399: Ancient battlefield

It is said that when people encounter a desperate situation, all rational thought is consumed by emotion, leaving only the most basic choice:

Fight or flee.

Once a person embarks on the path of cultivation, they can introspect and even precisely control every inch of their muscles and bones, minimizing physiological influences.

A long time had passed since the version update, and players had experienced the life of a Cultivator for more than a year.

They gradually grew accustomed to the transcendent nature of Cultivators.

Wen Xinghai had long forgotten the intense emotions generated by excessive adrenaline secretion and began to make choices rationally.

He felt that he could now understand the legendary Immortal and knew what it felt like to “sever the Seven Emotions and Six Desires.”

He also seemed to possess some of the indifference of a long-lived species.

But now... under the Dragon's Might, the most primitive instincts within him seemed to be activated, and physiological emotions once again dominated his thoughts.

Wen Xinghai had no time for further thought; gazing at the waves, he finally made a decision:

Fight!

The next moment, his entire body's spiritual power surged out, transforming into green miasma, rapidly moving forward through the waves, attacking the Dragonkin.

Due to the sudden outburst, his Spiritual Sense also briefly broke through the blockade, allowing him to “see” the surrounding scene.

Wen Xinghai saw scorching flames, rapidly growing trees, and sharp blades within the waves... He quickly identified them and confirmed that all seventeen Golden Core Players, including himself, had made the same choice:

Fight!

A dazzling array of techniques roared forth, mixed with Magic Treasures that glowed brightly, illuminating the waves, breaking through restraints, and striking directly at the Dragonkin.

The Dragonkin roared, its Dragon claws constantly unleashing waves, which transformed into water Dragons, continuously defending and retreating.

Unbeknownst to it, cold sweat was dripping from its forehead.

These people... why aren't they afraid?

The Dragonkin's eyes flickered, and its spine was drenched in cold sweat.

This was Dragon's Might!

How could they not be afraid? How could they not retreat? How dare they continue to advance?

The Dragonkin didn't know yet that although players would also be affected by Dragon's Might, under the interference of player privileges, they still maintained a thinking ability that ordinary people lacked.

They would not completely succumb to fear.

And because players could be resurrected through Rebirth, they feared missing an Opportunity more than death, so they often chose to fight rather than flee.

Thus, something unexpected happened to the Dragonkin: these players actually attacked head-on, enduring the Dragon's Might!

'This is bad! This is bad! This is bad!'

The Dragonkin was drenched in cold sweat.

The Dragon's Might it used was not true Dragon's Might, but a Dragon's Might that had been restored as much as possible through generations of Legacy.

Compared to true Dragon's Might, the difference was too great, a world of difference, almost not even on the same level.

But even so, it was still easy to intimidate fifth-rank Cultivators, and could even scare away fourth-rank Cultivators.

According to records in the East Sea, there were even third-rank Cultivators who were startled by the Dragon's Might and fled in a panic, not daring to advance rashly.

Because of this, the Dragonkin had the courage to proactively intercept the players, wanting to prevent them from entering the deep sea.

But now... it couldn't stop them!

Panic flashed in the Dragonkin's eyes.

Once it retreated here, exposing the deep sea, then the secrets of the East Sea would be completely revealed.

At that time, these East Sea Orphans would never know peace.

Cannot retreat!

Terrifying power erupted, the Dragonkin's face became somewhat ferocious, and its aura spread and solidified, as if a Dragon was circling on its body.

The next moment—

Boom!

A huge cauldron suddenly descended, its reverberating sound making the Dragonkin dizzy.

A Magic Treasure?

Before it could react.

Another Flying Sword shot out with a whoosh; though it didn't hit, a section of its scales was sliced off by the sharp sword edge.

Another Magic Treasure?

Immediately after, a bowl suddenly enlarged and rapidly descended from the sky, seemingly intending to crush it.

The Dragonkin quickly dodged, avoiding the blow.

It looked at the players with some astonishment.

No, which faction is this? How does everyone have a Magic Treasure?

The Dragonkin was a little panicked.

Suddenly, it noticed that the number of Golden Core Cultivators around it had increased; players who had been entangled with sea beasts found an Opportunity to gather and surround it.

Must escape!

After a moment of hesitation, the Dragonkin ultimately gave up on fighting, stirred up the waves, and fled eastward.

The players pursued relentlessly.

After an unknown amount of time, a thick fog rose over the deep sea, a blanket of white.

Wen Xinghai released his Spiritual Sense, frowned, and instinctively felt that something was wrong.

Players with strong Spiritual Sense nearby also noticed something amiss.

"Wait, don't pursue for now. Everyone gather; we'll combine our strength."

The order was given, and the players gathered.

Many Foundation Establishment players had died in the previous battles, and their speed couldn't match that of Golden Core Cultivators, so most fell behind, exploring areas in sections.

Wen Xinghai and the others didn't wait for them, only gathering the Golden Core Cultivators.

"I suspect there's something wrong with this fog."

Wen Xinghai said, "It's a very strange feeling, somewhat like the confusion (Mazes/Illusions) encountered in the Southern Mountains; it seems to be a means of deception."

Ye Chun, beside him, squinted his eyes, examined it, and said, "From a distance, Spiritual Sense can't detect any problems; only when close can one notice the clues. It's a very clever method."

Wang Long frowned at this point:

"I asked an old Senior, and he said that no one had ever truly set foot in the deep sea before. This area is occupied by a force that calls themselves the 'East Sea Orphans,' and they once forced back a third-rank high-level Cultivator, so naturally, no one dared to easily enter afterward."

Only these players, who are not afraid of death, dare to come.

"The intelligence matches what we had before, but it seems a little different..."

Wen Xinghai looked at the dense fog, suddenly remembering something.

It is said that ten thousand years ago, the Yuyao Kingdom in the north acted arrogantly, and a Great Flood Dragon from the East Sea went to subjugate it.

Later, the Great Flood Dragon seemed to have been defeated. To prevent the Yuyao Kingdom from continuing south, it swallowed clouds and exhaled mist, forming a protective circle of dense fog that made it difficult for Cultivators of fifth-rank and below to cross.

So, it seems the dense fog is a habitual defensive tactic of the East Sea Orphans?

"Previously, we thought the deep sea was dangerous, with high-grade great demons emerging endlessly, so few people ventured there for a long time.

"But it seems the situation is not like that."

Wen Xinghai mused, "I smell a facade of strength.

"Everyone, why don't we join forces and use our strongest attacks to simultaneously strike the dense fog, dispel it, and see what lies beyond."

The players nodded.

Without further words, everyone mobilized their spiritual power, ready to strike.

A moment later, numerous techniques exploded simultaneously, blasting towards the dense fog.

Accompanied by loud bangs, the dense fog slowly faded.

Wen Xinghai and the others confirmed it and said:

"The intensity of this dense fog doesn't seem high. It must have weakened after being eroded by long years. Even though we are only fifth-rank, we can resist it by concentrating our strength.

"Come on, everyone, put in more effort."

The Golden Core Players continuously attacked.

After an unknown period of time.

The dense fog dissipated, and sunlight streamed down.

Everyone's expressions changed.

The eastern waves had completely disappeared, replaced by a desolate land, devoid of plants and standing peaks, with only scattered white bones, broken weapons, and traces of battle that had existed for who knows how many years.

It was as if it were an ancient battlefield.