Zhi Xuan’s gaze, behind the shadow of the Tattered Hood, seemed to ignite. It was a cold excitement, a perfect retribution. He had only just lamented how difficult it would be to find suitable nourishment for the Thousand Feather Moth, and now, the Heavens had sent the Desert Emperor directly into his path.

  "This is a unique Karma, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice suddenly appearing in Zhi Xuan’s Sea of Consciousness, her tone containing a rare hint of amusement. "The Desert Emperor, sent directly before you to feed your pet insect. That Thousand Feather Moth certainly knows how to choose the right time for its birth."

  "How do I get closer?" Zhi Xuan asked in a sharp whisper, knowing that a Verdant Titan would be easily stirred if he approached too closely. "I must divert the caravan first so they do not pass through that path."

  He looked around, needing to think quickly to find another route that would not reveal his intention to approach the Verdant Titan that appeared to be slumbering there. However, there was no other way; he could only use the simplest method to bypass that road. He would use the sacrifice of Tu Yan’s spiritual slaves to ensure the caravan moved away first.

  "I will use those slaves," Zhi Xuan murmured, looking back to where his divine sense caught the caravan still traveling several li away. "No, not I. Rather, they themselves will choose."

  Zhi Xuan flicked his finger, and a spark of Azure Holy Flame appeared in his hand. The dark purplish flame was exactly what he needed; he channeled the essence in his hand to make the fire grow larger, then with a slow wave of his hand, Zhi Xuan sent the flame floating above the sand, which immediately began to churn near the Giant Earth Scorpion.

  As a third-tier Soul Fire, the Azure Holy Flame would instinctively draw attention. The Verdant Titan beast would assume that a genius cultivator possessing a powerful Soul Fire was crossing its path, and that was a delicious meal for it. This was enough to lure the Giant Earth Scorpion to come searching for such a pure source of Soul Fire.

  Without hesitation, Zhi Xuan darted toward a path different from the hidden one, flaring the Soul Fire to serve as a marker like a dark torch in the middle of the scorching day. His strategy was simple: the Giant Earth Scorpion would come to the spot where the sand churned due to the Soul Fire just as the caravan arrived at the junction. The desperate slaves who desired a quick death over forced labor in the Divine Stone Mine would surely choose to rebel upon seeing the Giant Earth Scorpion.

  "This torch will guide them to choose the safe path," Zhi Xuan murmured coldly, a thin smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Or, those desperate slaves will choose the hidden path."

  He did not betray them; he had opened a safe path for those caravans to pass. However, it was the slaves who would choose their own fate when they saw the Giant Earth Scorpion approaching. They would be given a choice in the middle of the intersection between the safe path and the hidden path.

  Zhi Xuan sped away from the Soul Fire he left behind, taking a position atop a canyon cliff that gave him a clear view of the junction and the location of the quiet Giant Earth Scorpion. He did not have to be close to the beast; he only needed to wait. Under the cruel sun of the desert, the Soul Fire sand began to react. The sand around Zhi Xuan’s Soul Fire started to churn subtly, and then, with a much larger movement, the sand in front of the Giant Earth Scorpion began to vibrate.

  Zhi Xuan’s sapphire eyes sharpened. The giant scorpion, which looked like a lump of stone beneath a layer of sand, now began to move. Its movements were slow, ancient, and imposed a massive weight. That Verdant Titan specimen, possessing a shell as hard as divine stone and a venomous tail capable of shattering mountains, slowly dug itself out of its hiding place.

  GRRUUUUUM!

  The vibration in the ground felt strong, even where Zhi Xuan stood. The giant scorpion, with a length of six zhang, radiated a thick essence of Earth and Poison, an aura that felt incredibly ancient and cruel. It raised its massive pincers, directing them toward the source of the Soul Fire. Its gaze, consisting of thousands of tiny eyes, was now filled with a primal hunger. It thought it had found delicious prey; a cultivator with pure Soul Fire.

  At the same time, on the hidden path, Tu Yan’s spiritual slave caravan arrived at the junction. They were a pathetic procession; dozens of exhausted slaves dragged by wary guards. Tu Yan, leading at the front, immediately saw the new tracks in the sand pointing in two directions: the original rat path and the new path recently stepped upon by Zhi Xuan, which now led straight toward a gentle slope away from the usual route. Tu Yan narrowed his sharp eyes. He knew it was a signal from Zhang Gui.

  "What is that?!" one of the guards suddenly shouted as the ground tremors shook, his voice filled with uncontrollable fear.

  GRRUUUUUM!

  From behind a sand dune in the distance, the silhouette of the Giant Earth Scorpion began to appear, its horrific shadow falling over the caravan. Its pincers were like two moving fortresses, and its raised tail was like a spear ready to pierce the sky. Horror crept onto the faces of the guards; they recognized that aura all too well. It was no ordinary beast; it was the Desert Emperor, a Verdant Titan!

  "Verdant Titan! Giant Earth Scorpion!" roared Tu Yan, his face deathly pale, yet he reacted with incredible speed. He knew that a single attack from that beast would destroy the caravan, the slaves, and himself.

  The spiritual slaves bound in essence chains, despite being suppressed by that terrifying aura, now began to show signs of pathetic excitement. Death at the hands of a giant beast was far better than the torment in the Divine Stone Mine.

  "This path is blocked!" shouted one of the Consciousness Transformation guards. They all drew their weapons, but their eyes were filled with despair. They knew that fighting a Verdant Titan beast was equivalent to suicide.

  As panic gripped the guards, Zhi Xuan’s hidden eyes focused on the slaves. Right before them were two branching paths: the Main Path, which would lead them across the field flanked by the now-moving Giant Earth Scorpion, and the Side Path, which was gentler and seemed to lack sufficient danger, perhaps only traversed by small beasts, making it technically safe. Zhi Xuan had ensured that the Side Path was clear of other large beasts.

  This was the moment of choice. Zhi Xuan did not need to say anything. The most vile and unethical act was to let those desperate slaves choose their own fate. Suddenly, a spiritual slave, a middle-aged man whose body was covered in whip scars, saw a gap in the guards' panic. He grabbed the essence chain and screamed in a hoarse voice filled with suffering.

  "Death is better than the Mine! The Main Path! Death awaits us on the Main Path!"

  "Reincarnation is coming! I cannot take it anymore; I want reincarnation to come quickly!"

  "The Heavens help us; we will not rot in the Mine; it is better to die at the hands of the Desert Emperor!"

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The essence chains binding them were weak laws of a minor sect, and amidst the pressure of the Verdant Titan beast, those laws began to falter. Those desperate slaves, driven by a fear of the Divine Stone Mine that was greater than their fear of death, immediately moved their bodies wildly.

  They did not choose the safer Side Path—the path secretly cleared of major threats by Zhi Xuan. Instead, with a madness born of desperation, they directed themselves toward the Main Path, straight toward the horrific black silhouette of the Giant Earth Scorpion.

  "Stop! Fools! Do not go there!" roared Tu Yan, waving his whip desperately, trying to beat the slaves back. But panic and the desire for death had overtaken them. The chains rattled; some snapped under the collective pressure of the struggling slaves.

  KREE-KREEE!

  The Giant Earth Scorpion emitted a horrific hissing sound. It ignored Zhi Xuan’s Soul Fire for a moment. The first few slaves to reach the Main Path, those closest to the Giant Earth Scorpion, immediately became the first victims. The scorpion's massive pincers, which originally pointed toward the source of Zhi Xuan’s Soul Fire, now swung with a movement that was slow yet inevitable.

  CRACK! SPLAT!

  There were no screams. Those slaves were crushed into a pulp of blood and bone, without even having the chance to realize what had hit them. Their weak life essence was immediately absorbed by the greedy desert earth. The scent of blood and suffering filled the air, drawing the scorpion's attention completely.

  Seeing the opportunity, Zhi Xuan moved with a sharp dash in another direction, toward the hidden path, which would make him look like he was diverting the Verdant Titan away from the caravan. He waved his hand and brought out the loudly humming Divine Cauldron, inside of which Xiao Die’s cocoon already felt the signs of a tug-of-war aura with the Verdant Titan.

  "Tu Yan!" Zhi Xuan shouted from a distance, waving his hand toward the side path. "Quickly take your caravan and leave! I will lure this beast away so it does not destroy the caravan!"

  Zhi Xuan’s shout, though hoarse behind the Tattered Hood, carried the weight of pure spiritual essence, breaking through the prevailing panic. Tu Yan, staggering back, looked toward Zhang Gui—the hooded shadow now holding an ancient bronze Cauldron that radiated a strange Four Seasons resonance, as if challenging the scorpion's Earth and Poison aura.

  Tu Yan’s sharp eyes saw two things at once: the dozens of remaining spiritual slaves were now wildly dragging themselves toward death on the Main Path, and the Side Path pointed out by Zhi Xuan. Although he was a cruel slave trader, he was not stupid. He knew the remaining slaves were still worth high-grade spiritual stones.

  "Curse you, Zhang Gui!" Tu Yan roared, but his tone contained acknowledgment. He swung his whip, not to punish, but to signal. "Guards! Secure the remaining slaves! We take the Side Path! Now!"

  That decision was the only way out. The guards, though still trembling, began to realize that this Wandering Ghost, whom they had considered a disposable tool, was now their savior. They forced the remaining slaves, now torn between the desire for death and the instinct for life, onto the Side Path.

  On the Main Path, the Giant Earth Scorpion ignored the fleeing caravan. Its compound eyes were now fully focused on the dozens of slaves running toward it. The scent of blood, weak spiritual essence, and most importantly, Zhi Xuan’s Soul Fire still burning nearby, was an invitation too strong to resist.

  Zhi Xuan, now standing at the end of the turning Side Path, stared at the scorpion. He activated the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron fully. The calm Four Seasons resonance suddenly turned into an attractive vortex of essence. From within the Cauldron, Xiao Die’s cocoon responded. The resonance was no longer calm; it was a call filled with a primal desire to absorb.

  KREE-KREEE!

  The giant scorpion, busy crushing the last few slaves before it, suddenly stopped. It raised its pincers, its gaze shifting from mortal blood and flesh toward the Divine Cauldron in Zhi Xuan’s hand. It felt a familiar aura—the aura of a newborn Verdant Titan, yet wrapped in a foreign resonance. For the Desert Emperor, it was not just a threat; it was a territorial challenge and the richest of nourishments.

  Zhi Xuan smirked coldly. His plan worked. Those slaves had served as a distracting bait, and the Divine Cauldron was the perfect trigger.

  "You see it, Giant Earth Scorpion," Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice filled with piercing arrogance. "You came for the Soul Fire? No. You came to baptize my insect. And for that, you must pay with your essence."

  With arrogance, Zhi Xuan stepped with a sharp dash toward the hidden path, drawing the Giant Earth Scorpion further from the starting point; he had to find a distant place hidden from desert cultivators or meddling bandits for the birth of his insect.

  With every step, he channeled essence into the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron. The Four Seasons resonance produced by the ancient artifact turned into an attractive red thread—a bait that an entity as powerful as the Giant Earth Scorpion could not resist.

  KREE-KREEE!

  The roar of the giant scorpion split the desert silence. It felt the challenge, and more importantly, it felt the promise of nourishment from the Verdant Titan trapped within the Cauldron. Its Earth and Poison aura surged, and the scorpion began to give chase, ignoring Tu Yan’s slave caravan that was now speeding away through the Side Path.

  Zhi Xuan’s pace quickened. He did not rely on his usual Consciousness Transformation speed; he relied on the spatial runes of the Cosmic Step and his physical foundation now strengthened by eleven Slaughter Seals. The new sense of physical dominance allowed him to dash across the difficult desert terrain as if he were in the air.

  After several li, Zhi Xuan entered a very deep and narrow canyon gap, a perfect place for an isolated one-on-one battle. In the middle of the gap was a giant hole that looked like an ancient crater. Zhi Xuan leapt to the edge of the crater and turned around.

  Behind him, the Giant Earth Scorpion arrived, its shell as hard as divine stone grinding against the canyon walls, producing a horrific growling sound. It spat out a thick greenish-black mist—its lethal poison essence. The mist immediately enveloped the narrow gap, eroding the rock and making the air toxic.

  "Four Directions Blood Shield!" From around him appeared a transparent shield protecting against the poisonous mist; he leapt backward and raised the divine cauldron high into the air, waiting for the right moment for the beast to head toward the crater. "Come here, wild beast!"

  Zhi Xuan stepped with the elegance of a dancer waiting for the melody of death. The transparent shield, formed from his pure spiritual essence, pulsed slowly, repelling the thick poison mist spat by the giant scorpion. His eyes, hiding behind the Tattered Hood, were fixed on the crater hole behind him—the trap he had prepared.

  The Giant Earth Scorpion, triggered by the call of the Divine Cauldron, did not dash forward blindly. It was a Verdant Titan, the Desert Emperor; its intelligence had been honed by thousands of hunts and territorial defenses. It saw the crater, it felt the subtle aura of a trap, and most importantly, it felt the cold arrogance of the tiny cultivator before it.

  KREE-KREEE!

  The roar resembling the grinding of stone turned into a spiritual, cruel laugh. The giant scorpion stopped, its shell, ridged like ancient mountains, vibrating. It did not charge forward, but instead raised its thick, venomous, spear-shaped tail into the air. The tail radiated a thick greenish-black light, gathering Earth and Poison essence from the entire canyon. Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes. This movement was different from what he had anticipated. The beast was not interested in fighting at close range.

  "A long-range explosion!" Zhi Xuan thought, his sharp will immediately realizing the danger. The Giant Earth Scorpion, with its Verdant Titan intelligence, had ignored the crater trap and chosen to destroy its prey from afar.

  WHUSHH!

  The giant tail lashed downward, not stabbing at Zhi Xuan, but striking hard against the canyon wall above him. The attack was not intended to kill, but to destroy the terrain.

  BOOM! GRRUUUM!

  The ruins and giant rocks, as hard as divine stone, immediately collapsed. The scorpion's attack had triggered a man-made landslide, sealing the canyon gap behind Zhi Xuan and, worse, sending massive boulders straight toward him.

  Zhi Xuan, who relied on speed and agility, was now under the attack of an unavoidable weight. Those boulders, driven by the power of a Verdant Titan, shot faster than spiritual essence arrows.

  "Wild beast!" Zhi Xuan hissed, his aura of arrogance torn by the urgent need for survival. Zhi Xuan clasped his hands, exerting his pure spiritual essence. The transparent shield around him transformed into a three-layered spiral shield pulsing with defensive runes. It was one of the strongest defensive techniques he possessed, but he knew it would not be enough.

  DHUARR!

  The first boulder struck the defensive shield with a bone-shaking force. The outer shield immediately shattered. Zhi Xuan felt his spiritual essence vibrating wildly within his meridians. The second boulder hit, and the second shield cracked. Warm blood crept from the corner of Zhi Xuan’s lips behind the Tattered Hood. He could not hold it much longer. The pain, though suppressed by eleven Slaughter Seals, still pierced into his Sea of Consciousness. The Giant Earth Scorpion, witnessing the destruction of its prey, hissed in triumph, ready to strike again with its lethal tail.