Chapter Seven: Searching for the Treasure Vault

Early in the morning, the two of them rose to prepare for their departure.

At this hour, many people were still huddled inside the pits, making do with another restless night. Some had returned from outside during the night, making the cramped shelters even more crowded. The cold wind outside drove familiar friends to lean against each other for warmth, draping themselves with whatever clothing they had as they drifted into uneasy sleep.

Wu Jue sighed softly. This was the apocalypse; mere survival was already a blessing.

The two climbed out of the pit, gazing at the chaos outside. After the zombies had retreated the previous night, many people had emerged to scavenge the heaps of refuse for anything useful.

Now, a sweep of the eye revealed that anything of value was long gone, leaving behind only worthless debris.

Xiao Han shook his head and said, “The day you leaped onto the ship, Master, my electric bike was nearly blown apart. Then, after I rescued you, it fell completely to pieces. Otherwise, we might have been able to travel faster.”

Wu Jue shook his head. “No matter. With my lightness skill, we can move quickly enough. Besides, I want to see the result of your training last night. Recite the formula as I taught you, gather your energy, and run. Let’s see if you can keep up with me.”

With that, he strode briskly ahead, inviting Xiao Han to give chase.

Xiao Han had been eager to try, and now, his spirits lifted, he set off in pursuit. Athletic by nature, he’d often practiced parkour with friends, and now those skills would finally come in handy.

Using obstacles along the way, he leapt and darted forward, surprised to find that the technique he’d practiced the night before made his body even more agile.

Wu Jue sped ahead, secretly observing Xiao Han’s movements. He was surprised by the young man’s unexpected response. Xiao Han used the broken walls along the street to climb and spring forward, his speed remarkable.

A strange word surfaced in Wu Jue’s mind—parkour.

It was a modern form of physical training, and from Xie Lun’s memories, Wu Jue realized that Xiao Han’s running style had uncanny similarities to the lightness arts practiced at Daling Temple.

Wu Jue’s interest grew. Watching Xiao Han’s climbing methods, he quickly learned to mimic them just as Xiao Han was about to catch up.

With a sudden leap onto a half-collapsed wall, Wu Jue pushed off powerfully, his explosive strength launching him three or four meters ahead, leaving Xiao Han far behind.

Xiao Han shouted in frustration, “Master, you’re cheating! You’re copying me!”

Wu Jue smiled faintly and continued on. Soon, they arrived at the place where they had once established their treasure vault.

Now, it was a derelict parking lot filled with wrecked cars.

“This is the place. According to the map, there should be a hidden chamber beneath us,” Wu Jue said, waiting for Xiao Han to catch up before they began searching the lot.

Inside, a foul, burnt stench assaulted their senses. Some cars had probably been burning all night and were still giving off an unpleasant odor. Xiao Han wrinkled his nose and asked, “Is it really here, Master? It smells awful!”

Wu Jue searched carefully, noting the thick concrete floor. The secret entrance he remembered seemed to have been sealed off. Now, he could only rely on his memory to find and force open the way in.

He tried to recall the layout, cautiously testing the ground as he advanced.

Finally, he stopped before a black sedan, remembering how they’d once dug the passage and left a concealed door here.

Unfortunately, the car blocked the way. Wu Jue crouched down to look. The vehicle was too badly damaged to move or drive away.

Xiao Han came over and asked, “Is this it? What now? It’s not easy to move this.”

“We can only try,” Wu Jue replied. He placed both palms on the car, unleashing a powerful Vajra Palm. The car shifted slightly.

Regrettably, Wu Jue sensed his strength had diminished—perhaps the drive he once possessed was gone, making it hard to unleash his full power.

As he frowned, a rank, fishy scent suddenly drifted over, setting his nerves on edge.

He turned and shouted, “Careful, zombies!”

Both he and Xiao Han twisted around to see two zombies rushing toward the parking lot, lured by their scent.

Frightened, Xiao Han dodged back. “What do we do? Should we kill them?”

“Find a sharp stick and drive it through their heads!” Wu Jue responded with experience, making a quick decision.

He opened the trunk of the sedan, searching inside, and found a tire iron. Gripping it, he said to Xiao Han, “Hide over there. I’ll handle them.”

Approaching the zombies, Wu Jue waved the tire iron to distract one. Seizing the moment when the zombie focused on the tool, he thrust it into its skull.

With a sickening sound, blood spurted out. Wu Jue stepped back just in time, avoiding the spray, but the tire iron remained lodged in the creature’s head, impossible to withdraw.

The other zombie lunged forward. Wu Jue quickly ducked, and in a flash, the zombie slammed into the car.

The impact was so great that it actually moved the car. Wu Jue’s eyes lit up. He called out to Xiao Han, “Find a rope and tie him up!”

The clever Xiao Han had already prepared one. He smashed a window, grabbed a rope, and tossed it to Wu Jue.

Wu Jue looped the rope around the zombie and raced in circles, binding it tightly. Then, he leaped to the other side of the car, and together with Xiao Han, pulled on the rope, causing the car to shift forward over a meter.

The unfortunate zombie thus became their unwitting helper; its desperate struggles unleashed enough force to push the sedan aside.

Seeing their plan succeed, Wu Jue gestured for Xiao Han to retrieve the tire iron from the other zombie and finish it off.

Xiao Han leaped over, but hesitated as he approached the corpse. A wave of nausea nearly overcame him.

“Xiao Han, don’t hesitate! This is your chance!” Wu Jue called out. “If you can get through this, you’ll survive the apocalypse.”

“Survive! I want to live!” Xiao Han trembled as he pulled the tire iron free and approached the other zombie.

The creature snarled at him, but Wu Jue held it fast with the rope. Xiao Han closed his eyes, thrust the tool forward, and after two failed attempts, finally broke through the zombie’s skull. Brain matter burst out, and the zombie’s struggles gradually ceased as it slumped over the car, motionless.

Wu Jue ran over, yanked Xiao Han away, and kicked the corpse aside.

He turned to Xiao Han. “Well done. You must learn to face reality. I, too, have lost countless comrades, but I persevered.”

He remembered the day Daling Temple was destroyed. That was how he learned to let go.

The enemies from the demonic cult were ferocious, yet his fellow disciples were so naïve—believing that a contest would be settled by victory or defeat alone.

Sometimes, when the vanquished pleaded for mercy, they would let them go, only to reap fatal consequences.

Many brothers died at the hands of the cult because of their compassion.

Wu Jue had faced the deaths of his companions many times, forced to make the cruelest choices: die together or let the living escape to fight another day.

That was how he held on, making it to the final confrontation with Desai.

End of Chapter Seven of Martial God of the Apocalypse: The Search for the Treasure Vault.