Fang Mushan didn't pause for a second. With strides like a shooting star, he charged straight for the Supervisor.
He pivoted on his shoulder, sinking his waist and hips, his body like a great bow drawn taut. He lunged forward, his speed so ferocious that his powerful strides created a faint WHOOSHING sound as they cut through the air.
In the blink of an eye, Fang Mushan slammed into the chest of the Supervisor, who was caught so off guard that all he had time for was a look of terror to cross his face.
CRACK!
A series of sharp, sickening cracks echoed as bones shattered. The Supervisor, as if made of paper, was sent flying into the distance. He landed in a heap, unmoving, his fate unknown.
A few nearby Mining Slaves, who had taken the opportunity to flee, watched in utter shock. It was hard to believe that such a seemingly gaunt frame could send a Supervisor of over two hundred pounds flying.
"That looks like Fang Wen's son."
"Fang Mushan, son of the Grand General of the Realm, Fang Wen. I've heard of him. At just sixteen, he was said to be able to lift a thousand pounds, possessing unparalleled Divine Power."
Someone nearby remarked with a sigh, which quickly turned to a hopeful tone.
"If we follow him, we might actually be able to escape!"
"Such immense strength. He's only at Minor Achievement in Muscle Training, yet he can unleash power like that. Indeed, the son of a tiger is no dog."
Li Haomiao remarked with feeling.
Xu Yunfan pursed his lips.
Down in the mines, he'd had no real benchmark for his power. Even with his Copper Body Skill at Minor Achievement and his Flying Leg at the Introduction stage, he had only ever tested his might against the weak and broken, like Cui Ye.
But now, compared to Fang Mushan…
He felt a burgeoning desire to test himself.
'I think I could have dodged that,' he thought. 'And it probably would have been easy.'
Fang Mushan, it seemed, had long been aware of the people behind him. He glanced back at Xu Yunfan and the others, his eyes holding a trace of provocation as he jutted out his chin.
The message was clear: 'Follow me if you dare.'
Watching the figure charge wildly into the mountains, Xu Yunfan didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately broke into a run, following close behind with great strides.
One chasing the other, they quickly left the battlefield behind. The shouts and cries of battle faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard. Soon, only a small handful of others with decent skills were able to barely keep up.
Xu Yunfan glanced back. They were already far from the mining area. Lian Yuanzhang's Black-clothed Assassins were incredibly strong and had the Supervisors completely suppressed.
'Unfortunately,' he thought, 'for Zhang Shuyang to be so composed, he must have something up his sleeve.'
Noticing his glance, Li Haomiao drawled, "Wondering how things are going back at Ninggu Tower?"
"I'd love to see who comes out on top."
Xu Yunfan kept his eyes glued to the rugged path ahead, his footfalls precise and his movements agile. He didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment; running at this speed demanded intense focus.
Masters of the Outer Three Harmonies—skin, muscle, and bone—could tear through the air with every move, their actions possessing the force of a thunderstorm. The clash of weapons between Zhang Shuyang and Lian Yuanzhang was especially shocking; every swing of their blades produced a terrifying WHOOSH that split the air.
'To think human strength could reach such a level.'
"Since that demoness has a plan, she would never send just Zhang Shuyang alone," Li Haomiao said. "I fear there are archers lying in ambush all around, with at least a few more masters of his caliber ready to provide support. It wouldn't even be surprising if she sent a master from the Flesh Refining Realm."
"If they're relying solely on Lian Yuanzhang's group, they'll likely die under a volley of arrows. And even if they could block the arrows, a Martial Master of the Outer Three Harmonies hasn't yet cultivated Strength. Their stamina is limited, and they'll probably die of exhaustion."
Li Haomiao analyzed, "Knowing that demoness's vicious nature, she absolutely would have sent a top-tier master. Lian Yuanzhang is very likely to fall here."
The Flesh Refining Realm comes after the Outer Three Harmonies of skin, muscle, and bone. It is the process of turning inward, grinding Strength from one's very own flesh and blood. Only by possessing Strength can one be called a true grandmaster of the Martial Dao.
It is the mark of the Extraordinary.
"However…" Li Haomiao's tone shifted. "There are too many powers backing the Mining Slaves in Ninggu Tower. Who knows if some old monster won't pop out of the woodwork? Now *that* would be a show to watch. A pity that we're both weak and broken; we can't stick around."
Xu Yunfan retorted, "Who are you calling weak? You're the broken one, leave me out of it."
After a pause, Xu Yunfan pressed, "Who is Grand General Lian storming Ninggu Tower for?"
Li Haomiao fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, "He's here for me."
"Then why didn't you acknowledge him?"
"In that situation, sticking with him would just get me killed faster."
Li Haomiao's words were cold, and they left Xu Yunfan feeling deeply unsettled.
Though in the days he'd spent with Li Haomiao, he knew the man wasn't a saint, he also knew he wasn't without kindness.
But it was a kind of kindness that Xu Yunfan found difficult to stomach.
Lian Yuanzhang was fighting a life-or-death battle for him, only to be coldly abandoned.
"You think I'm heartless?"
Li Haomiao naturally knew what Xu Yunfan was thinking. When Xu Yunfan didn't reply, a thought seemed to cross Li Haomiao's mind. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing more.
After they had rested for a while, Fang Mushan slapped the dirt from his pants, got up, and started moving again.
Without missing a beat, Xu Yunfan also rose and followed close behind.
Fang Mushan's pace was incredibly fast; a single one of his strides covered the same distance as four or five of an ordinary person's. Though the path along the mountain ridge was rugged, he moved as if he were on level ground, his speed never faltering for a moment.
The four or five others with decent skills exchanged uncertain glances. Finally, one of them spoke up.
"This is The Eight-Hundred-Mile Desolate River Ice-Plains. The deeper we go, the colder it gets. We're all dressed in thin clothes. If this keeps up, even if the men from the Mining Supervision Office don't catch us, we'll freeze to death out here."
Another person shook his head. "Going back to Ninggu Tower is a death sentence. Out on the Eight-Hundred-Mile Desolate River, at least we have a chance to survive. If we stay here…"
He glanced back at their footprints. They were muddy and incredibly conspicuous. Once the Mining Supervision Office recovered, they could easily follow these tracks to hunt them down.
The small group hesitated no longer, hurrying to catch up to the distant figures of Xu Yunfan and Fang Mushan.
In a place like this, sticking together always offered a much greater chance of survival than going it alone.
They traveled until the first hint of dawn, when the rising sun began to cast a brilliant golden sheen upon the white snow covering the mountain ridge.
In a hollow sheltered from the wind, Fang Mushan stopped. He found a leeward spot to sit down, then turned to look at Xu Yunfan, who was carrying Li Haomiao. He jutted his chin.
"The world is a big place. Why do you insist on following me?"
By now, only Xu Yunfan remained at Fang Mushan's heels. All the others had been left far behind, their whereabouts unknown.
Xu Yunfan replied, "I just think this is the most convenient route to get away from the mines."
As he spoke, Xu Yunfan glanced at the flood of notifications for his Flying Leg Skill Level that were scrolling across his vision.
'By using the Flying Leg technique day and night on rugged mountain paths, your footwork has become more agile. Your Flying Leg Skill Level has increased significantly.'
'By dashing tirelessly over mountains and wading through streams, you have precisely controlled your breathing rhythm and increased your push-off strength. Your Flying Leg Skill Level is rising.'
'…'
There were over forty notifications about his Flying Leg Skill Level in his vision. 'At this rate,' Xu Yunfan thought, 'it will only take three to five days to bring my Flying Leg to the Minor Achievement Realm.'
'Flying Leg primarily trains the muscles. If both my Skin Cultivation and my muscle training reach Minor Achievement, my strength should be a cut above that of a regular Martial Artist who has only reached Minor Achievement.'
Fang Mushan's gaze went past Xu Yunfan to the man on his back, Li Haomiao.