CRACK!
Another heavy blow. The rebound force this time was even greater. An invisible shockwave struck her arm, leaving it burning.
'That's right.' She had forgotten that no matter how she feigned weakness in her past life, she still possessed strength; she was just too lazy to use it. Now, however, she was just a little girl without even the strength to truss a chicken.
The giant sword itself was rejecting the weak and was unwilling to cooperate.
It was worth mentioning that Wan Wanxin had never produced such a broken sword in her past life. 'Could there be something strange going on?' Then, a flash of bright light shot through her mind, and countless words rushed into her brain like shooting stars.
They poured into her mind, an endless stream.
"Heheheh! 'So that's how it is.'"
The words described a Cultivation Technique that could only be activated by a blood relative. Otherwise, it was just an ordinary space.
Even so, it had been a source of endless benefit for Wan Wanxin in her previous life.
'No wonder. No wonder she wanted me dead. Aside from me being a burden, this space must have been eating away at her heart at all times!'
Feng Moxi scrambled to memorize the words in her mind. "To cultivate the sword, one must first cultivate the body. To cultivate the body, one must first train the physique. Let the hidden power fill the meridians, and the state of the bones circulate throughout the body..."
Fearing she might forget, she went over it several times.
It was a Cultivation Technique for a Sword Cultivator, named 'Absolute Kill'. The description was simple and brutal. Ultimately, the initial stage was all about strengthening the body. Even so, Feng Moxi was overjoyed.
The last vestiges of twilight faded. The entire world was blanketed in oppressive darkness. Not even a dog's bark could be heard, as if the world had fallen completely silent.
Under the cover of night, she could finally begin her Cultivation in peace.
Feng Moxi took a deep breath and carefully recalled the Cultivation Technique. Although she had never encountered so-called Cultivation before, her years in the Apocalypse had taught her some of its rules.
There was also the awakening of mutated powers. Though she rarely faced monsters head-on, it had made her incredibly fast at escaping.
She secretly circulated a current of Power through her body, beginning to stretch her limbs while completely ignoring the pain.
She slowly moved, guiding the flow of energy through her body. Five reps, ten... By the time she reached one hundred, she was soaked in sweat. Some strength seemed to have returned to her limbs, and she was able to slowly sit up.
Feng Moxi didn't dare to slack off for a second. Time was limited. She couldn't stay in this dungeon-like place for long. The only way out was through strength.
The apocalyptic world was bizarrely strange. The days were unbearably hot, while the nights were as cold as winter. This forced some survivors of the Apocalypse to develop exceptionally resilient bodies.
At night, while the other girls shivered violently from the cold, Feng Moxi was drenched in sweat after a night of Cultivation. At the same time, she felt completely revitalized.
Not only had she regained feeling in her hands and feet, but even the pain in her body had lessened.
The first thing Luo Yunxi did upon waking was look at her. She was surprised to find that Feng Moxi had actually gotten up from the floor and was leaning against the cold wall, her expression serene.
"You... you're better?" Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, as if she were afraid of disturbing the morning tranquility.
Feng Moxi gave a faint nod. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to the stairwell entrance. The two girls who were dragged away last night had not returned.
'They've most likely met a terrible fate. Who will be next is anyone's guess.'
Following Feng Moxi's gaze, Luo Yunxi also looked toward the exit and let out a heavy sigh.
As time passed, the tightly shut window was not opened, and not even steamed buns were provided. Everyone stared at it with hopeful eyes.
Stomachs rumbled with a "GURGLE GURGLE" sound.
Outside, even the two figures from yesterday were nowhere to be seen. It was as if the entire world had fallen still, and they had all been forgotten.
Just then, a rustling of footsteps suddenly came from outside, frantic and chaotic. It was followed by roaring and miserable shrieks. The thick stench of blood assaulted their nostrils.
The girls in the basement grew even more terrified, expressions of despair on their faces.
'It's here.' Feng Moxi knew. This area had likely been breached by monsters. She scanned the room. Besides the damp gloom, there wasn't even a loose brick.
'Even if the monsters can't get in, we can't get out. We'll just starve to death in here.'
There was a giant sword in her consciousness space, but she couldn't lift it right now. By the time she cultivated enough strength, would she even have the energy left to fight her way out?
At this thought, Feng Moxi accelerated her training. She suddenly stood up and, following the Cultivation Technique, began stretching her limbs and moving slowly around the room.
A group of terrified girls stared at her as if she were a lunatic, momentarily forgetting their own fear.
Luo Yunxi said in a low voice, "It's chaotic outside. You... you should conserve your energy. Otherwise, if the door opens, you won't have the strength to run."
"And you think having energy means you can run out of here?"
Luo Yunxi's expression immediately became awkward.
Just then, more roars echoed from outside, followed by the "AOW AOW" sounds of chewing. The noises were especially chilling in the silent air.
'That's right. With the outside full of monsters, could they really escape?'
"AHHH~!" One girl, seemingly unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, finally let out a hysterical scream, desperately tearing at her own hair.
Influenced by her, all the girls squatted in the corners and began to sob quietly.
"BANG. BANG... BANG..." Fierce pounding instantly erupted from beyond the iron door at the top of the stairs.
The girl who had been screaming seemed to realize something. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, huddled against the corner, and didn't dare make another sound.
Everyone stared at the door in terror, forgetting even to cry.
But the aimless banging continued.
With a sharp "CRACK," the small glass window used to pass food was smashed to pieces. A rotting, monstrous face appeared in the opening.
"Ah!" The girls let out another round of screams. This time, even Luo Yunxi couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
Fortunately, several steel bars were welded over the window, preventing the rotting-faced monster from getting in.
"Hhss... hss... hss..." The monster hissed as it continued to ram the iron door. Realizing the danger, the girls all huddled in the dark space under the stairs.
They tried to avoid the monster's gaze, as if that alone would make them invisible.
Only Luo Yunxi quietly crawled over, grabbing a shard of the shattered glass and clutching it in her palm.
Meeting Feng Moxi's gaze, the girl said in a low voice, "I'd rather die than become a Demon." After speaking, her eyes held an exceptionally firm resolve.
Feng Moxi gave a low chuckle. "I'm afraid it won't be up to you then." She was afraid too, but low-level monsters were obviously much easier to deal with than the ones that appeared later, after most of the flora and fauna had mutated.