Chapter 60: The Second Wave of Shadow Curse (Extra Chapter for Lord Zhibai 2/11)

With everything arranged, Wei Cheng sat cross-legged opposite Liu Sui, waiting for the second wave of the Shadow Curse to arrive.

At this moment, Liu Sui was reaping considerable rewards from his cultivation. A purple haze, more than a foot thick, enveloped him, bright and dazzling, shifting gently with his breath. The full outline of the Purple Cloud Visualization had already taken shape.

This was crucial.

Without a Visualization, one’s combat power would be cut down several times. With the Purple Cloud Visualization comprehended, even if Liu Sui failed to break through the Fifth Cycle and open his fifth innate meridian, his battle strength would still increase significantly.

From what Wei Cheng observed, Liu Sui had a strong chance of advancing.

After confirming Liu Sui's condition, Wei Cheng began to study the eighth stage of the Golden Bell Shield technique. This stage was undeniably more complex and obscure, far harder to grasp. Even with Wei Cheng’s mental strength, he found it exhausting.

After a long while, he gave up in frustration. It couldn’t be done—truly couldn’t. His spiritual power was insufficient; everything felt hazy, as if he could see the outline but couldn’t fully grasp it.

Wei Cheng estimated that none among his group—including Zhou Wu’s team—could comprehend this eighth stage external technique, for their spiritual strength simply wasn’t enough.

Even for him, he was still lacking by a wide margin.

Unless he could touch the First Kill Stele at the stronghold three times in succession and receive such intense divine radiance, it would be impossible.

Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that some true prodigy might achieve it without so much exposure to the divine light.

But that was talent—irrelevant to Wei Cheng.

About two hours later, the time for the second outbreak of the Shadow Curse approached.

Xu Shan, Cheng An, Yu Liang, and Wang Wei had already hurried back and stood guard at Wei Cheng’s side. Though they’d survived one Shadow Curse yesterday morning, uncertainty still gnawed at everyone’s hearts.

Mei Renli and the obsessively cultivating woman also stopped their practice and drew near—the former utterly shameless, thick-skinned as could be. The woman flashed a sheepish smile at Xu Shan and edged over as well. Did they know each other?

Wei Cheng had no time to care; he focused all his senses on the changing aura around them. His most important goal was to protect Liu Sui; otherwise, all of Liu Sui’s hard work would be for nothing.

After a while, a violent tremor surged from deep within the earth. A mysterious and unfathomable roar echoed. In that instant, the ground fractured, cliffs collapsed, and even the battered walls of Floating Cloud Pass shook violently for more than ten times, a third of them crumbling directly.

Fortunately, the place where Wei Cheng and the others stood was the most solid and central, and did not collapse.

Everyone’s faces paled in shock, and Wei Cheng grew solemn. Such power, capable of shaking mountains and seas with ease, was terrifying. Compared to it, even if he could lift thousands of pounds bare-handed, he was utterly insignificant.

“Hold your minds steady, circulate your internal energy, raise your shields!”

Wei Cheng shouted, swiftly forming seals with both hands. Complex and mysterious Golden Bell sigils appeared and vanished in succession.

In a flash, a resonant hum sounded, and three Immovable Golden Bells formed in sequence, expanding to their fullest and enveloping himself—and just barely covering Liu Sui, who was at a critical stage in his cultivation.

This was the only method available; Wei Cheng still couldn’t place the Immovable Golden Bell on others at will. He guessed that would require mastering the eighth and ninth stages of the Golden Bell Shield.

As the Immovable Golden Bell took shape, Wei Cheng’s Flame Ring activated, spreading a protective shield inscribed with flame runes. It covered a radius of three meters, just enough to shield Xu Shan, Cheng An, Yu Liang, and Wang Wei.

The +9 fire resistance was even more effective than Wei Cheng had expected.

“Boss Wei, words can’t express my gratitude!”

Old Mei Renli was shameless enough to be outrageous, darting forward and squeezing himself in by force.

“Sister Zhao, get in here!” Xu Shan called urgently, with no choice but to owe Wei Cheng another favor.

Once the woman squeezed in as well, the next second came the howling wind, heavy shadows, and the second wave of the Shadow Curse arrived as expected. From all directions, withered energy filled the air. The already shriveled plants rotted away completely, the soil turned foul and black, and even the hard rocks weathered and cracked.

This second wave of the Shadow Curse was fiercer than anyone imagined, though in truth its power had only increased by twenty percent.

Wei Cheng’s Flame Shield was indeed the best defense against the Shadow Curse, able to withstand the shadowy winds for a full three seconds before dissipating.

Even once the shadow winds remained, their power was cut by half.

The next moment, everyone faced the shadow winds head-on.

Mei Renli and Cheng An, both Mountain Movers of the Sixth Cycle, found it easiest to cope. Even without mastering the Immovable Golden Bell, their Golden Bell Shields allowed them to endure until the end.

Yu Liang and Wang Wei, Mountain Movers of the Fifth Cycle, struggled much more. After only a few seconds, their Golden Bell Shields were completely eroded; both turned pale, a surge of black energy rising from their bodies, as if stricken by a severe illness.

Yet, they could still recover by expending internal energy.

Xu Shan was the most remarkable. While resisting with internal energy, a faint layer of electric light appeared over her, reducing the Shadow Curse’s effect by nearly half. Ultimately, after a few minutes and considerable consumption of her Spirit Swallow internal energy, she fully cleansed the lingering curse.

The worst off was the woman—Sister Zhao. Despite her desperate efforts, part of the curse infiltrated her meridians. After coughing up several mouthfuls of black blood, she collapsed, black energy enveloping her, withered air saturating her, as if her end was near.

Yet, this was already a stroke of luck. Without Wei Cheng’s Flame Shield blocking half the shadow winds, she would likely have perished on the spot!

“Help me... save me...” Sister Zhao whispered, her breath as thin as silk. Her face was ashen, foul black vapor swirled around her, and her once fair skin sprouted ugly sores, rotting and oozing before their eyes. Her hard-earned Spirit Swallow internal energy of the Fifth Cycle was powerless against such corrosion.

The weakness of the Spirit Swallow vocation was glaring—far too fragile.

Yu Liang and Wang Wei, both of the Fifth Cycle as well, were merely pale and weak. A bit of internal energy spent, and their color returned quickly.

Xu Shan glanced at Wei Cheng, wanting to say something, but in the end said nothing.

The woman was her colleague; though their relationship was decent, she couldn’t ask again on her behalf, especially since Wei Cheng might not be able to help anyway.

Mei Renli sighed and looked away.

Cheng An’s face showed compassion, but he remained silent—he had no solution.

Wei Cheng, however, was thoughtful. His mental strength was the greatest, and he observed the entire process of the curse's corrosion closely.

Brother Xun once said: Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never lose a hundred battles.

It was hard to guarantee he wouldn’t face even stronger Shadow Curses in the future. Being safe today did not mean he could count on luck tomorrow.

“I’ll give it a try. But let me be clear—I can’t guarantee you’ll survive.”

Wei Cheng spoke; he needed this opportunity.