Chapter 152

The process of reshaping my skin membrane is likely very different from others'.

Xia Hong had long suspected this.

According to current conditions, human cold-resistance strength probably only matches that of a mid-tier cold beast.

Yet to break through to cold-resistance level, one needs the blood of over a hundred mid-tier cold beasts.

This seems utterly unreasonable.

After fighting Yuwen the Guardian, this suspicion was confirmed.

The difficulty of reshaping my skin membrane is indeed different from others'.

But the difference is this extreme—Xia Hong never imagined it.

According to Gao Yu, when base strength reaches the 30, 00-jin limit, skin membrane reshaping can raise it by at most 20, 00 jin; at the 50, 00-jin limit, when the skin membrane is fully perfected and the No-Leak State is achieved, strength doubles upon breaking through to cold-resistance level.

That is 100, 00 jin—the term all humans in the Ice Abyss call "one-mane power."

Thus, the standard for cold-resistance level is one-manage power.

Of course, this applies only to ordinary cold-resistance level.

Just as different kinds of cold beasts have varying strength limits, some humans possess extraordinary talent, with skin membranes far more resistant to pain and beast blood than ordinary people.

These individuals spend longer in the skin membrane reshaping phase and can absorb several to even ten times more cold-beast blood than ordinary people.

The term "battle body" refers precisely to this unique constitution.

The greater the cost, the higher the upper limit of strength gain during this phase for those with battle body talent.

Generally, battle bodies are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower.

The benchmark is the strength limit during skin membrane reshaping.

100, 00 jin is upper grade; 80, 00 jin is middle grade; 60, 00 jin is lower grade.

If one reaches 100, 00 jin during skin membrane reshaping, then upon completing the No-Leak Body and formally breaking through to cold-resistance level, strength doubles to 200, 00 jin—two mane powers.

By extension, even the lowest-grade battle body reaches 120, 00 jin upon breaking through to cold-resistance level—fully two-tenths higher than ordinary cold-resistance level.

Two-tenths of strength can decide many things.

"Of course, these strengths are not gained without cost.

In the Ice Abyss, time equals life. Those with battle body talent, needing far more beast blood, often exceed limits to save time breaking through to cold-resistance level.

Ordinary people use two or three jin per session, barely reaching their limit.

Those with stronger willpower may manage five jin at most.

But they start at five jin minimum; some use ten jin. The pain they endure far exceeds ordinary imagination, and many die outright during beast blood use."

When Gao Yu finished speaking, the entire first-floor hall fell utterly silent.

It was then that Xia Hong felt a surge of dread.

Of course, the dread lasted only a moment.

What filled his heart was mostly excitement.

At that moment, all seventeen members of the hunting team turned to look at Xia Hong, their expressions shifting from initial shock to horror, then to intense excitement.

"Ten jin? Our boss uses over a hundred jin each time—even two or three hundred jin!"

"Our leader always uses at least a hundred jin!"

…………

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng—all members of the hunting team—could not help but feel excited.

According to Gao Yu's words, the more blood used, the greater the gain, and the higher the potential; after breaking through to cold-resistance level, their strength would inevitably be stronger.

"No wonder when we asked if the leader had broken through, he stayed silent!"

Recalling how Xia Hong had remained silent after defeating Yuwen the Guardian when questioned, Luo Yuan now understood.

Xia Hong hadn't broken through to cold-resistance level yet.

Not just him—Xia Chuan beside him and several others who reacted quickly also remembered.

He hadn't broken through, yet his strength was already equal to Yuwen the Guardian's.

Then what would his strength be after he broke through?

They all turned to look at Xia Hong, their eyes filled with reverence and fervor.

If the others felt this way, how much more so for Xia Hong himself?

Upper-grade battle body: limit is 100, 00 jin.

Yet his current strength is nearly 70, 00 jin—and that's only 31% progress!

Conservatively estimated, once he completes skin membrane reshaping, his base strength will reach at least 150, 00 jin; after doubling upon breakthrough, it will be 300, 00 jin.

Three mane powers!

One mane power more than upper-grade battle body.

Then what kind of battle body is he?

Above upper grade—is there a supreme class, or even a more powerful constitution…?

Xia Hong suppressed his excitement and also held back his urge to ask questions, calmed himself, and gave Xia Chuan and the others a "keep quiet" glance.

The group immediately understood, calming their expressions and returning their faces to neutrality.

This Gao Yu, however polite, is ultimately a stranger of unknown origin to the camp.

Moreover, his strength far exceeds theirs.

Even with the wooden dummy as backup, some caution must remain.

"Though I've never set foot in Double Dragon Mountain, I've scouted it several times—it stretches at least two to three hundred li east to west. Between its ridges, not only cold beasts, but strange entities are surely numerous. Brother Gao crossed it alone—his strength must far surpass ordinary people. Cold-resistance level…"

Xia Hong did not finish his sentence; the last three words carried hesitation, and his gaze at Gao Yu revealed clear suspicion.

Based on Daxia's current activity zone, a cold-resistance level individual crossing over two hundred li of Double Dragon Mountain from east to west is clearly impossible.

This Gao Yu is either hiding his strength or lying.

Xia Hong's expression changed; Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and the others instantly reacted, turning to stare at Gao Yu, their expressions growing wary.

Facing their suspicion, Gao Yu fell silent for a moment, then sighed and said: "Alright, alright—it seems I can't hide it anymore. I'll speak plainly."

Here, Gao Yu paused, then turned to face the group, unbuttoned his shirt, and exposed his chest.

"Hssss…"

Xia Hong and everyone else involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

Gao Yu's exposed chest was covered in countless fine cracks.

Like shattered pottery, or parched earth cracked by drought, the exposed crimson flesh within the fissures was clearly visible—truly horrifying.

It was hard to believe that Gao Yu, who had just smiled gently and conversed warmly with them, bore such terrifying injuries.

"Did a strange entity do this?"

Xia Hong frowned slightly and asked.

Such wounds clearly could not be caused by cold beasts or humans.

Gao Yu turned his back to the group, facing the iron furnace, put his shirt back on, then sat down and nodded gently to Xia Hong:

"Yes, it was a mid-tier malevolent entity…"

He paused, then continued:

"Ten days ago, I left the village to hunt in Double Dragon Mountain. My usual hunting zone was no more than ten li beyond the mountain's edge, but that day, bad luck struck—I encountered a strange entity soon after entering.

That entity could control multiple cold beasts at once and fire demonic light that shatters human bodies into fragments. I was caught off guard, chased relentlessly, and in my panic, accidentally crossed Double Dragon Mountain and ended up here."

When Gao Yu finished, everyone—including Xia Hong—leapt to their feet at once, glanced up at the valley's sky, then turned back to Gao Yu, their eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't worry, don't worry—I lost that entity mid-journey. The four cold beasts it controlled, I killed them all. It won't follow me here. Please rest assured!"

Even though Gao Yu explained quickly, Xia Chuan and the others still didn't relax—their gazes all turned to Xia Hong.

Xia Hong stared at Gao Yu, his brow tightly furrowed, his heart filled with fury.

Indeed, strangers never bring good things!

A refugee, fleeing from a mid-tier malevolent entity.

Gao Yu says the entity won't follow, but can he guarantee it?

A single wooden puppet entity, not yet upgraded to mid-tier, nearly wiped out all humans in Red Wood Ridge.

If a genuine mid-tier malevolent entity showed up, what would happen?

It can control multiple cold beasts and fire demonic light that shatters bodies—just these two abilities could bring great trouble to Daxia. How could Xia Hong not be furious?

If Gao Yu weren't so strong and had been consistently polite and not deliberately hiding things, Xia Hong would already be yelling at him to leave.

Seeing their expressions, Gao Yu clearly realized he was no longer welcome. After long thought, he finally showed a trace of helplessness, bowed to Xia Hong, and said:

"Brother Xia, I admit I was wrong. But right now I'm injured and unfamiliar with the surroundings. I only ask to stay in Daxia for five days—until my wounds heal enough, then I'll leave immediately. Is that acceptable?"

Though Gao Yu's tone now carried a plea, Xia Chuan and the others immediately shook their heads, their faces clearly rejecting.

Only Xia Hong remained silent.

Seeing this, Gao Yu knew there was still hope and quickly added:

"Of course, if that entity truly comes, I won't flee—I'll stay and fight alongside Brother Xia!"

Xia Hong's brow tightened as he studied Gao Yu, his doubts deepening.

This man's appearance was utterly inexplicable;

Honestly, he still didn't fully believe Gao Yu's story.

But the man seemed genuinely harmless, his attitude perfectly fine.

His explanation still had gaps, but it was barely plausible.

Fleeing from a malevolent entity, panicked and lost—he ended up here. With such severe injuries, his earlier evasiveness and reluctance to explain could be understood. After all, Gao Yu is a stranger to Daxia, and Daxia is equally strange to him—they have caution, and he has it too.

Mostly, five days is a bit too long…

Remembering that the man might be followed by a greater trouble—perhaps even that very trouble was watching the Great Xia encampment from above the valley—Xia Hong pondered for a long while, then took a deep breath and spoke:

"Two days. I can shelter you for two days at most. Once the time's up, you leave. Our Great Xia camp may be small, but it still houses over a thousand people. I hope you understand, Brother Gao!"

Xia Hong didn't consider himself a kind-hearted man, but he simply couldn't stand by and let someone die.

Judging by the wound on Gao Yu's chest, even without special treatment, it would take ten days or even half a month to heal—he probably didn't intend to stay and recover here at all; he was just resting his feet.

If that's the case, two days is enough!

True enough, upon hearing "two days," Gao Yu's face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Thank you, Brother Xia. I'm deeply grateful. I'll leave right after the two days!"

"No need to thank me. It's nothing."

Xia Hong waved his hand casually, then called Shi Ping and ordered him to assign Gao Yu a room on the first floor.

=9+book_bar

Sheltering him for two days was truly a trivial matter—no cost, no effort—and he'd even given us four mid-grade cold beasts. Ignoring that mid-grade weird creature, we were clearly the ones who gained.

After giving Shi Ping his instructions, he led Xia Chuan and the others straight upstairs.

Shi Ping led the cheerful Gao Yu into an empty room, politely warned him of a few precautions, then turned and left.

Alone in the room, Gao Yu's cheerful expression vanished the moment Shi Ping was gone, replaced by sharp efficiency. A glint of cunning flashed in his eyes. After a moment's thought, he let out two quiet laughs:

"This feeble Great Xia… possesses such a divine artifact? How interesting… very interesting…"

………………

"Leader, keeping that man for two days isn't wise, is it?"

As soon as they reached the second floor, Xia Chuan spoke up without hesitation.

Luo Yuan and the others all nodded in agreement—they clearly sided with Xia Chuan.

"His appearance was utterly inexplicable. The material of his clothes and weapons—we've never seen anything like it. He crossed the Twin Dragon Mountains wearing only cold-resistance gear, yet suffered such severe injuries. The more we think about it, the weirder it gets."

"Even if his origins are unknown, if what he said is true, he might bring a mid-grade weird creature upon us. If it's false, then he has ulterior motives. Either way, we shouldn't have taken him in."

"He only mentioned Shenwu Village—didn't clarify anything else…"

Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan's words drew nods from everyone.

Only when Yuan Cheng spoke those final words did everyone turn to stare at him, expressions turning strange—even Xia Hong's.

"Yeah, you're right. Probing into someone else's encampment like that isn't appropriate!"

Yuan Cheng chuckled awkwardly, clearly realizing his mistake.

Xia Hong turned to face the group. He didn't speak right away, but inwardly, he felt a flicker of approval for their vigilance.

He'd thought only he had fully distrusted Gao Yu.

Apparently, Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and the others felt the same.

"There's definitely something off, but his strength speaks for itself—we can't just refuse outright. We don't know how much his injury has weakened him. If we order him out and he refuses—or if he leaves and holds a grudge, causing trouble for the camp—what then?"

Xia Hong didn't lecture them. He simply stated the facts calmly.

The group froze for a moment, then lowered their heads in silence.

"Even with five wooden training posts added, I have no confidence I could defeat him. So rather than saying I decided to shelter him, it's more accurate to say this decision was made by me, by you all, and by the camp's current strength."

Hearing Xia Hong's increasingly blunt words, Xia Chuan and the other seventeen men flushed with heat, shame rising in their chests.

Xia Hong's meaning was clear.

Great Xia's encampment currently lacked the strength to refuse him.

Forcing him out would cost more than they could afford.

The camp's current strength didn't mean just Xia Hong alone.

These seventeen men were Great Xia's strongest fighters.

But after witnessing and participating in Xia Hong's battle with Yuwen the Guardian, all seventeen knew: against a Cold-Resist-level warrior, they were as useless as decorations.

After all, their ten-stone bows couldn't pierce Yuwen the Guardian's flesh, let alone their blades if they got close.

Speed, strength, reflexes—Cold-Resist-level warriors could slaughter them in an instant.

"It's good you question me—but when weighing decisions, you must account for the gap in strength. I'd love to kick him out, but strength doesn't allow it…"

Xia Hong paused, his expression darkening slightly as he continued:

"He's been polite. But with his strength, even if he weren't polite, we couldn't do a thing about him!"

Xia Chuan and the others nodded, then clenched their fists beneath their sleeves, their longing for power surging to its peak.

Knowing the man was dangerous yet being powerless to refuse him—this feeling of being entirely under someone else's control was unbearable.

"Remember: strength is the foundation of every decision."

"Yes, Leader!"

Seeing Xia Chuan and the others respond solemnly, Xia Hong nodded and led them all the way to the Supply Hall.

"Greetings, Leader! Greetings, everyone!"

Tong Xinglong and the other three men handling the carcasses bowed to Xia Hong and the group, then led them into the slaughterhouse.

Seven massive cold beast corpses were being processed.

Xia Hong bypassed the first three—Snowmane and Demon Sheep—and headed straight for the four unfamiliar beasts, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"These four were just brought up by Shi Ping. He said these two are Firestone Tigers, and the other two are Frostlight Monkeys and Azure Thunder Roars. I've never seen them before—are these the beasts you hunted tonight, Leader?"

Tong Xinglong clearly didn't know a guest had arrived—he assumed the four beasts were all hunted by Xia Hong's team.

Xia Chuan and the others immediately stepped forward to explain.

Xia Hong, meanwhile, focused entirely on the four never-before-seen cold beasts. Each was roughly ten meters long—undoubtedly mid-grade cold beast size.

The Firestone Tiger's hide was black, but its fur burned a fiery red. Its four paws were thick and razor-sharp—clearly possessing immense strength.

The Frostlight Monkey's skin was blue, covered in short, curly black manes. Its muscles twisted like coiled cables. On its chest, four plates of impossibly hard armor seemed embedded.

The last one, the Azure Thunder Roar, resembled a lion, but its skin shimmered with a green glow. Its fur was also green, and two fangs over three meters long jutted from either side of its gaping maw—terrifying in appearance.

Appearance was secondary. Xia Hong scanned each beast once, then his gaze grew heavy.

All four beasts showed no wounds whatsoever—only a perfect circular hole in their foreheads.

Xia Hong walked to the Firestone Tiger's forehead, drew his ceremonial blade, and plunged it straight into the hole.

The blade's one-and-a-half-meter length vanished entirely—only the hilt remained exposed.

He twisted it left and right, feeling the skull's internal flesh completely shredded. His expression froze.

"Leader?"

"What's going on?"

…………

Xia Chuan and the others noticed Xia Hong's change in expression and immediately gathered around.

Without Xia Hong speaking, they saw the wound on the Firestone Tiger and instantly understood. They checked the other three beasts' wounds—and their faces mirrored Xia Hong's.

From the wounds alone, even if not a one-hit kill, Gao Yu's slaughter of these four mid-grade beasts had been astonishingly effortless—far beyond their imagination.

He'd also claimed these beasts were controlled by a weird creature.

If he spoke truth, then he'd escaped from the weird creature's grasp—and still killed these four mid-grade beasts with ease.

"Gao Yu's strength… is far beyond what we imagined…"

Hearing Xia Chuan's words, Xia Hong's brow furrowed. After long thought, he faced the group and spoke in a low, grave tone:

"Since the matter with Mirror Immortal's camp isn't settled, for these two days, halt all external activities: hunting teams, gathering teams, logging teams—no one leaves the camp.

During this time, Xia Chuan, personally lead a full inspection of the valley's perimeter, especially the airspace above. Top up the flame oil where needed. Report any anomalies immediately.

Also, quietly inform everyone: for these two days, no one is to speak with Gao Yu—especially children. Keep them watched."

"Yes, Leader!"

This Gao Yu was definitely suspicious.

We don't know whether he killed these four beasts before or after his injury.

If before, it's manageable.

If after…

Xia Hong's eyes trembled slightly, a shadow darkening his heart.

"Quickly drain blood from these seven beasts and bring them to my room!"

After giving Xia Chuan his order, Xia Hong immediately turned and ascended to the third floor.

Xia Chuan told Tong Xinglong to hurry, then stayed behind, exchanging glances with Luo Yuan and the others. His expression grew increasingly grim.

"Hurry up and cultivate. Weak strength means danger everywhere!"

Luo Yuan spoke, then turned and left first.

"We can't rely on the Leader alone. We've got to push harder."

Yuan Cheng spoke gravely, then left second.

The rest, though silent, followed suit, returning to their rooms—clearly to train urgently.

Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote!

(End of Chapter)