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The aura of the flames belonged solely to one person, one sword,

"Flame Saint Levis."

"Raging Sword—Ten Realms Crimson Lotus (a legendary weapon)."

Even after his death, the inheritor of this power could not alter the domineering presence unique to Levis. This sense of "presence" was still the same as what Chen Xuanfeng had witnessed multiple times in the past—the form of the "Flame Saint."

The wielder of the Flame Saint's power didn't show up but used their immense strength to interfere with the battle.

Suddenly, on the eastern side of the natural barrier, a semicircular dune rose from the sandy ground. It continued to grow, slowly moving towards the remains of the severed rope bridge at the middle section of the gorge. When it reached the edge of the chasm, it had grown to be over ten meters high and dozens of meters wide, like a fortress. Following this, to the astonishment and confusion of the desert warriors on the opposite side, a fiery red light burst forth from the core of the dune. The intense heat warped the air, instantly turning tons of sand into molten lava.

The lava surged out of the cliff, propelled by an invisible yet powerful force, resembling a fountain. It crashed onto the cliffs on the other side. Some of it clung to the cliffs, while the rest plunged into the hundred-meter-deep chasm. The leading edge of the lava quickly cooled and hardened, but the rest kept pouring out. The scorching hot air forced the warriors defending the cliff on this side to retreat step by step. As the solidified sand and rocks between the two sides continued to accumulate, both sides realized what the hidden figure intended to do, but they were powerless to stop it and could only watch as the layers of sand thickened. It was only after ten minutes that the red light withdrew, and the temperature contained within the sand and rocks seemed to be retracted simultaneously. What remained was a ten-meter-wide, pure white stone bridge connecting both sides of the natural barrier, with no further obstructions.

Everyone was stunned, including Jin Luosha and Chen Xuanfeng, who were still in the Hanos Tribe.

Though for slightly different reasons.

"Brother, is this... the 'Sacred Domain' directly interfering in a commoner's war? And it's an internal conflict among the human race. Have the Sword Saints' standards dropped so low?" Jin Luosha asked in disbelief, staring at the stone bridge in the distance.

The strongholds of the Sacred Domain were considered the most powerful forces in the world. Since their inception, they had been the noblest warriors, possessing an almost perverse sense of arrogance and dignity. A few hundred years ago, Sword Saints wouldn't have interfered unless the enemy had someone as powerful as an Emperor Martial or Arrow God. Although their sense of dignity had declined repeatedly since the rise of "War Saint" Leimen, seeing a Sword Saint interfere in a local war with tens of thousands of combatants, where not even a Sword Empress or high-level mage was present, was shocking enough to elicit astounded exclamations.

"Heh, that's why they're still trying to cover it up," Chen Xuanfeng sneered, his gaze fixed on the distant void as he replied, "Even a fool can see who made that move, but it seems that idiot 'Red Sun Knight' thinks he can deny it as long as he doesn't show up in person. What a deluded idiot. If Levis knew that the one inheriting his power was such a waste, he might be angry enough to come back to life."

Jin Luosha frowned slightly and stared at the white stone bridge. "Then what do we do? Our primary target has shown up, but in such a public setting..."

"No need to worry," Chen Xuanfeng said meaningfully. "Tonight, we might see more than just some fire-wielder. Jin Luosha, we just need to stir up chaos, and someone else will take care of the rest."

"Brother, are you saying... there's more..." Jin Luosha, having spent a long time with Chen Xuanfeng, immediately picked up on the implication.

Chen Xuanfeng nodded and said, "Hm, though I can't tell exactly who it is, I sensed another hidden 'presence' when the 'Red Sun' acted just now. But it vanished almost immediately. It seems that person's control is far superior to this 'Red Sun's.'"

"Brother, what should we..."

"As long as we hit the 'Flame Sand Army' hard, that arrogant fool will naturally reveal himself. Once he shows up, the other won’t stand by idly either. Jin Luosha, you don’t often get to use your martial skills in battle, so take this opportunity to practice."

"Yes," the girl nodded and smiled, taking out three rods about a meter long from her back and assembling them into a snow-colored spear within moments.

As the white stone beam that spanned the chasm lost its last bit of heat, the heavily armored infantry of the "Flame Sand Army," already prepared, immediately advanced to seize control of the beam. This type of heavy infantry formation was unique to the regular army of the "Mercenary Empire," something the desert tribes lacked entirely. Though the stone beam was wide, horses and camels couldn’t move effectively on it. Thus, when the desert warriors had to dismount and use only their leather armor to face enemies clad in full heavy armor, they were immediately at a disadvantage. This further enraged the tribal warriors. Even though Hein, the Red Sun Knight, had the weakest control over his power in the 'Saint Realm,' it still surpassed what most could imagine. The stone beam was not only smooth and structurally sound, but it also had two thick guardrails on either side, making it impossible for the tribal warriors to push their enemies into the abyss as they had planned.

Blood was wantonly spilled across the desert, and bodies fell into the dust. The fight between their curved blades and the enemy’s heavy armor was completely one-sided. In an instant, the "Flame Sand Army" seized control of the entire stone beam. With the protection of the heavy infantry, the main force behind them also began to pour across continuously. Luckily, at first, they were few in number, and the tribes finally mustered several thousand troops to block the enemy. The "Flame Sand Army" was also pinned against the cliff, putting them at a disadvantage and temporarily stalling their advance. However, this kind of positional battle was precisely the strength of a regular legion. Once the tribal warriors dismounted and lost their mobility, their fighting strength dropped significantly. As more reinforcements from the "Flame Sand Army" crossed the stone beam, the battle shifted back in their favor. The "Flame Sand Army's combined infantry and cavalry units slowly gained the advantage, pushing forward. When the two 'Sword Master'-ranked officers finally broke through the tribe's defenses, the front line surged directly toward the oasis where the tribe was camped.