Chapter 74: Lin Shengzun Disembarks

Chapter 74: Lin Shengzun Leaves the Team

Early the next morning, everyone gathered together once again. At Li Hongshen’s command, the group continued their journey deeper into the Great Wilderness.

After a brief period of rest, it seemed that everyone had changed in some way. Lin Shengzun grew noticeably more reserved, and the previously scheming warriors became much more obedient. Li Bingbing, on the other hand, remained as aloof and distant as before, in both appearance and temperament.

Setting out from Reception City 618, they first crossed two mountain ranges and two rivers, wiped out two beast packs, and fended off an assault by a flock of predatory birds. After a month, they arrived at Reception City 612. Only now did they truly step into the outskirts of the Great Wilderness; before this, they had merely traversed its marginal buffer zone.

Yet here, they saw no sign of any senior brothers. According to the elders in the reception city, the seniors had moved away decades ago. Now, all the resource sites in this city were vacant, so if they registered here, the sites would be open for their selection.

However, Li Hongshen and the others chose not to stay. After a brief respite, they set off once more.

Once outside the jurisdiction of Reception City 612, they could clearly feel the increase in spiritual energy density, now reaching the mid-tier of the first grade. With this rise in energy, spiritual plants and other rare items became far more common.

But with the appearance of such treasures, the size and ferocity of the beast packs also rose visibly. It was in a certain canyon that they encountered another grave crisis—this time, luck did not favor them. The team suffered heavy casualties.

The canyon resembled a sheer cut through the land, with a straight road about a kilometer wide running through the center. The cliffs on either side rose almost vertically, sharp as blade edges, standing tall on the earth.

Normally, Li Hongshen would never have ventured into such an inescapable place. But the cliffs were too steep for passage, and there was no way to traverse them on foot. To avoid this canyon would require nearly a month’s detour to skirt the mountain range.

At first, Li Hongshen was determined to take the long way, even at the cost of time. But Lin Shengzun insisted they take the direct route, as it led straight to his first target reception city. If they skirted around, they would end up behind the city and might miss the opportunity for rewards. In the end, he convinced Li Bingbing, and by a vote of two to one, they chose the canyon.

The result was disastrous: Li Hongshen’s warriors lost five men, a pair of Storm Eagles perished, and a Battle Wolf was killed. Li Bingbing and Lin Shengzun’s fighters suffered heavy losses as well, with several battle pets lost and Lin Shengzun’s fierce bird falling into the canyon, never to rise again.

The three second-tier warriors expended themselves to the limit, and the Ma Wu cast Lightning Whip twice in succession. Only then did they break through the deadly canyon.

At the canyon’s exit, everyone was battered and grim, their faces smeared with dirt, their bodies wounded, and their leather armor slick with greenish liquid that dripped steadily to the ground.

Looking back, the canyon floor was littered with insect corpses. These creatures had eight legs and a pair of pincers, both covered in dense bristles, making them extremely repulsive. Their bodies resembled those of spiders, gourd-shaped, yet their heads were like skulls, with six pairs of compound eyes atop their skulls and long bristles trailing behind. The sight alone inspired a desire to wipe them from existence.

These were called Skull Spiders. Their bristles could camouflage like chameleons, and their webs were exceptionally tough and nearly invisible, making them hard to spot as they hung in the air.

The swarm lay in ambush, waiting until Li Hongshen’s group reached the center of the canyon before launching their attack, leaping down from the cliffs like a rainstorm. They would ensnare warriors with their webs and drag them away. If the webs weren’t severed in time, the isolated victim would be ripped apart, torn limb from limb by five of the spiders, each spraying webs onto an arm or leg and pulling until the body was torn asunder.

Even the fierce birds that tried to dive in rescue became entangled in the canyon’s webs and were dragged to the ground, never to fly again, at the mercy of the Skull Spiders.

After one Storm Eagle died by accident and another followed in a futile charge, Li Hongshen stopped the birds from throwing away their lives and had them circle high above. He then led the team, with the second-tier warriors as the spearhead and their battle pets as flanks, fighting their way through the canyon until the Skull Spiders lost their nerve and retreated, allowing the team to escape safely.

“Hongshen, this was my fault. I shouldn’t have—”

Before Lin Shengzun could finish, Li Hongshen interrupted him.

“Say no more. This is everyone’s responsibility. What’s done is done. Let’s move on. I’ll take this lesson to heart.”

There was a stiffness to Li Hongshen’s expression. Since embarking into the Great Wilderness, he had never faced such losses. He had always prized caution and care above all, but the decisions made in this team had led to unprecedented disaster.

Hearing his words, Lin Shengzun and Li Bingbing both looked uncomfortable. Their insistence had brought calamity to the group; it was not an exaggeration to say they had dragged the team down and made Li Hongshen suffer losses he should never have endured.

Li Hongshen exhaled deeply, casting aside his negative thoughts. This was his own mistake—he could blame no one else. He had failed to stand his ground and chosen the wrong path.

Now, the damage was done, the lesson learned, but the road still lay ahead. He had to lead the team onward and see through the consequences of his choices, no matter the cost.

Yet soon, Li Hongshen discovered that reality would not bend to his will. When they passed through the canyon and arrived at Base 604, and Lin Shengzun received his reward, he made an unexpected decision.

“I’m truly sorry. I’ve let the team down, but my warriors have suffered too many losses, and several of my battle pets have fallen. If I press further, I really don’t have the confidence to build a stable camp or withstand a beast tide.

There’s an old camp here left by a senior brother. If I repair it, I can use it, so I’ve decided to stay.

I hereby formally withdraw from the team. I wish you both a smooth journey and hope you reach your destination city soon.”

(End of chapter)