Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Yunfan looked at a system notification that had popped up in his vision, joy filling his heart.

It worked.

Sure enough, when he focused on the Attribute Panel, he saw that a gray entry had appeared under the skills section: Proximity Mantra (Not Yet Initiated).

As long as it could be added to the skills section, entering the beginner stage was only a matter of time.

Only then did he realize how utterly exhausted his mind was. Even his thoughts had slowed.

Cultivating this strange art consumed far too much mental energy. He could not keep grinding away at it, or his spirit would be drained dry.

Xu Yunfan turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown length of time, Xu Yunfan suddenly opened his eyes. His ears twitched slightly. Beyond the howling cold wind outside the stone house, he could faintly hear other sounds.

Clang!

The clash of metal erupted outside the stone house like the ringing of great bells.

"Lian Yuanzhang, I knew you would come! With this Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap, none of you will escape!"

The voice boomed like exploding thunder, brimming with delight and smug triumph.

Xu Yunfan rose and turned, only to see the certainty in Li Haomiao's deep-set eyes.

When Li Haomiao saw Xu Yunfan looking over, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"The opportunity has come."

Everyone inside the stone house was jolted awake by the commotion outside. Xu Yunfan could see clearly that, though many were startled, most seemed to have expected something like this.

They simply had not expected it to come so soon.

"Once winter comes to the far north, travel becomes nearly impossible. This surprise attack may be hasty, but it makes sense."

Someone in the corner analyzed the situation calmly, excitement flickering in his eyes.

The Empress had only recently ascended the throne. Though she had purged the court, considerable resistance still remained below.

Crash!

A deafening boom suddenly erupted. The wall of the stone house was smashed open by a towering man, built like a vicious beast and tall as an iron tower. His muscles bulged and the veins beneath his skin throbbed. The heat radiating from his body even raised the temperature inside the stone house by several degrees.

The burly man carried a massive hammer in one hand. His eyes swept around before fixing on a slender young man standing silently in the corner. He grinned.

"Young Master, I'm here to save you."

The slender young man, who had remained silent all this time, looked calm. He nodded and stepped forward, but before he could say anything, the burly man grabbed him with a palm as broad as a cattail fan and turned away.

Boom!

The ground seemed to tremble. The burly man shot away like an arrow loosed from a bow, vanishing from the battlefield in the blink of an eye.

Looking out through the hole, Xu Yunfan saw countless black-clad men in iron armor fighting the overseers. Most eye-catching of all were two heavily armored giants battling in the middle of the field, both wielding heavy long weapons.

The weighty weapons in their hands seemed as light as nothing. Every move displayed an incomparably fierce and unstoppable force.

Each clash of their weapons exploded like thunder striking level ground, deafening all around them. No one dared approach.

The giant wielding a long-handled saber laughed loudly.

"Her Majesty anticipated long ago that you would come to raid the mine. You are not leaving now! Lian Yuanzhang, if you surrender with your hands tied, I can put in a good word for you before Her Majesty. Perhaps you might even be reinstated and command the Valiant Guard once more."

Lian Yuanzhang wielded a Coiling Dragon Spear as thick as an adult's wrist. He swept aside the other man's saber before snorting coldly.

"You once served at the Emperor's side. The Emperor never treated you poorly, yet you bow your head to that Bewitching Woman. Zhang Shuyang, you have disgraced your entire Zhang family."

Zhang Shuyang said, "A wise bird chooses the tree on which to roost; such has been the way since ancient times. Since Her Majesty took the throne, she has set chaos right and restored order. Politics are clear, and the people live and work in peace. Naturally, I submit to her."

The two men wasted no more words. Their weapons blurred into shadows as they traded hard blow for hard blow, neither yielding an inch.

No one else dared draw near. Every gesture and movement of the two contained terrifying power—touch them and die, brush against them and be wounded.

Neither side dared approach the area around Lian Yuanzhang and Zhang Shuyang.

"Both have completed the three refinements of Tendons, Bones, and Skin. Lian Yuanzhang in particular is nearly at the External Three Harmonies. Once he unifies the strength of his tendons, bones, and skin and tempers that power into his flesh, he will enter the Flesh Refining Realm. Then Zhang Shuyang will not be his match for even a single exchange.

"Though Zhang Shuyang's martial realm is somewhat weaker, he is exceptionally gifted and possesses an astonishing physique. His innate blood and qi are three parts more abundant than an ordinary person's. For the moment, it is difficult to tell who will win."

Li Haomiao's eyes darted rapidly as he carefully surveyed the surroundings. Then his gaze settled ahead, where Fang Mushan was preparing to rise.

"A fine opportunity! The situation is in chaos. Follow Fang Mushan."

Li Haomiao urged him at once.

Xu Yunfan did not hesitate either. This place was in complete turmoil. Powerful men had attacked, and all of Ningguta was like a pot of boiling porridge—at least on the surface. If he missed this chance, he might never get another.

He slung Li Haomiao onto his back, then used the discarded human skin sac from beneath the mine as a rope to secure him.

Scritch, scritch.

Watching Xu Yunfan pull hard on the human skin sac and tie knots with it, Li Haomiao's eye twitched. He looked somewhat distressed.

"Do not damage it. It may be the cast-off shell of someone beyond an Extreme Path Expert. It could prove greatly useful."

Xu Yunfan did not care. The skin sac was incredibly tough; blades and swords could scarcely damage it, and it was highly flexible. He had secretly tried with all his strength and still could not tear it apart. It was perfectly suited for use as a rope.

By then, everyone in the stone house had reacted. Their faces lit with excitement as they fled outside. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one wanted to miss it.

Not far away, Fang Mushan, whose body looked lean and wiry, began to move slowly. After stretching lazily as though he had no strength left, he plunged into the crowd.

Interesting.

In the current situation, whoever stood out would be swatted to death on the spot. Only by blending into the crowd would they have a chance.

Xu Yunfan was no exception. Still, with someone on his back, no matter how much he hunched his head down, he remained rather conspicuous, drawing many sidelong glances.

Li Haomiao said, "If you leave me behind, the Rising Sun One Qi Art will be gone too."

"..."

It was not only the people from their stone house. Crowds poured out from the other stone houses as well. Once they saw the situation, they naturally erupted into clamor, then scattered in every direction like birds and beasts fleeing.

Li Haomiao could not help sighing at the sight. Across the Eight Hundred Li Barren River Ice Field, even if they escaped, how many would survive?

There were people who practiced martial arts, but those who had achieved something in it and could stir their blood and qi—

Few.

And in such an extremely harsh environment, there was the desolate wilderness ahead and pursuit from the Mining Supervision Office behind them.

Difficult.

Xu Yunfan swept his gaze over the scene, then looked toward Fang Mushan's back. Without further hesitation, he followed close behind.

In the field, the battle between the black-clad men and the overseers instantly reached a fever pitch.

Every black-clad man wore pitch-black iron armor, its surface gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the dim light. The armor plates clinked crisply against one another.

The armor not only added to their intimidation, but also formed a solid defensive barrier.

The overseers swung their long sabers and hacked with all their strength, but every strike against the iron armor produced only a few sparks, unable to inflict any real harm upon the black-clad men.