On the second day, the three of them traveled another sixty li. After setting up camp in a sheltered spot at the foot of a massive mountain range, Xu Yunfan and Fang Mushan went their separate ways to hunt.
An Hour later, Xu Yunfan returned carrying a rather large, old lone wolf on his shoulders, while Fang Mushan held a wild rabbit in his hand.
Seeing Li Haomiao and Fang Mushan staring at the old wolf he was carrying, Xu Yunfan shrugged.
"I'm not sure what happened myself. I just went around a bend and saw this old wolf that had been cast out of its pack. It couldn't run very fast, so I killed it with a single arrow."
After a long moment, Fang Mushan let out a soft snort. "Tomorrow, your luck definitely won't be this good."
Fang Mushan, who prided himself on being an expert hunter, was naturally not ready to concede.
On the third day, the two returned empty-handed. Fang Mushan felt a little comforted by this, his competitive spirit somewhat soothed.
On the fourth day, empty-handed.
On the fifth day, empty-handed.
On the sixth day, having traveled to a mountain hollow blanketed in vast white snow, Xu Yunfan dragged a massive wild yak back before Li Haomiao and Fang Mushan.
Seeing Xu Yunfan's beaming face, the empty-handed Fang Mushan fell silent.
Seeing Fang Mushan's desolate expression, Xu Yunfan couldn't help but ask with concern, "Brother Fang, what's wrong?"
Fang Mushan shook his head slightly, his expression bleak. "It's nothing. I was just reminded of some... unforgettable things."
Li Haomiao watched with a faint smile, but said nothing.
Xu Yunfan didn't press the issue. 'It's enough to show off a little,' he thought. 'I can't provoke him too much. Although Fang Mushan seems easygoing, he's actually as stubborn as a bull.'
'If I really provoke him, he might storm off to hunt and refuse to return until he catches something. He might even try to make us live like savages out here in this eight-hundred-li wasteland until his catch outweighs mine.'
"With this wild yak weighing several hundred pounds, its hide is more than enough to make three sets of warm clothes."
That night, after eating some yak meat, Xu Yunfan swung his Iron Pickaxe. His mind was no longer on the pit he was digging, but was instead fixed on the notifications for the Copper Body Skill continuously appearing in his vision.
His Copper Body Skill was about to advance to the Great Success Realm.
'You were struck by inspiration and discovered that the hardness of the earth and rock changes at different times. You chose to excavate when their toughness was at its lowest, increasing your mining speed.'
'A thought struck you. You wielded the Iron Pickaxe using the Copper Body Skill's Hammer Technique. By carefully listening to the pickaxe's resonance and finding the right rhythm, the vibratory feedback has become more stable. Your Copper Body Skill Level has increased.'
'...'
'Your Copper Body Skill Level is full. You have reached Great Success.'
'Copper Body Skill 0/5000 (Great Success)
Special Effects: Vast qi and blood, power permeates the body, skin as tough as iron, strong muscles and bones, resistant to sharp weapons, can withstand great boulders, superhuman Physical Strength, proficient in Hammer Technique.'
As the notification for the Copper Body Skill's Great Success appeared in his vision, countless warm currents instantly surged through his limbs and bones like unbridled wild horses. His body felt as if it were being inflated, his muscles swelling and knotting.
Even the skin and flesh of his body began to tighten and swell.
His bones creaked and cracked, as if they were being reforged.
His muscles expanded rapidly as if pumped full of air, each one bulging and filled with explosive power.
His skin gradually deepened in color, taking on a metallic luster as if it were cast from ancient bronze.
His qi and blood surged like a torrential tide, churning endlessly within his flesh. With every powerful, pump-like contraction of his heart, he felt a shockwave of force, making him feel as if he had limitless energy.
This advancement in his Realm brought about a world-shaking transformation, both inside and out, as if he had been completely reborn.
In his mind's eye, a stream of memories began to flow.
The days of Cultivation depicted in these memories were branded into his very soul.
In a daze, Xu Yunfan felt as if every day at dawn, he was standing on a training ground, his hands tightly gripping a long-handled Fine Steel Heavy Hammer.
With every swing of the Heavy Hammer, his core muscles worked in concert to unleash immense power.
His abs tensed like steel and his waist twisted rapidly, driving his biceps and triceps to swing the Heavy Hammer with all their might. Each swing seemed powerful enough to tear the very air.
During breaks in his Cultivation, he would soak his body, pushed to its absolute limit, in a tub filled with various rare Secret Medicines.
The blended Secret Medicines emitted a strange odor. The moment they touched his skin, it felt as if countless tiny flames were searing his flesh, and a piercing pain instantly spread throughout his body.
Every day, he would grit his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as sweat poured from his pores, yet he always endured the agony without making a single sound.
While the medicinal effects were still active, others would wield dozens of steel rods, raining blows down upon his entire body.
The steel rods struck his flesh with dull thuds, and each impact sent his qi and blood into turmoil.
Day after day, he never slackened in the slightest.
Finally, on a day of raging wind and rain, lightning flashed across the sky. Streaks of it tore through the dark firmament like giant dragons.
The man in the memory was swinging the Heavy Hammer as usual when, unexpectedly, he suddenly felt that it was no longer heavy. He tried to speed up his swings, and the Heavy Hammer danced in his hands, as light as an embroidery needle.
Each swing sliced through the air with a sharp whistle. As the thunderbolts crackled overhead, his skin began to faintly shimmer with a bronze luster.
"Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation!"
Xu Yunfan's heart swelled with emotion. 'These past days, I've given up almost all leisure. Aside from the necessary hunting and traveling, I've spent nearly all my time immersed in cultivating the Copper Body Skill.'
'Even my mining skill is about to reach Great Success.'
'Hard work really does pay off.'
'The Celestial Dao truly rewards the diligent!'
Xu Yunfan felt his eyes begin to moisten.
These past few days, he had felt like he was turning into a professional miner; even his mining Skill Level was approaching Great Success.
He looked down at his body, now covered in knotted muscles. The clothes he wore were now several inches too short. The Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation had clearly made him grow taller.
The Copper Body Skill wasn't just a form of Martial Arts for wielding hammers; it was also a Horizontal Training Cultivation Technique. With his current physique, ordinary blades and swords would have a hard time harming him—that was the reason for the bronze luster on his skin.
CLANG! CLANG!
As his qi and blood surged with extreme activity, Xu Yunfan looked at the bronze sheen on his skin. He tapped it with a finger, and it produced a crisp, metallic sound.
When Xu Yunfan climbed out of the pit, Fang Mushan jumped to his feet the moment he saw him.
"How did you get so brawny?!"
At that moment, Li Haomiao's eyes opened, revealing a sharp glint.
"Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation."
Though he struggled to keep his expression calm, Li Haomiao's mind was reeling. 'How long has it been since Xu Yunfan seriously started practicing Martial Arts?'
'At most, from when he started in the mines until now... has it even been over a month?'
'Even if he had some prior foundation, this rate of advancement is terrifying.'
It dawned on Fang Mushan.
"True Blood?!"