Three days pass since the various powers in Dongping City surrendered to the might of the Celestial Heavenly Store.


    Although the Celestial Heavenly Store had not reced the current city lord, behind the scenes, the city lord and the four powerful ns knew that the true ruler of the city was the Young Master of the Celestial Heavenly Store.


    One of the major problems halting the development of Dongping City had always been the Boiling Desert.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, just two days after the civil unrest in the city, the Celestial Heavenly Store released a small, circr artifact resembling apass.


    Su Yen developed the Boiling Desert Compass to ease the burden on adventurers venturing into the desert to mine onium and thil.


    In addition, thepass allowed merchants to navigate the Boiling Desert without encountering the two deadly beasts that roamed it: the Fire Horn Lizard and the zing Nightmare.


    The Fire Horn Lizard rarely came out in the open, dwelling deep underground, close to ore mines, and fiercely territorial. As for the zing Nightmare, they were the real hunters of the Boiling Desert.


    They hunted both humans and beasts, feasting on their blood. The zing Nightmare was covered in thick red fur and could shoot mes at their enemies.


    Their incredible speed made them difficult to kill.


    Most of the time, when an adventurer team encountered a zing Nightmare, they fled as fast as they could. Those who failed to react in time became food for the terrifying beasts.


    The release of the Boiling Desert Compass shook Dongping City to its core. No one had expected the store to have the ability to create such a magical artifact.


    As a gesture of goodwill, Zimo sent each of the n leaders and the City Lord apass. After testing its abilities, both the City Lord and the n leaders were filled with admiration.


    They realized how foolish their previous actions had been—attempting to oppose such a powerful entity.


    With the City Lord and n leaders confirming thepass''s magical properties, the Boiling Desert Compass quickly became a must-have item for everyone.


    Unfortunately, thepass was only avable to the store''s adventurer teams. Without hesitation, many people rushed to join the store''s adventurer guild.


    Previously, they had been terrified of the two beasts dwelling in the Boiling Desert and the unpredictable rings of boiling magma, but now they had nothing to fear.


    A day after thepass was released, the Celestial Heavenly Store made another announcement: the store would now buy the bodies of both the Fire Horn Lizard and the zing Nightmare.


    Previously, the only mission at the store had been mining ores—the rarer, the better. But now, adventurers had a new option: hunting the Fire Horn Lizard and the zing Nightmare.


    With this announcement, Dongping City sprang to life as everyone rushed to hunt the two beasts. The City Lord sent his men on expeditions, and the four ns did the same.


    The city bustled with activity, smiles stered on the faces of its inhabitants. Never in their wildest dreams had they expected their city to be as full of life as it was now.


    There was work to do and food to eat. As long as you worked for the store, you could exchange your hunts for food and water.


    The abundance of resources provided by the store left the people amazed.


    ...


    "Young Miss, the bandits are getting closer!" A middle-aged man, covered in blood, spoke gravely. "We can''t outrun them in this destend."


    Inside the carriage sat a beautifuldy, dressed in a flowing purple gown. Her deep green eyes were captivating, impossible to ignore. Beside her sat her maid, whose appearance was more average.


    Before the Young Miss could speak, the maid intervened. "Mr. Hu, we should let the Young Miss escape on horseback. You, me, and the guards will stay behind and hold off the bandits." Her voice was filled with determination.


    Though she was a maid, she was also a First-Rated Martial Artist with strongbat abilities. Mr. Hu, on the other hand, was a Master Martial Artist with decades of experience.


    As for the remaining guards, a few were First-Rated Martial Artists, while the rest were Second-Rated.


    In a smaller city, they would have been considered a formidable force, but against the infamous Crimson Shadow Bandits, they were nothing.


    The Crimson Shadow Bandits were one of the most powerful bandit groups in the region, with hundreds of Martial Artists among their ranks.


    First-Rated Martial Artists were asmon as grains of sand, and Master Martial Artists led smaller teams, attacking convoys and merchants.


    The leader of the Crimson Shadow Bandits rarely appeared, but when he did, he left blood and carnage in his wake.


    Though they were a scourge on the Magma in, the three powerful forces ruling the in chose to ignore them, allowing the bandits to continue their destruction.


    Any group or n targeted by the Crimson Shadow Bandits faced inevitable destruction. None had ever escaped.


    And now, it was that same terrifying bandit group that was chasing the Young Miss of the Wu n.


    Seeing her maid and Mr. Hu, a trusted n manager, ready to sacrifice their lives for her, Wu Xia clenched her fists in fury. She hated how powerless she was, her emotions swirling in a storm of frustration.


    "You have nowhere to run!" A mocking voice echoed from behind. "Surrender, and we''ll give you a swift death."


    Hearing the disdain in the bandit''s voice, Wu Xia''s expression grew firm, filled with determination. She would not allow her people to die for her; they would fight together.


    "You don''t need to sacrifice your lives for me," she said firmly, her voice brooking no argument. "There''s a small city nearby. We''ll make a run for it."


    Mr. Hu hesitated, but upon seeing the resolute look on Wu Xia''s face, he relented. "The Boiling Desert?" he asked.


    "We have no choice but to risk everything," she replied.


    Without dy, the group rushed toward the direction of the Boiling Desert at their top speed.


    Tens of meters behind the fleeing Wu merchant group, the hundreds of Crimson Shadow Bandits saw where they were headed and sneered.


    "Fools! Do they think they can escape through the Boiling Desert?" The bandit captain''s eyes shed with malice as he shouted, "Chase them at full speed!"


    The once-quiet road burst into life as hundreds of horse hooves pounded the hard ground, kicking up clouds of dust into the sky.