The snow had stopped
The cave Geothermal temperature, and a gentle warmth quietly surrounds you.
Lu Heng lay flat on the bed, his limbs completely stretched out. After tidying up all the treasure chests and supplies, and with his Wristband Space neatly organized, his body, which had been tense for days, finally relaxed. Warm air flowed slowly along his muscles, soothing his meridians. The lingering effects of the hot spring therapy and the Geothermal Talisman were still working.
The lingering bruises and discomfort in my chest gradually dissipated, and the subtle foreign body sensation and tightness in my skin caused by the parasite completely disappeared. My muscles and bones were no longer stiff, and each breath was steady and long, without any dull pain.
After a moment of silence, Lu Heng raised his wrist and activated the survival Wristband.
A pale blue light screen floated in mid-air, clearly displaying the individual's status. All three attributes were steadily at twenty, and the constitution indicator at the bottom had been updated.
[Physical Fitness: Black Iron Tier]
My gaze fell upon the line of text, the faint light from the screen reflecting in my eyes.
The scenes of battle over the past few days flashed through my mind. Since stepping into the Frost Snowfield, I have encountered several Black Iron Tier monsters. The brute strength of the Blizzard Monster and the ferocity of the monsters are both formidable beings of the same level. These kinds of creatures have always been the top individuals in small groups, suppressing their own kind and carving out their own territory with their own strength. They are by no means easily defeated minions.
In the past, his physical foundation was weak, far from meeting the standards of the Black Iron level.
Every victory was never achieved through brute force. It was the superior sharpness of the Bronze Hunting Blade, the long-range control of the Giant-Feather Crossbow, the skillful maneuvering of the forest terrain, and the calm strategic maneuvering and extreme evasion in countless life-or-death moments. Relying on his equipment and survival experience, he managed to complete one battle against opponents far stronger than himself.
Now, his physique has completely crossed the threshold, and his physical body has truly entered the Black Iron level.
Without the aid of external aids, his own flesh and bones have already reached a height that he once had to fight desperately to overcome.
Lu Heng slightly moved his fingertips, his knuckles exerting force steadily, his muscles and bones opening and closing smoothly, and the weakness he used to feel when exerting force completely disappeared.
As his thoughts raced, he recalled the Bronze Tier monster he had encountered before.
It was a completely different kind of oppressive feeling. Speed, strength, defense, an all-round dimensional crushing, with an insurmountable gap between it and the Black Iron level. The several times he escaped death back then, he relied entirely on the Bronze Tier weapon to survive. If he had only relied on his former physical body, he would have been killed by beasts long ago.
The gap between the strong and the weak is clear and distinct, leaving no room for chance.
His thoughts drifted back to the unusual events that had occurred in the woods during the day.
When the snow fell on him, the ordinary low temperature of the snowfield brought a deep-seated rejection and discomfort to his skin. His body instinctively felt cold and sensitive to the cold, and this abnormal physiological reaction made him wary.
If you calmly observe your surroundings at this moment, all unusual sensations will disappear.
Having undergone the cleansing of Geothermal Talisman energy and the complete eradication of parasites, coupled with the transformation to Black Iron Tier physique, the body's cold resistance threshold has been greatly increased. The skin, flesh, and bones have long since adapted to the extreme cold environment, and the wind, snow, and low temperatures of the outside world can no longer cause the slightest discomfort.
All hidden dangers have now been completely eliminated.
The cave was silent, with Geothermal flowing gently, isolating him from all the cold outside. The fatigue from days of fighting slowly swept over him, and his tense nerves finally relaxed. His chaotic thoughts gradually subsided, and Lu Heng lay on his side, slowly drifting into sleep in the comforting, constant temperature.
I slept without any dreams.
The next day, sunlight pierced through the second layer of stone windows, casting dappled light onto the cave floor and dispelling the darkness of the night.
Lu Heng woke up naturally, without feeling tired or sore.
The moment he opened his eyes, a surge of abundant energy coursed through his limbs and bones. He slowly sat up, stretched his back, and turned his neck, his movements fluid and effortless. His body felt light yet solid, his blood and energy abundant, a stark contrast to his sick, injured, and potentially dangerous state yesterday.
The transformation of the Black Iron Tier physical body is a comprehensive improvement in its foundation, achieving a qualitative leap in physical fitness, resistance, and bodily resilience.
After dressing and storing all his equipment in his Wristband, leaving only his personal Hunting Blade, Lu Heng stood up, raised his hand, and slowly pushed open the heavy stone door.
A refreshing, cool breeze swept in, but it wasn't bitingly cold.
The world outside the door had completely changed.
The relentless blizzard that had raged for days finally came to a halt. The thick, leaden-gray clouds dispersed, revealing a clear, transparent sky—a rare sight on the snow-covered plains. Sunlight streamed down, bathing the boundless forest in its glow.
The snow covering the mountains and plains was dazzlingly white, layer upon layer covering the earth, branches, and cliffs. The devastation left by the days of raging wind and snow was completely buried by the thick snow. The forest was deathly silent, without the roar of the wind and snow, without the soft sound of snowflakes colliding, the entire Frost Forest was shrouded in a deathly stillness.
Lu Heng stepped out of the stone gate, his feet landing on the flat, thick snow.
The snow layer was firm yet soft, supporting my body steadily without the floating feeling of sinking into the snow as I used to. Looking into the distance, the snow-covered plain stretched as far as the eye could see, with snow-covered branches and frost-covered cliffs. The cold sunlight enveloped the vast expanse, which was desolate yet filled with a deathly stillness.
After several days of blizzards and the rampant presence of strange creatures, this snow-covered plain has claimed the lives of countless survivors.
Very few people can survive a series of desperate situations. The cruel selection process has long since ended, and beneath the desolate snowscape lie countless lost lives.
His gaze swept silently across the entire forest. Lu Heng stood still, looking at the suddenly cleared sky and earth.
The cessation of the blizzard is not the end of the crisis, but the beginning of a new round of difficulties.
The severe cold and snowfall that had lasted for several days came to an abrupt end, with clear skies and rising temperatures making the melting of the snow inevitable.
He looked down at the thick layer of snow at his feet, and the scene that would soon appear in his mind.
As the thick snow melts and seeps in, the frozen ground will completely thaw, turning the entire forest into a muddy swamp. The smooth, snow-covered roads will disappear, replaced by slippery, sticky mud, full of potholes, puddles, and mud.
In the future, every step of exploring the forest, collecting resources, and making short-distance relocations will be fraught with difficulties.
While the difficulty of walking in the snow can be traced, the exhaustion and obstacles of wading through mud are far more frustrating than wind and snow.
The clear sunlight still shines on the snowfield, the world is quiet and bright, yet it hides an inescapable predicament.
The life-or-death crisis of the blizzard had just subsided, but the muddy predicament brought by the melting snow was already quietly approaching this Frost Forest, enveloping all the survivors struggling to survive.