Chapter 54: Yang Yufeng’s Finest Hour

As Wei Cheng drew within three hundred meters of Floating Cloud Pass, a blinding burst of fire suddenly illuminated the fortress walls above. The air seethed with heat as twenty massive fireballs rapidly took shape, their power formidable and terrifying.

Everyone’s heart leapt into their throats; even Wei Cheng’s palms were slick with sweat. Truly, no matter how confident he was, if all twenty fireballs struck him, he would be doomed—utterly annihilated, with not even ashes left behind.

Of course, if those antlered fiends truly unleashed such a barrage, the other trial challengers would surely shout for joy. Yang Yufeng and several other powerful Spirit Swallows were already poised like leopards, ready to surge up the walls in the brief interval before the next volley of fireballs formed and unleash a ruthless slaughter. Indeed, at their speed, they would wreak absolute havoc. The boar demons and black giant apes could only block the Mountain Movers, but they could never stop the Spirit Swallows.

“Hurry, release them!” More than one person silently chanted this thought. Let Wei Cheng die—it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they would win!

But, in the split second that followed, the antlered fiends atop the fortress did not foolishly focus their attack on Wei Cheng alone. He was simply the fastest, so eight fireballs locked onto him, while six others targeted the lagging Zhou Wu and Tang Xiaojun. The remaining six fireballs were ominously held back, their force vaguely aimed at Yang Yufeng and others several hundred meters away.

These antlered fiends were far from stupid; they could sense the grave threat posed by the Spirit Swallow class. To counter them, fireballs with a two hundred meter blast radius were the most effective means, for the Spirit Swallows were just as fragile as they were swift.

There was no time to think. Fourteen fireballs detonated violently, and everyone inwardly wailed—their carefully crafted plans had been shattered in an instant. With six fireballs still in reserve, not even a seasoned Spirit Swallow dared to charge forward, much less someone like Zixia. Only a Mountain Mover could hope to withstand the shockwave of a fireball head-on. But if a Mountain Mover did try to charge in, the boar demons would quickly teach them a harsh lesson.

In just three seconds, a new wave of fireballs could form; by then, they would have to consider how best to retreat. Worse yet, their three strongest Mountain Movers might never return.

Yet, in the midst of the roaring explosions, Wei Cheng was far calmer than anyone could have imagined. Eight fireballs hurtled toward him, swift and precise, their trajectories adjusting as they locked onto their target. How agile would a Mountain Mover have to be to dodge them? And if he didn’t dodge, how formidable would his defense need to be to withstand their force?

With a thunderous roar, the massive explosions erupted almost instantaneously. The immovable Golden Bell that Wei Cheng had conjured in a flash was obliterated with no suspense at all. The ferocious, rending shockwave left him no chance to reforge his shield.

But almost seamlessly, a new Golden Bell took shape around Wei Cheng—destroyed again, replaced by a third, and then a fourth. This time, the fourth Golden Bell was sheathed in a thin layer of flame: at this critical moment, Wei Cheng had activated his Flame Ring.

Fire resistance plus six.

This humble magical item finally displayed its worth, providing a crucial buffer and allowing Wei Cheng to achieve a miracle. He actually survived the simultaneous detonation of eight fireballs. Though the fourth Golden Bell was riddled with cracks and vanished in the chaos a second later, the most important point was that Wei Cheng was completely unharmed.

Not only was he still charging forward at full speed, but his hands continued to rapidly weave the seals for the Golden Bell. He understood perfectly—the outcome would be decided in this instant.

Hesitate? Retreat? He dared not, nor could he trust that anyone else would seize the opportunity in such a brief window. He had no choice. As a Mountain Mover, his very purpose was to break deadlocks, to provide the strongest defense for his comrades, and to deliver a decisive blow on the harshest battlefield to turn the tide. Only when he broke through would the other classes have a chance to shine.

Therefore, he could not retreat; instead, he had to charge forward with unmatched speed and strength, straight into the heart of the enemy.

In a flash, three spare Golden Bell seals were formed, draining the last of Wei Cheng’s inner strength. He had played all his cards.

Victory means life; defeat means death. It no longer mattered.

When Wei Cheng burst forth from the billowing flames, everyone behind him was stunned—though some were quick to seize the opportunity.

“Draw the boar demons away!” Xu Shan cried, her figure flashing like a Spirit Swallow as she left only an afterimage and pounced forward. Yet on the other side, Yang Yufeng, a six-tiered Spirit Swallow, deliberately lagged a step behind.

There were still six fireballs up there! Though his job was to lure the boar demons, now was not the time. Better to conserve strength and claim the monument at the end, wasn’t it?

As for the five boar demons—if Wei the Fool could withstand eight fireballs, surely he could handle these as well, right?

“Yang Yufeng, damn your ancestors!” Zhou Wu cursed, but could do nothing else.

When the five boar demons charged at Wei Cheng, they were in fact creating the perfect opportunity for everyone else.

“I’ll go left, you go right!” In that fleeting instant, Zhou Wu made his choice. Wei Cheng was impressive, but not as valuable as victory.

He and Tang Xiaojun split up, making straight for the fortress. Their aim was to lure down the last six fireballs, thus creating the greatest possible chance for their own people. His most trusted, Zixia of the fifth tier, Xu Guoliang, was waiting for this moment.

As Zhou Wu and Tang Xiaojun accelerated, the antlered fiends atop the wall felt the mounting pressure. If these Mountain Movers got within a hundred meters, even the shockwaves from the fireballs would injure the fiends themselves.

They had to be stopped.

With a thunderous roar, the last six massive fireballs crashed down from above, engulfing the battlefield in flames and shockwaves. But the momentum of the fiendish defenders was broken. Even as twelve black giant apes howled and charged down, even as scores of violet-skinned fiends and wolf demons leapt into the fray, their efforts were futile.

Qin Douzi, Qu Xiong, and a tide of seventh and sixth-tier Mountain Movers surged forward, carefully avoiding Wei Cheng’s area. They wanted to help, but truly could not. Mountain Movers had short legs, and the boar demons were hulking brutes—charging them head-on was suicide, except perhaps for Xu Shan, who managed to draw one away.

And in that moment, just as the first boar demon slammed into Wei Cheng’s Golden Bell, Yang Yufeng, the six-tiered Spirit Swallow, sprang into action.

He was blindingly fast. In a single second, he reached the top of the wall, dagger flashing with a cold gleam—a near-magic blade forged in Floating Cloud City. With his terrifying speed and the weapon’s sharpness, he could wipe out every antlered fiend in an instant.

Who said Zixia was the strongest damage dealer? Fools—the real king was right here.

Zhou Wu treated fifth-tier Zixia, Xu Guoliang, like a treasure. Bah! What was so special about a fifth-tier Zixia? Come and chase me if you dare!

So far, only the Mountain Mover’s Golden Bell and these accursed fireballs had thwarted him. Otherwise, who in the entire region could compare?

Ha!

Just as Yang Yufeng was certain of victory, and as everyone else believed the battle was decided, a gigantic antlered fiend suddenly appeared atop the fortress wall. In its grasp was a sinister bone staff adorned with three petrified human heads.

This wretch had been hiding all along! Shameless!