Crisis Descends [Seeking Follow-up Reads]

"Ershan, you take the front. Dashan and I will cover the sides. Jiadong, you bring up the rear. Everyone else stays in the middle."

Zhao Kun gave the orders, and the group stepped onto the Chain Bridge.

With so many people on the bridge and the wind blowing, the chain bridge swayed gently.

Yu Xiaoshan didn't feel much of anything, gripping his short knife and following behind his second brother.

Zhao Cuilian, on the other hand, was the type afraid of heights. Her pretty face was pale, her whole body tense and hard to control, and she could only move forward slowly with her mother's support.

Tiezhu's Wife held one child in each hand, following close behind.

Compared to Zhao Cuilian's reaction, she was clearly much calmer, just gripping the children tightly.

Zhao Kun noticed this but didn't offer help. Instead, he watched the river below the bridge with a wary gaze.

Even though that Qi Refining Realm cultivator was watching from the opposite shore, there was still a distance between them. When danger suddenly struck, he couldn't protect everyone.

To put it bluntly, with so many people on the bridge, even if a Water Demon really appeared, it couldn't swallow everyone at once.

At times like this, whoever was sharper and spotted the danger first had a better chance of dodging.

Moreover, compared to the possibility of being directly swallowed by a Water Demon, the chance of being pushed off the bridge due to panic and crowding was much greater.

In this situation, protecting yourself and the family beside you was the most important thing.

And they weren't the only ones doing this—almost everyone on the bridge was the same.

But compared to their small team, which had one person at Blood Change and two at Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment, the surrounding teams were lucky to have even one at Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment.

So, as long as they worked together, their chances of survival would be far greater than the others'.

In fact, nothing dangerous happened until they set foot on the opposite shore.

When Zhao Cuilian's feet touched solid ground, her legs suddenly gave way, and she stumbled sideways.

Yu Dashan, on her right, was quick-eyed and quick-handed, catching her.

Zhao Kun had also reached out but missed. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing.

"Little sister, you really need to work on your courage. Crossing a bridge scared you this badly."

Zhao Jiadong stepped ashore right after, his tense nerves relaxing, and couldn't help teasing her.

"Hurry up and move, don't block the way."

Zhao Kun shot him a fierce glare. Grown as big as he was, he had no sense at all.

As a father, how could he not understand his daughter's feelings?

He had even brought it up with Old Man Yu, who hadn't refused outright but felt Zhao Cuilian was still too young, and Yu Dashan was at a critical stage, so they'd talk about it in a couple of years.

Besides, it also depended on what Yu Dashan himself thought.

Given the relationship between their families, Yu Dashan had basically watched Zhao Cuilian grow up. He didn't just see her as a little sister, but he was a bit dense in that area.

On ordinary days, aside from tending the Spirit Fields, he spent almost all his time cultivating. That was why he had reached Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment so quickly and even undergone one Blood Change.

If their family hadn't discovered that Rare Species, maybe a few years later, when Yu Dashan had no room to advance, he might have married Zhao Cuilian and started a family.

But now, even if he had that intention, he had to suppress it.

After helping Zhao Cuilian to the side, Yu Dashan let go and turned to look back at the direction they came from.

After crossing this great river, home suddenly felt so far away.

Even though the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster hadn't arrived yet, Yu Dashan couldn't stop the worry in his heart.

Aside from praying, it seemed there was nothing he could do.

A deep sense of powerlessness enveloped him.

For the first time, he hated himself this much.

If only he had worked harder before, if only his talent were better, if only he had already reached Perfection of Fetal Movement.

Then, this year, his father wouldn't have to stay behind, and their whole family would go to the Blessed Land together.

He could have directly used that Rare Species to exchange for an Immortal Destiny and break through in the Blessed Land.

But now, everything felt too late.

"It'll be fine."

Yu Ershan came up beside him and said softly.

"Mm."

Yu Dashan took a deep breath and nodded firmly.

Though it was already a bit late, he wasn't without a chance to make up for it. In the next three years—no, he would reach Perfection of Fetal Movement in even less time.

"Look, what's that?"

Just then, a sudden cry came from nearby.

Yu Dashan and the others instinctively looked over. In the White Wave River, a dark shadow had abruptly appeared, swimming upstream.

As more cries rang out, the shadow in the river rapidly grew larger, soon taking on the shape of a small hill.

"Qi Refining Realm Demonic Beast, Water Origin Turtle!"

Yu Ershan sucked in a breath of cold air.

The Water Origin Turtle was a very common aquatic turtle species, but ordinary ones were typically only one to two meters in size.

To grow to a scale of over ten meters, looking like a small hill, that could only be the Qi Refining Realm!

And it wasn't just any ordinary Qi Refining Realm Demonic Beast either.

As everyone clearly saw the Water Origin Turtle's true form, a vast aura surged upward, oppressive enough to make it hard to breathe even from over a hundred meters away.

At the same time, the Qi Refining Realm cultivator who had been sitting in the carriage all along now appeared before the crowd.

He wore a long blue robe, looked about thirty years old, with a tall, straight posture. Standing on the riverbank, his face was full of gravity as he stared at the Water Origin Turtle rapidly swimming upstream.

As for the Chain Bridge, chaos had fully erupted by now, with people shoving each other without yielding.

Those at the far end were scrambling back.

Those on this end were desperate to flee to the shore.

Only those stuck in the middle of the bridge couldn't move forward or backward, and many wore expressions of utter despair.

"Immortal Master, please act quickly and drive away this Demonic Beast!"

Suddenly, someone in the middle of the bridge shouted loudly.

Hearing this, the Qi Refining Realm cultivator merely cast a cold glance at him. The man instantly looked as if struck by lightning. Whether someone behind him shoved him or not, he was pushed straight off the bridge.

In that moment, the man seemed possessed, making no reaction whatsoever.

Many who witnessed this shrank their necks in fear.

A Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment cultivator, just 'dead' like that.

But no one dared to speak up.

With this delay, the Water Origin Turtle in the river was now less than thirty meters from the Chain Bridge. At such close range, nearly everyone could clearly see its millstone-sized, angular, fierce head.

Especially its blood-red eyes, radiating a chilling bloodlust that sent shivers down the spine.

"Fall back quickly!"

Yu Ershan wasted no words, pulling Yu Xiaoshan backward while warning Yu Dashan, Zhao Kun, and the others beside him.

Though they had already made it to shore, who could guarantee that the riverbank was safe?

Even without Yu Ershan's warning, Yu Dashan was already retreating. But because he was facing the White Wave River, he clearly saw the Water Origin Turtle suddenly open its mouth.