Chapter 5: Peers

Yiming pulled out the double-edged blade from the corpse of the sand thief and let out a long sigh of relief. Although the smell of blood made him feel a bit nauseous, fortunately, this world did not seem to be very advanced. If he were in his own world, such a trick would have been useless. Infrared detectors, life detectors, X-rays... there were countless devices capable of exposing his ruse. Throughout the long process of human evolution, people had long learned not to trust their own eyes, but rather to rely on lifeless instruments. For someone like Yiming, who possessed extraordinary abilities, this was also a significant setback.

The female warrior named Kufis did not answer the other person's question, but instead murmured to herself in a low voice. In her view, the expression of that young man just now did not resemble that of those disguised sand thieves; there was no hint of panic in his expression as if he had been seen through. ... It was as if he felt something was happening and hurriedly left ... Perhaps she should go take a look, and then. ... And then talk about what comes next. It was as if he felt something was happening and hurriedly left ... Perhaps she should go take a look, and then. ... And then talk about what comes next.

A curved blade swung down, grazing Yiming's nose as it descended. The sand bandit who struck had not yet realized what had happened when the sharp edge had already pierced his heart. Yiming did not waste any more time; gripping Xuanyuan tightly, he suddenly executed a spin that knocked his opponent down, and his figure became elusive and agile once more. The unfortunate soul collapsed to the ground, his last thought flashing through his mind: How strange, didn't I hit him?

Yiming made his point very clear, which caused the woman's eyes to narrow slightly

Mei Yali's complexion showed no signs of change, and even after such intense exercise, she did not break a single bead of sweat. Her ability of "structural coordination" has maximized her physical functions to the limits of human capability, making it fair to say that she has transcended humanity. Whether it is physical strength, balance, sensory perception, reaction ability, or mobility, she has far surpassed ordinary individuals. Even Yi Ming would likely only be able to match her at best.

Yiming continued to drag the Xuanyuan double-edged sword, gazing at the large mass of black shadows not far away. One of them separated from the group and walked towards him.

When Yiming rushed back to the front of the cart, the situation was already dire. Meiyali, holding a slender sword, stood protectively behind Lawrence, her graceful movements unchanged even in this life-and-death moment. Two sand bandits charged at Meiyali from both sides, riding four-legged sand beasts. However, Meiyali executed a perfect spin, transforming her slender sword into a whip that sent those unfortunate foes flying. After completing her spin, Meiyali did not stop; instead, she positioned herself closely beside Lawrence, while her sword traced an arc in the air. From the crisp sounds of clashing and the sparks flying, it was evident that in an instant, she had once again deflected five crossbow bolts launched by the enemy.

No, something seems off...

同行

Don't move! Who is it!

This is the caravan of the Bluma Chamber of Commerce. If there is nothing else, you may leave now

The horn of death sounded once more, and the originally entangled white slender sword suddenly elongated, striking towards the man before it like a bolt of lightning. Although the man, who had focused all his attention on a desperate offensive, did not have sufficient defenses, he reacted quickly enough. He shouted loudly, and his two large blades immediately shielded his vital head and chest, while he simultaneously jumped backward. However, at that moment, the white lightning followed closely, barely slipping through the crossed gap between the two blades, piercing into the man's thick throat. He shouted loudly, and his two large blades immediately shielded his vital head and chest, while he simultaneously jumped backward. However, at that moment, the white lightning followed closely, barely slipping through the crossed gap between the two blades, piercing into the man's thick throat. It then swiftly spun and withdrew, nimbly returning to its original position. Meanwhile, Meiyali had unknowingly taken out a pure white handkerchief and covered her mouth and nose.

At the same time that Yiming took action, Meiyali was also not idle. A man with a thick beard, looking twice as fierce as the other sand bandits, had her entangled. At this moment, this man seemed to care neither for victory nor for the complete defeat of the sand bandits. He was merely drooling, laughing sinisterly as he brandished two sturdy, heavy curved blades in his hands. Just from their appearance, a single strike would be enough to cleave Meiyali's sword and her slender body in two.

Mei Yali had no interest in continuing to entangle with the other party. In fact, like Yi Ming, she needed to familiarize herself with the fighting styles of people in this world. However, at present, Mei Yali had not obtained any particularly useful information. Moreover, the man before her was both foul and filthy; just the smell was almost unbearable for the young girl. Thus, Mei Yali abandoned the idea of using him for practice and decided to resolve the matter swiftly.

Yiming's movements are swift, yet simultaneously ethereal. To say nothing of the visual obstructions caused by the sandstorm, even those who catch a glimpse of him struggle to ascertain the position of this youth due to the refraction of light around him. Yiming, however, shows no intention of wasting words or time; at this moment, he has effortlessly drawn the Xuanyuan double blades from a corpse and transformed into a whirlwind, charging into the midst of the sand bandits.

Traveler

Kacha

Yiming's actions are quite non-threatening; to anyone observing, he does not appear to be someone who would act immediately. Moreover, his choice of words can be considered gentle and polite. After all, during his previous role as team leader, most of the tasks involving external negotiations were handled by him and his assistant.

I am a traveler, and my companion and I were resting above when we noticed people here, so I came over to take a look. Please believe me, we mean no harm

Of course, I understand the vigilance towards outsiders

However, the reality was quite different. Under the fierce assault of this man, Meiyali moved like a nimble little cat, proudly weaving through his attacks. No matter whether the opponent slashed or struck, her white slender sword always found a slight opening, then pressed against the back of his blade, forcing the man to change his attack direction. Amidst the storm-like flashes of the blades, her leisurely and graceful movements resembled a stroll in the garden, leaving Lawrence, who stood by, utterly mesmerized, unable to consider whether to protect himself or to assist her.

The woman's voice revealed a hint of doubt; the request made by the young man before her was not particularly outrageous. However, his sudden proposal inevitably raised suspicions of possible schemes or traps. Y clearly understood this, shrugging his shoulders and making a gesture of helplessness. "Indeed, I believe you must also be troubled by those despicable sand thieves. As the saying goes, strength lies in numbers. If we could unite, wouldn't it be much easier to deal with the sand thieves?"

The distance of illusion that is sufficiently lethal for a warrior

"Little girl, you have a nice figure. How about it? Why don't we play together for a while longer?"

( Yiming! There is an enemy attack! )

Yiming's tone and expression did not convey a condescending attitude, as he understood that if he showed weakness, the other party would undoubtedly raise their demands. In fact, although he and Meiyali could protect Lawrence and ensure his safe passage out of the desert on their own, finding a large group with the same objective would at least serve as a deterrent to the sand bandits, thereby reducing their troubles during the subsequent journey. In fact, although he and Meiyali could protect Lawrence and ensure his safe passage out of the desert on their own, finding a large group with the same objective would at least serve as a deterrent to the sand bandits, thereby reducing their troubles during the subsequent journey.

( ... ... )

However, unexpectedly, this time the sand bandits seem to be less concerned about their manpower. Those individuals charged down the sand dunes as if they were prepared to face death, rushing towards Meiyali. ... It is unclear whether they intend to use a human wave tactic to overwhelm Meiyali ... . ... For them, who are unaware of Meiyali's abilities, this truly is a rather ironic act of self-sacrifice.

However, the combat power has also increased, hasn't it? I think ... ...

From the shadows of the caravan not far away came a voice that was both deep and resounding, creating an illusion as if it could envelop the entire desert

However, since they are not sand thieves, it could not be better. If possible... I wonder if we can travel together

The sand bandits did not have time to employ their most proud pack wolf tactic, and they were unable to even escape. The double-edged sword in Yiming's hand began to spin rapidly, transforming into a black disc that followed a strange trajectory, reaping the lives of these individuals. It severed both man and beast into several segments. It is no wonder that the sand bandits, under Yiming's deliberate manipulation, perceived the illusions he created as the enemy being at a considerable distance, only to find that in the blink of an eye, the opponent had already charged to their side

Swish!!

A black lightning struck the enemy's chest before Meiyali could, and she turned to look, then revealed a reassuring smile

However, this would mean that there are more things we need to protect, and we cannot allocate that much energy.

What happened? Kufi? Did the sand thieves disguised as refugees come to ask you for water, and then you scared them away?

Yiming was unable to return to Meiyali's side, for at that moment, a short and thin figure emerged from the sand, coldly sneering as he brandished a glowing blue poisoned dagger, blocking Yiming's path. Yiming met the other's gaze for a moment, then his illusion flickered and vanished. He reversed his double blades and, with a swift upward thrust, countered the fierce attack that came rushing at him like a venomous snake emerging from its den.

Hearing the questioning voice coming from the opposite side, Yiming let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that the other party was indeed not sand bandits, as this was not their style of acting first and asking questions later. In an instant, Yiming's illusion wavered and then vanished, revealing his true self. However, the other party did not notice anything amiss. This was because Yiming had originally stood just a few centimeters behind his illusory form, so even if someone saw him, they would merely think they had misjudged the distance due to a momentary lapse in perception.

Before Yiming could finish his words, Meiyali's voice suddenly echoed in his mind, causing him to freeze momentarily. He then disregarded any further conversation with the female warrior in front of him and quickly turned to run towards the sand dunes. After a few leaps, he vanished into the sand mist. This abrupt change left the female warrior stunned in place, and it seemed that she only regained her senses after Yiming's figure had disappeared.

The shadow had crossed the sand mist and arrived before Yiming. It was a slender female warrior, who, like others accustomed to traveling in the desert, had wrapped her face tightly in a thick scarf, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes to scrutinize Yiming. One hand rested on the hilt of her sword at her waist, but she did not appear overly tense. Perhaps Yiming's unique posture while holding the sword made her feel somewhat relaxed. According to experience, holding a sword in such a casual manner would make any intent to launch a surprise attack particularly obvious. Nevertheless, her gaze still conveyed vigilance, and she did not lose the necessary alertness.