Kill the Guards

It was already deep into the night. Curled up in a corner, Ye Chen quietly gazed out at the vast, snow-white field beyond the cell. Outside, snow blanketed everything, bright as day, while the cold wind howled endlessly into the prison.

It blew against his face, making Ye Chen shiver all over. Though his physique had improved after more than ten days of grueling training, once he stopped exercising, the piercing cold was still unbearable.

Ye Chen wrapped his arms around his shoulders, his young body curled tightly into a ball. His teeth chattered from the cold, and frosty breath streamed constantly from his mouth. He did not feel the slightest bit sleepy.

Basan's words kept echoing in his mind. "If you want to become a true powerhouse, you must learn Haki. Put simply, Haki is a person's bearing, their force of spirit. But once this ability awakens, it can greatly increase your strength. Armament Haki can enhance defense, Observation Haki can sharpen perception, while Conqueror's Haki is the qualification of a king, something countless people yearn for."

The more Ye Chen thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. A person's bearing could actually make them stronger—it was truly inconceivable. Yet Basan, despite his age, had easily taken down several burly men, each of whom had been strong. Besides, Basan had still been shackled. Clearly, he was not boasting.

Since he had come to this world, survival of the fittest was the rule. Even if it seemed strange and hard to accept, Ye Chen had made up his mind to learn Haki from Basan. As long as it could make him stronger, that was enough!

"Ye Chen, cold? Come sleep over here."

Olvia's voice drifted out from beneath Saul.

Ye Chen shook his head and stubbornly replied, "I'm a boy, so it wouldn't be appropriate. And you're sick—you should be resting properly. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Conditions here were far too harsh, and Olvia's illness had never improved. Ye Chen knew she was worried about him and wanted him to sleep inside, where it was relatively warmer. She had even been willing to give him their only wolf pelt.

So after sleeping inside for only one night, Ye Chen decisively moved back outside.

In Freezing Hell, calling it sleep was less accurate than saying one suffered inside an ice cellar. After dozing off for a little while, Ye Chen could not endure it any longer. Worried that he might freeze himself sick, he slipped outside the cell and began practicing his martial arts alone.

The cold wind howled and snowflakes danced. On the frozen ground, Ye Chen's thin body constantly flipped and leaped. His childish face was tense, his lips bitten tight, while determination shone in his bright black eyes.

Again and again, his fists whistled through the air and his legs blurred into shadows. Ye Chen's movements never stopped.

Several more days passed like this. Haki truly was mysterious. Even with Basan carefully teaching him, Ye Chen's progress was extremely limited. After all, he was only six years old, and the vitality in his body was simply too scarce.

But his martial arts had already reached a respectable level. Ye Chen had now switched to practicing Iron Sand Palm and Xingyiquan. His finger techniques remained Eagle Claw Technique, while his movement technique was still the Gecko Technique.

After a period of exploration, Ye Chen also gained a deeper understanding of "breath" and "bearing."

The so-called breath was completely different from the internal energy mentioned in martial arts. Breath referred to one's aura. By sensing the auras of all things with one's heart and making the surrounding aura serve one's own use, one could, upon reaching the pinnacle, freely unleash long-range killing moves like Rankyaku and sword energy.

Bearing, meanwhile, was similar to Haki—it was a person's force of spirit. Aside from Conqueror's Haki, which only special people could awaken, ordinary people could also learn Armament Haki and Observation Haki. Of course, without guidance, many people might never awaken them in their entire lives.

"Ye Chen, what are you doing?"

Seeing Ye Chen cut through the ice on the ground with his dagger and crouch down to search for something, Basan asked curiously.

The ice here was too thick. Ye Chen had dug for a long time without finding enough fine sand, but he did not give up. Sand was essential for practicing Iron Sand Palm properly. Beginners had to proceed step by step—first fine sand, then iron sand or coarse sand. Otherwise, at best they would injure their palms, and at worst they would damage the bones in their hands.

Creak... Creak!

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from outside the distant prison gate.

Before Basan could remind him, Ye Chen had already bolted back into the cell like a rabbit.

Not long after, two food-delivering guards shivered as they entered, each carrying a sack on his back. The moment Ye Chen's gaze landed on them, his eyes lit up.

The two guards wore thick fur robes. Just the snowy, satin-like fur made Ye Chen's eyes turn red with envy. The robes were so thick that they covered everything from top to bottom except their heads and feet, and they were brand new.

Hearing the noise, several War Wolves ran over from afar. Seeing the guards' clothing, they gave a few disappointed whines, wagged their tails, and left again.

Ye Chen reached for his waist, feeling the wolf bone and dagger tucked there. He hesitated slightly. It was simply too cold here. If he could snatch the guards' fur robes, he could not only wear them but also use them as blankets at night.

Although Ye Chen had previously killed a War Wolf, he had given the wolf pelt to Olvia. Besides, one pelt was far too little and simply not enough.

"Damn it, this cursed place isn't fit for humans. Blackie, hurry up and hand out the bread, then let's get back."

One bloated guard stamped his feet while cursing incessantly. Even in fur robes, these pampered guards found the freezing air of Freezing Hell difficult to endure.

"Exactly. No good, I drank too much. I'm going to take a leak. You get busy first."

The one called Blackie grabbed a few loaves of bread, tossed down the sack, and walked toward Ye Chen's side. Finding an open spot, he had just undone his pants when a gust of cold wind suddenly rushed up his legs, making his whole body shudder.

After trying to urinate for a while, his body was nearly frozen stiff, yet he could not squeeze out a drop. He cursed furiously, and just as he was about to pull up his pants, he suddenly noticed an extra shadow at his feet.

Before Blackie could turn around, Ye Chen sprang up. Clutching the wolf bone tightly in his right hand, he viciously stabbed it toward Blackie's neck. The snow-white wolf bone flashed with icy light. Ye Chen struck with incredible speed, while the guard still had both hands holding up his pants and could not dodge at all.

Pfft! The sharp wolf bone brutally pierced Blackie's throat. Before he could cry out, Ye Chen's dagger swept across with his left hand, and Blackie immediately collapsed.

Scarlet blood gushed from his throat, covering the ground in no time. Yet in the next instant, it froze together with the ice and snow beneath it.

"That Ghost!"

Basan stared in astonishment at Ye Chen, who had cleanly and efficiently disposed of Blackie. After a while, joy spread across Basan's aged face. This Ghost was ruthless, bold, and clever. He liked Ye Chen more and more.