The primeval essence Fang Yuan recovered inside the boar's abdomen went unused after all.
This beast tide itself was under the watchful eyes of the Gu Yue higher-ups, and the appearance of the lightning wolf pack was merely a small accident. Very quickly, the Gu Yue higher-ups made a swift response.
Three elders personally led troops and swiftly stabilized the situation with the momentum of a thunderbolt.
Just ten minutes later, inside the boar's abdomen, Fang Yuan heard the sounds of fighting outside, as well as the whimpering tragic cries of the lightning wolves.
He quickly kicked the female Gu Master blocking in front of him out of the way, and crawled out covered entirely in blood.
Of course, Fang Yuan wasn't worried about the lightning wolves, but rather that if he was affected by the aftermath of the battle and accidentally hit by a Gu Master's technique striking the boar corpse, wouldn't his death be far too unjust? At that time, who could he go reason with?
A living person suddenly crawling out from the stomach of a pig gave the several arrived Gu Masters currently fiercely battling the lightning wolves a massive shock.
Fang Yuan's entire body was a bloody mess, and a large intestine of the Wild Boar King was even entangled around his feet. The pungent smell of blood emanating from his entire body made the several Gu Masters frown slightly.
But Fang Yuan didn't care in the slightest. He took a few breaths with great satisfaction, stretched his hands and feet, and swept his gaze across the battlefield acting as if nothing was wrong.
It was exactly as he had expected; there were five lightning wolves in total.
But these lightning wolves were, without exception, all old, weak, sick, and disabled. They were from the bottom stratum of the wolf den. As the wolf pack grew increasingly strong and massive day by day, to maintain the young and robust lightning wolves under the circumstance of limited resources, the wolf king would constantly drive out the old, weak, sick, and disabled from the pack.
These lightning wolves gathered together, first impacting the surrounding beast groups, and then the beast groups mutually influenced each other, eventually forming this small beast tide.
Under the attacks of the Gu Masters, the five lightning wolves quickly suffered casualties.
They had eaten too fully, their bellies bulging round, which affected their combat strength. At the same time, the newly arrived Gu Masters all had ample primeval essence in their apertures and were in peak combat states, unlike Jiao San and his group.
Primeval essence was especially important to a Gu Master. A phoenix in distress is worse than a chicken; once primeval essence decreased, a Gu Master's combat strength would drastically plummet. And a Gu Master without primeval essence might very well be inferior to even a mortal.
So why were Gu worms like the Liquor worm and the Black and White Boar Gu said to be precious?
It was also reflected in this aspect.
First, possessing the Liquor worm allowed one to refine primeval essence, enabling a Gu Master to indirectly store more primeval essence.
As for the strength amplification provided to a Gu Master by the Black and White Boar Gu, it could exert its effect without requiring primeval essence. Moreover, regarding the Black and White Boar Gu, after one person finished using it, it could still be given to another person to use, possessing a considerable amount of collective value.
The battle lasted for a short while before ending.
The five lightning wolves consecutively fell, and this reinforcement group that had rushed over did not venture further in either. Their primeval essence had been vastly depleted and their combat strength had dropped significantly, so for the sake of safety, they stopped in place. While taking a rest to reorganize, they simultaneously waited for the arrival of subsequent reinforcements.
A group of five; the reconnaissance Gu Master was on guard, the remaining three were rapidly replenishing their primeval essence using primeval stones, while the Gu Master responsible for healing crouched down to examine the female Gu Master's corpse.
"Dead…" The healing Gu Master sighed deeply. Judging by his sorrowful expression, he seemed to know this female Gu Master.
Fang Yuan watched with cold eyes.
This female Gu Master whom he had knocked unconscious had been blocking in front of him all along. Now she had lost her right breast, as well as one of her calves. On her arm, there was also a giant wound from a lightning wolf's gnawing and biting, exposing the pale bone of her forearm.
However, these wounds, as well as the massive loss of fresh blood, were not the female Gu Master's true cause of death.
What truly caused her death was cardiac paralysis.
The biting of the lightning wolves all carried electric currents. The electrical current flowed through the body of this unconscious female Gu Master, causing cardiac paralysis.
The once beautiful and hot delicate body currently lay on the ground, completely motionless. After death, not a drop of her former grace remained; she was just an ugly corpse.
"She is dead, and it's all your fault! As a man, why did you hide behind a woman? You are truly a disgrace to men!" The healing Gu Master abruptly raised his head, staring fixedly at Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan shrugged nonchalantly, a flat look on his face, "In fact, she fought with me over the position inside. But in the end, I won, and I am very glad about this point."
"Bastard!!" The healing Gu Master charged up.
Bang.
Fang Yuan raised a foot and kicked him flying backwards.
The combat strength of healing Gu Masters was generally very weak, and restricted by clan rules, he didn't dare to use Gu worms either. Relying solely on bodily strength, how could he be Fang Yuan's match?
"Dammit!" The healing Gu Master crawled up in a disheveled state, wanting to charge up again, but was stopped by the reconnaissance Gu Master.
"If you feel that I am committing a crime by causing her death, then you can report it to the punishment hall; I will accept it entirely." Fang Yuan shot a faint glance at this healing Gu Master, turned around, and left.
"Dammit! Dammit!!" Both of the healing Gu Master's eyes seemed to spout fire, viciously staring at Fang Yuan's retreating back, wanting to rush up, but he was held back tightly by the others.
"Calm down a bit!"
"Even if you report this to the punishment hall, the clan won't punish him!"
"We all know you have always harbored affection for her. Although clan rules cannot punish him, we can spread this matter out…"
Under the individual persuasion of his group members, the healing Gu Master slowly calmed down, lowered his head, and began to sob softly.
"A ship met with disaster. A man grabbed onto a wooden plank, temporarily being saved. At this time, another man swam over, also wanting to grab that wooden plank. However, this wooden plank could only bear the weight of a single person. To be saved, the first man pushed the latter man away, causing him to drown in the seawater. The saved man was later put on trial, but was not condemned. This is the plank incident on Earth."
"The meaning is, in order to save oneself under compelling circumstances, endangering another person's life will not incur punishment. On Earth, this is acts of necessity in criminal law. Placed into this world, there is also a similar clan regulation. That is to say, even if the healing Gu Master reported to the punishment hall, I would not be punished. However…"
Fang Yuan pondered as he walked back, using his feet as his carriage, neither rushed nor slow.
The way along had already been cleared out. From time to time, Fang Yuan would spot corpses fallen on the ground. The vast majority were wild beasts of various species, interspersed with some corpses of Gu Masters.
Meanwhile, team after team of reinforcements continuously rushed towards the front lines. When meeting Fang Yuan on the road, most people would cast strange and suspecting gazes at this youth covered in blood.
Fang Yuan did not care in the slightest, his eyes profound, continuing his ponderings.
"However… if the fact that I knocked the female Gu Master unconscious beforehand is discovered, I would be severely punished for 'murdering a clansman'. But at that time, no one should have seen that scene. Jiao San and Kong Jing both had their backs to me, busy fleeing for their lives. Hmm?"
Fang Yuan's footsteps paused slightly.
He saw the corpses of Kong Jing and Jiao San.
The former's body had already been gnawed beyond recognition, but the latter's corpse was preserved relatively intact.
That snake Gu, the Red Rock Python, had already shattered into strips of rock, completely perished. And beside the Sick Snake, there lay the corpses of over a dozen lightning wolves. Evidently, during Jiao San's dying counterattack, there had been a tragic and intense fierce battle.
"Hmm, not bad. This way, apart from me, all four people in the group are dead." Fang Yuan issued a faint evaluation in his heart, feeling a slight sense of joy.
"This way, the constraints around me have lessened a bit… Eh?" Fang Yuan stopped his footsteps; he had just seen Jiao San's finger twitch lightly.
"Not dead yet, his vitality sure is tenacious…" Fang Yuan sneered coldly, murderous intent bursting forth in his heart.
Right at this moment, over a dozen healing Gu Masters sprinted over from ahead.
"Quick, save the injured!"
"These are all our clansmen, saving a life is a life!"
"If death is confirmed, also pay attention to retrieving their Gu worms."
…
Fang Yuan's gaze condensed.
What to do?
The opposite party was close at hand, so wanting to kill Jiao San carried undoubtedly massive risks. Whether using his bare hands to strangle or a moonblade, it would leave traces.
With these Gu Masters right before his eyes, he fundamentally wouldn't have the time to clean up these traces.
Then… should he just let Jiao San off like this?
Speaking of which, even if Jiao San was treated now, there wasn't necessarily a possibility of him living.
No!
"If I can eradicate Jiao San, the resistance to my progression will substantially decrease by a notch. If such an excellent opportunity is let go, wanting it to appear again will be difficult."
Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck Fang Yuan's mind.
He slowly knelt on one knee beside Jiao San, then took off his top and slowly covered Jiao San's face and upper body with it.
He had shrunk inside the boar's abdomen for a very long period of time, and the boar blood had long soaked his clothing completely, making the top heavy and wet.
The top stuck tightly to Jiao San's nose and mouth, blocking his absorption of air.
Fang Yuan knelt on one knee on the ground, watching quietly, a look of solemnity and deep grief surfacing on his face.
Just then, a Gu Master walked over: "This little brother, I am a Gu Master from the Medicine Hall, let me take a look…"
"Scram!" Fang Yuan let out an angry shout and pushed him away.
The Gu Master fell to the ground, but he was not annoyed. Instead, he advised: "Little brother, please restrain your grief! I know how you feel right now, and I also completely understand the pain of watching clansmen you spend day and night with die tragically in front of you. But you are covered in blood right now, you must be heavily injured too. For the sake of these sacrificed clansmen, you must continue living well. Come, let me heal you."
Fang Yuan didn't speak. He remained silent, his lowered face shrouded in a layer of shadow, letting this Gu Master examine his body as he pleased.
The results of the examination made this Gu Master extremely surprised. Fang Yuan was bathed in blood, looking terrifying, but in fact, he didn't have a single wound on his body!
But the Gu Master quickly withdrew his mind and focused his attention onto Jiao San.
"I am very sorry, the clan needs to retrieve the Gu worms." The Gu Master cast a sincere glance at Fang Yuan, then slowly lifted the blood-soaked clothes covering him.
Jiao San's half-open eyes had thoroughly lost all their luster.
The Gu Master skillfully used his fingers to prop open Jiao San's eyelids, took a look at his pupils, again reached out to touch his neck, but couldn't feel a pulse.
Dead.
Dead thoroughly.
The Gu Master did not suspect anything. He sighed and reached out his hand to press flat against Jiao San's abdomen.
A trace of residual warmth still lingered on his abdomen. The aperture inside his body was slowly disappearing, and there was not a single Gu worm inside.
The Gu Master looked at Fang Yuan and said, seemingly intentionally yet seemingly unintentionally: "Every Gu Master's Gu worms have clear written records. After a Gu Master's death, their Gu worms will be left as inheritance for their successors. Taking them privately is a violation of clan rules."
Fang Yuan showed no trace of fear, meeting the Gu Master's gaze: "Of course I know this point. Are you suspecting that I stealthily took the Group Leader's Gu worms?"
Taking these Gu worms carried risks and trouble. If other secrets were to be dragged out, it would not be worth the loss. Fang Yuan knew perfectly well; although he had the Spring Autumn Cicada and could instantly refine Gu worms, they were not easy to dispose of within the clan. Attracting a body full of stench for these petty profits was not worth it.
Aside from this, there was another point, and that was his current financial situation was not good; even if he took them, he might not be able to afford feeding them.
Facing Fang Yuan's counter-question, that Gu Master quickly smiled: "Of course I have no such meaning. The dead cannot be brought back to life; little brother, please restrain your grief. For the sake of the people who died, you should live on properly even more!"
Fang Yuan slowly stood up.
With an expression full of sorrow, he stared at the Sick Snake's corpse and concentrated on it for a while.
The night wind whistled past his ears.
"You are right." After a long time, Fang Yuan broke the silence. His gaze chillingly cold, he said with profound meaning, "For the sake of those who died, I must live on properly even more."