As Xu Yunfan held his open palm out to him, Li Haomiao frowned in disgust. His fingers were still stained with blood.
"What about the Hammer Technique for the Copper Body Skill?"
The Copper Body Skill wasn't just a Horizontal Training Kung Fu. Having cultivated it to Great Mastery, he naturally knew a part of its Hammer Technique was missing.
Realization dawned on Li Haomiao. He glanced around and nodded. "You're right, there is a Hammer Technique I haven't taught you. We didn't have a suitable place before. I'll teach you when we find one."
After Fang Mushan cut down the last soldier who could no longer hold on and tried to flee, he sighed, holding his blood-reddened long spear. He bent down and closed the eyes of the terrified, wide-eyed soldier before him.
"You were good soldiers. It's a shame you were reduced to someone else's pawns. Don't blame me."
Fang Mushan's expression was somewhat bleak. As he looked around, twenty-nine elite soldiers lay scattered on the ground, their blood having long since stained the earth red.
After composing himself, he looked at Xu Yunfan with a complicated expression. The earlier scene of him trading blows with Yang Gan—fist meeting flesh—had been incredibly visually striking.
Both were Horizontal Training practitioners, and their fighting styles were extremely unrestrained. They had almost no thought of defense, aside from guarding their vital points.
On a battlefield, if such a person were to don heavy armor, wield a sharp weapon, and charge into enemy ranks, the consequences would be easy to imagine.
'No wonder my father used to say that Horizontal Training practitioners often become fierce generals in the army.'
Xu Yunfan grew a little exasperated under Fang Mushan's constant stare.
"You're a grown man. Can you stop staring at me like that?"
Fang Mushan snorted softly, then twirled the shaft of his spear, his expression turning serious.
"I want to fight you."
Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow, looking at Fang Mushan in surprise. This guy was incredibly arrogant, proud to the bone, yet he was saying something like this.
Li Haomiao said from the side, "Don't sell yourself short. You've reached Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation and are a First-Level Martial Artist. That kid from the Fang Family has only reached Minor Achievement in Muscle Training."
The implication was clear: for the current Xu Yunfan, Fang Mushan was no big deal.
Fang Mushan snorted coldly and shot a glare at Li Haomiao.
"You're a cripple, so I won't argue with you. But I'd like to see for myself just how powerful a True Blood practitioner really is."
Li Haomiao's face darkened, and he goaded Xu Yunfan.
"Go on, smash his mouth in for me. Afterward, I'll teach you a world-shaking Divine Skill that will allow you to maximize the use of your True Blood. If the world's Secret Power were to manifest in this age, you might even be able to pursue the Extreme Dao."
But Xu Yunfan had no intention of being used as a pawn.
"Alright, that's enough. We shouldn't linger here. If you want to fight, we can talk about it after we're safe. There might be pursuers. If some master of the Outer Three Harmonies shows up, we're all done for."
The group fell silent.
After dealing with Yang Gan's group, the two and a half men didn't linger. After collecting any usable tools and weapons, they pushed on for nearly sixty more li against the cold wind. Along the way, Xu Yunfan and Fang Mushan did their best to cover their tracks.
Along the way, Li Haomiao quietly explained the complete Dharma Gate of the Copper Body Skill.
He had already taught Xu Yunfan all the cultivation methods for the Copper Body Skill; only the combat applications remained unclear.
"The full name of the Copper Body Skill is the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer. It's a school of Martial Arts that combines the Red Rope Cloak Hammer, the Copper Body Skill, and a Horizontal Training Hammer Technique all in one. Even in the Great Zhou Arsenal, it would be considered a decent Superior Martial Arts."
"As the saying goes: The Red Rope dances, the Copper Body protects, the Cloak defends, and the Hammer strikes terror…"
Li Haomiao explained the combat applications of the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer in detail. Fang Mushan, walking ahead, showed his integrity by deliberately increasing the distance between them, putting on a disdainful expression.
'You have heard the complete explanation of the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer. Your Copper Body Skill has transformed into the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer.'
'Your Martial Arts has been completed. You finally understand the previous contradictions, and with a moment of sudden enlightenment, your Skill Level in the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer has increased.'
'...'
After talking for a long time, Li Haomiao, on Xu Yunfan's back, let out a breath. He used his remaining arm to unhook a water skin and take a swig before saying, "A body as firm as cast copper, a hammer as fierce as the Red Rope, a cloak that displays might—offense and defense in one. If you can train this Hammer Technique to Perfection, the Golden Skin State will naturally manifest.
It's alright if you can't remember it all at once. We can go over it again later."
Xu Yunfan didn't say a word. With the help of his Attribute Panel, he had already perfectly mastered the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer. He just silently and carefully contemplated it.
Although Horizontal Training Kung Fu was difficult to practice, upon advancing to Great Perfection in Skin Cultivation, one could naturally glimpse the state of Perfected Golden Skin.
However, there was something Li Haomiao hadn't finished saying: Golden Skin and Jade Veins, Vermilion Blood and Silver Marrow, Yin Yang Treasure Robe, Circulation of Qi.
These four great Realms... practitioners in this world who could break through to them were few and far between, to say nothing of the current era where the world's Secret Power did not manifest.
At the first light of dawn, they finally found a cave sheltered from the wind and saw a family of three bears hibernating inside.
Fang Mushan immediately took up his long spear and killed the entire family, his expression slightly excited. "These two large bears and one small one will be enough to keep us comfortable for a few days."
After cleaning up the cave, gathering firewood, washing the bear meat with snow, and setting it to roast over a campfire, Fang Mushan's gaze fell on Li Haomiao, who was, as usual, leaning casually in a corner, looking quite at ease.
"The King of Yan? Li Haomiao?"
Li Haomiao raised his eyebrows and a smile touched his lips. But because of the three hideous scars on his face, the expression looked extremely vicious.
"I'm surprised you can still recognize me. I still remember holding you when you were just a stumbling toddler."
Fang Mushan looked a little uncomfortable, recalling the taunts he had thrown out earlier. But he immediately asked, somewhat impatiently:
"How is my father?"
Xu Yunfan, who was practicing the Cloak Hammer with a large saber off to the side, couldn't help but perk up his ears upon hearing this.
Grand General of the Realm, Fang Wen. A title like that sounded incredibly impressive. Although Xu Yunfan didn't want to get involved in court politics, he was still interested in hearing some gossip.
Li Haomiao reassured him, "Don't worry. Your father is a divine pillar of the army. If anything happened to him, that demoness would find it impossible to secure her position. The soldiers at the border would be the first to object, at the very least. Besides, in addition to your father, there are also the great generals Hu Lei, Long Yun, and Lei Wenfeng. If that demoness dared to make a move against your father, her ass wouldn't stay on that throne for long. She can only try to win him over. As for why you're in Ninggu Tower…"
Xu Yunfan commented casually, "I'm afraid it was also your father's stopgap measure for the sake of the Great Zhou."
Hearing this, Li Haomiao said with admiration, "I really underestimated you. I didn't think you had it in you to figure that out."
Xu Yunfan couldn't be bothered with the smug fellow and turned to the side to continue practicing the Cloak Hammer.
"Am I practicing it right?"
Li Haomiao glanced over, about to look away, but then his eyes froze, his expression turning to one of astonishment.
'I only explained it to him once, didn't I? I didn't even demonstrate the combat application.'
'And Xu Yunfan is already performing it so effortlessly?!'
Li Haomiao was shaken internally, but his face remained calm. He gave a slight nod. "It seems your talent is quite good."
"Hah. It's more than 'quite good.' If you were in Jade Capital…"