Chapter 86: The Bitter Price of Victory

Watching the massive serpent's body and holding his still-ringing head, Mo Fan heard footsteps approaching. First came the spear-wielding girl, followed moments later by the other two.

"Mo Fan, what's wrong? Are you alright?" The spear-wielding girl immediately began examining him. After confirming that aside from his pale face, there were no obvious issues, she exhaled in relief.

Standing before him, the three girls had tired faces, sweat streaming down their foreheads, hands trembling from exhaustion and depleted Qi, and robes torn and tattered from the battle. Mo Fan smiled, feeling their genuine concern for him in their eyes.

"Hart Alia, Lin Xue, Senior Sister Hua, I'm fine..." With a smile on his face, he assured everyone that all was well and turned toward the giant beast's corpse, which was still shuddering occasionally, kicking up dust around itself.

He raised his head and exclaimed with pride in his eyes. "We won! We defeated a second-rank beast!"

"AAGH!"

"H-help! S-someone, please!"

"M-my legs! Where are they!"

"Kgh, kgh! KHA!"

Their moment of triumph was immediately shattered by the groans and screams of the disciples around them.

Turning around as the dust settled, they saw what was actually happening around them.

On the ground, scattered across the shattered stumps that had been a dense forest just minutes ago, lay the mangled bodies of what had once been disciples. Some had been crushed by rocks and earth, turned into unrecognizable pulp. Others had been wrapped around rocks and still-standing ancient trees like wet towels.

Blood, destruction, everything mixed together. Only screams, tears, and the heavy metallic scent hanging in the air remained.

"This is all your fault!" From among the wounded disciples, a young man in white robes rose to his feet. His right side was scraped raw, his face covered in deep scratches, clumps of hair torn from his head, and even blood streamed from his right eye. His right arm hung limp and motionless, completely paralyzed, with two fingers missing.

"If it weren't for your greed, we wouldn't have lost more than half our people!" Gathering all his strength into his fury, he directed his gaze at the group of four standing by the dead serpent's corpse. "I told you we needed to go around this place! Over and over, I said this territory was too suspicious and we shouldn't enter! This is your fault! Only yours! All these lives!" Pointing at Mo Fan, tears began streaming from his one remaining intact eye.

Behind him, only eleven people had survived, most having lost either an arm or a leg. Some had lost both legs or both arms. Lying behind him and howling in pain, even in that state, they understood that their chances of continuing as cultivators were practically nil.

Looking at the disciples behind him, three of whom belonged to the Heavenly Soul Sect and the rest his brothers and sisters from the Primordial Purity Sect, he couldn't help but shed a tear, knowing that their lives were effectively over, all because of one individual's greed and arrogance.

'Why? Why did she take the side of an outsider! Brother Wei scouted the territory around us, and we had many opportunities to change course! I and several brothers and sisters were in favor of avoiding this creature! But Sister Hart took the side of an outsider! Why?! So many lives! For what?! For Glory?! For Attention?! For his own ego?!' He began to tremble with bitterness and rage, and he activated his Qi.

"That's enough, Brother Hea! Mo Fan isn't to blame. Who knew the creature would be that strong? It's not his fault, just an unfortunate turn of events." Stepping slightly in front of Mo Fan, Hart Alia shielded him with her body.

"Not to blame? The purpose of our expedition was reconnaissance! We were supposed to scout ahead and return to the main group! But because of him!" With bloodshot eyes, Brother Hea pointed his finger at Mo Fan.

"If it weren't for his greed, no one would have died! What did you gain by killing one of tens of thousands of creatures inside this space?! Huh?! Are you proud of trading twenty-seven lives for the corpse of a useless beast?! Answer me!"

Hart Alia, seeing the situation deteriorating, began activating her Qi and channeling it into her spear. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Mo Fan smiling slightly and shaking his head, stopping her.

Stepping forward, Mo Fan pressed his hand to his heart and lowered his head slightly. "I apologize. This truly is my fault. Because of me, so many people died... I... I fully understand what you're all feeling right now. But if we hadn't stopped this creature, it could have attacked the main group when we passed through this area... I couldn't just leave it be... I'm sorry!"

Immediately, the three girls stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

Hart Alia scanned everyone before her, especially not taking her eyes off Brother Hea. "Mo Fan is right. No one could have expected such losses. And we couldn't have left this spirit beast unchecked."

'What? Left unchecked? Would have attacked the main group? Do you even hear yourselves... Your logic is that idiotic... The main group has over three hundred people, and... and you're saying the main group would have suffered? I... I just can't...' Listening to their justifications, Brother Hea's anger began to boil over, but then he lost all momentum, realizing that arguing with people with such twisted logic was pointless.

Dispelling his Qi, he turned and looked at the eleven people behind him. Turning back to Mo Fan and his group, he said, "Senior Brother Ray Elion was right about you... He was right." Shaking his head, he cast a disappointed glance at Hart Alia and turned back to the disciples behind him. "I'm returning to the main group. Are you with me?"

All the wounded who could still move began helping those in worse condition. Hearing his words, everyone who could turned and looked at Brother Hea, nodded, and began gathering, helping the wounded who could still stand.

"Brother Hea, that's a bad idea. We should stay together." Hart Alia took a few steps forward.

"So that when you get another brilliant idea, you can use us as cannon fodder?" Casting a cold glance in her direction, Brother Hea spun around and went to help one of the disciples who had lost both legs.

"The main group is over forty kilometers away. I'm afraid that in your current state, you'll attract the attention of beasts around you." Hart Alia frowned, realizing that her own sect brothers and sisters were rejecting her words, and more importantly, Brother Hea was undermining her authority.

Pouring a vial of green sludge onto the wounds where the legs had been, Brother Hea wrapped the disciple's body and, hoisting him onto his back, tied him securely. "I'd rather take my chances on the way back than stay with you..." He immediately went to check on the others to see if they could survive the journey.

Frowning, Hart Alia opened her mouth, but was interrupted.

"I can help them get back to camp. It'll be safer for them. Since my movement technique is less refined than the three of yours, you'll be able to scout ahead faster without me." Stepping forward, Hua Zhen looked at the wounded with sadness in her eyes, then glanced back and smiled at the three.

"Are you sure? I still think this is a bad idea." Mo Fan furrowed his brow, which looked like two swords, and looked into her eyes.

"Mo Fan is right, we should stay together." Hart Alia immediately supported him.

"I'll only slow you down. And to be completely honest, I'm far too exhausted. My body needs rest, and my movement technique is too demanding." Smiling once more, she turned and walked toward the wounded.

Left alone, the three of them, Lin Xue, who had remained silent the entire time, only cast a glance at the wounded before losing interest.

Hart Alia watched her sect's disciples thoughtfully, especially Brother Hea.

Mo Fan's frown deepened as he watched his Senior Sister Hua walk away.

'Why did she make such a decision without consulting me...' The dark lines on his forehead deepened.

"Let's go. The sooner we finish the reconnaissance, the sooner we can catch up with them." Casting one last glance at Hua Zhen, he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Hart Alia and Lin Xue followed without objection.

….

Standing at the edge of a cliff, a cultivator watched as, several kilometers below him, two massive creatures fought beneath a vast layer of water, trying to divide a tiny section of a huge lake.

Enjoying the view saturated with red, he heard someone approach.

"Young Master Dors! The preparations are complete, and your orders have been carried out! We await only your word!" Dropping to his knees, a cultivator in a hooded black robe pressed his head to the ground.

Turning, Young Master Dors surveyed the field behind him.

Over a hundred disciples, all in black with hoods, knelt on one knee with heads bowed, showing their respect to him alone.

Around the kneeling disciples, the entire clearing was littered with bodies and their parts. The already red earth had been fertilized with fresh blood.

With a stone face and empty eyes, he nodded, showing his approval to his subordinates. Turning back to the lake, he said quietly, "Bring him."

Immediately, two figures emerged from the crowd, dragging a disciple in red robes with a bloodied face and arms torn off at the shoulders. Leading him to the cliff, to Young Master Dors's feet, they forced him to kneel.

Struggling with all his might, he screamed with his last strength. "Bastard! Son of a whore! How dare you raise your hand against a legitimate heir! You're a worthless bastard!!" His face twisted with rage and helplessness, he shouted as loudly as he could, spraying saliva mixed with blood and pieces of his own innards.

"Ha! Hahaha!" Looking at his face, at his deathbed struggles, Young Master Dors laughed loudly.

"Bastard? Who cares? I carry my father's blood, Blood Hand's blood! The Sect Leader of the Blood Moon Sect himself! That means I have the right to claim the throne! And now, having taken the inheritance from within you, once I obtain the true inheritance of this Tomb, even that whore constantly crawling around my father will have no choice but to bow and kiss the ground where I walk!" Approaching the armless man, he activated the Qi in his hand, muttered something, and pressed his open palm to the man's head.

"Ah! Ugh! AAAAA!"

Immediately writhing in pain, the kneeling man screamed wildly, trying with all his might to break free from the grip of that palm. But with each passing second, he grew weaker, and his screams grew quieter.

"Ah! Finally! The inheritance is mine!" Removing his hand from the dried-out head, Young Master Dors pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hand, and tossed it off the cliff.

"Now we're one step closer to the goal!" Turning back to the lake, with burning eyes, he looked toward the horizon in the direction of the Sacred Land's Central Ring.

"We serve Young Master Dors! The one true heir to the Throne!"

"We serve Young Master Dors! The one true heir to the Throne!"

Immediately, from all directions, his kneeling followers with bowed heads began chanting, each time louder and louder.

….

The northern entrance to a massive canyon served as a natural passage to a huge lake.

"Traces of a group have been discovered." A massive cultivator, over two and a half meters tall, approached a wide crevice that served as the entrance to the canyon. He stood shoulder to shoulder with a short, thin-built girl whose face was hidden by her black hair.

"How many people?" Without turning, she continued watching the entrance, standing on tiptoe on a boulder.

"About fifty people. According to the trackers, about two hours ago." Pulling a notebook from the inner pocket on his chest, the giant opened it and began staring at the blank page.

"What does the energy say?" Asking the question, the girl glanced at the notebook. She squinted for a moment but immediately relaxed and continued watching the entrance.

Only after several minutes of complete silence did the blank notebook begin to change, and words appeared on the page.

"Heavenly Soul and Primordial Purity... It's their group." Finally, the giant read it from the notebook.

"About fifty people. A reconnaissance operation... How long would it take us to follow them if we set out now?" Almost in a whisper, she asked the giant.

Scratching his chin, the giant tucked the notebook back into his inner pocket. "At most three to four hours to catch up."

"Good. Send ten trackers to find their main camp. We'll wait for the others to arrive, and then we move on them." Tapping her fingers, she frowned slightly but kept her eyes on the canyon entrance.

"Mhm! Consider it done." With a grin, the giant turned to leave but heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the canyon entrance.

"Oh! Finally! They're back!" Suddenly, the girl's eyes lit up, and unable to contain her smile, she ran toward the entrance.

"Hm?" The giant spotted a large group approaching, led by a cultivator with black hair and red eyes. "Heh. Senior Brother is finally back!"