Chapter 10: Surviving the Calamity (Bonus Chapter 2/10 for Alliance Leader Lan Ruoruo)

“Retreat!”

Wei Cheng urged in a low voice. At this point, it was a luxury to even consider scrambling for a chance to touch the stone monument of martial transmission. Hundreds of bat demons still remained, far too many.

Especially in this open area, Wei Cheng could not protect everyone; only by retreating into the narrow mine tunnel could they withstand the onslaught.

Even the reckless Zhang Yong was now seized with terror. He had slain dozens of bat demons, but more than half of his Violet Dawn inner strength had been depleted. The main issue was that too many had died; the courage he once brimmed with had utterly vanished.

The others fared even worse. Nearly everyone was wounded. If not for their newfound ability to cooperate and shield each other—and Wei Cheng, that formidable force—they would already be on the verge of collapse.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Wei Cheng swung his pickaxe in sweeping arcs, slaying bat demons in midair and quickly relieving some of the pressure on the group. The others maintained a steady pace, retreating step by step into the mine passage.

At the entrance, Wei Cheng alone blocked all the bat demons; no matter how many came, none could break through.

Within moments, he had slain several dozen more.

Finally, the remaining bat demons grew fearful, circling but not daring to advance.

The survivors hurried to pile stones and block up the tunnel entrance.

Wei Cheng leaned against the stone wall and slowly sat down. His Mountain-moving inner strength was nearly exhausted. Even two cycles' worth of inner power could not withstand such consumption. Had he not been the first to touch the stone monument, replenishing his vitality to its peak, he would never have managed to last this long.

The bat demons themselves were not difficult to deal with, but their sheer numbers posed a problem, and their sharp mouthparts meant the Golden Bell Shield needed to be activated at all times. Otherwise, a single bite could drain half one's blood.

Wailing echoed through the dark tunnel. Zhang Yong, the erstwhile troublemaker who had always bullied others, muffled his sobs. This thick-skinned youth finally tasted fear.

Everyone else was in dire straits, their spirits sunk into despair.

There had been thirty-eight of them before; now only eleven remained. Even if they barely knew each other, witnessing companions fall and shriek as they were drained to husks was unbearable.

Wei Cheng lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over each survivor. Of the eleven people left, apart from Zhang Yong and a middle-aged man named Han Dong, all practiced the Mountain-moving technique.

In other words, the Purple Dawn Society, once so arrogant and full of hope thanks to Zhang Yong, was now utterly destroyed. Even Wu Yin, the attractive young woman, had not survived.

When facing the bat demons, only those who practiced Mountain-moving could use their inner power to resist quick blood loss. Practitioners of the other two techniques were powerless.

Especially those who cultivated the Spirit Swallow technique—all of them had perished.

Wei Cheng took comfort in seeing Bald Brother among the survivors, as good-natured as ever despite his disheveled state.

No one spoke; Wei Cheng had no desire to talk. He took out a vegetable cake, eating it bit by bit, then closed his eyes to meditate, contemplating the second stage of the Golden Bell Shield.

This was the reward for having touched the stone monument.

Earlier, he did not know why, but the stone demon had targeted him. Fortunately, after receiving the monument's light three times, his spiritual senses surpassed what they had been, allowing him to dodge in time. Yet this also became his greatest worry.

To survive an assassination attempt by the stone demon, aside from keen senses, defense was paramount.

Would cultivating the second stage of the Golden Bell Shield be enough to withstand it?

After a long while, Wei Cheng opened his eyes. For a brief instant, golden light surged over his body and then vanished. He had fully mastered the second stage of the Golden Bell Shield.

The others watched him quietly, their eyes filled with envy and awe—even Zhang Yong avoided his gaze.

“You must all find ways to continue your cultivation. When you amass two cycles of inner power, you’ll open a second innate meridian,” Wei Cheng explained simply, hoping to boost their morale, for the group was still in low spirits.

“Those bat demons are not a threat. As long as we hold this tunnel and avoid making loud noises, we can pick them off bit by bit. We have eleven people left, which means nine of you can still touch the stone monument.”

“Now, let’s dismantle the stone wall and replenish our strength.”

His words were calm, but they immediately reinvigorated the group. Whether it was the promise of two cycles of inner power or a chance to touch the monument, hope returned to their faces.

The stone wall was quickly pulled down. The monument, now half its original size, still emitted a faint glow. Fewer than two hundred bat demons remained, hanging upside down on the rock ceiling. Only the scattered corpses reminded everyone of the recent carnage.

Wei Cheng had the others stay inside the tunnel while he ventured out, treading lightly to retrieve the bodies of bat demons killed by fire—there was no other choice now.

But as he prepared to search the miners’ corpses, a violent explosion suddenly echoed from another direction in the cave, startling the bat demons, who screeched and swooped down.

Wei Cheng dared not be careless. He activated the Golden Bell Shield and slowed his attacks, lest the stone demon be drawn again.

If not for concerns about the stone demon, his second-stage Golden Bell Shield would make him unafraid of the bat demons.

Now, he fought as he retreated, returning to the tunnel where the others quickly sealed the entry with stones, successfully blocking the bat demons.

The process went smoothly: they killed over fifty bat demons and recovered some food to restore their strength.

“Brother Wei, bat demon meat is edible—just as good as roasted spider,” Bald Brother whispered.

Wei Cheng nodded, without any fuss, and together they ate everything cleanly.

Once everyone had regained their strength, he said solemnly:

“There are other people in this cave. That explosion just now sounded like a firestone, and it’s likely not far from us—no more than five or six hundred meters. We must hurry; at the very least, we must touch the monument first.”

“So this time, we go out together.”

Wei Cheng felt a growing sense of urgency. He wasn’t worried about hostile strangers, but about competition.

Whoever touched the martial monument first would gain enormous advantage.

Not only would they obtain the best martial techniques, but also enjoy two or three seconds of mysterious illumination, greatly enhancing their vitality and spirit.

“Alright! We’ll follow your lead, Brother Wei.”

Everyone nodded eagerly. Now well-fed and with their inner power restored, they had gained experience against the bat demons. Another battle was at hand.

They dismantled the stone wall again. Outside, bat demons still circled. Wei Cheng charged ahead, his Golden Bell Shield flaring, pickaxe striking with renewed vigor. The earlier explosion might have drawn the stone demon away, so he risked it this time.

Beside him was the now far more subdued Zhang Yong. Although he lacked the Golden Bell Shield, the Violet Dawn inner power coupled with the Swimming Dragon Palm made him formidable. Bat demons that flew at him were dispatched with a single slap.

Even a dozen bat demons could not trouble him.

On another side was the always low-key Han Dong. He too cultivated the Violet Dawn technique. Though he hadn’t acquired a matching external martial art, he wielded his pickaxe infused with purple energy with ease.

Their survival earlier had reason.

Wei Cheng, Zhang Yong, and Han Dong led the charge, the others following in a chaotic swarm. No strategy was needed: as long as they circulated Mountain-moving inner power throughout their bodies, they need not fear the bat demons’ bloodsucking, and a careless bite wouldn’t incapacitate them.

With their backs to the tunnel, they could support each other.

After a fierce battle, the pressure suddenly eased—there were no bat demons left overhead. They had survived.

Everyone looked to Wei Cheng. Even those eager to touch the monument now restrained themselves.

“Han Dong, you go first; you should be able to draw out the first stage of the Swimming Dragon Palm.”

“Zhang Yong, you need not touch it—you’ve already obtained an external martial art. Your priority is to cultivate your inner power to two cycles and open a second innate meridian. That will double your strength.”

“Brother Xu, you go second; you might still get the first stage of the Golden Bell Shield. These are the most valuable three spots.”

“Hu Hailong, you’re third; you’ll certainly draw out the first stage of Iron Cloth. Yu Liang, you’ve already obtained Iron Cloth before, so focus on cultivation now.”

“Wang Wei, you’re fourth.”

“Cheng An, fifth.”

Wei Cheng spoke calmly, calling out names. The others obediently lined up; none protested, not even the former troublemaker Zhang Yong, who seemed to have matured overnight.

Whether due to increased difficulty or luck, this time the monument granted slightly better martial arts.

Not only did Han Dong acquire the first stage of the Swimming Dragon Palm, Bald Brother gained the first stage of the Golden Bell Shield, and even Hu Hailong drew out the Golden Bell Shield. Wang Wei and Cheng An obtained the first stage of Iron Cloth, while three others received Iron Head Technique.

These small differences could decide life or death in critical moments.

“Three Golden Bell Shields, three Iron Cloths, two Swimming Dragon Palms, three Iron Head Techniques. If all cultivate two cycles of inner power and open a second innate meridian, how much stronger will we be?”

Wei Cheng pondered in silence.

“Brother Wei, there’s still one spot left on the monument. What do you think?” Yu Liang approached with a smile.

Wei Cheng glanced at the monument, now only the size of a computer case, its glow much weakened.

Only Zhang Yong and Yu Liang were eligible, but Zhang Yong was already deep in cultivation, leaving Yu Liang.

“Alright, it’s yours.”

“Thank you, Brother Wei!”

Yu Liang hurried over and touched the monument; it faded away. His expression, however, was slightly disappointed.

“Iron Head Technique, first stage. I was hoping for Grass Step or Cloud Ladder.”

Wei Cheng mused silently at his words.