As they ventured deeper into the Extreme North Wilderness, Wang Junze and his companions decided not to continue flying but instead landed and moved forward slowly.

Though they were not afraid of encountering Demon Beasts given their strength, continuing to fly would make them too easy to spot. In the territory of the Deserters, getting noticed would be too perilous.

"Up ahead is the Broken Dragon Cliff – it was here I last encountered the Deserters."

Gazing at the familiar terrain, Wang Junze spoke softly.

"Broken Dragon Cliff – it's where Xin'er was endangered, right? You also killed a Li Dragon. I remember that event," Luo Qingxuan replied with a smile. "Care for a nostalgic visit?"

"What's there to see? Xin'er's master died here. At the time, I thought I wouldn't make it either." Letting out a bitter smile, Wang Junze replied helplessly, "I meant to say that from here on, as we continue forward, it's very likely we'll encounter Deserters... At that point, our entry into the Extreme North Wilderness will likely no longer be a secret."

"Why can't it remain hidden? Killing all the Deserters will ensure no information gets out."

Shaking their head, a disciple from the Profound Moon Sword Sect responded.

"??? "

Hearing these words, Wang Junze felt a sense of absurdity rise within him.

What do you mean by killing them all to ensure no leaks?

This is way too ruthless.

If they were Desert Powerhouses, that would be a different matter, but what if they were just ordinary Deserters?

For some reason, this thought always caused a feeling of resistance to bubble up within Wang Junze.

Before Wang Junze could reply, suddenly in the distance the figures of about a dozen Deserters appeared, and from afar, the group sensed their presence!

Simultaneously, these Deserters also noticed Wang Junze and his group, and panic etched across their faces as they turned to flee.

But there was no time left.

In an instant, a disciple from the Profound Moon Sword Sect reacted and darted over.

In the presence of a Heaven-Stepping Powerhouse, such a short distance could be crossed in a flash, leaving no room for escape.

They didn't even need to strike; merely revealing their aura created a terrifying pressure that directly scared the Deserters into paralysis, forcing them to their knees, trembling with fear.

"Dear senior brothers, spare them!"

Seeing the Profound Moon Sword Sect disciples intent on killing, Wang Junze quickly intervened.

"Hmm?"

Despite being in the presence of the Profound Moon Sword Sect's disciples, Wang Junze still had considerable influence. Upon hearing his words, they stayed their hands, waiting for Wang Junze to arrive.

In a short moment, Wang Junze and Luo Qingxuan caught up with them.

Glancing over, Wang Junze recognized these as the most common Deserters. In terms of power, they were comparable to Human Race martial artists in the Meridian Opening Realm, and their weapons were the simplest bows and hunting knives, indicating they were out hunting beasts.

"Junior Brother Wang, did you want to keep them for questioning? These are just ordinary Deserters; there might not be much to learn,"

whispered the Profound Moon Sword Sect disciple who had just chased them.

"Didn't we come to investigate the situation of the ordinary Deserters?" Shaking his head, Wang Junze replied, "Muffle your aura; they won't dare to flee."

Hearing this, the Profound Moon Sword Sect disciple retracted their aura.

Yet even so, the Deserters continued to shake with fear, not daring to lift their heads.

"Are you hunters? Do you live nearby, or have you come from deeper within the Wilderness?"

Looking at the Deserters, Wang Junze asked softly, "Don't be afraid; as long as you answer honestly, I can promise not to kill you."

"...In reply, sir, we have fled from the depths of the Wilderness."

Detecting the warmth in Wang Junze's demeanor, the Deserters, though tense, gathered the courage to respond cautiously: "This year is very cold, and many beasts have gone into hibernation early. We don't dare hunt Demon Beasts and could only head south to try our luck."

"Are there many Deserters like you?"

Wang Junze asked again.

"Not many... South is Human Race territory; most people are too afraid to come here. We were truly desperate, which is why we're trying our luck," the Deserter replied honestly, shaking his head.

Through these answers, Wang Junze seemed to glean the impact of the extreme cold on the Deserters.

Though it wasn't officially winter yet and the weather wasn't at its coldest, few Deserters dared to venture south. However, should the cold persist, more Deserters might be forced to migrate southwards out of necessity.

As their numbers increased, the resources at the edge of the Extreme North Wilderness would become scarce, and the next step might involve Deserters risking venturing out of the Wilderness to raid Human Race villages and towns for food.

After some thought, Wang Junze continued with his line of questioning: "What about the Divine Court? Does no one oversee your situation?"

"We're just ordinary hunters; how could we dare approach the lords of the Divine Court? Besides... there are too many victims, and the Divine Court lords can't manage them all."

The Divine Court's position among the Deserters is akin to that of the Royal Family among the Human Race, naturally making ordinary Deserters too afraid to even approach, let alone request assistance.

However, this statement still revealed a crucial piece of information.

The Divine Court can't manage everyone…

Which means it's not that the Divine Court doesn't want to manage these ordinary Deserters; rather, the affected population is simply too large for even the Divine Court to handle.

Indeed, it wasn't just Wang Junze who understood this implication; other Profound Moon Sword Sect disciples also subtly grasped its meaning.

Of course, the Divine Court wouldn't truly ignore these ordinary Deserters; it's simply beyond their ability to manage. As the weather continues to drop, life will only grow more difficult, compelling the Divine Court to seek solutions!

Should finding an internal solution prove impossible, then... southward invasion might become the only viable course.

Having gleaned these insights, Wang Junze didn't push for more answers, realizing there was nothing further to learn from these ordinary Deserters.

But… what should be done with these Deserters?

"Senior Sister Luo, dear senior brothers, may I request your leniency to let them go?"

After a brief silence, Wang Junze bowed slightly and said, "I did promise not to kill them, may I?"

Upon hearing Wang Junze's plea, the disciples of the Profound Moon Sword Sect exchanged glances of surprise; however, since he put it that way, refusal would be unreasonable. They hesitantly nodded in agreement.

"Continue south; don't turn back, or... if we meet again, you won't be so fortunate,"

Wang Junze advised the Deserters, motioning southward.

"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"

Upon Wang Junze's words, the Deserters hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude before hastily fleeing into the distance.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.