Late at night, Ye Chen curled up in a corner, quietly gazing at the vast expanse of snow outside. The land was blanketed in white, bright as day, while the howling wind ceaselessly blew into the Prison.
Blowing against his face, it made Ye Chen shiver all over. Though his constitution had improved after more than ten days of grueling training, once he stopped exercising, the biting cold still remained unbearable.
Ye Chen hugged his shoulders, curling his small body tightly together. His teeth chattered from the cold, and frosty breath constantly escaped his lips. 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 presence, or perhaps their force of spirit. But once this ability awakens, it can greatly increase one's strength. Armament Haki can improve defense, Observation Haki can enhance perception, while Conqueror's Haki is the kingly aptitude that countless people yearn for."
The more Ye Chen thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. A person's presence could actually make them stronger—it was truly inconceivable. Yet Basan, despite his age, could easily knock down several burly men, and every one of those men was strong. Besides, Basan still wore shackles. 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 difficult to accept, Ye Chen still 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 rest even more. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
The conditions here were far too harsh, and Olvia's illness had never improved. Ye Chen knew that she was worried about him and wanted him to sleep inside, where it was relatively warmer. She would even give him the only wolf pelt they had.
So after sleeping inside for just one night, Ye Chen decisively began sleeping outside.
In Freezing Hell, calling it sleep was less accurate than calling it suffering in an ice cellar. After dozing off for a little while, Ye Chen could no longer endure it. Worried that he would freeze stiff, he slipped out of the Prison and practiced martial arts alone.
The cold wind howled, snowflakes danced through the air, and Ye Chen's thin body continuously leaped and spun across the frozen ground. His young face was tense, his lips tightly clenched, and determination gleamed in his dark, bright eyes.
Again and again, his fists whistled through the air and his legs flashed in motion. Ye Chen never stopped.
Several more days passed. Haki truly was mysterious. Even with Basan's careful instruction, Ye Chen's progress remained extremely limited. After all, he was only six years old, and the vitality in his body was simply too weak.
However, his martial arts had already reached a certain 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 "presence."
So-called breath was completely different from the inner energy mentioned in martial arts. Breath referred to one's aura. By feeling the aura of all things with one's heart and making the surrounding aura "serve one's use," one could, upon reaching the pinnacle, freely unleash long-range killing moves like Rankyaku and sword energy.
Presence, on the other hand, 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 use a dagger to cut through the ice on the ground, then crouch down to search for something, Basan asked curiously.
The ice here was too thick. Ye Chen dug for a long time without finding enough fine sand, but he did not give up. To practice Iron Sand Palm properly, sand was indispensable. Beginners had to proceed step by step, starting with fine sand before moving on to iron sand or coarse sand. Otherwise, at best they would injure their palms; 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 warn him, Ye Chen had already sprinted back into the Prison like a rabbit.
Not long afterward, two food-delivery guards shivered as they entered, each carrying a sack on his back. The moment Ye Chen's eyes fell on them, they lit up.
Both guards wore thick fur robes. The snowy, satin-like fur alone made Ye Chen's eyes turn red with envy. The robes were thick, covering their entire bodies from top to bottom except for their heads and feet. They were even brand-new.
Hearing the noise, several War Wolves ran over from afar. When they saw the clothes on the guards, they let out a few disappointed whines, wagged their tails, and left again.
Ye Chen reached toward his waist and touched the wolf bone and dagger tucked there, feeling somewhat hesitant. 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 to keep warm at night.
Although Ye Chen had killed a War Wolf before, he had given its pelt to Olvia. Besides, one wolf pelt was far too little and utterly insufficient.
"Damn it, this cursed place isn't fit for people. Blackie, hurry up and hand out the bread, then let's get back."
One plump guard stomped his feet as he cursed incessantly. Even dressed in a fur robe, these pampered guards found the icy air of Freezing Hell difficult to endure.
"Exactly. No good, I drank too much. I need to take a leak. You keep busy."
Blackie grabbed a few loaves of bread, tossed down the sack, and walked toward Ye Chen's side. Finding an open patch of ground, he had just undone his pants when a gust of cold wind rushed up his legs, making his entire body shudder.
After trying to pee for a while, his body was nearly frozen stiff, yet he could not squeeze out a drop. He cursed furiously and was about to pull up his pants when he suddenly noticed a shadow beneath his feet.
Before Blackie could turn around, Ye Chen sprang into the air. Gripping the wolf bone tightly in his right hand, he viciously stabbed it toward Blackie's neck. The snow-white bone glinted with a cold light. Ye Chen moved with incredible speed, and the guard still had both hands holding up his pants, leaving him no way to dodge.
Squelch... The sharp wolf bone viciously pierced through Blackie's throat. Before he could scream, Ye Chen swept his dagger sideways with his left hand, and Blackie immediately collapsed.
Scarlet blood gushed from his neck. Within moments, it flooded the ground, but in the next instant, it froze together with the ice and snow beneath it.
"That brat!"
Basan stared in astonishment at Ye Chen, who had cleanly and efficiently killed Blackie. After a while, a broad grin spread across his aged face. This brat was ruthless, bold, and clever. Basan liked Ye Chen more and more.
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