"Why didn't you make a move earlier?"
"Yeah, if you had acted sooner, none of this would have happened!"
"Poor him, killed by a savage beast like this."
"Tell us, did you arrange this savage beast, intending to make us retreat?"
In the live broadcast, a group of people, separated by screens, no longer cared about facts. Typing wouldn't cost them their lives, so they unleashed a barrage of criticism against Lu Li and his group.
Some, terrified by the recent savage beast, had already lost all composure, their bowels loosened in fear. They no longer cared about their image and simply decided to break the jar, pushing all the blame onto Lu Li.
Although they dared not say anything too excessive, their eyes were filled with blame, as if everything was his fault.
Yes, he admitted he hadn't acted in time. He *did* want one of them to die, to scare them off, so what? Did they have proof? Don't talk nonsense without evidence!
Lu Li trembled with anger. With a violent flick of his wrist, he prepared to leave. He wouldn't do this mission anymore; if they wanted to die, let them die!
However, the words of another group of people next made his expression ease slightly.
Wang Shuang shouted sternly, "Do you have any conscience? The general saved us, and yet you turn around and blame him. I'm telling you, if you dare to cause trouble without reason again, you'll all die sooner or later. Show some restraint, life is precious!"
Wang Shuang was at least an adventurer, while there were few adventurers in the opposing team.
They were all individuals with low talent or those who were too afraid to hunt, office workers who lived a monotonous life. After achieving a little success, they experienced a so-called 'awakening of self-awareness,' looking down on others.
Wang Shuang detested such people, not only because their words harmed too many adventurers and too many truly selfless individuals but also because he harbored a lifelong dream of protecting humanity and becoming a great hero.
Alas, he was merely a C-class awakened being, destined for no glorious future.
Their arrival this time represented the wishes of the vast majority of those with low talent.
They wanted to prove that even though they were weak, they still had a purpose!
Was Gui Xu dangerous?
They weren't sure, but now they could be certain: Gui Xu was very dangerous.
And this place was still nearly a hundred miles from Gui Xu, yet people had already died. One could only imagine the danger within Gui Xu.
Lu Li looked at Wang Shuang with surprise. Although he looked down on his strength, he held a good impression of him.
After a period of argument, whether offline or online, there were no winners. A single savage beast appearing wasn't enough strong evidence to prove that Gui Xu was truly dangerous.
The onlookers, who enjoyed the chaos, began to egg them on to continue their journey!
The City Lord sent another message, telling Lu Li that more people could die. Lu Li's mood improved after reading it.
Along the way, he deliberately only protected Wang Shuang's group, causing the death toll of Song Siwen and others to surge.
By the time they reached the mountains before Gui Xu, Song Siwen's group was reduced to only one hundred and ten people, with sixteen dead.
Wang Shuang's side, however, was unscathed, while the other side had lost over a dozen. This was despite Lu Li's intervention; otherwise, they would have been wiped out.
Upon reaching this point, many were already exhausted. Seeing the mountains blocking their path, they wanted to retreat. The deaths also kept their nerves on edge.
Song Siwen and others slumped to the ground, looking utterly fatigued.
The hushed conversations around him further soured his mood.
"If that general hadn't protected us on this journey, we would have been wiped out. If it's this dangerous here, imagine how much more dangerous Gui Xu will be?"
"Yeah, we rushed in headfirst, and now that I think about it, we were too naive."
"But it's not realistic to turn back now. If no one protects us on the way back, we won't even know how we died."
The thought of the deceased filled them with dread.
On the other side, Wang Shuang stood respectfully before Lu Li.
Lu Li also found the young man quite likable. Putting aside other things, he had courage and knew when to advance or retreat; he was a promising talent. It was a shame his talent level was too low, limiting his future achievements.
"You can still withdraw now; the path we just took was quite safe. Gui Xu, however, is filled with packs of savage beasts. One careless mistake, and you'll be dead."
As for Gui Xu, it wasn't just them who rarely went there; even he himself didn't visit often.
Occasionally, he would be invited by Zhou Yang to clear out a wave of savage beasts.
Right, where was Zhou Yang?
Had he gotten drunk and fallen asleep again?
The thought of Zhou Yang conjured an image of him sleeping with a wine gourd.
This guy really loved drinking.
The team soon set off again. However, when they reached the entrance of the Supreme Academy, some people flatly refused to go any further.
The journey had completely extinguished their desire for adventure.
They just wanted to go home, take a hot bath, and get into their warm beds. As for adventure, whoever wanted it could have it; they certainly didn't.
Their already fragile resolve had too easily given up its convictions.
However, some still clung to their illusions and harbored grievances towards Lu Li. Why had Wang Shuang's group remained unharmed while their own suffered casualties? Was this discrimination?
They didn't say it aloud, but they were already resentful.
They believed the dangers encountered along the way were all orchestrated by Lu Li, with the sole purpose of pressuring them into retreating.
How outrageous!
How insidious!
They were determined to go to Gui Xu!
In the end, over fifty people from the Gui Xu Safety Faction chose to proceed to Gui Xu, while the rest remained at the entrance of the Supreme Academy.
They tried knocking on the door, but there was no response. They could only sit dejectedly on the stones, gazing in the direction of Gui Xu.
From this vantage point, they saw that Gui Xu appeared very peaceful, with no disturbances. They didn't even see a single savage beast.
Could the danger of Gui Xu really be a hoax?
Had they missed an opportunity to debunk it?
Some began to regret their decision.
Meanwhile, those on the descent also noticed the peaceful scene at Gui Xu.
They were all incredibly excited.
They believed they had won.
Song Siwen, in particular, looked at Wang Shuang provocatively.
Wang Shuang's expression was grim. He didn't believe Gui Xu would be safe, and besides, how far had they even gotten?
They weren't at Gui Xu yet, were they?!
Lu Li sneered inwardly. If they could still laugh after venturing deeper, it would be a miracle.
Online, the debate was in full swing.
"This is it? Dangerous? I'm going to laugh my teeth out, haha."
"Need your teeth fixed? Professional dental repair for thirty years, offering you a discount."
"Hahaha, this is hilarious!"
"Then are you dead yet? If you are, tell me where your grave is. I'll burn some incense and send you some ghost money."/
"Hahaha~"
"Stuck, huh? Can't even form a complete sentence. Did your mother feed you poison pills when she gave birth to you?!"
"I......"
In the City Lord's mansion in Southern Border City, the City Lord lowered his typing hand and snorted, "Little brat, trying to compete with me? You probably don't know I was once known as the God of War."
Some people were indeed so infuriated by the City Lord's actions that they almost spat blood.
However, this familiar style of retort caught the attention of some.
They looked up at the sky, their eyes filled with a melancholic gaze.
They murmured to themselves, "Has that God of War from back then returned?"
Meanwhile.
The information online had been thrown into utter chaos by a "God of Retorts," making Song Siwen so angry he wanted to smash his desk.
The team continued to advance. At this moment, Lu Li's wristband rang. He opened it and saw a message from the City Lord.
He glanced at it, his eyes lighting up with joy.
"Sixty percent can die!"