Luo Lin walked to the middle of the row of disciples and squatted down, giving them a smile. “It’s been tough on you.” Of course, it was tough on everyone but the degree of it varied by a lot. While those who were stronger fought alone, they also had the strength to have a hope of winning. Meanwhile, even after grouping up, these disciples were in a rough spot. Not to mention being confronted with life and death in the cultivation world for the first time.

The disciples close by turned to look at him while the ones further away were still staring at the lined-up bodies.

Luo Lin didn’t fuss about that. With the senses of a cultivator — even if it was one who had only established their foundation so far —, they could definitely hear what he was saying. And if they truly weren’t able to pay attention, then even going closer wouldn’t help at all.

“You’ve certainly heard before that the path of cultivation is dangerous but simply hearing those words can’t be compared to experiencing it.”

The eyes of the disciple closest to him turned red. “There are so many dead …”

Luo Lin turned to look over his shoulder, his gaze brushing over the bodies as well before he turned back. “Indeed. We’ve lost a lot of people. We are likely going to lose even more later on. This battle isn’t over.”

Some of the disciples lowered their heads but nobody spoke up.

They probably couldn’t bear to hear this but they had to. They needed to be prepared for what was to come. No matter how cruel reality was, closing your eyes and trying to hide wouldn’t help at all. When the next battle began, they would still be hit by it.

Luo Lin sighed and sat down more comfortably. Obviously, this would take a while. “I know it’s difficult to simply think about the future now. You probably knew some of them.”

The girl who had spoken up earlier nodded vividly, some of the tears sliding down her cheeks. “Lu He and Ji Gang entered the sect with us. Earlier, we were suddenly besieged by two demonic practitioners and we couldn’t hold on. The two of them stepped forward to try and deal with them but their level was too low. They only managed to hold on for a while and then …”

Luo Lin nodded. “They did their best trying to save you. But you have to remember that they did this to protect you. They wanted you to have a chance.”

Things like this happened often. If you were in a group and your level was higher, you’d always stand in front of the weaker disciples when mortal danger occurred. Until then, the younger ones had to fight by themselves so they could learn. But when it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to make it, then the stronger disciples would interfere and try to save them.

This was their self-understanding as the more senior disciples in the sect and also their pride as a cultivator. When the danger was in front of you and you could save others with your own strength, you would do it. It was the right thing to do. This was what all of them believed in.

The younger disciple shook her head, her hair that had partly slipped out of her hairband flying. “They did but … it shouldn’t have ended like this. They should have survived this. They should be with those disciples from the Zhen Yan Sect now, getting treated. They shouldn’t be … like this.”

Luo Lin nodded. “I know. It feels unfair. It shouldn’t have to be like this. If the demonic faction weren’t the way they are …” He furrowed his brows and hastily lowered his head to not show his expression to the younger disciples. He understood this feeling all too well. When he was cradling Shen Lei’s bloody body which was only one breath away from turning cold, he had felt this same unfairness.

Why did this have to happen? Why to this person? Why couldn’t the people in the demonic faction just be peaceful? Why did they have to fight over and over again, causing such unnecessary loss?

He didn’t know the answers to any of these questions. Nobody did. They could only accept what was happening and learn to move on. Of course, that was easier said than done.

Luo Lin raised his head again, his gaze brushing over the faces of the younger disciples. “No matter what happens, we can’t change the past. As cruel as it sounds to say it like this but they are gone. We can’t save them any longer even though we wish we could. We can only … continue fighting for the same goal they had: To stop those people and make sure that others will be able to live in safety.”

Some of the disciples nodded but they were obviously still distraught.

Luo Lin didn’t feel surprised. If they were able to get over things this quickly, he’d wonder if there was something wrong with them. Today’s experience would stick with them for a long time if they managed to make it out of the next battle alive.

“Alright. Even if we can’t save them any longer, there are others who can still be saved. How about checking in with the disciples of the Zhen Yan Sect to see whether you can help with anything there? There are a lot of people to treat, after all. And if there is nothing to do there, you can start to prepare for the next fight. It should still take some time until then but you have to be ready. That way, you’ll have a higher chance to defend yourself and also might not need as much protection from others. That could be what makes the difference between someone living or dying.”

Hearing this, the young disciples finally stirred. Even though they had little hope for the future at this moment, they didn’t want to see anyone else die. If they could prevent the previous situation from repeating … anything was worth it.