26 Endless Night

( sorry I'm very sick these past week, that's why I don't have the strength to upload) 

The animal skins on the ground are incredibly soft and warm, providing a comfortable seat.

As he strolled along, he finally found a moment to rest.

Liuping begins to assess his belongings:

A disassembled fan

Portable mini submachine gun

Pistol

Double-barreled shotgun

A string of copper coins 

Two ordinary cultivation books

Several ration pills

"It's truly meager" he mutters to himself.

Examining his possessions further"The two books could be sold. However, in my current situation, it might be better to keep them for now."

Copper coins—

Liuping retrieved them, deliberated briefly, and then tossed them onto the table.

Dingling Dangling!

The copper coin on the table continues to oscillate back and forth, yet it still remains standing upright, defying gravity. Fate is still in chaos and can't be peered through.

 with a gesture Liuping retrieves the coin, trying to find a reason for divination not working properly.

This phenomenon is beyond his current ability to comprehend.

There is only one thing he can do—

Liuping closes his eyes and begins to regulate his breathing.

The Qi Refinement Realm is too weak for him to be able to do anything.

He must ascend to the Foundation Establishment Realm as fast as possible.

A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm not only possesses greater combat efficiency but also wields a significantly larger reservoir of spiritual power.

Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, crafting talismans becomes easier. Unlike Qi Refinement cultivators, who get tired after creating only a few talismans.

Furthermore...

During the process of foundation establishment, cultivators awaken supernatural powers.

Thaumaturgy!

Countless times, cultivators have relied on these mystical abilities to turn the tide of battle and emerge victorious.

Liuping inhales deeply, harnessing his spiritual power for one final surge, condensing it within his dantian.

Starting his breakthrough to the realm foundation establishment realm!

Time seems to slow down as the aura behind his head gathers momentum, undulating like a tide, gradually taking on a tangible form.

As time ticks by slowly, the gathered spiritual power resembles a spring of pristine water, emitting intermittent bursts of radiant light behind Liuping.

[This sequence detects your advancement to the foundation stage.]

[Attention!]

[While examining Dark Mist Town, this sequence completed its scan of the area.]

[A strange anomaly has been detected to the north of Dark Mist Town.]

[Visiting the site may provide insights into the current world. Furthermore, upon reaching the foundation establishment stage, this sequence will offer assistance.]

[—Perhaps you may awaken an exceedingly rare Thaumaturgy!]

Liuping quickly finished reading and sank into deep contemplation.

'The sequence has never deceived me...'

'Last time, when I helped in contacting Wang Cheng, who had been resurrected from death, the reward given by the Sequence was the mystery class ability: a man without a role.'

In truth, the Sequence's examination of Wang Cheng also helped Liuping in better understanding the circumstances of the situation.

'So, let's do it.'

Liuping silently accepts the instruction, allowing the tide of spiritual power to retreat and calm returning to the safe house.

"Sequence, ever since I awakened, I've sensed that danger is drawing nearer. What do you need to activate?".

Two lines of small text swiftly appear:

[This sequence must remain hidden, and funding is not a concern. If discovered, both you and I would be in danger.]

[Rest assured, even without activation, this sequence can still assist you.]

Liuping shakes his head.

[The source of power for this safe house comes from the magical fire within the fireplace. It will extinguish automatically by tomorrow morning, and once you take out the magical flames, the exit passage will open.]

Pondering, Liu Ping took notice of the fire in the fireplace dimming for a brief moment.

A few stairs appear, stretching towards the door of the cabin—

This is the passage leading outside to the ground of Dark Mist Town.

Liuping's heart skipped a beat.

'According to Old K's, the magical flames shouldn't extinguish until tomorrow morning, reopening the passage.'

'So, why is it happening now?'

Liuping mentally retraces his steps and realizes he has been practicing within the safe house for about two hours since entering.

By the Dark Mist Town's time, it should be midnight 12 o'clock.

'—Why is the passage opening so soon?'

Rising to his feet to walk forward, and pressing his ear against the wall to listen.

There's a faint cacophony.

It seems like someone's wail, the howl of the wind, the collapse of a building, or perhaps something else roaring.

The myriad sounds meld together, making them indistinguishable.

Thud!

Suddenly, the entire safe house trembles.

Liu Ping jumped backward and pulled out his double-barreled shotgun.

taking out two silver bullets, he quickly loaded the Shotgun.

This type of firearm is potent, and the sacred bullets are exceptionally lethal against beings from the realm of the dead.

It seems like the perfect moment to utilize it.

Liuping listens intently to the eerily still silence outside.

Suddenly, a sense of unease washes over Liuping, prompting him to slowly raise his head and gaze towards the ceiling.

Fine dust begins to trickle down.

...Something is up there.

Liuping shifts his gaze to the fireplace and notices the flame inside flickering, as if on the verge of extinguishing.

The stairs leading to the ground extends once more—

Roughly seven or eight meters is remaining before it reaches the ground level.

Suddenly, an onslaught of noises penetrates through the ceiling, filling the entire safe house:

"Help me!"

"Help!"

"No, please end my suffering."

"Is there anyone who can save me? I don't want to die—"

Countless cries and pleas echo, transforming the ground into a ghastly rendition of hell.

After listening for a few breaths, Liuping swiftly moves towards the fireplace.

Though he may not comprehend the intricacies of magic, he understands the energies associated with the five root elements.

After all, apart from magic, spiritual power can also drive magical mounts, albeit at the cost of increased energy usage.

"Sequence, help me analyze this fireplace." He started.

Almost instantly, lines of small text appeared in the void:

[This fireplace has a powerful Fire Attribute defensive magic formation, as long as you keep feeding it Fire Attribute treasures, it will burn unceasingly.]

[In addition, using flame spells and abilities can reignite the flames.]

Quickly employing a spiritual fire secret art, Liu Ping summoned a cluster of flames. These intense flames cascade into the fireplace, instantly brightening the flames within.

Turning his head to observe, Liuping notices the passage retracting a few meters.

'It Works!'

Unfortunately, the fire lasted only for a few breaths before dimming once more.

Two lines of small text materialize in the void:

[Spiritual power is incompatible with magical power, hence you must consistently infuse the fireplace with the five-element fire to sustain the flame.]

[With your current spiritual power, this is beyond your capability.]

Liuping declares, "Then open the piggy bank, retrieve the fire spirit stones, and feed them to the fire for me."

[No problem] Sequence replied.

In a flurry, fire-red spirit stones materialize from the void, cascading to the ground one after another.

Suddenly, the temperature within the entire room escalated, and the flame within the fireplace stabilized.

The passage leading to the outside world gradually retracted, accompanied by the isolation of various faint sounds.

Liuping sat among the spirit stones, silently waiting. Whenever the fire dimmed, he replenished it by tossing handfuls of fire spirit stones into the fireplace.

The night feels endless.

No more disturbances arose from outside.

Remaining vigilant, Liu Ping continuously replenished the fire with spirit stones. until the break of dawn, signaling the end of the overlap between the realm of death and the real world.

Rising slowly, he retrieved all the remaining spirit stones and returned them to the piggy bank. He then turned his attention to the fireplace.

The flames flicker weakly before extinguishing altogether.

Subsequently, sloping steps emerged at the room's edge.

Waiting for a few moments, Liu Ping saw no one arrive to investigate the situation.

'This can't be right...'

Normally, the night watchmen would have checked on him by now.

Clutching the fan Liuping ascended out of the safe house along the steps, returning to the ground level.

Surveying his surroundings, he abruptly halted in his steps.

A line of small text materializes in the void:

[Attention: The safe house has been completely destroyed.]

Liuping casts a glance at the message, feeling a twinge of relief.

—Had this safe house been more fragile, he might have been forced to face whatever was outside.

Leaping onto a tall wooden pole, Liuping peered into the depths of Dark Mist Town.

No signs of life meet his gaze.

The whole pace was in disarray.

descending, he started to wander through the town, finding no trace of life.

Standing still amid the ruins and looking around "What kind of era is this..."

Dark Mist Town lies in ruins.