The world enters the fungal world

Chapter 182 Breaking Through the Peak (10,000 words today, please subscribe and vote)

But then, through the open iron gate, appeared seven or eight men and women dressed in black armor.

"Everyone, please be quiet." One of the men, who looked dignified, walked up to the group.

Upon hearing the black-armored man's words, the buzzing sounds that had been lingering in the huge warehouse completely disappeared.

Everyone fell silent, watching the man in black armor, waiting to hear him speak.

"Next, I will briefly talk about a few points that are very important to you, and may relate to whether you can continue to live in this world."

Upon hearing what the man in black armor said, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and many instinctively took a deep breath.

"For newcomers, our Lingxu City has a rule: those who reach the peak of the Spore stage can enter the city once for free; those who have not reached the peak can enter the city once by paying 10,000 gold coins."

The man in black armor paused here, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the people in front of him. A cruel and mocking smile appeared on his lips: "But listen carefully, each of you only has one chance to live. Next time, no matter how much gold you have, you will not be able to enter the city. Anyone who tries to sneak into the city will die once they are discovered."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion immediately broke out below.

Hao Tie and Su Juan's experiences have made many people aware of this regulation, although many more are still unaware of it.

If Li Yu and the others were still somewhat skeptical when Hao Tie told them last night, now that the black-armored man in front of them is saying it again, they can be completely certain that everyone really only has one chance to enter the city.

.

To attempt to enter the city a second time would mean certain death.

Now the biggest problem is facing everyone. If each person can only enter the city once, what will happen when the fungal disaster strikes again on the 15th of next month? If they cannot enter Lingxu City, will they surely die?

This regulation makes absolutely no sense and leaves them with absolutely no way out.

"How could there be such a rule? Are we just supposed to wait to die on the fifteenth of next month?"

"Yes, Lingxu City is the only shelter in this area. If we're not allowed to enter the city, won't we all die next time the bacterial plague strikes?"

"This is outrageous! This is forcing us all to die!"

Many people became increasingly agitated as they spoke. They had already been locked up all night and were seething with anger, but they had only submitted to the tyranny of these black-armored men and dared not resist. Now, they were being told that they would surely die next month, and they finally couldn't hold back any longer.

In particular, some of the peak spore stage experts, each one an outstanding figure among their kind, felt a surge of anger burning within them, wishing they could immediately take action and kill all the black-armored men and women before them.

The man in black armor looked at the crowd in front of him, who were filled with righteous indignation. He was not afraid at all, but rather enjoyed the feeling. He liked to see these newcomers looking fearful, anxious, and angry, yet they dared not resist.

Of course, many of them also appeared very calm, such as Li Yu, Bai Xiuluo, and Hao Tie, who had experienced it once before.

Li Yu understood that the man in black armor had only told half of what he wanted to say, and there was more to come. If Lingxu City simply wanted them dead, why would they go through all the trouble of taking them in once?

It even registered basic information about those who had reached the peak of the spore stage.

Lingxu City must have another purpose in doing this.

Sure enough, seeing the crowd's excitement, the man in black armor admired the scene for a moment before finally stretching out his hands and pressing them forward to signal for quiet. He then raised his voice and said, "Of course, we've also given you a chance to live."

Upon hearing what the man in black armor said, the murmurs ceased once more. Everyone wanted to know what this opportunity was, and the huge warehouse fell silent again.

"Once you become official residents of Lingxu City, you will be able to freely enter and leave Lingxu City without being subject to such restrictions."

Hearing the black-armored man say this, many people breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately many raised their hands and said, "Then I will apply to join Lingxu City."

"Can I join Lingxu City now?"

"How can I become a formal resident of Lingxu City?"

Many people started asking questions, but this time the man in black armor didn't show any appreciation or enjoyment. Instead, he frowned, suddenly finding the group of newcomers in front of him very noisy.

"Shut up, all of you!" he suddenly roared, his eyes flashing with a murderous glint. "You're all too noisy. If anyone makes another sound, I won't hesitate to kill him right now!"

The noise subsided, and the people who had been speaking immediately shut up. Looking at the man in black armor, they could feel the violence in his bones and had no doubt that he meant what he said.

The men and women in black armor behind the man in black armor also mostly showed cruel and excited expressions, staring at them like cats that had spotted mice.

"Are all these people in Lingxu City crazy?" This thought popped into many people's minds. At least the mental state of the black-armored man in front of them seemed very abnormal.

"Lingxu City doesn't want trash. People like you are all garbage and useless in Lingxu City. We gave you a month, and not one of you could break through to the peak of the Spore Stage. Not a single one. You guys are just a bunch of fucking useless trash, ptooey!"

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of thick saliva from his throat, right in front of everyone.

The enormous warehouse, filled with over a thousand people, was eerily quiet. Many had grim expressions, and some were even pale. In particular, some of the self-proclaimed geniuses and top experts showed expressions of shock and disbelief.

Breaking through the peak of the spore stage in just one month? That's simply impossible.

"Are you not convinced? Every batch before you had this problem, but your batch is the worst I've ever seen."

Li Yu glanced at Bai Xiuluo standing to the side. He had thought Bai Xiuluo had broken through to the peak of the Spore Stage when he saw him kill the Mother of the Fungal Spider. Unfortunately, the registration information for entering the city was confirmed yesterday, and Bai Xiuluo was also at the peak of the Spore Stage.

Hearing the black-armored man's words, they realized that in previous batches, someone had managed to break through to the peak of the Spore Stage within a month? This growth rate was simply astonishing.

No one could tell whether the man in black armor was telling the truth or not. He had left them speechless after being scolded, and they could only remain silent.

After cursing a string of profanities, the black-armored man seemed to calm down a bit, his expression softening slightly. He said indifferently, "We are merciful and will give you one last chance. If you can break through to the peak of the Spore Stage by the fifteenth of next month, you will be qualified to enter the inner city through the East Gate and become true residents of Lingxu City. Otherwise, you will only die."

Upon hearing this, some of the more than a thousand people in the warehouse breathed a sigh of relief, finally understanding the requirements for re-entering the city, while the majority looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

For peak Spore Stage experts, breaking through their current realm will allow them to enter Spirit Ruins City.

Although we don't know how difficult the breakthrough will be, we have a month, so the chances are definitely high.

Upon hearing this, most of the people breathed a sigh of relief, their previously anxious hearts finally at ease.

For those at the top level of the spore stage, the mindset is much more complex. Some of them are close to breaking through and have confidence in themselves.

I believe I can break through to the peak of the spore stage in the next few days, and I still have more than twenty days to break through to the peak. The hope is high, at least I can see the hope of making an effort.

Others who have just broken through to the top level have a completely different mindset. It will take them a long time to break through to the peak of the spore stage, let alone break through to the peak of the spore stage again, which is even more difficult. After all, the difficulty increases exponentially with each advancement and breakthrough.

Among these more than a thousand people, the most desperate were the few advanced spore stage members.

Although only a very small number of advanced Spore Stage cultivators survived and arrived at Lingxu City, for them, breaking through to the peak of the Spore Stage before the bacterial calamity next month was simply a pipe dream.

The black-armored man's words were practically a death sentence for them.

Upon hearing the name of the East Gate, Li Yu suddenly had a thought. He remembered that before entering the city yesterday, Su Juan had been killed, and several peak experts who had come with Wei Tian had suddenly left the group and headed east towards Lingxu City.

He could only guess that they were probably among the previous batch of newcomers, and this was their second time entering the city.

They were too frightened by Su Juan's incident to go in. Now Li Yu understood that they must have gone to the east gate of Lingxu City to see if they could sneak through.

However, only those who have broken through the spore stage are qualified to enter the East Gate. Even if they reach the East Gate, their fate will probably not be much better than Su Juan's.

"You will have one day to roam freely outside the city. You must leave the city before the gates close at nightfall today. Anyone who stays in the city without permission will be killed!"

The man in black armor spoke coldly, as if devoid of any emotion, then turned and walked outside.

Several men and women in black armor followed him out. One of the women in black armor lagged behind. Suddenly, she stopped, turned to look at the group, and said, "Today, spend more time wandering around the outer city's plaza and market, familiarize yourself with the surrounding environment of Lingxu City, and it would be best to buy a map, or if you can afford it, a map encyclopedia."

She paused slightly, a hint of pity in her eyes, and continued hesitantly, "Those who are growing very slowly can return to the supply point with this group of new recruits. Stay with them, and see what fate brings; perhaps there will be a glimmer of hope."

Upon hearing her words, Li Yu's heart stirred. What she meant was that those who were certain to die and could not break through to the peak realm in a month could learn from Hao Tie and Su Juan, re-enter the supply point, and then re-enter the city as newcomers.

Although being discovered would mean death, if one were lucky enough to escape detection, like Hao Tie, one would not only live for another month, but Hao Tie is now at the peak of the Spore Stage. If he can break through to the peak within the next month, he will become a true resident of Lingxu City and gain the right to enter and leave.

The woman in black armor didn't elaborate, only offering a vague remark that gave those who were destined to die a glimmer of hope before turning and leaving with the other men and women in black armor.

As they left, and as the two iron gates opened, the more than a thousand people in the warehouse remained frozen in place. Only then did various voices of discussion arise.

Li Yu overheard Zhou Xigang muttering to himself, "In a month, I have to break through to the peak of the Spore Stage to be qualified to move into Lingxu City. Damn it, I'm not even at the top level yet. There's no way I'll make it in time."

Qian Lili also looked anxious and said, "Then what should we do? Li Yu, you must have a solution, right?"

Li Yu looked at the warehouse door and noticed that some people were already walking outside.

With someone taking the lead, more than a thousand people quickly surged toward the exit like a tide. According to the man in black armor, they could move around in the outer city during the day, as long as they left before the city gates closed at night.

"Let's go, let's get out of here first." Li Yu didn't reply much, but instead took Lin Muying's hand and led Qian Lili and Zhou Xigang, following the crowd, towards the outside of the warehouse.

The warehouse was hot and humid, and everyone who had been locked up overnight was eager to leave.

After finally managing to get out with the crowd, Li Yu couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Outside the warehouse was a huge square, and across the square was a cluster of black houses, all with their doors open and wooden signs hanging above them.

From afar, you can see these wooden signs with words like "Mushroom Shop," "General Store," and "Bookstore." The square market that the woman in black armor mentioned must be referring to this place.

The more than a thousand people who poured out of the warehouse mostly headed towards the markets with signs, while others gathered together and discussed in hushed tones, mostly about the upcoming arrangements and plans.

"Li Yu." Suddenly, a woman's voice came from behind.

Li Yu turned his head and saw that it was Tang Burou.

"Miss Tang." Li Yu nodded slightly to her.

Tang Burou reached up and tucked a strand of short hair behind her ear, asking, "What are your plans for the next month?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Muying, Qian Lili, and the other two. In her mind, although Li Yu was a peak expert, Lin Muying and the other two were only at the advanced stage of the spore stage. They would definitely be doomed after a month. According to normal methods, they would be certain to die.

The only option was, as Hao Tie suggested, to return to the supply point, and then, a month later, impersonate a newcomer to enter the city to see if they could get away with it.

Li Yu said, "Not yet. I'm planning to go to the market there to get familiar with the area around Lingxu City."

Tang Burou gave a soft "hmm." She had originally intended to invite Li Yu to come with her, but seeing Li Yu holding Lin Muying's hand, she swallowed her words for some reason and smiled, saying, "Okay, then I'll go take a look first."

"it is good."

Li Yu responded, and Tang Burou walked towards the market.

Li Yu led Lin Muying and the other two behind them as they approached the market. The first shop they saw sold maps.

Each note costs 100 gold coins, which is not cheap, and many people are eager to buy them. Of course, not everyone buys them; most often, a team or a group of people who know each other well buy one together.

Li Yu also bought one.

Those who bought the map dispersed to various parts of the square to examine it carefully.

As the woman in black armor said, the first step was to familiarize themselves with the details of the area surrounding Lingxu City before they could plan their next steps.