Gou in the world of comprehension

Everything will be fine after Chapter 1550, I'm here.
When Su Fan and his group arrived at Yai Shan Fortress, it was just dawn.

At this moment, a pale, fish-belly white light appeared on the eastern horizon, shrouding the entire fortress in a hazy, gray light.

As soon as Su Fan stepped out of the teleportation array, a chilling aura even stronger than that of Hidden Sword Immortal City rushed towards him.

This chilling aura was mixed with a thick stench of blood, the ferocity of the demon race, and the fighting spirit and despair of human cultivators. It was icy cold, as if it could penetrate to the bone marrow.

The fortress walls were covered with marks from various attacks, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder.

Even at midnight, one could almost hear the sounds of magical artifacts being forged within the city, as well as the faint aftershocks of battle from the distant battlefield.

A chilling, oppressive atmosphere swept over us, making it hard to breathe.

Even though the fortress was still shrouded in the lingering darkness, Su Fan could clearly sense that beneath the fortress lay countless bones, and every inch of the land was soaked in blood.

Three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators came to greet us, all looking exhausted, but their eyes remained sharp.

These three are the highest-ranking cultivators stationed at the Yai Mountain Fortress, and are currently the core fighting force of the fortress.

Su Fan's gaze swept over the three people, noticing one of the middle-aged sword cultivators.

The other person's gaze held an undisguised strangeness, a mixture of disdain and doubt.

Su Fan understood, but didn't care, simply withdrawing his gaze indifferently.

He naturally wouldn't stoop to the level of a sword fanatic.

However, Su Fan calmly activated the secret technique that Chen Qingxuan had taught him and discovered that the old man among the three was actually an avatar of a powerful figure from the upper realm in the lower realm.

He smiled bitterly to himself; it seemed that even inside the Yaishan Fortress, things weren't peaceful.

Upon arriving at the front lines, Su Fan didn't say much, but politely declined the banquet prepared by the fortress's higher-ups, citing fatigue from the journey.

He made only two requests: first, that his identity not be revealed.

Furthermore, we should find him a secluded place to cultivate.

In addition, he made it clear that he would not participate in the daily management of the Yaishan Fortress, but if the war situation became critical, he would never stand idly by when it was time to take action.

These words brought a sigh of relief to the three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators stationed at the Yai Mountain Fortress, and a look of relief appeared on their faces.

They had previously worried that this monk, on whom the war zone's high command had placed great hopes, was an arrogant and unruly troublemaker.

In retrospect, he seems to be a reasonable person who doesn't cause trouble.

In the following days, Su Fan seemed to become invisible in the fortress, wandering around the fortress every day.

In order to avoid attracting attention, he deliberately suppressed his cultivation level to the Nascent Soul stage, blending in with the passing cultivators and remaining inconspicuous.

For a regional war of this scale, the main force must have at least the Golden Core Realm cultivation level, and the same applies to the Cliff Mountain Fortress.

Currently, the main force of the cultivators participating in the battle within the fortress consists of those at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, while those at the Divine Transformation and Void Refinement stages form the core combat force. As for those at the Integration stage, they are the linchpin of the fortress.

However, the battle at Yai Shan Fortress has now reached its most brutal stage.

At the height of the battle, not only would cultivators at the Nascent Soul and Void Refinement realms perish, but even cultivators at the Body Integration realm could be killed on the battlefield and their souls scattered if they were not careful.

Every day, both inside and outside the fortress, cultivators fall, and every day, blood stains the land.

That lingering sense of desolation and despair, like a leech, clung to the heart of every cultivator.

As dusk settled, it gradually stained the outline of the Yaishan Fortress.

Su Fan concealed his aura, steadily suppressing his cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage, and strolled leisurely within the fortress as usual.

His steps seemed casual, but his gaze subtly swept over the defensive formations and patrolling cultivators along the way, and one could even faintly feel the faint smell of blood floating in the air at his fingertips.

Those are the marks left by countless battles, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.

Under this disguise, no cultivator gave him a second glance.

Everyone was on edge, focused solely on the direction of the demon race's defensive line, and no one paid any attention to the casual stroll of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Finally, he stopped at the very front of the fortress defense line, standing against the cliff, looking down at the desolate scenery below the city wall.

The area surrounding the Yaishan Fortress spans nearly ten thousand miles, making it a truly perilous place.

Mountains, karst formations, narrow valleys, and canyons intertwine, making every inch of the land appear rugged and menacing.

Countless steep stone peaks, thousands of feet high, rise abruptly from the ground, like sharp swords pointing straight to the sky.

The peaks are not connected to each other, and are bluish-gray in color. The surface is crisscrossed with grooves, which are traces of erosion by wind and rain over millions of years. The sharp edges are as if they were cleaved by a knife and axe, and they have an inviolable and fierce aura.

Between the stone peaks, the deep canyon is like the gaping mouth of a giant beast. The stream flows through the valley, and the water is so clear that it can reflect the shadows of the peaks on both sides, but it also has a chill in the air.

Vegetation grows wildly in the canyon, with trees, shrubs and vines intertwined tightly, their green so lush it's almost black, creating a stark contrast with the gray stone peaks.

As you walk along the canyon trail, you occasionally see waterfalls and springs cascading down, splashing water droplets, but you can't hear a sound of joy.

Only the chirping of birds and insects, amplified by the canyon, made the surroundings even more tranquil, so quiet that it made one's heart uneasy.

At this moment, clouds and mist began to rise, swirling among the stone peaks, making the steep peaks appear and disappear, like fairy mountains floating in the air.

But Su Fan felt a strange sense of oppression about the scenery.

This place is very similar to Zhangjiajie in my previous life, but it has been magnified more than ten times.

Looking down from the cliff, countless peaks and cliffs rise steeply, with clouds and mist weaving through them. What is clearly the magnificent power of nature has now become a natural barrier for the battlefield, brewing the impending bloodshed.

He couldn't help but sigh softly, his fingertips curling slightly.

This idyllic scenery will eventually be stained with blood.

The Yashan Fortress gets its name from the nearly vertical, steep cliff in front of it.

But this most dangerous section of the cliff is actually semi-circular, creating a protrusion nearly a thousand miles wide on the front line of the battlefield.

Although this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack, the danger of being attacked from three sides is even more fatal.

Su Fan frowned slightly, a heavy feeling rising in his heart.

Once the demon race breaches the defenses in any direction, this nearly thousand-mile-wide salient will be surrounded.

At that point, either several times the number of troops will be deployed to fight to the death to retake the defensive line, or the entire Yaishan Fortress will completely collapse, and this forward defensive line will be routed.

He simply couldn't understand why the cultivators of Changping Realm had chosen this cliff fortress as the forefront of their defenses.

The fortress may seem like an impregnable fortress, but in reality, it is hampered in many ways when defended, especially the two sides of the salient, which are the most fatal weaknesses of the entire defensive line.

Even if they retreated hundreds of miles, they could have built a truly impregnable fortress by taking advantage of the rugged terrain around them. Why suffer unnecessary casualties here?

As his thoughts raced, Su Fan slowly raised his head, his divine sense spreading out like an invisible spider web, carefully sweeping over the distant demon race's lines of defense, scanning them back and forth several times.

This inspection caused his pupils to contract slightly. Behind the demon race's defensive line, a vast, dark mass of demon beasts had gathered, seemingly endless, and even the air itself appeared murky from their ferocious aura.

The intelligence from the Qianlun Realm war zone is correct; the large-scale offensive by the demon race is imminent.

The battlefield was unusually calm at this moment. There was no fighting, no shouting, only the wailing sound of the wind sweeping the clouds and mist over the cliff.

But Su Fan knew better than anyone that this deathly silence was merely the buildup of strength before the great battle began, the suppression before the storm.

Perhaps the next moment will bring a devastating attack.

He glanced once more at the direction of the demon race's defensive line, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. He then withdrew his divine sense, turned around, and left the front line.

As he stepped off the stone steps of the defensive line, he suddenly stopped and his eyes narrowed sharply.

A faint yet strangely familiar scent flashed past his nose and disappeared in just a few breaths.

Su Fan continued down the stone steps inside the fortress without making a sound, turning into several dark and damp alleys.

The alley walls were carved with simple defensive runes, and a dim spiritual light flowed between the runes, making the shadows of pedestrians flicker.

The faces of everyone in the fortress bore an unmistakable weariness and anxiety.

Finally, he arrived at a main street inside the fortress. Most of the shops along the street had their doors half-closed, and the monks were hurrying along without anyone chatting.

He stood at the street corner, his gaze casually sweeping over a deeper alleyway on the side of the street, before stepping into it.

Just as I reached the alley entrance, I saw a slender figure slowly emerge from within.

She was a female cultivator with exquisite features and snow-white skin. Her stunning beauty should have made her graceful and charming, but at this moment, her dark gray robes concealed most of her brilliance.

The hem of the robe swayed gently in the breeze, but it was not light at all; instead, it resembled a frozen lake, exuding a chilling and serene atmosphere that penetrated to the bone.

A cyan longsword was slung across her back, its sheath still closed, yet a chilling killing intent rippled outwards.

That was the sharpness that could only be honed through countless battles and bloody fights, carrying a heavy stench of blood.

Zhang Xuemo also looked up at this moment, and her eyes met Su Fan's.

She was stunned at first, then shook her head vigorously, her eyes filled with disbelief, as if the figure in front of her was an illusion conjured by clouds and mist.

"Junior Sister Xue Mo, how have you been..." Su Fan's voice rang out calmly, carrying a hint of barely perceptible warmth.

The familiar voice reached her ears, and Zhang Xuemo suddenly came to her senses; the person in front of her was not an illusion.

She opened her mouth, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Overwhelmed by ecstasy, the fear, despair, and grief that had been building up inside her were instantly transformed into excitement.

He's here, Su Fan is here, the Yai Mountain Fortress is saved.

Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, which almost spilled over.

Zhang Xuemo hurriedly steadied herself, clasped her hands together, and hastily but respectfully bowed, her voice trembling slightly.

"Xue Mo... greets Senior Brother Su Fan..."

Su Fan nodded gently, his gaze sweeping over her pale face, noticing the weariness and sorrow in her eyes.

"I'm new here and not familiar with the area. Junior sister, let's find a quiet place and have a chat..."

Zhang Xuemo nodded vigorously, composed herself, and stepped aside to lead the way, bringing Su Fan to a nearby stone house.

This is a cave eatery built by hollowing out the mountain. There are no superfluous decorations inside, only rough stone tables and chairs. The tabletops still have faint traces of spiritual wine. The air is filled with the scent of spiritual food and dust. It is simple but exudes a sense of tranquility.

The two entered a small, detached stone house. Zhang Xuemo called over a waiter and ordered several spiritual dishes and a pot of spiritual wine.

After the waiter left, only the sound of their breathing remained in the stone house.

She picked up the wine pot and poured Su Fan a cup of spiritual wine. The wine was clear and shimmered with a faint spiritual light.

Zhang Xuemo picked up her wine glass, held it with both hands, and bowed slightly.

"Senior brother... this cup is for you..."

Su Fan picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and the rich flavor of the spirit wine spread across his tongue, but it couldn't suppress the oppressive atmosphere in the air.

He put down his wine glass and said, "I never expected to run into my junior sister here."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Are all the people from your Polar Sword Pavilion here...?"

Zhang Xuemo's shoulders trembled slightly, her fingers tightened around the wine glass, a trace of sorrow flashed across her face, and her voice was low and almost hoarse.

“Our Polar Sword Pavilion’s thousands of disciples… have now been wiped out, with most of them gone. Our master… and several junior brothers have also perished…”

Her tone seemed calm, but the trembling at the end of her voice and the tears she was trying to hold back in her eyes betrayed her inner grief.

Su Fan could clearly sense the bloodshed and brutality of the battlefield from these few words; it was a heavy burden built up by countless lives.

"Condolences..."

Su Fan remained silent for a moment before uttering only these two words.

He knew that any words of comfort would be futile at this moment, so he quickly changed the subject and asked the question that had been bothering him.

"I've never understood why Changpingjie chose the Yaishan Fortress as the front line of defense..."

Upon hearing this, a strong sense of sarcasm and deep resentment flashed in Zhang Xuemo's eyes.

She picked up her glass, tilted her head back, and took a large gulp of the spirit wine. The spicy liquid made her cough slightly, but it also suppressed her surging emotions.

"What else could it be? It was all because those envoys from the upper realm gave such bad orders. Back then, in order to seize this Cliff Mountain Fortress, our Polar Sword Pavilion lost hundreds of sword cultivators..."

Her voice suddenly rose and then quickly fell, filled with gritted teeth and hatred.

"Later, countless cultivators died trying to defend this place that shouldn't have been defended at all, but in the end, they could only passively defend, and even retreating a single step was difficult..."

Listening to her indignant accusations, Su Fan smiled bitterly to himself.

Those high-ranking envoys from the upper realm never cared about the lives of cultivators from the lower realm.

Their plans are often attrition warfare that results in 10,000 casualties for the enemy and 8,000 casualties for themselves.

However, the number of demons is endless, and to fight them in this way is simply like throwing an egg against a rock.

Zhang Xuemo put down her wine glass, her cheeks flushed slightly from the alcohol, but the redness in her eyes became more pronounced, her eyes red-rimmed, and she looked like she was about to cry, which made people feel sorry for her.

Su Fan looked at her, sighed softly, and spoke with an undeniable firmness.

"It'll be alright from now on... I'm here..."

(End of this chapter)