Cultivation Nerd-Chapter 231: Do It Like Dark Souls!

A growl-like groan echoed from the now-buried cavern. Low and resonant, it was more felt than heard. The avalanche had worked well, smothering the cavern entrance beneath a crushing mass of ice and debris.

The snow trembled. It shifted in small, irregular pulses as though something immense was struggling against its weight. That was probably the case.

However, it wasn't the Core Formation monstrous beast that broke through the snow pile covering the cavern's entrance. Instead, two Foundation Establishment wolves and a dozen others surged forward, attacking the human army. Seeing that the Thunder Wolf King wasn't making a move, the clan cultivators seemed overjoyed. What remained of their forces quickly slaughtered the advancing pack.

After triggering the avalanche, my role on the battlefield was over. I stood at a safe distance, waiting for the battle to play out. I had created such a gap between myself and the front lines that the scene was barely visible, even with my enhanced eyesight.

...

The battle against the thunder wolves raged for hours, a brutal and bloody affair. Still, we killed far more of theirs than they killed of ours.

When the main battle was over, the mound of snow at the cavern's entrance shuddered. The Thunder Wolf King poked its massive head out. For a moment, everyone froze, holding their breath.

But the terrifying presence it once commanded was gone. The Thunder Wolf King looked tired and worn, its eyes hollow as it surveyed the corpses littering the field, wolves that may well have been its descendants.

There was a strangely human glint in its gaze, just for a moment. It made me wonder if diplomacy with monstrous beasts could have been an option. But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. The weak don't dictate how the world works, and while I wasn't powerless in this region, I lacked the strength to impose my will on traditions older than I could imagine.

I wasn't heroic enough to risk my life over such things.

Too many had lost loved ones to Thunder Wolves. Even if I were a Core Formation powerhouse, no one who had lost a father, mother, or sibling would listen to me.

Despite being pushed to the brink of death, the Thunder Wolf King dragged its massive, battered body through the snow. Each labored movement carved deep trenches in the icy ground, draining what little stamina it had left. Yet its eyes burned with defiance, and the immense reservoir of Qi within it hummed like a barely contained storm. Even in this state, it radiated enough power to devastate the clans.

As it emerged fully into the pale light, the reason for its delayed appearance became horrifyingly clear. The shadows of the cavern had concealed the extent of its injuries. Its hindquarters were a grotesque ruin. Where its tail might have swayed, there was now only a mangled stump. Both hind legs ended above the knees, the flesh shredded as though gnawed through. The snow beneath it was streaked with blood and dark ichor oozing from infected wounds that festered across its lower body.

The horror didn't end there. As it dragged itself forward, the jagged outline of its hip bone became visible, flesh gnawed down to bare structure. Its left ribcage was nearly exposed, the faint rise and fall of its breath offering glimpses of its pulsating organs. A sickly, dark rot spread across its abdomen, so advanced it was a miracle the beast still lived.

And yet, it was fucking alive. Even broken and mutilated, it refused to yield, dragging its ruined body forward as if to remind us that death itself would have to fight to claim it. Perhaps only our deaths would quench its rage.

Damn, monstrous beasts could endure punishment far beyond what cultivators could. But at such immense size, they also had their drawbacks. They struggled to find enough sustenance to heal. Unlike human cultivators, they had no pills to repair their bodies in hours or minutes in some cases.

…

The battle against the Thunder Wolf King dragged on for hours, though calling it a "battle" felt far too generous for us. It was more like a desperate struggle to survive a dying beast's wrath.

Bolts of lightning split the sky, blinding flashes followed by deafening roars. The snow became a chaotic battlefield of light and shadow. The ground shook with every impact, and cultivators fell in droves, unable to withstand the sheer force of its Qi-infused strikes. Each swing of its claws and blast of its lightning breath tore through our ranks, leaving devastation in its wake.

For all our planning and numbers, we were little more than prey to the Thunder Wolf King, scattered like leaves in a storm. Even as it limped and dragged itself forward, the beast commanded the battlefield, slaughtering everyone it could reach. The air reeked of burnt flesh and blood, the pristine snow churned into a crimson-streaked ruin.

Still, it fought, determined to take as many of us as possible. It wasn't a battle; it was a massacre.

What should have been an assertive outing to eradicate the Thunder Wolves had turned into a disaster. All sides had suffered heavy casualties. Fewer than half of us remained, and that didn't include the injured or dying.

Even from my distant vantage point, I could almost hear the groans and cries of the wounded.

I might have called for a cautious retreat if it had been my decision. But who could say that was the right choice? Leaving the Thunder Wolf King alive would have been disastrous.

Yet, this grim situation reminded me of Whitewall Town and the monstrous beasts I defended it against... I hated pyrrhic victories.

In this world, I had learned the hard way that even in victory, the bitterness of defeat was never far behind. I had yet to experience an absolute victory, a moment of pure triumph to drown in. There were always strings attached. Every gain came at the cost of something.

Sadly, I couldn't dwell on the thought. The battlefield was far from safe, and indulgent introspection would have to wait.

"By the way, if you don't keep your side of the bargain, I'll do my best to come and kill you," I said to Fu Yating, my tone calm, my eyes fixed on the battlefield.

"Don't worry," Fu Yating replied, waving off my warning. "I have everything planned. After you run, I'll tell my clan we're holding your parents hostage so you can't retaliate."

That was... actually a good idea. She really had thought this through.

And yes, I knew she wasn't just using the excuse of holding my parents hostage. She'd genuinely be holding them hostage.

"I don't want them mistreated," I reminded her.

"Of course," she said lightly. "They're my parents-in-law, after all. And besides, they're more valuable that way for the plan and in a more practical sense. Since you're kind of unpredictable and scary."

At least she was being honest. Though, if she was this outspoken about something like this, I wondered what she was hiding.

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No, it was likely intentional. She'd probably guessed I'd figure out her true intentions and mentioned them as a gesture of goodwill.

Dealing with clever people was both refreshing and infuriating.

I sighed, scratching my cheek.

Still, I preferred to handle things on my own terms. If it came to it, I'd ensure Wu Yan, Speedy, and my parents were out of harm's way.

"As your wife, may I speak presumptuously just this once?" Fu Yating asked.

Why was she asking permission now when she'd been speaking her mind freely this whole time?

"Hm?" I glanced at her. "Go ahead. I'm not here to stop you."

"If the Liu Clan loses today, what are the chances the rest of the other two clans’ members survive?" she asked.

How did she guess that? Did she already see through my intentions?

Two possibilities came to mind. The first was that she was a regressor, somehow aware of how this would play out. But that seemed unlikely since she would've taken advantage of more opportunities and grown stronger. Unless it was a recent development.

The second possibility was more plausible: she had a natural instinct for reading situations like this. Unfortunately for her, intellectual genius didn't carry much weight in this world. Not without the strength to back it up.

"I think you're giving me too much credit," I said.

In the distance, the Thunder Wolf King's colossal body finally collapsed into the blood-soaked snow. A collective cheer erupted from the surviving soldiers, a raw, unrestrained clamor of relief and triumph that shattered the battlefield's tension. Men and women embraced, their faces streaked with blood, sweat, and tears, their breath visible in the cold air. They shook not with fear but with the overwhelming reality of survival.

Some crossed clan boundaries, clasping arms and hugging warriors they had considered rivals days ago. It was an unprecedented sight with clan members standing united, not through alliance or diplomacy, but by the shared belief that death had been a breath away.

Yet, scattered among the celebration were those who mourned. Faces etched with grief knelt beside the fallen, their quiet sobs and whispered farewells a stark counterpoint to the cheers. Close friends, siblings, and parents lay still in the snow, lifeless reminders of what had been lost. Most had nothing more than mangled corpses to cry over.

But mourning would have to wait. The battlefield was still dangerous, and survival demanded focus. Those who grieved clenched their fists, swallowed their pain, and stood again, locking their sorrow deep within.

"C'mon," Fu Yating pouted, drawing me back. "Let's be honest."

Her calm demeanor bordered on callous, though it was hard to tell if she genuinely didn't care about her clan or was just good at pretending.

My plan involved an enhanced lightning array, designed to kill large groups at once. But with my clan members among them, I couldn't risk using it. Not that I intended to share this detail, even if she might have guessed it.

"How about you start by being honest first?" I asked. "You don't expect me to believe you'd let your family go so easily, do you?"

Fu Yating blinked, thought for a moment, then shrugged. "You can believe whatever you want. As for what I want…"

Her best-case scenario was the Fu Clan winning. The second best was all the clans destroying each other.

I glanced at her, then turned back to the battlefield.

The uneasy alliance among the clans had dissolved the moment the Thunder Wolf King fell. Old grudges and bloodlust took over. Warriors who had fought side by side now butchered one another ruthlessly, their blades clashing and Qi flaring in vibrant light.

The air was thick with the sound of battle, shouts of fury, cries of pain, and the visceral clash of steel on steel. Chaos reigned, and the fragile unity shattered as if it had never existed. The snow, already stained crimson, churned into a blood-soaked mire as the carnage spread.

"Nobody loves me in this world," Fu Yating said at last, her voice low. "My father, who I once thought cared about me, abandoned me the moment it became inconvenient to love me. My clan has turned its back on me, and my own mother doesn't even ask how I'm doing, not even after I went through a major injury."

She snorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "So, how do you think I feel? Fucking amazing. I'd feel even better if everyone got to killing each other faster."

That was… a lot. Why was she saying this now? What did she stand to gain? By now, she should have realized that trying to confuse me was pointless. Still, I didn't dwell on the thought for long.

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The scent of blood wafted uphill, and the snow turned an even deeper shade of crimson.

"I'm feeling kind of lonely right now," Fu Yating said suddenly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "So if you give me a hug or something, just know I'm a prime target for emotional manipulation."

She was crying? That… surprised me. She seemed genuinely upset.

"Damn," she grumbled, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "Saying it out loud makes it feel so much more real."

"Well," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and trying to ease the tension, "Since this seems like the perfect time to enact some emotional manipulation…"

As for hugging her? Not even in her dreams. Whether she was being honest or not didn't matter. What mattered was that this could all be an elaborate act designed to make me let my guard down. After all, she had to know I had my own plans if the Liu Clan lost today.

"Don't worry, my dear fiancée. Even if no one out there cares about you, I will," I said lightly.

"At least try to lie convincingly, you bastard," she grumbled, brushing my hand off her shoulder. Then, to my surprise, she stepped forward and lightly rested her forehead against my chest.

I might've thought it was an attack if she hadn't done it so softly. Of course, I'd already activated a paper-thin jade barrier around myself, with a texture almost indistinguishable from skin. If she noticed it, she didn't say anything.

"You know," she murmured, her voice muffled against my shirt, "right now, I wouldn't feel sad if there was even one person out there who actually cared about me."

"Yes, yes. Don't worry, I love you," I replied, this time making an effort to sound sincere.

We both knew it was bullshit. But on the off chance that her feelings were genuine, I decided to show her a sliver of kindness… to soften the blow of what was coming. Because, deep down, we both knew how this would end.

I rubbed the top of her head, and her back in what I hoped came off as comforting. Hopefully, it didn't come off as creepy.

…

By the time the sun set, the sky was painted in hues of crimson. The smell of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the sharp cold as snowflakes continued to fall. The winner had been decided: the Liu Clan had emerged victorious.

I approached the battlefield, grimacing at the scene before me.

At the center of the carnage stood the Liu Clan Head, surrounded by frantic healers. His once-pristine robes were now tattered and soaked in blood, the crimson stark against the gray fabric. A jagged wound marred his side, and though Qi-infused hands worked tirelessly to stem the bleeding, it refused to stop.

Despite his injury, his voice remained firm as he issued orders to those around him. Some nodded and hurried off to carry out his commands, while others stayed by his side, their hands glowing faintly as they worked to stabilize him.

It was a severe injury, but he would survive. Cultivators, while not as resilient as monstrous beasts, could endure far more than ordinary humans.

He was faring far better than the Fu Clan Leader, whose body was being dismembered, his head stuffed into a cloth sack. The Liu Clan planned to use it as a forewarning when they attacked the Fu Clan's cities.

The Jie Clan Leader wasn't much better off. He lay on the ground, missing an arm, with only a handful of followers tending to him.

"Please save our Clan Leader," one Jie Clan member begged, groveling at the feet of a Liu Clan warrior.

Their pleas fell on deaf ears. The Liu Clan showed no mercy, taking advantage of the Jie Clan's vulnerability to launch another attack. Not that the remnants of the Jie Clan could have resisted even if they wanted to.

Despite their victory, the Liu Clan was in shambles. The losses had been heavy, and even the smallest misstep now could spell disaster.

This wasn't how I had envisioned things. While I'd given the Liu Clan a sixty percent chance of victory thanks to the Earth Grade Techniques we'd brought from the Blazing Sun Sect, the presence of the Core Formation beast had upended all my calculations.

Normally, those techniques would minimize casualties, especially at the Qi Gathering stage. But with the Thunder Wolf King in the picture, all those plans had been rendered meaningless.