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Just as he hesitated, a soft male voice suddenly sounded from behind Cato, speaking with a hint of coldness, "Master Cato, since he has a mission to fulfill, we shouldn't force him. Let's send him off properly."

Brigadier General Motanu, hearing someone dare to interrupt in front of Cato with a tone that carried a hint of command, couldn't help but ask curiously, "May I ask who this is..."

Cato coldly replied, "The eldest son of the Tereid family, Count Yaxian Tereid."

Motanu was slightly stunned and was about to speak when he saw a swirling yellow light before his eyes. With his strength as a tenth-level Sword Hero, he couldn't comprehend what was happening before he felt his body lighten, his head soaring into the air, blood splattering everywhere.

This sudden turn of events left everyone around completely unprepared, watching in shock as the "Sand Emperor" suddenly turned hostile, beheading Motanu with a single sword stroke, then reaching into his robe to retrieve a red sword hilt about the length of a forearm. As soon as the hilt left Motanu's body, something burst forth but was quickly enveloped by Cato's yellow aura, flickering a few times before dimming.

Cato himself remained expressionless, turning calmly to say, "Eldest son, no, Emperor Tereid, from now on, you are the Emperor of the 'Mercenary Empire' and its Guardian Sword Saint. Please lead us to revive the glory and honor of the great 'Mercenary Empire,' and let the entire desert once again bow under the might of the Mercenary Emperor."

Yaxian Tereid, with his delicate features and soft demeanor, smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Master. Rest assured, your wish is my ambition, Yaxian. I will not be as foolish as the late Hein. I will use my wisdom and this sacred power to create a glory that belongs to the entire empire. However, I think it's best not to let anyone know before I truly master the sacred power, to avoid many troubles. What do you think?"

"Yes, I understand, Your Majesty," Cato bowed and replied, then turned to point at Motanu's subordinates and the adventurers led by Xi Luo, shouting to his men, "Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

Although young, Xi Luo and Morova were rare talents among humans, not only outstanding in martial prowess but also exceptionally intelligent. Just from the brief exchange they had overheard, they had already vaguely guessed the gist of the situation. Now, seeing the "Ten Realms Red Lotus Sword" in the "Sand Emperor's" hand, they knew exactly what they had stumbled upon.

While the other side wanted to kill them to silence them, they too had plans to kill and plunder.

"Morova, it seems our luck is really good. When we gave up exploring the ruins of the Twelve Sages to come here, wasn't it for this thing? Originally, we were planning to sneak into the Star Shattering Abyss and risk stealing from several Sword Masters and hundreds of thousands of troops. Now, the situation is a hundred times more favorable than we imagined, with only a treacherous sand snake standing in our way," Xi Luo said, watching the soldiers following Cato draw their scimitars eagerly, yet he spoke without worry to Morova.

The red-haired young mercenary Morova coldly gazed at the soft-spoken young man named Yaxian and replied, "It is indeed an unexpected encounter. I never thought what we were seeking would come to us on its own. Moreover, this situation has only strengthened my resolve to seize that thing. The 'Ten Realms Red Lotus Sword' and the Flame Saint's 'Holy Sigil' must not fall into the hands of such a warmonger who seeks to incite civil war, or who knows how many innocent tribes will be destroyed by the flames of the Red Lotus."

"Kill——————"

With a shout, the gleaming blades flashed under the moonlight. The soldiers of the "Mercenary Empire" had almost no chance to resist before being cut to pieces by the hundred or so elite guards of the "Sand Emperor." However, in contrast, Xi Luo's adventurer team became an unbreakable hard nut for the enemy. Although Xi Luo and Morova did not reveal their full strength, they were still far beyond what silver or bronze-level warriors could handle. Xi Luo, wielding a white crystal sword, led the charge with his sharp blade and exquisite swordsmanship, unstoppable. Morova covered the rear, his fiery aura allowing him to kill approaching enemies with just his fists and feet. The team's flanks were guarded by two golden-level tower shield warriors, capable of withstanding attacks from ordinary Sword Heroes. Since the military seemed to lack long-range attacking mages, the rest of the adventurer team hid in the middle, using magic and crossbows to attack, managing to kill dozens of desert warriors without a scratch.

Faced with such unexpected resistance, the "Sand Emperor" naturally would not remain silent.

"Hmm, it seems even I can be mistaken. Two little brats are actually Sword Masters, quite impressive. Unfortunately, with me here, no matter how hard you try, it's futile," Cato's words were filled with deep anger. He was the type who was obsessed with power and status, preferring to be addressed as Marshal or Duke rather than Sword Master. Now, facing a setback in front of his new master, it was a blow to his pride, naturally infuriating him. His yellow aura surged like a setting sun as he drew an ancient bronze greatsword from his waist and strode towards the adventurers.

"The old sand snake is coming. How about it, Morova, can you hold him off?" Seeing the Sword Master make his move, the other warriors naturally stepped back, and the adventurers adjusted their formation accordingly. Xi Luo and Morova simultaneously faced the "Sand Emperor." Having worked together for over two years, they knew how to cooperate without needing to speak. So, Xi Luo only asked once, and Morova naturally stepped forward.

"No problem," Morova's fiery aura expanded dramatically, revealing his strength as a ninth-level Sword Master. Morova, a common war orphan from the desert, grew up in mercenary groups and never had the chance to learn profound martial arts. Even now, he only practiced the most common "Flame Aura" of the desert. However, he was truly a prodigy, pushing this simple aura, which had never seen a practitioner break through to the Sword Hero level, all the way to the realm of a high-level Sword Master. With the later help of a phantom beast egg, his strength was now on par with Xi Luo, who had encountered numerous fortuitous events.