An unknown amount of time passed, as if days had bled into years. The iron hammer in his hands, once a heavy and unwieldy burden, now felt like a natural extension of his arm.
Until one day, at the first light of dawn, before the sun's first rays had fully illuminated the land, Xu Yunfan took a deep breath to center himself. Then, he raised the iron hammer high with both hands. His muscles tensed and veins bulged, like small, winding snakes coiling on his arms.
With a ferocious roar, the iron hammer whistled through the air as he smashed it viciously against the man-sized block of ore in front of him.
"CLANG!"
A thunderous crash echoed as the ore cracked on impact, sending shards flying in all directions.
Yet Xu Yunfan didn't pause for a moment. He spun, his follow-through swing a single, fluid motion, like a tireless machine. Every smash was accompanied by a violent surge of vitality within him. Like a raging river, this immense energy continuously supplied his body with power, keeping his arms brimming with force.
At that moment, the stances of his Copper Body Skill were no longer rigid and stagnant, bound to a set routine. Instead, they possessed a fluid, intuitive grace.
'My techniques have come alive.'
Brute force receded, and vibrant energy emerged.
Copper Body Skill, Minor Achievement.
As Xu Yunfan processed the information flooding his mind, warm currents once again rose within him, flowing ceaselessly through his muscles and skin.
His once somewhat scrawny frame began to ripple and bulge with newfound muscle, the lines becoming extremely defined. Nourished by the warm currents, his skin swelled and tightened, making him feel as if his entire body was being stretched taut from within.
His previously weak vitality now erupted with a surging, abundant power. As he fell into the ready stance of the Copper Body Skill, this energy slowly spread throughout his limbs and bones, continuously nourishing his skin and muscles.
It was only then that Xu Yunfan understood. The Copper Body Skill was actually a Cross Training Skill, its attacks like a cannon-hammer, containing a fierce and powerful Hammer Technique.
Li Haomiao, who had been quietly contemplating nearby, heard the commotion. He turned to see Xu Yunfan knock away the last piece of ore encasing the wall, revealing the true face of the Ancient Jade Wall.
"Your strikes sound… heavier."
Listening to the sound of the earlier smashes, Li Haomiao stared at the Ancient Jade Wall, unable to tear his eyes away. He spoke casually, though with a hint of uncertainty.
He could clearly tell from the sound of the smashing that Xu Yunfan's strength had grown.
Xu Yunfan said, "I can execute some of the Hammer Technique now."
"...You really do have an incredible talent for martial arts."
Li Haomiao marveled. The Copper Body Skill incorporated a ferocious Hammer Technique with unstoppable momentum. 'To think Xu Yunfan could realize it was a Hammer Technique just through the methods of channeling power.'
He slowly shuffled over, gazing at the massive, irregularly diamond-shaped Ancient Jade Wall. Peering deep inside it, he could faintly make out a dark shadow.
After a moment of thought, Li Haomiao said, "There's a person lying inside."
Xu Yunfan, who was still taking stock of the explosive growth in his own physique, heard Li Haomiao's words with utter astonishment.
"There's really someone in there?"
He leaned in, examining it carefully from top to bottom and side to side. At last, within the irregular, diamond-shaped Ancient Jade Wall that stood over three meters tall, he spotted the dark, humanoid shadow.
"What now?"
Li Haomiao's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement. "We break open this Jade Wall and dig it out to have a look."
"This Jade Wall is incredibly hard. There's no way I can break it."
Hearing this, Li Haomiao pondered for a moment. He then looked up at Xu Yunfan, and his eyes widened.
"When did you get so built?"
"Haven't you seen me training my ass off these last few days? And I've got Grain Avoidance Pills to supplement my diet. If I didn't get stronger and actually got weaker, wouldn't that just mean I'd trained myself into an injury?"
Doubt flickered in Li Haomiao's mind. After a long moment, he asked softly, "Do you possess True Blood?"
Only a True Blood could progress so quickly in their Cultivation and undergo such a drastic physical transformation.
Xu Yunfan just shook his head, feigning ignorance without a word. 'Letting others fill in the blanks for you can be a powerful tool.'
'Having this 'True Blood' identity to cover for my unusually fast cultivation speed is a good thing. It certainly solves a big problem for me.'
'A True Immortal Bloodline... just the name sounds impressive. It's only natural for something like that to defy common sense.'
Seeing Xu Yunfan's reaction, Li Haomiao adopted a look of certainty, just as expected. He didn't seem surprised. After a brief hesitation, the muscles in his stomach churned, and he opened his mouth and spat. A Golden Awl, no bigger than the tip of his little finger, clattered to the ground.
Xu Yunfan looked disgusted.
"What is that?"
Li Haomiao gazed reluctantly at the Golden Awl on the ground. "This," he said in a low voice, "is a fragment from the corner of the Purple Gold Earth-Shattering Hammer. If we use it as a pickaxe head, it should be able to break open the Ancient Jade Wall. Since you possess True Blood, you might even be able to draw out some of its power."
"The Purple Gold Earth-Shattering Hammer?"
"It's just a Divine Weapon Fragment. Its spiritual power has completely faded. Just think of it as a very sharp piece of metal. Give it a try."
When Xu Yunfan still didn't move, Li Haomiao frowned.
"Don't worry, there won't be any surprises. The time isn't right, so even if we unearth the Ancient Jade Wall, whoever is inside won't be able to wake up. And the Purple Gold Earth-Shattering Hammer is already shattered; its spiritual power has dissipated, and its miraculous properties are gone."
"...It's not that. It's just... covered in your spit. It's kind of gross."
Li Haomiao was speechless.
After affixing the fragment of the Purple Gold Earth-Shattering Hammer to the tip of his Iron Pickaxe and making sure it was secure, Xu Yunfan stood beside the Ancient Jade Wall. He turned his head to Li Haomiao and asked.
"If we were going to smash this Ancient Jade Wall open sooner or later, why did we have to go through the trouble of digging it out first?"
"To see if there was anything ominous inside."
"And did you see anything?"
Li Haomiao shook his head. "Now, the only way to know is to break it open and see."
"…"
Too lazy to waste his breath on Li Haomiao, Xu Yunfan held his breath and focused his spirit. He raised the Iron Pickaxe, concentrating intently on the Jade Wall before him.
"Huh?!"
Just as he was about to bring the Iron Pickaxe down, Xu Yunfan let out a soft cry of surprise, his eyes still fixed on the Ancient Jade Wall.
Hearing this, Li Haomiao asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing."
Xu Yunfan shook his head. A moment ago, when he had focused his full attention on the Ancient Jade Wall, he had been able to see faint, flickering lines on its surface.
'He had a gut feeling that it would be easier if he struck along these lines.'
'This must be a special effect from reaching Minor Achievement in mining—the one that lets you dig through earth like mud.'
Xu Yunfan hesitated no longer. He raised the Iron Pickaxe, mustering all his strength. His dormant vitality began to churn. His muscles bulged, and thick veins popped out across his skin, coiling in a ferocious-looking web. The Iron Pickaxe fell, whistling through the air.
TING!
A clear sound, as crisp as a Jade Bead falling to the floor, rang out melodiously, reverberating endlessly through the narrow, winding mine shaft.
Ethereal at first, the sound held a strange, hidden quality that became more apparent on second listen. A faint chill shot up Xu Yunfan's spine.
The note from the impact seemed to be stretched and warped by an unseen hand, echoing and spreading between the damp stone walls with a bizarre, almost demonic quality.
It was as if something was slowly awakening in the darkness.
By now, Xu Yunfan had already retreated behind Li Haomiao.
Li Haomiao was speechless.
He cleared his throat. "Don't worry, this Ancient Jade Wall is incredibly tough. A single hit couldn't possibly…"