Chapter 318
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Chapter 318: Counterattack
After the fierce battle, the ground lay in utter disarray.
The fleeting joy of the cultivators lasted only a moment.
Though they had once again repelled the Three-Eyed Stone Ape, this victory could not conceal the devastating casualties suffered by the mountain-crossing team.
Silence soon enveloped them all.
With over a hundred Purple Palace cultivators and an even greater number of high-level Qi Training practitioners, led by ten seasoned and experienced ferrymen, many had entered the Yulong Mountain Range brimming with confidence.
Such a formidable force, bolstered by the Yulong Oath, seemed unstoppable in the face of this natural barrier.
The initial days of their journey had indeed unfolded as smoothly as they had anticipated.
Ordinary magical beasts dared not provoke them.
Yet today, their confidence was utterly shattered.
A single strike from an unknown great beast had claimed thirty-nine lives and left over a hundred injured!
Their casualties had surpassed half!
Among the fallen were three Purple Palace-level ferrymen, with three others sustaining injuries of varying severity.
Such losses could never be offset, no matter how many Three-Eyed Stone Apes they slew!
The team’s morale sank to its nadir.
Some of the wounded cultivators cast resentful glances at the leading ferrymen, heightening the tension in the air.
"I deeply regret this; we never intended for such a tragedy to occur," said the leading ferryman, surnamed Xu, a high-level Purple Palace cultivator. His expression remained impassive as he continued, "The decision to press on or turn back now rests with you."
In truth, the Xu cultivator was far from as composed as he appeared.
His heart ached with sorrow.
This path, which he had traversed multiple times with his team, had always been safe and uneventful.
But the perils of Yulong Mountain were unpredictable.
Who could have foreseen an encounter with such a fearsome great beast?
The Mountain Crossing Society had suffered grievous losses as well!
Yet the Xu cultivator felt no remorse.
Before entering the mountain, he had made the risks abundantly clear to everyone.
If misfortune befell them, they could only count themselves unfortunate!
The cultivators exchanged uneasy glances.
One among them clenched his teeth and asked, "Xu, if we continue, will we face such great beasts again?"
"I cannot promise otherwise," replied the Xu cultivator lightly. "The Yulong Oath may restrain great beasts and beast kings, but it does not guarantee immunity from attacks by high-level demons."
Great beasts and beast kings are not bound by morality; though the Yulong Oath wields considerable power, if they are shameless enough, they will always find a way to circumvent it.
For instance, misfires and accidental strikes.
The Nascent Soul true immortals from the four sects would not trouble the beast kings over such "trivial matters."
Thus, they could only count themselves unfortunate!
Everyone understood this logic, but their hearts were filled with reluctance, and they fell silent once more.
The Xu cultivator sighed and continued, "Let’s rest for three days. This time should be enough for you to make a decision. Whether you continue onward or return, I have no objections."
Many cultivators were injured, and now was not a wise time to push forward or to turn back.
No one raised any objections to this.
Although there was an inevitable breakdown in morale among the team, they still managed to maintain a semblance of unity in the face of harsh reality.
They began to clean the battlefield and perform rites for the fallen souls, reorganizing the team and then finding a place to set up camp and rest.
Nightfall covered the Yulong Mountain Range once again.
Darkness quietly enveloped the earth, drowning the temporary campsite situated in the valley.
Wang Chen hung the Obsidian Lamp from the tent.
Dinner time had passed, but he had no appetite whatsoever, and he believed the other cultivators felt the same.
Though they were merely strangers brought together for a common purpose, there was no friendship between them.
Perhaps it was indeed the sorrow of seeing one’s kind perish.
Seeing so many fellow practitioners of the same rank injured or dead, Wang Chen’s spirit endured a powerful shock.
Below Golden Core, all are but ants!
The skirmish during the day made him deeply understand the true meaning of this saying.
He took a jar of spiritual wine from his storage bag and drank slowly.
Suddenly, his tent shifted, and a graceful figure slipped inside.
Wang Chen was momentarily taken aback.
The unexpected guest was, of course, Li Yian; she was the only one who would dare to enter Wang Chen’s tent so directly.
The issue was, tonight Li Yian had changed into a simple white dress!
As the saying goes, to appear charming, one must dress in filial attire.
This female cultivator already possessed extraordinary beauty, and now, donning a white long dress instead of her male attire, her figure, aura, and even her attractiveness level seemed to elevate to another level!
She sat beside Wang Chen, her eyes sparkling, "Fellow traveler Wang, it’s not good to drink alone."
Though the battle during the day was brutal, Li Yian only suffered minor injuries, her face slightly pale.
Wang Chen forced a smile and shook his head.
He wasn’t drinking to drown his sorrows.
But as the saying goes, "Humans are not wood or stone; who can be heartless?" Even Nascent Soul true immortals cannot sever their emotions entirely.
His heart was stirred, and with the path ahead unclear, Wang Chen couldn’t help but question whether his initial choice was correct.
Even if he braved countless hardships and life-threatening dangers to cross the Yulong Mountain Range, would he truly be able to find the esteemed expert Changchun mentioned in the West Sea Spiritual Realm and embark on the path to greatness?
Wang Chen had no confidence at all!
The great Calamity did not signify the extinction of all living beings; there was still a considerable chance to survive within the Mountain-Sea Realm.
Perhaps remaining in the City of Ten Thousand Cultivators back then would have been the best choice.
"I’ll drink with you."
Li Yian reached out, took the jar of wine, and directly took several large gulps.
He then handed it back to Wang Chen.
Wang Chen accepted it and drank deeply, just as Li Yian had done.
Thus, they took turns drinking, and soon the jar of spiritual wine was completely empty.
"Here!"
Li Yian pulled out a jar of Hundred Flower Brew from his storage bag. "Tonight we won’t stop until we’re thoroughly drunk!"
Wang Chen did not refuse.
The Hundred Flower Brew Li Yian brought out was noticeably richer in flavor than the previous wine, having been aged for who knows how many years.
Its aftereffects were much stronger.
Sensing this, Wang Chen did not deliberately suppress the effects of the alcohol, and before he knew it, he began to feel quite tipsy.
Suddenly, a faint, fragrant scent permeated his senses.
A soft, warm body nestled against him.
Before Wang Chen could react, Li Yian looked up, bringing his red lips closer, and let the fragrant fine wine flow into Wang Chen’s mouth.
This wine was sweet like honey, intoxicating to the soul!
Wang Chen felt even more tipsy.
He heard the beautiful man in his arms softly laugh and whisper in his ear, "Do you know my heart?"
Wang Chen did not know.
But he wanted to know.
In his daze, a verse of incantation entered his ears.
"This is the secret technique of our sect, the Su Yin Huan Zhen Hehe method, which can only be cultivated by those with pure Yang and pure Yin bodies."
As he spoke, Li Yian flicked his hand and cast four talismans, each sticking to the four corners of the tent.
The talismans emitted a lightly glowing light, isolating the internal sound and aura from the outside!
In the next moment, Wang Chen was pushed down onto the carpet.
His mind was consumed by a single thought.
I was actually pushed down like this!
