Chapter 129: Advancing (Extra Chapter 5 of 10 for Alliance Leader Wuliang Mountain Dormitory’s Fifth Roommate)
At this moment, rows of data slowly emerged on the massive campaign monument.
[Grade A Difficulty: Confronting the fifth wave of the Demon Shadow Curse. Appearances: 1,200 Blazing Demon Birds, 200 Magma Trolls, 30 Paralysis Demon Heads, 100,000 Blazing Demon foot soldiers.]
[Grade B Difficulty: Confronting the fifth wave of the Demon Shadow Curse. Appearances: 800 Blazing Demon Birds, 100 Magma Trolls, 20 Paralysis Demon Heads, 80,000 Blazing Demon foot soldiers.]
[Grade C Difficulty: Confronting the fifth wave of the Demon Shadow Curse. Appearances: 500 Blazing Demon Birds, 50 Magma Trolls, 6 Paralysis Demon Heads, 50,000 Blazing Demon foot soldiers.]
[Grade D Difficulty: Confronting the fourth wave of the Demon Shadow Curse. Appearances: 100 Blazing Demon Birds, 5 Magma Trolls, 1 Paralysis Demon Head, 10,000 Blazing Demon foot soldiers.]
—
[Grade A Difficulty: Zones A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5. Casualties below the designated limit. Pass.]
[Grade B Difficulty: Zones B1, B2, B4, and B5. Casualties below the designated limit. Pass. Zone B4 casualties exceeded the limit; downgraded to Zone C1. Zone B5 promoted to Zone B4.]
[Grade C Difficulty: Zone C1 casualties below the designated limit; promoted to Zone B5. Zones C2, C3, C4, and C5. Casualties below the designated limit. Pass.]
[Grade D Difficulty: Zones D1, D2, and D3 pass. Zone D5 suffered a massive rout; survivors had their memories erased, cultivation scattered, reverted to mortals, and were entirely eliminated. Zone D4, due to over 60% of trial-takers fighting to the death, despite poor performance, internal discord, and logistical failures, is considered valiant; those who died in battle have their memories erased to start anew.]
[Friendly Reminder: In campaign mode, any group where 60% of trial-takers fight to the death without retreating can trigger a chance for rebirth from the ashes, but only once.]
—
As the data faded, new words appeared on the campaign monument!
[Promoted to Zone B5]
In that instant, both inside and outside Cangwu City, tens of thousands of trial-takers—both veterans and newcomers—were stunned. They truly had not expected to rank first in Grade C difficulty.
Even less did they expect to be promoted to Grade B difficulty, becoming Zone B5.
A moment later, cheers erupted like a tidal wave. It had been so hard-won.
Soon, names began to appear on the campaign monument; this was the moment for rewards based on merit.
Ranking first was none other than Wei Cheng.
[Wei Cheng: Kill contribution 25,790; Defense contribution 8,372,109. Eligible for 50 seconds of Divine Light exposure, 10 Golden Dragon Coins, and one session of insight into the Heart Technique Monument.]
[Xu Guoliang: Kill contribution 1,203,458; Defense contribution 8. Eligible for 30 seconds of Divine Light exposure, 6 Golden Dragon Coins, and one session of insight into the Heart Technique Monument.]
[Wen Yu: Kill contribution 1,194,782; Defense contribution 520. Eligible for 30 seconds of Divine Light exposure, 5 Golden Dragon Coins, and one session of insight into the Heart Technique Monument.]
[King Chu Huai: Kill contribution 1,103,421; Defense contribution 0...]
[Chen Ce: Kill contribution 1,058,301; Defense contribution 0. Eligible for 30 seconds of Divine Light exposure, 4 Golden Dragon Coins, and one session of insight into the Heart Technique Monument.]
[Xu Shan: Kill contribution 1,002,398; Defense contribution 50. Eligible for 30 seconds of Divine Light exposure, 4 Golden Dragon Coins, and one session of insight into the Heart Technique Monument.]
—
The names were listed in order. Aside from Wei Cheng, who was of the Mountain-Moving profession, the top fourteen were all Purple Mist or Spirit Swallow practitioners.
Chen Ce and Xu Shan, relying on the mid-grade artifacts awarded for killing the Fire-Born Demon earlier, shone brightly in this battle, both ranking in the top ten.
Then came Bai Han, ranking fifteenth and the second Mountain-Moving profession to make the list, though his defense contribution of 983,421 was only one-eighth of Wei Cheng's.
This was the norm, for following him were Tang Yuanshan, Zhao Xiong, Zhou Wu, Qin Douzi, Qu Xiong, Tang Xiaojun, and dozens of other Mountain-Movers.
Even Yu Liang and Mei Renli made the list.
That’s right: from 15th to 45th, the list was dominated by the Mountain-Moving profession. Their kill contributions were low, but their average defense contribution was over 900,000.
No one dared to ignore the presence of the Mountain-Moving profession.
Names scrolled across the monument like flowing water. For every name that appeared, a transmission monument automatically descended upon that person's head; there was no need to fight for them, and others couldn't snatch them even if they wanted to.
These were exclusive transmission monuments.
The rewards this time were quite generous.
Anyone ranked within the top 100 received 30 seconds of Divine Light and insight into the Heart Technique Monument, plus a varying number of Golden Dragon Coins.
Those within the top 500 received 20 seconds of Divine Light and insight, plus one Golden Dragon Coin.
Those within 3,000 received 10 seconds of Divine Light and insight, plus Silver Dragon Coins. It could be said that these 3,000 people would all reach the second level of their heart techniques, leading to an explosive increase in overall strength.
Those ranked between 3,000 and 8,000 received 5 seconds of Divine Light and Copper Dragon Coins.
As for those between 8,000 and 12,000, they received 3 seconds of Divine Light and a jar of Osmanthus Wine.
And that was it.
In this battle, excluding the nine hundred or so who died in combat, the rest were those who slacked off, fled, fished in troubled waters, looted, engaged in backstabbing, hid to watch from the sidelines, or hid in safe places to sneer and gloat in their self-proclaimed cleverness.
The trial mechanism likely had no patience for such trash.
On Earth, no great power could discern their true nature, but here, there was no coddling!
—
"Boss Wei, I’ve heard much of your fame, and today’s battle proved it well-deserved. Fortunately, we had you as our anchor."
After claiming their rewards, Zhao Xiong from the West City strode over, followed by his core inner circle, including Wen Yu, who ranked just after Xu Guoliang. She was currently an Eight-Jiazi Purple Mist practitioner, having undergone a minor quality adjustment with impressive results.
In Wei Cheng’s eyes, this woman had even greater growth potential because her Purple Mist visualization had deepened to over 60%.
The reason her contribution lagged behind Xu Guoliang’s was entirely because she had assisted teammates over a dozen times, resolving their crises or saving allies on the verge of death. She had saved at least twenty people.
Given that, to still have such kill contribution meant her caliber was clear.
But such people were rare. Taking Wei Cheng’s own team, Chen Ce and Xu Shan combined, even with Liu Sui added, might not compare to Wen Yu.
Incidentally, Zhao Xiong’s team had been part of Zone C15, and they had once ventured into the toxic zone with Wei Cheng to kill the Magma Giant. However, Zhao Xiong was overly cautious and had retreated before the Fire-Born Demon outbreak.
In that, he was slightly better than Liu Wenli, who had abandoned all the Mountain-Movers and fled with his core team. At least Zhao Xiong hadn't lost his core members.
"Nice to meet you, and you're too kind. This battle was all thanks to everyone."
Wei Cheng shook hands with Zhao Xiong, acknowledging the introduction.
But it went no further. From now on, they were not enemies, but they wouldn't be friends either. Like well water and river water, they would keep their distance and develop on their own.
Next, Liu Wenli brought his people over to exchange insincere pleasantries before quickly retreating. In this battle, the biggest winners were actually his South City and Zhao Xiong’s West City.
Zhou Wu’s East City front line had been crippled in the first wave.
Qin Douzi’s North City was weaker overall, with too few veteran trial-takers and too many newcomers. They couldn't hold the front line and could only fill in on the second line.
However, these newcomers were indeed ferocious—high in fighting spirit, moving with discipline, and many had ranked within the top 3,000, gaining the second-level heart techniques for all three professions.
Wei Cheng estimated that after this, the combat effectiveness of the North City group would quickly rise to a new level.
Moreover, Wei Cheng believed that the second-level heart techniques would now be widely popularized, and no one would hoard them selfishly anymore.
The cohesion and unity of each team would be further strengthened.
The exploitation of mid-to-low-level trial-takers, especially newcomers, by the elite would further decrease.
The overall situation was improving, trending upward.
But there was one more thing.
"Old Bai, go tell everyone: if they choose the quality route for all three minor adjustments, they must have Qingmu internal energy to guard them during the third adjustment, or it will be extremely dangerous."
This was something Wei Cheng had tested himself. At the time, he had nearly been destroyed and only stabilized thanks to sixty years of Qingmu internal energy.
Now that their zone's strength was skyrocketing, it was inevitable that some would choose the quality route for all three adjustments, so it was best to warn them early.
He knew that these trial-takers were the core backbone of Zone B5.
"Wei Cheng, I hope you will join the East City front line."
Zhou Wu approached with his men, inviting Wei Cheng once again. This blunt, straightforward attitude was his trademark.
However, the East City front line had indeed suffered heavy losses, with nearly 700 dead. If no powerful professionals joined, morale would likely remain unstable.
"Fine, but only for this seventh stage. Also, unless the Demon Shadow Curse erupts, you had best not restrict my freedom."
Wei Cheng didn't hesitate much; he prioritized the mission over personal feelings.
Even if it had been Liu Wenli’s South City that suffered a major blow, he would have chosen to join them. There was no other reason than wanting to pass with a high score.
Besides, they were now in the second tier—didn't they want to promote to Grade A difficulty?
"Good!"
Zhou Wu nodded in agreement and walked away with a complex look on his face.
Then, Qin Douzi arrived. He also looked conflicted, wanting to say something, but finally just smiled. "Your 'Wei the Fool' perspective really never ceases to amaze."
With that, he also left with his men.
In the blink of an eye, only Wei Cheng and his group remained on the battlefield outside the East City.
"Old Wei, I need to go into seclusion."
Liu Sui said solemnly. He had ranked 54th, gaining the second level of the Purple Mist heart technique. He now urgently needed to master it. Furthermore, he was nearly at the level to break through to Eight-Jiazi Purple Mist; if the resources held up, he could immediately complete his second quality minor adjustment.
By then, Liu Sui would truly become a top-tier Purple Mist practitioner, on par with Xu Guoliang and the others.
"Good! If you lack resources, just say so. You are going to be the second heavyweight of our team."
Wei Cheng said with a relaxed smile. He wasn't joking; for the three professions, there had to be a top-tier powerhouse in each for a team to be truly strong.
"Of course, I will give it my all."
Liu Sui smiled confidently. He was no longer the clumsy, bookish guy he had been at the start, no longer needing Xu Shan to defend him at the cost of breaking with Zhou Wu’s team.
Now, he wanted to protect Xu Shan and give back to the entire team.
He meant what he said.
Others didn't feel much, but Xu Shan was already crying. Ah, this display of affection was everywhere.
But—no one expected the plot to take such a turn.
"Old Wei, I want to specialize in Qingmu!"
Xu Shan suddenly spoke up, startling even Wei Cheng. He had never been able to grasp her thoughts—she was always jumping around, willful, lazy, and prone to little tantrums.
"Stop!"
Wei Cheng took a long breath before saying earnestly, "Xu Shan, you are already a Nine-Jiazi Spirit Swallow. Although your two minor adjustments were rushed, you still have one adjustment left that can take the quality route. You’ve mastered the second-level Spirit Swallow heart technique, your Ladder Cloud Leap is perfect, your Spirit Swallow visualization has reached 19%, and you hold a mid-grade Red Blood Scimitar. You are the sixth-ranked person in the entire zone. My dear girl, please, stop being willful!"
But who would have thought—Wei Cheng’s words only made it worse. Xu Shan slapped her thigh, pointed at him, and laughed heartily until tears came out.
"Wei the Fool, did you just call me 'dear girl'? Fine, for that attitude alone, I’ve decided to be the team’s healer! No one try to talk me out of it, or I’ll be furious with you. A Nine-Jiazi Spirit Swallow is nothing; I don't care about it!"
Her words left Wei Cheng speechless, and the others were silent, or rather, they felt bitter—bitter in their hearts and mouths!
Sigh, did she think they were fools?
There could only be one reason for Xu Shan wanting to specialize in the Qingmu profession: she wanted to provide protection for Liu Sui’s third minor adjustment!
Wei Cheng had said earlier that if one chose the quality route for everything, the third adjustment would be extremely dangerous.
What kind of existence was Wei Cheng?
A freak, a heaven-defying monster, the top Mountain-Mover of the zone who could crush any profession.
If even he said it was dangerous, it was definitely incredibly dangerous.
Cultivation wasn't a dinner party. The immortal trials provided opportunities that allowed their strength to soar in a short time, but the first life-or-death tribulation was unavoidable.
That was the third minor adjustment!
So, sigh, everyone felt bitter!
Having that guy Zhou Wu around was one thing—out of sight, out of mind—but now, damn it, why were they starting to believe in love again?
Wei Cheng walked away, expressionless.
Bai Han stepped forward and patted Liu Sui on the shoulder, walking away without a word, but there was murder in his eyes.
Regardless of what kind of girl she was, even if she were full of flaws, for this one thing—if you dared to fail her, kid, I’d be the first to crush you.
Then came Chen Ce, Tang Yuanshan, Yu Liang, and finally the old man Mei Renli. They all understood, but suddenly, they didn't want to speak.
Damn it, we are just rats and toads in the mud; why did you have to let us see this ray of light?
Ah, someone save our eyes!
Behind the retreating crowd, Liu Sui and Xu Shan hugged and wept.