blood Savage. Lei Meng wanted to stop the Blood Savage from continuing his slaughter and would not allow the demon to kill his brothers.

Zhou Lu took the eagle-eyed goggles off and started down the stone steps.

"Zhou Lu, where are you going?"

Ke Ling, who was observant, grabbed Zhou Lu and shouted anxiously.

Zhou Lu slowly turned around. "I'm going to join the battle below."

"No!"

Xiao Luan, also alarmed, grabbed Zhou Lu's other sleeve and pleaded, "Zhou Lu, don't go down. You're not a hunter anymore; you're an alchemist now. You don't have to participate in the battle below."

Xiao Luan, looking at the determined fat man, felt her heart break. Her face was filled with sorrow as she softly begged, "Zhou Lu, you can't get hurt. You can't be in danger. You know, my Moon Trace saber was custom-made for your body. If you're in danger, no one else can bring out its full power."

Zhou Lu, hearing this, felt a deep tremor in his heart. He never thought that the fat man whom Mei Duo and Meng Tian had abandoned without hesitation would be treated so well by a woman today.

The Moon Trace saber, made of triple-refined mystic gold, would become a legendary weapon. Xiao Luan had designed it in silence to be the most suitable for him, which was why he felt such inexplicable joy when he first saw the blueprint.

Zhou Lu suddenly felt very content.

Zhou Lu looked at his two senior sisters and gently pulled their hands off his sleeves, saying quietly, "Senior Sisters, you know, I'm just a despicable fat man. Sometimes I'm naughty, sometimes I'm a jerk. I spit on the lamb legs of people I dislike, and I have a set of tools for secretly watching girls bathe..."

A set of tools for secretly watching girls bathe?

Xiao Luan and Ke Ling's faces changed instantly.

Zhou Lu continued, "I'm not a hero, but my brothers are still fighting down there. Can I, a skilled archer, hide in the back to save my life?"

Zhou Lu's face was filled with sorrow.

"There are some things a man must do!"

Zhou Lu turned and walked down the steps resolutely. The alchemists behind him were silent.

Watching the fat man's back, Xiao Luan and Ke Ling were moved to tears.

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