Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

At the center of the collision between the silver and blue light, space suddenly twisted and tore apart, forming a chaotic small vortex.

A powerful suction force came, and Shen Zhen and Chen Xi were swallowed up again before they could even react.

This time, the journey was even more violent and chaotic than before.

The scene before my eyes was bizarre and grotesque, and my ears were filled with sharp buzzing and incomprehensible roars, as if countless cold hands were tearing at my soul.

I don't know how much time passed; maybe a moment, maybe a long time.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

They only managed to regain their senses after falling heavily to the ground.

Shen Zhen endured the pain and quickly got up, looking around.

Before me were rough mud walls and low houses; it turned out to be an earthen city. Outside the city, sandstorms raged, creating a desolate and dilapidated scene.

In the distance came muffled voices speaking in a strange-sounding language.

This place... resembles a tribal settlement.

He and Chen Xi were sitting slumped in the narrow shadow between two earthen houses.

"Cough cough... Captain Shen, where is this again?" Chen Xi got up, covered in dust and looking bewildered.

Shen Zhen did not answer immediately; he held his breath and listened intently.

The voices in the distance gradually became clearer; it was several men talking in a dialect of a western barbarian tribe, with a heavy accent, but he could barely understand some key words:

"...Everyone, pay attention! The shaman needs it tomorrow..."

"...Those people from the temple we arrested a couple of days ago, especially the stubborn one, are being held in solitary confinement..."

"Don't worry, you can't escape. The dungeon is protected by restrictions..."

People from the temple? Arrested?

Shen Zhen and Chen Xi exchanged a glance. Could it be...?

In the shadows of the earthen house, Shen Zhen and Chen Xi held their breath, carefully discerning the conversation of the patrolling barbarian soldiers in the distance.

"Where are those peddlers locked up? Has the shaman received all the goods he requested?" a rough, hoarse voice asked.

"Peddler? He was taken to the 'sacrifice ground' long ago. He's still short a few goods, but with those tough guys from the temples taking his place, it should be enough..." Another voice said with a fawning tone.

A peddler? A sacrificial site? A temple person?

Shen Zhen's eyes narrowed.

Hu Sandao's group of missing peddlers were indeed here.

Ye Zhi Qiu and his group are very likely the "tough nuts to crack" in the temple that the other side mentioned!

The sounds of the patrol's footsteps and conversations gradually faded into the distance.

Shen Zhen lowered his voice:

"Did you hear that? Ye Zhi Qiu and the others are probably locked up in a dungeon, and the peddler has been taken elsewhere. This place is most likely the Wolf Batu tribe."

Chen Xi nodded, her eyes filled with worry:

"The dungeon is under some kind of enchantment, and that 'sacrifice ground' doesn't sound like a good place. We're outnumbered and outmatched..."

"Save them first," Shen Zhen interrupted her, her tone resolute.

"First find Ye Zhi Qiu and the others, then figure out how to find the peddler and investigate the sacrificial site."

He paused for a moment, looked around, and said, "But... I need to get a couple of sets of clothes first."

The opportunity came quickly.

Two barbarian soldiers, yawning and cursing, walked towards what appeared to be a latrine in the corner.

Shen Zhen's figure flickered, causing ripples in the space, and he silently appeared behind the two, instantly knocking them unconscious with clean and swift movements.

Chen Xi quickly followed and dragged the unconscious barbarian soldier into the shadows.

A moment later, two barbarian soldiers, dressed in slightly bulky coats and with dust on their faces, emerged from the shadows, pulled their hats down, and walked in the direction the patrol had come from.

The interior of Tucheng was more chaotic than I had imagined, with earthen houses arranged haphazardly and alleyways winding and twisting.

The two dared not ask for directions, and could only rely on their senses and the occasional snippets of conversation they overheard to explore what might be the core area.

On the way, they encountered several groups of barbarian soldiers. When the soldiers saw that they were unfamiliar with them, they were about to question them when Shen Zhen imitated the accent he had just heard and mumbled something like, "The shaman has urgent instructions" or "The dungeon is changing shifts." He added a deliberately impatient expression and managed to get away with it.

Chen Xi followed behind him, her palms sweaty.

Finally, in front of a low building made of a single massive stone, which was clearly heavily guarded, they heard a conversation about "dungeon" and "changing of the guard".

right here.

Shen Zhen gave Chen Xi a wink, and the two of them moved closer without making a sound.

Four barbarian soldiers were chatting idly at the gate.

"Brother, shift change." Shen Zhen said in a hoarse voice, imitating the tone of the barbarian leader.

One of the barbarian soldiers turned around and looked at them with suspicion:

"Shift change? It's not time yet? Which team are you from? You look unfamiliar."

"He was just transferred here. The shaman was worried, so he's adding two shifts." Shen Zhen remained expressionless, his steps unwavering.

"Hurry up, I'm in a rush to get a drink."

His confidence was so strong that it made the guards hesitate.

But the moment Shen Zhen stepped within a meter of them, a hint of wariness flashed in the eyes of an older barbarian soldier on the left.

At that very moment.

Shen Zhen moved. He took a step forward and waved his hand seemingly casually, but in fact, he used a clever technique to strike the chests of the two nearest barbarian soldiers.

The two groaned and collapsed.

Almost at the same instant Shen Zhen made his move, Chen Xi also moved. Her unsheathed short blade swept precisely across, striking the third barbarian soldier in the knee.

The barbarian soldier let out a half-scream before losing his balance and falling forward. Chen Xi took the opportunity to raise his elbow and slam it hard into the soldier's jaw, completely cutting off his scream.

However, the fourth barbarian soldier, who was the first to become suspicious, reacted extremely quickly.

Though startled, he remained calm. The instant Shen Zhen made his move, he abruptly took half a step back, his right hand swiftly reaching for the horn at his waist, while simultaneously opening his mouth to shout:

"enemy......"

But before the word "enemy" could be uttered, Shen Zhen unleashed a concentrated burst of mental energy, striking him squarely in the throat with a "plop."

The barbarian soldier's face flushed red, and he clutched his neck with both hands, unable to utter a clear sound.

Chen Xi pounced on him like a shadow, knocking him unconscious in an instant. The last barbarian soldier stared wide-eyed, then collapsed to the ground in resentment.

From the moment Shen Zhen made his move to the moment the four people fell to the ground, only two breaths had passed.

The two didn't even exchange a single word, relying entirely on their fighting instincts and trust in each other to complete this combined attack.

"quick!"

Shen Zhen gave a low shout and pushed open the heavy wooden door first. Behind the door was a downward stone staircase, and a cold, damp atmosphere rushed out.

The dungeon was dimly lit, with a few torches stuck in the walls burning weakly. The flickering flames cast swaying shadows onto the mottled walls, producing a faint crackling sound.

There weren't many cells, and they were all made of rough wooden fences.

They soon spotted a familiar figure in one of the innermost rooms.

Ye Zhiqiu sat against the wall on a pile of hay. His once neat robes were now stained, and his face was covered in bruises, but his eyes remained sharp.

Zhao Huaijin was pacing restlessly in the next cell, his hair somewhat disheveled.

In the next room, there was our guide, Boss Hu. He was huddled in the shadows in the corner, arms crossed, looking injured and somewhat listless. But Agutuo was nowhere to be seen.

"Who?!"

Zhao Huaijin was the first to notice the commotion. He looked up abruptly, his hand already on his empty waist; their weapons had obviously been taken away.

When he recognized the person by the flickering firelight, his eyes widened instantly:

"Captain Shen?! Chen Xi?! You... what are you doing..." He almost thought he was hallucinating.

Ye Zhi Qiu also suddenly stood up, his face filled with shock, which then turned into ecstatic joy:

"Brother Shen! I knew you guys were lucky to be alive!"

Old Hu also struggled to raise his head, and hope shone in his cloudy eyes.

Before Shen Zhen could explain, he subtly moved the mental ruler, channeling his mental power to instantly break the iron lock on the prison door.

With a few clicks, the cell door opened.

"Let's go outside first!" Shen Zhen said very quickly.

Just then, from the innermost, previously pitch-black cell, came an excited, hushed shout:

"My lord, Lord Shen! It's me! Agutuo! Help! Save me!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Agutuo's face squeezed into a gap in the wooden fence, his face covered in snot and tears:

"My lord, I've been waiting for you!"

I failed in guarding the altar in Tu City and led you the way. They say I betrayed the tribe and want to sacrifice me alive, my lord!

Please, have mercy and take me with you! I'll serve you faithfully from now on!