Bai Qi gave a few moments for his words to sink into the minds of the enclosed bandits before waving his hand, indicating he wanted Wan Dao to decide.

"What do you want?" In a deadpan tone, one that he used in an attempt to hide his true feelings, the peak Warrior Lord asked.

"Answer my questions, leave all of your belongings, and scram." Bai Qi accompanied his words with a shrug and an expression that showed that these were the best conditions they could expect. And while they could be considered overbearing, they were true and the best ones captives could expect.

"Questions, what questions?! And leave our belongings, you intend to rob us?!" Wan Dao almost screeched as he asked with noticeable shaking.

"For the second, yes, I intend to. Or you want to say that you can attempt to rob and murder, and others can't do so in turn, even without the murder part?" Bai Qi pointed out in a vile tone and then added, "As for the questions, it's just actually a single one. Where is the Sha Zhu Company's hideout."

"The Sha Zhu? I do not know anything about them." Wan Dao answered after taking a deep breath. His tone and the pause gave up that he was lying, but he could not do better.

"So death right now is preferable to sharing anything about them, huh?" Bai Qi had not expected such staunch loyalty, but in truth, he did not care for the bandit's thoughts.

"Death? Well, let's see who dies! Everyone attack!" Wan Dao roared as he flared his aura and launched at Bai Qi.

For some, the sudden change in conduct could appear strange. It was so even for the Beastmen. But Bai Qi was expecting it. As he had previously said to Kass Shaa'r, it would be wrong to let the robbers leave just like that. Thus, he had actually goaded their leader into action.

By making only two of his companions' roar, he reinforced the doubt that any cultivator would have when one could not see the enemy - Was the enemy real?

By asking for their possessions, he had trodded on the sore spot of any cultivator, their greed. And coupling it with an overbearing manner, Bai Qi added fuel to the fire as well.

Granted, if the leader had talked, Bai Qi would let them leave. Still, since the first moment, he sensed him sending and receiving qi transmissions, and so, Bai Qi pressed until the robber's boss acted.

*Swoosh*

Wan Dao launched himself with his top speed after assuring the others that the boy's beasts were nothing more than an illusion. He himself knew that it wasn't true, and at least a couple was present, but the others would not mistrust his words anyway. After all, who if not Wan Dao was the strongest both cultivation and senses-wise?

He had thought, and so, the only objective he had right now was to grab the one called Pan Hui.

"So you do choose death, huh?" Bai Qi did not even move from the spot, as first the peak, and then the four uninjured Warrior Lords launched towards him.

Making such observation, Bai Qi changed the command that he was about to send, {Everyone, attack! No need to restrain yourselves. Zhua, keep an eye on the Sages and the wounded one. Bai Rui, Bai Ze, Heise Zhao, take care of the four weaker Warrior Lords, but please separate the 3rd level Warrior Lord for me. Gi La, I am sorry, but it seems there is one trying to act sneaky and escape underground.}

*ROAR* *HSSRAAR* *GRAARH*

Roars of three types, five sources, resounded and the aura that was limited to encircling this mile-wide aura came crashing down with full force. Beastmen had an almost innate ability to coordinate their auras even without unique means as the [Ancestor's Song].

***

"I will kill you, or I am not called Wan Dao!" The peak Warrior Lord boomed, and ignoring the concentrated aura that was bogging him down, summoned a strange, curved blade and slashed.

"Ssso you are the mossst eager to die. Then let me make you the firssst!" Kass Shaa'r always had started hissing when he was stressed, nervous, or angered, and this time, as he appeared before Bai Qi and caught the blade with his bare claw, he did so as well.

"Beastman?!" Wan Dao exclaimed as he first shivered and then paled. A normal Saint Beast of the 4th level would be more or less manageable, but a Beastman?

But regretfully for him, the thought had only formed in his mind as four of the remaining five presences appeared in his field of view.

Wan Dao felt despair as the thought crossed his mind. Beastmen were far closer to cultivators in strength and means. And this meant there were at least five opponents between the latter Warrior Lord and early Warrior King realm.

Kass Shaa'r did not know what the cloaked human in front of him though, and in truth, he did not care about it either. His grip strengthened, and the sword, a mere common-tier weapon, creaked and bent before snapping in two.

"Great Sands, Burial of the Demons!" Still, despairing as he was, Wan Dao did not want to die, and as he released the now useless weapon's grip, he roared and activated his trump card skill.

[Burial of the Demons] was the top-tier skill of the Great Sands manual that he had obtained, and since then even taught to some of his group, almost a dozen years ago in a lucky assault on a battered group of soldiers from [Sha Cheng]. Soldiers part of a group sent to explore the ruins of the destroyed hundreds of years ago [Scarlet Sect], a sect that was the overlord of the region at some point. And while they suffered almost total losses, their haul had been worth it. Such a thought Wan Dao's mind every time he used a skill from that manual, and always lightened his mood, no matter what situation he was in.

He thought while sending a wisp of aura and will into his [Void Ring], calling for the [Sha Dao], the sand sword, a Spirit-tier weapon he rarely used as it was too hard to control. Still, Wan Dao doubted that his skill would be enough to deal with the green-scaled monster in front, and so, he had no other choice.

*Sssss*

With a low hissing sound, dozens of strands of sand emerged from the ground and surrounded Kass Shaa'r.

{It's a sealing type of skill. Attack it a single moment before it completes.} Bai Qi's qi transmission entered his mind, and Kass Shaa'r immediately concentrated all of his senses on the currents of sand that were enveloping, forcing it back, his aura.

__________________________________________________________________

Four men had started after Wan Dao, following the commands he had given them via qi transmission before - Encircle, capture, and retain the damned boy if I fail to do so.

But with their cultivations being in the lower levels of the Warrior Lord realm, it was clear that their speed would be slower as well. And while a distance of half or so mile was nothing for them, it still required a couple of breaths to be traversed. At least for them, as the three Beastmen that intercepted them had crossed a similar or even longer distance in less than one!

Four against three may have looked good, but only if they ignored the abysmal difference in cultivation. After all, the three tiger or cat-like Beastmen in front were all 4th level Saint Beasts!

Even the sheer pressure of standing near them, as they released their savage, beastly aura, was enough to make the four Warrior Lords tremble and start solely thinking of escaping. Regretfully, they had not even a chance to do so, as the Beasts attacked without waiting.

"Damn, I will not die without a fight! All-consuming Sands!" The same bandit that had used the arrow-like skill before yelled as his aura forcefully expanded and began forming something that resembled giant ants made of sand.

*Splatter*

"Your boss chose death for himself and you all." Heise Zhao had moved so quickly that not a single Warrior Lord managed to follow him. And when he spoke, his claw had already emerged from the cultivator's back, having crossed the unreleased skill, spread aura, and body as if nothing.

Two of the remaining three, seeing this, choose to try and escape. One threw an explosive talisman at the nearest Beastman, Bai Ze, and broke into a run.

The other one chose to attempt escaping through the air and, after releasing a couple of dog-like summons of sand, took the air.

*Boom* *Roar* *Swoosh**Swoosh*

Only a breath later, two pained screams followed.

"Gaaahhh"

The one that threw a talisman towards Bai Ze missed the already prepared wind blade the latter released. It had instantly overtaken the running man, and he fell on the ground without being able to feel anything but pain where his legs were supposed to be.

"Damn, leave me!!!"

Bai Rui ignored the two hounds made of sand, simply pushing them away with her aura, and jumped up. Then, she clawed while using some qi to enlarge her already foot-long claws. A single slash later, the man fell to the ground with an enormous wound from neck to thigh.

Pained groans and shouts continued for a breath more, but they quickly stopped as the two [White Tiger] sisters put the two wounded bandits out of their misery.

The only one that had not tried to make a run or resist was the 3rd level Warrior Lord. Such actions made the three Beastmen look at him in surprise, to which he took his hood, revealing a thin, bald, and weathered male face not older than thirty. He then shrugged while surrendering to his fate, "Life can end at any moment for a cultivator, and I had been ready for it even before joining this group. I only ask to die with honor in a duel against one of you and with no wounds on my back if possible."

Heise Zhao wanted to say something. But he was stopped by Bai Rui, who motioned with her head towards Bai Qi and then said, "You will have the opportunity. But you will not duel us but him."

"Huh? The Sage?" The man's mouth opened as he tried to understand the reasoning behind such. He was not only three levels superior but also on a different major realm, so why would the Sage fight him? Was the boy so strong? Was this a test for either of them?

"I don't understand it either, but if you want to die now, just attempt to move." Bai Ze growled in annoyance. She indeed had not a single idea of why Bai Qi had chosen to fight this man if they were present and could finish the matter right now.

__________________________________________________________________

For the thousandth time, Ye Su asked herself in panic. When Wan Dao had rushed off, she hoped that his words about the Beasts' auras being fake were true.

But they were not, and even more, four Beastmen already appeared, and not a single of them was weaker than the supposedly strongest cultivator of the surrounding area!

Pan Hui, or whoever the youngster was, had some truly frightening allies, and because of Wan Dao's decision, now she was fated to die as well.

The thought that was supposed to calm her did the exact opposite as right, at the moment it crossed her mind, she saw how the three nearest Beastmen, one after another, killed three of the four Warrior Lords that formed the core of Wan Dao's group.

Ye Su began backing off, placing the strangely dazed Fan Jia and the silent, wounded Quan Ming between her and the Beastmen.

***

Fan Jia indeed remained dazed, and it wasn't just because of the situation. For some reason, the blood, and now killing, roused something deep inside Fan Jia's body, and now, that something was slowly but steadily increasing in power.

***

Quan Ming had been silent and remained still even after Wan Dao and the others dashed off. He had calmed down, and while losing half an arm wasn't a joke, he now was fully conscious of both his actions and the surrounding situation.

He had been the only one, at least from their group, to notice how Shui used a concealment talisman and one of his skills to dive under the sand.

He was also probably the only one to understand that Wan Dao's words were nothing but lies, but he did not even think about telling the others.

"The only thing that I regret is being unable to repay the damned bastard." He muttered as he sent a hateful glare at the boy that dared to wound him. He thought after noticing that all the Beastmen were occupied with something, and the accursed youngster was standing still, concentrating on the battle between a lizard and Wan Dao.

A crazed glint emerged in Quan Ming's eyes as he took the first step.

***

"You girl, stay still. And you, cripple, if you want to suffer a fate worse than death, then I dare you to take another step." A sudden growl entered the ears of the three robbers that had stayed behind as a strange aura surrounded them. The aura was different from what one could expect from a Beastman.

It was cold and showed absolute control, not the common bloodlust and savageness that characterized any Saint Beast.

Two heads turned to look for the source and found themselves looking into a pair of golden eyes on a pure black cat-like head.

Looking lower, they found that the Beastman also carried a spear, and its point was slowly shifting from one of them to the other.

*Gulp* *Plop*

Ye Su swallowed. And with a pale face and then fell on her knees. "Yes, yes, but don't kill me, please!"

As for Quan Ming, he felt he had nothing to lose anyway, so he injected most of his qi into his legs. He leaned towards the beast while summoning a simple-looking knife to his left hand but then rushed towards Bai Qi's location.

Zhua did not launch herself in pursuit, simply making a wave-like movement with her free claw.

"AAAAARHGG!!" And a moment later, Quan Ming fell. He released the knife and started scratching himself with his sole hand while rolling on the ground.

"I told you." Zhua shook her head and looked at Ye Su, who now was kowtowing with even more force while pleading to leave her alive. "It is not my decision to make, so don't disgrace yourself for naught." Although Zhua felt close to no sentiment for the robbers, she was slightly taken aback by the difference of reactions each of them had, and so said the only thing she could.

___________________________________________________________________

Although several deaths, battles, and clashes had occurred, they had happened simultaneously and in the span of a few breaths. Bai Qi did keep an eye on everything, and while he did not feel anything about what was happening, he was surprised to see how the Beastmen acted.

Bai Qi shook his head before adding to himself,

{Kass Shaa'r, finish, now. The new weapon your opponent just took out is bad news even for you, but it needs at least six breaths to activate.} Bai Qi's senses caught on the strange yellowish saber-like weapon that Wan Dao summoned, and he immediately pinpointed it as dangerous. The danger did not come from the tier, as it was nothing great, but from the ominous air, it released.