Chapter 89: This Obsidian Dojo Is Heaven-defying
“Brother Ye, it looks like a big convoy has arrived. Should we let them in?”
“This convoy is really rich, they are actually driving a large transport vehicle. Its capacity is at least four times that of a medium one. If we could rob it, we would be set for life.”
“What are you thinking? They have not taken the initiative to attack, so they should be a neutral faction. The master of the pavilion said that although the martial arts hall is not afraid of trouble, we cannot go looking for it ourselves. Anyone caught doing that will be expelled from the martial arts hall.”
The few players present, whose eyes were filled with greed, were sternly lectured by a man named Da Ye Ying Xiong, about thirty years old, with sharp features and the bearing of someone in a high position.
Especially after hearing the four words “expelled from the martial arts hall,” the other players present shrank their necks and no longer dared to even think about making a move on that large transport vehicle.
The players present were among the first batches to enter High Martial Arts Descend. They had finally accumulated some advantage and were at the stage of making a big move at Crimson Moon Mountain. If they were expelled from the martial arts hall now, they would be devastated.
They were different from those players who had not entered High Martial Arts Descend. They had truly experienced its benefits. Not only had their real-world combat ability improved greatly, but even their minds had become much sharper.
In the virtual games they used to play, they were only ordinary players. But now, when they had some free time and met their old companions in those virtual games, they had become experts in the eyes of those companions. It felt incredibly satisfying.
And all of these improvements clearly came from some new technology used by High Martial Arts Descend.
Now High Martial Arts Descend was still only in the trial experience stage. There would surely be many more benefits they did not yet know about. If they really missed out on this new technology, it would be like missing the first appearance of virtual games to the public back then, never imagining that virtual games would become the mainstream and influence the entire world.
“Of course, if they cause trouble, we definitely cannot let that large transport vehicle go.” The man named Da Ye Ying Xiong looked at the large transport vehicle over ten meters long, its outer layer wrapped in B-grade alloy, like a moving house. His eyes also showed envy and desire. “If we can get this transport vehicle, the vice president will definitely reward us.”
“Brother Ye, we will all listen to you.” After hearing this, several intermediate apprentice players all looked toward the people inside the large transport vehicle, their eyes full of provocation.
One by one, they silently prayed that the other side would not be polite, just like those vagrants who robbed wood transports at Grizzly Mine in the past. Those robbers did not waste time threatening; they just attacked immediately.
Then they could rush forward without hesitation, take that large transport vehicle as a matter of course, and gain a promotion in Heavenly Might Guild.
Just like Da Ye Ying Xiong. He had originally been an inconspicuous ordinary member of Heavenly Might Guild, just like them who had joined halfway. But because he took first place in the main quest of repairing the martial arts hall in the previous version, in addition to the basic reward of 1,000 points and 100 contribution for each person, there were an extra 50,000 points and 1,000 contribution.
At that time, Da Ye Ying Xiong took advantage of the sixth-generation smart watch from the martial arts hall being half price, redeemed ten of them at once, and donated them to the guild, so that every member now had one, arousing the envy of other teams.
So vice president Luo Wu Shang immediately promoted Da Ye Ying Xiong to a core member of Heavenly Might.
Not only could he directly own a residence in Heavenly Might’s high-end residential complex in the city center of Huxin City in reality, but he had also leaped to become the captain of their stationed team this time.
Of course, it had to be admitted that Da Ye Ying Xiong’s own strength was not bad. His strength alone had now reached 533 kilograms, not far from advanced apprentice. Crushing Stone Fist and Leopard Shadow Steps had both been cultivated to above 50% entry-level on the second level. Prairie Fire Spear Technique was at 28% entry-level, and Lightning Palm had even reached 39% entry-level. Among all players, his proficiency ranked in the top ten. His talent could be considered quite good.
It was just that, because of his age, he had been among the older group of Heavenly Might’s internal members, so he had not been valued. It was only because he was lucky enough to enter High Martial Arts Descend that Heavenly Might gradually began to pay attention to him, and now he had risen in one leap.
However, Da Ye Ying Xiong and the others ended up disappointed. Among the people who stepped down from the large transport vehicle was Flo, vice gang leader of the Green Sparrow Gang, clearly not an NPC here to attack Crimson Moon Mountain.
“I am Flo, vice gang leader of the Green Sparrow Gang and a good friend of your hall master Lin Qi.” Flo walked up to Da Ye Ying Xiong and the others, revealed his identity, and curiously pointed at the vagrants lining up in front of the huge wooden gate. Using fluent human race language, he said, “I wonder what has happened at Crimson Moon Mountain? Why are so many vagrants gathering here? Could it be that Your Excellency Lin Qi intends to recruit people on a large scale?”
At this moment Flo was filled with shock and confusion toward Crimson Moon Mountain.
Originally, Crimson Moon Mountain had only been lively during wartime death matches, and afterwards it was just a deserted mine. Yet now, after only a few days, the number of vagrants lining up at a glance already exceeded five hundred.
Even more unbelievable, the foot of the mountain was no longer just a mine. It looked like a stockade, and a very prosperous one at that. Among the vagrants in line, he could even see quite a few well-known smugglers from the wilderness.
This made Flo seriously suspect that his trip to Wanxing City to talk business had not taken one or two days, but unknowingly one or two months.
What shocked Flo the most, however, were Da Ye Ying Xiong and the others. Although they were only intermediate apprentices, Flo’s five senses were very sharp, and from these few in front of him, he actually felt danger.
He was an extreme apprentice. Feeling a sense of danger from an intermediate apprentice was already surprising, but besides the six on guard, the several intermediate apprentices in the distance wearing silver-gray long-sleeved T-shirts and working on some construction also each gave off an aura of danger.
This made Flo seriously suspect that he was simply too tired these past few days, causing his perception to be off.
This was also why the sub-demon race leader Abner had actively asked questions earlier, suspecting that he might have led them to the wrong place.
Intermediate apprentices comparable to extreme apprentices, more than ten of them at once, no matter how he looked at it, this did not resemble a mine that had only just begun to extract energy ore, but more like the headquarters of some major gang.
“Nothing has happened at Crimson Moon Mountain.” Da Ye Ying Xiong glanced at the vagrants in line and explained with a smile, “Our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall does intend to recruit some people, but most of those coming here are actually here to rest at Crimson Moon Mountain and conduct some transactions while they are at it. Mr. Flo, if you want to enter Crimson Moon Mountain, I will have them open the gate right away.”
“Thank you.” After hearing this, Flo’s expression did not change, but inside his heart was in turmoil.
Da Ye Ying Xiong had not said much, but Flo understood him completely.
This Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was defying the heavens.
Building a transit market in the wilderness was the dream of every major wilderness gang in the City of Light Chasing, and also the greatest hope for a wilderness gang to advance to a suburban gang.
Yet so far, not a single wilderness gang from the City of Light Chasing had succeeded.
It was not that no wilderness gang had tried. But because such a market affected the profits of many suburban gangs in the City of Light Chasing, they would never allow wilderness gangs to collect large amounts of wealth and grow strong in the wilderness.
Although those suburban gangs did not act openly, in the end, every major wilderness gang that tried to set up a transit market chose to give up on its own. Faced with the suffocating pressure of combined suppression from many suburban gangs, it was simply not something wilderness gangs could withstand.
However, thinking of the Phosphor Fire Gang behind Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, Flo felt this was not impossible. He even suspected this was the real reason the Phosphor Fire Gang had nurtured Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
The suburban market of the City of Light Chasing was only so big. If the Phosphor Fire Gang wanted to increase its income, it could only extend its hand into the wilderness.
If the Phosphor Fire Gang openly stretched its hand into the wilderness, it would definitely trigger collective resistance from other suburban gangs. But if they supported a puppet wilderness gang to run a transit market out there, there was some possibility of success.
“Flo, what did they say? I feel like your heart is in turmoil.” Abner, the leader over 5 meters tall, with four arms and wearing A6-grade battle armor, looked at Flo, who had returned, with some puzzlement. “Did this Obsidian Martial Arts Hall make things difficult for you?”
As a member of the sub-demon race, he was born with all kinds of strange instincts, and Abner not only had four arms, but his intuition was extremely sharp. No matter how well an extreme apprentice like Flo disguised himself, Abner could sense something was wrong.
“Not at all.” Flo smiled. “My old friend, do you not know me by now? I was just feeling a sense of awe toward what my new friend is planning to do.”
He fully supported Obsidian Martial Arts Hall setting up a transit market at Crimson Moon Mountain. After all, the Green Sparrow Gang also held a share there and would be in the perfect position to benefit first.
For example, by purchasing some well-located shops at Crimson Moon Mountain and engaging in some simple reselling with the wilderness vagrants gathering here. The Phosphor Fire Gang should have no objections to that, and the Green Sparrow Gang could earn a large profit.
“Something that inspires your awe? It seems this new friend of yours is not simple.” Abner then looked toward Da Ye Ying Xiong and the others who were opening the gate, and could not help but smile with interest. “I wonder how this new friend of yours compares to our Magic Star Gang.”
“That is hard to compare.” Flo thought for a moment, then shook his head, not sure how to put it for a while.
In Wanxing City, Magic Star Gang ranked among the top ten major wilderness gangs, and in overall strength it was stronger than the top ten wilderness gangs of the City of Light Chasing.
Wanxing City was different from the City of Light Chasing. It had always excelled in machinery, so mechanical products had become its specialty. Some of the battle armor used in the City of Light Chasing was even purchased from Wanxing City.
Because of this, many major wilderness gangs in Wanxing City held a significant amount of battle armor, giving them greater overall strength than the wilderness gangs of the City of Light Chasing.
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall itself was ordinary in strength, but its backing was powerful. The Phosphor Fire Gang was one of the top gangs in the suburbs of the City of Light Chasing. Once the Phosphor Fire Gang exerted some power, Magic Star Gang would not even be worth mentioning.
“Hard to compare? Is this Obsidian Martial Arts Hall really that strong?” Hearing this, Abner felt a bit proud and dismissive in his heart, thinking Flo was just saying that for the sake of the City of Light Chasing’s reputation.
Along the way, he had already heard from Flo about Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. As a rising gang, it had actually defeated the White Feather Gang in the death match, which did show some strength, but that was all.
Compared with Magic Star Gang, it was nowhere near. Magic Star Gang did not just dare to face one White Feather Gang; they dared to fight head-on even with the top-ranked wilderness gang of the City of Light Chasing.
It was hard to imagine Obsidian Martial Arts Hall being on par with them.
If Obsidian Martial Arts Hall really had such strength, it would already be famous in the surrounding cities.
“The gate is open, let’s go pick up the ore.” Flo did not bother explaining. He and Abner were just business partners. Knowing the secrets of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall by himself was enough.
With that, Flo got into the vehicle, and Abner had no choice but to lead the team into Crimson Moon Mountain.
As they traveled through Crimson Moon Mountain, Flo and Abner looked out the windows at the road and were both shocked by what they saw.
Along the mountain road there were vagrants of all races everywhere, their numbers definitely exceeding five thousand. Reaching a wide area halfway up the mountain, which had originally been leveled by the Green Sparrow Gang and the White Feather Gang as a storage and transport zone for energy ore, they now saw many houses built there.
Although the houses varied in size, there were over a hundred at a glance. In addition, there were large numbers of street stalls formed by small tents along the road, with vagrants of all races hawking their goods. It was truly a sea of people, loud and bustling, like the market of a town.
“A transit market!”
“How does this Obsidian Martial Arts Hall dare?!”
At the first sight of this broad area, the words “transit market” flashed through Abner’s mind, filling him with disbelief.
Transit markets were the dream of major wilderness gangs not only in the City of Light Chasing, but also in Wanxing City.
Yet aside from towns established officially by cities, no wilderness gang had ever managed to establish one.
It was not that they lacked the strength to maintain public order there. The main issue was pressure from various suburban gangs in the cities. Once a wilderness gang dared to establish a transit market, those suburban gangs did not even need to take direct action. They only had to refuse cooperation in the suburbs, cutting off all business and trade with them. Then the wilderness transit market naturally could not survive.
In that case, the items they collected from smugglers or convoys from other cities at the transit market would be stuck in their hands. With no funds, they could no longer purchase good items from those vagrants, and in the end all they could earn was some stall fees.
To maintain security in the market, they would have to station many experts there long-term, but the stall fees were far from enough to pay their salaries. The result was self-evident.
On the contrary, by trying to build a transit market, they would fail to earn money and, at the same time, offend all the major suburban gangs, which was not worth it at all.
“Flo, your new friend is insane. He even dares to set up a transit market. Is he not afraid of offending those suburban gangs of the City of Light Chasing?” Looking at the bustling street in front of him, Abner felt both envy and confusion, and could not help asking Flo beside him, unable to understand how Obsidian Martial Arts Hall dared to do this.
Just as Abner asked, the vagrants crowded on the street suddenly opened up a wide path, like the parting of the Red Sea, as each vagrant consciously stepped aside.
Then they saw a group of players in dark gray long-sleeved T-shirts, each carrying a full sack of energy ore, running quickly past. They put the sacks of energy ore into the martial arts hall’s large storage warehouse, then sprinted back in unison and headed straight for the mine to continue mining.
As these players entered the mine, the vagrants on the street returned to normal, as if those players had never appeared, and resumed their hawking.
“This… this… how is this possible!”
“Those people are advanced apprentices, right?”
“Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is actually making advanced apprentices mine?!”
Standing on the street, Abner stared at the players disappearing into the mine, his mouth forming an O, completely unable to understand what kind of faction this Obsidian Martial Arts Hall really was.
