Night fell. In the darkness, the beasts grew even more violent and terrifying.
"The night battle begins now. I'll personally take charge and lead the way!" He Yiming stood tall, his voice calm but firm.
"If you doubt your strength, you may remain in the chariot," he continued. "As for the rest of you, form pairs immediately. From this point forward, you will act in squadrons. No one is allowed to move alone!"
"Hold the grass! We're fighting at night now?"
"What about sleep? Sleep, wake up, and straight to war?"
"Brother Ming's leading us himself! Let's go!"
"Isn't Brother Ming basically invincible?"
The players were suddenly wide awake. Many who had planned to log off—since it was close to midnight back on Earth—now scrambled to stay. Some brewed fresh espresso. Others cracked open a 2L bottle of Coke and downed it like a potion. The excitement was contagious.
"Wait a minute… has anyone seen Brother Noodle?"
"Maybe he didn't log on yet?"
"I checked the dorm in the chariot. He's not there."
A few players looked around in confusion, realizing Beef Noodle was missing—a rare thing indeed.
"Move out!" He Yiming gave the order.
The players immediately dropped everything they were doing. They packed up camp, boarded the chariot, and began their advance.
After traveling two miles, the chariot came to a stop near the spirit stone mine. He Yiming declared this would be their base of operations for the night.
"Tonight, we're pushing at least ten miles!"
"I'll forge the path ahead. I'll mark the route with torches every hundred meters."
"Star, your regiment will handle any powerful monsters on the main route!"
"Indomitable Bear, Wang Lufei, First Ice Man—you're in charge of sweeping up any stragglers."
"The remaining players will operate in eight-man squadrons!" He Yiming issued his commands without hesitation. Then, stepping onto his flying sword, he soared forward at low altitude, dropping torches along the trail as markers.
The players followed quickly, eyes sharp and formation steady. Battle units remained vigilant. Scavengers scoured the environment, identifying plants and gathering any spirit herbs or hidden resources they spotted.
A deep roar echoed through the trees.
A massive black gorilla, over five meters tall, charged from the shadows. Its enormous fists swung toward He Yiming with explosive strength. This was a late-stage Spirit Vein Realm beast.
"Brother Ming, watch out!"
"That one's no joke!" Star's face turned grim.
Star's team specialized in handling slower, larger beasts. But this gorilla was fast, ferocious, and powerful—a tough match.
He Yiming didn't flinch.
"Colored Arm."
"Eight Gates Release… First Gate, open."
His meridians surged. The Azure Emperor Immortal Body reversed force, flooding his limbs with brutal strength.
Boom!
He Yiming's fist collided directly with the gorilla's chest.
Crack!
With a deafening roar, the beast was slammed into the dirt, its chest caved in. It died instantly.
Despite being a beast at the peak of the Spirit Vein Realm—nearly impossible for ordinary cultivators to kill—He Yiming crushed it with a single blow.
"Hold the grass."
"He really just… one-punched it?!"
"This is so shameless!" Wang Lufei practically coughed up blood.
The Eight Gates technique that Lufei had "developed" was now being used better by the Sect Master himself. Naturally, He Yiming's usage was smoother, faster, and far more effective. Lufei wanted to cry.
"Big Brother Ming!"
"He's the real deal!"
"Let's gooooo!"
Farm Master and the rest of the gathering team rushed in, quickly dissecting the corpse. The gorilla's meat was taken, its massive arm bones marked for weapon crafting, and its thick fur reserved for armor.
Without wasting time, He Yiming flew ahead once more.
Zzzzt!
A venomous snake hidden among the trees launched a poisoned arrow. He Yiming twisted mid-air to dodge. His sword, Mingyue, shot out, sliced cleanly through the snake's head, and returned to him in a flash.
Another mile forward, two mid-Spirit Vein Realm birds flanked him from both sides. They dove at high speed, talons ready to strike.
"Heavenly Thunder Technique."
Lightning burst from his fingers, splitting into two bolts. Both birds dropped from the sky, dead before they hit the ground.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, the players were also under attack.
"Melee, get ready!"
"Ranged, open fire!"
"Fall back! Fall back!"
Under Star's precise voice commands, the team fended off beast after beast. Despite the darkness, the players held their own.
"Eight Gates Release… Second Gate, open!" Wang Lufei didn't bother with elegance. He activated his Colored Arm, slammed his fists into beast after beast, and left carnage in his wake.
Other players grouped up and worked in tight coordination to take down early-stage Spirit Vein monsters with relative ease.
Hour after hour passed. Slowly, but surely, the army advanced.
By dawn, they had marched a full ten miles.
Fatigue was setting in. One by one, players began logging off to rest.
He Yiming knew when to stop.
He let the remaining online players set up a temporary camp. Once secured, everyone climbed aboard the chariot and returned to the main base at the spirit stone mine.
A new day had begun.
Ding!
[Sign-in successful!]
[Reward unlocked: New building – Forging Hall]
Ding!
[Chariot detected… Beginning remodel…]
Ding!
[Chariot upgrade complete. New room unlocked: Forging Hall]