The immense force slammed them into the wall behind them, which cracked and crumbled on impact. The Hu Brothers collapsed to the ground, their faces twisted in terror as they stared at Shen Haoran. The third brother had already fainted, bloody foam bubbling from his lips. He clearly wasn’t going to make it.

"Damn it, Brother Shen, that’s not cool! Didn’t we agree to play rock-paper-scissors for it? How could you just go and take care of them all yourself!" Han Xu grumbled, looking at Shen Haoran with a dissatisfied expression.

"Fine, they’re all yours," Shen Haoran said, casting an indifferent glance at the Hu Brothers. He then turned, sat down cross-legged on the meditation cushion again, and began studying his clenched fist, carefully sensing the power of the Spirit Marquis Tier.

Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, Han Xu cracked his knuckles, which let out a series of sharp POPS. A sinister smile spread across his face as he slowly advanced on the Hu Brothers.

"Y-you... stay away!" the Hu Brothers cried in terror, staring at Han Xu. The hair on their bodies stood on end, and they scrambled backward, trying to get away from the demonic Han Xu.

"You dare mock this Young Master? Today, I’ll show you what this Young Master is made of!" Han Xu sneered, then lunged at them.

"AHH..."

From within the Flying Shuttle, tens of thousands of feet in the air, a blood-curdling scream suddenly erupted. It lingered for a long time, scaring birds along its path so badly that they fell right out of the sky.

...

A short while later, back inside Shen Haoran’s luxurious private room, Han Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead, dusted off his hands, and turned to Shen Haoran. "Brother Shen, what should we do with these three?"

Seeing Han Xu revert to his harmless appearance, Shen Haoran felt his eye twitch. He hadn’t expected that Han Xu, who looked like a pretty boy, could be so ruthless. He glanced at the Hu Brothers, who were barely breathing in and out, and couldn’t help but shudder.

"Hmph. I can’t believe that old bastard Tyler sent people to kill us. But if he was going to, couldn’t he at least have sent someone competent? These three are way too weak. Were they just here to give us free experience points?" Han Xu added, kicking one of the Hu Brothers again in frustration.

"Tyler probably didn’t expect me to be this strong, just like I didn’t expect you to be so powerful!" Shen Haoran said, sizing up Han Xu. ’The aura he just revealed, even by accident, reached the level of a Tier Three Spirit Marquis.’

"Haha, when you’re traveling, you’ve always got to keep an ace up your sleeve!" Han Xu laughed, scratching his head.

"Then you can deal with them as you see fit." Shen Haoran glanced at the Hu Brothers without a trace of sympathy. ’I’ll never show mercy to those who want to kill me. Mercy for an enemy is cruelty to yourself.’ Shen Haoran understood this simple principle well.

"You got it!" Han Xu chirped. He then opened the window of the Flying Shuttle and unceremoniously tossed the three men out. They were tens of thousands of feet in the air; if you couldn’t fly, not even a god could survive a fall like that.

After all that, Han Xu lay down on the large, soft bed and went to sleep as if nothing had happened. Shen Haoran just shook his head helplessly and submerged himself in his Cultivation once more.

For the rest of the flight, no one else came to harass Shen Haoran or Han Xu. The two of them stayed obediently in their room and rarely went out.

During the journey, Han Xu gave Shen Haoran a general overview of the Northern Domain, Desert City, and the Desert Land, which gave Shen Haoran a better understanding of the region.

Of course, the topic Han Xu spoke of most was his sister’s cold poison, so much so that Shen Haoran’s ears were about to fall off. However, he picked up on something odd in Han Xu’s descriptions. ’His sister’s cold poison doesn’t seem simple at all; it’s almost... bizarre. I’ve learned so much about Alchemy from Elder Yan, but I’ve never even heard of a cold poison this strange!’

Still, Shen Haoran wasn’t worried. ’No matter how powerful the cold poison is, with the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, it should be possible to eradicate it.’

Time flew by as Shen Haoran and Han Xu chatted. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and the Flying Shuttle came to a stop.

...

Stepping out of the Flying Shuttle, Shen Haoran’s eyes widened in amazement as he took in the surrounding landscape, a world of earthen yellow hues.

"So this is Desert City?" Shen Haoran asked, looking around curiously at the buildings, each one constructed from packed sand and earth.

"I’d heard the Northern Domain was the homeland of sand and earth. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its name!" Shen Haoran laughed heartily.

"This is nothing," Han Xu said, taking a deep breath as he gazed at the familiar city. "Most of the Northern Domain is covered by the Desert Land, so of course it’s dominated by sand and earth. It’s not like other regions, with their fertile soil, lush mountains, and clear waters."

"But the Northern Domain has its own advantages. An Earth Attribute Martial Artist could probably increase their Cultivation speed by double if they trained here!" Shen Haoran said in amazement, clenching his fist as if to grasp the ambient Spiritual Power. ’The Earth Attribute Energy here is so much denser than anywhere else!’

"Of course. The Northern Domain is where the most Earth Attribute Martial Artists gather! Do you know why so much of the Northern Domain is desert? Legend has it that a thousand years ago, this region was as lush and green as any other. But one day, a mysterious ball of light fell from the sky. The moment it touched the ground, the dense forests and grasslands instantly withered away. In just a few days, the entire Northern Domain had become a sea of sand!

"Rumor has it that the mysterious light was the Earth Spirit Profound Nether, one of the five great Heaven and Earth Spirits! They say this Desert Land was formed because the Earth Spirit’s aura spread out, which is why the Northern Domain’s Earth Attribute aura is so much richer than in other regions!" Han Xu added in a hushed, mysterious tone.

"Earth Spirit Profound Nether!" Shen Haoran’s heart leaped at the words. ’A Heaven and Earth Spirit... that’s exactly what I need most right now! I can’t believe Han Xu just gave me a lead like this.’ His body began to tremble with excitement that he couldn’t suppress.

"Ah, but that’s just a rumor. Over the last few hundred years, countless Martial Artists have flocked to the Desert Land in search of the Earth Spirit Profound Nether. The thing is, none of them ever came back out. Slowly, fewer and fewer Martial Artists dared to go. After all, your own life is more important than some unsubstantiated legend, right?" Han Xu said, not noticing Shen Haoran’s strange reaction as he continued his story.

"Hey, Brother Shen, are you all right?" Han Xu finally noticed something was off with Shen Haoran and asked with concern.

"It’s nothing. I’m just not used to the environment here," Shen Haoran said with a light chuckle, quickly making an excuse as he suppressed the excitement in his heart. He changed the subject. "So, where are we headed now?"

"Not so fast! First, let me give you a proper welcome. It’s my treat today! I’ll let you taste the most famous delicacies in our Desert City!" Han Xu, believing Shen Haoran’s excuse, declared while patting his chest. He then grabbed Shen Haoran and began pulling him toward a grand hotel in the city center...