Dragon's Origin

Chapter 309: The Perilous Return Journey (Part Two)

The Red-Brand assassin was one of the three lightly injured individuals. However, his injuries weren't sustained while saving Wang Sheng, but rather when he was targeted as prey by a monstrous beast.

The other injured person was the Tang family's array expert. He didn't need to constantly monitor the array stones on the way back, but he injured his arm during the second encounter with a monstrous beast. Fortunately, Wang Sheng pulled him away in time, avoiding a fatal blow to the chest. He was lucky to be alive and able to walk.

Surprisingly, Dai Laoqi remained unscathed throughout. This guy had extremely good luck. His cultivation wasn't the highest, but it wasn't the lowest either, yet he somehow avoided every attack. Of the remaining seven, three were unharmed, and one had minor injuries.

Among those fleeing, Wang Sheng's cultivation was the weakest, and at this moment, the difference between him and the others became apparent. In the group of seven, Wang Sheng always needed protection in the middle, requiring extra attention. He had clearly become a burden to everyone.

The Red-Brand assassin was fine, as his mission was to protect Wang Sheng's life. However, Dai Laoqi and the other two experts looked at Wang Sheng with increasingly hostile gazes.

When the group could see the edge of the basin in the distance, spotting the dense forest above, they knew that the path back to the camp wasn't far.

Previously, everything was a vast expanse of white. The traces they had left when coming were quickly covered by ice and snow. Without Wang Sheng's excellent sense of direction, they would have had to take many detours, possibly even venturing deep into the core of the Thousand Desolation Land.

But now that they saw the edge of the forest, it meant they would no longer get lost. At this point, Wang Sheng's guiding abilities had lost ninety percent of their usefulness.

The weakest burden with the lowest cultivation, who was useless in battle and might even require rescue, under the pressure of escaping, Dai Laoqi finally exploded. He no longer wore that mask, revealing his naked and true face to Wang Sheng.

“I don’t think we need a guide who’s dragging us down anymore,” Dai Laoqi said with a smile to Wang Sheng, standing with the other two unharmed experts from the Shi and Xia families. “Without you, we can move faster and escape further.”

All of them were experts at the eighth or ninth level of cultivation. Without having to worry about Wang Sheng, they could indeed move very quickly, and their own safety would be greatly improved. There was no doubt about that. If the team still had more than ten people, no one would think that way, but since so many people had been lost along the way, and even the Red-Brand assassin was injured because of Wang Sheng, these experts couldn't help but have different thoughts.

“So?” Wang Sheng sneered. “Are you planning to kill me here?”

As Wang Sheng spoke, the Red-Brand assassin moved closer to Wang Sheng, subtly indicating his stance. He was on Wang Sheng's side.

Regardless of the Red-Brand assassin's past reputation, at least his attitude towards the mission was a hundred times better than Dai Laoqi's.

“The road stretches to the sky, each goes his own way,” Dai Laoqi shook his head slightly. “I think it’s more appropriate for us to separate, to avoid being wiped out by the monstrous beasts, leaving no news to be spread, what do you say?”

In this dangerous place, Dai Laoqi didn't even need to take action. Just leaving Wang Sheng and the assassin to fend for themselves, the monstrous beasts along the way could solve Wang Sheng for Dai Laoqi. This would not only avenge the Dai family's grudge against Wang Sheng, but also allow the few survivors to control the secret of the Thousand Desolation Land's core. Returning would surely be a great achievement.

“Whatever!” Wang Sheng glanced around and gave Dai Laoqi a simple reply.

“Let’s go!” Dai Laoqi didn’t waste time talking nonsense with Wang Sheng like those who were carried away with success. That would only give Wang Sheng an opportunity. Since he had made a decision, he would execute it immediately, not giving Wang Sheng a chance to gain anything through words.

Of the five people standing opposite Wang Sheng, four turned and left. The remaining one sighed and stayed behind.

“I’ll stay with Lone Wolf and the others.” The one who stayed was the Tang family's expert. He had injured his arm, which didn't affect his movement, but his combat strength had decreased by at least half. Dai Laoqi and the others were leaving, and after a simple thought, the Tang family expert quickly made a decision: he would stay with Wang Sheng.

“Suit yourself!” Dai Laoqi wasn’t surprised. Wang Sheng had pulled the Tang family expert away, preventing a fatal injury and only resulting in an arm wound. This could be considered a life-saving grace, so it wasn’t strange for him to stay.

From the moment the Tang family expert revealed the discovery of the array, everyone knew that this Tang family expert was a somewhat responsible guy. It was a pity he wasn't ruthless or selfish enough, otherwise, how tempting would it be to desperately bring out this exclusive news? His decision to stay to repay the life-saving grace was only natural.

It was good that he stayed. If the Tang family couldn't get out, the four families that left could monopolize the news. As for Wang Sheng and the Tang family expert, they never thought the three of them could get out. When there were eight or nine people taking care of Wang Sheng, that was the result. Now, with only one and a half people taking care of him, it would be strange if he could survive.

Dai Laoqi and the three experts quickly walked towards the edge of the forest. The Tang family expert, who was always called Tang Laowu in the team, watched the four of them leave. Soon, their figures disappeared behind a small iceberg.

“Idiots!” Tang Laowu cursed in the direction Dai Laoqi and the others left, then turned back and looked at Wang Sheng. “Which way do we go?”

“Why did you call them idiots?” Wang Sheng didn’t answer Tang Laowu’s question, but asked curiously.

“They simply didn’t realize that if it weren’t for you guiding the way, we would have encountered at least twice as many monstrous beast attacks along the way.” Tang Laowu shook the array stone he was holding. “This thing not only amplifies the array fluctuations, but also amplifies some of the monstrous beasts' auras. Although the amplification is very weak, I can still feel it.”

Listening to Tang Laowu's words, a flash of light appeared in the eyes of the Red-Brand assassin next to him, then quickly disappeared, unnoticed by anyone.

“Everyone has their own fate, don’t force it.” Now that there were only three people left, Wang Sheng wasn’t in a hurry to lead the two away. “This place is not bad, relatively safe, let’s rest for half an hour first.”

“Your eyes might feel a little uncomfortable, try to close your eyes and rest for a while, get enough energy, then we’ll continue on our way.” Wang Sheng's suggestion was strange, but neither of them objected, and obediently closed their eyes.

Tang Laowu and the Red-Brand assassin were full of doubts, but Dai Laoqi and the other four had already begun to realize that something was wrong.

Only half an hour after leaving Wang Sheng and the others, they encountered two monstrous beast attacks. Although the four of them cooperated sincerely and repelled the monstrous beasts, one person was inevitably injured.

Even worse, the eyes of the four of them began to feel uncomfortable.