Chapter 76: The Cloud-Stepping Talisman (Extra Chapter 6/12 for Alliance Leader Zhibai)

Returning to the secluded place where everyone cultivated in meditation, Wei Cheng no longer dared to continue his practice. It wasn’t fear of monsters sneaking up on them, nor concern that another fiery, monstrous bird might discover their presence. Rather, it was the dwindling supply of osmanthus wine that troubled him.

Especially after nightfall, the ominous aura grew increasingly dense, forcing him to replace the Immovable Golden Bell formation for everyone every half hour or so. The atmosphere felt as though the concentration of the demonic curse in the air was intensifying; even if it hadn't reached the point of eruption, it was already equal to the peak of the first wave of the curse.

"It seems that once we survive the fourth wave of the demonic curse, we’ll have to prepare to escape the toxic zone," Wei Cheng thought gravely. He could still endure, but the others would not be able to hold out much longer.

Around midnight, with only five jars of osmanthus wine remaining, Wei Cheng’s perseverance finally yielded results.

Yu Liang successfully broke through to the Six Cycles of Mountain Shifting. Though he now had no time to comprehend the visualization for the Golden Bell and attain the Immovable Golden Bell, at least this breakthrough would ease the pressure on him when facing the curse.

Next, Mei Renli awoke from his meditative state. Though he hadn't advanced, the satisfied look on his face suggested he had gained much.

Then came Liu Sui, who was even less likely to advance, but he too seemed to have made significant progress.

"Wei, I’ve grasped the Visualization of the Wandering Dragon. My attack power has doubled," Liu Sui reported.

"I've basically mastered the Visualization of the Spirit Swallow and the Ladder Cloud Talisman. Now, I can easily take on three of those black monkeys at once. And with the Ladder Cloud Talisman, I can triple-jump in the air without any support. I estimate I could reach fifty meters in a single leap," Xu Shan declared with confidence. Once she comprehended the sixth level of the Ladder Cloud technique, it was entirely different from the first five; at this moment, she even felt as though she could soar through the heavens and vanish into the earth.

Cheng An was the last to awaken. He hadn’t followed Wei Cheng’s advice to refine his Mountain Shifting and Golden Bell visualizations, focusing only on cultivating the Mountain Shifting technique. Now, he was just five years of internal power away from breaking through to the Seventh Cycle.

Previously, he had thirty-five years of internal power at the sixth cycle. In less than eighteen hours, by relentlessly drinking osmanthus wine, he had amassed twenty years of internal power—a truly impressive pace.

"Boss, give me three more hours, and I’ll definitely break through to the Seventh Cycle. I swear it!" Cheng An was exhilarated. Power was within reach; the Seventh Cycle at last—he could finally catch up to the first echelon, even his own boss Wei was only at the Seventh Cycle.

Wei Cheng looked at him, speechless. Did he really think that simply stacking internal power could solve the current predicament? All his previous advice had apparently been ignored.

"We’re out of time. We must get at least a hundred li away as soon as possible. The demonic curse is now spreading continuously—meaning we are exposed to its effects at all times. If we don’t leave now, it will be too late," Wei Cheng said solemnly. The curse had begun to spread since dusk. To be honest, it was only thanks to his current strength that he had managed to hold out this long, and the others had been under the protection of the Immovable Golden Bell, which made things seem less dire.

At these words, the faces of all five changed dramatically, especially as they finally noticed their surroundings. The original stronghold had somehow become a massive pit; only the pillar where they stood remained unaffected, standing alone amidst the devastation.

What had Wei Cheng done? Or had his strength reached unfathomable heights?

"Alright, Wei, we’ll follow your lead," Liu Sui said decisively. To cling to hope at a time like this would be sheer foolishness.

Wei Cheng continued, "The Immovable Golden Bell can ward off the curse, but it also traps us in place. We must move forward while circulating our internal power steadily to minimize the curse’s erosion. Don't panic, don't break ranks. Xu Shan and Liu Sui, you have lightning rings—go ahead and scout. The rest will follow at a steady pace, and I’ll bring up the rear."

"Every thirty li, I’ll cast the Immovable Golden Bell so everyone can rest for half an hour."

—

With about three hours left till dawn, it should have been the darkest moment, yet for some reason the toxic zone was illuminated by a bizarre red glow, with fiery clouds occasionally flickering across the sky.

In the direction of the Ruins of Floating Cloud City, flames soared, and fierce battles seemed to rage on.

Wei Cheng even entertained a bold thought: if he rushed to the city center now, might he encounter those trial-takers who had perfectly cleared their server zones?

Of course, that was only a thought.

Moreover, the demonic fire and magma that erupted yesterday hadn’t cooled. When the fourth wave of the curse broke out, there would surely be even more earth-shaking changes.

Everyone understood this, so the pace was swift. Fortunately, their strength had all improved; even with the curse fully spread, they could still withstand its effects by circulating their internal power.

Xu Shan and Liu Sui, especially, with their lightning rings, were enveloped in crackling arcs of electricity that greatly weakened the curse’s erosion.

Mei Renli also performed well; he had evidently perfected the basic form of the Mountain Shifting visualization, so circulating his internal power allowed him to resist the curse easily.

In contrast, Cheng An and Yu Liang struggled. Yu Liang had just advanced to the six cycles; his spiritual power was insufficient, and his visualization incomplete—understandably so.

Cheng An had enough spiritual power, and Wei Cheng had helped him, but his visualization was not perfected. Even though he was just five years of internal power away from the seventh cycle, he was still floundering.

Wei Cheng himself only needed to circulate a small amount of Mountain Shifting internal power through his body, which was enough to ward off the curse.

The first thirty li went smoothly; Wei Cheng released two Immovable Golden Bell formations, one for Xu Shan and Liu Sui, the other for Cheng An, Yu Liang, and Mei Renli. In extraordinary times, internal power had to be conserved.

He himself required none.

"Wei, are we heading in the right direction? It all feels the same now, I can’t tell anymore," Xu Shan asked anxiously, echoing everyone else’s concern.

"It’s fine, that’s just the effect of the curse’s erosion. Focus on your breathing—under these conditions, a single Golden Bell may not last half an hour," Wei Cheng replied firmly. He hadn’t lost his sense of direction, and even kept time precisely—not down to the second, perhaps, but never off by more than a minute. That was the advantage of strong spiritual power.

In truth, the toxic zone had long since formed a strange force field; ordinary people would lose their sense of direction even if they could ward off the curse, wandering in circles endlessly.

Xu Shan and Liu Sui would fall into the same trap after prolonged exposure.

In less than twenty minutes, both Golden Bells faded silently like bubbles.

"Move!" Wei Cheng whispered, taking the lead. The others were ready, wasting no time, closely following him. The sense of danger and strangeness was intensifying.

They had barely run ten li when Yu Liang started hallucinating, thinking he was playing a game.

Wei Cheng knocked him out with a swift slap—a surprisingly effective method.

"Boss, I messed up—maybe you should just knock me out too," Cheng An groaned, regret written all over his face.

Xu Shan and Liu Sui, thanks to their rings, easily resisted the curse’s effects. Mei Renli relied on his refined Mountain Shifting visualization, occasionally flashing golden light and illusions, keeping the pressure manageable.

But Cheng An, whose visualization was incomplete, could only forcefully resist with his internal power. Of his fifty-five years of internal power at the sixth cycle, nearly half was already eroded.

If this continued, wouldn’t all his effort be wasted?

"You’ll be fine, just hold on. Worst case, you lose those fifty-five years of internal power," Wei Cheng said irritably. He had warned him against acting on his own initiative—petty cleverness wasn’t appropriate here. Even if he broke through to the seventh cycle, it wouldn’t put him on equal footing with Wei Cheng.

He was overthinking it.