Danger and opportunity often go hand in hand—this is a law of equivalence.No one can gain without paying a price, without risking something to obtain fortune and destiny.
To be honest, Zhuge Liang disliked using such risky tactics. Once deployed, if anything went wrong, it could result in total failure. Complete defeat.Such actions were deeply tied to fate, strength, and even factors like timing and geography.
Yet, at this moment, this was the only chance for a decisive victory.
"This move is risky, yes—but it's a gamble worth taking."
Xiang Yu's heavy pupils gleamed. He nodded in agreement.
This might be the breakthrough they needed.
"I agree as well. Though it's a perilous gamble, nothing ventured, nothing gained. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world," said Xiongba, resolutely.
"The Stone Emperor and the other alien races have always looked down on us humans. Even when we show strength, they come up with excuses, unwilling to acknowledge us. In that case, let's destroy the crystal outright and take the win. We'll see what they have to say then," Lü Bu added loudly, visibly indignant.
"Very well. Then we'll cross the wilderness and strike straight at their core." Yi Tianxing nodded.
Crossing the wilderness and attacking the enemy's crystal directly was, without a doubt, the best move for the human race right now.With the Stone Emperor and the others keeping the Eternal Night prodigies occupied, they had the opportunity—if not, they'd create the opportunity.
The only threat left was the four ferocious beasts that roamed the wilderness.
"Let's go!"Yi Tianxing looked over the human cultivators and declared,"Before we move out, I have something to say. We humans have been left behind, and not a single other race spoke up. Clearly, in the eyes of the other races, we humans are still outcasts.But we've never relied on others to survive. As the ancestors said: 'Those not of our race, their hearts must differ.'There are things that must never be trusted. But we, the human race, must become strong on our own.If they look down on us today, then tomorrow, we will rise so high they'll never reach us.This battle—we fight for our dignity. Let's unite and make this name shine!"
"Naturally!"Li Yuanba raised his golden hammer and bellowed.
"Move out!!"
With a single shout, over a thousand human cultivators left the platform, heading straight down the central path—the one closest to the enemy crystal.
No one knew what dangers lurked in the surrounding wilderness, so they first chose to advance down the Middle Path of Life and Death, then divert into the wild.
Though long, the path was traversed quickly by cultivators. Soon, they reached the second defensive tower on the central road.
"Enter the wilderness!!"
The human prodigies exchanged glances and, without hesitation, veered off the central tower path into the wild.
This wilderness was not an illusion—it was real.All around them, forests stretched endlessly, with lush greenery and tall trees. It felt like stepping into a primordial jungle.
As soon as the thousand cultivators entered, they disappeared into the dense woods like stones vanishing into the sea. From the outside, they were completely obscured.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Not long after entering, a strange vibrating hum filled the air—like giant insects flying overhead.
"Be careful!"
"Mosquitoes—giant ones! Look at their proboscises—blood-red and glinting with cold light. They're as sharp as divine weapons. Don't let them near!"
"They're Bloodthirsty Demon Mosquitoes! Their mouthparts can pierce through protective qi barriers—they have the power to break through defenses! And when they come, it's always in swarms.We have to kill them all quickly, or the longer we wait, the more will be attracted!"
A human prodigy quickly warned the others.
These blood-red mosquitoes were clearly not ordinary insects.
And there was no avoiding them now.
A swarm of Bloodthirsty Demon Mosquitoes shot through the sky, each one as big as a human head—some even the size of an adult.Their sheer appearance was terrifying—horrifying enough to shake one's heart.
These creatures were vicious and relentless. Once they attacked, it was life or death.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Wings vibrated rapidly, creating a powerful sonic ripple that disturbed the space around them.
Splat!
The moment the hum rang out, one of the demon mosquitoes lunged at them.
"Kill them!!"
Without hesitation, the human prodigies attacked—some unleashing divine abilities, others wielding weapons or summoning magic treasures.
But the mosquitoes were incredibly fast. Despite the heavy firepower, many broke through and dove into the crowd in streaks of blood-red light.
Still, these were the elite of humanity—seasoned in battle. They reacted swiftly, fending off and killing mosquito after mosquito.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Mosquitoes were deadly, but not invulnerable. Their bodies could still be destroyed.
"Not good!!"
Despite their efforts, some still slipped through.
One cultivator, wielding a longsword, surrounded himself in a dense field of sword light—tight and impenetrable.
But a mosquito found a flaw. In a flash, its blood-colored stinger shot forward like lightning, bypassing the sword field and plunging straight into the man's chest—piercing his heart.
Instantly, steaming blood was sucked out through the icy stinger.
"Aaaargh!!"
The scar-faced warrior barely had time to scream before his body shriveled rapidly. His skin cracked and peeled, and within a breath, he was a dried husk.
Whoosh!!
Then, his corpse disintegrated into dust and scattered with the wind—gone without a trace.
He had truly died here, in the King's Canyon, swallowed by the wilderness.
"Such terrifying stingers… That cultivator clearly used a defensive technique, and yet, the mosquito pierced it like paper. Instant death from blood loss. These things are monstrous," Yi Tianxing said with grim eyes.
Thankfully, this was only one swarm—not endless waves. With combined effort, the Bloodthirsty Demon Mosquitoes were soon wiped out.
"Hurry—we need to move on! The fallen comrade wasn't truly dead—just a spirit-split that was destroyed. As long as we win, everything can be restored. We must win—for them!"
Yi Tianxing urged them onward.
The group quickly moved past the mosquito-infested zone.
The wilderness was full of dangers. Countless crises emerged one after another, but the gathered human elites, each with unique talents, always found a way to overcome.
Splash... splash...
Suddenly, a thunderous sound of flowing water echoed in their ears—vast and powerful.
"That's the sound of a river. Judging by the flow, it's a massive one. No doubt, we've reached the river in King's Canyon—the Tongtian River!" Zhuge Liang declared solemnly.
In King's Canyon, there were three Paths of Life and Death, serving as the main battlegrounds.But in the center of the canyon ran a massive river—Tongtian River—cutting the battlefield in half.
Only three giant bridges spanned the river along the three paths.There was no other way across. The rest of the river was endless churning water.
Crossing it directly was nearly impossible.
Pushing through the jungle, their view suddenly widened. Ahead, a faint mist hovered over a vast river.The river itself was colossal—over ten thousand meters wide—with violent, rushing water. Across the surface, strange whirlpools appeared and disappeared without warning.
They popped up suddenly and vanished just as mysteriously.
Not one or two, but countless whirlpools swirled across the surface—dense and chaotic.Not a single calm patch of water could be seen.
Without a doubt, entering this river meant risking being sucked in and drowned—or worse.
"So this is the Tongtian River… what a deadly waterway," Xiang Yu muttered, his heavy pupils gleaming.
"You can't even fly over it. The whirlpools generate immense suction—step too close to the airspace above, and you'll be dragged down and torn apart."
The danger was unmistakable. Flying over this river was the same as suicide.
"Let me, Zhang Shun, try it first. I may not be confident in many things, but I trust my skills in the water.Even if I die, I'll provide valuable information for the rest of you.I can die—but this battle… humanity must win."
A man stepped forward boldly.