Pillar of Yita

The latter was quickly summoned.

However, after these experienced old physicians diagnosed, they too frowned:

”It must be some spell’s effect.” Someone voiced.

”But there’s no such healing condition within the Phantom Sea.”

Then someone suggested: ”It’s best to return to Quistack quickly to find a way to treat it.”

But returning to Quistack from here would take at least a day and a night.

Luo Hao interjected: ”Is there no other way?”

The royal physicians all shook their heads.

The King of Sand, hearing this, turned around and came to the row of kneeling Alchemists, taking the curved blade from his attendant’s hand.

He glanced at them and spoke coldly: ”I’ll give you a chance to speak.”

The nearest Alchemist shivered as if in convulsions upon hearing this, collapsing to the ground. Ten years ago, during the siege of that massive caravan — they dealt with the defenseless women and children the same way, but at that time, they were the ones wielding swords and knives. Now, the hunter had become the prey —

But before he could speak, or dare to speak, the King of Sand, Barbaltan, had already grown impatient. The blade rose and fell, and a head rolled down.

He advanced one by one, asking each person a question, only giving one chance, any moment of hesitation, and the blade would strike. Heads rolled temporarily, and the remaining Alchemists struggled to escape, but were firmly pinned to the ground by the Imperial Knights behind them. Once they boasted with their Flexible Constructs, but now, they were no better than dead dogs.

Most were so terrified they couldn’t utter a sound, some even soiled themselves. So-called death warriors are nothing before true death. For a moment, the hill was filled with a foul stench. Fang Hong gently covered Gita’s eyes, watching the scene and thinking the King of Sand, Barbaltan, was venting anger rather than interrogating.

Suddenly, Fang Hong realized, among these Alchemists, there must be many who participated in the attack ten years ago. This was a hate brewed for a decade, not diminished but only deepened — this was a man’s vengeance for his wife. He didn’t order all of them to be killed only out of regard for Affia.

Gita felt a pair of hands covering her eyes, stood silently in place, her heart pounding, yet remained very calm, unmoving.

The King of Sand, Barbaltan, walked forward step by step, only skipping one or two people in between, obtaining three or four responses that were somewhat useful. But speaking of use, the significance was also limited — finally, holding the blood-dripping curved blade, he approached the Commander’s face.

The latter raised his head to look at the ruler, silent.

But the King of Sand didn’t kill him immediately, instead, for the first time, he spoke: ”Considering you’re the mastermind, I can give you one extra chance to speak.”

He said this and didn’t wait for the other to respond, then took an object from the attendant beside him. It was just a silver cube, but in the Commander’s eyes, it was enough to change his complexion dramatically, and his previously calm expression completely vanished, replaced by a terrified demeanor.

His face went through several changes, finally frozen in a ghastly white, he slightly opened his mouth, almost tremblingly squeezing out a few words: ”Soul-Capturing Cube...”

Fang Hong had not heard this name before, but had seen this cube previously, likely in the hands of those Arcanists. Recalling the scenario then, he also guessed the use of this item. Looking at the Alchemist Commander whose face changed wildly, he thought that it turns out they weren’t unafraid of death, just because they had a backup plan.

Once the backup is gone, they expose their true nature.

But from start to finish, Barbaltan merely looked coldly at him, like gazing at a dead man. ”Speak, how did you appear in this place?”

Princess Afeifa explained to Fang Hong from the side:

”The Phantom Sea drifts above the desert without fixed coordinates, even outside the valley, it’s difficult to teleport inside.”

”Sometimes even a few meters away can feel like across the world—”

”We can only walk to enter this place, yet these people can teleport in, this is not a feat ordinary Teleportation Magic can achieve...”

Fang Hong listened silently nearby, upon hearing that teleportation couldn’t reach, a thought suddenly sprang up in his mind — if ordinary Teleportation Magic couldn’t reach, does it mean in special circumstances it can? But pondering this way, was the direction wrong from the beginning, assuming it wasn’t teleportation?

But while he was pondering, new developments were already happening on the other side.

After listening to Barbaltan’s question, the Commander’s face changed again, but after a long struggle and hesitation, he still didn’t speak.

The King of Sand, Barbaltan, seeing his appearance, knew he had lost the opportunity, even if he asked again, he would not get any useful information. He turned around, handing the blade to a nearby knight, casually issued an order: ”Take them away and kill them.”

As he spoke, those who had survived by luck before immediately fell into shock. It was well-known that the Desert King was as good as his word, otherwise, they wouldn’t have easily believed what he said. But at this moment, the Alchemists, deprived of their last hope, immediately broke into tears and curses.

Though Barbaltan looked at them, he didn’t even furrow his brow.