Chapter 7: Auspicious Purple Clouds from the East

“Heh heh heh, the first level of the Soaring Dragon Palm Technique—this is wonderful! It’s a perfect match for my Purple Mist Heart Method!”

Inside the mine, Zhang Yong suppressed his excitement, laughing quietly. Then, as if recalling something, he turned to Wei Cheng and asked, “Wei, what did you get? Iron Head Technique or Iron Shirt?”

Wei Cheng didn’t answer. He picked up his undamaged basket and made his way to Bald Brother, who in the end hadn’t managed to touch the Transmission Stele.

“Brother Xu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. As long as I’m alive, that’s good enough.” Bald Brother gave a simple, honest smile. His outlook remained surprisingly positive.

“What about you, Wei? What did you get?”

“First level of Golden Bell Shield,” Wei Cheng replied simply. His voice was soft, but it drew a chorus of gasps and envious glances.

Of the ten people who had reached the stele, four practiced the Spirit Swallow Heart Method and four the Moving Mountain Heart Method. Among them, the best only managed to get Iron Shirt; the other three received Iron Head Technique.

Though these three external martial arts all matched the Moving Mountain Heart Method, the differences between them were vast. Iron Head Technique strengthened only the head, and could sometimes be used offensively. Its compatibility with the Moving Mountain Heart Method was just sixty percent. Iron Shirt, as the name implied, fortified the torso, with a compatibility of seventy percent. Only the Golden Bell Shield offered comprehensive defense, leaving no part of the body vulnerable.

The trial immortal’s assessment of compatibility had explained all this vividly and thoroughly.

Moreover, as the first to touch the Transmission Stele, those two seconds of radiance bestowed Wei Cheng with immense benefits. Not only did it heal all his burns and internal injuries, but it also sharpened his mind as if his very soul had become translucent and enlightened.

This had a most direct effect: he immediately gained a profound understanding of the first level of the Golden Bell Shield. With a small circulation of Moving Mountain internal energy, a faint golden aura could be seen enveloping him from head to toe.

His defensive power had at least doubled compared to before. This, no doubt, was the effect of performing a heart method in perfect harmony with a matched external technique.

By now, everyone who had been in hiding within the mine had emerged—thirty-eight in all. They dared not speak loudly, but some eyed the charred corpse of the giant spider with undisguised hunger. For now, it was the only food source in the mine.

“Everyone, I’ll go first. If I’m not poisoned, you can eat too. There’s enough here for all of us,” a middle-aged man called out quietly, stepping forward. He also practiced the Moving Mountain Heart Method, but hadn’t touched the Transmission Stele and deeply regretted it. It had turned out that being first to the stele brought the greatest reward—so simple.

Why had they been so cautious? They should have been bolder, far bolder! But everyone understood this now. As the man charged forward, the others swarmed after him, not caring if it was spider or crab, devouring the creature greedily. It almost looked appetizing.

After a few seconds, a second wave of people gave in. Eventually, even Wei Cheng and Bald Brother joined the scramble.

Indeed, the giant spider was edible. Especially after being roasted by fire, its taste was uniquely delicious, unforgettable even. More importantly, eating the roasted spider rapidly restored their strength.

Those practicing the Purple Mist Heart Method immediately sat cross-legged to cultivate, but so did the others. For martial artists at the Innate level, this was only the beginning—no one would turn down a chance to gain more internal power.

The roasted spider was large and plentiful enough that no one fought over it for now. Everyone focused on cultivation: after each cycle, if they grew hungry, they ate more spider, then resumed their training.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of the final hundred-day sprint before a crucial exam.

Wei Cheng was among them, but with a difference: his mind, now clear and awakened, allowed him a deeper understanding of the Moving Mountain Heart Method. Cultivation felt smoother and more natural than ever.

His progress was about half again as fast as before. While others managed two cycles, he completed three. And with each cycle, the internal power he gained was slightly greater than before. In practice, while others gained the equivalent of four cycles, he acquired the benefit of seven.

After about three days, with everyone having cultivated five to six cycles on average, the roasted spider was nearly gone.

By this point, all those who had chosen the Purple Mist Heart Method had successfully accumulated a full sixty years of internal power, becoming Innate realm martial artists. Their combat strength now far outstripped the others.

Especially Zhang Yong, who had acquired the first level of the Soaring Dragon Palm Technique—he was now the undisputed strongest among them.

He gathered all the Purple Mist Heart Method cultivators and formed a group he boldly named the “Eastern Purple Qi World Society.” The name was childish, but their actions were not: they monopolized the remaining roasted spider.

The others dared only to seethe in silence—they simply stood no chance in a fight.

Some hoped Wei Cheng would intervene, but he sat quietly, saying nothing.

Over the past three days, while others had only managed six cycles at most, he had effectively completed ten, accumulating the internal power of twenty years—a third of a full cycle.

In addition, he still had two vegetable cakes left.

He carefully broke them apart and ate them stealthily when no one was watching. They tasted extremely bitter, but restored his strength marvelously.

Compared to plain water, the vegetable cakes were even better.

One cake enabled him to cultivate roughly two cycles. Two cakes meant he could gain another ten years of internal power.

By now, he possessed ninety years’ worth of Moving Mountain internal energy. With the foundation of an Innate realm martial artist, the internal energy he cultivated no longer dissipated permanently with exhaustion, but would recover as his strength returned.

“Brother Wei, let’s have a talk.”

On the fourth day, as Wei Cheng was quietly meditating on the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, Zhang Yong approached with his group. By now, they had finished off all the remaining roasted spider, allowing each of them to complete another two cycles. That was the power of benefits, and the “Eastern Purple Qi World Society” was beginning to look the part.

Of the thirty-eight survivors, twenty now followed Zhang Yong. His reputation as “Brother Yong” was well established.

Wei Cheng looked up at him. “What do you want to say?”

“Brother Wei, I wouldn’t have what I have today without your help. I’m a man of principle, and I repay my debts. But, please wait—right now, our priority is to get out of this mine. That’s the big picture. Brother Wei, would you do us the honor of working together?”

Zhang Yong squatted in front of Wei Cheng, his expression sincere.

“Alright.”

“Brother Wei, you’re magnanimous!”

Zhang Yong snapped his fingers and stood up, gesturing to those around him. “This is my Brother Wei. From now on, he’s your Brother Wei too. Show some respect.”

“Brother Wei.”

“Good day, Brother Wei!”

In the dim light, a few voices answered softly—some with smiles and teasing eyes, some with cold indifference.

Whether they were looking at Zhang Yong or Wei Cheng, their gazes were tinged with amusement.

Still so young.

Wei Cheng glanced at Zhang Yong, who looked as though he stood atop the world, and at Bald Brother, whose honest smile never faded. Perhaps on Earth, under the restraint of civilization, law, and social morality, people would keep their claws and fangs hidden.

But here, growing ever more familiar with the rules, everyone was fighting to survive, to gain more. No one was truly easy to get along with.