Boom—
The earth trembled violently.
As the black storm swept over, the rows of pitch-black flagpoles began to ripple with a hazy, ghostly light, erecting glowing barriers that enveloped the merchant caravan behind them, preventing any harm from reaching it.
Yet, no one could relax, for at that very moment, agile figures leaped out from within the black storm. They plunged into the eerie glow emanating from the flagpoles, charging directly through the barriers.
These were bandits, each one fierce and savage in appearance, riding strange-looking Plunder Heaven Plains storm beasts. With a thunderous roar, they surged forward like a terrifying black tide.
Although the caravan knew bandits were hidden within the black storm, the attack was far too sudden. They hadn't been able to prepare fully and were immediately caught off guard.
At the first clash, numerous mercenaries and caravan personnel were hacked from their mounts. Blood sprayed, and casualties quickly mounted.
However, these were battle-hardened mercenary groups. They soon rallied, launching into fierce combat. Waves of divine abilities erupted in full force, exploding with dazzling, terrifying brilliance.
Both the mercenaries and the bandits were extraordinary individuals, far from ordinary folk, each at least at the Divine Transformation Realm. The sheer number of divine abilities clashing head-on created a spectacle of unprecedented intensity and splendor, shimmering and rumbling.
Figures tumbled from the sky, and many were blasted apart, their bodies and spirits completely annihilated, leaving nothing behind.
The battle was exceptionally brutal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this moment, the three Demi-Saints from the caravan suddenly appeared. They unleashed their most powerful divine might, infused with threads of Saint might, which surged forth to shield the caravan's powerhouses. The impact sent numerous bandits flying, many exploding mid-air.
Truly Demi-Saints, their power was formidable.
Such figures were only found in the truly top-tier mercenary groups. Their appearance immediately turned the tide, stabilizing the caravan's position.
"Mere ordinary bandits dare to attack? Seeking death!" one of the Demi-Saints spoke coldly. Standing within this realm, he was far stronger than those at the peak of Divine Transformation. With every gesture, surging divine power erupted, accompanied by waves of divine energy and laws that exploded across the heavens, causing many bandits to be blasted to pieces.
This was the might of a Demi-Saint. Within the vast Plunder Heaven Plains, as long as one avoided the deepest regions, a Demi-Saint could roam freely.
However, the bandits had clearly come prepared. Fearsome auras also began to boil from their ranks, revealing several supremely powerful figures—all genuine Demi-Saint experts. There were a full five of them! They shot into the sky, fearless within the black storm.
This wasn't the most terrifying grade of black storm; beings as powerful as them could withstand it.
"What? Five Demi-Saints?!"
The caravan side immediately paled, including the three Demi-Saints. The bandits actually had five Demi-Saint experts hidden among them—a truly terrifying force.
Ye Chen understood even more clearly that this bandit group had likely come prepared. He suspected there might be an even more terrifying figure among them.
For the caravan to survive this calamity would be difficult!
Boom!
The five bandit Demi-Saints charged directly, their bodies erupting with terrifying divine might. Divine radiance pierced the gloom, laws surged, and they clashed head-on with the caravan's three Demi-Saints, initiating the most fearsome battle.
Blindingly brilliant spheres of light bloomed within the black storm, accompanied by massive fluctuations that sent many figures flying backward.
The residual energy scattering from the clashes instantly killed a significant portion of those from both sides who had gotten too close, their bodies shattered in mid-air.
But anyone could see the caravan was at an absolute disadvantage. How could three Demi-Saints contend with five? It was completely one-sided.
Though the five bandit Demi-Saints couldn't instantly slay the caravan's three, the situation was dire.
However, the caravan still had a true Saint Realm super powerhouse stationed within—a genuine hero among men. He sat cross-legged on a Dao platform at the caravan's center, an experienced and powerful Saint whose presence brought reassurance to the entire caravan, preventing panic.
Generally, with a Saint personally escorting, even the great bandits from the depths of the Plunder Heaven Plains would hesitate to act without good reason.
"We beseech you, Saint, to take action and repel the bandits!"
A mercenary group leader, having dealt with the bandits around him, spoke respectfully to the elder Saint.
Other mercenaries also pleaded.
The battle was currently deadlocked, especially at the top-tier level where the three Demi-Saints were completely on the defensive, barely holding on.
Moreover, one of the bandit Demi-Saints was preparing to disengage and attack the caravan directly. The situation was critically perilous.
At this moment, only the elder Saint's intervention could turn the tide.
Boom!
On the Dao platform, the elder Saint's white hair flowed loosely. As his eyes opened and closed, terrifying beams of light shot forth. At that instant, an overwhelming wave of Saint might surged from him, like a True Dragon awakening. It instantly swept across the vast sky, mighty and boundless, temporarily dispersing the terrifying black storm and preventing its approach.
He then acted against the bandit Demi-Saint charging toward the caravan. With a flick of his finger, he released a dazzling, brilliant divine radiance that instantly flooded that area of the sky. It directly blasted that powerful bandit Demi-Saint away, sending him hurtling through the air, his body splitting apart as he coughed up great mouthfuls of blood—a miserable sight.
This was the divine might of the Saint Realm. Although the Demi-Saint and Saint Treasury Realm were separated by only a thin line, the difference was like heaven and earth.
The currently sent-flying Demi-Saint was the best illustration.
"Very well. It is time to resolve these bandits, lest they hinder the caravan's progress."
The elder Saint rose from the Dao platform. His figure was robust, clad in a long robe that gave him a formidable presence. His eyes gleamed with cold light as he swept his gaze over the remaining four bandit Demi-Saints, filled with icy intent.
He strode forward, instantly charging into the black storm. No matter how violent and fierce the storm raged, only a faint glow enveloped his body, rendering him impervious to all techniques.
Whoosh—
With a single step, he traversed the sky, arriving at the Demi-Saint battlefield. The four bandit Demi-Saints were shocked, retreating like lightning. But the elder Saint snorted coldly, "Do you think you can escape before this old man?"
He flicked his sleeve in an attack. The black storm itself exploded as a majestic power surged forth, causing the sky to collapse as it assaulted the four bandit Demi-Saints. The heavens and earth rumbled terrifyingly, leaving many in awe of the Saint's peerless divine might.
But just as the majestic fluctuations were about to reach the four Demi-Saints, an equally terrifying aura rippled out from within the black storm. It surged forth with a roar, colliding with the Saint's attack, causing both to annihilate each other.
"A Saint!" The elder Saint's pupils contracted sharply.