Chapter 466 - 465: Cooperation?
Ren Liangchen and his group waited on the shore, observing the situation ahead while restoring their Spiritual Power. The previous battle against the Netherwater Sharks had consumed a great deal of it. In truth, their Spiritual Power was constantly being drained as they had to resist the ever-encroaching black gas. Unless they left this place, the consumption was nonstop.
The rate of Spiritual Power consumption was not low. The deeper they ventured, the more potent the black gas became, forcing them to expend even more Spiritual Power to resist it. Of course, there was one exception: Yi Tianyun. He felt nothing. Under the protection of his Transmigrator title, the black gas couldn’t get near him at all.
Fortunately, from the outside, he didn’t look any different from the others; it appeared he was repelling the black gas just like them. The biggest difference was that Yi Tianyun didn’t need to use a single shred of Spiritual Power, while they had to consume theirs continuously, which was why they kept taking Recovery Elixirs.
They had prepared plenty, specifically for the purpose of resisting this black gas.
"Yi, do you have any Recovery Elixirs? If not, I’ve prepared quite a few and can spare you some." Ren Liangchen took out a few bottles of Elixir Pills and offered them to Yi Tianyun.
"Thank you, Ren, but I have my own. I’d be a real idiot if I came here unprepared." Yi Tianyun smiled and declined. His cultivation level was far higher than theirs; he hadn’t needed a single Recovery Elixir from the start.
Unless he encountered an extremely powerful opponent, he rarely consumed much Spiritual Power, let alone felt any pressure.
"In that case, I won’t insist. If you need anything, just let us know," Ren Liangchen said with a smile.
"That’s right. We still have a long way to go, and we’ll need to help each other to make it through. Don’t hesitate to speak up if there’s a problem," Yang Zhiwen chimed in.
Leng Hu was silent for a moment before saying, "If you need anything, just ask. Thank you for earlier." His words were firm and forceful. Although he still sounded cold, his gratitude was palpable.
"That’s right, we’re all very grateful to you. We never would have made it here so easily without you." Each of them looked at him with gratitude, feeling that teaming up with Yi Tianyun was a fantastic stroke of luck.
They had arrived here so smoothly entirely thanks to Yi Tianyun’s help, so of course they were grateful. Their attitude toward him had improved significantly; after he displayed his capabilities, he had immediately earned their respect.
Before, they had acknowledged his courage; now, they acknowledged his strength. Beast Tamer was an absolutely Rare profession, far rarer than a Divine Rune Master. However, few people were keen on becoming a Beast Tamer, mainly because it was too difficult. The number of Demon Beasts one could control was limited, making it an impractical choice for most.
Unless one had a natural affinity for Demon Beasts, training as a Beast Tamer wasn’t recommended. It was better to become a Blacksmith or something of that sort.
"Let’s save the pleasantries for after we reach the Netherworld. We still have a long way to go." Yi Tianyun glanced at the Netherworld Passage. They had only traveled a little more than halfway and still had nearly half the distance left. The road ahead would be just as difficult.
"Right, it’s too early for thanks," Ren Liangchen said with a laugh. "Yi put on a good show earlier, but now it’s our turn. We’ve been preparing for this trip to the Netherworld for a long time. We can’t let Yi have all the glory."
"That’s right. The three of us originally planned on coming alone. When Ren suggested bringing another person, I didn’t object. Even without help, we had a good chance of reaching the Netherworld!" Yang Zhiwen’s eyes flashed with confidence. "Of course, with Yi here now, things will be much easier. The more helping hands, the better."
They exchanged a knowing smile, their confidence for the journey to the Netherworld soaring. Yi Tianyun said nothing. He knew from the Netherworld Passage Map that the path ahead was even more treacherous. ’For them, it’s going to be a nightmare.’
’The pressure on me isn’t that great, so bringing the three of them along shouldn’t be a problem.’ Considering their enthusiasm, Yi Tianyun felt that helping them was the right thing to do.
Since the deathly mist was currently quite thick, they could only wait for it to disperse. The timing of its ebb and flow was unpredictable, leaving them with no choice but to wait.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of splashing water from an oar came from behind them. They all turned to look. Approaching them was none other than Liu Long and his party. Only a few of them remained, all at the Core Formation Stage; the Spirit Pill Stage experts were gone.
Clearly, the cultivators at the Spirit Pill Stage had all died along the way, becoming food for the Netherwater Sharks. Only the stronger Core Formation Stage experts had managed to survive, but they still looked utterly wretched. Fighting the Netherwater Sharks was no easy task, especially when facing them in large numbers.
No one knew how many Netherwater Sharks were in the Nether River, but there were countless of them—seemingly endless. The longer one lingered there, the more dangerous it became.
"Took you long enough. Just getting here now? You’re slower than a snail. I’d advise you to crawl back home to your mommy!" Ren Liangchen retorted viciously. After the insults they had endured earlier, they were now immediately paying them back. They even drew their weapons, a murderous glint in their eyes.
Previously, surrounded by Netherwater Sharks and stuck in the middle of the Nether River, they hadn’t dared to act rashly, let alone waste their breath arguing.
But now was different. They were all on the shore, and it was time to settle the score.
When Liu Long saw their aggressive stance, his face fell. They had just barely survived the ordeal with the Netherwater Sharks, and now they had to face Ren Liangchen and his group. It was true what they say: what goes around, comes around.
"Ren... I... I was just spouting nonsense earlier! I hope a man of your stature won’t hold a grudge against a lowly person like me. Please, just let me go... treat it like I was just passing gas..."
A truly adaptable man, Liu Long immediately started begging for mercy. They were completely exhausted; if they fought Ren Liangchen’s group now, they would undoubtedly be killed.
"Well, you were one stinky fart," Yi Tianyun said, staring at him coldly. "I wonder who it was just now that kept calling me an idiot, or was it a ’stupid brat’?"
"I was wrong, I shouldn’t have said those things..." Liu Long said, his face a mask of misery. "I just got a little carried away. But look, I have a map of the passage ahead! If you’re willing to let me go and cooperate, I’ll share it with all of you!"
’I can’t afford a conflict with them right now.’ It was already dangerous enough; more people meant a better chance of survival. ’Everyone’s goal is to reach the Netherworld, not to hunt for treasure. So whoever has the map has a bargaining chip for cooperation.’
Sure enough, as soon as he said this, the eyes of those around him lit up, especially the members of Ren’s group.
"Not interested!" Ren Liangchen said, glaring at him coldly. "Don’t you forget what you did. You threw that Netherwater Shark corpse over to make us a target. Have you forgotten that already?!"
Yi Tianyun’s gaze turned cold. Of course, he had seen that earlier scene clearly. ’They viciously set us up,’ he thought, feeling equally furious. ’Being turned into a target in a place that dangerous is basically a death sentence.’
’Liu Long did just that. How is that any different from attempted murder? An apology is completely useless.’