Somewhere outside the town, behind a sand dune that wasn't too tall was one of the dunes closest to the Vipers' stronghold. There was nowhere to hide if they went any further.
Here, Ta and the rest were waiting, keeping an eye on the town's movements.
When they saw a burst of sand outside the town, they knew that Shao Xuan had seen them and was about to send them out. That was the signal they had agreed on earlier.
The burst of sand came from Sapphire who was waiting there. Chacha in the sky flew towards the town when it saw the burst of sand.
There weren't many large birds of prey in the desert. If Chacha got too close to the group, it would expose their whereabouts. That was why since they entered the desert, Chacha had been moving freely most of the time. It did not get too close to the group but it did not stray too far away either so Shao Xuan could find it in time.
After Shao Xuan threw the five Gongjia family members out, Chacha swooped down from the sky and took them away. When they flew out of the town, they did not fly towards where Gongjia Ren and the rest were. Instead, they flew in a different direction. After shaking off the Vipers who were chasing them, they turned back to meet up with Gongjia Ren.
Gongjia Ren explained the situation of the Flaming Horn tribe to the five of them. Although his five companions were not in the best state of mind, they were still alive and had all their limbs intact. Given enough time to rest and eat, they would recover without any major problems. Gongjia Ren was relieved. It seemed like the Flaming Horn tribe was more powerful than he expected. They had made the right choice. If they could leave safely, Gongjia Ren would help Yanjiao forge weapons in return for Yanjiao's help.
Now that they had saved their people, they had no more worries. If they encountered desert bandits again, the Yanjiao people would not have to worry about anything. They waited for Shao Xuan to return.
However, after a while, there was a commotion in the town. Shao Xuan did not appear immediately, nor did he send out a signal for help.
"What should we do?" Tuo looked at Ta. "Should we go there?" Although there were beetles, there were still quite a number of Vipers. Shao Xuan alone might not be able to withstand the siege. Accidents were bound to happen.
"No, wait a little longer." Ta raised his hand to stop him. They hadn't received Shao Xuan's call for help. At the same time, something seemed to be wrong in the small town. Shao Xuan had said that he would send out a signal if there were any abnormalities. Since Shao Xuan did not do so, they continued to wait here. After all these years, Ta also knew that Shao Xuan was no longer the ignorant kid who followed behind the team. Shao Xuan definitely knew what to do. They didn't need to do too much. They just needed to follow the plan.
"Pay attention to your surroundings," Ta said to everyone. They were now in a place with more desert bandits, so they had to be careful at all times.
On the other side, in the small city of the Vipers.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the giant blue beetle emerged from the sand. Yellow sand slid off its blue carapace, making hissing sounds.
Sapphire's back height might only be considered medium-sized among the desert beasts. However, its overall shape was slightly flat and oval, resembling a giant inverted spoon. There wasn't enough space to accommodate it.
As the giant beetle gradually emerged from the sand, the low sand house on the ground also collapsed amidst a series of rumbling sounds. The door woven from desert vines also emitted a fragile creaking sound as it collapsed, breaking off one by one.
The people standing around had long retreated when they noticed the situation. They distanced themselves from the giant beetle that had appeared out of nowhere.
Generally speaking, desert beasts rarely appeared in this area. After all, there were more and more desert bandits stationed here. Desert beasts would be rarer in places with more people, unless it was a more powerful giant beast. Sapphire's appearance had been categorized as the latter type of beast in everyone's mind.
Yiken had planned to take a quick glance behind him and continue watching Black Sand. He wanted to ambush Black Sand when he wasn't paying attention. It would be best if he could snatch the sword from Black Sand's hand. However, Yiken didn't expect to see such a scene when he turned around. He was so shocked that he forgot his initial plan of ambushing Black Sand.
Be it the Vipers or the Blue Beetles, they all stared at the pattern drawn on the Blue Beetle's body. They looked at the beetle on the pattern, then back at the one that had just appeared. Suddenly, they felt incredulous.
The Vipers exclaimed, "This pattern is real!"
The Blue Beetles exclaimed, "This is real?"
Although every desert bandit group had their own pattern, it was only a wish, a symbol. They didn't treat it as real. Without faith, how could they believe in a pattern so easily?
Take the Vipers for example. If they were to encounter a venomous snake in the desert, their first thought would be to kill it. If such a giant venomous snake appeared before them, they would definitely wet their pants.
That was how the Blue Beetles were feeling now.
The earliest batch of Blue Beetles had experienced the events of their escape years ago. They knew why Yiken and the elders of the desert bandits decided on such a name. Back then, when the desert was in chaos, they escaped. If it wasn't for the blue beetle that scared off the pursuers, they would've been hacked to death long ago. Moreover, the giant blue beetle gave them a lot of good stuff. That was the beginning of the rise of the Blue Beetle desert bandits.
As for those who joined the Blue Beetle Desert Bandits later on, although they had heard about it from others, very few of them actually believed it. Some of them thought that it was either fabricated or pure luck. Now … If those who told them the story of the blue beetle were here, they would've screamed, "You're lying! Didn't you say that the beetle was only as tall as a human? What's this thing that's here?! "
Recalling Black Sand's words, the Blue Beetles assumed that Yiken had summoned it to help. They no longer cared about the legend. Their gazes towards Yiken were filled with boundless reverence and confidence. So their leader still had a trick up his sleeve. Not only did he summon a giant blue beetle, it was even bigger than the one in the legends!
On the other hand, the Vipers were horrified. They didn't expect the Blue Beetles to be prepared! Even Black Sand thought the same.
Yiken, who was equally shocked, "…"
Yiken, of course, noticed everyone's gaze on him. He was both shocked and afraid. He really didn't summon this one. He had seen a giant blue beetle before but it wasn't this big! He didn't dare to think about it. If this giant beetle's appearance was a coincidence and it attacked indiscriminately, would the Blue Beetles desert bandits need to change their patterns in the future?
The appearance of the giant blue beetle changed the atmosphere in an instant. It was like a piece of frozen ice that was suddenly thrown into boiling water and cracks began to appear. The sudden change in the situation brought about the same change in everyone's mood.
Just as the Vipers and Blue Beetles were having mixed feelings, the giant blue beetle's entire body was revealed. Its shovel-like head turned slightly to scan its surroundings. Its gaze lingered on Yiken for a few seconds.
Yiken's heart clenched. He knew better than anyone else what was going on. He was afraid that this giant beetle would attack them.
However, Yiken soon noticed that the giant beetle had shifted its gaze to Black Sand who was standing there with a sword in hand.
Other than the sound of sand being blown by the wind, there was silence. Everyone was waiting for the giant beetle's reaction. Even though they noticed that the giant beetle's pattern was similar to the Blue Beetles desert bandits', they were still suspicious.
The next moment, the giant blue beetle moved.
It lifted its forelimb that resembled a long scythe and slammed it down on the sand. Unlike the slamming it did when it was hunting the sand lizards, its forelimb was now more extended. Like a black lightning bolt that fell from the sky, it struck the sand diagonally.
The burst of air was like an invisible flying arrow. It shot from the point of impact to a certain direction. Wherever it passed, the sand on the sand was pushed to the sides.
Yiken stood still. He knew that he wasn't the target of this attack. He turned back to look at Black Sand. That was the true target of the giant blue beetle.
This attack alone was enough to make Yiken heave a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness the giant beetle wasn't attacking him.
When the giant beetle appeared, Black Sand was already on guard. The moment the giant beetle lifted its claw, he was ready to dodge the arrow-like air current.
The air current hit the stone house behind Black Sand with a loud bang. The entire stone house shook. Sand, stone chips and rocks swooshed down. Fortunately, the sandstone house took a lot of effort to build so it didn't collapse from this attack. However, if there were to be a few more attacks later on, there was no telling what would happen.
Black Sand's heart ached for his mansion. He didn't want to fight here. Gritting his teeth, he stepped out quickly and headed to the other side.
Sapphire had the same intention. Shao Xuan was still in the stone house. Sapphire regretted its decision to throw him out. No one noticed the two antennae on its head trembling.
Due to its previous mistake of almost eating Shao Xuan's target, Sapphire wanted to do something to atone for its mistake. Hence, it put in more effort to focus on that target. As for the others, it didn't even spare them a glance.
Swinging its six long legs vigorously, Sapphire chased after Black Sand. The sand kicked up by its long legs hit Black Sand painfully.
Yiken stopped chasing after Black Sand. He had the Blue Beetles move away. Noticing some small beetles crawling out from the sand, he hurriedly said, "Don't attack the beetles on the ground! Move away, move away! "
The people from the Blue Beetles did as they were told, while the people from the Vipers used a stone spear to stab the beetle under their feet into the sand. Soon, there were two, three … ten beetles, and even more beetles appearing around him.
The man panicked. He screamed and clenched the stone spear in his hand, stabbing at the beetles on the ground. The more he stabbed, the more beetles there were. The surrounding beetles started to gather. Soon, they were like a small mountain, pushing the man up. His head and eyes couldn't be seen. At first, they could still see the man waving his stone spear and hear his screams. However, as the beetles continued to increase, they couldn't see anything else and his screams became softer.
The black beetles were like a small wave, sweeping the man into it. When the black wave gradually receded, only a skeleton with tattered clothes was left.
What little doubt they had was now shattered by this scene. Someone from the Vipers' side roared, "Insect Swarm!"
Like a ladle of water being poured into a burning pot of oil, it exploded with a bang.
"Insect tide!"
"The insect tide is here!"
"Run!"
The Vipers couldn't care less about the Blue Beetles. If they encountered an insect tide in the desert, they would usually run away and stay far away. They didn't expect to encounter an insect tide in their lair. No, it was the Blue Beetles who brought the insect tide here!
The Blue Beetles could trigger an insect tide?!
This realization made the Vipers even more fearful.
"Make them leave!" The Vipers shouted at Yiken.
Unfortunately, the Vipers' leader had been chased away by the giant beetle. The people here were no match for Yiken. A group attack? But there were still so many beetles around. They were all man-eaters!
To run or not to run?
They watched as Yiken beheaded the Vipers one by one. The slain ones were quickly devoured by the beetles on the ground.
Some of the Blue Beetles were bitten as well but Yiken didn't need to say anything. They all gathered around Yiken, including those who were waiting outside the small town and rushed over after hearing the commotion. They all gathered around Yiken.
Yiken stared at the densely packed black beetles on the ground, his heart pounding. He wasn't the elders. The elders believed in the totem and believed that the beetle would give them a chance to live a new life. Yiken, on the other hand, had always been skeptical. However, a team needed a spiritual pillar so when discussing the totem and name, he listened to the elders' suggestions. He wasn't confident about these insects either.
Seeing that everyone was coming towards him, Yiken could only brace himself and step forward.
"Everyone, don't attack the beetles on the ground!" Yiken warned again.
The person who felt a bite on his leg was about to chop the beetle but after hearing Yiken's warning, he could only shake his leg to shake the beetle off.
To their surprise, the beetles ran away after taking a few steps towards them. They didn't come any closer.
It worked!
One of the Blue Beetles turned to look at Yiken. "Boss, this … this was summoned by you?"
The legendary disaster in the desert had actually helped them so peacefully and even helped them!
This was unbelievable!
They decided that they would repent properly when they returned. What if they were eaten by an insect tide in the future?
Yiken was thinking the same thing but he was still suspicious. They were slaves who had seen and experienced too much. He still couldn't believe everything that was happening before his eyes.
Rumbling noises came from not far away. It was the battle between the giant blue beetle and Black Sand. They had no idea how it was going.
"You guys wait here. I'll go up and check on the situation over there." Yiken wanted to jump onto the roof of the sandstone house but before his feet could leave the ground, someone grabbed onto him.
"No, no, no. Boss, I want to follow you!" The person who grabbed onto Yiken's arm said anxiously.
"Yes, yes. Boss, we'll follow you!" The others beside him quickly chimed in.
"No need, I'll be fine alone. You guys wait here …"
Before Yiken could finish, the others wailed and clutched onto Yiken tightly. "No! Boss, don't leave us! "They wailed so pitifully that it was as if they would be eaten if Yiken left.
But that was the truth. Once Yiken left, the beetles who had been driven crazy by their thirst for blood began to attack indiscriminately. The only thing they wouldn't attack was Yiken.
As soon as Yiken jumped onto the roof, the little beetles that were wandering around shrank their encirclement and approached.
Seeing this, the people below waved at Yiken. "Boss, help!!" Some even jumped onto the roof.
Yiken leaped down from the roof and the approaching beetles retreated.
This scene wasn't only witnessed by the Blue Beetles but also the Vipers.
The beetles didn't eat Yiken and seemed to be avoiding him on purpose. Realising this, some of the Vipers began to ponder. Life was the most important thing.
One of the Vipers ran towards Yiken, shouting as he ran, "I'll join you! I'll join the Blue Beetles! "
With the first, there would be the second, the third …
Although they were worried that their betrayal would anger Black Sand, their lives were more important. Those who followed the Blue Beetles now wouldn't be eaten by the insect swarm. Plus, Black Sand might not end well. That giant beetle wasn't easy to deal with.
Seeing more and more Vipers clamoring to join the Blue Beetles, the Blue Beetles turned to Yiken and waited for their leader to make the decision. They all knew that the Vipers were forced by the insect swarm but this wasn't a bad thing for the Blue Beetles. At least for the current situation, it was a good thing. Let's not talk about loyalty. Now, the desert bandits were competing on who had more people.
Yiken, who was surrounded by the crowd like a protective umbrella, was feeling rather complicated.
Yiken was more surprised than anyone else.
It was actually true!
Could it be that the protection the elders mentioned was real?!
Sensing something, Yiken whipped his head around to look at the sandstone house. His gaze swept from the door to the few windows. There was no one else in sight but plenty of black beetles were swarming in through the windows. Those who wanted to hide in the house changed their minds.
"Leader, what are you looking at?" One of the Blue Beetles asked Yiken.
Yiken shook his head. "Nothing." He just felt like someone was watching them but when he looked over, he didn't see anything.
Shao Xuan, who was originally in the sandstone house, had already made his way to Sapphire.
Bang!
The sand on the sandy ground splashed up like a reverse waterfall. Black Sand gripped his sword tightly and sliced the oncoming sand waterfall.
The sand rubbed against the blade, producing a piercing sound. It was like sharp gravel scraping against one's heart, piercing one's eardrums.
Black Sand's meridians expanded. Ever since he broke free from his shackles, other than his physical body becoming stronger, every time he used the energy within his body, his strength would increase exponentially. It was like a totem warrior activating his totemic power. However, unlike a totem warrior, although he had seized the power for his own use, he hadn't fully absorbed it. Every time he used that power, his emotions would easily become irritable. Fortunately, he controlled himself and didn't lose his rationality.
Although there were side effects, the increase in his strength was undeniable. Black Sand dodged the giant beetle's long claws. The muscles on his arms expanded again, increasing his strength. Black Sand's eyes turned blood-red and bulged outwards as if they were about to bleed. He stared at the giant blue figure not far away.
Ten fingers gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. His feet shook the ground and he bent his legs into a squat. His arched back revealed his protruding vertebrae. His joints moved up and down continuously, emitting a series of creaking sounds. In the next moment, he charged towards the giant beetle like a cannonball. The strength of his muscles and bones mixed with the condensed energy within his body.
The large beetle raised its two front limbs again, intending to use the sand waterfall to block the sword momentum. Just as its two long scythe-like legs were about to touch the sand, Hei Sha's legs suddenly rotated, and the sand was shoveled into the air. The twisting force caused his body to turn in an instant, dodging the sand waterfall. Meanwhile, Hei Sha himself appeared at the side of the large beetle, and his fierce killing intent rushed towards the large beetle.
Black Sand knew that he couldn't win against the giant beetle in terms of strength. However, he didn't want to give up his territory and run away. He wanted to use the sword in his hand to cut down the giant beetle. However, every time he rushed over, he would be blocked by the giant beetle's sand waterfall. Therefore, he decided to change his strategy.
The giant beetle's actions must be because it was afraid of the sword in his hand!
Black Sand's confidence grew. His target was the giant beetle's head! Without its head, how could this giant beetle survive? It wasn't like those monsters created by Rock Hill City!
Clang!
The strong force collided, producing a crisp sound like metal clashing. The force of the vibration transmitted to the bones of the hand holding the sword, producing a cracking sound. Black Sand's two arms were also repelled by the brute force.
Black Sand's pupils shrank.
He didn't hit!
His target was the giant beetle's head. However, when he struck, the beetle seemed to be prepared. It used its other two pairs of legs and its body spun like a top. In an instant, it turned at an angle. The part that was originally facing the blade changed from its head to its carapace. And the carapace was the toughest part of the beetle's body!
The sword in Black Sand's hand actually only left a shallow mark on its back when the blade of the sword slashed at its back armor!
After being repelled by the force of the rebound, Black Sand didn't have time to do anything. The carapace had already crashed into him.
Bam!
Black Sand was sent flying. The strength in his body was already unstable. With this collision, his qi and blood were in turmoil. He spat out a mouthful of blood. Blood also seeped out of his eyes.
The failure of the surprise attack and the mark on the carapace had shaken Black Sand's confidence.
After sending him flying, Sapphire's two hind legs kicked. Its body, which looked as cumbersome as an armored vehicle, moved forward rapidly on the sand. One of its forelimbs was already lashing out like a whip.
Black Sand was still in the air and had yet to land. Without wings, he couldn't dodge even if he wanted to. He had no other choice but to raise his sword to block.
Bam!
The toothed forelimb swept across like a heavy axe. It shook off the obstruction in the air and slammed heavily on the sword.
A powerful force followed Black Sand's hand that was holding the sword hilt and rushed straight to his arm.
Crack!
After his fingers were broken, the bones in his arm made a crisp cracking sound. Even the vertebrae on his back were exploding continuously, as if they couldn't hold on any longer.
As for Black Sand himself, he was smashed into the sand by this blow. The resulting sand flow scattered like water splashes.
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