At this moment, deep within the Blackwind Desert, Ye Yunfei was searching everywhere for the Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold.
However, the Blackwind Desert was simply too vast—it was two to three times the size of the entire Ten Thousand Beasts Empire. In this endless expanse of sand, locating those bandits was no easy task.
Ye Yunfei accelerated his movement technique, speeding across the desert and leaving a rolling dragon of sand in his wake. Simultaneously, his Soul Power swept outward, perceiving everything within a radius of fifty thousand meters.
Time slowly passed. Unknowingly, an entire day went by.
Now, at the edge of the Blackwind Desert, at a specific location.
Prince Zhenshou and the blue-robed elder waited with a team of men.
"They're back!"
Suddenly, the blue-robed elder's face lit up with joy as he looked into the distance. Five men came rushing out of the desert, arriving before Prince Zhenshou and the elder.
"Report! Prince, Advisor Jiang has established contact with the Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold! This Message Jade Slip was given to me by those bandits to deliver back."
One of the men took out a jade slip and handed it to Prince Zhenshou.
"Excellent!"
Prince Zhenshou eagerly took the slip and read its contents.
"So, the Black Wind Stronghold bandits haven't encountered Ye Yunfei. And they didn't kill those four Hudao Academy students! Could it have been… Ye Yunfei?"
Prince Zhenshou's face suddenly changed.
"That Ye Yunfei is only at the Early Stage True Manifestation Realm. Could he really have killed a Yuan Foundation Realm expert and three at the Late Stage True Manifestation Realm?"
Advisor Jiang also voiced his shock.
"It seems this Ye Yunfei is a bit peculiar. If those four academy students really died by his hand, then even if we find him, it's not certain we could kill him."
Prince Zhenshou couldn't help but frown.
"Prince, I've thought of a method. We could simply offer a reward and have the Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold deal with Ye Yunfei."
Advisor Jiang suddenly proposed.
"That's a fine plan! Good. We'll pay a bounty and hire the Black Wind Stronghold bandits to kill Ye Yunfei. Here in the Blackwind Desert, those bandits hold every advantage of terrain and familiarity. They'll definitely be able to kill him!"
Hearing this, Prince Zhenshou's eyes brightened, and he immediately agreed.
"I'll contact them right now!"
Prince Zhenshou raised the Message Jade Slip and began transmitting.
Half a day later.
On the vast, boundless expanse of the Blackwind Desert, Ye Yunfei was still searching for traces of the Black Wind Stronghold bandits.
So far, there was no success.
"Those bandits are hiding too well," Ye Yunfei couldn't help but sigh.
Just then.
Boom! Boom!...
A series of vibrations came from afar, shaking the sands for several miles around.
Amidst the rolling yellow dunes, a large group of men surged forth like a tidal wave, murderous intent rolling off them in waves.
These men, all with brutal faces and savage eyes, rode atop Demon Camels. They wore scale armor, brandished gleaming weapons of all kinds, and closed in on Ye Yunfei with fierce grins.
The camels were the renowned single-humped Demon Camels of the desert, capable of extremely fast speeds on sand.
In moments, the large group encircled Ye Yunfei completely.
A dozen or so burly men cackled oddly as they rode their demon camels in circles around Ye Yunfei, churning up clouds of yellow sand.
"You've got to be kidding. Could these be the Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold? I've searched so hard for so long and found nothing. Now, they've just delivered themselves to my doorstep?"
Keeping his composure, Ye Yunfei surveyed the men around him, feeling a spark of excitement in his heart.
"Kid, are you Ye Yunfei from Hudao Academy? You've got quite the nerve, not looking even a little afraid when you see us."
A brawny man with his chest bared, revealing thick black hair, glared at Ye Yunfei with vicious eyes and spoke harshly.
"That's right. I am Ye Yunfei. Who are you?"
Ye Yunfei replied indifferently.
"Listen well, kid. We're from the Black Wind Stronghold! Someone paid us to take you out."
The burly man grinned savagely.
"So they really are the Sand Bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold!"
Ye Yunfei couldn't help but feel overjoyed. This was truly like 'searching high and low in vain, only to obtain it effortlessly'! These bandits had really come to him!
"Who paid you to kill me?" Ye Yunfei asked coolly.
"No harm telling you, so you die with clarity. It was Prince Zhenshou of the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire who hired us. Enough talk! Archers! Let this kid taste ten thousand arrows piercing his heart!"
The burly man roared with laughter.
"Oh? Prince Zhenshou hired these bandits to kill me?"
A cold light flashed in Ye Yunfei's eyes.
At the man's command, every bandit produced a large bow, drew it, and loosed arrows at Ye Yunfei.
The weakest among these bandits were at the Early Stage Saint Realm. The strongest were at the Late Stage True Manifestation Realm. The bows in their hands were specially crafted, powerful crossbows. When drawn fully, the force of their shots was astonishing.
Hundreds of iron arrows shot forth simultaneously, blotting out the sky and shaking the very space with their hum.
Swoosh!
Ye Yunfei melded into the space and vanished outright.
Then.
He reappeared five hundred meters away, holding a large bow.
The Overlord Bow.
"Try my arrows for a change."
Ye Yunfei sneered, raising the Overlord Bow and aiming it at the Sand Bandits.
"That brat's movement technique is too strange! Everyone, surround him! Don't let him escape!"
The burly man waved his hand and bellowed.
Boom! Boom!...
Several hundred Sand Bandits, riding Demon Camels, swarmed toward Ye Yunfei's position like a frenzied hive.
Twang! Twang!...
Ye Yunfei began drawing and releasing. One spiritual energy arrow after another, radiating terrifying pressure, shot forth relentlessly.
Ye Yunfei's current spiritual energy cultivation was already at the Early Stage True Manifestation Realm. The spiritual energy arrows he shot now were far more powerful than before.
Each arrow would vanish the moment it was loosed.
The next instant.
The spiritual energy arrows would strangely appear around the Sand Bandits—in front, behind, left, right, even from above their heads—striking their bodies from unpredictable angles.
Aah! Aah!...
The Sand Bandits screamed in agony one after another.
The Overlord Bow contained Laws of Space and Time. The spiritual energy arrows it shot were far too bizarre; they simply couldn't dodge them! Not to mention those at Saint Realm, even those at True Manifestation Realm found it hard to defend against them.
After a few seconds.
Only three Sand Bandits at the Late Stage True Manifestation Realm remained, staring at Ye Yunfei with horrified gazes. Each of these three had been struck by several arrows, leaving behind horrific, bloody holes that dripped crimson.
The rest of the several hundred Sand Bandits were all dead!
"You brat! You actually killed so many of our Black Wind Stronghold men!"
The leader, the brawny man, stared in both shock and fury.
"Now, tell me: where is your Black Wind Stronghold's lair?"
Ye Yunfei put away his Overlord Bow and asked calmly.