Under the scorching sun, which seemed to burn his flesh, El stepped out slowly. His body was enveloped in softly glowing purple Dou Qi, resembling a sea of stars in the night sky.
That energy not only warded off the heat, but also served as a means of cultivation, accelerating the purification of the Dou Qi in his body.
In order to reach the Da Dou Shi (Dou Grandmaster) Realm as quickly as possible, El must not be lazy. As long as there was a chance to cultivate, El would make full use of it.
After all, El's first Major Mission was still unfinished, collecting Heavenly Flames. Not just one, but two different types of Heavenly Fire, making this Mission even more difficult and dangerous.
Using Rinnegan, El was able to see Dou Qi's trail in the air, revealing that there were two types of Heavenly Fire in this desert.
One was the Blue Lotus Geocentric Flame, while the other was still unknown.
However, for now, El's main objective was to obtain the Blue Lotus Geocentric Flame before Xiao Yan found it.
The wind mixed with dust suddenly grew stronger. Amidst the blowing sand, El caught a familiar scent amongst the flying grains of dust.
"This scent... Xiao Yan? Did he ever pass by this place?" muttered El as he recalled the scent.
El closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and then activated Total Breathing Concentration to sharpen his senses of smell.
"Oh? Over there..." El said, finding the source of the scent.
Stopping cultivation, without hesitation, El darted towards the source of the scent at full speed.
Instantly, the sandy ground he stepped on immediately hollowed out, leaving a trail of small craters, while his figure seemed to be distorted which left an afterimage after a moment of disappearance.
Upon arriving at the location, El did not find Xiao Yan's whereabouts, only his faint fragrance that still lingered in the air.
El frowned, then squatted down, his hand stretched out and grasped the hot sand. Grains of sand flowed between his fingers, carrying with them a trace of lingering energy.
While scrutinizing the sand, El's sharp nose caught the faint scent of Xiao Yan that still lingered in this place. "Apparently, he once cultivated here..." he murmured softly.
Suddenly, however, his sense of smell detected something odd, a strange, unusual scent. The smell of snakes and humans mixed together, signaling the presence of a creature that was not fully human.
Without hesitation, El immediately drew White Fire, the sword stored in Sky Pearl Poison.
With one light movement, the sword floated in the air, controlled by his Dou Qi, then darted sharply towards the source of the suspicious smell.
***
In the distance, three strange figures could be seen moving nimbly on the sand blowing in the desert wind.
At first glance, they had human-like heads and bodies, but the difference was the lower part of their bodies, large snake tails that replaced a pair of legs, slithering nimbly on the hot sand.
Every time their tails swung, there was a sharp and terrifying "chi chi" sound, enough to make anyone's hair stand on end.
They were snake people, half-human and half-snake creatures.
However, unlike ordinary Magical Beasts, they possess high intelligence and complex social organization.
In the history of the BTTH World, the existence of snake people originated from having a secret ritual where a snake person would infuse the soul of a snake-type Magical Beast into their body to strengthen themselves, enhance and combat talents.
All of this process is done as soon as they are born, a ritual that is dangerous but can drastically accelerate a snake man's growth and strength.
However, the results of this process are highly dependent on talent and bloodline. The higher the quality of blood flowing in their bodies, the more graceful and powerful their final form.
For example, Queen Medusa, the leader of their tribe had a perfect body, with a long snake tail that sparkled like a jewel, exuding a dangerous yet elegant aura that could anesthetize anyone who saw her.
In contrast, the three snake-men standing before El were far from such beauty.
Their tails were coarse, their scales dull, and their movements were not as graceful as the nobility of their tribe. Although still threatening, they were definitely not of high lineage.
Right now, three snake-men armed with spears were chasing a little girl whose body looked more petite than other children her age.
From her appearance, she looked slightly younger than Xiao Yan, wearing a graceful pale green dress.
Despite her small body, the aura she exuded was calm and mature, just that it still looked a little immature completely.
Her face was oval-shaped with delicate features, giving off a sweet and delicate impression like a beautiful porcelain doll.
Her jet-black hair fell to her shoulders, adorned with a green hairband that matched her outfit.
On her snow-white wrists were green snake scales that glistened faintly in the sunlight.
Her eyes were also emerald green, but what was most striking were the three small dark green spots hidden within her pupils, giving off a mysterious and unique impression.
That girl was Qing Lin. A Snakemen Hybrid (half human, half Snakemen), possessing unique abilities thanks to her bloodline mixed with the snake race.
In the original plot, she was originally just a servant of the Manly Steel Warrior, but then fate led her to become a saint in the Heavenly Serpent Palace.
Right now, with her breath catching, her petite body was drenched in sweat, soaking through her pale green dress as she ran on the hot sand.
Behind her, three snake-men armed with spears chased her mercilessly.
Their cold and deadly aura clearly signaled one thing, they intended to kill Qing Lin.
Suddenly, Qing Lin tumbled forward, his legs no longer able to support his tired body. His tiny body rolled on the hot sand, dust flying around him.
Seeing that their prey could no longer run, the three snake men slowed down their pace, their tails swaying softly on the sand.
"Hahaha..." One of them chuckled sarcastically, eyes glancing at Qing Lin full of contempt. "Disgusting creature, you can't run anymore."
Qing Lin shivered, her body stiffening in fear. Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes, her breathing labored at the sight of death in sight.
"Honestly, seeing you like this is much more fun," said the snake man on the left side with a satisfied tone. "But as it seems, the game is over."
The snake man on the right slithered closer, its tail rubbing against the hot sand, creating an intimidating dragging sound.
Once it arrived before Qing Lin, the snake man raised the spear in his right hand, preparing to finish him off.
Qing Lin reflexively raised a hand, his body trembling in fear.
However, right before the spear slid towards him...
Swiish!
White light flashed in the air!
A white sword with a red hue shot out with incredible speed, splitting the air before slashing the spear to shreds!
"Khh?!" The snake man didn't even have time to react before the sword's sharp blade sliced through his body in one brutal slash.
Blood spurted out, littering the hot sand and even soaking Qing Lin's body and clothes.
The little girl froze, her eyes widening at the sight of fresh blood splattered all around her.
On the other hand, the white sword was floating in the air, spinning softly beside Qing Lin, as if to be her protector.
Seeing that scene, the two remaining snake men growled angrily. However, no matter how hard they turned their heads and searched, there was no figure in sight.
Only the desert wind blew, carrying the increasingly pungent scent of blood.
Realizing that their enemy was no ordinary opponent, the two drew closer, their bodies tense, spears ready in hand.
"Insolent! Who are you?" one of them shouted, his tone sounding angry, yet vaguely tinged with fear.
"Come out if you dare!" added his companion on the other side, his eyes wildly scanning the surrounding area, trying to find the figure who had finished off their companion in a single slash.