Just a moment ago, Batu never thought he would dare to swing his blade at the 41st ranked person on the Human List, who had already opened the secret treasure.

But at the moment he struck, the battle intent in his heart replaced all other thoughts.

These days have been too suffocating, and he's ready to take on anyone.

A man who was originally reckless and straightforward has been tormented these days, and his eyes have become fierce. Like a wounded lion licking its wounds at the foot of the mountain, his bloodshot eyes hatefully scan the crowd of people around him, with no way to vent his anger.

Just one trigger could tear everything apart.

My uncle is a strong figure on the Earth List, I've seen plenty of them since I was a child! What's the Human List? Can't they be defeated too?

"Bang!" The broadsword fiercely struck Tiger's curved blade.

Tiger didn't have much time to deal with him, just casually parrying. Zhao Changhe's blade and Yue Hongling's sword almost simultaneously came at him, especially Yue Hongling's sword, which was not to be trifled with. Who has time to deal with Batu?

But with just a casual parry, Batu felt a surge of tremendous force, his meridians in chaos, unable to contain the gushing blood, and he staggered back.

But he was not surprised, but rather delighted, laughing wildly with blood in his mouth: "Haha... Hahaha... Just like this!"

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It's not a complete resistance, just being instantly defeated! This shows that a group attack can be fought, not just seeking death!

The training and progress these days have not been in vain! I haven't let down the treasure my uncle left behind!

"Khan!" His loyal guards finally reacted to what was happening and rushed forward to support Batu: "What's going on...?"

"They're setting up to kill us, and if they succeed, none of us will make it back!" Batu pointed his blade and said, "Join me and take down the people around him first!"

The battle cry rose, and Batu's guards and the subordinates brought by Tiger fought in a melee.

Meanwhile, Tiger simultaneously parried the swords of Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe, and the scene almost made him want to cough up blood.

A plan to trap and attack Yue Hongling suddenly turned into a battle with nearly equal numbers on both sides, and it was his own side that was facing the ambush by the couple... He couldn't understand how things had turned out this way.

How dare Batu! He hasn't even secured the tribe's winter food supply, does he think Yue Hongling can bring him food?

Tiger didn't have the mind to think too much, Batu's strength exceeded his expectations, and he was able to withstand a blow from him. Now, the strength of this couple far exceeded his expectations, and their relentless attacks made it impossible for him to focus.

Even though he tried to overestimate Yue Hongling, he still didn't expect this woman to be so strong.

At the time when Yue Hongling broke into the Black Wolf Khan's tent and killed the Black Wolf King, it sounded impressive, but the details they knew on the grassland were more detailed than what was described in the Chaos Chronicles.

At that time, the Black Wolf Khan's forces were outside, and there were only a few guards around the tent. The Black Wolf King was also careless, thinking that a woman on the Human List was nothing special, and that she was just coming to her death. He probably even imagined a whole plot of capturing her alive, and it was said that he even greeted her with a smile when he came out to meet her.

With this mindset, Tiger felt that he could understand why a dignified figure on the Human List would have his head chopped off while charging into battle. Essentially, Yue Hongling was not stronger than the Black Wolf King, but simply took advantage of various mindsets and environments, so she only replaced the Black Wolf King's ranking, which was 68th on the Human List, and was not judged to be at a crushing level.

The difference between 68th and 41st on the Human List was more than 20 places, and this was not an evaluation of potential like the Pinnacle List, but a true ranking of strength. A difference of more than 20 places was almost insurmountable. What's even more insurmountable was that he had opened the secret treasure, and his advantage would be greatly magnified in this environment!

But in actual combat, he didn't feel the difference of more than 20 places at all. Yue Hongling's level was at most a few ranks lower than his. After more than three months of solitary training on the grassland, countless battles and escapes from life and death, her swordsmanship became more and more refined. In this sunless desert, she was the sunset.

This was a fair battle where even a one-on-one victory required a great deal of effort! If it weren't for being hindered by the sandstorm, Tiger had no doubt that she could definitely escape from the siege. The pre-arranged layout seemed to have little significance, because the people he brought were not strong enough to stop her!

"Ding ding ding ding!" The long sword and curved blade clashed countless times, and Yue Hongling stepped back slightly, while Tiger's keen perception clearly sensed that a broadsword was quietly attacking from behind in the sandstorm.

Tiger: "..."

You damn barbarian who plays with broadswords, just now you felt an immense force, and you could only push me back a few steps with your curved blade. I thought you were a fierce warrior, but you're playing this silent sword trick.

Where did this freak come from?

"Swish!"

As the sword light receded, it struck towards Zhao Changhe's left rib, also silent and invisible in the sandstorm.

Not only that, this was a strike from the Human List, so fast and at such an angle that it was difficult to defend against even if seen.

But Zhao Changhe seemed to see it clearly, and with a light step, he managed to avoid the strike with extreme agility, while Yue Hongling's sword continued to aim for Tiger's throat.

"Huh..." Tiger gave up the pursuit to deal with Yue Hongling, and couldn't help but be surprised: "You, the wild man, recognize my swordsmanship?"Zhao Changhe remained silent. "I may not have seen your swordplay, but I've studied Chili's to the point where I've grasped the basics. There are always similarities in the use of similar weapons. To those unfamiliar, the curved blade's path is unpredictable and strange, but with enough contemplation, one gains experience—it's just like that."

With a flick of his wrist, the Longque sword radiated a bloody light, now imbued with the essence of 'Divine Buddha Dispersal.'

A horizontal slash, like a sword cleaving the heavens, seemed to split the vast expanse of yellow sand in two.

The Sword of Abi, the Pursuit of Ten Thousand Souls!

"Whoosh!"

Hu Lie stepped back hastily, not daring to confront Yue Hongling while dealing with this slash.

Zhao Changhe couldn't help but admire his keen perception and rich combat experience. This fellow, with his overwhelming strength, was not underestimating the enemy at all. This was going to be a tough fight...

A thought suddenly struck him, and he thrust his sword backward.

Beneath the cover of the chaotic sandstorm, one of Hu Lie's subordinates was stealthily launching an attack, but unexpectedly, Zhao Changhe, as if having eyes in the back of his head, struck first with the longer reach of Longque, piercing directly through the assailant's chest.

Yue Hongling, too, thrust her sword into the sandy whirlwind, bringing up a spray of blood. She turned her head in slight amazement at Zhao Changhe's strike, thinking to herself that after such a long separation, her little brother had truly grown up.

He was actually a threat to the forty-first rank on the Ren List, forcing his opponent to take his edge seriously. And at the same time, he effortlessly dealt with the ambush, his maturity now indistinguishable from her own, like a master who had long roamed the martial world.

Indeed, he had become a master.

—With not too great a gap in our strengths, we can travel the world together. What else is there?

The sandstorm grew fiercer, and Hu Lie's figure became hard to discern in the visibility, his voice carrying through the sand: "Hey, man, what's your name?"

Zhao Changhe's voice traveled through the sand: "Zhao Changhe from the Central Plains, I await Hu Lie's guidance!"

Batu: "?"

Go to hell...

He looked at Hu Lie's subordinate, whom he was currently fighting, knowing there was no going back...

Hu Lie's voice, fading in and out of the sandstorm, said: "So it's you. Yue Hongling, Zhao Changhe... Names known across the world, indeed not by chance. But unfortunately, the test is over. Your senses are sharp, your skills flawless, yet you know nothing of the secret treasure."

"This yellow sand will be your grave."

The voice grew more resonant towards the end, echoing everywhere, becoming increasingly deafening, stirring the sand even more, obscuring sun and moon.

"Can you see anything at all? You must be nearing the limit of holding your breath." The voice continued to echo: "Having not opened the bridge between heaven and man, unable to sustain life with innate breath for long, nor to construct a universal understanding between heaven and earth, you are but mortals. Perhaps outside you could escape, I can't say for sure if I could keep you, but choosing to counterattack here was your biggest mistake."

Zhao Changhe quickly tore two pieces of cloth from his clothes, opened his water pouch to wet them, and handed one to Yue Hongling, covering their noses and mouths.

The environment before was barely breathable, but who would have thought this guy could manipulate the dust storm to become even thicker and more intense? Without dealing with it, they would indeed suffocate.

Covering the mouth and nose was manageable, but what about the problem of not being able to see?

Before, they could barely make out some movements, but now there was only endless yellow sand, and one could hardly see their own fingers when stretched out.

In such an environment, if Hu Lie could see, how would they fight?

Yue Hongling's voice transmission reached Zhao Changhe's ears at that moment: "I have glimpsed the secret treasure. Although I haven't broken through, I can actually see him. I was just hiding my skill, leading him to believe I couldn't see."

Zhao Changhe: "Damn."

"What did you think I was doing, diving back into the sandstorm? Your sister isn't stupid," Yue Hongling said with a mischievous smile. "You go first. In this situation, it's not all about strength. He's miscalculated his opponent, and he might just capsize in my hands."

Zhao Changhe sighed: "If that's the case, he's going to capsize twice over."