Li and Riu exchanged a glance, their faces hardening as the aura around them intensified and their bodies began to undergo a transformation.

Li roared again, the gold elemental qi around his fists expanding to cover his entire arms. Spiritual energy hardened into plates of golden armor, jagged and primal, exuding an aura of indomitable strength. His fists seemed to grow heavier, each leg sinking into the ground.

Riu, on the other hand, suddenly melted into the air. His form flickered in and out, black armor covering his body and blending seamlessly into dark tendrils that coiled around him. He appeared like a living shadow, his presence flickering in and out of perception. His blade, now pulsing with dark energy, radiated a chilling aura.

Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed as she adjusted her grip on her axe. She murmured, “You’ve decided to use your full strength. Let’s see what you can do then.”

Li charged first, his speed a blur as he appeared before Meng Lin. He swung his massive fists like battering rams, aiming to overwhelm Meng Lin with sheer force.

Rumble!!

The ground trembled as she sidestepped the first blow, her movements fluid, but the second came faster than expected, grazing her shoulder and sending her skidding backward.

Before she could recover, Riu struck. He emerged from the shadows behind her, his blade slicing toward her neck in utter silence. Meng Lin twisted just in time, her axe intercepting the strike with a sharp clang. Sparks flew, but Riu’s blade slid along the surface of her weapon, aiming for her unprotected side.

Meng Lin spun the handle of her axe, lashing out like a spear to force Riu back. She leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding a crushing punch from Li, who had lunged toward her with enough force to shatter the ground where she had stood.

“You guys are not bad,” she admitted, her tone calm but laced with seriousness. “But if this is all you have, it’s over.”

Riu and Li didn’t respond. Instead, they pressed their assault, their coordination tightening. Li acted as a relentless wall of brute force, his fists hammering at Meng Lin with devastating power, while Riu filtered around the battlefield like a wraith.

Meng Lin began to feel the pressure. The two bandits weren’t just strong—they were experienced fighters, and they seemed to coordinate well too. Riu’s sudden appearances and Li’s overpowering attacks left her little room to counterattack.

Suddenly, one of Riu’s strikes slipped past her axe, his blade cutting into her arm. Blood sprayed, but Meng Lin gritted her teeth, her expression darkening.

She jumped back and raised her axe high, spiritual energy surging around her in a whirlwind of power. The air grew heavy as an ominous mist enveloped the battlefield. Her voice rang out like thunder: “Form Nullification!”

The space around her warped, and for a brief moment, all spiritual energy in the vicinity was gone. Li stumbled, his armor flickering as his spiritual energy was suddenly disrupted and lost form. Riu’s shadow form wavered, his body appearing out in the open.

Meng Lin didn’t hesitate. She lunged forward, her axe covered in mist as it cleaved through Li’s glowing fists. His armor shattered like glass, and his arm was cleaved in half. He was sent hurtling backward, crashing through several trees before hitting a rocky plateau.

Before Riu could recover, Meng Lin turned on him, her axe moving like a blur. He raised his blade to block, but the force of her strike shattered his weapon and sent him sprawling, blood spraying into the air.

Breathing heavily, Meng Lin stood over the two fallen bandits, her axe dripping with blood and her expression cold. “You should’ve chosen your opponents better,” she said, her voice quiet but lethal. “Now, you’ll pay the price.”

Li groaned, struggling to rise, but Meng Lin appeared before him and slammed the butt of her axe into his chest, pinning him to the ground. Riu tried to fade into the air, but it caused him to cough up blood as he collapsed.

“It’s over,” Meng Lin declared, her voice tired. “Now, tell me everything about your leader and the jade boxes—or die here.”

Li spat blood, clutching his shattered arm. Despite his injuries, his eyes burned with defiance. “You think... we’d betray the Golden Fang Bandits?” His voice was hoarse.

Riu groaned, his shadow form dissolving completely. He coughed, blood staining his lips, but his glare was venomous. “Kill us if you want, but you’ll never get what you’re looking for.”

Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed, her expression colder than the surrounding mist. “I see.” Without hesitation, she raised her axe, spiritual energy gathering around the blade in a lethal arc.

“Wait!” Riu gasped, panic flashing in his eyes as her weapon hovered above him.

Meng Lin paused, her grip steady but her gaze unrelenting. “Speak.”

Riu swallowed hard, glancing at Li, who gave a subtle shake of his head. Ignoring his comrade’s disapproval, Riu rasped, “The boss, Jin Xue, is moving. The main hideout… it’s being evacuated.”

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Li snarled, blood dripping from his lips. “Riu, you coward—”

Before he could finish, Meng Lin pressed the blade of her axe harder against Li’s chest, silencing him with a grim smile. “Go on,” she said to Riu.

“The jade boxes,” Riu continued, his voice trembling, “are the only thing he’s after now. He’s planning something big—something that he says will make him untouchable.”

Meng Lin tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “Where is he?”

Riu hesitated, his gaze darting to Li, who glared at him in disgust. Finally, he whispered, “He’s heading to the Yuan Kingdom Capital. He wants to make himself king of the kingdom. That’s where he’ll be.”

Meng Lin studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Having interrogated the other bandit group of the second boss, she realized he was telling the truth. However, without warning, her axe flashed downward, severing Riu’s left hand cleanly from his shoulder.

Ahhhh!

Li's eyes widened in shock as his comrade’s scream of agony filled the air. Blood spattered across the dirt as Riu writhed, clutching the stump where his hand had been. His face twisted in pain, and his venomous glare crumbled into raw fear.

Li, stunned by the sudden brutality, froze in place. His gaze faltered, and he began to tremble.

Meng Lin loomed over Riu, her gaze unyielding. “That was for leaving stuff out.” Her voice was as cold as the mist surrounding them.

She stepped closer, leaning in with her blood-streaked axe glinting under the dim light. “Tell me the truth, or I’ll take more than just your hand.”

Riu whimpered, his bravado utterly shattered. “I—I swear it’s the truth! Jin Xue... he’s gathering everyone to the Yuan Kingdom Capital. He’s meeting with someone—a demon woman."

"Demon woman?" Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed further, her mind racing at the mention of a demon, thinking back to when the levitation sect was attacked by demons. She couldn't help but tense up.

Li finally found his voice, though it was weak. “Riu’s just saying whatever will save his skin. Don’t trust him.” He spat blood again, glaring at Meng Lin. “You're thinking of making a Nascent Soul cultivator your enemy; you're digging your own grave.”

Meng Lin’s gaze turned icy, her aura flaring, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “I’ve faced worse than a Nascent Soul cultivator. Do you think mere threats will make me hesitate?"

She turned her attention back to Riu, who was clutching his bleeding stump, his face pale. “This demon woman—what is her connection to Jin Xue? Why would a demon concern herself with bandits?”

“I... I don’t know much,” Riu stammered, his voice weak from blood loss. “But I’ve seen her. She came to our main hideout once, weeks ago. She’s the one who gave Jin Xue the idea to take over the Yuan Kingdom. That’s all I know, I swear!”

Meng Lin’s brows furrowed. A demon cultivator guiding the bandit leader? It seems something more is brewing in the Yuan Kingdom.

Meng Lin asked, confirming a question she had already asked before, “That Jin Xue, is he really the only Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator among your bandits?"

Riu swallowed hard, his face pale. “Yes… Yes! He’s the only one!”

Li groaned in frustration, his voice hoarse as he snapped, “Riu, shut your mouth!”

But Riu ignored him. “It’s true! We were just a group of Gold Core cultivators at the beginning, scraping by with what little resources we could steal or extort. Do you have any idea how hard it is to cultivate without a sect or stable foundation?”

Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed but remained silent, prompting him to continue.

“Jin Xue’s the only one who’s broken through to Nascent Soul,” Riu admitted, his voice trembling. “And even he struggles. He hoards the best resources for himself—the spirit stones, pills, everything. The rest of us are left to fight over scraps. That’s why he's already at the late stage while we remain stagnant.”

Meng Lin’s gaze flicked toward Li, who had turned his face away, his expression sour but resigned.

“You’re saying the Golden Fang Bandits are stretched thin,” Meng Lin said slowly, her voice cold but measured. “Your leader acts powerful, but his strength lies in hoarding resources and fear tactics, not the quality of his men.”

Riu nodded quickly, his desperation growing. “Exactly! That’s why he allied with that demon woman! She promised him resources—techniques to strengthen the weaker members. He thinks she’s the key to making us unstoppable.”

Meng Lin’s expression darkened. It was clear that Jin Xue wasn’t just leading a band of bandits anymore—he was building an army. If this so-called demon woman was providing demonic techniques, the chaos they could unleash might extend far beyond the Yuan Kingdom.

She turned back to Riu. “What are these methods she promised? What techniques?”

“I don’t know the details!” Riu said hurriedly, wincing as the movement jostled his wound. “But... I’ve seen some of the effects. They involve blood rituals—offering your life force or someone else’s in exchange for power. Jin Xue’s disciples have started using them, but the cost…” His voice trailed off, his face pale.

“The cost?” Meng Lin pressed.

“It’s... worse than death,” Riu whispered, his voice barely audible. “Those who fail... they turn into mindless beasts, consumed by their own power. The survivors? They become stronger, but... not human anymore. It’s like they lose a part of their soul.”

Meng Lin frowned. “Anything else?” she asked sharply.

Riu shook his head frantically. “That’s all I know! Please, I’ve told you everything!”

Meng Lin considered him for a moment before stepping back, her axe lowering slightly. “You’ve been... informative.”

Riu sagged in relief, but his reprieve was short-lived. With a swift motion, Meng Lin spun and struck, her axe slicing cleanly through his neck.

Li’s eyes widened in shock as Riu’s body crumpled to the ground. “You—!” he began, but Meng Lin cut him off with a cold glare.

“He served his purpose,” she said flatly. “Now, you have one last chance to be useful. Tell me what you know about these blood rituals.”

Li gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage and fear. “You’re a monster,” he hissed.

Meng Lin smirked, unfazed. “And yet here you are, at my mercy. Speak.”

Li coughed, struggling to breathe under her unrelenting pressure. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his defiance flickering.

Meng Lin’s patience ran thin. She slammed the butt of her axe into his chest, forcing him to cough up blood. “You’re already dead,” she said coldly. “The only question is how painful it’ll be.”

Li’s resolve continued. “No!” he rasped. “I'd never betray the boss."

Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed, her spiritual consciousness surging forward. She raised her hand, and a small crescent-shaped item appeared in her hand, glowing with a colder energy.

The Spiritual Body Analyzer in her hand pulsed faintly as she considered her next move. As a tool designed to probe deeply into the intricate workings of a person's body, it stood to reason that it would be able to do the same for the brain.

She raised her hand, and a ripple of spiritual energy surged outward, enveloping Li in an invisible grip. His body trembled, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth as Meng Lin exerted pressure on his sea of consciousness.

“Your loyalty as a dead man is admirable,” she continued, her tone mockingly sweet. “But do you really think Jin Xue cared about you? About any of you?”

Li spat blood onto the ground, his breathing ragged but his glare defiant. “He was…better than you’ll ever be,” he growled.

Meng Lin’s lips curved into a smile. “We’ll see about that.” She activated the Spiritual Body Analyzer, focusing her spiritual consciousness on his brain. The device hummed to life, emitting a faint golden glow as it began to dissect layers of Li’s memories.

Li screamed, his resistance wavering as his mind was laid bare. Images and dialogues flashed in rapid motion, and through the haze of memories, Meng Lin finally got her answers.

“Crimson Conversion,” Meng Lin murmured, her expression darkening. She withdrew her consciousness, leaving Li gasping and weakened, his body trembling from the invasive force.

“I’ve seen enough,” she declared coldly, gripping her axe. “You’ve told me more than you realize.”

Li’s lips quivered, but before he could respond, his body convulsed violently. A dark mist began to seep from his pores, wrapping around him like a shroud. Meng Lin stepped back, feeling a dangerous aura embedded in his soul, most likely to prevent him from divulging secrets.

“A fail-safe,” she muttered, watching as the mist consumed Li, reducing him to nothing but ash in seconds. The air crackled with energy before settling into silence.

"That Jin Xue, in reality, isn’t truly consolidating power—he’s working on leaving this continent."

Meng Lin’s eyes narrowed as she began to think. 'Jin Xue is willing to abandon his so-called empire just as it’s beginning to form.'

It was precisely because he knows the demon woman is using him. She’s not helping him build an army to rule—she’s preparing to unleash a gate to the demon realm, using the Yuan Kingdom as the demon's stronghold.

'So, Jin Xue knows she doesn’t care about him or the bandits. He’s terrified she’ll use them as sacrifices to open the gate. That’s why he’s trying to escape before her plan comes to fruition.'

"But where could he possibly be escaping to and why did he only tell this one bandit this secret?" Meng Lin asked herself, her mind racing.

She wiped her axe clean, her expression unreadable. Jin Xue, the jade boxes, the demon woman, and now this demon realm... the stakes are higher than ever.

The Golden Fang Bandits were proving to be more than just a nuisance. With Jin Xue planning on leaving the continent, and the Golden Fang Bandits being controlled by a different leader, she wondered if her heavenly oath still mattered.