Chapter 63: Lightning Enhancement

(1/3)

Soon, as the jade stone crumbled to ash and scattered on the wind, the lightning ring on Xu Shan's finger was successfully strengthened; the flickering sparks transformed into more intricate, rhythmic lightning runes.

“Old Wei, we fully support your plan!”

Excited, Xu Shan quickly regained her composure. The clever are always clever; at last, she no longer uttered formal words of gratitude.

“Wei, count me in, Mei Renli! Whatever dangers await, I'll follow you without hesitation. If I so much as frown, then I'm not a Mei!”

Mei Renli shouted, his blood boiling—though the passion seemed a bit forced. The old fox had already sensed something different in the air, even though he had no idea what the Flame Ring or Lightning Ring were.

“No need for further words. Xu Shan, you’ll remain here on guard. The rest, follow me. This area is also a mining zone; after two consecutive earthquakes, some minerals might have been exposed. This is our opportunity.”

“But let me state this clearly: any Flame Stones we find are mine. You may keep any Black Iron Stones for yourselves. Jade Stones and any other minerals will be split evenly among us. Of course, in any future battles, the right to claim the monument depends solely on individual contributions. If you wish to trade privately, that's your own affair.”

Wei Cheng’s words carried subtle meaning. In future, Xu Shan and Liu Sui, as husband and wife, would surely be powerful and contribute greatly. They could accept being behind Wei Cheng when claiming the monument, but what about the others?

So, I advise you all to start stockpiling Jade Stones early, so you may trade with those two.

And all this has nothing to do with my reputation as a nice guy.

For a moment, everyone listened with bright eyes and eager spirits, while Xu Shan was left half amused, half exasperated. She and Liu Sui would never become tyrannical, bloodthirsty people like Xu Guoliang.

This big fool Wei, seemingly honest, was actually full of schemes.

Afterward, Wei Cheng led the group to search within a twenty-mile radius around Floating Cloud Pass, careful not to stray too far. It was enough, for the two eruptions of the Shadow Curse had brought earthquakes of magnitude seven or eight, severely altering the terrain and, indeed, bringing some deeply buried minerals to the surface.

Cheng An, Yu Liang, Wang Wei, and Mei Renli split up. Though their spiritual power was not as strong as Wei Cheng’s, who could sense mineral energy from afar, they searched diligently and made discoveries nonetheless.

In fact, in less than an hour, Mei Renli was the first to find a Flame Stone. He presented it to Wei Cheng, looking as eager as an old dog seeking favor.

A fine token of allegiance.

Soon, others also found minerals, mostly Black Iron Stones. Even Wei Cheng picked up two, showing just how significant the earthquakes had been.

(2/3)

The use of Black Iron Stone was still unknown, as it could not be absorbed or strengthened by the Flame Ring or Lightning Ring. However, it would certainly fetch a good price in Cangwu City, allowing for purchase of superior cultivation resources—which was quite appealing.

This was why Wei Cheng allowed the others to keep their Black Iron Stones. The team needed unity, but each member should also have room to grow and pursue their own ambitions.

As evening fell and darkness descended, Wei Cheng led the group back. They had searched for most of the day and their harvest was substantial—on average, each person had two Black Iron Stones.

In total, they had found four Flame Stones and one Jade Stone.

In truth, Wei Cheng had also found a Jade Stone, but he saw no need to reveal it. Xu Shan and Liu Sui already owed him too many debts; he would not burden the newlyweds with more. His conscience would not allow it.

In summary, everyone was quite pleased.

The Flame Stones went to Wei Cheng, the Jade Stone to Liu Sui, who had successfully advanced five cycles.

At this moment, the aura he unconsciously emitted matched that of Xu Guoliang in the past. Yet he lacked Xu Guoliang’s ruthlessness; standing there, dignified and calm, he was like a mountain looming over the abyss—reassuring, especially with his scholarly air.

“Thank you, Wei. Thank you, everyone. I’ll accept this Jade Stone for now, and I promise not to disappoint. My wife and I will never betray the team or any of you.”

Liu Sui’s words were genuine. Even the old fox, Mei Renli, thought this deal was exceedingly worthwhile.

With his lifetime’s eye for character, Liu Sui was clearly a capable, good-hearted young man untouched by the harsher side of society. In days past, he would be called a gentleman.

A gentleman can be trusted, especially since this one truly owes us favors.

It’s a fine thing indeed!

——

Dark clouds gathered, darkness blanketed the land. There was not a single star, nor a breath of wind; the world was as silent as a sealed coffin.

Jagged rocks covered the ground like slumbering beasts, ready to awaken at any moment.

Oppression—endless oppression.

(3/3)

An ominous atmosphere weighed upon every heart.

Wei Cheng, Liu Sui, Xu Shan, Cheng An, Mei Renli, Yu Liang, Wang Wei, and Sister Zhao—who had mostly recovered—stood atop the remnants of Floating Cloud Pass, gazing into the unseen distance. That direction was where Zhou Wu’s team had gone, the path to Cangwu City.

The other teams were also heading that way.

“One day is enough for them to advance two hundred miles. If all goes well, within two days they’ll escape the poison zone and reach Cangwu City. Do you think this level will see a first-kill record for the poison zone? With an extra reward, perhaps?”

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Xu Shan’s eyes. In the past two days, their gains had been modest. Although she had advanced six cycles and Liu Sui five, and their lightning rings were now strengthened to +5, they had fought too few demon squads and received too little divine light.

“Don’t worry about them. Tonight, we keep searching and mining. I’ve now strengthened my Flame Ring to +11. The two of you should also work to get your Lightning Rings to +6. If so, we’ll have nothing to fear from tomorrow’s Shadow Curse. When dawn comes, we’ll head in other directions to hunt demons.”

“While others are desperate to escape the poison zone, we’ll find ways to linger as long as possible—not just mining, but wiping out every demon squad and stronghold within the zone!”

Wei Cheng spoke boldly, full of confidence—and why not?

Four Flame Stones had brought his ring to +11. One stone strengthened it from +9 to +10; the other three took it to +11. This meant his ring alone provided defense equal to three immovable golden bells.

“Agreed!”

“Seconded!”

Everyone responded in unison, their spirits soaring. Their current state was excellent.

Their team was well-balanced, with no worries or grudges, a bright future, and mutual debts of gratitude. Even the old fox Mei Renli felt optimistic—what possible reason was there not to give their all?