I gave it about 20 minutes. By then, I could still sense the group of surviving above-average competitors, while they had advanced far enough into the cave that I was confident I'd be able to take an alternate path to them.
I exploded toward the checkpoint with a flying leap. No one really tried to pursue me. A few dozen had gathered beyond the point at which people could stay relatively hidden, though they'd stopped short of actually forming an allied defending force. Those did try to stop me, but I easily evaded them and dashed inside.
All right, now I just have to make it to the other side. "Shuang, how's your eyesight in darkness?" Mine wasn't too bad, but I wasn't sure if Shuang was that kind of snake.
"Probably not too much better than yours," he admitted, "At this level only Dark Aura beasts and cultivators have true dark vision."