Chapter 57 - 54: Anomalies Arise, Demon Calamity Returns!

Chapter 57: Chapter 54: Anomalies Arise, Demon Calamity Returns!

"ROAR!"

"Kill! Brothers, kill all these Little Demons!"

"The President has orders: all Demon Beasts within the three nearby blocks must be completely cleared out within an hour! Not a single one can be left alive!"

"Kill!"

"..."

Downstairs, the sudden roars of Demon Beasts and the battle cries of humans shattered the relative silence of the street, instantly plunging it into a chaotic, bloodthirsty clamor. Ye Feihong and Liu Yi were both deep in their Spiritual Essence cultivation and remained undisturbed by the noise. However, Zhao Hongzhang, who had been sleeping heavily in the inner bedroom, was startled by the sudden commotion. He jolted upright in bed and cried out in alarm.

"What’s going on? What happened?

"Why is there fighting outside again? Did more Demon Beasts break into the city?!"

Beside the bed, Liu Zihao was much calmer. He peered down through a crack in the window and softly reassured his uncle.

"Don’t worry, Uncle Hongzhang. No Demon Beasts have entered the city. It’s the Martial Artists and the military surrounding and wiping out the remnants!

"Once they clear out all the Demon Beasts in the city, we might finally be able to go downstairs!"

Hearing the voices, Liu Zimo walked into the bedroom. Seeing Uncle Hongzhang sitting up in bed and looking significantly better than before, he asked softly, "Uncle Hongzhang, how are you feeling now? Can you get out of bed?"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Zhao Hongzhang quickly turned his head and rubbed his still-groggy eyes. By the faint candlelight in the room, he finally managed to see clearly. His oldest nephew was actually back!

"Mo, is it really you?

"I’m not just delirious from a fever, am I? Am I dreaming?"

After confirming it again and again, Zhao Hongzhang stared at Liu Zimo, who had already walked up to him. Trembling with excitement, he grabbed both of Zimo’s hands and squeezed them tightly, terrified that his nephew would slip away the moment he let go.

"You silly kid, why did you run off to Shangjing out of nowhere? Do you have any idea how worried I was when the Demon Calamity broke out?

"Shangjing is thousands of kilometers away from our Luozhou City, and the outside world is swarming with man-eating Demon Beasts. I thought I’d never get to see you again in this lifetime!

"But it’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you made it back alive!

"If anything had happened to you out there, your mother would scold me to death when I went down to the underworld to see her. She’d definitely blame me for not taking good care of you boys!

"..."

Zhao Hongzhang rambled on and on, taking quite a while for his emotions to settle. Liu Zimo let his uncle hold his hands, not minding the nagging in the slightest. Instead, a deep warmth filled his heart. This was the feeling of being cared for and loved by family—a scene he had only been able to experience in his memories or illusions over the past thirty years.

"Uncle Hongzhang, these are the Body Refining Pills I specifically sought out for you in Shangjing.

"Once you eat them, you will quickly achieve Martial Arts Foundation Establishment and become a true Martial Artist. The next time you encounter a Demon Beast, you’ll have some ability to protect yourself!"

Taking advantage of a pause when his uncle stopped to drink some water, Liu Zimo took out the Body Refining Pills he had been carrying and handed them to his uncle and brother, urging them to take the medicine as soon as possible. Time waited for no one.

The second wave of Demon Beast attacks was imminent. If his uncle and the others couldn’t become Martial Artists and gain some measure of self-defense before then, their safety during the Demon Calamity could not be fully guaranteed. Liu Zimo couldn’t guard them for the rest of his life, and they needed to quickly adapt and learn how to survive in the Post-Apocalypse. Sheltered flowers were destined to die early in a Post-Apocalypse fraught with crisis and danger at every turn.

Zhao Hongzhang and Liu Zihao took the elixirs without a shadow of a doubt. Following Liu Zimo’s instructions, they peeled off the outer wax coating and popped the richly fragrant pills straight into their mouths.

BOOM!

The pills melted the moment they touched their tongues, transforming into a massive rush of heat that constantly circulated through their bodies. The two quickly activated the Guiding Breathing Method, working hard to absorb and achieve Refinement. They converted this scorching medicinal energy entirely into their own Qi and Blood Power to store within themselves. Soon, the Qi Blood in their bodies began to overflow. Their previously lacking Primordial Qi and foundation were completely replenished, making their Martial Arts Foundation as solid as a rock.

"It’s a success!"

Sensing the flawless Body Refining aura radiating from his uncle and brother, along with the faint trace of Inner Breath newly born within their Qi Sea Dantian, a gratified smile appeared on Liu Zimo’s face. That weak wisp of Inner Breath in the Dantian was a seed—the hallmark of officially entering the Martial Dao. Once the Inner Breath was formed and the Qi Sea was opened, only then could the Dantian truly be called the source of the Qi Sea. It was the absolute starting point of the Martial Dao for all Martial Artists!

Half an hour later.

The four people in the room were still in Meditation, showing no signs of waking up. Meanwhile, the clamor and sounds of slaughter downstairs had gradually died down until there was complete silence. Clearly, the nearby Demon Beasts had been fully eradicated. Everything was proceeding exactly at the pace Liu Zimo had anticipated.

Another ten minutes passed.

Guards from the Military Staff Department began to appear in the city in droves, fanning out by district and street. Every guard carried a brass gong and a specially made loudspeaker. Wherever they went, they struck their gongs and broadcasted their message loudly through the loudspeakers.

"Attention, citizens! Attention, citizens!

"All Demon Beasts within the city have been purged! You can now safely go downstairs and move about!

"Starting today, Luozhou City will be completely taken over and regulated by the Military Staff Department! All supplies within the city will be uniformly distributed by us!

"We ask all citizens to abide by the special wartime decrees and voluntarily report to the nearest registration points! You will receive basic living supplies based on the current number of people in your household!

"Please rest assured. Disasters are merciless, but humanity is compassionate! The nation will not abandon you, and neither will the Military Staff Department...

"Currently, the Military Staff Department is urgently fortifying the safety perimeter outside the city! We are in dire need of hiring a large number of young, able-bodied citizens to help transport steel, cement, and other materials!

"You won’t need to leave the city, so there is no need to worry about your safety! We provide water and meals with meat at every sitting! On top of that, there is Military Merit and other benefits to be earned! We hope everyone will eagerly sign up..."

They promoted policies and reassured the public, stabilizing the chaos and restoring order at the fastest possible speed. The next step was conscripting manpower, providing relief through labor. The surviving young adults in the city would exchange their labor for Military Merit, which could then be used to acquire more and better living supplies. The same applied to Martial Artists, who could earn Military Merit by slaying Demon Beasts or completing specific missions issued by the Military Staff Department. They could then spend that Military Merit to obtain Martial Arts Techniques or Spirit Elixirs and Treasures from the Military Staff Department’s Martial Arts Library.

This was the most common and effective management method used in every settlement during the Post-Apocalypse, and Liu Zimo had copied it directly.

At this moment, Liu Zimo stood by the window, gazing down at the growing crowds in the streets below, and gave a slight nod. Compared to the lifeless, desolate streets from before, this scene was much more pleasing to the eye!

"Fantastic! The Military Staff Department has finally stepped in. I’ve waited an eternity for this day!"

Just then, his father awoke from Meditation. Hearing the commotion outside, he also leaned out the window to look down. Seeing the continuous stream of people pouring onto the streets below and the piles of relief supplies being brought out by the Military Staff Department, he couldn’t help but clap his hands in approval.

"No time to lose. I need to hurry down and register for the rest of you!"

With that, his father, Liu Yi, sprinted toward the door in a frantic rush. Registration was a minor matter; claiming the basic living supplies was the most crucial part. After all, they had been trapped in the house for ten whole days, and their previously hoarded water and food were nearly depleted. If they didn’t replenish their water and food sources soon, the family would be starving in a couple of days.

Seeing this, Liu Zimo didn’t say anything to stop him. He noticed that Feihong had also woken up at this moment. After sending a telepathic message saying, "Grandmaster, carry me," she darted into Liu Yi’s arms. Liu Yi caught her, carrying her out the door with him. With this little girl keeping an eye on things, even if they ran into any unexpected trouble, there wouldn’t be any real danger.