Before level 15, Hang Yu’s strength was slightly inferior to Sago.

After level 15, their strengths were about equal.

When Hang Yu obtained the purple necklace, gaining several dozen points in strength, agility, and other major attribute boosts, along with the Four-sided Blood Prison skill, his strength already surpassed Sago.

Moreover.

This purple necklace.

Came with two nearly fourth-tier skills.

Under such circumstances, Sago stood little chance of defeating Hang Yu, and being caught off guard by the power of the Doomsday Nether Flame necklace only sealed the deal—the result was not surprising.

"Wow, boss, awesome!"

"I didn’t even get a chance to make a move."

Er Gou found that the battle ended in just a few minutes; all eight of the highly skilled Celestial Desolation City vanguard members were down, which was truly astonishing to the dog.

The loot from this battle was greater than from killing two Overlord Monsters.

First off, they gained about twenty to thirty thousand Spiritual Qi, three Advanced blue Skill Stones, five pieces of blue Equipment, and various other spoils of considerable value. This act of killing and looting is indeed a lucrative venture.

The Governor must be on alert.

Hopefully, it’s not immediately discovered that it’s our doing.

Hang Yu didn’t scrutinize the spoils closely; he took a quick glance and collected them all, then swiftly commanded his two subordinates, "We can’t stay here long, handle the traces of our presence, and let’s get out of here!"

Hang Yu made a special trip to the real world.

To Jiang City, where he purchased several top-grade aura concealment potions.

He meticulously covered up the aura at the scene and also masked his own aura.

As for whether or not they could really get away with it, Hang Yu wasn’t too confident, but he figured it wouldn’t be too big of an issue unless there was someone in Celestial Desolation City on par with Er Gou in tracking and reconnaissance, which wasn’t likely to be abundant.

Auras dissipate over time.

Even Er Gou would sniff out nothing valuable if he came back to this spot two days later.

Hang Yu had done his best; if they couldn’t hide it, then so be it, for exposure was inevitable. Once Sago’s group respawned, they’d explain everything, and Celestial Desolation City would likely not take it lying down. How could the Governor tolerate Sand Spring City defying orders?

It’s highly probable a war with Celestial Desolation City would occur.

But even if he had to do it over, he would still make the same choice.

One seeks wealth within danger; if you don’t take some risks, how can you ensure the benefits that follow?

Human growth is rapid; with sufficient resources, in a month’s time, Sand Spring City’s army could match or even surpass the comprehensive strength of the Kaliemlo period.

Half a day later.

Hang Yu returned to the main troops: "What’s the situation?"

Xu Tianhua replied, "We lost about five hundred soldiers; there were just too many monsters along the way."

Hang Yu glanced over the troops, noticing a reduction in soldiers and even a few people missing, indicating that the journey had not been easy—a grueling path of battles.

The loss was insignificant.

None of the main members were missing.

Many had leveled up, and the gains were quite satisfying.

Jiang Nan hurriedly asked, "Great God, we seem to have reached the deepest part of the Magma Labyrinth. Are we going to challenge the biggest BOSS monster next?"

Hang Yu shook his head, "In at most half a day’s journey, we’ll reach the Red Sand Demon King’s Palace, but now is not the time for an attack. On the way to the palace, there’s an area we’ll pass through, and if I’m not mistaken, there will be a very strong monster there."

"How strong?"

"Hmm, around a level 15 Golden Overlord, with very high combat power, making it quite difficult to deal with. If we don’t take it out first, and the Red Sand Demon King calls for reinforcements, this guy would likely lead an ambush on us from behind!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhao Ming said, "The Red Sand Demon King is a kingly presence, never heard or seen of before, already difficult to deal with. If we get sneak attacked by a Golden Overlord halfway through, we would surely be routed. Solving this hidden problem in advance is certainly the best."

Hang Yu nodded, "Everyone, take a break, then follow me immediately!"

The monsters ahead are very strong, and Hang Yu didn’t want to lead a tired and weak team into battle. He gave everyone two hours of rest, during which they could return to the real world to collect potions, replenish scrolls, and repair equipment.

Of course.

The most important thing is.

Transporting a large amount of food to replenish the soldiers’ physical strength.

Hang Yu had been busy for days and nights, and he also took a little break. When he returned to Jiang City, he brought some Flood Dragon’s Flesh and went straight to a restaurant on Cyan Dragon Street, having Fatty handle the meat.

Flood Dragon’s Flesh was a great tonic.

The taste was top-grade as well!

He chose a box seat by the street.

Enjoyed a grilled Flood Dragon steak with two bottles of Spirit Wine, and finished off with a pot of Spirit Tea, indulging leisurely.

Hang Yu instantly felt his fatigue vanish when he returned to the Spirit Realm. Everyone had gradually gathered, and the soldiers were replenished, all in perfect condition.

"Very good!"

"We’re setting off!"

"This time, there’s no turning back; we must finish it in one go!"

Everyone was eager, with the boss personally rejoining the team. Finally, they were going to face the ultimate big BOSS.

Loot Equipment, loot Skill Stones, countless treasures, and plenty of Crystal Stones are beckoning!

However, everyone was also quite apprehensive, considering the high danger level ahead and the great uncertainty behind. After all, they’d been in the Magma Labyrinth for almost four days now.

The other teams must have already entered as well!

Sand Spring City’s troops were the weakest, and if a conflict broke out, they would likely suffer a loss.

It’s not the time for wishful thinking; under Hang Yu’s leadership, they pushed through the monsters all the way and finally reached a giant natural stone door. Upon crossing through it, everyone was surprised to find the original complex environment of the Mountain East Labyrinth was gone.

In its place was an underground volcanic plain!

On the black plain, there were many small volcanoes rising.

Each small volcano spewed magma; the hot magma flowed down, forming crisscrossing lava rivers or lakes on the black plain, but if you looked closely, you’d find these rivers ultimately converged at one place.

That was the central palace of the plain.

The entire structure, pitch-black and smooth, seemed to be made of volcanic glass.

Its design was ancient, its style grand, carrying the aura of a king—it must be the Demon King Hall.

From this position, a straight path led directly to the Demon King’s Palace. However, charging straight in was unwise; around such a big BOSS, there were generally some quasi-big BOSSes, and without prior reconnaissance to understand the nearby monster situation, they’d surely suffer greatly.

"There are many patrolling Red Sand Monsters near the palace."

"The strongest among them should be called the Red Sand Marshal."

"Our trouble mainly comes from this guy; now we need to find it first, and after dealing with this monster, we can launch an attack on the palace."

"Dog, it’s your show!"

Hang Yu led the Husky Spirit to the military camp base, where the Red Sand Marshal might appear.

Er Gou sniffed around here and there on the ground and suddenly revealed a strange look in his eyes, "Boss, I did find a very strong aura, but it’s a bit abnormal."

Hang Yu asked, "What’s abnormal?"

Er Gou shook his head, "Uh, I can’t say, but it’s very strange; it’s different from all the monsters we’ve encountered before. Frankly, I’ve never smelled such a monster aura."

Hang Yu furrowed his brow.

What is going on?

Could something beyond his control be happening?