Lou Gao looked at Lin Xia's vigilant posture and smiled helplessly. Reaching into an inconspicuous leather pouch storage soul tool at his waist, he deftly took out several low-level soul beast carcasses that had already been slaughtered, still carrying a strong bloody stench—judging by their appearance, they were sand rabbits and rock lizards.
As he skillfully scattered the bait across several relatively flat patches of sand, Lou Gao explained,
"These Yellow Sandstorm Rats are nasty little things—cunning and extremely timid."
"They're naturally adept at manipulating wind and sand to hide themselves. Especially in areas of shifting sands like this, unless they're starving or absolutely certain it's safe, they won't easily show themselves."
"The entrance to their nest might be right beneath your feet, but trying to drag them out with the naked eye or ordinary soul power sensing would take a ridiculous amount of effort. It's inefficient and likely to alert them."
After tossing the last bloody chunk of meat beside a large rock, Lou Gao dusted the sand from his hands and quickly retreated with Lin Xia and Larvitar more than ten meters away, hiding behind a massive wind-eroded boulder on the leeward side.
Lowering his voice, Lou Gao pointed at the baited area, a seasoned hunter's sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
"The best way to deal with them is to make them come out on their own. Fresh blood is an irresistible temptation for creatures that spend their lives scavenging in barren sandlands."
"Just wait. If there are any nearby, once they catch the scent, they won't be able to hold back for long. And when that happens…"
Lou Gao made a fierce downward chopping gesture, a trace of ruthlessness appearing on his face.
Lin Xia nodded in understanding, holding his breath as he completely concealed his body within the rock's shadow, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes locked tightly onto the blood-scented sand.
Larvitar also seemed to sense the impending hunt. It stopped moving around and lay quietly beside Lin Xia.
Its crimson eyes stared curiously ahead, its small nose twitching slightly as it sniffed the blood scent carried on the wind, clearly growing restless.
The blazing sun roasted the boundless sea of yellow sand, and the air was filled with dryness and deathly silence.
Crouched behind the massive weathered rock, Lin Xia felt his heart beat slightly faster with anticipation.
Time passed second by second, the desert's silence seeming capable of devouring all sound.
About ten minutes later, Lin Xia's keen vision caught a subtle disturbance on the surface of the sand—several grains sank downward in an unnatural way, forming a faint, barely noticeable whirl.
"They're here!"
Lin Xia's spirits lifted instantly. His body tensed reflexively as soul power quietly began circulating within him, and he was nearly ready to spring forward.
However, a broad, calloused hand pressed steadily on his shoulder—it was Lou Gao.
The divine craftsman slightly turned his head and gave Lin Xia an extremely subtle yet firm shake of his head, signaling him to stay calm.
Lin Xia immediately understood. Forcing down his impulse, he sank deeper into the rock's shadow, even slowing his breathing to the extreme.
He trusted his teacher's experience and knew there had to be a reason for this.
Sure enough, at the edge of the baited area, a small head covered in earth-yellow coarse fur cautiously poked out of the sand.
A pair of alert, crafty eyes darted around rapidly, scanning the surroundings, while its nostrils flared as it greedily sniffed the rich bloody scent in the air.
Yet it didn't immediately pounce on the nearby food. Instead, after seeing the open surroundings, it recoiled in alarm, instantly shrinking back beneath the sand, leaving behind only a small pit that was quickly smoothed over by flowing sand.
Lin Xia was taken aback.
"These Yellow Sandstorm Rats are way too cautious!"
But that was only the beginning.
Less than a minute later, the same small head emerged again from a different, slightly more distant patch of sand, repeating the same actions—careful observation, sniffing, confirming safety… and then vanishing once more.
This happened three or four times in succession, each appearance at a different location, as if an extremely meticulous reconnaissance was underway.
Just as Lin Xia was beginning to think the rats might be too timid to show themselves at all, a sudden change occurred!
"Woooo—!"
Without any warning, a deep, powerful wind howl suddenly erupted.
Centered on the largest piece of bait, the sand within several dozen meters churned violently, like boiling water!
Countless grains of sand were swept into the air by an invisible force, instantly forming a raging miniature sandstorm several meters tall and over ten meters in diameter!
Yellow sand filled the sky, blotting out the sun. Visibility was completely lost, replaced by a murky, roiling yellow curtain.
The gale carried sand and gravel, producing piercing shashasha sounds and howling gusts.
At the very moment the sandstorm formed, a dense chorus of excited squeak-squeak sounds came from its center!
The sounds were filled with greed and impatience—clearly more than one Yellow Sandstorm Rat had been lured out. They were using the self-created sandstorm as cover, preparing to enjoy a feast!
"Hmph, this is exactly what I was waiting for!"
Lou Gao's eyes burst with sharp light, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
This was the moment he had been waiting for—the instant the prey completely lowered its guard and gathered around the bait!
The Yellow Sandstorm Rats could create sandstorms to hide themselves, but that was also their greatest flaw. When they believed themselves safe and gathered together, it became the perfect time to strike!
"Sacred Molding Pen!"
Lou Gao let out a low shout as the soul power throughout his body erupted like a volcano!
Dazzling yellow light flared as a massive chisel-shaped Martial Soul instantly condensed in his hand. Its form was ancient and imposing, its entire body seemingly forged from dark-golden refined steel, the tip flashing with an indestructible, chilling gleam.
The surging pressure of soul power spread outward like a tangible force, even causing the surrounding sandstorm to stall for an instant!
In the next heartbeat, Lou Gao's towering figure shot forward like a cannonball leaving the barrel, charging straight into the raging sandstorm!
His speed was too fast, his movement too fierce. Lin Xia felt his vision blur, and his teacher's figure was completely swallowed by the roiling yellow sand.
The interior of the sandstorm instantly erupted into chaos!
"Bang!"
"Screee—!!!"
"Boom!"
Dull collision sounds, the thunderous roar of exploding soul power, and shrill, piercing screams of dying rodents—all mixed together within the howling wind and sand, reaching Lin Xia's ears with chilling clarity.
Lin Xia could even feel the sand beneath his feet trembling slightly, the result of powerful forces violently colliding within the storm.
Again and again, yellow sand was blasted outward by violent energy shockwaves, only to be swept back by the raging winds. The view flickered in and out—only vague flashes of yellow figures could be seen inside, while earth-yellow soul power surged like furious waves within the sandstorm.
The entire process was actually very brief, lasting only a dozen breaths.
Yet the suffocating pressure and chaotic sounds made it feel as though much more time had passed.
Finally—
"Disperse!"
A short, commanding shout rang out from the heart of the sandstorm, exploding like thunder.
A far more powerful and domineering surge of soul power erupted violently, like an invisible giant hand tearing apart the curtain of sandstorm!
Whoosh—!
The fierce wind carried the last remnants of sand outward in all directions, and the view suddenly cleared.
----
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