Chapter 34: Fierce Battle, Soaring Heights

Leveling up and strengthening himself as much as possible was Fu Chen’s long-term goal. While slaying monsters, Fu Chen continuously practiced the [Cloud-Striding Step] skill, following the techniques from his past life. Each time he unleashed the skill, its level increased by two. It grew from level 1 to level 3, 5, 7, and finally, as expected, reached the mastery level he had attained in his previous life.

[Cloud-Striding Step: Level 10
Wind rises beneath the feet, increasing movement speed by 100% for 30 seconds.
Skill Type: Active Blessing
Qi Consumption: 60
Cast Time: Instant
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Weapon Restriction: Melee weapon
Realm Requirement: Foundation Establishment]

At mastery level, the Cloud-Striding Step was truly swift as wind and fast as lightning. Combined with agile footwork, it looked dashing, stylish, and incredibly suave. Qin Yumuo watched from the sidelines with envy, but unfortunately, even with Fu Chen’s personal guidance and instruction, it was impossible for her to reach that mastery level in such a short time. After all, she was not a genius naturally gifted for Martial Hero cultivation like Fu Chen.

After Fu Chen familiarized himself with the mastered Cloud-Striding Step, Qin Yumuo noticed something unusual. She turned and asked skeptically, "Hongchen, why don't you continue practicing the [Flowing Water] skill?"

"Uh..." Fu Chen was momentarily stumped, not knowing how to explain that he had only learned that skill to level 2 in his past life. Martial Heroes of his previous life had discovered that the skill consumed too much vital energy and its overall effects did more harm than good; there was no point in maxing it out. If it weren't a prerequisite for later skills, no Martial Hero would have bothered to learn it at all.

Unable to speak the truth, Fu Chen gave an awkward smile. "I don't have much talent for this skill, so I can't raise its level."

This answer took Qin Yumuo by surprise, and she teased him with a smile, "So even a genius has things they can't do."

"I have noticed, however, that someone has become much more active than when we first met," Fu Chen retorted playfully.

Qin Yumuo blushed, her ears burning, and she quickly changed the subject. "I've noticed the cultivation points from killing monsters aren't as high as before?"

"Could it be that we had a bonus for killing higher-level monsters because our level was lower than the Iron-Tailed Lynx before?" Fu Chen speculated feignedly.

Qin Yumuo thought about it and found it plausible. An average of 45 cultivation points per Iron-Tailed Lynx was already quite high. After a brief chat, the two resumed their respective battles, keeping close enough to support each other at any moment.

During combat, Fu Chen swept through almost every monster with a single strike of his [Dragon Manifestation] skill. Occasionally, when encountering monsters with special attributes like "Defense Boost" or "Life Boost," he would simply follow up with a second strike. The final result was always an instant kill, and the entire process looked elegant, fluid, and effortless.

In contrast, Qin Yumuo’s situation was different. Her skills were not as highly leveled as Fu Chen’s, and the gap in damage was significant. Although she could skillfully use her four combat skills, she had to endure the pain of counterattacks whenever she faced monsters alone. At first, it was manageable; thanks to the training and willpower she had built up over the past two days, she could endure and fight simultaneously. However, as she killed more monsters and sustained more consecutive attacks, her mental exhaustion grew, and she gradually reached her limit.

After just a quarter of an hour, Qin Yumuo’s face turned deathly pale, as if she were mentally drained. Exhausted, she said, "Hongchen, I finally realize how monstrous you are. I really can't keep going."

Upon hearing this, Fu Chen instantly killed the Iron-Tailed Lynx in front of him and turned back. "Then take a break and just follow behind to pick up loot. You can practice the Cloud-Striding Step while you're at it."

Qin Yumuo sighed with frustration and helplessness. "Doesn't that make me just like Ling Dian? Only good for reaping the rewards."

"It doesn't work that way," Fu Chen explained with a smile. "A team is a whole; everyone has their strengths and duties. Even if you're resting, you're still helping the team by gathering items and cleaning up the battlefield. You're still contributing, so it’s not just reaping rewards."

Qin Yumuo understood this logic, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. Hearing Fu Chen say this, her heart warmed, and she nodded with a smile. "Alright, you’re the boss."

From then on, Qin Yumuo followed him like a little shadow. Following Fu Chen’s instructions, she continuously executed the Cloud-Striding Step, darting around rapidly. She carefully internalized every detail of the skill while helping to clear the battlefield and gather the various items dropped by the monsters.

Just then, Fu Chen dashed within ten meters of an Iron-Tailed Lynx and cleanly finished it off with a single [Dragon Manifestation]. Without breaking his stride, he turned and charged toward the next one, not even glancing at the items on the ground.

When Qin Yumuo arrived, she cheered in surprise, "Hongchen, another Martial Hero skill book dropped, with a red cover!" She paused, then asked curiously, "Huh, and what is this [Lucky Box] for?"

With his level 11 strength and mastered skills, Fu Chen swept across the field wherever he went. The more he fought, the more exhilarating it felt. Such an unrestrained and intense combat experience would make anyone envious if they knew. His fighting spirit was boiling, and his intent to kill was at its peak. Without looking back, he replied, "Don't bother thinking about it. Just pick it up and you'll see."

Fully immersed in the slaughter, Fu Chen didn't even pay attention to the time, nor did he notice that his teammate had already broken through her cultivation bottleneck and leveled up again. Fu Chen was single-minded, focused only on his weapon and the monsters before him, unleashing the [Dragon Manifestation] skill time and time again.

About another quarter of an hour later, the iconic white light rose around Fu Chen’s body; he had reached level 12. Without hesitation, he added his attribute points into Agility and Strength. His current stats were:

[Banlian Hongchen, Level 12, Martial Hero
Realm: Foundation Establishment
Reputation: 28
Cultivation: 24/8400
Health: 420
Qi: 243
Primordial Spirit: 9353
Remaining Points: 0
Remaining Talent Points: 0
Constitution: 5
Spirit Power: 5
Strength: 40
Agility: 80
Physical Attack: 77-126
Spell Attack: 11-11
Critical Hit Rate: 4%
Attack Frequency: 0.83 attacks/second
Crit Damage: 200%
Physical Defense: 109
Five Elements Defense: 155
Accuracy: 800
Evasion: 800]

Seeing that he had finally paused his fighting, Qin Yumuo ran over and asked, "The quest was completed a while ago. Should we go back and turn it in?"

"Not yet," Fu Chen replied, shaking his head. "Let’s continue with other quests. Let me check the requirements."

Qin Yumuo gave a knowing smile and blurted out before he could, "We need to kill Mad Wolves and Horn-Scaled Snakes. The quest says they are on the Remnant Mountain to the north."

"Alright, then let’s head to Remnant Mountain to continue." Fu Chen was pleased to see such rapport with his teammate.

Afterward, the two rode together on a single mount, heading straight for their destination, Remnant Mountain. North of the Four Directions Stronghold lay a river called the Remnant Water, which served as the channel for the Sword Immortal Lake to flow eastward into the sea. Crossing the Remnant Water and traveling another fifty miles north brought them to the foot of Remnant Mountain.

Riding their Silver Dragon mount, they were nearly three times faster than before, saving a massive amount of travel time. Half an hour later, they arrived at the foot of the mountain and first spotted the level 11 Mad Wolves.

[Health 880/880; Level 11, Mad Wolf; None, Accuracy 94, Evasion 7%]

Fu Chen leaped from the mount, activated his Cloud-Striding Step, and charged into the wolf pack. Without a word, he unleashed a [Dragon Manifestation] attack on the nearest Mad Wolf. The strike dealt 200% critical damage; the full-health wolf didn't even have time to counterattack before being instantly killed.

Fu Chen resumed his full-hearted combat. Qin Yumuo, meanwhile, took the initiative to handle the post-battle cleanup. The endless fighting began anew. Given his past life’s experience, Fu Chen’s endurance was terrifying. Now, with the super-high damage of his mastered skills, most monsters didn't even get a chance to touch him. Consequently, he didn't have to endure the pain of any counterattacks and could kill to his heart's content.

Time passed silently, marked only by the ever-increasing cultivation points recording everything Fu Chen did. Ten minutes later, Qin Yumuo leveled up again; half an hour later, Fu Chen leveled up, yet the battle continued...

In this remote, uninhabited mountain foot, the two were advancing at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people. When they finally appeared before everyone again, there was no telling how many jaws would drop.