As the serpent horde charged towards them, the faces of the three individuals, apart from Yang Ye, turned pale. Qinghong, in particular, went limp and collapsed onto Yang Ye, while Manzi and Xiaohei also lost all strength in their bodies, unable even to run away.
Under normal circumstances, with their mental resilience, facing tens of thousands of snakes wouldn't have left them so helpless. However, after enduring the oppressive atmosphere for some time, their nerves and spirits had reached their limits. Coupled with the dense swarm of snakes surrounding them, they felt defeated and didn't see the point in futile resistance.
While the serpent horde approached, Yang Ye remained calm and tried to figure out what had provoked them. When the snakes were only a few dozen meters away, Yang Ye abruptly stood up, reached into his pocket, and took out the snake core from the Two-Winged Serpent. With force, he hurled it into the distance.
Simultaneously, he swiftly drew his sword, and as the snake core disappeared into the darkness, a surge of profound energy enveloped his body. Yang Ye refused to be helpless, but he knew that if his guess was wrong, this would likely be his end.
Fortunately, he guessed correctly. As the snake core vanished into the distance, the horde of snakes that had originally been converging on the three individuals suddenly froze in place. Then, like a tidal wave, they swarmed towards the spot where the snake core had disappeared.
Yang Ye couldn't help but feel a sense of relief when he realized that the countless writhing snakes around them had disappeared. Even though he had a bold temperament, the spectacle had still invoked a sense of fear within him.
Under such a massive serpent siege, even formidable experts in the King realm who could fly would be overwhelmed. Without absolute strength, quantity was the ruling factor.
Lowering his head to look at the three individuals lying unconscious on the ground, Yang Ye shook his head. Their performance during the critical situation had been extremely disappointing. He had heard that one of the tests for outer disciples of the Sword Sect was to face a crisis in their heart realm. Based on their recent display, they would unquestionably fail.
After awakening the three of them, they scanned their surroundings and found no sign of any snakes. They sat back down, wiping the cold sweat off their foreheads.
"In the path of martial arts, one's character is of utmost importance. Your performance, all three of you, was truly abysmal," Yang Ye felt it necessary to remind them. Despite everything, they had shared the hardship together, and if he could help elevate their mindset, it would be a good thing.
Upon hearing Yang Ye's words, the faces of the three individuals became somewhat embarrassed. Even without Yang Ye's reminder, they were well aware of how disgraceful their actions had been just now. Although the serpent horde was terrifying, losing all combat effectiveness was a sign of weakness unbecoming of profound cultivators.
Observing their embarrassed expressions, Yang Ye continued, "I'm not mocking you. You need to understand that as martial artists, if you lack the courage to survive in desperate situations, how far can you go on the path of martial arts? Just like earlier, that was a desperate situation, but you shouldn't have given up. Even in the face of death, you shouldn't have given up. As long as you don't give up, there is still a glimmer of hope. But if you give up on yourselves, you won't have any chance, not even in the path of martial arts, let alone in life itself!"
Yang Ye spoke sincerely, drawing from his own experiences. Difficulties had been a constant companion in his life since he was young, and he never gave up no matter what he faced. Even when he was demoted to a menial disciple in the Sword Sect, falling from grace, he still didn't give up. It was his unwavering attitude of never giving up that allowed him to survive until now.
Upon hearing Yang Ye's words, Manzi and Xiaohei took a deep breath and then stood up, bowing respectfully to Yang Ye. Manzi earnestly said, "Thank you. Now I understand why our abilities are so weak. Although talent and cultivation resources play a part, the main reason lies within ourselves. Our will is not resolute enough, and we give up when faced with difficulties. We deserve to remain ordinary throughout our lives!"
Manzi's words were heartfelt, especially after reflecting on their past thoughts. They, including Xiaohei, had believed that if given the same cultivation resources, they would achieve no less than the disciples of prestigious sects and elite warriors of the empire. However, now, when they looked at Yang Ye, who had a lower cultivation realm than them, they realized that his strength and mindset were beyond comparison.
Qinghong glanced at Yang Ye and then lowered her head. Before this incident, she had also held the belief that if she were a disciple of a prestigious sect, her strength would surpass Yang Ye's. However, in that desperate situation just now, she recognized the gap between them, a gap that extended beyond their actual abilities.
Seeing the three of them feeling down, Yang Ye consoled them, saying, "I'm not trying to demoralize you, only to remind you. What you need to do now is to acknowledge your shortcomings and find the courage to move forward. Don't let your will falter. Besides, you're all just in your twenties. You still have the chance to attain the Innate realm."
Manzi forced a bitter smile and said, "Innate realm, but without opportunity, I'm afraid there is no hope in this lifetime."
Hearing this, Yang Ye fell silent. Some things couldn't be changed with just a few words. Everyone had their own life path, and as long as he walked his own path well, it would be enough.
"By the way, why did those snake groups behave like that?" Qinghong looked at Yang Ye and asked.
Without hesitation, Yang Ye explained what had happened earlier. He was also puzzled as to why the snake groups had come to attack them.
When Qinghong heard that Yang Ye had thrown the Inner Dan away, she frowned and asked, "You, you kept the Inner Dan in your pocket instead of putting it into your storage ring?"
Upon hearing Qinghong's question, Manzi and Xiaohei also looked at Yang Ye. Under their gaze, although Yang Ye felt something was amiss, he nodded.
Seeing Yang Ye nod, the expressions of the three of them became strange. Qinghong slapped her forehead, gave Yang Ye a reproachful look, and said, "Little brother, do you know that Inner Dans have a strong attraction to profound beasts? Similar Inner Dans can help them advance. At first, I thought you had put the Inner Dan into your storage ring, but I didn't expect you to just keep it in your pocket."
Hearing this, Yang Ye instinctively touched his nose, glanced at the three of them, and whispered, "So, those snake groups were after me?"
All three of them nodded firmly.
Yang Ye felt somewhat embarrassed. It turned out to be his own fault. Realizing this, he quickly apologized. Regardless of the circumstances, it was his mistake that almost got them devoured by the snake groups, and he needed to apologize for that.
Seeing Yang Ye apologize, the three of them felt a bit awkward. Although it was Yang Ye's mistake this time, no matter what, Yang Ye had saved the three of them. Moreover, this incident was unintentional. Now that Yang Ye was apologizing, the slight sense of frustration in their hearts instantly dissipated.
With no lingering grudges, the group resumed their conversation. This time, all three of them shared their experiences as mercenaries with Yang Ye. They discussed what not to do and what things must be done. Under their guidance, Yang Ye not only gained a lot but also secretly felt fortunate to have joined forces with them.
The journey of cultivation emphasized life-and-death battles and constantly pushing through in the face of threats. That was Yang Ye's original idea, and it was not wrong. However, now Yang Ye realized that things were not as simple as he had thought. Just to give a simple example, in the Forest of Ten Thousand Snakes, even if someone rested there without sprinkling King Beast's feces, the result would be disastrous, even if the person resting was an Innate realm expert.
Because in this pitch-black Forest of Ten Thousand Snakes, once a battle broke out, it would undoubtedly attract countless snake groups. In that situation, even an Innate realm expert would meet their end.
There were also many survival methods within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, methods that had been summarized by countless mercenaries with their lives. Yang Ye diligently took note of these methods. While he came here to gain experience, he didn't want to recklessly throw his life away for no reason.
Fighting against the Snake King was one thing, but if it came to battling tens of thousands of snakes, that would not be gaining experience but throwing one's life away.
After the disturbance caused by the snake groups earlier, the group didn't rest but instead chatted until dawn. Once it was morning, they made some preparations before continuing their journey.