Previously, Yi Tianxing and his group had mentioned their intention to head to Devil's oasis. At the time, both Xiao Que and Hua Mulan hadn't taken the words seriously, thinking it was just a convenient excuse. But now, hearing it once again from Yi Tianxing's mouth, and with such seriousness, even they had to believe it. Surprise flashed across their faces, and at the same time, they regarded Yi Tianxing and Wushuang Gui's strength with new respect.
Only top-tier powerhouses would dare to speak of venturing to the Devil Continent.
And the fact that such powerhouses were staying to help them deal with the Desert Marauders—that was undoubtedly great news.
"Since that so-called Flower King boasted he'd steal you from the military camp directly, then unless something goes wrong, he's bound to appear. Otherwise, the Desert Marauders' reputation would be completely shattered. I'm quite curious about how exactly he plans to 'steal' you, General Hua."Yi Tianxing smiled calmly as he spoke.
"Then I thank Fellow Daoist Yi in advance."Hua Mulan nodded. "But if the two of you plan to head to the Devil's oasis, do be careful. According to what I know, no living person has ever come out once they entered. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I advise you to reconsider. That place is a true life-forbidden zone, mysterious and deadly. No one knows what lies within."
She didn't want to see two powerful Human cultivators die meaninglessly in such a place.
"There's no need to try and dissuade us. We have our reasons for going, and even if the Devil's oasis is dangerous, it doesn't mean I'll perish inside."Yi Tianxing's tone remained calm, but there was an unshakable determination in his expression.
Once he made up his mind, it wouldn't change easily unless he had no choice.Besides, he wouldn't go without some assurance of survival.
The conversation continued, drifting from one topic to another, giving Yi Tianxing a basic understanding of General's Valley. According to Hua Mulan, the valley housed over a million soldiers—all professional warriors with real battlefield experience. Only a portion had joined the four great general's estates; the rest remained unaffiliated.
They had no country, no home, and no ruler to serve. What remained was their identity as soldiers and a lingering sense of duty. But without a nation or a sovereign, they were adrift—directionless. And so, they were reluctant to give their loyalty again.
Though called General's Valley, in truth, it was a gathering of disillusioned warriors—lost and without faith.
After a while, the tent grew quiet.
Yi Tianxing and Wushuang Gui sat cross-legged, silently circulating their cultivation techniques, absorbing heaven and earth essence, gradually deepening their foundation. Hua Mulan did the same. As she cultivated, the air around her filled faintly with the scent of a hundred flowers, enchanting and intoxicating.
Time passed. Near midday—
Suddenly, Hua Mulan, who had been meditating quietly, vanished without warning.
Though deep in cultivation, Yi Tianxing and Wushuang Gui had never fully let down their guard. The moment Hua Mulan disappeared, their eyes snapped open.
"General!"Xiao Que's face changed drastically. "What's going on!?"
"It's bad. This must be one of the Desert Marauders' techniques. They've always used strange means to steal targets—no sound, no trace, no resistance. Just… gone."Wushuang Gui's voice was grim.
"What a bizarre technique. There was a faint fluctuation of Dao Rhyme from a divine ability, barely detectable. Still, it confirms—it was a supernatural technique."Yi Tianxing stood and quickly moved to where Hua Mulan had sat.
His gaze swept over the area—Suddenly, he reached out and plucked something from the ground.
"A grain of sand?"Wushuang Gui frowned.
"It looks ordinary enough. This is a desert, after all. Sand is everywhere. Why would it matter?"
"This grain wasn't here before. It appeared right after General Hua disappeared."Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed. "The Marauders likely used a kind of Substitution Technique—a divine art that replaces one object with another."
"You mean... they used this grain of sand to replace the general—sending her to wherever this sand originally came from, and putting the sand in her place?"Xiao Que reacted quickly.
Even if the idea sounded absurd, in this world of cultivation, anything was possible. Strange techniques appeared all the time. And Hua Mulan had vanished right before her eyes—how could she doubt it?
"I don't know the exact divine ability, but I'm certain—it was a substitution-based art. And if so, the user can't be far away. This kind of power needs proximity to work. They must still be nearby. Search the area—now!"Yi Tianxing barked.
Xiao Que bolted from the tent.
"All units! The general is missing! Break into squads of a hundred and start searching. If you find anything, fire a signal flare immediately! Search everywhere and bring back the general—dead or alive!"
Orders spread through the army like wildfire.
Rumble!!
The ground shook as the army mobilized at full speed, fanning out in all directions. Nothing could escape their gaze.
"My lord, should we start searching too?"Wushuang Gui looked furious.
He had personally been guarding the general, and now she was gone—right under his nose. It was humiliating.
"No need. I just thought of something—why do we assume they're above ground? What if they're underground?"Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed. "They may have dug a tunnel beneath the camp, created an underground chamber, and used the substitution art from there."
"That's possible."Wushuang Gui agreed. "Step aside, my lord. Let me blast open the ground. If there's something below, I'll bury them in it."
With that, iron chains coiled around him flashed with cold light. His body doubled in size, towering over two zhang tall like a small giant. Muscles bulged like writhing dragons. A menacing aura erupted behind him—a phantom of the Mighty One-Horned Ghost King, exuding dread.
Boom!!
His chain-wrapped fist struck the ground with terrifying force—hundreds of thousands of pounds of power exploded at once. In the desert, the result was instant: the sand collapsed violently, forming a massive whirlpool.
Yi Tianxing and Wushuang Gui floated above the sandstorm, unaffected.
"It's not quicksand. It's a cave-in. There's definitely an underground space. Your punch shattered the cavern wall, and now the surface sand is flooding in."Yi Tianxing watched as a void opened beneath the swirling sands.
There it was—
Beneath the surface, in a sand-covered chamber, stood Hua Mulan, battle-ready, wielding her long blade. She faced a young man in white robes, an evil smile playing on his lips.
His weapon was a slender, flexible sword, his movements ghost-like and fluid. The sword glimmered—each stroke unfolding like a blooming flower.
Camellias, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, peonies…Each sword strike was an illusion of floral splendor—bewitching and deadly.
What seemed like beauty was in fact lethal sword intent. A single moment of distraction, a single indulgence in the illusion of beauty, and one would die without even realizing it.