Chapter 120: A Woman's Heart!

"How amazing." Seeing this, Sun Xiaoya covered her mouth, speaking with surprise.

"Do you feel any discomfort?"

Xiao Yang had already consulted the system earlier. If a person's mental strength is insufficient to suppress a war beast, they will experience various specific symptoms when driving a monster, such as dizziness or nausea. However, judging by the current situation, Sun Xiaoya was more than capable of being the master of the magic wolf.

After sensing carefully, Sun Xiaoya opened her eyes and shook her head. "Senior Brother Xiao Yang, I don't feel anything unusual."

"That's good." Xiao Yang had been worried that Sun Xiaoya might not be able to suppress the wolf. If they had walked all this way only to find the contract failing, they would have been in real trouble.

"Tell your magic wolf to dig a hole." Xiao Yang had just realized something. They couldn't just stand out in the open, as it would easily attract other monsters. It was better to find a place to hide. However, the terrain of these Monster Wastelands was not suitable for hiding. The only safe place was underground. He figured they should hide there temporarily; even if the corpse were to track them, it likely wouldn't detect their presence.

"Alright, you two handle things yourselves; I'm leaving now." Xiao Yang gave a few more instructions. Feeling that the time was right, he prepared to depart.

"Young Master! Should I..." Zhen Zhuang clearly wanted to follow, but after receiving a glare, he stopped talking.

"Stay here and protect Xiaoya. I will be back soon." It had to be said that Zhen Zhuang had become dependent on Xiao Yang and was gradually adapting to his new life.

"Young Master, please return as soon as possible."

"No problem." Xiao Yang smiled. He had no intention of dying. With his system, as long as no special circumstances arose, he had a long road ahead of him.

Not far away, a group of people had finished resting and were preparing to continue their journey.

"Everyone, get ready to move out!" Xiao Zhao shouted loudly. A group of Great Martial Masters followed behind him, and soon the team was assembled.

"Elder Wu, I have told everyone; we can leave at any time."

Elder Wu opened his eyes slightly and said to Xiao Zhao, "It is time. We can go and take a look at the Martial King's tomb."

The large group set off once again. Because the entire team consisted of Great Martial Masters, their speed was extremely fast. Less than a quarter of an hour later, they arrived at the river marked on their map.

"How is this possible?" The old man stared ahead in disbelief. Not far away appeared a river, more than a hundred zhang wide. In other places, this wouldn't be much, but in the Monster Wastelands, it was a bizarre sight. The region was perpetually arid; logically, such a river shouldn't exist. Even a river ten zhang wide would be impossible, yet the riverbed before them was at least two or three hundred zhang across, perhaps even wider.

It wasn't just the old man; the other Great Martial Masters were also staring blankly at the river, clearly not expecting it to be so wide. It had not been marked on their map, and they had assumed it was merely a small creek. Only upon arriving did they realize how wrong they were.

"Pass the order: proceed with extreme caution." Where there is an anomaly, there is surely a demon. The old man’s brow furrowed heavily.

"Yes, Elder Wu!" Xiao Zhao also sensed something wrong with the river and, not daring to delay, turned to instruct the others. "Everyone, pay attention! Caution is our priority."

"Yes, Captain!" The group responded in hushed voices. Such a massive river surely harbored monsters, making the crossing a significant problem. They had studied the map thoroughly, but they had never anticipated a river of this magnitude. The watercraft they had brought were only small boats, each capable of carrying five people. Under the current circumstances, using these boats to cross would likely cost half of them their lives.

"Great peril." Elder Wu squinted, muttering to himself. He could sense something beneath the surface watching them. The intensity of that gaze was enough to send a chill down his spine, even making him consider turning back. However, their losses had already been too severe; if they returned now, their organization would never forgive them. They had to grit their teeth and persevere. Even if there were casualties, they had to cross, reach the Martial King's tomb, and secure some spoils before they could leave.

"Prepare to cross the river!" Elder Wu gritted his teeth and gave the order. He dared not return without results.

Upon hearing this, the Great Martial Masters began to work. Each person took rectangular components from their backpacks and handed them to the older, more experienced members of the group, who began assembling them on the spot.

Not long after, dozens of crude boats appeared. Everyone waited for further orders. The young man named Xiao Zhao had been frowning ever since the assembly began, clearly troubled. Seeing that they were about to depart, he gritted his teeth and walked over to Elder Wu.

"Elder Wu, with equipment like this, I fear more than half of our brothers will perish if we attempt to cross." He looked at the old man.

Elder Wu smiled lightly. "Do you know why your father asked you to follow me?"

"I do not!" He shook his head gently.

Elder Wu, as if he had expected this, said calmly, "You are quite excellent in every aspect, my boy. There is only one area where you fall short. Do you know what it is?"

Zhao Zhongtian knew in his heart that whether it was in martial arts or other fields, his talent was arguably the best in his clan. Yet, every time he met his father, he was always told, "Too young!" and then they would part ways. This time, he had intended to stay in the clan to push for the Martial Marquis realm rather than go on a mission, but his father had insisted he come, regardless of his cultivation. Although he didn't understand why, he had come. Now, as Elder Wu asked him, he couldn't figure it out after thinking for a long time.

"Compared to your brothers, you are certainly outstanding, but you possess the heart of a woman." Seeing that Zhao Zhongtian couldn't fathom it, Elder Wu explained with a hint of disappointment.

"The heart of a woman!" Zhao Zhongtian was slightly stunned.

The old man continued, "You are too kind. You must remember one thing: your subordinates are merely your tools—the kind that can be discarded at any moment."

Hearing this, a flash of shock crossed Zhao Zhongtian's eyes. He couldn't quite process it.

"Think about it carefully." After saying this, Elder Wu put on a kindly, smiling expression. Zhao Zhongtian, however, remained frozen in place, unable to collect his thoughts for a long time.

"Give the order. Prepare to cross." Elder Wu patted Zhao Zhongtian on the shoulder and walked toward the riverbank first.

Zhao Zhongtian’s hands were clenched tight, but he said nothing. He turned to look at the men he spent his days and nights with, unable to speak for a moment. But then, as if he had realized something, his gaze gradually hardened. He suddenly shouted, "Cross the river!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and stepped forward. The team behind him marched toward the riverbank in a grand procession.