Chapter 26 Survival in the Fog: Even Tanks Have Dignity, Subduing
Night falls exceptionally early and is exceptionally cold in the far north.
Outside the cave, the wind howled mournfully like a vengeful ghost, whipping up snowflakes that painted the world a deathly pale white. Inside this small cave on the leeward side, a specially treated smokeless campfire flickered weakly, emitting a faint but precious warmth.
Ye Feng sat by the fire, holding a dry twig and idly poking at the flames. His face was still pale, a sign of weakness from the depletion of his soul power, but his eyes were frighteningly clear, reflecting the firelight as if he were calculating something.
Beside him, the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella leaned quietly against the rock wall. Without the infusion of soul power, this magical weapon now looked like an ordinary iron umbrella, with only the occasional flash of cold metal light from the handle indicating its extraordinary nature.
"water..."
A faint groan broke the silence in the cave.
Lying on the animal skin mat, Hu Yanli struggled to open his eyes. His vision was still blurry, and a tearing pain shot through his chest; each breath felt like swallowing a red-hot blade.
"Don't move."
A cold hand pressed down on his shoulder as he tried to get up. Ye Feng dropped the dry branch in his hand, picked up the water jug that had been warmed up beside him, and brought it to Hu Yanli's lips, "You have seven broken ribs, two of which almost pierced your lungs. If you don't want to become crippled, you'd better stay in bed."
Hu Yanli greedily swallowed the warm water, and the burning sensation in his throat eased slightly. As his consciousness gradually returned, his previous memories flooded back like a tide.
Grandpa's heartlessness, the sect's abandonment, Ye Feng's courageous act, that earth-shattering blow... and finally, his own resolute collision.
"I... I'm not dead yet?" Hu Yanli looked at the dark cave ceiling, his voice hoarse beyond belief.
"Evil lives on forever. Even the King of Hell would find it hard to chew a guy like you with your thick skin." Ye Feng teased casually, taking out a piece of jerky from his pocket and chewing it. "But seriously, if it weren't for your last 'human shield,' the three of us would probably be lining up for soup on the road to the underworld by now."
Hearing this, Hu Yanli's eyes dimmed. He gave a bitter laugh, which aggravated the wound at the corner of his mouth, causing him to wince in pain: "I just... don't want to owe you anything. Right now, I'm a cripple expelled from the sect, and even my martial spirit might be ruined..."
"Who said you're useless?"
Teacher Mingyue, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly spoke. She was sitting cross-legged deep in the cave, her soul power fluctuations were weak, but she was recovering in an orderly manner.
Mingyue opened her eyes, looking at the burly man she had once thought was just a brute with complicated emotions: "Huyan Li, do you know what the highest honor for a defensive-type Soul Master is?"
Hu Yanli shook his head blankly: "Is it... having the strongest defense? Or taking all attacks for your teammates?"
"No." Ye Feng chimed in, his tone becoming serious. "For defensive Soul Masters, also known as 'tanks,' the highest honor isn't how much damage you can withstand, but rather—trust."
"trust?"
"That's right. When the enemy's strongest attack comes, all your teammates dare to entrust their backs to you, firmly believing that as long as you are there, they are safe. That's the value of a tank." Ye Feng pointed to himself and then to Mingyue. "When facing Huyan Zhen's deadly eighth soul skill, an ordinary Soul Master would have wet his pants in fear or only cared about escaping. But you didn't. You not only blocked it, but you blocked it knowing that you would die."
Ye Feng leaned closer to Hu Yanli, looking directly into his eyes, and said, word by word, "From that moment on, you are no longer the puppet young master of the Elephant Armor Sect, but a teammate I, Ye Feng, acknowledge. As long as I live, you will live. Understand, big oaf?"
Hu Yanli stared blankly at Ye Feng.
In the boy's eyes, he saw neither pity nor exploitation, only a steadfast bond of "companionship." He had never seen such a look in the eyes of someone from that sect filled with calculations and self-interest.
Two streams of hot tears flowed down the corners of this towering man's eyes, washing away the blood and grime on his face.
"Boss… I understand." Hu Yanli choked up and nodded forcefully. "This life is yours from now on."
"No, your life is your own." Ye Feng waved his hand dismissively and shoved a hard, compressed biscuit into his hand. "Eat quickly, eat your fill to heal your injuries. This far northern misty forest is no vacation spot. Our current situation is practically a life-or-death situation."
...
For the next three days, the three-person team settled down temporarily in this secluded cave.
Ye Feng demonstrated a wilderness survival ability that even Mingyue found astonishing.
He seemed to know everything about the world, or rather, he possessed a terrifying ability to transform "knowledge" into "survival tools".
He had set up sophisticated early warning devices outside the cave. These were not common soul power traps, but mechanical traps made up of metal wires, springs, and surrounding dead wood and rocks dismantled from the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella.
The absence of soul power fluctuations means that it will not be detected by the keen senses of soul beasts.
"Ring ring—"
A faint ringing sound suddenly rang out at the cave entrance. It was an alarm device connected to an extremely thin fishing line.
Ye Feng, who was fiddling with a bunch of parts, suddenly focused his eyes, stopped what he was doing, and the Thousand Chance Umbrella instantly appeared in his palm.
"Something's coming," Ye Feng said in a low voice. "There are quite a few of them, and they're lightweight. They're probably small, social soul beasts."
Mingyue immediately stood up. Although her soul power had only recovered to 50%, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary thousand-year-old soul beasts.
"I'll go take a look." Mingyue was about to move when Ye Feng stopped her.
"Teacher, save your soul power. Leave this small matter to me."
Ye Feng's lips curled into a playful smile. He was just wondering where to test the new functions of the newly repaired Thousand Chance Umbrella.
He tiptoed to the cave entrance and peered out through the cracks in the rocks.
In the wind and snow, a dozen pairs of eerie green eyes appeared and disappeared.
Those are "Netherworld Snow Wolves." A type of social spirit beast unique to the far north. Although an individual's strength ranges from a few hundred to a thousand years, they are extremely cunning and adept at concealing themselves in the wind and snow to ambush their prey.
"Thirteen of them, and the leader is a wolf that is just over a thousand years old." Ye Feng quickly assessed the situation.
In the past, Ye Feng might have chosen to charge out in his spear form and fight head-on. But now, in order to conserve his energy and soul power, he decided to try a different approach.
"Click".
The Myriad Manifestations Umbrella rapidly transformed in his hands. The canopy narrowed, the ribs lengthened, and the dark muzzle of the gun did not appear. Instead, an optical aiming device resembling a sniper scope appeared—a simple scope he had cobbled together from several polished crystal plates and metal tubes.
"Thousand Manifestations Umbrella - Rifle Mode!"
Ye Feng took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and felt as if he had become one with the surrounding ice and snow.
At this distance, the Netherworld Snow Wolf couldn't detect the people inside the cave at all.
"Bang!"
A crisp gunshot shattered the howling wind and snow.
It wasn't a soul power bullet, but a physical metal bullet! This was a physical bullet that Ye Feng had polished out from rocks and leftover metal scraps in the past few days when he had nothing to do. Although its power was not as great as a soul power bullet, it was better because it was concealed and did not consume soul power.
In the distance, the most vigilant alpha wolf suddenly let out a mournful howl, a burst of blood erupted from its left eye, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
One shot to the head!
The wolf pack was instantly thrown into chaos. They looked around in terror, but couldn't find the source of the attack at all.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three more gunshots rang out in quick succession. Three burly snow wolves that had tried to approach the cave fell to the ground, all struck in the brow.
This is the suppressive power of a "sharpshooter"!
"Waaaaah—!"
The remaining snow wolves finally broke down. Without their alpha leader and facing the unseen reaper of death, the instinct for survival overcame their hunting instincts. They tucked their tails between their legs and howled as they fled into the depths of the forest.
Ye Feng did not give chase. He put away the Thousand Chance Umbrella, blew away the non-existent gunpowder smoke, turned around and gave a "V" sign to the dumbfounded Mingyue and Huyanli.
"All done. Dinner's sorted out for tonight."
Mingyue looked at Ye Feng, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Ye Feng, what you just used... wasn't a soul skill?"
As a Soul Emperor, she knew very well that Ye Feng had barely shown any soul power fluctuations just now. It was entirely due to the mechanical power of that strange weapon and his abnormally accurate shooting skills.
"I suppose so." Ye Feng didn't explain further. After all, explaining "physical kinetic energy" and "ballistic calculation" to the natives was too much trouble. "Teacher, this world isn't just about using soul power to kill. Sometimes, brains are more useful than fists."
Lying on the ground, Hu Yanli looked at Ye Feng's back with even greater admiration: "Boss is so cool! I want to learn from him too. I can take down the enemy from a distance. It's so much easier!"
"You?" Ye Feng turned around and looked Hu Yanli up and down, his body as solid as a wall. He said mercilessly, "With your build, before you even raise your gun, someone will have already riddled you with bullets. You should just stick to practicing your 'absolute defense'."
...
Dinner was roasted snow wolf meat.
Although there weren't many seasonings, in this freezing cold, being able to eat a steaming hot bite of soul beast meat, brimming with vital energy, was an unparalleled pleasure.
Hu Yanli's injuries recovered faster than expected. It must be said that the vitality of the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul is indeed tenacious, and with the help of Ye Feng's unknown healing medicine, his ribs began to heal in three days, and he could barely sit up and move around.
After eating and drinking their fill, the three sat around the fire and began to discuss their next plan.
"We can't stay here forever," Mingyue spoke first, her expression grave. "This is only the outer edge of the Misty Forest, and the soul beasts here aren't particularly powerful. But if we stay here too long, the smell of blood will attract predators from deeper within. Besides, the people from the Elephant Armor Sect and the Snow Demon Sect are definitely still guarding outside."
"The teacher is right." Ye Feng nodded and drew a simple map on the ground with a twig. "We need to go in."
"Going in?!" Hu Yanli's eyes widened. "Boss, are you crazy? That's the edge of the far north core area, known as the 'forbidden zone for humans'! It's said that even titled Douluo don't dare to set foot there easily!"
"It is precisely because it is dangerous that it is safe," Ye Feng calmly analyzed. "That old fellow Hu Yanzhen is very afraid of his life; he would never dare to lead people deep into the Misty Forest. Moreover, the most dangerous places are often accompanied by opportunities."
Ye Feng's gaze fell on the Thousand Chance Umbrella in his hand.
"My Myriad Manifestations Umbrella needs to evolve."
The intense battles of the past few days have made him realize the limitations of the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella. While versatile, its material strength is insufficient against powerful attacks from Contra-level opponents. In previous battles, the umbrella ribs had already developed minor cracks.
If it is not repaired and reinforced, the Thousand Chance Umbrella will likely disintegrate in the next high-intensity collision.
"Evolution?" Mingyue asked in confusion, "A martial soul can evolve? You mean... a second awakening?"
"Not entirely." Ye Feng shook his head. "My martial soul is rather special; it can improve its quality by absorbing rare metals. During the battle earlier, I sensed a special magnetic field deep within this forest attracting the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella."
This was actually Ye Feng's intuition, or rather, the instinctive perception of a "mechanic" for high-quality materials. The far north is exceptionally cold and has a unique geological structure, making it highly likely to give birth to a rare metal called "Frost Iron Essence" or "Frost Silver".
That is the key material for repairing and upgrading the Thousand Chance Umbrella, and even unlocking a new form!
"Since you've made up your mind, then let's go." Mingyue said without hesitation. "Anyway, we can't go back to the academy now. Rather than waiting to die, we might as well take a gamble."
Hu Yanli patted his chest and said, "I'll listen to you, boss! Wherever you go, I'll go. Even if it's to the far north ice plains to dance with the Ice Emperor, I'll follow you!"
"Dream on, Hyotei would never be interested in you?" Ye Feng laughed and cursed, his gloom dissipating considerably.
...
The next morning, the wind and snow subsided slightly.
The three packed their belongings, left the cave where they were hiding, and headed deeper into the Misty Forest.
The further one goes, the thicker the surrounding fog becomes. This fog is not ordinary water vapor, but a "frozen fog" mixed with frigid energy and miasma. Visibility is extremely low; even with the Purple Demon Eye (if it exists in the setting), one can only see a range of about ten meters around.
Moreover, this fog can interfere with the detection of mental energy.
"Watch your step." Ye Feng walked at the front, his Thousand Chance Umbrella in the open, ready to deal with any emergencies.
Huyan Li walked in the middle, and although his injuries had not yet healed, he still vigilantly protected his flanks. Mingyue was responsible for covering the rear.
This is a standard triangular tactical formation.
Suddenly, Ye Feng stopped. He raised his hand, signaling the two people behind him to be quiet.
"What's wrong?" Hu Yanli asked in a low voice.
"There's movement." Ye Feng crouched down, pressing his ear close to the ground.
A dull, rhythmic tremor came from deep underground.
Thump, thump, thump...
It was like some enormous creature walking, or like a giant heart beating.
"Underground!" Ye Feng suddenly stood up, his expression changing. "Scatter!"
Before they could finish speaking, the ground where they were standing suddenly exploded.
"boom--!"
Countless enormous ice spikes shot up from the ground, like a death cage, instantly sealing off all space.
A gigantic centipede, its body covered in crystalline ice armor, emerged from the ground. It was over twenty meters long, with sharp ice blades on every segment of its body, and it spewed out a pale white breath of cold air.
"A ten-thousand-year-old soul beast... an ice-armored centipede!" Mingyue exclaimed in shock, her face turning deathly pale instantly.
The Ice-Armored Centipede, the underground king of the far north. It is ferocious, possesses extremely strong defenses, and carries a potent, chilling poison. Judging from its size and the color of its carapace, this one is at least 30,000 years old!
This is something they simply cannot handle in their current state!
"hiss--!"
The ice-armored centipede let out a piercing hiss, its huge compound eyes staring intently at the three of them, clearly regarding them as delicious snacks.
"There's no way to escape." Ye Feng looked at the ice spikes blocking their way, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes. "We have no choice but to fight."
"A 30,000-year-old soul beast... how do we fight it?" Hu Yanli swallowed hard, his legs feeling weak, but he still immediately stood in front of Ye Feng and activated his Martial Soul Possession.
"Attack its weakness." Ye Feng calmly observed the Ice Armor Centipede.
In the world of The King's Avatar, there are no absolutely invincible bosses, only players who can't figure out the mechanics.
"Although its carapace is hard, there is a thin layer of soft flesh at the joints of each segment of its body. That is the key to its movement, and also its Achilles' heel," Ye Feng said rapidly. "Huyan Li, you need to help me attract its attention, even if it's just for a second!"
"One second? No problem!" Huyanli roared and charged towards the terrifying beast.
"Third Soul Skill: Suppression!"
"Teacher, use your Bright Moon Fan to attack its eyes and disrupt its vision!"
"Alright!" Mingyue didn't care about the consumption of her soul power at this moment. Her sixth soul ring lit up, "Sixth Soul Skill: Moonfall and Crow's Cry!"
Countless moon blades, like meteors, crashed into the head of the ice-armored centipede.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Ice Armor Centipede's attention was drawn to the two of them, Ye Feng made his move.
Instead of charging forward, he took a step back and slammed the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella into the ground.
"Thousand-Machine Umbrella - Mechanical Case!"
This time, he wasn't going to transform into a rotor; instead, he brought out something he had kept hidden away.
With a series of mechanical clicks, a black, cannon-like device was assembled.
This isn't a soul guide device, it's—Anti-tank gun, modified, armor-piercing mode!
Ye Feng compressed all the remaining soul power into this cannonball, and at the same time, he added a sharp "armor-piercing cone" to the tip of the cannonball - it was made from a small piece of diamond horn that he picked up from Hu Yanzhen in the last battle!
Using their own spear against their own shield? No, it's using the hardest substance to pry open the hardest shell!
"Huyanli, lie down!"
Hearing the shout, Hu Yanli, who was being whipped and rolled around on the ground by the Ice Armor Centipede, immediately rolled over and lay down on the ground without hesitation.
The next instant, a dazzling flash of fire pierced through the mist.
"boom--!!!"
The shell, accompanied by a piercing whistle, pierced with unparalleled precision into the gap between the seventh and eighth segments of the Ice Armor Centipede's body.
Time seemed to stand still for a second.
Then, a muffled explosion rang out from inside the giant beast.
The Ice Armor Centipede let out an extremely shrill scream, its massive body convulsing violently, and dark green blood gushing out from its wounds like a fountain.
Its body was actually blown in half!
"Strike while the iron is hot and take your life!"
Ye Feng's face was ashen, but he didn't stop. The Thousand Chance Umbrella instantly transformed into a spear, and he charged forward like an arrow, stepping onto the back of the Ice Armor Centipede and leaping high into the air.
"Battle Mage's ultimate skill - Raging Dragon Piercing Heart!"
With unstoppable momentum, the Thousand Chance Umbrella pierced deep into the core of the Ice Armor Centipede through the huge wound!
"Pfft!"
The colossal beast collapsed with a deafening roar, stirring up a cloud of snow dust.
Ye Feng knelt on the giant beast's corpse, panting heavily, his whole body already soaked in cold sweat.
"We...we won?" Huyan Li poked his head out of the snowdrift, his face filled with disbelief.
These three defeated soldiers actually managed to kill a 30,000-year-old ice-armored centipede?!
However, before they could even celebrate...
"Crack..."
As the Ice Armor Centipede died, the burrow it had emerged from suddenly collapsed, revealing a corner of an underground space shimmering with a ghostly blue light.
An extremely rich metallic aura surged out from the hole, and the Thousand Chance Umbrella trembled violently in Ye Feng's hand, emitting an unprecedented cry of longing.
Ye Feng forced himself to lift his head and looked at the bottomless cave entrance, a glint of wild joy flashing in his eyes.
"Looks like we really won the lottery this time."
What lies beneath that surface is undoubtedly a rare metal vein! And a high-quality by-product ore at that!
But at the same time, deep within that dark blue cave, a pair of cold, emotionless golden eyes slowly opened, gazing at the uninvited guests above...