Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Ambush
West Mountain Mine.
The mouth of the cave was tall and wide. Fluorescent stones on the cavern walls cast dim, yellow shadows. As Liang Cheng stepped inside, the damp, dusty air rushed to greet him, and the sound of water dripping from the ceiling echoed in soft splashes.
He walked to a side chamber, set down his bag, and sat down cross-legged.
The place was damp and cold, the air rich with moisture. Unexpectedly, it was a perfect environment for practicing the Broken Wave Technique.
He closed his eyes and began to circulate his Qi Blood, assailing his acupoints.
With each cycle of his Cultivation Technique, he drew an imperceptible trace of water-aspected essence from the damp air. Two hours later, he opened his eyes.
[Broken Wave Technique, Layer One: Beginner Level (191/600)]
His Cultivation in the cave was actually a bit faster than in the Quiet Chamber.
A pleasant surprise.
...
As night deepened, the first wave of Rock Rats arrived.
It began with a faint rustling that crept from the depths of the tunnels. Liang Cheng stood up, grabbed his saber, and walked into the main tunnel outside the side chamber.
In the darkness, dozens of crimson points of light began to glow.
The Rock Rats were the size of cats, with grayish-brown fur and sharp incisors that gleamed a deathly white in the dim fluorescent light. They let out piercing "SQUEAK SQUEAK" sounds as they swarmed forward like a tide!
Liang Cheng didn’t hesitate. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging into the rat pack and executing a Horizontal Slash!
The flash of his blade was like a bolt of white silk. The three Rock Rats at the forefront were sliced in half at the waist. The sudden scent of blood drove the pack into an even greater frenzy.
More Rock Rats scurried out from cracks in the rock on all sides, leaping directly for his vital points. Liang Cheng neither dodged nor evaded, fully activating his Iron Armor Realm.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
The Rock Rats’ sharp teeth bit down on his arms, shoulders, and back, but they only produced the sound of striking metal and left behind faint white marks.
He balled his left hand into a fist and unleashed his Fierce Bull Force, blasting a pouncing Rock Rat into a bloody mist. His right hand swung his saber in a series of slashes, the flashes of the blade weaving a dense net.
After about the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, more than forty rat corpses littered the tunnel floor.
The remaining Rock Rats shrieked and retreated.
Liang Cheng sheathed his saber and looked at his arm. The skin wasn’t broken, and no blood had been drawn. With his Iron Armor Realm at Minor Success, he could completely ignore attacks from these Tier One Demon Beasts.
After clearing away the rat corpses, he resumed his watch.
...
The next five days passed in the same way.
The Rock Rat pack attacked every night, their numbers varying from twenty or thirty to forty or fifty, but the Tier Four Rock Rat King was never among them.
Liang Cheng spent his days in Cultivation and his nights on guard, gradually figuring out the pack’s patterns.
Late on the night of the seventh day, something changed.
The number of Rock Rats in this wave had plummeted to just over a dozen, and their assault was less ferocious than before. Liang Cheng immediately grew wary, holding back thirty percent of his strength in his Saber Momentum.
Sure enough, not long after the rats retreated, a heavy "THUD-THUD" sound echoed from the depths of the tunnel, as if some colossal creature was slowly approaching.
Under the faint glow of the fluorescent stones, a massive black shadow slowly came into view.
It was nearly five feet tall and over ten feet long. Its fur stood on end like steel needles, and its eyes were as red as blood.
The ground trembled slightly with each step it took. It was the Tier Four Rock Rat King!
The Rock Rat King stared at Liang Cheng, a low growl rumbling in its throat as rank saliva dripped from between its teeth.
Liang Cheng tightened his grip on his saber’s hilt and slowly regulated his breathing.
The Rock Rat King moved!
It was several times faster than an ordinary Rock Rat. Its body became a gray blur as it shot forward, its two front claws slashing like scythes. Liang Cheng sidestepped the attack and swung his saber in a rising arc, striking the King’s flank.
"SHRIIIP!"
Fur tore, and the blade sank about an inch into its flesh.
The Rock Rat King roared in pain and fury, its massive tail whipping around like a steel rod. Liang Cheng raised his saber to block. With a loud "CLANG," the blade vibrated violently. He was forced back three steps, the web of his thumb going numb.
’Such immense power!’
’Its defense is average, but its power is incredible!’
’But that makes it a perfect opponent for a Martial Artist like me, whose defense is extremely strong.’
The Rock Rat King seized the opportunity to pounce, its gaping maw aiming straight for Liang Cheng’s neck. Liang Cheng didn’t dodge. He shot out his left hand, his five fingers clamping onto the King’s upper jaw like iron pliers, while his right hand thrust his saber straight into its open throat.
"ROAR!"
The Rock Rat King struggled frantically, its sharp claws striking sparks against Liang Cheng’s chest. Gritting his teeth, Liang Cheng put his strength into a vicious twist of the blade inside the beast’s body before pulling it out and rapidly retreating.
Hot blood gushed out. The Rock Rat King staggered a few steps, then crashed to the ground. It twitched for a moment before falling silent.
The robes on Liang Cheng’s chest were torn, revealing the iron-gray skin beneath. Three shallow marks were slowly fading. ’I’ve grown so much,’ he thought. ’Even a Tier Four Demon Beast is nothing special.’
He was just about to step forward and retrieve the Rock Rat King’s Demon Core when he suddenly caught the sound of extremely faint footsteps coming from a fork in the tunnel on the other side.
’Not Rock Rats.’
Liang Cheng’s eyes turned cold. He held his saber horizontally before him, silent.
Three figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the fork.
The one in the lead was none other than Liu Meng. His right arm seemed to have healed, but his eyes were filled with venomous hatred.
To his left was a wiry old man with narrow eyes, a leather pouch at his waist, and a pair of black finger guards on his hands.
To his right was a burly man with a powerful aura, carrying a Copper Hammer with a head as thick as a bowl on his shoulder.
"Liang Cheng, how have you enjoyed your seven days in the mine?" Liu Meng sneered.
Liang Cheng’s gaze swept over the three of them. "Liu Meng, who are your companions?"
The wiry old man spoke in a raspy voice, "A guardian of the Xu Family, Xu Qi."
The burly man said in a booming voice, "Earth Dormitory, Wu Gang."
"I see," Liang Cheng nodded. "Have the three of you come looking for trouble with me?"
Liu Meng’s smile was savage, his expression cold. "I hate that tough-guy act of yours when you’re about to die. Master Xu Qi, Brother Wu, attack! This mine will be your grave today!"
Before his voice had even faded, Xu Qi struck first!
He waved his hands, and more than ten black Bone Penetration Nails shot through the air, sealing off Liang Cheng’s escape routes to the left and right. Each nail glowed with a faint blue light, clearly coated in a potent poison.
At the same time, Wu Gang charged forward, raising his Copper Hammer high and bringing it down toward Liang Cheng’s head with mountain-cleaving force.
It was a pincer attack from front and back, a killing blow.
Liang Cheng didn’t retreat. Instead, he advanced!
He raised his left arm to protect his face. The Bone Penetration Nails struck his arm with a series of "CLINK CLINK CLINK" sounds, sending sparks flying but failing to break his skin.
Instead of striking at Wu Gang, his right hand swung his saber down toward the ground.
"BOOM!"
The Blade Qi kicked up a cloud of dust and shattered rock, instantly filling the tunnel with swirling debris.
Wu Gang’s hammer hit nothing, and his momentum faltered for a moment. In that instant, Liang Cheng shot out of the dust cloud, heading straight for Xu Qi on the right.
Xu Qi’s expression changed. He waved his hands again, firing three more Bone Penetration Nails. Liang Cheng still didn’t dodge or evade, taking the hits head-on as his saber slashed across Xu Qi’s throat!
"SHLICK!"
The blade sliced across. Xu Qi retreated hastily, but a bloody gash was still opened on his neck. In his terror, he grabbed a handful of crimson powder from his pouch and threw it.
Liang Cheng immediately held his breath and retreated rapidly. The Poisonous Phosphorus Powder landed on his robes, which instantly burst into flames, emitting a pungent yellow smoke.
He tore off his outer robe and threw it aside, revealing the iron-gray torso beneath.
By now, Wu Gang had recovered and swung his Copper Hammer at him again.
This time, Liang Cheng didn’t take the blow directly.
He tapped his toes on the ground and twisted his body, his saber slicing up diagonally in a smooth motion, leaving a bloody gash under Wu Gang’s ribs.
Wu Gang roared in anger and swept his Copper Hammer horizontally. But Liang Cheng had already used the force of the blow to retreat to the cavern wall. With a reverse grip, he plunged his saber into a crack in the rock and hoisted himself into the air, dodging the wind from the hammer.
"He’s stalling for time! When the miners come down at dawn, the Martial Arts Academy will definitely find out! We have to finish him now!" Xu Qi said hoarsely, clutching his neck.
Liu Meng’s eyes glinted fiercely. "We can’t let him stall any longer!"
The three of them pounced simultaneously.
But Liang Cheng just smiled.
He let go and landed on the ground, sheathing his saber and slowly clenching his fists.
The iron-gray luster under his skin grew brighter and brighter. The Qi Blood throughout his body burned like a furnace, surging in layered waves like the Sea Tide, each one stronger than the last.
"Since the three of you are in such a hurry to meet your end," Liang Cheng said calmly, "allow me to send you on your way."
He stepped forward and threw a punch.
The first punch was aimed at Wu Gang’s Copper Hammer.
"CLANG—!!!"
Fist met hammer with a sound like a great bell. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and cracks spread across the cavern walls.
Wu Gang felt a colossal force travel up the hammer’s shaft. His entire arm went numb in an instant, and the Copper Hammer flew from his grasp, crashing into and collapsing part of the side wall!
The second punch was for Xu Qi.
Xu Qi hastily retreated while scattering more poison, but Liang Cheng didn’t pursue. The wind from his fist dispersed the Poisonous Powder from a distance, and the remaining force slammed into his chest. Xu Qi was sent flying back as if hit by a heavy blow, spitting blood before crashing into a stone pillar and sliding to the ground.
The third punch went straight for Liu Meng.
Liu Meng’s face was contorted with fury. He treated his fist as a blade: Broken Wave Slash!
The two fists collided.
"BOOM!"
A shockwave erupted, and loose stones rained from the ceiling. Liu Meng felt his opponent’s Fist Force surge forward like the Sea Tide, wave after powerful wave, each stronger than the last. The Broken Wave Technique he had painstakingly practiced for two years was being completely suppressed!
"Your Broken Wave Technique..." His eyes widened.
"Just the Beginner Level," Liang Cheng said, retracting his fist as he watched Liu Meng stagger backward. "But it’s enough to kill you."
Liu Meng tried to speak again, but the Qi Blood in his chest suddenly surged in reverse. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood with a "PFFT" and collapsed to his knees.
Three punches, and all three of them were injured. They stared at Liang Cheng in utter horror.
’What kind of monster is this!?’
Liang Cheng walked forward slowly, about to finish them off, when a deep rumbling sound suddenly echoed from above.
’Not good!’
