The sandstorm howled as the light was swallowed whole.

On the Infinite Train, Lin Xian sat quietly, holding a metal disc in his hand. It was a device he had crafted after scanning the one Old Scorpion had thrown—high in power, its seismic shockwaves could travel dozens of meters underground.

“Looks like this sandstorm is the same as the one back in the Parma Grasslands... eerie entities are probably lurking, waiting for a chance to strike.”

Given that the Sand Raiders were involved in human trafficking and even trading Eerie Blood Crystals, Lin Xian naturally linked the two matters together.

Aside from their heavily modified war vehicles, the Sand Raiders’ firepower clearly surpassed that of an average convoy.

Lin Xian had also been studying the Iron League Seals on Bone Dragon, Red Eagle, and Old Scorpion. He noticed they were a bit different from the one Brother J had.

If Brother J’s Iron League Seal was used for routing and signal packet transmission, then the ones on these three leaders were more complex.

For example, Old Scorpion’s Iron League Seal didn’t just monitor vitals—it had a self-destruct function. In other words, this thing was implanted right above the heart, meaning his life was literally in the hands of the organization that created it.

Chomp. Chomp.

Lin Xian sat in the cockpit, tapping the seal with his fingers as he gazed seriously at the sandstorm outside.

From his perspective, the Iron League Seals, the coordination between raider groups, their superior firepower, and the targeting of survivors all pointed toward one organization behind it all.

“Bailu Basin...”

He pulled out his phone and searched the e-map, locating the site in the southern part of the no-man's-land, over 2,000 kilometers from Akesai. He had initially planned to send someone there aboard the Nightstar aircraft mid-journey.

But after dealing with Old Scorpion, Lin Xian hesitated. Wiping out the Sand Raiders—whether to remove a threat or seize resources for crossing the no-man’s-land—made the risk somewhat worthwhile.

But the organization behind these raiders...

“Forget it. Better to avoid complications. That no-man’s-land is dangerous as hell. It’s best to reach Quancheng as soon as possible.”

Quancheng was considered a major city. Once they got there, he planned to immediately reroute toward Luling and Jinhai. The road ahead was perilous—not only due to the forbidden anomalies in the no-man’s-land Hu Lushou had mentioned, but also those inverted insect limbs they saw last night. All potential hazards.

Just then, Chen Sixuan walked in and said softly, “The sandstorm’s completely blinded the view. If it lasts too long, our plan…”

“Let’s leave it up to fate,” Lin Xian sighed. “If it comes to it, we wait one more night. After all the effort we put in, walking away empty-handed would suck.”

“Mhm.” Chen Sixuan nodded. Looking out at the sky of yellow sand, with the ground completely obscured, her expression turned grim.

The good news was, as Lin Xian suspected, the storm didn’t last as long as expected. Within two hours, the howling winds outside began to subside. He opened the blackout panel, revealing a sky still choked with dust—but the wind had weakened.

A few minutes later, the previously murky sky began to clear. The sandstorm, like a moving curtain, had passed.

Whump.

As the automatic door opened, Lin Xian hadn’t even stepped out when a thick cascade of sand poured down from the roof like a waterfall.

He raised a hand to block it, then leapt off the train. Turning back, he saw the entire joint convoy coated in a thick layer of yellow sand—looking battered and timeworn.

“That sandstorm hit without the slightest warning.”

Lin Xian sniffed the air as he climbed back onto the train. Now that the storm was over, the sunlit city of Akesai appeared once more, golden and clear.

Lu Zhao glanced toward the Iron League fortress hidden among the sands and visibly relaxed. It was now 1 PM, and the battle had gone far better than expected. By mid-afternoon, Old Scorpion’s crew had been wiped out in a coordinated strike from within and without. Had they attacked head-on, it would've been way harder.

Thanks to Lu Zhao’s forces holding the internal line and suppressing counterattacks, the plan had gone smoothly. Accurate intelligence also helped. Lu Zhao and the team captains had decided on the assault overnight—something the Sand Raiders clearly hadn’t anticipated.

And the key piece?

The Iron League Seals.

These devices implanted near the hearts of the raider bosses had become the very tools used to take them down.

Inside Akesai City, several survivor convoys were parked around the plaza. Their vehicles were all dust-covered, and the streets were littered with charred car frames and corpses buried in sand. The stench of battle and blood was now masked by the desert’s blanket.

Lu Zhao of the Dawn Convoy stepped off his vehicle and exhaled deeply, looking conflicted. He’d seen his share of chaos, but his emotions still hadn’t settled.

From being surrounded, to the desperate battle, to Lin Xian’s joint convoy arriving like divine reinforcements, to the sweeping sandstorm—everything had happened in a single morning.

Now, with the storm passed, all the survivors in Akesai felt the euphoria of having just escaped death.

“Boss Hu!”

Lu Zhao, Xie Guan, and a few other convoy leaders walked into the Black Rose Bar, Lu Zhao beaming with excitement.

“Haha! So when you said you had backup and a plan, you weren’t bluffing after all. I totally misjudged you!”

Fresh from the basement, Hu Lushou put on his toad-shaped sunglasses, twirled a tiny fan, and smugly waved his hand.

“No choice, some things can’t be said too plainly. Ruins the magic.”

Xie Guan’s eyes sparkled. “So Boss Hu knew Wu Dapeng was a Sand Raider all along! That was some serious bait-and-switch!”

Hu Lushou nodded with zero shame, looking pleased with himself. “Of course! I could smell that dog from a mile away.”

Lu Zhao looked wistful. “So your whole thing about following the north rail route... you were really suggesting we shadow Lin’s massive convoy into the no-man’s-land. Now I get it.”

“Never thought we’d actually wipe out Old Scorpion’s gang—it’s so satisfying!” Xie Guan and the others echoed, “They should’ve been sent to h*ll ages ago!”

“That’s right...” Hu Lushou grinned, flashing his golden teeth. But deep down, he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He’d assumed Lin Xian was still operating at the scale he saw back at Hengshan Pass. He didn’t expect over 4,000 people in that terrifying force. With that power, they could’ve steamrolled the Sand Raiders and strolled through Akesai with no resistance.

Hu Lushou now realized Lin Xian orchestrated the whole operation not just to eliminate threats but also to seize the Sand Raiders’ resources—while helping survivors along the way. Truly killing three birds with one stone.

Beside him, Sun Chang shot him a disdainful look. She was long used to his silver tongue and shameless self-praise—kneeling one moment, scheming the next, all while acting like he had it all planned out.

Thunk.

At that moment, the door to the Black Rose Bar swung open. A crowd of people marched in—leaders and core members from the joint convoy. Having just cleared out the Sand Raiders, Lin Xian and Shi Diyuan had called everyone together here. First, to assign teams to sweep remaining raider strongholds, and second, to prepare for their imminent entry into the no-man’s-land. This was Hu Lushou’s turf—there was food, drink, and space to relax a bit.

“Captain Lin!”

Hu Lushou’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Lin Xian walk in. He rushed over, looking teary-eyed as he lowered his voice.

“Boss... you should’ve given me a heads-up that you had that many people. I was scared sh*tless all morning!”

“Whoa!” Shi Diyuan said the moment he stepped inside, “You actually got a proper drinking spot going here, huh? Perfect. Let’s get to business, clear out the raider hideouts before nightfall, and crash here tonight. Tomorrow we enter the no-man’s-land!”

“Clearing strongholds? Now that’s my specialty.” Hu Lushou immediately perked up. “Those Sand Raiders have been holed up here a long time—bet they’ve got tons of good stuff stashed. Hehe, when the time comes we can…”

Lin Xian gave him a look, then patted his shoulder. “That’s right. Boss Hu is a pro. Your convoy’s got all the gear for this kinda job—loading, breaking down, scavenging. So here’s the deal… since we’ve already handled the fighting, you’ll lead the team to clear out their lairs. Sound good?”

Hu Lushou froze on the spot.

Wait—me? Personally?

“H-Hey now, that’s the Sand Raiders’ turf! You really trust me to go alone?”

“Sure do.” Lin Xian looked at Shi Diyuan and the captains around him. “What do you all think?”

“No problem,” Shi Diyuan chuckled. “We’ve been fighting all morning. Time for a break.”

“With all that wind and sand outside, I’m not about to go on another long march.” Monica had already claimed a comfy seat for herself.

Hearing Lin Xian’s plan, the rest of the team started settling in around the bar. Hu Lushou stood rooted in place, face twitching.

He was stunned.

Sure, clearing out loot was his thing—but only if it was safe. Those strongholds probably still had defenses. Sending him in was like walking into a minefield.

“Boss Hu, we’re counting on you,” Lin Xian said, handing him a mobile terminal. “These are a few suspicious coordinates I marked—areas with tough terrain and heavy fortification. Be careful.”

Lu Zhao and the others looked puzzled at Lin’s words.

Hu Lushou, now pale-faced, leaned in frantically.

“Wait wait wait—how am I supposed to handle all that with just my people? Captain Lin, you can’t be serious…”

“Can’t handle it?” Lin Xian raised a brow. “We saved your *ss, took out the raiders’ core force and leaders, and now you’re saying no to a little cleanup job? That’s not a good look.”

“Exactly!” KIKI chimed in with a grin. “We helped you, and you’ve yet to show any gratitude!”

Shi Diyuan added loudly, “Boss Hu, we appreciate your help!”

Hu Lushou’s face turned an interesting shade of green, realizing Lin Xian was basically asking for payback—straight up.

His heart ached. There was no dodging this one. So, biting the bullet, he put on a dignified front.

“Captain Lin, say no more. Those Sand Raiders were evil to the bone, plaguing survivors and extorting anyone trying to flee. I posed as a toll collector just to keep them calm and buy time for Akesai’s people. I’ve secretly collected a lot of intel on their movements—I can rule out a bunch of false locations and save everyone time!”

“Also, the resources I gained through that toll collection? Technically stolen goods from those bastards. I’ll turn them over too. Captain Lin, Captain Shi—feel free to allocate them!”

His declaration stunned Lu Zhao, other convoy leaders, and several joint convoy captains who weren’t in the know. Their gazes turned from wary to respectful.

“Wow, so Boss Hu had a noble reason for charging tolls!”

“Can’t believe we misjudged you.”

“Boss Hu’s a hero!”

“Oh, stop, stop…” Hu Lushou beamed, showing off his signature golden-tooth grin.

Lin Xian and Shi Diyuan exchanged glances, both smirking. This guy knew how to spin a story—cleared his name, won hearts, and made himself look like a savior.

But Lin didn’t mind. Hu Lushou offering up the ill-gotten gains was a good-faith gesture. After all, in the eyes of many, he wasn’t exactly a good guy. If he were to tag along into the no-man’s-land without doing something like this, the other convoys might start whispering.

And let’s be honest—he’d already made a fortune just from collecting those tolls. Who knew how rich those raiders were?

Lin Xian decided not to waste any more time.

“We’ve got about five hours before nightfall. That’s enough. Let’s split up and wipe out the Sand Scorpion Gang, Wanglong Society, and that Red Vulture Gang. The rest of you stay in Akesai to regroup. We move out for the no-man’s-land at dawn tomorrow!”

Shi Diyuan nodded. “Send more vehicles and more people. If we run into trouble, we’ll be ready. Let’s make sure we clean this up in one go.”

“Me me me me me!” KIKI shot her hand up the moment Lin finished, eyes sparkling. “Clearing enemy strongholds sounds awesome! Let me go, please!”

She looked so eager it was like she was the raider.

“Brother Lin, I wish to go as well!” Lu Xingchen, rarely one to volunteer for distant ops, suddenly piped up. Clearly, his excitement over his newfound flight ability hadn’t worn off.

“Me too, me too! Lin-gege, can we take the Nightstar aircraft?” Shasha was practically bouncing.

“Little one, we’re clearing bases, not bombing them,” Shi Diyuan laughed. “What are you gonna do, scare them with noise?”

Lin Xian nodded. “The main force is gone, so those strongholds probably won’t have many defenders. But they’ll definitely be rigged with heavy weaponry. We still need to be cautious.”

He looked around the room.

Qian Dele stepped up. “I’ll take the team to the North District, that Black Oil Gully. Pretty sure it’s a Wanglong Society stronghold. I know the area well.”

“There’s definitely more than one!” Hu Lushou chimed in quickly. “Wanglong may have fewer people, but Bone Dragon is a sly bastard. He’s stashed good stuff all over. I’ve scouted at least three smaller bases.”

Ning Jing looked at Shi Diyuan. “I’ll take the team for Red Eagle.”

Shi nodded. “Bring Lao Mao and the others, just in case.”

Lin Xian thought for a moment and turned to Chen Sixuan.

“You take Fire Bro and KIKI and head for the Sand Scorpion Gang’s base.”

“Shasha, Daluo, Luo Yang—you three go too. Follow Chen’s lead.”

Chen Sixuan was surprised but thrilled. She hadn’t expected Lin Xian to let her lead an external op. She nodded eagerly. “Got it. I’ll get ready now.”

Lin had chosen her for a reason. Compared to Little One or Fire Bro, she was steadier. Plus, her sensory abilities had evolved, and with the Black Hawk Armor equipped, she was more than capable. Even if the raider base was heavily fortified, with that team, things should go smoothly.

“Li Yi,” Lin Xian called out, “Your team’s large. Bring Liang Lei with you—but you stay behind. I want to take this chance to reorganize the train setup. We’ll merge your carriages with the main convoy.”

Li Yi nodded. “Alright. We’ll go with your plan.”

With that, the raid assignments were finalized.

Each team had over fifty members. Lin Xian made full use of the ten base vehicles and Hu Lushou’s off-road fleet. Taking advantage of the bright afternoon sun, the squads rumbled out in different directions.

The remaining convoy members stayed behind to rest. Several team leaders instructed their people to stretch their legs—after all, being cooped up in the train all day wasn’t good. Some sunlight was needed.

Soon, the Black Rose Bar was packed with folks helping themselves to Hu Lushou’s drinks. Since they’d all fought together earlier, Hu couldn’t bring himself to charge anyone—he could only watch in pain as his precious stash of alcohol disappeared, crate by crate.

Just as Lin Xian was preparing to return to the Infinite Train for train maintenance, Hu Lushou hurried over and dragged him down to the basement with a bitter look on his face.

“Captain Lin, we had a deal, right? You’ve gotta keep us covered through the no-man’s-land.”

Lin Xian let out a quiet sigh. “I honestly don’t know if I can. If it’s just raiders, fine. But if we run into eerie entities… even the Phoenix Starfleet wouldn’t dare say they’ve got it under control.”

“Got it, got it!” Hu Lushou nodded quickly. “We’ll stick close to you. By the way, after Quancheng, are you heading toward Jin City or Luling?”

“Why?”

Hu Lushou grinned. “Just curious. If you’re going to Dawn City, maybe I can tag along.”

“You’re heading to Dawn City?”

“Yeah.” He pulled out a card thin as a cicada’s wing. “Dawn-1 Underground City, mid-tier citizenship. Cost me a fortune.”

Lin Xian took a look. The card was a legit Federation citizen ID, complete with Hu’s fingerprint, voiceprint, and retinal data—very similar to the Phoenix Society records he had in Xilan.

“I’m not sure if I’ll make it to Dawn, but I am heading in the direction of Luling.”

Hu Lushou exhaled in relief. “Perfect. I’ll feel way safer sticking with your convoy.”

“Oh right,” Lin Xian turned to him, “how’d you even end up in Akesai?”

“Don’t even get me started,” Hu sighed. “I came from Hengshan Pass, planned to take the Longjiang route to Silent City. Who knew we’d run into some freakish crap? A few dozen convoys got completely lost in a sudden Extreme Polar Night expansion around Abyss Zone No. 5. By the time we got out… boom, we were in the Western Gobi.”

Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying you crossed the Abyss?”

Hu hesitated. “Can’t say for sure. We traveled mostly at night. All our nav systems went dead. But yeah, our convoys must’ve gotten lucky. That whole ‘Dark Mark’ thing? Looked like it was drawn toward Silent City instead. Man, it was a nightmare—sky monsters, underground horrors... real Parade of Demons stuff. I doubt that city’s still standing. They said it had like 80 or 90 thousand people.”

“Oh, and get this—” Hu leaned in mysteriously, “There are people in the Abyss!”

“Who?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. Could be Nightwalkers, maybe something else. A whole bunch of lunatics hanging around the outer edges, investigating stuff. Anyway…”

Hu frowned. “I don’t think it’s possible to fully cross the Abyss. We could still feel the Dark Invasion’s pull—the deeper we went, the worse it got. Sky went pitch-black. You couldn’t even see your own hand. My guess? We skirted the outer rim by sheer dumb luck.”

“Your luck’s unreal.”

Lin Xian looked at him with mixed feelings. When their team left Xilan and barely survived in Yijin City, Hu somehow waltzed around Abyss Zone No. 5 from Longjiang into the Western Gobi—and thrived. Even ran into raiders and came out richer. The guy had some serious luck.

A talent, for sure.

“Anything else?”

“Yes!”

Hu turned and ran to a corner, opened a safe, and pulled out a specially crafted storage box. He brought it over to Lin Xian and pressed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner. With a click, the box opened.

Inside were ten dark red Eerie Blood Crystals. Just from the size, they were clearly Level-2—differing slightly in hue and still emitting a faint bloody stench.

“A little something to show my gratitude for getting me out of that mess,” Hu said, grinning.

Lin Xian raised a brow. “Cut to the chase.”

“It’s genuine! I swear!” Hu quickly added. Then he opened the upper layer of the box. “And there’s this.”

Buzz!

As soon as he lifted the lid, the basement lights flickered violently. Lin Xian’s eyes sharpened as he glanced around—the chandelier and nearby metal fixtures all tilted slightly toward the box, as if drawn by an invisible force.

Looking down, Lin saw it.

Nestled on a cushion of foam at the bottom layer was a 12.7mm silver-black armor-piercing bullet, clearly fired before—scarred, weathered, and still stained with a smear of black blood.

The moment Lin Xian saw it, a wave of dizziness and icy dread washed over him—dark radiation and the chilling aura of Dark Invasion.

Hu Lushou stared at him, expression grave and mysterious.

“Not gonna lie, Captain Lin… I think this might be a—”

“Forbidden Item.”