Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

Chapter 5357: Taking Risks to Advance

The Hidden Dragon Legion advanced swiftly, their speed unmatched due to their wind element cultivation. In just one day, they had managed to get far away from their original hunting region.

The rankings would be decided by the number of blood devil blue crystals collected. Since there was no rule requiring them to hunt in a specific region, their movement wasn’t considered breaking the rules.

However, Tang Wan-er and her comrades were concerned that other groups might have attracted the surrounding devil creatures, leaving fewer in their vicinity. This would force them to delve deeper into the battlefield to find stronger devil creatures.

“How troublesome. The more you fear something, the more likely it happens. We haven’t seen a single devil creature on our way here. They’ve definitely been attracted elsewhere,” Tang Wan-er muttered as the group arrived at their destination.

Long Chen didn’t say a word. Everything was unfolding as he expected, but since this course of action had been a collective decision, he simply went along with it.

The path to growth was littered with unavoidable pitfalls, so the only way to grow was to fall. Without suffering, there would be no growth.

Although Tang Wan-er had fought alongside Long Chen since their days in the mortal world, many of those pitfalls were things she had only seen but not personally stepped into. So, when she became a commander, she didn’t fully know what to do.

“There’s no way around it. We either continue searching for devil creatures in this ring or venture deeper. If we stay, we’ll only waste another day and find low-ranking devils. If that happens, we will be in danger of being eliminated from the competition. However, if we go further in, we might draw out some terrifying Emperor devil creatures. If there are too many of them, we’ll be forced to crush our tablets and retreat,” one of Tang Wan-er’s retainers advised.

All eyes turned to Tang Wan-er, and she glanced at Long Chen, hoping for guidance. However, he was gazing into the distance, making it clear that this was her decision alone. Whether right or wrong, she needed to lead the Hidden Dragon Legion with confidence.

At this moment, being decisive was more important than worrying about right or wrong. Tang Wan-er couldn’t afford to keep hesitating. Sometimes, hesitation and fear of failure were more dangerous than failure itself.

After all, growth came through learning from mistakes and failures, allowing people to gradually walk the path of a true expert. In the end, being wrong wasn’t that frightening; being too cowardly to make mistakes was.

Tang Wan-er gritted her teeth and made her decision. “Let’s venture deeper. If we hunt higher-ranking devil creatures, our odds of success will increase. If we can’t handle them, we’ll crush our tablets and return to the Wind God Sea Pavilion. In the worst case, I’ll have my master deal with those old fellows.”

After all, those old fellows had cheated, sending them to the wrong location. So, even if they really failed, they could still turn the situation around.

No one from the Hidden Dragon Legion argued with her decision, so they immediately set off.

“Long Chen, I’m sorry for being so hesitant. Don’t ignore me,” transmitted Tang Wan-er as they traveled.

Long Chen’s lack of participation in the decision had made her uneasy. Ever since she had met Long Chen, Long Chen had always done everything in his power for her. He had never treated her so coldly.

Smiling, Long Chen replied, “Why would I ignore you? Just because I’m not saying anything doesn’t mean I don’t support you, or that I’m angry. If you were one person, I’d carry all your burdens. But now it is different. As the leader of the Hidden Dragon Legion, you have to carry this responsibility. If you love every one of your sisters, you need to grow with them. Just like how the Dragonblood Legion and I rose from a ragtag group to become the top legion of the Martial Heaven Continent, you have a similar journey ahead.

“Remember, growth comes at a cost. Since you’ve chosen this path, you must carry out your duty without complaint. Confidence isn’t taught—it’s forged through overcoming countless challenges. Don’t be afraid, Wan-er. Whether you succeed or fail, I will always be by your side.”

Long Chen grabbed her hand and smiled.

Hearing Long Chen’s words, Tang Wan-er calmed down. His emotional support gave her the strength to move forward with confidence. With Long Chen here, what was there to fear?

As they rushed deeper into the battlefield, they quickly heard some growls. A tribe of Fiend Wind Blood Devils appeared before them.

This was Long Chen’s first time seeing these devils up close. They resembled humans but looked sturdier, with wings made of flesh that were covered in blood-colored lines.

They had fangs sticking out of their mouths, their heads had a bat-like appearance, and a bone protrusion from their foreheads held a small crystal.

It was as blue as the sea, looking bewitching but filled with violent energy fluctuations. The deeper the blue, the stronger and purer the devil’s bloodline. Fiend Wind Blood Devils at the Heaven Saint realm had a chance of producing these valuable crystals.

Upon seeing the crystals, the Hidden Dragon warriors immediately charged forward. Tang Wan-er led the charge, her confidence bolstered by Long Chen’s support. They had to wipe out the tribe before alarming the more terrifying existences that lurked deeper within the battlefield.

This approach was the most efficient way to secure victory. Tang Wan-er believed that other groups wouldn’t dare target even a small tribe like this one. While the divine sons and daughters were formidable, their teams lacked the strength of the Hidden Dragon Legion and could only handle lone roamers, not entire tribes.

This particular tribe was classified as medium-small within the Fiend Blood Battlefield, only slightly stronger than the bone devil tribe they had previously encountered.

With their previous battle experience, the Hidden Dragon Legion moved smoothly and efficiently. Their formation was also in a much better state.

As they slaughtered their way to the heart of the tribe, a mass of Emperor devil creatures emerged. Their crystals were no longer blue but violet, indicating their immense power.

A one-vein Emperor's crystal had a faint color, while a two-vein Emperor’s crystal was slightly deeper. The stronger the blood devil, the richer the color of its crystal.

The Fiend Wind Blood Devils spread their wings, moving as fast as lightning. Their claws sliced through the air, and wind blades shot from their mouths. These devils were more powerful than the bone devils, but as fellow wind element cultivators, the Hidden Dragon Legion warriors faced them with ease. Their movements were even more fluid and confident than in their previous battle.

“Eh?” Long Chen’s heart suddenly trembled as he followed them. He turned to stare in a certain direction, disbelief on his face.

“This is…?”