Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer

Who knew how long had passed? It felt like day after day, year after year. The iron hammer in his hands went from too heavy to lift to eventually fitting his grip as naturally as an extension of his arm.

Until one day, as dawn first broke and the first ray of light had yet to fully illuminate the earth, Xu Yunfan took a deep breath and adjusted his condition. Then he raised the iron hammer high with both hands. His muscles tensed, veins bulging like little winding snakes coiled around his arms.

With an angry roar, the iron hammer howled through the air and smashed viciously into the waist-high chunk of ore before him.

Clang!

With a tremendous crash, the ore split apart, sending fragments flying in every direction.

Yet Xu Yunfan did not pause in the slightest. His body spun rapidly, and his hammer-swinging motion flowed through in one smooth stroke, like a tireless machine. Every swing was accompanied by a violent surge of blood and vitality within him. That abundant vitality rushed like a surging river, endlessly supplying his body with strength and keeping his arms brimming with power.

At this moment, the stances of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art were no longer stiff and stagnant, no longer merely following prescribed forms. They now carried a free and effortless rhythm.

His moves had come alive.

Brute force faded, while living force gradually emerged.

The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art had reached minor mastery.

As Xu Yunfan digested the memories in his mind, waves of warmth surfaced within his body once more, continuously coursing through his muscles and skin.

His body, once somewhat lean, now displayed exceptionally distinct lines of developed muscle under the effect of Bulging Muscle Ridges. Nourished by the warm currents within him, his skin kept swelling and tightening, as though his entire body had been filled out and propped up from within.

The blood and vitality that had once been somewhat weak now burst forth with a rolling, plentiful vigor. As he assumed the opening stance of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art, it slowly spread into his limbs and bones, continuously nourishing his flesh and skin.

Only then did Xu Yunfan understand that the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art was actually a body-tempering martial art. Its attacks were like cannon hammers, containing a fierce and domineering hammer technique.

Li Haomiao, who had been quietly thinking nearby, heard the commotion and turned around just in time to see Xu Yunfan knock away the final chunk of ore embedded in the Source Ancient Jade Wall, revealing its true form.

"I feel like your strength has grown heavier."

Having heard the earlier sounds of hammering, Li Haomiao stared at the Source Ancient Jade Wall, unable to take his eyes off it, and casually voiced his uncertainty.

One could clearly tell from the sound of the ore being struck that Xu Yunfan's strength had increased.

Xu Yunfan said, "I can use some hammer techniques now."

"...You truly have outstanding talent for martial arts."

Li Haomiao sighed. The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art contained a fierce hammer technique, bearing an unstoppable force. He had never expected Xu Yunfan to realize it was a hammer technique merely through its methods of exerting force.

He slowly moved closer and looked at the Source Ancient Jade Wall, which was generally shaped like an irregular diamond. From deep within it, he could vaguely make out a dark shadow.

After thinking for a moment, Li Haomiao said, "There's a person lying inside."

Xu Yunfan, who was still sensing the tremendous improvement in his physical condition, was filled with astonishment upon hearing Li Haomiao's words.

"There really is someone?"

He leaned closer and carefully examined it from every angle. At last, within the more than three-meter-tall irregular diamond-shaped ancient jade wall, he spotted that human-shaped dark shadow.

"What do we do next?"

Li Haomiao's eyes flickered with a trace of excitement. "Break open this jade wall and dig it out for a look."

"This jade wall is too hard. I have no way to break it."

At this, Li Haomiao pondered briefly before looking up at Xu Yunfan. His pupils suddenly contracted.

"Why have you gotten bigger?"

"Haven't you seen how diligently I've trained these days? And with Grain Avoidance Pills to replenish myself, if I didn't grow stronger and instead became weaker, wouldn't I have trained myself into an injury?"

Doubts filled Li Haomiao's heart. Only after a long while did he softly ask, "Do you possess True Blood?"

Only a True Blood Practitioner could cultivate at such a rapid pace and undergo such drastic physical changes.

Xu Yunfan shook his head to indicate that he did not know, saying nothing. Imagination made one powerful.

Having the identity of a True Blood Practitioner to conceal his extraordinary cultivation speed also put his worries to rest.

True Immortal Bloodline—just thinking about it sounded lofty and impressive. It was only natural for it to defy common sense.

Seeing Xu Yunfan's reaction, Li Haomiao indeed looked convinced. He did not seem surprised. After only a slight hesitation, his abdomen rolled, and he opened his mouth to spit out a golden awl no bigger than a pinky finger.

Xu Yunfan felt somewhat disgusted.

"What is that?"

Li Haomiao looked reluctantly at the golden awl that had landed on the ground and said in a low voice, "This is a fragment from one corner of the Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer. Use it as a pick head, and it should be able to break open this Source Ancient Jade Wall. Since you possess True Blood, perhaps you can bring out some of its power."

"The Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer?"

"It is merely a Divine Weapon Fragment. Its spirituality has long since vanished. Just treat it as an extremely sharp piece of metal and give it a try."

Seeing that Xu Yunfan still had not moved, Li Haomiao frowned.

"Don't worry. There won't be any accidents with this. The timing is wrong now, and even if we dig out the Source Ancient Jade Wall, whoever is inside absolutely cannot awaken. The Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer has also shattered, its spirituality dispersed. It no longer possesses any supernatural power."

"...No, it has your saliva on it. I find that a little disgusting."

Li Haomiao: "..."

After embedding the corner fragment of the Purple Gold Earth-Shaking Hammer into the tip of the pickaxe and confirming that it was secure, Xu Yunfan walked over to the Source Ancient Jade Wall. He turned his head toward Li Haomiao and asked,

"Since we have to break open this Source Ancient Jade Wall sooner or later, why do we have to dig it out first?"

"To see whether there is anything inauspicious inside."

"Can you tell?"

Li Haomiao shook his head. "For now, we can only dig it open and take a look."

"..."

Xu Yunfan could not be bothered to mock Li Haomiao. He held his breath, steadied his mind, raised the Iron Pickaxe, and focused intently on the jade wall before him.

"Huh?!"

Just as he was about to bring down the Iron Pickaxe, Xu Yunfan, staring at the Source Ancient Jade Wall, could not help letting out a startled cry.

Hearing this, Li Haomiao asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing."

Xu Yunfan shook his head. When he had stared intently at the Source Ancient Jade Wall just now, he had been able to see faint, flickering patterns.

He had a feeling that if he swung along those patterns, it would probably be easier.

This should have been the effect of Digging Earth Like Mud, which had emerged after his mining reached minor mastery.

Xu Yunfan no longer hesitated. He raised the Iron Pickaxe and gathered all his strength. His calm blood and vitality began to stir, the muscles and tendons throughout his body bulging as vein after vein protruded across his skin, tangled like roots and looking utterly savage. The Iron Pickaxe came crashing down, tearing through the air.

Ding!

A clear sound, like jade beads falling to the ground, rang out melodiously and echoed endlessly through the narrow, twisting mine tunnel.

At first it sounded ethereal, but upon closer listening, it carried a hidden strangeness. Threads of chill shot up Xu Yunfan's spine.

The notes produced by the collision seemed to be tugged by invisible hands, crashing and spreading between the damp stone walls, as if infused with something sinister and bizarre.

It seemed that something was slowly awakening in the darkness.

By then, Xu Yunfan had already retreated behind Li Haomiao.

Li Haomiao: "..."

He gave a dry cough. "Don't worry. This Source Ancient Jade Wall is incomparably hard. With just one strike, it simply..."