The drums sounded again, and the soldiers buried the fire with sand. The two priests reappeared, only this time they had two long whips in their hands, and they swung them in the air with a crackling sound.

Immediately afterward, the dozens of warriors came out with long black whips in their hands, and some of them carried terracotta braziers filled with fuel.

"What's new this time?" Zahir asked.

"The thorn forest is naturally a thorn whip." Kreji explained lightly, "You have to retrieve the gem from the whip and present it to the Lord of Isam." ”

The priest lit the brazier, and the special fuel caused a thick smoke, and after a moment the five fingers in the ring would be missing.

In the center of the smoke was a long, towering pole with a fist-sized gemstone on top of it, which glowed in the daylight. It's just that this alluring gem seems to be the bait of the angler.

Zahir knew that if he entered the smoke, he would be attacked by the whip-wielding warriors. The thorn whips were covered with fine spikes, and the impact was unusually painful. If you are attacked by dozens of whips together, I am afraid that you will be beaten all over your body.

In addition, there was a leader with a wild face who was holding a long-handled battle axe, and his posture was fiercely guarding the gem, and he raised an eyebrow at Zahir with disdain, "Outsider, if you are afraid of pain, you can give up." ”

Zahir asked with a sideways face, "Who is he?" ”

Craigie said: "Dennis, a conceited guy. ”

"I see." Zahir flung two scimitars and rushed into the smoke. By this time, the smoke had gradually thickened, and the samurai with thorny whips were hiding in the thick fog, looming like ghosts.

The long whip frantically whipped around her, whipping the ground and stirring up more dust. Zahir's vision blurred even more, and inadvertently there was a clear stabbing pain in her back, and several whips had already hit her.

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Dennis's mouth, like a hungry beast, his eyes locked on Zahir, waiting for his chance to hunt her.

Machete flies out!

The whip rained down, and Zahir had to fight back. But she couldn't see the enemies around her clearly, and she could only throw her scimitar by feeling.

The scimitar flew through the air, stirring up smoke to reveal a gap. It was at this moment that she discovered Dennis's location. She jumped decisively, her body soaring into the air, her legs quickly folded, and she leaped forward quickly.

The whip struck her again, but her steps were lightning fast, dodging the thorny whip after thorn whip and approaching Dennis as fast as a streamer.

There was a wicked smile on Dennis's face.

Just when Zahir thought he had his chance, a long whip struck her from the side and slammed into her flank. In an instant, a sharp pain spread through her body, and she staggered back a few steps before she could barely stand up.

"You're not strong enough, outsider." Dennis scoffed, "I haven't made a move yet, you're not going to be able to do it." ”

Zahir gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

The smoke around her was getting louder and thicker, and she knew that it would be more difficult to get the gems if she went on like this.

The sound of the wind swept behind his ears, and three long whips flew one after another.

Zahir's mind moved, and he suddenly rushed towards Dennis with a shout.

I can't see it, and you can't see it. I don't believe you're going to fight this boss together! Zahir's idea is very simple, and many times simple ideas tend to be the most effective.

The figures of the two began to approach, and the long whips around them hurriedly retracted. Zahir held two knives in his hands and slashed five moves in an instant.

After watching the first two trials, Dennis always thought that Zahir's scimitar could only be thrown, but he didn't expect that he could still fight in close quarters. By the time he realized it, Zahir was almost close to his face. Her twin knives were fast and hard, and Dennis suddenly couldn't hold back.

"You think you can win?" The tomahawk in Dennis's hand spun like a windmill and slashed with a slash that almost grazed Zahir's body.

Zahir's left scimitar hooked the tomahawk, and his right scimitar slashed directly into Dennis's neck.

Dennis was shocked, after all, this was just a trial, and it would be too bad to lose his head for it. Just as she was about to dodge, Zahir shot at the same time with the two scimitars on her left and right, and at the moment of her shot, she pulled out the third scimitar behind her back and threw it together.

Dennis didn't expect Zahir to make such a move, and in the face of such a close-range attack from the three scimitars, he decisively abandoned the tomahawk, rolled over and hid into the smoke.

The three scimitars flickered together in the air, changing direction rapidly in the air as if they were alive. Without warning, he slashed at the long pole with the gem on top of it from three strange angles.

The long pole was quietly truncated by three sections!

Zahir leaped to his feet, grabbed the gem, and without hesitation turned and ran. Not at all noticeable that Dennis just picked up the tomahawk, but did not chase after it.

She ran her way out of the smoke maze, her hands on her knees and gasping for breath. Her chest heaved and her wounds ached, but she still held the jewel in her hands.

"Good, good, good!" Without waiting for others to express their opinions, the leader Heru had already applauded loudly, "The stranger who can pass the three trials must have been blessed by the gods and is qualified to meet our new emperor." ”

The leader, Jamie, stroked his goatee, "That's just qualifications, and His Royal Highness the new emperor may not be willing to summon her." ”

Zahir barely jumped up and scolded this guy who went back on his word.

"To see or not to see, it's up to His Highness Hamid to decide." Craigie took a few steps forward and stood next to Zahir. It seemed to be calming her emotions, and it seemed to be secretly supporting.

Jamie's goatee trembled with anger again, and he was about to speak, when a deep voice came from a gorgeous tent: "You don't have to argue, His Highness Hamid has his own considerations. ”

Everyone turned their heads to see a figure in a black robe slowly walking from the tent. The mysterious man's face was obscured by the darkness of the cloak, and only a pair of sharp eyes shimmered with a vicious light in the darkness.

"Mr. Akira." The Lord of the Isam Alliance greeted him, "Is Your Highness in good health?" ”

"I've been in good spirits these days." Akira, the royal physician and the Grand Strategist of the Seventh Prince, said slowly, with a hint of elusive indifference in her voice, "Your Majesty has heard that there is a knight who has come all the way from the imperial capital and has always adhered to the code of virtue, and wants to meet him?" ”

Zahir's heart moved, and it seemed that the light of the gods seemed to shine on her. She reported loudly: "Zahir, the knight of the Wild Sand Empire, come to meet you." ”

She deliberately omitted to mention Bibith and Linton in order to avoid being taken for a subordinate of the Protector Archmage; Even the name of the leader of the legion to which he belonged, "Golden Scorpion" Soltu, was not mentioned, naturally to prevent Akira from treating her as the general of the Fifth Prince, Shannu.

But what should she call Hamid, the Seventh Prince? Should he be called "His Royal Highness", or "His New Majesty", or like the old emperor, "Emperor of the Wild Sand"?

While she was uncertain, Akira had already lifted the curtain of the door, "Knight Zahir, Your Majesty summons." ”

.

Zahir followed Akira through the tent curtains, and a gorgeous scene came into view.

The tents were decorated with silk, gold and silver, and jewels, with rich tapestries on the walls and soft woolen carpets on the floors. Light spills through the cracks in the tent, illuminating the entire space, like a delicate palace.

In the center of the tent is a light-revealing gauze curtain.

On a chaise longue behind the curtain, Hamid, the Seventh Prince, lay leisurely. He was dressed in an ornate royal robe and held a jade cup inlaid with precious stones in his hand. He raised his head slightly, his eyes looking through the curtain at Zahir as he entered.

"You're Zahir? In this decaying empire, there are not many knights who abide by virtue. Hamid's voice was distant and deep, with an air of indescribability.

Zahir respectfully knelt down on one knee to Hamid, feeling full of emotions: she was glad that Hamid had finally met her, worried about not knowing if Hamid would be angry because of who she was, and even more hesitating: she didn't know who Hamid was.

If you call "Your Majesty" when you meet, will it seem too inflammatory?

She saluted cautiously and finally decided to take a gamble: "Yes, Your Royal Highness the Honorable Prince. ”

Akira said on the side: "Bold warrior, do you want to rebel against the new emperor of the Wild Sand Empire? ”

As she spoke, the guards on both sides stepped forward to tie her up.

"Wait." Hamid's eyebrows were slightly raised, and his half-closed eyes showed a hint of playfulness, "Are you questioning my imperial power?" ”

Zahir bowed his head respectfully, "I haven't returned to the imperial capital due to official business, and I don't know anything about the imperial power. I beg your Majesty's forgiveness. ”

"Don't be so restrained, I don't mean to blame you." Hamid said, his eyes still unfathomable. He snapped his fingers, and the attendant behind him immediately took a golden scepter and placed it in front of him.

Hamid picked up the scepter and held it high, "Knight Zahir, raise your head." ”

Zahir looked up, but he didn't expect Hamid to hold a golden scepter in his hand, which symbolized the imperial power of the Wild Sand Empire!

She thought in her mind that it might have been stolen or tricked by Hamid, or even fake—but in this moment, for Zahir, it could be true.

"Knight Zahir, meet the Lord of the Empire, the Great Emperor of the Wild Sands." Zahir revisited Hamid with the courtesy of an imperial visit to the emperor.

Looking at her serious and rigorous appearance, a smile appeared on the corner of Hamid's mouth, "Loyal knight, this emperor has pardoned you for the crime of disrespect just now, now get up and speak." ”

The attendants on either side let go of Zahir. Then she stood up and took out a letter from her pocket: "Tell your Majesty that I am hereby ordered by Sir Bebith." Your Majesty, please take a look. ”

One of the attendants took the letter opener, and after verifying that the fire paint and cover were complete, he opened the envelope. Presented the letterhead to Hamid.

Hamid scribbled at it, and casually threw the letterhead into the brazier beside him, "Bibith, how could you do such a stupid thing for him?" ”