That visualization diagram was downright bizarre—so much so that even he was startled the moment he saw it.
It didn't look like a visualization diagram at all. It was just... a stalk of grass. A plain, ordinary foxtail weed you could find growing anywhere. But it had a name: Undying Grass. The full name of the diagram was Immortality Through a Hundred Tribulations Visualization.
A foxtail weed. And yet, it was called Undying Grass.
And strangely, the moment Chen Sheng laid eyes on it, something inside him clicked. He felt an immediate resonance with it. Visualizing it was incredibly smooth—like slicing through bamboo. His visualization succeeded almost effortlessly, allowing him to open up his Divine Sea, and from there, his cultivation progressed at breakneck speed. For reasons he couldn't explain, his training was accelerating at an alarming rate. It even felt like he had a mysterious power within him from the very start.
That power completely merged with his body, allowing his cultivation to soar. His true qi condensed like a bursting fountain—rapid but without any instability in his foundation. However, once the mysterious internal power was exhausted, his meteoric rise came to an end, and his training speed normalized again.
Still, even with that, Chen Sheng had managed to break through to the second layer of the Divine Sea Realm in a matter of days.
All twelve main meridians had been unblocked.
The entire process had felt as natural as flowing water.
Even Chen Sheng himself felt like he was dreaming.
With the tremendous power coursing through his body, he brimmed with confidence and ambition.
With such a miraculous technique in his hands, he was confident he could accomplish something monumental. He wouldn't let life slip by in mediocrity. He definitely wouldn't allow himself to be trapped in some tiny city for the rest of his days.
"My cultivation can't progress quickly anymore… I must find a way to escape from Lushan City. If I don't, I'll end up as that monster's next meal."
That was the resolution he made in his heart.
He wasn't one to sit and wait for death—that was never his way. Even if it meant dying, he'd fight for a chance. Besides, maybe the monster hiding in the shadows wasn't as invincible as it seemed. After all, why had it never shown itself? Why attack only from the dark? If he made the right preparations, maybe—just maybe—he could escape.
Either way, he was determined not to stay here any longer.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside—it sounded like it was coming from the city gates.
"Chief! Something big's happened!"
A voice rang out from outside.
Chen Sheng opened the door and looked at the person rushing over. He shouted, "What is it? That monster didn't start eating people again, did it?"
"No, someone just came into the city—from outside. New arrivals. That's what we heard from the gatekeepers. We're not sure how many there are or who they are yet."
The man replied hastily.
"More people? That's strange... Why do people keep entering Lushan City? In the past few days, there've been more and more. That must mean this region is still densely populated…"
Chen Sheng frowned, falling into thought.
Then he waved his hand and said loudly, "Let's go. We'll check the gate ourselves. Sounds like quite a few have come in—not just one or two. Let's see who they are."
He took newcomers seriously.
The people already in the city were like the walking dead—most of them had lost the will to live. Relying on them was a gamble he couldn't afford. If he wanted to break out, he needed people with a strong will to survive. Outsiders, not yet numbed by the city's oppressive atmosphere, were the best targets to rally.
No matter what—it was time to fight their way out.
Chen Sheng took hundreds of men and rushed toward the city gates.
They knew the route well and arrived quickly.
When Chen Sheng saw what was happening, a wide smile broke out on his face.
"Guang! It's me, Chen Sheng—you're alive! That's incredible!"
Near the gate stood a tall, burly man radiating a roguish air. He was surrounded by a large group of civilians, all standing confused and wary as they looked around the city. That man was none other than Wu Guang.
The moment he heard the shout, Wu Guang looked up—and when he saw Chen Sheng, his face lit up with joy.
"Sheng! You're alive! Amazing! What are you doing here?"
The two ran toward each other, laughing with excitement, and threw their arms around one another in a fierce hug. Their voices were filled with astonishment and joy—it was a reunion neither had ever expected.
Back when they split up, each leading a different group in a desperate escape, they knew their chances of meeting again were almost nil. That separation might well have been their last.
Who could've imagined they'd be reunited here, under these circumstances?
It felt like fate itself had orchestrated this moment.
Chen Sheng was overjoyed. He needed help now more than ever, and Wu Guang's arrival was perfectly timed. They shared another hearty laugh.
"Guang, let's go back and talk there."
"Yeah!"
Wu Guang agreed without hesitation.
Back in the courtyard, they sat down together.
"Didn't we run in opposite directions back then? How did you end up here? We were going completely different ways. And yet here we are, in Lushan City—it must be fate, brother. Fate wants us to do something big together."
Chen Sheng laughed.
"No doubt. In that situation, to reunite like this? It's gotta be fate. But Sheng, there's something seriously wrong with this city. It feels… dead. No one has any life in their eyes. What happened here?"
Wu Guang's eyes flashed with sharp awareness.
"I was just about to tell you," Chen Sheng said grimly. "This city—it's a hunting ground for some kind of beast. Everyone here is just food, trapped like cattle. Once you enter, there's no escape..."
His voice grew heavy as he described what he knew about Lushan City.
Entering meant dancing on the edge of death. No one knew when it would strike. The unseen monster was too terrifying. The more mysterious the enemy, the deeper the fear it inspired.
It was psychological warfare, and the monster was winning.
"We can't stay here, Sheng. If we do, we're dead. That thing—it eats people. That alone means we need to get the hell out of here."
Wu Guang didn't hesitate.
"I've wanted to leave for a while. But I had fewer than a thousand people. Charging out would've been suicide. But now that you're here, we've got a shot," Chen Sheng replied. "And we can't just run ourselves—we need to wake up the will to fight in everyone. I refuse to believe they all want to die. They just need someone to lead them."
"True. It's just like when we were in the Xiongnu camps—oppressed people always want to fight back. No one really wants to die. But reviving their spirits won't be easy…"
Wu Guang frowned.
Even he could tell how hollow and lifeless most people here had become—like the living dead, just drifting through their days.
It was bad.
"I've already got a plan," Chen Sheng said, eyes gleaming. He quickly laid it out.
Wu Guang listened intently, nodding repeatedly and offering a few ideas of his own as enhancements.
Within minutes, the plan was finalized.
Meanwhile, in a quiet alley...
An old beggar opened his eyes and gave a weird little grin.
"A troublemaker meets an unstoppable force... Things are gonna get real interesting in Lushan City."
He muttered something incoherent, then flopped back down to sleep, like none of it concerned him.
That night, civilians began slipping quietly out of the courtyard, dispersing into every corner of Lushan City. They blended into the lifeless crowd without drawing attention—over a thousand of them, like drops of water falling into a river.
It barely made a ripple.
Most people didn't even notice.
And so, the night passed quietly.
The next morning, as the sun rose...
Ahhhh!
Screams pierced the air. Then silence.
A few new sinkholes appeared, swallowing unlucky souls into the earth.
They were as good as dead.
Terror deepened in the eyes of those who remained.
And in that terror... was despair. And madness. But the madness was smothered by fear before it could erupt.
It was a scene repeated every day.
Tomorrow, it might be their turn.
Fires were lit. Porridge was boiled. People began lining up with bowls and spoons.
In the courtyard, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang exchanged a look and nodded.
They opened the door and stepped out—decisively.