In the blink of an eye! A month had passed in the cultivation deep within the first level of the Bone Demon Cave. During this time, my Dou Qi energy was visibly increasing at a pace I could feel, and Long Xin and the others were also growing at astonishing speeds. Especially Dong Guan and Jin Hong, who had managed to advance two full levels in a short span, reaching the professional standard of High-Tier Initial Stage. Dong Guan had finally succeeded in mastering the Fire Wall technique, which significantly lightened Long Xin’s burden. This time, the Sea of Fire formation, previously sustained by her alone, was bolstered by Dong Guan, further boosting our cultivation speed. As for my own Dou Qi cultivation, I had long surpassed the checkpoint of Mid-Red Moon, while Long Xin, Long Qi, and Long Zhan’s cultivation was soaring at an alarming rate. Long Zhan was even nearing the threshold of breaking through to High-Tier Peak. I had begun weighted combat and monster-killing drills a week after entering the cave. Currently, I was clad in standard Small War God Armor, wielding the Moon in the Well in my hand. My accessories were a complete set of Zu Ma, and even my helmet had been replaced with the unsightly Black Iron Helmet. For the first few days, I felt somewhat unaccustomed to the bulk, finding it cumbersome. However, as my practice continued and my Dou Qi climbed, both my physical body and strength were enhanced. Although I knew that given my innate talent, I could never become a strength-focused warrior, I believed it was absolutely necessary to maximize my physical conditioning within the limits of my potential. Exquisite technique and swift speed equally depend on a robust physical form—that was the very purpose of my weighted training. I am confident that the day I discard this heavy armor, my speed will elevate to a new level.

Everyone was progressing at an astonishing pace, filled with exhilarating excitement every single day. The Sea of Fire Grand Array accelerated everyone’s cultivation speed by several times, which felt like a dream come true for Long Xin and the others, yet it was undeniably real.

This observation once again validated my hypothesis: the party leveling system in the Mafa World appears to be identical to that in Legend. Members within the same party seem to share experience points equally during cultivation, though this experience manifests as tangible, undeniable enhancements in Dou Qi, magic power, and spiritual strength.

With this realization, everyone became even more driven, like they had taken a stimulant. Apart from seven hours of sleep and one hour for meals, they refused to waste a single moment of the remaining time.

Furthermore, the improvement in Dong Guan’s strength allowed us to proceed with the next phase of our training as planned: targeting the Skeleton Club-Wielders on the second level of the Skeleton Cave. This location was also crucial for completing our guild missions and gold-earning quests.

The second level of the Bone Demon Cave was virtually indistinguishable from the first—equally gloomy and expansive. However, the sheer number of cultivators training here was frightening, accounting for more than half of all people training in the Bone Demon Cave complex.

The reason for this concentration was naturally the Wolf Fang Hammers held by the Skeleton Club-Wielders. Within the Bone Demon Cave, the Wolf Fang Hammer was one of the few valuable items easily convertible to currency, consistently fetching an excellent price. Many Rangers, while training, never forgot to gather enough Wolf Fang Hammers to fund equipment repairs, potion purchases, and sundries. Some even made it their lifelong profession to slay Skeleton Club-Wielders solely to loot their hammers; this group was far from small. This sight instantly brought to mind the gold-farming operations from modern online games.

I never imagined that after arriving in the Mafa World, I would encounter their counterparts here.

To use an old saying, wherever there are people, there are business opportunities. And since this area gathered nearly half of the Rangers in the Bone Demon Cave, it naturally spurred supporting industries. Several vendors had already set up shop here. At the entrance to this second level, numerous small vendors sold potions and sundries, but they also seemed to double as craftsmen, which was evident from the setup of their stalls: sundries on one side, tools for repairing weapons, armor, and accessories on the other.

It appears these were disciples sent out by the blacksmith shops specifically tasked with buying Wolf Fang Hammers, as mentioned by Old Man Jiu.

However, without exception, their prices were staggeringly high, yet their business remained incredibly brisk, with every stall packed with hurried Rangers.

If not for the surrounding eerie atmosphere, I would have almost mistaken this place for some kind of bustling market town. Besides the vendors, we were surprised to find many civilians dressed in cloth robes milling about the stalls, each bearing a large character: "Bao" (Protection/Guard). It was the Dong Bao! And there were quite a few of them—a rough estimate suggested at least five hundred, each with a large horse-drawn cart.

It was then I recalled that the Ranger Manual mentioned these Dong Bao were specifically responsible for transporting the Wolf Fang Hammers. After Rangers killed Skeleton Club-Wielders, they needed to hire these Dong Bao to clear the battlefield, collect the hammers, and then sell them to the buyers.

Truly, related industries spur related development. It seems this chain reaction of commerce is a universal truth, regardless of the world or the era.

We instinctively began scanning the stalls in the area and soon spotted one bearing a large character: "Shu." We knew that must be the Shu Family Blacksmith Shop that Old Man Jiu had mentioned. Manning the stall was a rugged-looking young man. Judging by his build, he was clearly strong and robust—his skill level couldn't be low; no one could conduct business inside the Bone Demon Cave without some capability. At the moment, the young man was busy repairing weapons for a large group of Rangers, working busily and happily.

“Looks like he’s Ah Zhi from the Shu Family Blacksmith Shop,” Long Xin remarked.

“Maybe we should greet him first,” Dong Guan suggested.

“Forget it,” Long Qi said. “It’s not too late to introduce ourselves after we’ve gathered some Wolf Fang Hammers.”

“Right,” I agreed. “He’s busy now; he doesn’t have time for small talk.”

...............................

We continued along the main path deeper into the cavern. All the side paths we passed had their marker signs flipped over, indicating the territory was already claimed. We had no choice but to press forward.

Before long, we found another side path where the sign had not been flipped. We slipped into it.

It wouldn't take long before we encountered the Skeleton Club-Wielders of the Skeleton Legion. Rumor has it their strength matches that of Mid-Red Moon level. We just weren't sure if our combined formation would still be effective against them.

Shortly after, a dense line of figures appeared ahead. Looking closely, they were indeed the Skeleton Club-Wielders depicted in the Ranger Manual. Compared to the Skeleton Spear-Wielders, these guys were noticeably bulkier. Moreover, their bones were all reddish-brown, and their backs featured several protruding, massive skeletal structures, making them look like severely hunchbacked deformities.

In their hands, they held the notorious Wolf Fang Hammers. It was said the Skeleton Club-Wielders possessed terrifying strength; a full-force swing of their Wolf Fang Hammer delivered an impact equivalent to the skill level of a High-Red Moon Warrior. Lacking considerable strength to withstand a direct clash would surely result in a gruesome end.

However, despite their immense power, the Skeleton Club-Wielders were significantly slower than the Skeleton Spear-Wielders. This might be their sole weakness.

We skipped the step of assessing their individual combat strength. We simply found a suitable large boulder, deployed the Sea of Fire Grand Array.

For safety, however, in the first round, I only lured over a hundred Skeleton Club-Wielders.

As expected, they rushed headlong into the Sea of Fire and went berserk, relentlessly slamming against the large boulder where Long Xin and the others were taking cover. Their massive Wolf Fang Hammers smashed furiously against the rock. Some found climbing holds and began scaling the boulder, only to be hammered down like nails by Long Zhan and the two small skeletons, who stood ready with their axes.

Even so, countless more attackers surged forward relentlessly. The scene was absolutely earth-shattering and terrifyingly imposing, yet the attacks from the Skeleton Club-Wielders amounted to little more. Relatively speaking, their defense was much higher than that of the Skeleton Spear-Wielders. It took a full ten minutes of continuous burning from Long Xin and Dong Guan’s Fire Walls before the first Skeleton Club-Wielder finally fell.

At this point, we had a rough estimate of the Skeleton Club-Wielders’ defense. I then joined the fray. Shielded by the Sea of Fire, I began my relatively easy slaughter.

No matter how strong they were, the neck area remained their fatal weakness—a common vulnerability, I suspect, for all humanoids or human-like monsters. In the Sea of Fire, every strike I delivered landed precisely on the neck of a Skeleton Club-Wielder. Thanks to long-term conditioning, I had grown accustomed to this heavy gear. Although my speed wasn't as exaggerated as before, it was still much faster than that of an average warrior.

Before long, the remaining Skeleton Club-Wielders were all cut down.

Thus, it was confirmed that the Sea of Fire Grand Array was invincible here on the second level of the Bone Demon Cave as well.

Our training on the second level settled into a routine, running at full power. Basically, we hired Dong Bao every day to clean up the battlefield for us.

Thanks to Old Man Jiu’s introduction, the young man named Ah Zhi was quite warm to us, buying the Wolf Fang Hammers we submitted the next day at a discounted price. But when we tallied the count, we were shocked: the six of us submitted 60,000 Wolf Fang Hammers in a single day, averaging 10,000 killed per person daily.

What did that number signify? Remember, the Skeleton Club-Wielders were Mid-Red Moon level threats, and a typical small party of ten usually managed to submit a maximum of 10,000 hammers a day, and that required an elite group with incredibly synchronized coordination.

This demonstrated how astonishing our training efficiency was—equivalent to each of us slaying 10,000 opponents at the Mid-Red Moon level daily. Ah Zhi could barely believe his eyes.

It wasn't just Ah Zhi; the other Ranger parties were also greatly shocked by our incredible monster-slaying efficiency. Only now did I realize that our Sea of Fire Grand Array could be described as cheating compared to how other Rangers trained, explaining why we all felt our progress was so incredibly rapid.

Of course, we couldn't worry about what others felt, but Long Xin was so ecstatic her mouth couldn't close! After all, the 60,000 Wolf Fang Hammers, after covering expenses, yielded 4,800 gold coins!

Truly, the miserly Long Xin was overjoyed this time.

......................

We returned to the original side path! As we walked, we noticed something was wrong!

New corpses of Skeleton Club-Wielders littered the ground. We knew that when we left, the Dong Bao had cleared all the bodies using their special methods; there shouldn't be any corpses.

“Is someone ahead?” Long Xin murmured. We had kept the sign at our fork turned over, meaning other Rangers generally wouldn't venture down this side path. If someone did, there was only one reason: they were deliberately looking for trouble.

Long Qi’s expression grew grim. “Be alert.”

“Strange, we haven't offended anyone, have we?” Long Xin mused. “Could that old fellow Wei Wang have discovered our identities?”

“Impossible,” Jin Hong stated. “General Jidu and the others would never leak our identities.”

“If it’s not that, I really can’t think of anyone who would seek trouble with us,” Long Zhan wondered aloud.

“Waaah! Help!” Just as we were hesitating about proceeding, a frantic cry for help echoed from deeper within the fork! Immediately followed by earth-shattering rumbling sounds.

“This! This is!” Long Zhan exclaimed in shock. “It’s the Skeleton Legion’s mass charge!” That sound was too familiar; I engaged in similar chase battles with the Skeleton Legion members inside the Bone Demon Cave almost daily. Only a large-scale collective charge by the skeleton army could produce such a tremendous clamor.

Before we could react, a small, fiery red figure burst out from around the corner!

“Help me!” We finally got a clear look: the one running ahead was a girl, appearing about fifteen or sixteen years old, her face frozen in terror. Her legs pumped furiously like a winding mechanism, but perhaps due to panic, she tripped over a small stone. She fell hard and couldn't even manage to get back up, staring in despair at the murderous tide of Skeleton Club-Wielders behind her.

We were all stunned! Good heavens, this girl was too reckless! How dare she provoke such a huge mob of Skeleton Club-Wielders?

“Sea of Fire Grand Array!” Long Xin showed no hesitation, instantly leaping onto the nearest large rock. “Xing Chen, rescue her.” Although we didn't know why this girl might be causing trouble for us, we couldn't stand by and watch someone die. Long Qi, Long Zhan, and Dong Guan also took their positions.

“Got it!” I dashed toward her, activating the Hurricane Ring and instantly maximizing my speed.

In a mere blink, I reached the girl, scooped her up in my arms.

Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously, a gray shadow smashed down overhead—the lead Skeleton Club-Wielder had hurled its Wolf Fang Hammer.

Damn it! This was dangerous! I quickly performed an Electric Step to evade the attack.

Two Fire Talismans descended from above, striking the Skeleton Club-Wielder’s head precisely—it was Jin Hong and Long Qi covering me simultaneously.

Thump! The struck Club-Wielder momentarily staggered, and in that split second of opportunity, I pulled back over ten meters while holding the girl. Then, sprinting with all my might, I raced toward the large rock where Long Xin and the others were positioned. Beneath the boulder, Long Xin and Dong Guan had just conjured a patch of Sea of Fire. Though the area was small, it was enough. I veered toward the spot not covered by the Fire Wall technique.

“Catch her!” Soon, I reached the boulder, gathered my strength, and forcefully tossed the girl toward Long Zhan, who was waiting at the steps.

Long Zhan, fully prepared, spread his arms and caught the descending girl securely.

By then, the Skeleton Club-Wielders were ten meters behind me.

“Get into the Fire Wall!” Dong Guan yelled anxiously.

“I’m going!” The moment I threw the girl, I cut sharply into the Sea of Fire conjured by Long Xin and Dong Guan.

Boom!! Boom!!

The dense mass of Skeleton Club-Wielders chased relentlessly into the flames.

But quickly, the fire-scorched creatures redirected their attack toward the base of the boulder. By this time, Long Xin and Dong Guan had already laid down a blazing expanse of fire; when it came to arson, these two were true experts, their angles, density, and speed being absolutely flawless.

Phew! I let out a long breath. Finally, we had stabilized our position. From this point forward, the Skeleton Club-Wielders would be consumed by the endless Sea of Fire, with me, a small shark, swimming in the melee.

The outcome of the battle was never in doubt! In just over ten minutes, the Skeleton Club-Wielders lured by the red-clad girl were completely eliminated.

Only then did we have the chance to properly examine the girl who dared to stir up such a hornet's nest. Her skin was fair, her features delicate and exquisite, leaving no flaw even for the most discerning aesthete. Her purple hair had been blown into two thick braids that swung playfully behind her. But her bright, sapphire-like eyes were staring straight at me: “You! You, aren't you afraid of fire?” The purple-haired girl looked utterly astounded, her small mouth forming an alluring 'O' shape, revealing a nimble, cute little tongue. This sight stirred a genuine flutter in my chest; I suddenly felt a fierce urge to tackle her right there and claim her.

Good heavens, this girl was naturally a seductress capable of inciting sin. Even at this young age, I almost lost control. What would she be like in a few more years?

It wasn’t just me; Long Qi, Dong Guan, and Long Zhan all wore standard gluttonous expressions, drooling the legendary saliva.

“Hey, why did you trespass into our claimed territory!” Among everyone, only Jin Hong remained relatively calm and rational.

“Your territory?” The girl paused, then shook her head, still staring at me. “You still haven't told me why you aren't afraid of fire.”

“That, my friend, is classified,” I said, spreading my hands in a non-committal gesture.

“Ah!” The purple-haired girl looked extremely disappointed. Her large eyes darted back and forth across my body. She must have assumed I was wearing some special gear, but after scrutinizing me for a long time, she found nothing unusual.

“Answer my question first,” Jin Hong interjected, refusing to let the matter drop.

“This is your territory?” The girl seemed slightly embarrassed. “Actually, I was being pursued and stumbled in here without looking where I was going.”

“Fleeing?” Dong Guan asked, surprised.

“Yes!” The purple-haired girl said, still shaken. “I was being hunted by a group of terrible villains…”

We finally understood: this girl had some terrible luck, being chased by someone. In her desperate flight, she chose to enter precisely when we were absent and, ironically, ran straight into a gathering of Skeleton Club-Wielders, resulting in the scene we just witnessed. Fortunately for her, her luck wasn't entirely bad, as she ran into us just as we were returning.

Otherwise, I couldn't imagine the terrible fate awaiting such a delicate and enchanting beauty had she perished.

“As long as you weren’t seeking trouble, that’s a relief. But why were you being chased?” The worry we had just set aside immediately returned, as the word ‘trouble’ instantly crossed my mind.

Long Xin and Long Qi, however, looked indignant, clearly outraged that someone would try to hunt down this beauty.

“Could you tell us your name?” Long Xin’s expression softened considerably. “Don't worry, if anyone tries to harm you, we won't let them get away with it.”

“My name is Shana; thank you for saving me.” The girl bowed formally, a gesture characteristic of Cang Yue nobility. It seemed the girl named Shana came from a very distinguished background. “What are your names? I will repay you in the future.”

“Shana!” Long Qi chuckled lightly. “That’s a very nice name indeed. I am Long Qi, but we didn't help you for any repayment.”

“I’m Dong Guan,” Dong Guan said, his face bright red at this point; it seemed this young man had also fallen under her spell.

“I’m Long—” Just as Long Xin was about to introduce herself,

Faint, rapid footsteps interrupted the harmonious atmosphere! Occasionally, we could hear muffled sounds of eating, drinking, and shouting from the outside fork.

“Ah! It’s Brother Guang Guang and the others!” Shana’s face changed drastically, and she immediately rushed out.

“Hey, wait up!” Long Xin and Long Zhan quickly chased after her.

What the heck! My head started aching instantly! I felt like we were about to run into major trouble again.

Long Qi clearly shared my thought, but seeing Long Zhan and Long Xin already running out, he could only manage a helpless, wry smile. “Let’s go out and see what’s happening first.”