CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: DIGGING A TUNNEL

Late night.

The surroundings were shrouded in thick darkness. Moonlight slipped through the sparse clouds, casting a faint silver glow that barely illuminated the surrounding rocks and trees, creating twisted shadows.

Occasional beast roars tore through the stillness of the night, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Xu Ping sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, resting.

In the current situation, he couldn’t sleep at all.

However, he felt somewhat relieved not hearing any more activity from the Golden Core Demon Beast and Foundation Establishment Demon Beast.

Perhaps they had left.

Xu Ping’s mind slightly relaxed, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Suddenly, a beast’s roar rang out, startling him and dispelling his drowsiness.

From the sound, it seemed quite close to his home.

"This can’t go on. With the market’s order collapsed, Demon Beast attacks are likely to become more frequent. It’s not impossible they’ll treat this place as a hunting ground. I have to come up with a solution." Xu Ping frowned deeply.

After pondering for a moment, he had an idea: "Why not dig a hole underground? As long as it’s deep enough, even if the Demon Beast finds it, there’s nothing it can do, unless it can tunnel through the earth."

Once this thought popped into his mind, it took root.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a good idea. He could dig multiple exits and simply run if there was danger, a perfect solution.

Eagerly, he began his plan.

The mud in his bedroom was sliced open with a longsword and packed into a storage bag.

Once a bag was full, he emptied it into the river under the cover of night.

Xu Ping worked busily and fervently.

When daylight broke outside, he had already dug a pit about a meter wide and three meters deep, but this depth was far from sufficient.

It was wholly inadequate against Demon Beasts.

After breakfast, he continued his labor.

The deeper the hole went, the harder it was to dig. During this time, he also made some ropes and other tools.

In this manner, Xu Ping labored for a full three days.

After removing an unknown amount of earth, an underground cave was finally formed.

With the help of candlelight, Xu Ping surveyed the surroundings and felt quite satisfied with the newly completed underground safe room.

The chamber was about fifteen square meters in area, sufficient for cultivation or rest.

It was hidden and safe, twenty meters underground, with several exits to prevent being trapped.

"The food is plentiful enough. I’ll stay in this underground space for a while until this wave passes." Xu Ping patted the underground walls, feeling an overwhelming sense of safety and accomplishment.

That evening.

A night of good sleep.

Upon waking, Xu Ping felt completely relaxed in the pitch-black underground space, with all the unease lingering in his heart these days swept away.

This was the first night he slept without hearing beast roars.

...

...

Time flew by like a fleeting horse; more than a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Xu Ping barely left the underground cave. His daily life was simple and monotonous, except for rest and eating, he was wholly devoted to cultivation.

At first, facing the black underground cave every day felt very oppressive.

But as time went on, he got used to it.

Especially watching the game panel’s numbers continuously change, the sensation of growing stronger by the day drew him in irresistibly.

...

This afternoon, in the underground cave.

Xu Ping sat naked in a wooden tub, his face flushed.

He continuously guided the dark green liquid from the wooden basin into his body, a gentle stream of energy nurturing his bones and cleansing his meridians.

At this moment, Xu Ping’s whole body was taut, his skin glowed with a green luster.

In the light of the oil lamp, his physique seemed like a statue carved from ancient trees.

Vibrant vitality, indestructible.

Thick medicinal power seeped silently through the skin and flesh, into the marrow.

It brought Xu Ping a feeling of tingling and soreness.

A battle-hardened Xu Ping completely ignored the pain in his body.

If he felt nothing, it would indeed be a bad sign.

"I will break through today!"

Xu Ping took a deep breath, and the qi and blood inside him surged like boiling water.

A few days earlier, he had already advanced the Nourishing Life Skill to 99/100 of the first layer.

To break through to the second layer in one fell swoop, he had specially rested for a few days to restore himself to his peak state.

At this moment, he was full of confidence!

Xu Ping formed seals with his hands, mind controlling his breathing, frantically absorbing the medicinal power of the wooden bucket.

Under his unending extraction, the dark green liquid in the basin began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The pain within him also intensified!

He seemed to be inside a furnace, the medicinal power continually washing through his meridians, penetrating every bone joint, cleansing impurities, purifying the blood marrow, as his bones cracked audibly.

Bang!

With a crisp sound from the apex of the skull, Xu Ping’s muscles and bones simultaneously roared.

[Nourishing Life Skill·Experience +1]

[Nourishing Life Skill Second Layer: 1/100]

[Longevity +10 Years]

....

Realm breakthrough successful!!

After spending so much time, he finally stepped into the second layer of the Nourishing Life Skill.

Xu Ping opened his eyes, his dark pupils flashed rapidly with a bluish glow.

He clenched his fists and felt his body stronger than ever, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

The power of his pure physical body surged enormously, his defensive power, and reaction speed also increased significantly.

It’s not overstating to say he was reborn.

Xu Ping exhaled long, feeling relieved as if a weight was lifted, his whole body seemed so light it might float.

This sensation of realm enhancement, wielding stronger power was incredibly liberating!

After sitting quietly in the wooden tub for a while, his joyful mood gradually calmed, he then put on his clothes.

"Gurgle~"

Just dressed, Xu Ping’s stomach growled like thunder.

He quickly retrieved the prepared dried meat from his storage bag.

Eating in large gulps, he consumed over twenty pounds of jerky before feeling settled.

"The consumption is increasing!" Xu Ping was secretly alarmed.

Before, he would eat only about ten pounds of meat, but after breaking through, he consumed over twenty pounds.

At this rate, he had to eat seven to eight hundred pounds of Demon Beast flesh a month.

After recovering, Xu Ping finally had time to check the changes on his proficiency panel.

[Name: Xu Ping]

[Longevity: 28/116 years]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer: 26/100; Nourishing Life Skill Second Layer: 1/100]

[Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Skill Proficient (Fourth Layer): 288/400]

[Skills: Spirit Rain Skill Mastery: 41/400; Geng Metal Finger Perfection: ∞; Light Body Technique Mastery: 358/400; Flowing Cloud Sword Advanced: 486/1600; Fireball Technique Entry Level: 23/100; Hundred Flowers Gu Entry Level: 58/100]

"I’ve finished the Qi Nourishing Pills during this period, so my cultivation has slowed, but the other skills have advanced greatly."

"Especially the Flowing Cloud Sword, which has reached an advanced level, coupled with the second layer of Nourishing Life Skill and mastery level Light Body Technique, now my combat skills far surpass just Mana and cultivation."

Xu Ping was very pleased with his progress.

With his current strength, he could easily crush his own self from a month ago.