Urban Extraordinary Immortal Doctor
Chapter 972: You Definitely Won’t Regret It!

Chapter 972: Chapter 972: You Definitely Won’t Regret It!

Although Yu Zhong had heard that Spirit Beasts lurked in the Nether River and it was very dangerous, he considered his strength not to be bad and thought that even if he encountered an attack from a Spirit Beast while crossing the river, he should be able to get away unscathed and without any life-threatening danger.

But it was his hubris that cost him his life.

Before he attempted to cross the river, he threw several sections of wood into the river and used their buoyancy to skim across the surface. When he reached the center of the river, he was attacked by a Giant Python that suddenly broke through the water. With no chance to use his skills, he watched helplessly as he was wrapped up by the serpent and then digested in its belly.

The death of Yu Zhong cast a shadow over the hearts of Ouyang Jian’s team members.

The Giant Python that had just taken Yu Zhong’s life possessed a strong attack. To successfully cross the river, they had to guard against its attacks, and besides the Giant Python, who knew how many more powerful Spirit Beasts lurked at the bottom of the Nether River.

Even if they gave up on this location and chose another section of the river to cross, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t encounter other formidable Spirit Beasts.

In short, Spirit Beasts lurked everywhere at the bottom of the Nether River, and crossing successfully would certainly not be easy.

Seeing Ouyang Jian’s team suffer a loss, Shen Yulin, Huang Miao, and others couldn’t take pleasure in it because they faced the same problem if they wanted to cross the Nether River.

"You see, this is why this river is called the Nether River. For thousands of years, it has devoured too many lives of disciples from Bitao Martial Academy."

Huang Miao glanced at Fang Bai and the others, then looked back at the now calm river surface and said somberly.

"This Nether River... is indeed perilously dangerous!"

Hou Ziping had just witnessed Yu Zhong being devoured by the Giant Python and felt a trace of fear in his heart. He gave a wry smile to Fang Bai and the others and said, "That Giant Python is truly vicious. If I encounter its attack while crossing the river, I probably won’t be able to get away unscathed..."

Huang Miao sighed and said, "To be honest, I’m not confident either."

Hou Ziping said, "So, are we still going to move forward?"

"What does Junior Brother Fang think?"

Huang Miao knew Hou Ziping was already considering retreating and felt hesitant herself. She looked at Fang Bai and asked.

"What are we here for in the mountains?"

Instead of answering, Fang Bai asked back.

Huang Miao paused, then replied, "Our fundamental purpose for entering the mountains is to gain practical combat experience, temper the Martial Artist’s mind, and improve our own strength."

Fang Bai said, "Along the way, the Spirit Beasts we’ve encountered have been weak; we haven’t been through a life-or-death battle. If we retreat without a fight now, where is the talk of gaining real combat experience? Moreover, retreating in the face of difficulty represents a regression in the cultivation of a Martial Artist’s mindset and shouldn’t be considered. How can we talk about improving our strength otherwise?"

Huang Miao sighed again, her mouth filled with bitterness, "Junior Brother Fang, I understand all that you’re saying, but continuing forward means we might pay with our lives. Is it worth it?"

"I think it’s worth it!"

Fang Bai’s gaze swept over Huang Miao, Hou Ziping, Liu Qingqing, and Liu Liehu, one by one. He smiled and asked, "I’m prepared to keep moving forward. Who’s willing to join me?"

"Brother Fang, I am!"

Liu Liehu was the first to step forward.

"And me! If Brother Fang isn’t afraid, neither am I!"

Liu Qingqing subsequently stood out with a face full of determination.

Both she and her brother, along with Fang Bai, were from Liuhu Village, and they had a sort of blind worship and trust in Fang Bai. No matter what he did, they would advance and retreat together with him.

Huang Miao bit her lip, her expression complex as she glanced at Liu Qingqing and Liu Liehu, and finally made up her mind, saying, "Since you all are not afraid of life and death, then what reason do I, as your senior, have to fear difficulties and shrink back? Forget it, life and death are fated. I will just continue the adventure with you!"

Fang Bai smiled and turned his gaze to Hou Ziping, whose expression was changing, as if waiting for his response.

Hou Ziping struggled fiercely within himself for a while, then suddenly stamped his foot and declared, "Last time, I was severely injured by Yang Wei. If it weren’t for Junior Brother Fang’s help, I might still be in agony. Since I’ve already died once, what is there to fear? Junior Brother Fang, I’ll stake my life and go with you!"

Fang Bai began to smile, clapped Hou Ziping on the shoulder, and earnestly said, "Senior Brother Hou, you will definitely not regret your choice today!"

While those five were deciding whether to continue onward, Shen Yulin and the others had already reached the riverside of the Nether River and had found the best spot to cross, where they were quietly discussing how to ford the river.

Several hundred meters away, Ouyang Jian and his group were also contemplating their strategy for crossing the river.

"Junior Sister Huang, we’re preparing to cross the river now. You five just follow behind me! That way, if you encounter an attack from a spirit beast during the crossing, I can assist in time," Shen Yulin said as she waved to Huang Miao and the others with a clear voice.

"Senior Sister Shen is being kind-hearted; we must not let her down. Let’s follow her!" Fang Bai said.

Although he could easily lead Huang Miao and the others across the river, it was best to keep a low profile when possible. Following behind Shen Yulin, if any dangers occurred, it was more convenient to let her handle them, sparing him the need to take action.

Of course, if it came down to a life-threatening situation, he would secretly lend a hand.

Following behind Shen Yulin would increase their chances of successfully crossing the river, so Huang Miao and the rest readily agreed.

Just as Shen Yulin’s team and Huang Miao’s team were about to cross the river together, Ouyang Jian, leading his eight teammates, took the initiative. Utilizing their movement techniques, they leapt across the river surface with the aid of several floating logs towards the opposite shore.

They pushed their movement speed to the fastest, and one could see shadows swiftly skimming across the surface of the river.

In a few moments, Ouyang Jian and his nine teammates had already crossed over half of the river. In just a few more moments, they would be able to reach the riverbank on the opposite side of the Nether River.

Ouyang Jian, seeing no spirit beast appearing, couldn’t help feeling inwardly pleased, thinking that perhaps this stretch of the riverbed was only concealing that one giant python? Could it be that after swallowing Yu Zhong, the python was now digesting him at the bottom of the river?

If so, that would be perfect!

"By sacrificing a member of my team and satisfying the python’s hunger, it’s distracted from attacking us, which certainly benefits us, yet Shen Yulin and the others are reaping the advantages! Otherwise, for them to cross the Nether River, they would likely have to pay a steep price!" Ouyang Jian thought as he saw himself only thirty meters from the riverbank, believing he was safe, and couldn’t resist turning to glance at Shen Yulin and her group, who were eager to cross. He felt it was a pity inside.

Just at that moment, a strong sense of danger spread from under the water, and Ouyang Jian’s martial artist’s acute intuition made his hair stand on end.

"No good! Everyone, be careful!"

Ouyang Jian instinctively let out a loud yell as his form rose sharply into the air, while he looked down at the water below, faintly making out an enormous dark shadow speeding towards them from beneath the waters, its speed utterly astonishing.