Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

The sound of the bandits' fleeing footsteps completely disappeared into the depths of the forest, and Huang Yiming's tense nerves finally relaxed. His right hand, which was holding the pistol, trembled like a leaf, and his arm was so sore and numb that he could hardly lift it. The domineering aura he had just put on instantly crumbled, and the cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his clothes. His legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Yang Xiu rushed forward to support him, her small face filled with worry. She gripped his arm tightly with her little hands, her soft voice filled with concern: "Young Master, are you alright? Are you tired?" Seeing the girl's eyes full of concern, Huang Yiming straightened his back, adopting a calm and collected demeanor, and casually flicked his wrist: "It's a small matter, just a few petty thieves, not worth mentioning."

[Ding! This system is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Host, don't try to be cool. Your hands are shaking so badly you almost dropped the gun. You've accumulated 3 minutes of coolness, rewarding you with +50 coolness points. The system has detected that the host has successfully intimidated the bandits, completing the [Guardian of Immortal Servants] stage mission. Rewards immediately: Storage space expanded to 20 cubic meters, Basic Body Refining Technique (Mortal Version) x1]

Huang Yiming's ears burned, but his outward expression remained impassive. In his mind, he had already cursed the system eight hundred times over—this damn system always exposed his secrets. His hand had been shaking so badly it was almost cramping, yet he had managed to maintain a calm and collected demeanor, nearly causing him internal injuries. He glanced at Yang Xiu out of the corner of his eye and saw that the young girl still looked worried. He quickly tucked the gun behind his waist, deliberately slowed his breathing, and adopted the composed demeanor of a grandmaster finishing his training. Even the curve of his lips was perfectly timed, for fear of revealing the slightest hint of fear.

As soon as the system's cheeky notification sound ended, a massive amount of information flooded into Huang Yiming's mind. Densely packed body-refining mantras, meridian pathways, and power-generating techniques clearly appeared. At the same time, he clearly sensed that his originally cramped storage space had instantly expanded, large enough to accommodate a small car, and he no longer had to worry about where to put his supplies.

"We've struck gold! This is a direct hit!" Huang Yiming was overjoyed and almost jumped for joy. With the Body Refinement Technique, he no longer needed to rely entirely on his pistol and could protect himself. In the perilous Black Wind Ridge, he felt much more confident.

He looked around. They were deep in the mountains, and the bandits could return at any moment. He needed to find a safe place to stay as soon as possible. Yang Xiu seemed to read his mind. She stood on tiptoe and pointed to the depths of the dense forest not far away, whispering, "Young master, there's a hidden cave over there. I went there with my parents when I was a child to hide from monsters. The entrance is covered by vines, so it's hard to find."

Huang Yiming's eyes lit up, and he immediately led Yang Xiu towards the cave. The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with thorns. Yang Xiu walked carefully, but still stayed close to him, occasionally reaching out to push aside branches that blocked their way, afraid of scratching Huang Yiming. After walking for about half an incense stick's time, a dense patch of green vines appeared before them. Pushing aside the vines, a cave more than two meters high was revealed. The cave was dry and clean, and quite spacious, just enough for two people to live in.

"This is it!" Huang Yiming nodded in satisfaction, took out canvas, hay, and blankets from his storage space, and quickly set up a temporary bed. Yang Xiu also obediently helped to tidy up, working quickly and efficiently to make the cave neat and tidy. Before long, a simple but cozy temporary safe house was completed.

[Ding! This system is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. The temporary safe house is complete, and the host's survival environment meets the requirements. You can begin practicing body tempering techniques immediately. Friendly reminder: The pain will be intense for mortals starting body tempering techniques. Prepare to scream! Don't scare the little maid; this system won't take the blame. Don't try to tough it out, you coward! This system won't comfort you if you cry.]

Huang Yiming's lips twitched. He forced himself to sit cross-legged, his back ramrod straight, his eyes solemn as if he were comprehending the supreme Dao. In reality, his heart was pounding: It's just practicing a stupid body technique, how much pain could it hurt? He even cleared his throat, trying to create a powerful aura for himself, but as soon as he circulated his first breath, his face turned green.

Huang Yiming rolled his eyes, ignoring the system's teasing, and immediately sat cross-legged on the haystack, circulating his energy according to the body-refining incantation in his mind. But as soon as he exerted his strength, his meridians were pierced by needles, followed by a tearing pain in his muscles, as if all his bones were being disassembled and reassembled.

"Hiss—Ah!" Huang Yiming couldn't help but scream, his face turned red, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his originally handsome cultivation posture instantly twisted. He was in so much pain that he grimaced and trembled all over. He no longer looked like a master.

Yang Xiu stood to the side holding a bowl of water, watching the young master convulsing in pain. Her face was initially filled with worry, but then she couldn't help but cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling as she suppressed a laugh until her face turned bright red. The young master was usually aloof and domineering; she had never seen him so disheveled before, and she felt both heartache and amusement.

"Xiuxiu, don't laugh... Ouch—this body-refining technique is a bit too much." Huang Yiming was in so much pain that his voice trembled, but he still forced himself to maintain the posture. The more he practiced, the more intense the pain became, and his screams echoed in the cave, startling the birds at the cave entrance.

It took him a full half hour to barely complete one round of cultivation. He collapsed to the ground, his body aching all over, panting heavily. His clothes were soaked with sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water. Even so, he could clearly feel his strength surging, his originally thin arms gaining more muscle definition, and his eyesight and hearing becoming much sharper.

"It's done!" Huang Yiming clenched his fist and exerted his strength, feeling the surging power within him, and was extremely excited. Yang Xiu hurriedly ran over, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, her eyes full of admiration: "Young Master is so amazing, you persevered even with so much pain, Xiu Xiu admires you so much."

Looking at the little girl's adorable appearance, Huang Yiming felt a warmth in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, a faint sound of wind suddenly came from the cave entrance, mixed with a faint smell of blood. His expression changed, and he instantly became alert, pulling Yang Xiu behind him and gripping the pistol at his waist.

[Ding! This system, though sharp-tongued, is soft-hearted. It has detected traces of bandits nearby, and the aura of an unknown monster is approaching. The host is advised to reinforce the cave entrance as soon as possible, lest you die right after finishing your training. Also, the host is quite strong now, so don't let your hand slip and collapse the cave; otherwise, we'll both have to feed the monster.]

Huang Yiming's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm. He pulled Yang Xiu behind him, his sharp eyes sweeping towards the cave entrance, and said in a deep voice, "Xiuxiu, don't be afraid, I'm here." As soon as he finished speaking, his palms broke out in a cold sweat, his fingers gripping the gun tightened slightly, and his mind raced: Should he run or fight the monster? Did he have enough bullets? Yet his face remained as hard as stone, showing no sign of panic, displaying the composure of a sage unmoved even by a collapsing mountain. Huang Yiming's heart tightened, and he quickly moved a large rock to block the gap at the cave entrance, leaving only a small opening for ventilation. Night gradually enveloped the mountains and forests, and only a faint light illuminated the cave. Danger was creeping closer, and unbeknownst to him, the bandits who had just fled had already relayed the news of his possession of a magical artifact back to Black Wind Stronghold.