Ye Cangtian believed that if they followed the Bright Hall squad, they would have more options, able to attack, defend, or retreat if something happened. They could also prevent the Bright Hall members from escaping. However, if they were responsible for luring the enemy, their choices would be very limited. After all, with the Bright Hall members behind them, they could easily be caught between sudden dangers and the Bright Hall forces. Moreover, if the Bright Hall members truly intended to withdraw, they would be unable to stop them.
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian looked at Hong Mo, as if waiting for Hong Mo's decision.
"This..."
Feeling the gazes of everyone around him, Hong Mo hesitated. Frankly speaking, if it were only himself, he would rather take the risk than let this small team encounter trouble. However, the six Earth-rank enforcers were a cohesive unit. If they were split up, their combat power would be greatly reduced, and they could easily be annihilated one by one. Therefore, they had to act together, tying their fate to each other. Only then could they stand a chance even against all the Bright Hall cardinals. But if the six of them went to lure the enemy, the risks would multiply. If something truly went wrong, the Dark Association could be crippled, or even face destruction.
With this thought, Hong Mo gritted his teeth and said, "Let them handle the luring mission."
"Alright."
"Hong Mo, you don't have to worry too much."
Ye Cangtian first responded, and seeing Hong Mo's slightly troubled expression, he then offered some comfort. According to Hong Mo's description, this formidable team had been searching for people in the desert year-round, so their survival capabilities in the desert must be very strong. As long as they didn't venture too deep into some secret realm or dangerous land, the probability of them encountering trouble was not high...
"Yes."
Hong Mo responded with a low tone to Po Xiao's comfort. He admitted that Po Xiao's words had some truth to them, but he was still deeply worried about this small team. After all, there wasn't even a single Earth-rank expert in this team, and their chances of a safe retreat if they encountered danger would be very slim. But at the same time, he also knew that there was no other choice. To completely annihilate the Bright Hall members, and for the sake of the Dark Association, he had to let these people take the risk.
...
After discussing the general strategy, Hong Mo left the secret realm with Po Xiao and rushed to the agreed-upon location at the appointed time. Not long after, a figure appeared in the vast desert. He walked slowly and soon arrived beside the two, kneeling on one knee. "Your subordinate, Sand Eagle, greets the Young Master!"
Hong Mo quickly helped him up and said, "Get up. Let me introduce you. This is Po Xiao from the Dark Association."
Upon hearing this, Sand Eagle glanced at Ye Cangtian and then nodded, as if greeting him. Seeing this, Ye Cangtian didn't say much. The other party was Ba Tian's subordinate and loyal to Hong Mo, so it was normal for him to be indifferent to him.
Meanwhile, Hong Mo cut straight to the chase and asked, "Sand Eagle, have you found any news about that Bright Hall squad?"
"Reporting to the Young Master, specific news hasn't been found, but some traces of battle have been discovered. Also, there are several corpses. One of them is a Cardinal, and the others are intelligence personnel from the Bright Hall. It can be judged that they fought a fierce battle and fled in haste..."
Sand Eagle revealed the information he had investigated without hesitation. He pointed out that according to some traces of the battle, this Bright Hall squad should have fled in a southerly direction.
"Mm."
Hong Mo responded and then glanced at Po Xiao, to see if there were any changes to the plan proposed by the other party. Feeling Hong Mo's gaze, Ye Cangtian nodded slightly. His original plan was for Sand Eagle's team to lure the Bright Hall members towards the south, which was the direction the Imperial Dragon Seal had shot its light. He hadn't expected that the first Bright Hall squad to arrive would coincidentally find the right direction. This was good; letting these guys scout the path first would reduce some of Sand Eagle's team's casualties.
On the other side, seeing Po Xiao nod, Hong Mo did not raise any objections. The next second, his expression turned serious. "Sand Eagle, I have a very dangerous mission for you. In about two days, the subsequent Bright Hall squad will enter the desert. What you need to do is..."
Hearing Hong Mo's plan, Sand Eagle immediately replied without hesitation, "Young Master, rest assured, I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
"You must be careful. You will not only face the dangers of the desert but also the possibility of being caught between the Bright Hall forces from front and back. So, be prepared for the worst..." Looking at Sand Eagle's determined gaze, Hong Mo hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.
Sand Eagle nodded heavily and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master. The Sand Eagle squad is already prepared for everything!"
Ye Cangtian, who was watching from the side, showed a hint of admiration in his eyes. After a moment, he spoke, "You might encounter markers left by the Bright Hall on the way; remember not to destroy them. Also, remember that regardless of whether the Bright Hall squad ahead changes direction, you must not change yours." He paused and continued, "Your mission is to lure the Bright Hall squad behind you into the depths of the desert, heading due south. The rest will be handled by us."
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Sand Eagle frowned and then looked at Hong Mo, as if asking for something. Seeing this, Hong Mo nodded and said, "Do as he says."
Upon hearing Hong Mo's words, Sand Eagle hesitated for a moment and slowly said, "Young Master, your subordinate has a question. Why must we lure them in the southerly direction?"
Hong Mo was suddenly stunned. The direction issue was specified by Po Xiao, so how could he answer why? He then looked at Po Xiao with confusion.
On the other side, feeling their gazes, Ye Cangtian quickly replied. According to rumors and the few existing records, the further south one travels in the desert, the more dangerous it becomes. The Bright Hall had over twenty Cardinals, and ordinary dangers would not be enough to trap them. They had to find truly perilous lands. According to the pattern just observed, this perilous land should be in the southerly direction. Ye Cangtian's serious explanation was not fabricated; he had obtained this information from Xuan Si Liu. Although the southern desert region could be a forbidden zone for humans, many madmen attempted to search for treasures there. After all, the more dangerous the place, the higher the probability of finding treasures. However, the records of these treasure hunters were few and rarely circulated, thus not known to the public. But this had not escaped Xuan Si Liu's notice.
Upon hearing such an explanation, Sand Eagle's doubts greatly diminished. They had been searching for Ba Tian's whereabouts in the desert for years, and they were naturally familiar with some of the dangers. As Po Xiao had said, the further south one went, the more dangerous it became.
Seeing that neither of them spoke, Ye Cangtian fell silent for a moment and said to Hong Mo, "Hong Mo, part of the reason for doing this is also for you!"
"Huh? For me?" Hong Mo was quite bewildered and looked over with confusion. Seeing this, Ye Cangtian nodded and said, "It's to fulfill our agreement..." Ye Cangtian explained that Ba Tian, as a Heaven-rank expert, possessed immense power, and ordinary dangerous lands would pose no threat to him. Therefore, they could only search in the most perilous directions, which might offer a chance to uncover the mystery of Ba Tian's disappearance...
Hearing this, Hong Mo understood everything. He gave Ye Cangtian a deep look and said, "Thank you!" Sand Eagle, who had also heard this, bowed deeply to Po Xiao, with gratitude in his eyes. At this moment, apart from his gratitude to Po Xiao, he had no more doubts, and even felt that even if he sacrificed himself this time, it would be nothing...
*Phew!*
Seeing their attitudes, Ye Cangtian finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to fool them. After meeting Sand Eagle, both parties went their separate ways. Sand Eagle returned to his team and, as per Po Xiao's instructions, headed south, leaving behind clues along the way. These clues were undoubtedly prepared for the Bright Hall members. As for Ye Cangtian, he returned to the secret realm to continue gathering information.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Zi Long brought news from South Desert City again. The two squads of the Bright Hall had already rendezvoused and forcefully broke through the blockade of the Dark Association guards, directly entering the desert. In the eyes of the Bright Hall members, it was acceptable to forcefully breach the blockade line to catch up with the Dark Association, even if it meant taking some time. Not to mention that the Dark Association's Earth-rank enforcers were in the desert, making communication with South Desert City extremely difficult; even if they had managed to communicate, it wouldn't matter. With the two squads combined, there were over a dozen Earth-rank experts. Did they really need to fear the six Earth-rank enforcers of the Dark Association?
...