Chapter 37: Digging Realm |
Bang...
The furnace reignited, restoring warmth to the sealed cave.
Everyone gathered around the fire again as Xia Hong approached Xu Ning.
Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and others also surrounded him with solemn expressions.
"Leader, we bagged a big one this time, heh."
Xu Ning forced a smile, pointing at the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat lying on the ground with his one remaining eye.
Xia Hong didn't respond, instead examining Xu Ning's empty right eye socket. His expression darkened instantly.
"Don't push yourself like this again. Be cautious against unfamiliar Frost Beasts!"
He turned to Xia Chuan and the others, adding, "That goes for all of you."
When no one responded, Xu Ning continued,
"Hey Qiu Peng, your father was our camp's only archer, right? He always closed one eye when shooting. Maybe after our camp prospers, I can become an archer with my missing right eye."
Qiu Peng froze momentarily before nodding with a peculiar expression.
"That's true. My father said archers aim with one eye for precision. Too bad we don't have any bows now..."
Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, and even Xia Hong felt a stir in their hearts.
Losing an eye wasn't as simple as Xu Ning made it sound. While it didn't affect cultivation, the loss of half one's vision and compromised coordination were deadly for those battling Frost Beasts daily.
Xia Hong had already considered keeping Xu Ning in camp during future expeditions. But Qiu Peng's words offered an alternative perspective - archers primarily used one eye anyway. In fact, lacking a right eye might help Xu Ning focus better with his left.
"We'll have bows eventually!" Xia Hong declared solemnly, making a promise to Xu Ning.
Others quickly chimed in with encouragement:
"Exactly! You helped kill the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat leader - getting a bow will be easy!"
"We don't even fear Abominations now - bows are nothing!"
"Xu Ning, just recover well. If you can't shoot straight when we get bows, we'll never let you live it down!"
Xu Ning remained silent but nodded heavily, visibly moved.
"I have matters to attend. Process the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat meat," Xia Hong instructed before walking to the camp's strength-testing posts.
Originally, the heaviest post weighed only a thousand jin. As more members reached the Lumberjack Realm, two five-thousand-jin posts were added.
Xia Hong stacked the two heavy posts together, took a deep breath, and squatted to grip them. With a sudden exertion, he lifted both posts off the ground simultaneously.
Ecstasy flashed across his face.
"I really broke through!"
After killing the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat, he'd sensed increased strength, but the Abomination's appearance had distracted him. Now confirmed - exceeding ten thousand jin in base strength marked his official entry into the Digging Realm.
Lately, Xia Hong had struggled with this breakthrough. The closer he got, the less effective Frost Beast meat became, barely providing gains despite maintaining or even increasing his portions.
"Apparently, life-or-death battles are key to breaking physical limits," Xia Hong mused, calming his excitement. "Though Digging Realm cultivation will still rely on Frost Beast meat - I wonder how slow that'll be."
Stronger physiques required more Frost Beast meat, but that wasn't an immediate concern. If he could hunt Frost Beasts in the Lumberjack Realm, the Digging Realm would be easier.
More importantly, reaching Digging Realm meant he could now mine for resources - coal, iron, silver, gold. Discovering veins would unlock the system's remaining eight structures.
"Starting tonight, we'll expand our search for mineral veins!" Xia Hong declared energetically, setting down the posts.
Just then, the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat was fully butchered. Yuan Cheng excitedly reported from afar:
"Leader! 1,700 jin of meat from the Demon Goat, plus a complete hide for five leather skirts!"
At current distribution rates, 1,700 jin would last about twenty days.
"Oh, and this." Yuan Cheng tossed something to Xia Hong - the short blade used to kill the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat.
Wang Ming's large sword had yielded 60 system iron points. Upgrading the Small Fire Pit cost 50, leaving 10 for this short blade - more accurately a dagger under five inches long.
Too short to pierce the Demon Goat's hide normally, Xia Hong had reserved it for attacking the vulnerable eye on its back when his stone axe proved unsuitable.
Xia Hong sheathed the dagger and assembled all six Lumberjack Team members plus thirty-one reserve members.
"Distribute all the meat today. In ten days, we venture out again. Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng - you six focus on improving during this time. Reserves - train hard to reach Lumberjack Realm before our next expedition."
"Yes, Leader!" they chorused. While the core six responded calmly, the thirty-one reserves burned with determination after witnessing Xia Hong's team hunt the Golden-Eyed Demon Goat. Even without orders, they'd have trained desperately to join future expeditions.
Rewinding slightly...
When the Abomination-controlled Wang Ping burned to ashes from the Concentrated Fire Oil...
Five hundred meters east of Great Xia Camp's cave, atop a tree at Redwood Ridge's edge, a hunched black-robed figure barely over five feet tall shrieked horrifically.
"Ah...AHHHH!!!"
The figure clutched white threads in one hand, their other end stretching westward toward the cave. Nearly invisible against the snowy backdrop, these threads suddenly ignited mid-air.
The figure - an elderly man with crimson eyes - screamed as flames raced toward his hand. Frantic slapping failed to extinguish the relentless fire. Realizing this, his red eyes flashed ruthlessly. He raised his left hand - gripping a small knife - and chopped downward violently.
CRACK!
The burning right hand severed cleanly at the wrist. Astonishingly, the old man showed no pain, only relief as his detached hand turned to ash before hitting the ground.
Staring at the dissipating black smoke, his crimson eyes first showed fear, then swirled with venomous hatred as he glared toward the cave.
"Wait for me... You can't escape... Your lives belong to me... ALL MINE..."
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