The flock of crows in the sky descended like arrows, their target the Ice Cliff Snow Lotus.
"You're asking for death!"
He grabbed a handful of snow and clenched it. When he opened his palm, the snow had become harder than ice.
Tossed casually, its power was like that of a cannonball.
But there were too many crows in the sky, and Zhang Wei dared not unleash large-scale attacks, fearing he might harm the tender little flower.
Seeing the flock rapidly approaching, Zhang Wei had a flash of inspiration, the techniques of will manifestation constantly flashing through his mind...
"Pot Shield!"
He scooped his hand through the air, and a pot, inverted, appeared in the void.
The phantom pot was several meters deep, securely covering the Ice Cliff Snow Lotus.
The snow crows slammed into the phantom pot with thuds, the sound like metal clashing...
Many snow crows had their brains burst on impact, turning into a puddle of mush.
Zhang Wei rejoiced, "It worked!"
"It actually worked!"
"I've practiced will manifestation so many times, and it was only in this moment of panic that I actually used it."
Turning one's willpower into a physical form was a common skill in this world.
Zhang Wei often complained about the lack of imagination of the people in this other world. Will manifestation was such a fun ability, yet they always conjured forks, knives, chopsticks, or pots and bowls.
Were pots meant for fighting?
Zhang Wei recalled his past life, various cool skill effects from anime and movies constantly flashing through his mind.
"Hmm..."
"This is it!"
Zhang Wei made another move, the pot's shape continuously changing...
After playing around enough, Zhang Wei dealt with the flock of crows.
He walked up to the Ice Cliff Snow Lotus, and the Storage Hall's notification sound arrived, albeit late.
[Discoverable Ingredient Found]
[Ice Cliff Snow Lotus]
[Capture Level: 9]
[Description: Though its capture level is not high, it is extremely rare and difficult to harvest. Its branches bloom once every three months, and each bloom lasts no longer than an hour. It is also a necessary ingredient for strengthening various ice-field creatures, making it exceptionally hard to obtain.]
[Efficacy: Delicate and fragrant, with a long-lasting aftertaste. When processed using special techniques, it can be made into premium tea or highly effective external wound medicine. It is also a vital component for expensive perfumes and sachets.]
"As expected, it's a good thing!"
Without delay, Zhang Wei proceeded to store it.
[Storage Complete, Replication Time: 50 days]
"The Storage Hall's replication time is determined by the concentration of gourmet cells. Although this flower is extremely rare, its replication time isn't very long."
"However, I need to find more. Fifty days is just too long."
Calculating the time, he had been out for ten days.
He shouldn't be found out, right?
This trip yielded few varieties, but plenty of quantity. Most ingredients had their replication time reduced to one day.
"I'll head back first and come out hunting again later."
"If we consider comprehensively, the Great Glacier has more."
"I need to find a way to encounter more ingredients... The workload of dozens of people isn't enough to satisfy my appetite."
The Great Glacier was at least a hundred miles away, but Zhang Wei could reach it in less than an hour.
It was equivalent to a cheetah running a marathon.
However, Zhang Wei's stamina was nearly inexhaustible, and this exertion was utterly insignificant.
"Hmm?"
"Why are the guards so lax?"
At a glance, the guards within the glacier looked dispirited and listless, completely lacking the spirit of vigilance.
Where there should have been dozens of guards at the gate, only a few remained.
"Strange..."
With the lack of guards, Zhang Wei's infiltration became much easier.
Changing into a helper's uniform, Zhang Wei appeared in the laborer's dormitory.
"Wang Meng, what's been happening in the glacier these past two days?"
Wang Meng looked up, surprised and delighted, "Brother Wei, you're all better?"
"Mhm... I'm okay, but I've been confined to the medical room lately, so I'm a bit out of the loop."
As Zhang Wei walked, he noticed that something major had happened within the glacier.
All the laborers were confined to their dormitories, and the usually bustling processing area was deserted.
Wang Meng looked around and said cheerfully, "A few days ago, someone came knocking and had a good fight with a few of the ministers!"
"What was the outcome?"
"Of course, the Great Glacier lost. That person just refused to leave, vowing to destroy the Century Ice Pillar. We've been liberated, with no work to do. The people in the next room are carving mahjong, want to play later?"
The vast majority of the low-level laborers had no sense of loyalty to the Great Glacier.
The association had always disregarded human lives. Over the years, countless ordinary people had died from the cold and exhaustion while building the Great Glacier.
If not for the fear of retribution, Wang Meng and the others would have set off firecrackers.
Zhang Wei's expression darkened, and he refused Wang Meng's invitation to play mahjong.
Zhang Wei also had no sense of belonging to the Great Glacier.
However, building the Century Ice Pillar was Zhang Wei's primary source of income. Wasn't this a blatant obstruction of his path to wealth?
Furthermore, according to historical progression, the Century Ice Pillar would experience a methane eruption sometime in the future.
The heat generated at that time would extract nutrients from the ingredients within the Century Ice Pillar, forming an unparalleled... Century Broth.
This dish, formed by natural forces, was something Zhang Wei would never miss!
"Just who is this idiot..."
"I'll investigate first."
Using the stealth techniques he learned from Mo Du, Zhang Wei roamed freely in the high-level area.
Through a long corridor, Zhang Wei arrived at the very core of the Great Glacier.
"Wow, it's so beautiful!"
The core space was vast, covering at least ten thousand square meters. It extended upwards to the top of the glacier and downwards dozens of meters below ground level.
The entire space shimmered with auroras, illuminating the ice layers like crystal.
At the center was a thick ice pillar, crystal clear, allowing one to clearly see the various ingredients sealed within.
At this moment, a胖子 (fatty) was seated at a dining table beneath the Century Ice Pillar. This was originally a place for high-level gatherings.
Beside him lay Guild Leader Xifeng, who still had his robust appearance, making Zhang Wei almost not recognize him.
Various delicacies were on the table, and the fatty was eating with great gusto.
Xifeng, beside him, spoke weakly, "Bruce is in the dungeon, and we have no information about Mo Du. And the Rainbow Fruit... has been stolen!"
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"The association still has many decomposed fruits; I've ordered people to collect them."
The fatty thought for a moment, pointing at the Century Ice Pillar, "I'll give you three days. You have six hours left. If I don't get what I want... I won't leave empty-handed."
"If you don't, I'll shatter the soul of your association with my own hands!"
Xifeng's face turned flushed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The fatty said, "Alright, you can go and find a way. Remember, you only have six hours left."
"I can pay you more..."
"Get lost!"
Xifeng, supporting his staggering body, turned and left the Century Ice Pillar.
The battle between the two sides was evident...
At this moment, the fatty seemed to sense something and looked towards Zhang Wei's hiding spot, "I said... get lost!"
"But if you don't want to leave, then don't leave!"