Sneak Attack

Jiang Yan carried a large black sack over his shoulder and swaggered toward the outskirts of Linjiang City.

The Fierce Beasts near Linjiang City had been cleared out rather thoroughly, so Wilderness Hunters had spontaneously taken the lead in setting up a small Exchange.

Many Wilderness Hunters sold the materials they gathered here, while merchants from the city came here to purchase raw materials, ensuring the freshest goods at the lowest prices, with no middleman taking a cut.

The Exchange was extremely crude, littered with trash, and a faint smell of blood hung in the air.

Jiang Yan was covered in Black Wolf blood, blending right in with the bloodiness around him.

The blood had dried and stuck to his body. Combined with the large black sack slung over his back, Jiang Yan's appearance drew quite a few looks.

Following the example of the other Wilderness Hunters, he opened the sack and dumped wolf pelts and wolf fangs all over the ground, waiting for city merchants to come and buy them.

Materials from Black Wolves were common, but the market was still broad, so Jiang Yan was not worried about finding buyers.

Sure enough, before long, an Old Man with messy hair and a hunched back shuffled over.

He glanced at Jiang Yan. Seeing him covered in blood, he said nothing, only showing surprise at Jiang Yan's youthful face.

"A... student?"

The Old Man muttered to himself. He did not ask further questions and simply pointed at the Black Wolf remains piled on the ground.

"Boss, how much for these?"

Jiang Yan had done his homework beforehand and knew the prices of wolf pelts and fangs by heart.

"Ten thousand for each Black Wolf pelt."

"One thousand per wolf fang."

The Old Man said, "Fine. Deal."

The Old Man clearly was not short on money. He directly packed everything up and took it away.

Looking at the balance in his bank account, Jiang Yan suddenly felt as though he were dreaming.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands.

A total of Star Coins.

Six wolves meant six pelts and twelve fangs.

"As expected, hunting is where the money is. Staying at Linjiang First High School really is the stupidest choice."

After getting the money, Jiang Yan checked the prices of martial arts skills on the Martial Artist Official Website.

He switched the category to movement techniques.

"Gale Step": Official price, 100,000 Star Coins

Description: Yellow Grade High Rank martial art. After use, it increases step frequency and lasts a long time, suitable for attrition tactics.

"Meteor Step": Official price, 110,000 Star Coins

Description: Yellow Grade High Rank martial art. It combines combat and footwork, allowing one to attack or retreat.

Jiang Yan continued searching. He needed a movement technique that would let him reach the Azure Lord Eagle; the martial arts skills he had looked up before were not quite suitable for him.

"Explosive Step": Official price, 90,000 Star Coins

Description: Yellow Grade High Rank martial art. Extreme explosive power grants you the strength to soar through the skies and burrow into the earth. (Note: Users, please mind your height. Jumping too high can easily get you killed in a fall.)

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow, feeling that this was pretty good.

"It's just that I seem to be a little short on money."

Just as he was considering whether to head deeper into the Wilderness to hunt again, a Shorty wrapped in a black robe and looking thoroughly shady sneaked over.

He looked around cautiously before daring to approach Jiang Yan, then familiarly offered him a cigarette.

"Brother, want one?"

Jiang Yan did not reach out to take it. He looked coldly at Shorty. "What do you want?"

Shorty gave an awkward laugh, withdrew the cigarette, and tucked it behind his ear.

"Brother, I've got some illicit goods here. Want to take a look?"

Jiang Yan understood. This guy was a black-market merchant.

What was a black-market merchant? Someone who specialized in buying goods of questionable origin that could not enter the regular market at low prices, then reselling them to people who needed them.

Jiang Yan asked, "Do you have martial arts skills?"

"Yes! Yes!" Shorty smiled, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and asked, "What kind do you want, brother?"

"Explosive Step."

"Ah... that."

Jiang Yan asked, "You don't have it?"

Shorty replied, "I do, but I need to go get the stock."

Jiang Yan said, "Time."

Shorty said, "No later than three this afternoon."

Jiang Yan said, "I'll wait for you here at five this afternoon."

Shorty said, "You got it."

After reaching a deal, the black-robed Shorty grinned happily. He did not speak to Jiang Yan again, turning to vanish into the crowd, probably to look for his next customer.

Jiang Yan picked up the sack from the ground. He did not linger long at the Exchange before turning and heading deep into the Wilderness again.

To make money.

Not long after Jiang Yan left, several figures appeared where he had been standing.

"Boss, that guy just sold nearly a hundred thousand worth of goods. Now he's gone into the Wilderness again. He'll probably come back with quite a haul."

"I think he's only a student from the looks of his face. Should we..."

One of them made a throat-slitting gesture.

"He was able to hunt that many Black Wolves, so he definitely isn't weak. Follow him first."

Several figures hurried in the direction Jiang Yan had disappeared.

In the Wilderness, besides guarding against Fierce Beasts, humans were also extremely dangerous.

There was a type of group that did not risk their lives hunting Fierce Beasts. Instead, they robbed Wilderness Hunters for profit.

Those targeted were usually students who had only just entered the Wilderness for training, or ordinary people with no experience at all.

Background and status meant nothing here. Leave a corpse in the Wilderness, and no one would know; it would be difficult to trace.

"You battled an Iron Horned Rhino. Your physique has improved slightly."

"You are under attack. Thick-Skinned Physique's defense has increased."

"You used Fierce Bull Strength. Proficiency has improved slightly."

"You killed a Wind Strider Horse. Congratulations, you have broken through after battle!"

Jiang Yan's body jolted as an incomparably exhilarating sensation rushed straight to the crown of his head, making him feel so good he nearly cried out.

Open the Status Panel.

Host: Jiang Yan

Talent: Thick-Skinned Physique

Realm: Body Tempering Perfection

Martial Arts Skills: (Unranked) "Basic Saber Technique" Perfected

(Yellow Grade Low Rank) "Fierce Bull Strength" Great Accomplishment

Traits: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Innate), Desperate Truth (Blue), Swiftness

Over the course of one afternoon, Jiang Yan had pushed "Fierce Bull Strength" to Great Accomplishment through constant battle, and his martial cultivation had also reached Body Tempering Perfection. Even those monstrous geniuses probably could not surpass such a breakthrough speed, could they?

Having just broken through, his body, which had previously been exhausted beyond measure, was now brimming with strength and restored to its peak state.

Just as he was cleaning up the Wind Strider Horse he had killed, an arrow shot from behind him like an arrow loosed from the bowstring.

Jiang Yan did not even turn his head. He twisted his neck, and the arrow flew past along its original trajectory. With only the slightest difference, the arrowhead would have pierced the back of Jiang Yan's skull and ended his life.

"Fuck, missed!"

A hundred meters behind him, Skinny, who was still holding his drawn bow, cursed.

"You trash! How many times have you missed these past few days?"

The Bald Strongman at the head of the group furiously berated Skinny.

Skinny scratched his head in grievance. "Big Brother, it's not my fault! That kid was like he had eyes on the back of his head. He just twisted his neck and dodged it."

"Stop making fucking excuses. He's already spotted us. When we move, make it clean."

Seeing that their ambush had failed, Baldie's group directly chose to rob him by force.

Jiang Yan had a fiery temper as well. If Desperate Truth had not activated at that critical moment, then even with Thick-Skinned Physique protecting him, his head would have bled today.

So, saber on his shoulder, he charged toward them at full speed.