Chapter 30: A Turning Point

Outside, Zhang Shen was walking under the faint moonlight. Only the torches lit by the squad brightened the path, as he reflected on his risky decision to divulge his secret tonight.

“Although it was somewhat dangerous, the outcome was fortunately satisfactory,” he thought.

In an ideal world, risks would be unnecessary, but perfection in all things was elusive. Sometimes, risks must be taken, especially in matters of trust.

“I’m thankful that Aunt Ye wasn’t swayed by greed, otherwise, the first Innate stage martial artist to fall by my hand might have been one of our own,” he mused.

Zhang Shen was willing to take certain risks for his Hongyuan City comrades, revealing some personal matters to Ye Ruohuo. But had she let him down, he would have had no choice but to eliminate her, then abandon the Sixth Squad and aid the Third Batallion.

It seemed that the others in the Sixth Squad simply didn’t measure up to Zhang Shen’s standards.

Compared to the Hongyuan City residents in the Third Batallion, the sixth didn’t carry much importance for him. This was especially true when you considered Zhang Shen’s grandparents, parents, uncles, and even the uncle who had deceived him once, yet whom he bore no ill will toward.

The choice was clear to him. Luckily, the ending was a fortunate one.

Under the cover of night, Zhang Shen stealthily left the Sixth Squad. Along the way, he found a secluded spot to alter his appearance. His muscles and bones rearranged themselves, his physique and features transformed, and soon, a rugged, middle-aged man covered in scars emerged.

Zhang Shen’s appearance and demeanor now bore no resemblance to what they had been before. If anyone were still able to recognize him, it would defy reason.

His terrifying physical strength was no longer concealed, and an overwhelming aura radiated from him.

Every living being near Zhang Shen felt a surge of panic within them, a fear reserved for those higher up in the food chain.

With a powerful leap, Zhang Shen set off toward the Third Battalion.

His boldness at this moment, despite his usual caution, was entirely due to the incredible growth of his physical strength in recent months.

His physical progress at 94% in the 6th Layer of the Innate Stage was where his confidence stemmed from.

“Though still somewhat lacking compared to the late Innate stage,” he thought, “my current physical strength is more than enough to step into this crisis. Even more so since my body is continuously growing stronger.”

Inside his stomach, the flesh of a spiritual beast continued to digest, steadily converting into experience points that furthered his physical capabilities. As his body grew stronger, so too did his rate of digestion, fueling his rapid increase in power.

Elsewhere, the remaining thirteen Innate stage warriors from Hongyuan City were congregated at the Third Battalion, troubled by a particularly vexing late Innate stage beast.

“It’s a late Innate stage Spiritual Bear,” one of them explained, his brow furrowed with concern. “Its colossal size, powerful physique, and seemingly endless strength place it among the mightier creatures. We’ll need at least five of our Innate-strong warriors to handle it, one more than our original estimate. And that’s not even considering the other Innate beasts in their group. Fighting them alone will demand our full efforts. Let’s not even talk about the other beasts lurking around, and those mysterious individuals hidden in the shadows.”

Ye Shuang slammed the table in frustration.

Human traces had been discovered nearby. Without a doubt, they must belong to people from the other five tribes. No one in Hongyuan City questioned this, after all, they would do the same and seize the opportunity in this situation.

“A headache, it’s such a headache,” moaned Zhang Tianlong, holding his forehead, completely at a loss.

“We can only take one step at a time,” Lin Wanfeng whispered to himself.

Thirteen of them were gathered, yet a solution to the current crisis seemed elusive.

“Why not strike first?” Zhang Si proposed, his voice filled with determination. “We can launch an attack on the beast and try to take it down before the others can react. A quick battle may be our best strategy.”

His suggestion was met with immediate opposition. If it were so easy, they wouldn’t be wrestling with this issue. The voices of dissent argued that even if they managed to evade those lurking in the shadows, dealing with the spiritual beast Bear was unlikely to be simple. 

“If success is unattainable, we should withdraw immediately. This way, we can conserve some of our strength,” Lin Sanjue advised.

“Most of us gathered here to distract attention, right? To allow the Sixth Squad to retreat. By now, they should have found a safe hiding place. Since there’s no hope left, it’s time for us to retreat in an orderly fashion.”

In addition to the thirteen present, many members of the three families in the Acquired stage were also there, and nearly all of them agreed.

“Retreat? You all understand what that entails,” Lin Wanfeng warned. “We would be abandoning all the territories that our three families have battled for over a century. During our retreat, we would likely run into opportunistic foes, further diminishing our strength. Who knows how much power we will lose before we can reestablish ourselves? We might even face total annihilation,” he continued, his voice laden with foreboding.

Zhang Tianlong and Ye Shuang iterated these grim truths, emphasizing each word.

This was not mere speculation but the genuine experiences of countless vanished families in the Endless Wilderness over more than a hundred years. Once weakened, few would resist the chance to exploit the situation. This was a common practice, not only among humans but among all powers in the vast wilderness.

***

In the shadowy wilds, Zhang Shen concealed himself.

“Hongyuan City is now like a bird trapped in a cage or a fish caught in a net, besieged by predatory beasts and people from the other five cities,” he muttered. “We cannot venture into human territory. Our family’s ancient texts have made it clear that the strife there is even more fierce than in the endless wilderness. With its current strength, Hongyuan City would only meet a tragic fate there.”

Zhang Shen continued to ponder.

“Even if the elder generation plans to retreat, they can only search for new territory within the endless wilderness. But resettling is not so simple. Particularly during this time of the beast tide, there are menacing creatures and threatening powers everywhere. Even if they wish to evade the spiritual beast Bear and other forces, they won’t easily relinquish a prize as tempting as Hongyuan City. Whether it comes to fighting or retreating, a bloody battle is unavoidable. This is the dilemma facing Hongyuan City now, and it defines the purpose of the Sixth Squad.”

Zhang Shen understood well that whether they chose to fight or retreat, the Sixth Squad would remain hidden in the shadows. The resources they carried were sufficient to sustain them in hiding for several years.

This time would allow the others from Hongyuan City either to withstand the onslaught of the beast tide or to retreat and regain their footing. Alternatively, they might be completely wiped out. In that event, the Sixth Squad would be the last glimmer of hope for carrying the bloodline.

With a profound gaze toward the position of the Third Battalion, Zhang Shen concealed himself.

“First, we must deal with these spies lurking nearby.”

The inhabitants of Hongyuan City could sense someone watching them, but couldn’t locate the source. However, in Zhang Shen’s keen perception, these individuals had nowhere to hide.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was so great that they couldn’t escape Zhang Shen’s notice.

“Besides the spiritual beast Bear and the two ancestors of the Wang family, I fear no one else,” Zhang Shen declared.

One by one, he found the warriors who were scouting, and with stealth, he killed them, scavenged what he could, and then thoroughly destroyed their remains.

“First, I must eliminate the eyes and ears of the other families so they cannot discern our true situation here.”

Over the course of half a night, Zhang Shen had killed more than a dozen people, all of them falling beneath his fists. With his power fully unleashed, no one could stand against him. Even the one spy he encountered who was at the Innate stage was obliterated by two of his blows.

“The Wang family truly has profound resources, even willing to deploy Innate warriors as spies,” Zhang Shen remarked, finding something on the man’s body that confirmed his identity. He was deeply impressed.

With two ancestors in the late-stage Innate, and an unending stream of formidable Innate warriors, such depth of talent filled him with envy.

After slaying more than a dozen people, Zhang Shen did not pause.

“The eyes of the various tribes are temporarily blinded. It’ll take at least two or three days for them to respond,” he thought. “I must use this time to eliminate that spiritual beast Bear.”

Without a moment’s delay, Zhang Shen took determined strides toward the Third Battalion.

Along the way, he saw warriors busily preparing their weapons and talismans, and he realized that the elders had come to a decision.

Ultimately, the older generation of Hongyuan City was not prepared to die meaninglessly on this battlefield. They intended to withdraw, seeking another place to stake a new claim for Hongyuan City.

However, before their departure, they had to engage in one final battle. The strategy of a slow, deliberate retreat was entirely different from a chaotic one.

To withdraw effectively, preserving their strength, they needed some to remain behind to cover the retreat. The horde of beasts led by the spiritual beast Bear was not something that could be held back by just a few warriors.

Thus, after careful deliberation, Hongyuan City resolved to commit fully to one last battle. A battle to strike the Bear so fiercely that it would hesitate to pursue, to inflict such pain that other cities would dare not press them too far.

Just as they were filled with somber determination, bracing for a battle destined to result in heavy casualties, a scar-faced man, a disguised Zhang Shen, lifted the tent flap and strode into the command center.

“Who’s there?”

“Who are you? How dare you intrude here!”

Zhang Tianlong, Ye Shuang, Lin Wanfeng, and others were astounded, unable to fathom how someone had managed to silently breach their camp. An utterly shocking development.

Despite their surprise, they didn’t react rashly. Anyone capable of entering undetected was surely no ordinary individual, and Hongyuan City could not afford to lose any more combat strength at this crucial juncture.

The scar-faced man surveyed the room, his power as a 6th Layer Innate cultivator surging forth, casting a potent sense of oppression over all present.

“You don’t need to concern yourselves with who I am,” he declared, his voice firm. “I’m here to join forces with you and hunt down that spiritual beast.”

Zhang Tianlong, Lin Wanfeng, and Ye Shuang narrowed their eyes. Could this potentially be the opportunity they were waiting for?

“If you wish to cooperate, sir, the least you could do is disclose your identity,” said Zhang Tianlong, maintaining a stoic facade despite his inner excitement.

Hongyuan City was keen to collaborate, but they needed assurances. Could this be a trap? Zhang Shen, aware of their apprehensions, internally chuckled. His gaze, however, was stern and authoritative.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a dozen blood-stained objects onto the negotiation table.

“You don’t need to concern yourselves with who I am. This,” he gestured toward the objects, “is proof of my sincerity.”

Upon closer inspection, Lin Sanjue exclaimed, “These are identification markers of scouts from the other five cities.”

“Exactly. They were a nuisance. I didn’t want them lurking around while we were hunting the spiritual beast. I dealt with them accordingly.”

Listening to this, Zhang Tianlong and the others realized the depth of this man’s capabilities. The spies they struggled to track down were effortlessly eradicated by this formidable figure before them.

Feigning impatience, Zhang Shen said, “I have no interest in further chatter. If you are willing to join forces to eliminate the spiritual beast, meet me by the beast horde before the time of the Snake* tomorrow. If you fail to show up, I’ll take it as a refusal to cooperate. If you have intentions of sitting on the sidelines, hoping to profit from our struggle…”

With a smirk, Zhang Shen landed a punch on the elders’ table. The punch’s shadow shattered the wooden table into splinters.

“You’ll meet the same fate as this table.”

*time of the Snake – In traditional Chinese timekeeping, the day is divided into 12 two-hour periods, each named after one of the Chinese zodiac animals. Time of the Snake is the sixth two-hour period of the day, traditionally from 9 to 11 AM.