Longevity by Grinding Skills-Chapter 52: Killing Intent in the Snowy Forest

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Killing Intent in the Snowy Forest

The other party froze, then realization dawned. Even through the mask, it was clear he was beaming with joy.

With money exchanged for the item, the deal was settled.

The linen-clothed youth turned and left without hesitation.

Xu Yunfan glanced at the pitch-black silk cloth in his hand, then turned without a second thought and quickly left the Black Market.

A thin layer of frost coated the bluestone bridge. The crippled Daoist, wrapped in a greasy, shining cotton robe, sat with an air of profound composure.

As Xu Yunfan crossed the stone bridge, the crippled Daoist, still sitting on a dilapidated stool by the side, extended a wooden pole to block his path.

The pole, thrust before Xu Yunfan’s knees, stirred up fine shards of ice.

"Ten silver taels for the entry fee."

Xu Yunfan was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he took out some silver taels from his robes and tossed them to the crippled Daoist.

The crippled Daoist caught them in one hand. He weighed them and found the amount to be exact, which made him grin, revealing a few old, yellowed teeth.

Seeing Xu Yunfan about to leave, the crippled Daoist spoke up.

"Young man, seeing as you’re so straightforward, I’ll give you a piece of advice. If you’re going to leave, leave quickly. Don’t go wandering into the mountain forests, you might twist an ankle. The snow rats in the woods are vicious, and if you step in a trap, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself."

Xu Yunfan paused for a moment, then strode away.

"My thanks, Daoist."

His speed suddenly increased, and he quickly vanished into the darkness, disappearing from the crippled Daoist’s sight.

The crippled Daoist chuckled and shook his head. He rocked back and forth on the rotten wooden stool beneath him, which let out an incessant CREAK... CREAK... In the silence of the night, the sound was particularly unsettling.

Xu Yunfan moved without stopping, ducking into the mountain forest. He took a winding path before finally coming to a halt.

"Come on out."

For a long moment, the surrounding forest was silent, with only the sway of branches in the cold wind.

Xu Yunfan slowly drew his Drumming Jar Golden Hammer and removed the black cloth that covered the Jar Gold Hammer.

His gaze shifted to a corner. Then, he strode forward like a shooting star. With a burst of power from his legs, he kicked up a spray of snow and launched himself forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

In an instant, Xu Yunfan was before a large tree in the corner, and the Jar Gold Hammer in his hand came crashing down.

In that moment, the air cracked as if with a clap of thunder. The Heavy Hammer stirred the air, creating a deafening roar as it descended.

BAM!

With a tremendous crash, the massive tree—one that would take three people to encircle with their arms—was smashed to splinters by the blow.

A dark figure shot out from behind the tree. With the agility of a wildcat, it rolled to the other side.

Xu Yunfan did not give immediate chase. He stood his ground, watching with cold eyes as the figure darted through the woods.

Seeing that Xu Yunfan wasn’t taking the bait, someone finally stepped out from the shadows.

The first to emerge was a man in an iron mask, wielding a Judge’s Pen. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation... I didn’t expect you to be a First-Level Martial Artist, sir. It seems we’ve misjudged you."

A slightly breathless voice came from the side. Xu Yunfan glanced over and saw a purple-robed old woman walking out of the shadows, leaning on a wooden staff and coughing as she went.

"You run fast, young man. I almost couldn’t keep up."

As she spoke, she turned to look at the dark figure hiding in the shadows under a tree. Xu Yunfan’s eyes were sharp; it was the linen-clothed youth.

"Chen the Kid, did you get a good look at the Silver Notes he was carrying?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The linen-clothed youth nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with greed as he stared fixedly at Xu Yunfan.

"I saw them clearly! There must be at least ten thousand taels of silver! This guy is a fat sheep!"

"Over ten thousand taels?!"

A burly figure carrying a large saber emerged from the side. It was the one-eyed big man, his single remaining eye filled with excitement.

"After this score, I’ll wash my hands in a golden basin, find a place, marry a few wives, and retire."

Xu Yunfan’s eyes narrowed. Watching them appear one after another, he truly hadn’t expected them all to be part of the same group.

Only then did he have a sudden realization.

’So the ones selling Martial Arts Manuals in the Black Market... they’re all one big happy family.’

"One big happy family?"

A smile flickered in the Iron-faced Man’s eyes, but his gaze was terrifying.

"That’s right. One big happy family."

The Iron-faced Man’s Judge’s Pen struck first. The Fine Steel Pen Holder spun, unleashing seven points of cold light that aimed for the major acupoints on Xu Yunfan’s body.

Before the tip of the pen could reach him, the muscles on Xu Yunfan’s back writhed like living pythons. His Jar Gold Hammer swung up from below in a crescent arc. The Heavy Hammer howled, letting out a terrifying WOOOOOSH.

The instant the hammer and pen collided, the Iron-faced Man’s pupils contracted.

’Such immense strength! Such ferocious power!’

He could barely hold on to his Judge’s Pen. Seeing the Heavy Hammer about to smash down with irresistible force, he decisively retreated.

His expression changed drastically. ’This guy isn’t a Martial Master at First Level Great Mastery! With my Martial Arts at the level of Great Mastery of Muscle Training, I couldn’t even handle him for a moment!’

’He’s definitely a Second Level Martial Artist!’

’We’ve hit a steel wall!’

The thought of retreat had already sprouted in his mind.

"What incredible strength!"

Before he could speak, the old woman shrieked and threw three Bone-Piercing Nails. The sound of the Hidden Weapons cutting through the air was drowned out by the howl of the hammer’s wind, and they were instantly blocked by the great hammer.

The veins on Xu Yunfan’s neck bulged as his muscles swelled. His Blood Qi surged, and the hormones from his internal organs spiked.

The Heavy Hammer left afterimages in the air. Xu Yunfan pushed the handle forward with his back hand, and the armor on the Iron-faced Man’s entire right arm was torn apart like thin paper.

With the sickening thud of metal embedding in flesh, the Judge’s Pen flew into the night sky, taking half a severed finger with it.

"AHHH!!!"

As the Iron-faced Man screamed, the one-eyed big man charged forward, his Nine-Ring Saber swinging with the force to split a mountain.

When the blade was three inches from his Skull, a mound of flesh the size of a bowl suddenly bulged on Xu Yunfan’s left shoulder.

"CLANG!"

The clash of metal on metal shook the snow from the pine branches. The blade scraped against bronze-colored skin, sending a shower of sparks. The big man’s single eye went wide as he stared at his own distorted reflection in the now-dented edge of his saber.

"Horizontal Training?!"

The one-eyed big man whipped his head around to look at the Iron-faced Man, who was clutching his mangled arm. His eye was filled with resentment.

’We’ve hit a steel wall!’

"My turn."

A low growl like muffled thunder rumbled from Xu Yunfan’s throat, and his spine cracked, vertebra by vertebra, like a string of firecrackers.

He unleashed the Ninth Form of the Red Rope Cloak Hammer. The Heavy Hammer swung above his head, creating a blur of afterimages. The handle, as thick as a baby’s arm, seemed as light as a wooden stick in his hands.

The moment the one-eyed big man raised his saber to block, the power stored in the Heavy Hammer made his face drain of color.

’How can there be such terrifying power?!’

The thought had barely formed when his saber and sternum caved in simultaneously. He was sent flying like a broken sack, smashing into a mountain rock and shaking loose a cascade of snow.

The brawny man, who weighed over three hundred pounds, was sent flying three feet into the air by the Hammer Force. The cracking of his sternum sounded like a string of firecrackers. As his back snapped an ancient pine tree, a spray of blood mist dyed the snow red for thirty feet.

The remaining few were horrified. Although the one-eyed big man had not reached the level of a First-Level Martial Artist, his strength was considerable. He could have exchanged dozens of blows with a First-Level Martial Artist and still escaped unscathed.

’This hammer-wielding man before us is definitely not just at First Level Great Mastery. He must be at Second Level Great Mastery, or even higher!’

Xu Yunfan turned his head to look at the purple-robed old woman. The snow beneath his feet exploded as he shot forward like a meteor.

The old woman’s face changed drastically. She tapped her staff on the ground to push herself back in a hasty retreat. Then, with a flick of her staff, a cloud of ox-hair needles shot toward his face.

Xu Yunfan didn’t dodge or evade. A bronze sheen appeared on his neck, and the ox-hair needles made the sound of striking metal as they hit his skin.

’To have reached such a level in Horizontal Training... which family could have possibly trained him?!’