BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

In the boundless desert, Xiao Yan held Qing Lin close, carefully covering the two of them with a golden blanket. To be extra cautious, he even used his soul force to envelop them both, completely concealing their auras. With this level of concealment, even a Dou Zong might not be able to detect their location, let alone an ordinary Dou Wang.

"Strange. I could've sworn I smelled a human scent just now. Why is there nothing here?" The burly snake-man at the front scanned the surrounding sands, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. As a Dou Wang, his perception far surpassed that of ordinary snake-people. It was exactly because of this keen sensitivity that he had changed his original course to come investigate. But now, there was nothing but emptiness.

He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to search the area. Clearly, he knew that some humans were particularly adept at concealment techniques. There was always a chance someone might be lying in wait nearby. However, they were doomed to find nothing—Xiao Yan was hiding less than three meters directly beneath the leader's feet.

Naturally, Xiao Yan wouldn't rely solely on a mere golden blanket. From the moment the sand began to cover them, he had already dug a few meters down. He even left a small breathing vent—though he could hold his breath for over ten minutes, Qing Lin certainly couldn't.

Thanks to his powerful soul perception, Xiao Yan could clearly sense the strength of the male snake-man leading the group—five-star Dou Wang, three ranks higher than himself. However, if it came to a real fight, Xiao Yan was confident he could defeat him in just a few exchanges.

As for the rest of the snake-people, they weren't very strong. Most of them were at the Da Dou Shi level, with the strongest being no more than a seven-star Da Dou Shi. Compared to the average snake-person who barely reached the Dou Zhe stage, these were considered elite troops.

Still, Xiao Yan knew well that this squad was far inferior to the infamous Medusa Guard. Rumors said every member of Queen Medusa's personal guard was at least a Dou Ling, and their captain, Hua She'er, was a Dou Wang-level powerhouse. During the past war between the Jia Ma Empire and the snake-people, many human experts had fallen to their blades.

Of course, a force like that was rare. The snake-people could muster only a single such unit. If every squad had that level of strength, they'd have conquered the Jia Ma Empire long ago.

"Lord Mobaas, there's no sign of any humans nearby," one snake-man reported after an extended search. Unsurprisingly, they found nothing. After all, few could truly achieve the phrase "dig three feet into the ground," and ironically, Xiao Yan and Qing Lin were hiding directly beneath Mobaas's feet. As the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp.

"So this is one of the commanders of the eight great snake tribes. No wonder he's a Dou Wang," Xiao Yan mused. He felt a bit puzzled though. The snake tribes' territory wasn't that close. What was someone like Mobaas doing all the way out here?

"Looks like I was mistaken. Shame—I was hoping to catch a few humans for questioning." Mobaas scanned the surroundings once more and, seeing no trace of any humans, waved his hand. "Let's go. Head to the nearby human city for some fun!"

"Yes, sir!"

Roughly ten minutes after Mobaas's group departed, Xiao Yan and Qing Lin emerged from beneath the sand. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes in the direction they'd left, then quickly retrieved the map he'd gotten from Hai Bodong. According to the map, if they continued on this path, they'd soon reach one of the three fire-marked locations. The nearest human city was—Rock Desert City!

"Those snake-men are going to Rock Desert City?" Qing Lin glanced at the map in Xiao Yan's hand. Remembering what Mobaas had said earlier, worry filled her expression. Snake-people attacking human cities was a common occurrence in the desert. Every time, it resulted in heavy casualties, and if the city was taken, the invaders would pillage and slaughter indiscriminately. This history of violence was what fueled the bitter animosity between humans and the snake-people.

"Let's go. We're heading to Rock Desert City too," Xiao Yan said calmly after taking a deep breath.

Before he left Wu Tan City, Xiao Zhan had mentioned that his two elder brothers were currently training in Rock Desert City. On top of that, one of the potential Heavenly Flame sites was near the area. If the snake-people occupied the city and uncovered clues about the flame, it would be a huge problem.

In Qing Lin's eyes, however, this was an act of selfless heroism. Young Master Xiao, upon hearing that Rock Desert City was in danger, had chosen to personally intervene and avert disaster. In that moment, Xiao Yan's figure grew ever taller and nobler in her heart.

Xiao Yan, of course, had no idea what Qing Lin was thinking. His mind was focused entirely on assessing the situation. It had been ten minutes since the snake-people left. Given that Rock Desert City wasn't far, they could've already launched an assault. Still, as a desert city, it should have defenses against snake-people attacks. Even with a Dou Wang-level snake-man leading the charge, it shouldn't fall so easily. If he rushed over now, he might still make it in time.

With that thought, Xiao Yan made a swift decision. Without bothering to explain anything to Qing Lin, he scooped her up in his arms. A pair of purple-black flame wings burst forth from his back.

The dazzling wings left Qing Lin momentarily stunned. But shock quickly took over—she hadn't imagined that her young master was actually a Dou Wang!

Xiao Yan no longer cared to hide his strength. With a powerful flap of his wings, he soared high into the sky and shot off toward Rock Desert City. His speed was so great that it created a booming sonic ripple in the air behind him. Even Dou Huang experts might struggle to match such velocity.

And only a few minutes after Xiao Yan departed, a graceful, curvaceous figure appeared at the spot he had just vacated. The woman studied the tracks left on the sand, her expression somber. After discerning the direction, she too unfurled her Dou Qi wings and sped toward Rock Desert City—her speed every bit as fast as Xiao Yan's!

(End of Chapter)

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