In the dead of night, Li Xiang stepped into the backyard, breathing in the bitingly cold air. He stretched his body and began circulating his Breathing Technique, complementing it with a series of specific movements. Each motion—whether graceful or flowing, heavy or gentle, or as fast as a bolt of lightning—carried a unique rhythm, as if an arcane melody were being played.

Er Huang emerged from his doghouse and trotted around his master, wagging his tail. He was very Spiritual and knew not to bark without reason late at night, or he’d wake Grandma. When he couldn’t contain his excitement, he let out soft whimpers instead.

Spiritual Power circulated within Li Xiang’s body, and a Misty Radiance emanated from his flesh and blood. This radiance grew increasingly dense, shrouding his entire being in a layer of light, making him resemble an Exiled Immortal.

Suddenly, a Black Light flashed, and the Misty Radiance vanished. In its place appeared a uniquely styled suit of black Armor. It shimmered iridescently with a metallic luster, looking solid, sturdy, and overwhelmingly powerful. The Armor enveloped him completely, revealing only a pair of deep, sharp eyes that held a restrained light.

Er Huang jumped in fright. "WOOF!"

Li Xiang immediately waved a hand to stop him. "It’s me, don’t bark!" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

With a single thought, the Face Armor retracted, revealing his face.

Seeing his master, Er Huang instantly relaxed. "WHIMPER WHIMPER..."

He seemed to be complaining to his master; that had been absolutely terrifying for a dog!

A moment ago, the Black Mountain Profound Armor had materialized out of thin air, not only encasing Li Xiang from head to toe but also completely sealing his aura. The protection was absolute. In the dog’s eyes, his master had suddenly vanished, replaced by a "monster."

Li Xiang waved, gesturing for him to move back. He was about to test out some bigger movements. The dog immediately scampered a few meters away, settling onto a dog bed under the covered walkway to lie down and watch.

Li Xiang performed a set of wide, sweeping Body Techniques, then practiced a series of nimble, evasive Grappling Techniques. His movements were silky smooth, completely unhindered by the Armor.

He had to admit, the Black Mountain Profound Armor was nothing short of miraculous. It clung to his body like a second skin, yet it was also incredibly flexible. It was as comfortable as wearing nothing at all, offering zero hindrance to his movements. At the same time, it never felt loose, always remaining form-fitting, while its exterior was exceptionally solid and sturdy, providing him with unwavering protection.

Some women liked wearing those seamless "liquid" underwear for their comfort. Li Xiang’s Black Mountain Profound Armor looked imposing and powerful on the outside, but the surface that touched his skin was incredibly smooth. It was tens of thousands of times more sophisticated than seamless underwear—the two weren’t even products of the same civilization.

The Black Mountain Profound Armor was a Tier Ten Extraordinary Armor, so it could naturally be stored within the Spiritual Power vortex in his body. When he needed it, a single thought would cause it to manifest on his skin. Despite its many components, it required no effort to don.

With another thought from Li Xiang, the Armor clattered to the ground. He brought out his family’s old steelyard scale to weigh it. It weighed a solid 400 pounds, yet it felt incredibly light when worn.

He sent his Spiritual Power probing into the Armor. Deep within it, he sensed ten Runes. ’This must be what gives it these properties,’ he surmised.

’If I’d had an Extraordinary Spirit Armor like this in my past life, I wouldn’t have even been hurt when that disgusting, treacherous teammate backstabbed me.’

But what’s past is past. ’Thankfully, I was reborn. I can get my revenge in this life!’

He had no idea where that person was now. He’d searched online, but far too many people had the same name. Some had photos, but none of them were the right person.

Li Xiang put the Black Mountain Profound Armor away, storing it in the Spiritual Power vortex within the mysterious acupoint in his right calf. This way, he could nourish it with his Spiritual Power day and night, making it move like an extension of his own body when he used it.

Over the next few days, the Xiaoli Yidao hunting party was as active as ever. Gradually, they cleared out most of the wild boars within a twenty-kilometer radius. If they wanted to catch more, they’d have to venture farther out.

On December 22nd, three days before Christmas, the weather finally cleared up properly. The forecast indicated a "heat wave" was coming; for the next two to three weeks, there would be no rain or snow, not even a cloudy day.

And it was a genuine heat wave. Within a week, daytime high temperatures in many areas would rise above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In some coastal provinces, they could even soar past 86 degrees.

For places that had just experienced temperatures in the single digits in the middle of a harsh winter, this was simply unimaginable.

Across the entire South, people in many provinces cheered.

Young women were especially delighted; they could finally shed their bulky down jackets and switch to pretty skirts.

The provinces that lacked large-scale snow removal equipment finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. ’The time has come to let Mother Nature melt the snow! It’s time to show you northerners what it really means to let the heavens clear the roads!’

Just as the severe weather was ending, the Sichuan Province Forestry and Grassland Bureau announced some good news: The special wild boar control initiative had been a resounding success. The original three-month plan to cull ten thousand wild boars was completed ahead of schedule in just over twenty days.

Officials announced the formal conclusion of the "All-Out War on Wild Boars" campaign.

Many hunting teams were beside themselves with frustration. ’We hadn’t even had our fun yet, and it’s already over?’

Other teams took to the internet to complain that after buying so much equipment and paying their employees’ wages, they had only just broken even. It was like they’d worked for free.

One team griped, ’At least you broke even. We lost money. We’re getting killed out here!’

"How could you be losing money?" someone asked, confused.

A member of that team explained, "We lost several imported Hunting Dogs alone, and each one costs tens of thousands. On top of that, we had staff get injured, so there were medical bills and lost wages... When you add up all the miscellaneous costs, it’s a massive headache!"