Shen Le held his breath and strained to spread his spiritual power, connecting with the surrounding stone walls, the rocks beyond them, the soil, the entire mountain.
Don't collapse!
Whatever you do, don't collapse!
Even if it does collapse, at least give me some cushioning—say, a few rocks forming a triangle so I can hide beneath them, then burrow into the mountain instead of getting smashed bloody!
The stone walls and cave answered his call. Though the tremors were violent and dust rained down everywhere, they held firm at least, without huge chunks crashing down one after another.
After swaying for a while, there was a bang as a sword-shaped stalactite fell. After a pause, another fell, then another.
Every one of them landed precisely on the positions of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper outlined in intersecting white lines by the Porcelain Sword, plunging deep into the ground. Shen Le desperately maintained a defensive barrier around himself, watching with both tension and curiosity as the stone swords stood half-buried underground and half-upright above the surface.
With every stone sword that fell, grinding noises came from deep within the passage, as though some mechanism had been triggered. With every stone sword that fell, the furballs in the corner of the stone hall huddled closer together, letting out pitiful cries. Well, perhaps staying here really was not good for them—when two giants fought, even the slightest gust from their fists could kill the little creatures around them with a brush or a touch.
Shen Le patiently waited until all seven stone swords had sunk into the ground. Then the Porcelain Sword shot back before him, poking him with its hilt to urge him onward. He grabbed the hilt and asked pleasantly:
"So, are you still going to wait here? Or