Bang!
Another heavy impact slammed into her arm.
This time, the rebounding force was even greater. An invisible shockwave struck her arm, leaving it burning with pain.
Only then did Feng Moxi realize what she had overlooked.
In her previous life, no matter how much she pretended to be delicate, she still possessed real strength. She had simply chosen not to use it.
Now, however, she was nothing more than a frail young girl without even the strength to truss a chicken.
The enormous sword wasn’t rejecting her.
It was rejecting weakness itself.
One thing puzzled her.
Wan Wanxin had never used a sword like this in her previous life.
Did that mean there was another secret hidden within it?
At that moment, a streak of brilliant light flashed before her eyes.
Countless glowing words poured into her mind like a shower of meteors.
They continued flowing endlessly, one after another.
A smile slowly spread across Feng Moxi’s face.
“So that’s how it is…”
The text described a cultivation technique.
Only descendants connected by blood could fully activate it. Otherwise, the bead would remain nothing more than an ordinary storage space.
Even so, that simple storage space had benefited Wan Wanxin immensely in her previous life.
No wonder…
No wonder Wan Wanxin had wanted her dead.
It wasn’t just because Feng Moxi had been a burden.
It was because this spatial treasure had constantly tempted her.
Feng Moxi quickly memorized every word flooding into her mind.
“Cultivate the sword by first cultivating the body. Strengthen the body before tempering the physique. Let the power of darkness flow through the muscles and meridians, circulating throughout every bone…”
Afraid she might forget, she silently repeated the technique several times.
It was a sword cultivation art called Absolute Slaughter.
The description was simple and direct.
At its earliest stage, the only goal was to strengthen the body.
Even so, Feng Moxi was overjoyed.
Night gradually deepened.
The world outside became completely shrouded in darkness.
Not even the barking of a stray dog could be heard.
It was as though time itself had come to a standstill.
The cover of darkness gave her the perfect opportunity to cultivate in peace.
Taking a slow breath, Feng Moxi carefully recalled the cultivation method.
She had never practiced cultivation before.
However, after surviving four years in the apocalypse, she understood many of the principles behind strengthening oneself.
She also remembered awakening a mutated ability in her previous life.
Although she had rarely fought monsters directly, that power had allowed her to escape danger again and again.
She quietly circulated the tiny bit of strength still remaining within her body.
Beginning with her limbs, she slowly stretched every muscle.
The pain faded into the background as she concentrated completely on guiding the flow of energy through her body.
Five cycles.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
By the time she completed the hundredth circulation, sweat had soaked her clothes.
Her hands and feet gradually regained feeling.
At last, she managed to sit upright.
Feng Moxi dared not relax.
Time was precious.
She couldn’t remain trapped in this underground prison forever.
If she wanted to escape…
She needed strength.
The apocalypse was a cruel world.
The days were unbearably hot, while the nights were as cold as the depths of winter.
Those who survived gradually forged bodies as resilient as tempered steel.
That night, while the other girls shivered violently from the cold, Feng Moxi’s entire body was drenched in sweat from cultivation.
She felt completely different.
Life had returned to her limbs.
Not only had sensation returned to her hands and feet, but even the pain throughout her body had eased considerably.
The first thing Luo Yunxi did after waking up was look toward Feng Moxi.
To her surprise, Feng Moxi was no longer lying helplessly on the floor.
Instead, she was sitting against the cold wall with a calm expression, looking far healthier than before.
“Y… you’re better?”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, as though afraid of disturbing the stillness of dawn.
Feng Moxi gave a slight nod.
Her eyes drifted toward the staircase.
The two girls who had been dragged away the previous night…
Had not returned.
There was a very good chance they were already dead.
No one knew who would be taken next.
Following Feng Moxi’s gaze, Luo Yunxi also looked toward the staircase.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
Time slowly passed.
The small window remained tightly shut.
No steamed buns arrived.
Every pair of eyes stared hopefully at the window.
Before long, the room echoed with the rumbling of empty stomachs.
Outside, even the two guards from yesterday had disappeared.
It was as though the entire world had frozen…
And they had all been forgotten.
Then suddenly…
Rustling footsteps erupted outside.
They were hurried and chaotic.
A moment later came furious roars…
Followed by miserable screams.
An overpowering smell of fresh blood drifted into the basement.
The girls’ faces turned deathly pale.
Despair filled every expression.
Feng Moxi knew exactly what had happened.
The monsters had breached this area.
She quickly looked around the room.
There was nothing.
No bricks.
No wooden planks.
Not even a broken stone that could serve as a weapon.
Even if the monsters couldn’t get inside…
Neither could they escape.
Sooner or later, they would simply starve to death.
The gigantic sword still existed inside her spatial artifact.
Unfortunately…
She couldn’t lift it.
And by the time she cultivated enough strength…
Would she still have enough time and energy left to fight her way out?
Thinking of that, Feng Moxi intensified her training.
She stood up and began moving slowly around the room, stretching every part of her body according to the cultivation technique.
The terrified girls stared at her as though she had gone insane.
For a moment, they even forgot to be afraid.
Luo Yunxi spoke softly.
“The outside is in chaos now. Y… you should conserve your strength. If the door opens later, you’ll need the energy to run.”
Feng Moxi looked at her.
“You think having enough strength means we’ll actually be able to escape?”
Luo Yunxi fell silent.
She had no answer.
Another series of monstrous roars echoed outside.
Then came the unmistakable sound of flesh being chewed.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The horrifying noise echoed through the silent air.
Yes…
Even if they managed to run outside…
Where could they go?
The entire world belonged to the monsters now.
“Ahhh!”
Unable to endure the crushing despair any longer, one of the girls suddenly screamed hysterically.
She grabbed handfuls of her own hair, crying uncontrollably.
Her breakdown spread to the others.
Soon every girl in the room was huddled against the wall, sobbing quietly.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Violent pounding suddenly exploded against the iron door at the top of the stairs.
The screaming girl immediately realized what she had done.
She hurriedly covered her mouth and pressed herself against the wall, not daring to make another sound.
Everyone stared at the door in absolute terror.
Even their crying stopped.
The pounding continued without pause.
Then…
Crash!
The small glass window through which food had been passed shattered into countless pieces.
A rotting, hideous face appeared in the opening.
“Ah!”
The girls screamed again.
Even Luo Yunxi couldn’t suppress her terrified cry this time.
Fortunately, several thick steel bars had been welded across the window.
The rotting monster couldn’t squeeze through.
“Heh… heh… heh…”
The creature snarled as it repeatedly slammed itself against the iron door.
The girls instinctively huddled beneath the staircase, retreating into the darkest corner they could find.
They desperately avoided making eye contact with the monster.
As though hiding from its gaze alone would make them invisible.
Only Luo Yunxi quietly crawled toward the shattered window.
She picked up a jagged piece of broken glass and clenched it tightly in her hand.
Noticing Feng Moxi watching her, she whispered,
“I’d rather die… than become one of those monsters.”
Her eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
Feng Moxi let out a quiet laugh.
“When the time comes… I’m afraid it won’t be your choice.”
She was afraid too.
But at least these were only the lowest-level monsters.
They were far easier to deal with than the horrors that would emerge later, when most animals and plants throughout the world had undergone terrifying mutations.