The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 42 Deadly Chokehold (4k)

Crackling!

Hong Yuan strode through the raging wind and rain, the large raindrops falling incessantly on him.

As water splashed, it flowed down her clothes, her long hair was disheveled and constantly being ruffled by the wind and rain, obscuring her vision.

He was completely soaked!

Hong Yuan didn't care at all; in fact, he was quite pleased. Amidst the raging wind and rain, he acted wildly and laughed heartily.

The boots on his feet had already cracked during the fierce fight, and after being soaked in mud, they were even more tattered and had long since been thrown away somewhere.

Barefoot, he suddenly felt playful and deliberately stepped into the puddles in the road, splashing mud and water everywhere, getting himself dirty. The torrential rain quickly washed him clean, only to make him dirty again.

Hong Yuan was indeed very happy, but his slight regret was that he had no wine in his hand at the moment.

Below, his personal information has been updated!

【Master of Blessed Land (Gray) - First Step on the Stage: Hong Yuan (18)】

[Body Constitution: 6/100]

Comprehension: 7/100

[Talent: Qi flows through the entire body, and vision is clear and penetrating]

Rumble!
A torrent surged up deep in the mountain stream, and a gray rock the size of a human head fell from the sky as it was swept away by the flash flood.

With a loud bang, a puddle was created directly in front of Yu Hongyuan, splashing mud and water all over his face.

Hong Yuan took a few quick steps, then launched a powerful kick, as if kicking a football.

Whoops!

The gray rock, carrying a large amount of mud and water, shot straight out, flying five or six zhang before crashing into the tree trunk and instantly shattering into hundreds of fragments.

Hong Yuan looked at his feet and felt a slight throbbing pain, but it quickly subsided as his blood and qi circulated, leaving only a large red mark on the instep.

Hong Yuan smiled with satisfaction.

Just as he expected, after his root bone increased by six strands, his physical fitness improved by a small step in all aspects.

Leaving aside the improvements in strength and speed.

He could feel that his bones and muscles were becoming stronger and more solid, and his skin was becoming extremely supple.

It could perhaps be described as stone skin or cowhide, and the flesh beneath it was just as tough.

Hong Yuan estimated that even if an ordinary person were to wield a sharp knife or blade, it would be difficult for them to pierce his skin and flesh.

As for his comprehension increasing from six to seven, Hong Yuan slightly closed his eyes, his mind calmed down, and used meditation to reflect on everything around him, and his profound spiritual awareness unfolded.

In an instant, the noisy, roaring rain and wind abruptly subsided.

A tranquil and clear new world suddenly appeared in Hong Yuan's mind.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang!
Within a radius of about three zhang, Hong Yuan seemed to have gained X-ray vision. He 'saw' an earthworm slowly wriggling its body under the damp soil, breaking through the mud layer, while a gray-black beetle hid in the dead leaves and was quickly washed away by the mud and water!

You can even 'see' a few steps away a few midges whose wings have been knocked off by the rainstorm, huddled together struggling desperately.

Every detail is clearly visible.

This was an unprecedented and incredibly wonderful feeling, as if I were a god residing high in the sky, looking down on all things as insignificant as insects and ants.

However, Hong Yuan knew that this was just an illusion brought about by the sudden increase in perception, so he quickly withdrew from this intoxicating state.

Feeling the raindrops pelting his body again, Hong Yuan rubbed his temples, feeling slightly tired.

Of course, it was only mental exhaustion; his body was still surging with inexhaustible strength. With a sudden stomp of his foot, he shot out like a cannonball amidst a spray of mud and water.

In the blink of an eye, they emerged from the jungle and onto the official road. Hong Yuan did not stop and ran for more than twenty miles in one go, already out of the rainstorm area.

More and more pedestrians gradually appeared along the way.

Hong Yuan checked the route to make sure he wasn't going the wrong way.

Fortunately, he did not stray from his target and was now only about forty miles away from Linjiang Prefecture.

The previous run had barely taken a toll on Hong Yuan, and he could reach the remaining distance in no more than 15 minutes.

But Hong Yuan came here to kill someone at Lan Yue Garden, specifically Wei Zhenzhu, so he naturally had to be prepared.

Along his journey, he fought in various counties and towns, sparring with many famous martial artists. He absorbed their fist, footwork, and weapon skills into his own body, learning their essence and mastering them!
His physical constitution and comprehension have also improved.

Even a so-called martial arts master, a master of subtle internal strength, would have to fight before they could determine who was superior.

The only thing lacking was a suitable weapon.

To do a good job, one must first have the right tools!
Hong Yuan chose this route because he had heard that there was a large town a few miles ahead called 'Black Iron Town'!
This town is nestled against Black Ridge Mountain, which is rich in iron ore resources, with a particular type of iron called "Cloud Pattern Iron" being the most famous.

This type of iron ore has low impurity content and high toughness, making it a superior material for forging various high-quality weapons. Therefore, a hundred years ago, the imperial court relocated a group of artisans to settle here and established this place as a town.

Later, the central government lost power, and various localities began to carve up their own territories. However, these artisans had already multiplied and thrived in the area, so they did not move away. Instead, their reputation grew, attracting more and more skilled blacksmiths to join them, and the town expanded in size time and time again.

The closer you get to Black Iron Town, the more pedestrians and merchants there are.

Within a few miles, Hong Yuan even saw more than a dozen groups of martial arts practitioners, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes and carrying swords, who had come here because of his reputation.

Perhaps they share the same thoughts as Hong Yuan.

Soon, a large town came into view, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one exit on the east leading to the official road. A small river flowed down from the mountain, passed through the town, and joined the Jade Belt River.

This large town even has city walls, built directly from large stones from the mountains. They are over two zhang high. While they may not be as sturdy as some other county city walls, they are tall and thick.

There were well-dressed soldiers patrolling the city gates and walls, numbering about twenty or thirty in total!

Upon entering the city, one must undergo another inspection. The city guard initially intended to make things difficult, but after Hong Yuan handed over a silver ingot, he immediately let him pass.

With disheveled hair and bare feet, he walked barefoot down the long street, where the crowds were bustling and jostling, creating a lively atmosphere!

Hong Yuan looked up and saw rows of houses, neatly arranged and standing side by side, including restaurants, shops, teahouses, and theaters!
Of course, there are also blacksmith shops with their clanging and banging sounds; you can see a shop selling tools almost every few steps.

It is said that the permanent population of Black Iron Town alone exceeds 10,000, which is comparable to the size of a small county. Moreover, its defense capabilities are probably even stronger than those of the counties in Linjiang Prefecture.

As Hong Yuan strolled around, he saw that on the streets, there were always patrol teams of ten men in full armor. If anyone got into a fight or argument, they would immediately intervene, either to reprimand them or to arrest them.
In addition to these city guards, several watchtowers stand on the three commanding heights of Blackridge Mountain.

Hong Yuan only saw it after entering the city.

With these watchtowers in place, each watchtower only requires three to five people to take turns, allowing them to overlook the surrounding area for dozens of miles. If bandits or the like attack, they can quickly light a beacon to warn others.

With the city's guards and a variety of fine armor and weapons, they can hold the city walls. Even if thousands or tens of thousands of people attack, they will definitely not be able to take it down in a short time.

If they can hold out for an hour or two, the city government will receive the news, and the three guards will be mobilized.

With such reliance on security, it's no wonder that the city gate patrols, though seemingly strict, were actually lax.

After all, if Hong Yuan could bring in silver, the thieves could do the same if they wanted to.

Hong Yuan didn't linger, as he was soaking wet and still covered in mud. He casually bought a short blade at a blacksmith's shop and went straight to the town's largest restaurant. The restaurant was already full, but thanks to Hong Yuan's extravagant spending, a private room was quickly made available.

First, he sent one of his assistants to buy new clothes and boots, and then another assistant to prepare a bathtub and boil water. He instructed the manager to bring the wine and dishes directly to his room after he had bathed.

With money paving the way and the waiter working quickly, Hong Yuan was soon comfortably lying in the steaming bathtub.

After taking a bath for a while, he took out the short blade he had bought and casually swung it, cutting off a corner of the table in the room.

After determining the sharpness of the blade.

Hong Yuan held the knife in his right hand and quickly slashed at his left arm.

Chi!
It was as if the blade had sliced ​​through some kind of leather, the edge gliding swiftly, leaving a white mark on Hong Yuan's arm. He tensed his muscles slightly, and the white mark disappeared instantly.

Hong Yuan's face lit up with joy.

Although he didn't use much force with this stroke, his performance demonstrated that he was indeed evolving towards becoming 'inhuman'.

After transmigrating, his body was strengthened once, and at that time he could be considered one of the best among ordinary people.

On this basis, with each increase in root bone, the body becomes stronger and stronger, until it surpasses five root bones and increases to six root bones, at which point the body finally undergoes a small transformation.

Hong Yuan had a strange feeling that the five strands of innate talent and comprehension were a small hurdle, while the 'ten' should be a big hurdle!

Perhaps when he reaches 'ten', he will achieve a true transformation, a dual sublimation of body and spirit.

Hong Yuan looked forward to it.

He pressed the blade against his arm again, and with increased force in his right hand, he managed to cut a small piece of skin, but it was immediately stopped by the tough flesh.

With Hong Yuan's current strength, even 10% of his power already surpasses that of most ordinary people!
He didn't continue trying; he circulated his qi and blood, and the bleeding in his left arm immediately stopped.

He called for the staff to change the water again and wash himself clean. Only then did Hong Yuan leisurely put on a clean white robe.

As if timed perfectly, he had just finished changing and washing when, in no time, the shopkeeper, all smiles, led two waiters carrying trays and serving up dishes and wine.

Given the opportunity, Hong Yuan would never treat himself poorly, so he ordered all the hotel's specialties and two jugs of fine wine.

After the food and wine were served, the innkeeper asked solicitously if anyone was needed to serve them.

Hong Yuan waved him away and then opened the window himself.

A cool breeze blew in, lifting his still slightly damp hair.

It was afternoon, and a sliver of the setting sun shone obliquely, its warm glow streaming through the window.

Hong Yuan looked down at the bustling crowd and listened to the noisy clanging of metal in the town. He leisurely poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip with relish.

The meal took almost half an hour, and he didn't leisurely go downstairs until evening.

As for the leftovers in the room, the waiters will take care of cleaning them up.

Whether it's purchasing a superior weapon or forging a new one, Hong Yuan would never choose those small workshops with only three or five people.

In Black Iron Town, there are many master craftsmen with superb skills, but two families are the most respected: the Ou family and the Xu family.

These two families essentially control the power in Black Iron Town. The commanders of the town's guards and the gatekeepers are each from one of these two families.

The two companies are not competitors as most people imagine; on the contrary, they have an excellent relationship. They jointly opened a "Hundred Refinements Workshop" and invited more than a dozen master craftsmen to join them. They also have cooperative relationships with many large families in the prefectural city.

Iron smelting workshops are certainly not built in commercial areas. Hong Yuan turned two streets and arrived at what the town called "Blacksmith Street". He walked all the way to the end of the street and a spacious workshop area came into view.

Above the main entrance hangs a gold-plated plaque with the three characters "Bai Lian Fang" (百炼坊).

Hong Yuan went straight inside. A middle-aged shopkeeper who was fiddling with an abacus looked up when he heard the voice. He saw that although the newcomer was dressed in plain clothes and his hair was casually draped, his demeanor and spirit were unlike anything he had ever seen. He did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly asked, "What are your orders, young master?"

"My surname is Hong, and I want to forge a weapon."

“This… Young Master Hong, you may not know this, but my Hundred Refinements Workshop does not accept personal crafting services. If you wish to forge weapons, I would like to recommend you to the Iron Forging Workshop or the Silver Hook Workshop, both of which have exquisite craftsmanship.”

The middle-aged shopkeeper then suspected that this was a young nobleman from some family, who, on a whim, had the idea of ​​becoming a chivalrous knight-errant.

Hong Yuan smiled and said, "There are always exceptions."

He looked around and saw a weapon rack on one side of the hall. He immediately went over, took a fine iron longsword, flicked it with his finger, and there was a crisp 'ding' sound!
There were several other employees in the shop, who, along with the middle-aged shopkeeper, all looked over, wondering what Hong Yuan was going to do.

Hong Yuan extended his right hand and pinched the back of the knife. Suddenly, a crisp 'crack' was heard. Before the middle-aged shopkeeper could understand what was happening, Hong Yuan had already handed him the long knife.

"Please give this knife to your head steward and tell him what I mean."

The middle-aged shopkeeper took the long sword in a daze, then suddenly hissed and gasped, his face changing drastically. He quickly brought the long sword to his eyes to examine it.

But then one saw that the gleaming steel knife had five deep finger marks on its blade, as if they were molded clay and embedded in the blade.

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked at Hong Yuan again and again, and when he looked up at Hong Yuan again, it was as if he had seen a ghost.

Although the knife in his hand was not forged from cloud-patterned iron, it was still a masterpiece crafted by a master craftsman. Ordinary workshop swords would break with a single slash, yet this seemingly elegant and exceptionally handsome young man could leave marks with just five fingers. What kind of strength was that?

Being in this line of work, he was in constant contact with wandering knights and all sorts of people from the martial arts world, and even knew many gang leaders and masters from martial arts sects.

He had lived most of his life and this was the first time he had ever seen someone who could hold iron in his five fingers and form a seal.

Shocked, the middle-aged shopkeeper was glad he hadn't been negligent and quickly bowed, saying, "Please wait a moment, young master, I will go and fetch the shop owner right away."

After saying this, the middle-aged shopkeeper instructed several waiters to serve him good tea and treat him well, while he hurriedly left with his long knife.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes.

A steady, powerful footstep sounded.

Then a man who looked to be about fifty years old, with a thick beard, a ruddy complexion, and bulging muscles that could not be concealed by his brocade robe, and wearing an iron crown, walked swiftly from the back hall.

Before the person arrived, a loud laugh preceded their arrival.

"Haha! I heard magpies chirping on the branches early this morning, it turns out we have a distinguished guest. I am Ou Zhenyun, the head manager of Bailianfang, and I greet Young Master Hong!"

Within a few steps, the burly, vigorous man approached, bowed, glanced at Hong Yuan, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

If the middle-aged shopkeeper hadn't been a junior member of his family and hadn't spoken with such certainty, he truly wouldn't have believed that this young man before him possessed such terrifying finger strength!

"Mr. Ou, you are very polite!" Hong Yuan smiled and returned the greeting.

"Haha! You flatter me, sir. I'm just a blacksmith, and I'm quite unaccustomed to wearing these clothes!"

Ou Zhenyun laughed heartily, stroking his beard, and said, "This old man has a presumptuous question. May I ask which great sect Young Master Hong belongs to? You have such amazing skills. To be honest, when I saw that blade earlier, I was so shocked that I jumped up and almost bumped my head on the roof beam."

He said it as if he were joking.

Hong Yuan laughed and said, "That was my fault. I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir. I'm just a wandering swordsman."

Ou Zhenyun didn't believe it, assuming the other party was intentionally hiding something. He changed the subject and asked, "I wonder what kind of weapon Young Master Hong wants to forge?"

"Hong wants to forge a gun, a deadly throat-locking gun!"

Hong Yuan smiled, and the scene of Hong Xiguan fighting with a spear in the 'Five Ancestors of Shaolin' flashed through his mind.
We all share the surname Hong, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to borrow it!
"Words cannot express it. Please, Mr. Ou, bring me paper and pen."

(End of this chapter)