Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer

Watching Xu Yunfan spread his palm before him, Li Haomiao frowned deeply in distaste. His fingers were still stained with blood.

"What about the combat techniques for the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art?"

The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art was not merely a hard-body martial art. Having cultivated it to Great Accomplishment, he naturally knew that part of its hammer techniques was missing.

Li Haomiao suddenly understood. After glancing around, he nodded. "There is indeed a hammer technique I haven't taught you yet. There was nowhere suitable before. Once we find a place, I'll teach you."

After Fang Mushan killed the last soldier who could no longer endure and tried to flee, he let out a sigh, carrying his blood-red spear as he bent down and closed the eyes of the terrified soldier before him.

"You were good soldiers. It is a pity you became pawns discarded by another. Don't blame me."

Fang Mushan looked somewhat desolate. Looking around, the twenty-nine elite soldiers lay sprawled across the ground, their blood having long dyed the earth red.

After composing himself, he looked at Xu Yunfan with a complicated expression. The sight of Xu Yunfan and Yang Gan trading flesh-on-flesh blows earlier had been immensely striking.

Both were hard-body martial artists, and their attacks were wildly unrestrained. Other than their vital points, they had scarcely any thought of defense.

If they were placed on a battlefield, clad in armor and armed with weapons as they charged into enemy ranks, the consequences were easy to imagine.

"No wonder my father once said that hard-body martial artists were often fierce generals in the army."

Xu Yunfan felt somewhat helpless when he saw Fang Mushan staring at him.

"Could you not stare at me for so long? You're a grown man."

Fang Mushan snorted, then spun the shaft of his spear in his hand, his expression turning solemn.

"I want to fight you."

Xu Yunfan raised a brow and looked at Fang Mushan in surprise. This fellow had always been arrogant to the bone, yet he had actually said such a thing.

Li Haomiao said from the side, "Don't belittle yourself. You have now reached Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering and are a first-level martial master. That brat from the Fang Clan has only reached Minor Accomplishment in Tendon Tempering."

The implication was obvious: Fang Mushan was no challenge at all for the current Xu Yunfan.

Fang Mushan snorted and shot Li Haomiao a glance.

"I won't stoop to arguing with a cripple. But I would like to see just how formidable a True Blood Practitioner is."

Li Haomiao's expression darkened, and he urged Xu Yunfan on.

"Go on. Smash his mouth in for me. Then I'll teach you a heaven-shaking divine art, one enough to maximize the use of your True Blood. If the secret powers of the world ever manifest in this age, perhaps you might even pursue the Extreme Path."

How could Xu Yunfan possibly be willing to let himself be used as a weapon?

"Enough. This is no place to linger. If you want to fight, wait until we're safe. There may still be pursuers. If some master of the External Three Harmonies shows up, we're all finished."

No one spoke further.

After dealing with Yang Gan and his group, the two and a half men did not linger. Once they had gathered all usable tools and weapons, they pressed onward through the Cold Wind for nearly another sixty li. Along the way, Xu Yunfan and Fang Mushan did their best to conceal their tracks.

All along the way, Li Haomiao quietly explained the complete method of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art.

Xu Yunfan had already been taught every aspect of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art's cultivation method. Only its combat techniques remained unclear to him.

"The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art's full name is the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer. It consists of the Crimson Training Cloak Hammer and the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art, a martial art that combines hard-body training with hammer techniques. Even in the Great Zhou Martial Repository, it would count as a respectable high-grade martial art."

"As the saying goes: Crimson flames dance, the copper body protects, the cloak wards off enemies, and a falling hammer startles the soul..."

Li Haomiao carefully explained the combat techniques of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer. Up ahead, Fang Mushan showed considerable restraint and deliberately moved farther away, wearing a disdainful expression.

You have heard the complete explanation of the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer. Your Crimson Flame Copper Body Art has transformed into the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer.

Your martial art has been completed. You have finally understood the contradictions from before, and enlightenment dawns upon you. Your proficiency in the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer has increased.

...

After talking for quite a while, Li Haomiao let out a breath from Xu Yunfan's back. Using his only remaining arm, he untied his waterskin and took a gulp before saying, "A body forged like solid copper, a hammer as fierce as crimson flames, the cloak unfurling its might—offense and defense as one. If you can cultivate this hammer art to perfection, the Golden Skin State will naturally emerge.

"It is fine if you cannot remember it all at once. We can go over it again later."

Xu Yunfan did not speak. With the help of the Attribute Panel, he had already mastered the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer perfectly. He merely kept his head down and pondered it carefully.

Hard-body martial arts were difficult to cultivate, but upon advancing to the peak of Skin Tempering, one could naturally glimpse the perfected Golden Skin.

However, Li Haomiao had not fully voiced one more thing: Golden Skin Jade Veins, Vermilion Blood Silver Marrow, Yin-Yang Treasure Garment, Heavenly Cycle Qi Circulation.

Of these four great realms, only a handful of people in the world could break through them, let alone in this age when the world's secret powers no longer manifested.

At first light, they finally found a sheltered cave and discovered a family of three Brown Bears in hibernation.

Fang Mushan immediately skewered the entire family with his spear, looking somewhat excited. "These two large bears and one cub will be enough for us to eat well for several days."

After cleaning out the cave, gathering firewood, washing the bear meat with snow, and roasting it over the campfire, Fang Mushan turned his gaze toward Li Haomiao, who still habitually leaned in a corner, looking exceedingly relaxed.

"Yan King? Li Haomiao?"

Li Haomiao raised his brows and revealed a faint smile. The three vicious scars on his face made him look particularly ferocious.

"I didn't expect you to recognize me. I still remember when you were a toddling child—I even held you in my arms."

Fang Mushan looked somewhat uncomfortable, recalling the mockery he had hurled earlier. But then he eagerly asked, "How is my father?"

Xu Yunfan, who was practicing the Cloak Hammer with a large saber in hand, could not help perking up his ears as well.

Grand General of State Fang Wen—just hearing that title made him sound impressive. Though Xu Yunfan had no desire to involve himself in court affairs, he could at least listen to some gossip.

Li Haomiao reassured him, "Don't worry. Your father is the pillar of the army. If anything happened to him, that Bewitching Woman would never be able to keep her position secure. The border soldiers would be the first to object. Besides your father, there are also great generals like Hu Lei, Long Yun, and Lei Wenfeng. If that Bewitching Woman dared touch your father, she would not be able to keep her seat on the throne either. She can only try to win him over. As for why you ended up in Ningguta..."

Xu Yunfan casually said, "It was likely also a compromise your father made for the sake of Great Zhou."

Li Haomiao praised him upon hearing this. "I underestimated you. I thought your brain couldn't come up with such things."

Xu Yunfan could not be bothered with this self-satisfied fellow. Turning aside, he continued practicing the Cloak Hammer.

"Is this how it's practiced?"

Li Haomiao cast him a glance, intending to look away, but his eyes suddenly could not move. His expression turned somewhat astonished.

He had only explained it to Xu Yunfan once, hadn't he? He had not even demonstrated the combat techniques.

Yet Xu Yunfan had just performed it so flawlessly?!

Li Haomiao was shaken inside, though his expression remained calm. He nodded slightly. "It seems your talent is quite good."

"Heh, it is far more than merely good. If you were in the Jade Capital..."