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"So it's him." Xi Luo had been living in the desert for two years and naturally knew of this famous Sword Emperor. However, the old man's reputation was not mainly due to his martial skills, but rather because he had a penchant for currying favor with the powerful since his days as a Sword Master, constantly switching sides to climb the ranks and titles. He was known for being opportunistic and malicious, with people addressing him as "Emperor of the Sands" to his face but calling him "Old Sand Snake" behind his back. This man never acted without benefit, and his arrival tonight was certainly not for trivial matters.

The two secretly speculated, but since they were completely unaware of the Holy War Martial Emperor's attack on the divine weapon escort three days ago, they could never guess that the "Ten Realms Crimson Lotus Sword," which should have been under the protection of tens of thousands of troops and Sword Masters, was now with Brigadier General Mo Tanu beside them.

By now, the soldiers from the "Mercenary Kingdom" had recognized the newcomer and were kneeling in salute. Unlike the Sword Emperors who were disciples of the Flame Saint Levis and kept away from politics, this "Emperor of the Sands" was a figure who always maneuvered among the royal factions. Although his combat strength was only average among Sword Emperors, his potential influence was not to be underestimated, and his harsh nature meant that those who offended him never had a good outcome.

After saluting, Brigadier General Mo Tanu quickly approached and respectfully asked, "Marshal Cato, why have you come here in person?"

Cato, who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies with a full beard, looked like a resolute and bold figure. Instead of answering Mo Tanu's question, he countered, "Is the item on you?"

Mo Tanu naturally understood the implication and replied, "Yes, it is on me, but due to confidentiality, I myself am unsure if it is the genuine article."

Cato nodded, his gaze shifting to Xi Luo and Morova, frowning as he asked, "Who are they? Don't you know the mission requires secrecy?"

"They... they are guides I hired..."

"What guides? As a soldier of the empire, don't you even know the way back to the capital?"

"Yes, I am incompetent."

Mo Tanu inwardly lamented. If they were to return directly to the capital, there would be no obstacles, and guides would be unnecessary, just as Cato and his group had come directly. However, the original mission plan had devised an extremely complex withdrawal route to prevent anyone from guessing their path, and the outdated maps provided by the military headquarters had forced them to seek the help of guides. But such issues could not be mentioned in front of Marshal Cato, as in recent years, the "Emperor of the Sands" had been closely associated with the powerful royal family, the Tredi family, which controlled the military. To speak of such matters in his presence would be suicidal.

However, thinking of this, Mo Tanu suddenly realized and quickly asked, "Marshal, how did you find us? We have deviated from the withdrawal route, and even we ourselves did not know we would be stationed here tonight. Have we exposed some trail? That would be dangerous if that orc Sword Saint were to discover us..."

"Fool!" Cato scolded with disdain. "Only now do you think of that? Three days ago, that female monster had already returned north and battled the Dragon Saint, destroying half of the orc city, so there's no need for your paranoia. And you are truly useless, getting lost on the way. If I hadn't preemptively placed a magical mark on the genuine article, we might not have found you at all."

The information about Katherine's whereabouts had been anticipated by everyone beforehand and was not surprising. The secrecy was merely for absolute certainty. However, upon hearing the latter part, even the respectful Mo Tanu could not help but be shocked and exclaimed, "Sir, what are you saying? You placed a tracking spell on this item?"

Tracking spells are not a single type of magic but a category of spells that can continuously emit remote magical signals. In principle, they are quite similar to the divine art "Mark of Original Sin" created by Jin Luosha. However, aside from the "Mark of Original Sin," no other tracking spell could evade the spiritual senses of a Saint-level expert. Therefore, for the sake of secrecy, the divine weapon "Crimson Lotus Sword" absolutely could not have a tracking spell. Who would have thought that the "Emperor of the Sands" would dare to defy all norms and secretly employ such a method? Now, it seemed that if it hadn't been for the "White Night Knight" Heinz's decisive action to seal all magical fluctuations on the "Crimson Lotus Sword" with his divine art, the Holy War Martial Emperor might have already tracked their group. And that seal had a time limit; after three days, it naturally faded, allowing the tracking spell's signal to be emitted again, attracting the "Emperor of the Sands" and his group. In other words, if the orcs sent experts to continue tracking, they might very well find the real "Crimson Lotus Sword," leading to immeasurable losses.

But why would this famous Sword Emperor of the empire do such a thing?

"Marshal... you..." Mo Tanu was at a loss for words.

"Let's not dwell on that. Now, take out the item," Cato said coldly, not wanting to discuss the matter further. He had originally set the tracking spell for other purposes, but he had not anticipated the orcs' sudden attack on the divine weapon escort and the killing of the "White Night Knight." Thus, the tracking spell had turned from a mere scheme into an extremely dangerous and foolish act. Fortunately, it had not caused a catastrophic outcome, and the matter needed to be covered up as much as possible.

Mo Tanu hesitated and said, "Marshal, the item has a special mechanism, and according to regulations, I cannot part with it even in death. If the threat has passed, I am willing to accompany you back to the capital, but..."

As a seasoned soldier, he had his own concerns. The arrival of Cato and his group tonight was suspicious, and both their methods and objectives conflicted with his original mission. Whether they represented the collective will of the imperial royal family or had other schemes was truly worrying. Therefore, when the "Emperor of the Sands" demanded he produce the "Crimson Lotus Sword" from his person, it naturally made him hesitate repeatedly.