Chapter 318: The Shocking Misty Mountain Region
City of Light Chasing, Light Chasing Building.
Late at night, when the City Guard should have been resting, the place was brightly lit. All the City Guard members, including the leader and vice leaders, were on full alert.
Even in the conference hall, City Lord Di Luoya had not gone to rest. He sat there, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, his mood clearly somewhat anxious.
Just as City Lord Di Luoya was about to stand up, the conference room door was pushed open. A young man of the Half-Scale Race strode in, drawing the gaze of everyone inside, and nearly making the young man, whose strength was only at the level of an advanced martial artist, unable to withstand this invisible pressure.
“How is the situation on the Red Moon Merchant Guild’s side?” one of the City Guard captains asked loudly.
“The result is out,” the Half-Scale youth replied quickly. “The Red Moon Merchant Guild has been destroyed. No one inside the Red Moon Merchant Guild survived.”
As the Half-Scale youth spoke, all the Bone Forging Realm experts present fell into silence. One by one, they could not believe their ears.
“What about the elder of the Red Moon Merchant Guild?” City Lord Di Luoya looked at the Half-Scale youth and could not help asking.
From the moment the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall started to attack the Red Moon Merchant Guild, the City Guard had already been on full alert, and he himself had been stationed there, hesitating whether he should step in to stop it if the conflict between the two sides escalated into a battle between martial artists.
After all, neither the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall nor the Red Moon Merchant Guild was a force the City of Light Chasing could afford to provoke.
If two lions fought and he was accidentally dragged into it, his position as city lord would probably be over.
But as a city lord, he could not ignore the iron rules set by the domain city.
During the hours of fighting between the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall and the Red Moon Merchant Guild, he had been praying that the two sides would not engage in a battle between martial artists. That way, even if both sides destroyed the city, it would not be considered a violation of the iron rules set by the domain city, and naturally he would not need to intervene.
The Half-Scale youth took a deep breath and said, “He’s dead. No one in the entire Red Moon Merchant Guild survived. They were all killed by those grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, all below the level of martial artist.”
“Dead? How is that possible!” City Lord Di Luoya stared fixedly at the Half-Scale youth, his eyes full of shock and disbelief.
The elders of the Red Moon Merchant Guild were generally at least high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artists.
And for such a high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artist to die at the hands of a group of apprentices who were not even martial artists was impossible no matter how one thought about it.
Leaving aside that a Blood Condensation Realm martial artist could crush martial artist-level experts with qi and blood alone, even if a Blood Condensation Realm martial artist wore Tier 2 battle armor and let those below martial artist level attack freely, they still would not be able to harm him in the slightest.
Let alone the elder of the Red Moon Merchant Guild, even he himself could easily slaughter tens of thousands of apprentices from the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“City Lord, it’s true. The people on the frontline have already recorded a video.” The Half-Scale youth hurriedly tapped his smart watch, displaying the battle footage between the two sides.
In the video, Elder Kui Lang of the Red Moon Merchant Guild blasted through the wall of the Red Moon Merchant Guild and came out with a few people, only to suddenly face a volley of several thousand.
Under thousands of scorching beams, Elder Kui Lang of the Red Moon Merchant Guild only blocked four waves of attacks before being unbelievably taken down. It was truly baffling, but it was the fact.
“Is this new weapon really that powerful?” City Lord Di Luoya watched the video several times. Looking at those superconducting electromagnetic guns, he felt a growing sense of wariness.
Originally, he had thought those superconducting electromagnetic guns could at most threaten Bone Forging Realm martial artists, but now it seemed those weapons were defying heaven. Under simultaneous attacks from over five thousand people, not even a Blood Condensation Realm expert could withstand it head-on.
Fortunately, the attack range of the superconducting electromagnetic guns was very short, only about one hundred meters. Within this distance, the qi and blood of a Blood Condensation Realm expert could completely cover it. He just did not understand why Kui Lang’s qi and blood had decayed so severely that it could not even cover a range of one hundred meters.
If Kui Lang’s qi and blood had covered a radius of more than one hundred meters, it would not have been difficult for him to kill those grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“Lord City Lord, should we go and impose a blockade now?” one of the City Guard captains suddenly asked. “Although the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall did not send martial artists this time, they did wipe out the Red Moon Merchant Guild’s city branch. The impact on the city is huge, and the Red Moon Merchant Guild will definitely send people to investigate. If we do not give some explanation, they may vent their anger on us.”
The other captains and vice captains present all nodded in agreement.
Though battles within the city happened every day, a force like the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall sending over ten thousand people to fight in the city proper and even annihilating the Red Moon Merchant Guild was a massive event. If their City Guard did not respond at all, it would definitely damage the prestige of the City Guard.
Not to mention this matter involved the Red Moon Merchant Guild. The loss of a city branch was absolutely the first time since the Red Moon Merchant Guild had entered the Wushan Region. One could imagine the fury of the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
When the Dragon Hunting Corps was heavily damaged in the Mountain of the Dead, the Red Moon Merchant Guild might have been angry, but that was the result of the Dragon Hunting Corps taking the initiative to provoke the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. While humiliating, it was tolerable, since the Red Moon Merchant Guild’s business did not depend on seizing territory in the Mountain of the Dead.
But this time the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had uprooted the Red Moon Merchant Guild’s foundation. If this was not handled properly, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall might destroy one branch after another, making it impossible for the Red Moon Merchant Guild to continue its business in the Wushan Region.
“Wait until dawn,” City Lord Di Luoya thought for a moment and did not object.
“Yes!”
After hearing this, the captains and vice captains did not oppose it and began waiting for dawn.
They could not afford to provoke the Red Moon Merchant Guild, but they also could not afford to provoke the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall as it stood now. The Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was currently cleaning up the battlefield. If they rushed over to blockade the scene, their fate might be worse than offending the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
While the City Guard of the City of Light Chasing quietly waited, the news that the Red Moon Merchant Guild branch in the City of Light Chasing had been destroyed spread like wildfire to all major cities and factions in the Wushan Region.
None of the factions that received the news were not shocked.
Not long ago, the Dragon Hunting Corps of the Red Moon Merchant Guild had been severely damaged by the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, which had already made all the major powers look at the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall in a new light, recognizing that its strength had surpassed the Mercenary Alliance and Azure Wing City. After all, more than two hundred Initial Stage Blood Coagulation level combatants was something neither the Mercenary Alliance nor Azure Wing City could field.
But this was even more astonishing: they had directly struck at the Red Moon Merchant Guild within a city and, relying solely on a group of grey-robed disciples not even at the level of martial artist, had taken down a Red Moon Merchant Guild elder. It was like a fairy tale, causing all the major factions to be deeply fearful of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s strength.
A high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artist could be killed in a city without violating the iron rules of the domain city. It could be said that the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had completely trampled on the previous order.
Now, even if the Blood Condensation Realm experts of the major powers hid in the cities, it was useless. If the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall wanted them dead, they would die. Even a city lord might not be an exception.
Mountain of the Dead, atop a certain peak.
A sky battleship hovered silently over the mountaintop. A flying car forged from C-grade alloy sped into the sky battleship’s cargo bay. A woman wearing dark blue Tier 2 battle armor, whose strength had reached the intermediate level of the Blood Condensation Realm, jumped directly from the car and swiftly flew toward the battleship’s command cabin.
“Jena, what is it? Didn’t I send you to investigate the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall? Why are you back so soon?” In the command cabin, Leader Rhein Mans looked curiously at the woman in the dark blue Tier 2 battle armor.
After the battle in the Mountain of the Dead, their Dragon Hunting Corps had suffered heavy losses and was now waiting for supplies and further instructions from headquarters. But he had not been idle. He had sent the captain of the second squad, Jena, to thoroughly investigate the situation of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall so that, if headquarters ordered him to deal with them, he would not repeat Kui Lang’s mistake of not even knowing the enemy’s basic information, leading to flawed command and a crushing defeat.
“Leader, something big has happened at the City of Light Chasing branch.” Jena spoke urgently. “Last night, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall sent people to wipe out the City of Light Chasing branch. Everyone there, including Elder Kui Lang, was killed…”
As Jena’s voice fell, everyone in the command cabin was stunned, all looking at Jena in disbelief.
“Kui Lang is dead?” Leader Rhein Mans was somewhat dazed. “Has the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall gone mad? They acted directly inside a city. Aren’t they afraid the Mist Mountain Domain City will deal with them?”
The prohibition against martial artists fighting inside cities was an iron rule set by the domain cities of the Four Regions. After all, the forbidden zones were constantly encroaching on the Four Regions, and exploring the forbidden zones required powerful experts. The birth of powerful experts depended on a large enough population base.
Fighting between martial artists in the wilderness was one thing, but within the Four Regions there had to be safe places where the population could grow. That was why the domain cities of the Four Regions had set the rule that martial artists were forbidden to fight inside cities, to avoid massive population loss that would hinder the emergence of large numbers of powerful experts.
Kui Lang was a high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artist. For the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall to kill him, they would definitely need to send many martial arts experts. The damage to a city under such circumstances would be catastrophic.
“No, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall did not send martial artists. The ones who acted were all disciples below the level of martial artist,” Jena explained.
“Disciples below the level of martial artist? How is that possible? No matter how useless Kui Lang was, it’s impossible for him to die at the hands of a group of apprentices.” Leader Rhein Mans was full of disbelief.
“This is the battle video from the time.” Jena took out the video from before Kui Lang’s death and played it on the command cabin screen.
For a moment, the captains and vice captains present, as well as Leader Rhein Mans, all fell silent.
More than five thousand scorching beams; that kind of attack was indeed terrifyingly strong. A Blood Condensation Realm expert could not withstand it head-on.
“Leader, should we report to headquarters immediately,” Jena asked, “or wait until we return to the Tianhe Region?”
Their Dragon Hunting Corps had been severely damaged and should normally return to rest and reorganize. But if they reported to headquarters now, headquarters would certainly react strongly. It was not impossible they would be ordered to remain.
“Report now,” Leader Rhein Mans said coldly. “Although Kui Lang made a huge mistake, he was still an elder. Since the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall dared to kill him inside a city, we must make them pay the price.”
“Yes!” Jena answered, then immediately left the command cabin and drove the flying car away to contact headquarters.
In Chiyue Town.
“Senior sister, something big happened! The Obsidian Martial Arts Hall destroyed a Red Moon Merchant Guild branch, the one that was going to hold an auction!” Precia walked into Xie Feina’s training room, her voice filled with urgency and shock. “Elder Kui Lang of the Red Moon Merchant Guild was beaten to death in broad daylight.”
“I already know.” In the training room on the second floor of the Cultivation Tower, Xie Feina looked at her smart watch and sighed with emotion. “I really understand Hall Master Lin less and less.”
When she had notified Lin Qi, she had truly believed that Elder Kui Lang did not possess anything important. But now the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had immediately turned around and killed Elder Kui Lang, not giving him the chance to hold the auction at all.
It was not surprising that the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had the strength to kill Elder Kui Lang, but the fact that they had done so using only disciples below the level of martial artist wielding superconducting electromagnetic guns to take down such a high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artist had truly exceeded her expectations.
“Senior sister, should we talk to Hall Master Lin and invite Teacher to take a stake in Chiyue Town?” Precia said. “I don’t know exactly what Hall Master Lin intends, but the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is already fighting the Smiling Skull in the Mountain of the Dead, and has now offended the Red Moon Merchant Guild this badly. Among the three untouchable forces of the Wushan Region, he has offended two in one go, not to mention that Earth Star Pharmaceuticals is eyeing him in the Tianhe Region. Without a powerhouse like Teacher to deter them, Chiyue Town will struggle to remain peaceful, let alone let us peacefully learn that Limit Breaking Level Martial Skill.”
“Invite Teacher?” Xie Feina could not help falling into thought.
The training at the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had far exceeded her expectations, especially the cultivation environment in Chiyue Town, which surpassed even that of the domain city.
Leaving aside the training rooms on the second floor of the Cultivation Tower, even the beginner meditation rooms open to the core disciples of the hall were incredibly mystical. Just three hours of experience there made her feel that achieving the third level perfection of the Sequence Extraordinary Level Martial Skill was not so difficult.
As long as she could stay in the beginner meditation room for a few days, she could completely cultivate the Sequence Extraordinary Level Martial Skill to third level perfection. Even for that half of the Blood Condensation Cultivation Method from Wushan Prison, she felt she could fully comprehend it and directly charge into the Blood Condensation Realm.
In addition, the intermediate gravity chamber in the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, with its gravity exceeding one hundred times normal, would not only let Bone Forging Realm martial artists train and improve much faster, but would likely provide significant benefits even for Blood Condensation Realm experts.
On top of that, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had kept its promise to teach them the Limit Breaking Level Martial Skill mastered by the prison prisoner. It was simply a cultivation holy land.
If nothing else, given one year, she was confident she could reach a strength close to a high-level Blood Condensation Realm martial artist, with a sliver of hope of reaching the Heavenly Human Realm Grandmaster in the future.
And the training quota time granted by the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was exactly one year.
Of course, for her to reach that level, Chiyue Town must not suffer major incidents. If someone attacked one day and half of Chiyue Town was destroyed the next, there would be no way to cultivate.
After thinking for a moment, Xie Feina still shook her head. “Forget it for now. After the battle in the City of Light Chasing, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is probably viewed by all the major powers as equal to the three previously untouchable forces, and they likely see themselves that way too. We should wait until the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is close to being unable to hold on, then propose it to Hall Master Lin. By then we can secure a better price.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, senior sister.” Precia nodded, secretly looking forward to seeing the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall unable to hold out under the combined pressure of the Smiling Skull and the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
In the eyes of the major powers, aside from the Mist Mountain Domain City, the Smiling Skull and the Red Moon Merchant Guild were merely forces slightly stronger than the Mercenary Alliance and Azure Wing City.
But only the forces that explored the forbidden zones understood how vast the gap was between the two powers of the Wushan Region and the Smiling Skull and Red Moon Merchant Guild, and why the Smiling Skull and Red Moon Merchant Guild were ranked alongside the Mist Mountain Domain City.
For now, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall held a considerable advantage, but that was only the part of their strength the Smiling Skull and Red Moon Merchant Guild were willing to display publicly.
Even without the Red Moon Merchant Guild acting, as long as the Smiling Skull got serious and stopped hiding, it would be enough to prevent the current Obsidian Martial Arts Hall from living in peace in the Wushan Region.
Meanwhile, in another branch of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, the gathered new players were boiling with excitement.
Because this newcomer event was simply too great.
Every new player who participated not only received the basic event rewards, but also obtained a lot of good items from the Red Moon Merchant Guild, totaling several large warehouses of items.
There were over a thousand sets of B-grade battle armor, a large amount of energy ore, and Type II and Type Three potions that would not be sold on the market and were limited by the hall. On average, each participating new player received two bottles of Type II potion, more than sixty thousand points, and over a thousand contribution points, enough to get them through a solid novice period.
“Hall master, these are the smart watches of that Red Moon Merchant Guild elder and the shop owner. They have all been fully cracked.” Wu Zhuoqun respectfully reported as he handed over two smart watches.
“Good, just put them there.”
Watching the inheritance metal plate of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique, Lin Qi nodded slightly, unable to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
The fact that the players’ operation had managed to take down a high-level Blood Condensation Realm expert like Kui Yin was beyond his expectations. But what delighted him even more was that he had obtained the inheritance metal plate of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique, directly completing the Star Energy Construct Secret Method.
Even more importantly, the inheritance metal plate of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique recorded a crucial piece of information.
Once the third level of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique was mastered, it could enable star energy lifeforms to unlock a second-stage burst method, enhancing their combat power by a whole tier.
If what the inheritance said was true, then as long as he and the players cultivated the third level of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique, they would gain an additional explosive trump card. By then, he might even be able to fight a Heavenly Human Realm Grandmaster.
“Hall master, there is one more matter. Azure Wing City sent a message saying that the son of an elder from the Tianhe Domain City wants to come here. He is interested in the inheritance metal plate that the Red Moon Merchant Guild previously intended to auction and hopes we can name a price.” Wu Zhuoqun said, somewhat hesitant.
“He wants to buy the Body Strengthening Secret Technique?” Lin Qi frowned slightly. “Tell him not to come. I will not sell this inheritance metal plate.”
His assault on the Red Moon Merchant Guild had been for the Body Strengthening Secret Technique. If it were an ordinary martial skill, it would be another matter, but learning the Body Strengthening Secret Technique required the inheritance metal plate. Considering that a large number of players would need to learn it in the future, it was absolutely non-negotiable.
“This…” Wu Zhuoqun suddenly felt a bit of a headache.
A domain city was the supreme authority within a region, and its elders were true senior officials. He dared not imagine the consequences of refusing such a request.
“Just tell them. You don’t need to concern yourself with anything else.” Lin Qi said in a tone that allowed no argument.
Since cultivating the Body Strengthening Secret Technique to second level perfection and reaching advanced Bone Forging Realm himself, and with Heavenly Human Realm grandmasters from beyond the region not daring to set foot in the Wushan Region, as long as he did not provoke the Mist Mountain Domain City, he feared no one and no faction. Otherwise, he would not have ordered the players to destroy the Red Moon Merchant Guild branch, let alone now refuse the son of an elder.
“Yes!” Wu Zhuoqun did not dare say more and obediently went to deliver the message.
(The chapter ends.)
