Chapter 0248: White Mist Desert

The giant rat beast under Valice was called the Stone Devouring Rat, a top-tier sixth-grade star beast. Yet, with just one punch from the Yellow Dragon, it was sent flying into the air, and even Valice, the seventh-grade warrior riding on it, didn’t have time to react.
What kind of strength did that Yellow Dragon possess?!
An eighth-grade warrior? No, not even an ordinary eighth-grade warrior could do such a thing. Only a peak eighth-grade warrior might be capable.
Cecil, Bennett, and the others were filled with shock as they stared at the Yellow Dragon. In their Xiqing tribe, there was only one peak eighth-grade warrior—their tribal chief!
“Get lost!” the Yellow Dragon snapped coldly.
This time, no one dared speak up. The women who had come with Valice, terrified, lifted the reckless Valice and fled in panic.
As for the Stone Devouring Rat lying there, no one moved it.
Valice and the others retreated in panic. Even after a long time, Cecil, Bennett, and the others were still stunned and unable to recover.
“Bennett,” the Yellow Dragon’s voice rang out then.
Hearing the call, Bennett snapped back to reality and said in surprise, “Yes, Brother Yellow Dragon.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, his expression turned anxious, and he quickly corrected himself, “Yes, Senior Yellow Dragon!”
Cecil and the others also snapped back to their senses, bowing respectfully.
“Let’s go,” the Yellow Dragon said.
“Go?” Bennett couldn’t immediately recall that they had intended to hunt in the White Mist Desert. Only when he saw the Yellow Dragon and the others turning around did he hurriedly respond, “Yes, Senior Yellow Dragon!” Then he rushed after them, forgetting to say goodbye to his father, Cecil, and the others.
The young men and strong men from Beichen Village also followed closely behind.
Watching Bennett and the others gradually disappear, Cecil’s expression was complex—filled with awe, joy, and a hint of panic.
“Village chief, what do you think about this?” an old man beside Cecil asked, glancing at the motionless Stone Devouring Rat not far away.
Valice was an elder of their Xiqing tribe, with her family’s backing. Now, such a thing had happened right in front of their village. If her family caused trouble later, Beichen Village surely wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“There’s no need to worry about this,” Cecil said, his eyes flickering.
The Yellow Dragon had killed a top-tier sixth-grade Stone Devouring Rat with just one punch—meaning he was likely a peak eighth-grade warrior, or even a ninth-grade one. With such strength, the people around him, like Long Yi, must also be quite powerful.

Strongers like Huang Long—even their West Qing Tribe’s chief would eagerly try to win them over. Moreover, the Hualisi family’s power wasn’t yet strong enough to easily offend several top-tier level 8 and level 9 warriors. If these strongers like Huang Long could stay in their West Qing Tribe, his status would be unimaginable; he might even be promoted to an elder by the chief.

“Village chief, what do you think—what level is that Senior Huang Long?” asked another person beside Cecil. This question immediately sparked heated discussion among everyone.

“I think Senior Huang Long is at least at the peak of level 8. Even if he’s weaker than our chief, the gap isn’t big!”

“Peak level 8? I think more than that. Even our chief might not be able to knock out a peak level 6 Stone Devouring Rat with one punch.”

“Senior Huang Long is very likely a level 9 warrior!”

“A level 9 warrior?! That’s impossible! In our entire Tianbei region, with over a thousand tribes, there are only about 500 level 9 warriors!”

“I agree!”

“Enough, stop arguing,” Cecil interrupted as they debated. Once everyone quieted down, his wrinkles relaxed slightly. “I’ll go see the chief in a moment.”

…

After leaving Beichen Village, Huang Long and his group headed toward the White Mist Desert. Along the way, Bennett and the others were extremely respectful, especially Bennett. The scar on his forehead also seemed much calmer. Compared to when he led Huang Long and the others to their West Qing Tribe half a month ago, when there was constant laughter, things were now very quiet. He would only answer after Huang Long asked a question. Even the young men from Beichen Village who followed behind didn’t dare speak.

It wasn’t long before they reached the White Mist Desert again. No one knew exactly how large the White Mist Desert was; it was shrouded in a thin mist year-round, but fortunately, the visibility was decent. Standing on the soft sand, Huang Long stopped and checked the direction before heading north.

Not far ahead, they encountered a swarm of Black Iron Ants. These were low-tier star beasts, small—only the size of a palm—and generally only at level 2. Yet they were social star beasts, numbering in the thousands. Seeing this dense swarm of terrifying thousands of Black Iron Ants, Bennett rushed forward before Huang Long could speak. This surprised the young men behind him, who then also charged forward, showing a fiercer side than usual and exerting all their strength.

Long Yi watched Bennett and the others’ actions and couldn’t help but laugh. “These kids seem to want to show off in front of Brother Huang Long, hoping to earn his approval.”
Huang Long smiled. “That’s not necessarily the case. Maybe they just want your guidance.”
Apton, the Sea God, also laughed upon seeing Bennett and the others’ fierce demeanor. “If we don’t intervene, let’s see how long these kids can hold out.”
Xinpu and Belin, a couple from the Phoenix clan, nodded with smiles as well, teasing a few words.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Bennett and the others, despite their ferocity, were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Black Iron Ants. Gradually, they found themselves trapped in the ant swarm, retreating step by step, their situation becoming critical.
Seeing this, Huang Long and the others realized that if they didn’t act now, Bennett and the others would be lost in the ant swarm. They had no choice but to step forward and draw their swords.
Huang Long couldn’t use his magic, so he couldn’t wield the Green Rainbow Sword. The knives and swords in his hands were made from materials taken from star beasts when he first arrived at Dark Star—they were rather crude, but sufficient to deal with these lower-tier Black Iron Ants.
With swift sword strikes, it wasn’t long before all the Black Iron Ants were killed by Huang Long and the others.
Looking at the dense pile of dead Black Iron Ants on the sand around them, Bennett and the others stared at Huang Long and the others with a mix of shock, awe, and fervor.
“Bennett,” Huang Long spoke up.
“Yes, Senior Huang Long!” Hearing Huang Long call him, Bennett snapped out of his daze and quickly replied respectfully.
“You clean up these Black Iron Ants. We need to go into the inner area of the White Mist Desert, so you should head back first,” Huang Long said.
Later, he intended to tame a group of Saint-class and Divine-class star beasts, so he naturally couldn’t take Bennett and the others with him. Of course, Huang Long wasn’t going to the inner area but rather the core area, where only Saint-class and Divine-class star beasts could be found.
Bennett was momentarily stunned, but he understood that Huang Long and the others wouldn’t be able to take care of him and the others if they went with them. Not wanting them to end up in trouble, he nodded respectfully. “Yes, Senior Huang Long.” After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, “Then, Senior Huang Long, what about you?”
“We’ll return then,” Huang Long replied.
Bennett felt relieved and smiled gratefully. “Yes, Senior Huang Long.”
He had been worried that Huang Long and the others would leave him behind.
However, just as Huang Long and the others were about to turn and head deeper into the White Mist Desert, suddenly, a group of people—about a hundred of them—arrived from afar. Upon seeing Bennett, they immediately surrounded him.
“Hehe, Bennett, so it’s you. Finally, I’ve run into you!” As those people rushed over, a bald young man laughed cruelly.

Upon seeing this group, Bennett and the others’ expressions changed instantly. After hearing what the bald youth said, Bennett’s face darkened: “Prey, it’s you!” Prey was from the Wanfu tribe, located around the Xiqing tribe, and his arch-rival. “That’s right, it’s you, Prey. Bennett, for the wounds you left on me last time, I’ll make you pay ten times over!” Prey sneered. By then, the people of the Wanfu tribe had surrounded Bennett and the others, including Huang Long and his group who were trying to leave. After being startled, Bennett and the others calmed down and retreated to Huang Long’s side. Seeing this, Prey glanced at Huang Long and his group, frowning. These people didn’t seem to be from Beichen Village. Could they be experts from the Xiqing tribe? This made him hesitate. “Brother, that woman is really hot!” At that moment, a young man beside Prey leaned in and whispered in his ear, his gaze lingering on Belin, who was standing next to Simp, his eyes filled with desire. Belin appeared to be in her thirties, with a beautiful face and a full figure. Coupled with her Phoenix Body, she had a natural allure. Prey turned to glare at his brother and said sternly, “Shut up!” There were corpses of Black Iron Ants everywhere. Bennett had only a few dozen men. He knew their strength well—clearly, they couldn’t have killed those ants. So, it must have been Huang Long and his group. Prey concluded that they were at least level four or five warriors. Although they were in the majority, Bennett and the others, along with a few level four or five warriors, were still a tough opponent. He didn’t want a situation where both sides suffered. But as soon as he finished speaking, a figure flashed by. He was shocked. By the time he reacted, he saw his brother being lifted by a middle-aged man by the neck, his face turning red, his limbs flailing, and his eyes bulging. Of course, it was Simp. Although the man spoke softly, Simp heard him clearly. How dare some fool try to mess with his wife?! Simp’s heart burned with murderous intent. Without hesitation, he crushed the man’s throat after lifting him up. “Brother!” Prey cried out in shock and anger. Without thinking, he swung his long knife at Simp. Simp caught the knife with his hand, turned it, and slashed it across Prey’s neck. Prey clutched his throat, gagging as blood flowed endlessly, and he collapsed.