Fang Mushan glanced past Xu Yunfan at Li Haomiao on his back.
"What's wrong with this guy?"
"He had three limbs cut off. I felt sorry for him, so I helped him."
Li Haomiao opened his mouth, wanting to curse, but then knew he couldn't say anything and simply turned his head away.
Fang Mushan's fierce gaze softened slightly upon hearing this. After all, he could still help others in such a harsh environment in the Ningguta mines, and survive to this day. He was definitely not a bad guy.
He sized up Xu Yunfan: "Your agility is not bad. You should have reached the minor success stage."
"I've been practicing blindly for a few days, so I can't call it minor success yet."
Because of the improved physical fitness brought by the Bronze Body Technique, his flying kicks looked as good as those of minor successes.
But family knows their own business. A minor success flying kick should be faster and more energy-efficient. Fang Mushan dismissed
the man's modesty as nothing more than modesty. With his exceptional talent, impressive physique, and exceptional endurance, he naturally had no concerns about exhaustion from the long distance.
The four or five men who had come before him had already exhausted themselves, unable to continue, and had been left far behind.
Now, only Xu Yunfan and Fang Mushan remained. And Li Haomiao was also with them.
Fang Mushan paused, then spoke, "Ningguta has General Lian's killing formation. Zhang Shuyang's strength is comparable, so he can't do anything about it. Unless something unexpected happens, he won't be able to find us immediately."
He calculated, "After a night of rapid travel, we've covered at least sixty miles. Ningguta isn't a safe distance. We'll need to continue after a break. Do you want to follow me?"
A martial artist with immense endurance could cover over a hundred miles in a single night. Naturally, for safety's sake, he couldn't stay any longer.
Xu Yunfan nodded without hesitation, "If Brother Fang doesn't mind, more people will help."
Fang Mushan nodded, "I won't stop to wait for you. If you can keep up, then keep up. If not, then I'll be on my own."
"Thank you!"
Xu Yunfan found a sheltered spot from the cold wind and began to rest quietly. Without Fang Mushan's direct view, he took out a fasting pill and swallowed it.
Li Haomiao remained silent. He had taken another one two days ago. Without strenuous exercise, he could minimize his energy consumption. One fasting pill should last at least ten days.
Xu Yunfan, due to his intense training, took one every two or three days.
Half an hour later, Fang Mushan rose, his feet like the wind, and sped away.
Xu Yunfan, not hesitating, followed closely behind.
The two walked from dawn to the last glimmer of sunset, reaching a distance of sixty miles before stopping. The path was rugged, the ridges dotted with steep cliffs and glacial crevasses, so even this pace was considered quite brisk.
Fang Mushan, his body steaming, his chest heaving violently, glanced back at Xu Yunfan, who remained impassive, and exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect you to have such great endurance."
He was panting heavily, having not eaten for a day and a night, and was now at his limit, desperately in need of food.
Xu Yunfan casually replied, "I specialize in footwork, especially long-distance running, so I can keep up."
Fang Mushan understood and casually inquired about Xu Yunfan's background. Upon learning that he was once a servant of the Jiang family, he gave no hint of disdain, merely a slight nod.
"In that case, let's find a place to spend the night first. It's getting colder, and without adequate shelter, it's probably going to be hard to make it through the night."
Xu Yunfan said, "I have some experience building shelters, so you can leave it to me."
Fang Mushan nodded in agreement. Working together at this moment would naturally save a great deal of time.
The two men found a sheltered spot. Fang Mushan said, "Stay put here. Find a way to shelter from the wind. Gather some firewood. I'll go hunting." Xu Yunfan: "..."
Watching Fang Mushan leave without a backward glance, Xu Yunfan set Li Haomiao down, took out the pickaxe from his waist, found a recessed spot, measured it carefully, and began to dig.
And then, as Li Haomiao watched in astonishment, in just half an hour, Xu Yunfan had dug a hole in the earth and rocky ground large enough for four people to rest. He even had time to level the ground and dig out a simple fireplace.
Xu Yunfan's efficiency was absurd. Every time he struck the pickaxe, he unearthed a large chunk of earth and rock. He wielded the pickaxe without a moment's hesitation, each stroke swifter than the last, leaving a shadow in his hand.
Li Haomiao barely blinked a few times before Xu Yunfan was already completely submerged in the hole.
When Xu Yunfan carried him inside, he exclaimed in astonishment, "Are you a rat? You dug such a large hole in just two cups of tea."
Xu Yunfan frowned, "What kind of rat? You can't say anything nice. You're said to be so learned and talented, but I didn't expect you to be so dry."
This efficiency was undoubtedly due to the "Digging Like Mud" effect, one of the special effects granted by the Minor Success Mining skill.
With each strike of his pickaxe, Xu Yunfan instinctively knew where to dig for the least effort and highest efficiency. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shattered the ancient jade disk with a single blow.
He wondered what amazing results his mastery of mining would yield.
Xu Yunfan reflected that the skills listed on his attribute panel weren't limited to martial arts alone; many life skills could be cultivated, perhaps yielding unexpected results.
For example, right now. After exiting the cave and gathering some firewood—enough to keep warm tonight—he quickly returned to the cave and began digging diagonally.
This wasn't just about honing his mining skills; every rise and fall of his waist, every force coursing through his arms, his core muscles engaged in the specialized mining movements, each a testament to the refinement of the Bronze Body Gong.
"Your mind suddenly shifts, lifting the pickaxe in your hand like a sledgehammer, smashing down large swathes of earth and rock. You feel your power become even more efficient, your mining proficiency improving."
"You focus your mind and calm your breath, the Bronze Body Gong circulating throughout your body, your blood and energy rising. "
The pickaxe in his hand seemed to transform into a hammer, swinging with great force. The transitions between his moves became smoother, the energy in his body surged, and his proficiency in the Bronze Body Technique improved. '
'...'
Seeing this, Xu Yunfan was suddenly filled with energy. He swung the pickaxe in his hand continuously, and in a few breaths, he had already stepped into the deep cave.
Li Haomiao, who was standing next to him, saw Xu Yunfan start digging again and couldn't help but scold him, "You're addicted to mining. Oh my god, I can see that you are born to be a slave and have a masochism.
Look at this hole, it's so well dug. You buried yourself in the ground in the blink of an eye, just like that."
Xu Yunfan popped his head out of the hole and said unhappily, "You know nothing. The Bronze Body Technique is about swinging and hammering to sharpen the body, which can make the moves more flexible and the postures more correct."
Glancing at the system information prompt that popped up on his vision, Xu Yunfan felt completely elated, not bothering to pay attention to Li Haomiao's taunts. If he continued like this, perhaps he could truly reach the pinnacle of Bronze Body Skill within a month or two.
(End of this chapter)