The Fourth Disaster: People become gods through high martial arts and gaming

Chapter 246 Southern Skeleton, Northern Gray Robe

"The man in gray?"

"Is it them?"

An unbelievable thought popped into Precia's mind.

Speaking of people dressed in silver-gray clothing, the only ones she had seen in the Dead Mountain Range were the disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts School. Although the seven members of One Leaf Floating Cloud were very strong, it would have taken them a long time to destroy a temporary stronghold of Smiling Skull and kill hundreds of members of Smiling Skull.

No matter how you look at it, it's an impossible thing.

It should be noted that after returning to Wanxing City, she immediately investigated the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy in the City of Light again. According to all the information she obtained, the master of the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy was only a deputy city lord.

Although the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy recruited a large number of disciples and formed its own guard regiment, that guard regiment was clearly ineffective, lacking even a single expert at the Bone Forging Realm.

As for the true disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy, dressed in silver-gray attire, there are only a hundred or so Refining Viscera Realm martial artists at most. Even if each of them could improve their combat power like One Leaf Floating Cloud and others, they still couldn't compare to a temporary stronghold of the Smiling Skull.

After all, the Smiling Skull's temporary stronghold had a Blood Condensation Realm expert, who was not someone that a top-tier Bone Forging Realm master with extraordinary martial arts skills could contend with.

Because beings at the Blood Condensation Realm can no longer be called human. With their powerful blood and qi, they can traverse the air, and a single punch can send a massive high-level lord flying. Their normal running speed is close to the speed of sound, which is completely different from the Bone Forging Realm.

Even if a group of deputy city lord-level experts ganged up on them, they wouldn't be a match.

"Do you know which faction this is?" The half-scaled man noticed the change in Precia's expression and asked with some curiosity.

In the entire Fog Mountain region, there are very few forces that dare to attack the Smiling Skull, after all, the Smiling Skull is a force that even their domain city finds somewhat troublesome.

Although their domain city could eliminate the ever-growing ambition of the Smiling Skull by paying a certain price, it would also weaken the domain city's strength considerably. In particular, since the Smiling Skull was hiding in the Mountain of the Dead, destroying the Smiling Skull would inevitably be a long war, and the domain city was unwilling to pay such a price.

“I must have been wrong. That faction doesn’t have any experts at the Blood Condensation Realm.” Precia shook her head.

“This gray-clad force is no ordinary one. Since they dared to destroy the Smiling Skull’s temporary stronghold, they must not be afraid of the Smiling Skull,” the half-scaled man said with a smile. “Now that the two forces are entangled, we are happy to see it happen. This way, you and I can go and properly deal with the problem of this monster tide.”

"What about the Smiling Skull's cooperation with that force?" Precia asked, puzzled.

The task assigned to her by her teacher was to find out which faction in the Tianhe region was causing trouble and had even extended its reach into the Wushan region. Now that she had finally found out and had solid evidence, she was asked to deal with the monster tide, which really puzzled her.

"Don't worry, now that we have evidence, it's up to our teachers. They should put pressure on that force in the Tianhe region and maybe even teach them a lesson. But that's beyond our control now," the half-scaled man laughed. "Moreover, you did a great job on this mission. Your teacher has applied for a teaching and inheritance of extraordinary martial arts techniques for you. If you can complete this mission, you should be able to exchange for an extraordinary martial arts technique that's already in the rankings. I want to congratulate you in advance, junior sister."

"With a teaching and inheritance of extraordinary martial arts skills and a sequence of martial arts techniques, entering the top ten in the city's preliminary rounds of this Four Regions Youth Competition should be no problem at all."

"Then I'll have to trouble you with the next task, senior brother." Upon hearing this, Precia's eyes lit up, her excitement impossible to hide.

The teaching and inheritance of extraordinary martial arts skills is something that many geniuses in the Domain City desire. It allows people to learn an extraordinary martial arts skill faster and safer. However, the Domain City can only produce twenty copies a year. After deducting the orders reserved by the big shots in the city, it would be good if there were five copies left.

With this extraordinary martial arts teaching and inheritance, she has a real chance to learn extraordinary martial arts that can be ranked in the hierarchy. At that time, even the deputy city lords of various cities will no longer be her match, and she may even be able to face off against a Blood Condensation Realm expert.

Unlike her, who was nearly killed by a single attack from a Blood Condensation Realm expert a kilometer away.

“Yes, but before we deal with the monster tide, we need to go to the City of Light and the City of Star Tower first.” The half-scaled man nodded.

"Senior brother, what are you going to those two cities for all of a sudden?" Precia asked curiously.

"Because of that force in the Tianhe region, Star Tower City suddenly gained a Blood Condensation Realm expert, and they started eyeing Light Chasing City. As you know, the city lord of Light Chasing City is the youngest among the surrounding city lords, and he hasn't even broken through to the mid-stage of the Blood Condensation Realm yet," the half-scaled man explained. "Normally, we wouldn't interfere, but this time, with the influence of the Tianhe region, we have no choice but to intervene. Otherwise, if all the cities follow Star Tower City's example, wouldn't things be chaotic?"

"So the teacher told me to tell the two cities that they could compete for the city's resources and territory, but only those below the Blood Condensation Realm could make a move."

"If those in the Blood Condensation Realm are not allowed to make a move, won't the two major cities be completely destroyed?" Precia was somewhat taken aback, not expecting the Domain City to give such a rule.

Normal city battles don't involve large armies fighting to the death like two cities vying for valuable resources. Instead, they are battles between people at the Blood Condensation Realm. The winner takes over the city lord's position, and the loser leaves. The takeover of the city is quite peaceful.

Of course, there are also cities that want to expand their power, such as Star Tower City, where two Blood Condensation Realm experts have emerged in one clan, and they want to bring other cities into their own. This kind of city struggle can be called a city war, which will completely defeat and take over one side's power.

There are several powerful clans like this in the Wushan region, some controlling two cities and others even controlling four.

If it is stipulated that neither city is allowed to use Blood Condensation Realm cultivators, then the battle between the two cities will definitely be extremely fierce, since the Domain City does not prohibit hiring outside help.

In the past, asking for outside help was completely useless, since Blood Condensation Realm experts could decide everything. But now that Blood Condensation Realm experts are not allowed to intervene, both sides can ask Bone Forging Realm experts to decide the ownership of the city, which will be much more tragic.

"This is what the powers of those two major cities need to worry about." The half-scaled man smiled. "This time, it can actually be considered as helping the city lord of the City of Light. After all, once he is defeated, his clan's territory and resources will definitely be taken over by the Star Tower City. But now he can win over the Bone Forging Realm experts of various clans in the city, and has a chance to defend the City of Light. Otherwise, he can only go to find other large energy veins and slowly build the city."

Precia thought about it and agreed.

If Domain City doesn't establish new rules, the City of Light will definitely change hands, and the major powers in the City of Light will be reshuffled. Now, Domain City is giving the major powers in the City of Light a chance, a chance to retain their existing resources and territory.

Inside a wooden house in a cave in the Mountains of the Dead.

Lin Qi, who was sitting cross-legged in the wooden house, slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a deep breath of stale air, and looked at the dozen or so bottles of type 3 energy potions scattered on the ground with a sense of regret.

"These Type III energy potions are truly amazing; their effects are far superior to Type II potions. It's a pity the city doesn't sell the equipment to craft them. Even with the flesh and blood of lord monsters, it's impossible to make them." Lin Qi felt incredibly cheated, thinking about how he had exchanged a large amount of lord monster blood essence for Type III energy potions. Although this lord monster blood essence was obtained by players hunting lords in the Dead Mountain Range, directly exchanging it with the city would normally yield five or six times the amount of Type III energy potions.

He's now a major user of Type III energy potions.

Not long ago, he finally mastered the Star Energy Construct Technique using Type III energy potions, which is more effective and lasts longer than using Type II energy potions.

It can increase the time from five minutes to eight minutes.

Of course, a significant portion of this increase in time is also due to proficiency. The higher the proficiency, the less energy is wasted, which indirectly increases the duration of the extraordinary state.

He is now at 43% proficiency in the Star Energy Construct Secret Technique, thanks to the increasing number of people mastering it. More than 30 people have mastered it so far. Moreover, because the cellular structures constructed by many players are somewhat different, even if the initial proficiency is low, his proficiency is improving very quickly.

"Sending players to develop in the Mountain of the Dead was definitely the right decision. In just a few days, they not only caused some losses to the Smiling Skeleton, but their training methods have also improved rapidly." Lin Qi opened the system's player list and sighed. If these players who went to the Mountain of the Dead could work 007 every day, perhaps some of them could break through to the Bone Forging Realm in just a few days.

Currently, among the thirty-odd players in the Mountain of the Dead, eleven have already mastered the training method to over 95% proficiency. Among them, Luo Wushang and Lu Fanchen are the most impressive, having reached 99%, just one step away from 100%, at which point they can begin their attempt to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.

This speed of improvement is truly astonishing, even for someone like him who seems to have cheated.

Thanks to these people, he has now reached 100% proficiency in all three training methods, and the strengthening of his internal organs has even reached an unbelievable 120%, making his physical fitness far exceed that of martial artists at the limit of the internal organ refining realm.

Based on realistic data alone, his basic strength reached 8000 kilograms and his speed was 100 meters per second. With the added effect of the second level of the Body Strengthening Secret Technique, his strength and speed data were almost approaching the advanced stage of the Bone Forging Realm.

He just didn't know why he could never reach perfection in the three training methods, which was a bit of a pity.

Just as Lin Qi was about to click to extract the player, a knock sounded on the door, and Meng Wei, wearing second-tier armor, slowly walked in.

"Master, I just received a message from my disciple saying that a caravan claiming to be from the Tianhe region wants to meet you." Meng Wei reported, holding the information from his investigation. "I've investigated this caravan, and it seems to be legitimate. They even have quite a few transaction records with our Red Moon Merchant Guild."

"A caravan from the Tianhe region is looking for me?" Lin Qi was filled with surprise upon hearing this. "What do they want with me?"

A force capable of trading across regions is quite formidable. It may not be as powerful as a domain city, but it is not much weaker than a force like the Red Moon Merchant Guild.

Such a powerful force actually sent someone to see him; it was almost as if the Domain City had sent someone to see him.

Even the city lord of the City of Light probably doesn't receive this kind of treatment.

“Master, they probably want to make a deal with us, to buy peace.” Meng Wei wiped his sweat and said, “The martial arts disciples who have been out recently have probably plundered a lot in the Dead Mountain Range. Just the items I receive every day bear many marks from different forces in the Tianhe region.”

Lin Qi had originally transferred him to the Mountain of the Dead to secretly build a branch there. At the time, he was really scared and thought Lin Qi had gone mad, daring to build a mountain stronghold in the territory of the Smiling Skull. This was simply reckless.

He had no idea about the Smiling Skull faction before, but after Lin Qi became the deputy city lord, his status rose accordingly. When he went out, even the commanders of the garrison regiments had to give him some face. He also had access to a lot more information than before, so he learned a lot about the Smiling Skull.

However, after arriving at the Mountain of the Dead, he realized that building a branch school there was a piece of cake, because the school's disciples would often bring back items related to the Smiling Skull.

Not long ago, they even transported a huge amount of supplies, or rather, a whole warehouse of supplies, all of which were marked with the smiling skull symbol.

During this period, things got even worse. The martial arts disciples who went out were no longer satisfied with just carrying items from the Smiling Skull; they even took items from various merchant caravans that came to the Fog Mountain area...

"Are they planning to pay tolls?" Lin Qi asked, somewhat realizing what was going on.

Players who entered the Mountain of the Dead during this period often showed off their achievements on the official forum. Even Xiao Yuan went crazy and started a live stream, teaching how to rob NPC caravans and take away the supplies alive. This inspired many new players to follow suit.

“It should be.” Meng Wei nodded.

“Alright, send me the coordinates. I’m also looking to do business with forces outside this domain.” Lin Qi thought about it and realized that this was indeed an opportunity. After all, cross-domain trade is very profitable. He didn’t have the opportunity or the strength before, but that’s no longer a big problem.

Immediately, Meng Wei transmitted the coordinates sent by the player to Lin Qi. This was also a rule set by Lin Qi in the Dead Mountain Range. Neither the player nor Meng Wei and others who came to build the branch were allowed to expose the branch. After all, this branch was his last resort. The Misty Mountain area was a place that no major power wanted to set foot in, making it very suitable for the establishment of the branch and making it easier for players to move around in the Dead Mountain Range.

In a valley of the Mountain of the Dead.

A caravan of over a hundred experts at the Bone Forging Realm stood guard beside the vehicle, clearly seasoned veterans. However, their expressions turned grim as they faced the figures in silver-gray attire in the woods, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Damn it! What a coincidence, running into this group of gray-clad men." A lizardman with two heads looked out the car window at the woman leading the group of gray-clad men, feeling utterly helpless.

The Mountain of the Dead is completely different now than it was when he last visited.

Previously, there was only the Smiling Skull, but now there is also a Gray Man. Both the Smiling Skull and the Gray Man are rude to passing caravans. However, as long as you cooperate with the Smiling Skull, he will be principled and even personally give them a relatively safe route map of the Dead Mountain, and won't do anything to them.

But the gray-clad men were different. They came in and started robbing, and they couldn't kill them all. Although the gray-clad men were far weaker than the Smiling Skull, they had gained considerable fame in the Dead Mountain Range during this time.

They were even called the Southern Skeleton and the Northern Gray Robe by the major caravans, one blocking the south side of the Dead Mountain Range and the other blocking the north side, making it practically impossible for these caravans to survive.

"Boss, it seems the leader of the gray-clad men has arrived." A high-level orc at the Limit Bone Forging Realm ran over and cautiously reported.

"They're here? Finally, I can talk to these lunatics. Take me to see him quickly." Upon hearing this, the two-headed lizardman hurriedly stepped out of the carriage.

(End of this chapter)