Life-Taking Throat-Locking Spear

Crackle and snap!

Hong Yuan strode through the raging wind and rain, bean-sized drops packed dense as arrows, crashing down on him without end.

Splashes burst one after another, then streamed down along the hem of his clothes. His long hair hung loose over his head, constantly whipped into disorder by wind and rain, blocking his eyes.

He had become the very picture of a drenched chicken!

Hong Yuan did not care in the slightest. In fact, he felt rather exhilarated. Amid this world woven from wild wind and torrential rain, he went mad all by himself and burst into loud laughter.

The boots on his feet had already split open during that fierce battle, and after filling with muddy water they were even more tattered beyond repair. He had long since flung them off somewhere unknown.

At this moment, barefoot, he suddenly felt playful and deliberately stomped into the puddles in the ruts along the road, stirring muddy water into wild splashes. His whole body was dirtied, then swiftly washed clean by the pouring rain, only to be dirtied again.

Hong Yuan truly was very happy. The only slight regret was that he had no wine in hand at this moment.

At the bottom of his vision, his personal information refreshed!

[Blessed Land Dao Lord (Gray)—Stage One: Hong Yuan (18)]

[Root Bone: 6/100]

[Comprehension: 7/100]

[Talents: Qi Through All Bones, Clear Eyes Through the Nether]

Rumble!

Deep in the mountain stream, torrents churned, and a gray rock the size of a human head came tumbling down from above under the flood's rush.

With a heavy crash, it smashed a puddle right in front of Hong Yuan, splattering muddy water all over his face.

Hong Yuan quickened a few steps, then launched a flying kick, striking it hard like he was shooting a football.

Whoosh!

Wrapped in a mass of muddy water, the gray rock shot straight out. After flying five or six zhang, it slammed violently into a tree trunk and burst into hundreds and thousands of fragments in an instant.

Hong Yuan looked at his foot. There was a faint jolt of pain, but as his qi and blood circulated, it quickly diminished, leaving only a large red mark across the instep.

Hong Yuan showed a satisfied smile.

Sure enough, just as he had expected, after his Root Bone increased by six threads, his physical qualities had risen a small step across the board.

Never mind the improvements in strength and speed.

From what he himself could feel, his sinews and bones had grown stronger and more solid, and his skin had also become extremely tough and flexible.

Perhaps it could already be called stone skin, ox hide, and the like, while the flesh and blood beneath his skin were no less resilient.

Hong Yuan estimated that even if an ordinary person held a sharp knife or keen blade, they would likely find it very difficult to cut through his skin and flesh.

As for Comprehension increasing from six to seven, Hong Yuan slightly closed his eyes, his thoughts sinking a little, using his meditation method to reflect everything around him. A mysterious and profound spiritual perception spread outward.

In that instant, the noisy, roaring sounds of rain and wind suddenly receded.

A quiet and clear new world abruptly appeared in Hong Yuan's mind.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang!

Within a range of roughly three zhang, Hong Yuan seemed to have opened x-ray eyes. He "saw" beneath the damp soil, an earthworm slowly twisting its body and burrowing through the mud layer. Beside it, a gray-black beetle hid among a pile of dead leaves, only to be swiftly washed away by muddy water!

He could even "see" a few steps away, several midges whose wings had been beaten off by the storm, gathered together and struggling with all their might.

Every hair and every detail appeared in full.

This was an unprecedented sensation, incomparably wonderful, as if he were a god dwelling high above the heavens, looking down on all things as worms and ants.

However, Hong Yuan knew clearly that this was only an illusion brought about by the sudden rise in perception, so he soon pulled himself free from that intoxicating state.

Once more feeling the rain-arrows batter his body, Hong Yuan rubbed the space between his brows, a faint trace of weariness in him.

Of course, it was only mental fatigue. His body still surged with inexhaustible strength. He abruptly stamped his foot, and amid great sheets of muddy water spraying up, his whole body had already shot out like a cannonball.

In the blink of an eye, he left the forest and climbed onto the official road. Hong Yuan did not stop, running more than twenty li in one breath, long since leaving the storm area behind.

There gradually began to be more pedestrians along the way.

Hong Yuan found someone to confirm the route, in case he had run in the wrong direction.

Fortunately, he had not deviated from his target. Right now, he was only a little over forty li from Linjiang Prefecture City.

That earlier sprint had consumed almost nothing for Hong Yuan. For the remaining distance, he could arrive in two quarters of an hour at most.

But this time, Hong Yuan had come to go to Lanyue Garden and kill someone—to kill Wei Zhenzhu—so naturally, he had to make preparations.

Along the way, he had fought through various counties and towns, crossed hands with many renowned martial artists, and melted their fists, feet, weapons, and skills into himself, drawing out the essence and fusing them into one!

His Root Bone and Comprehension had also improved.

At this moment, even if a so-called martial arts grandmaster, an expert whose force had entered the "subtle," came before him, they would still have to fight first before superiority could be decided.

The only thing he lacked was a suitable weapon.

If a craftsman wished to do his work well, he must first sharpen his tools!

The reason Hong Yuan had chosen this route was because he had heard that several li ahead, there was a large town called "Black Iron Town"!

This town backed onto Black Ridge Mountain, where iron ore resources were abundant, and one kind, "Cloud Pattern Iron," was the most famed of all.

This type of iron ore contained few impurities and had high toughness, making it a superior material for forging all manner of fine weapons. Thus, a hundred years ago, the imperial court had moved a group of artisan households here to settle and established the place as a town.

Later, the central authority lost power, and local regions at every level carved out their own domains. But these artisan households had already taken root and multiplied here, so they did not move away. Instead, as the town's fame grew, it attracted ever more highly skilled forging masters to join them, and the town expanded in scale again and again.

The closer one got to Black Iron Town, the more travelers and merchants there were.

In just a few short li, Hong Yuan even saw more than a dozen groups of jianghu folk carrying sabers and swords, dressed in tight, swift-moving garb. All had come because of its reputation.

Perhaps some of them had the same idea as Hong Yuan.

Very soon, a vast market town came into view. It was ringed by mountains on three sides, with only one exit to the east leading to the official road. A small river flew down from the mountain, passed through the town, and flowed into the Yudai River.

This large town had even built city walls, directly using massive stones quarried from the mountain and piling them up. They stood over two zhang tall. In terms of sturdiness, perhaps they could not compare to some county city walls, but they won out by being tall, massive, and thick.

At the city gate and atop the walls, armored soldiers in fine equipment patrolled on guard, roughly twenty or thirty men in all!

Entering the town also required undergoing a round of inspection. Originally, the gate officer seemed to want to make things difficult, but after Hong Yuan handed over an ingot of silver, the former immediately let him pass.

With his hair loose and his feet bare, he walked along the long street. The street was noisy with the flow of people, shoulders brushing and heels knocking, bustling to the extreme!

Hong Yuan raised his eyes and looked over. Rows of houses were neatly arranged, packed close as fish scales and comb teeth. Restaurants, shops, teahouses, and opera stages were all present!

Of course, what was even more indispensable were the clanging blacksmith shops. Almost every few steps, one could see a storefront dealing in weapons and equipment.

It was said that Black Iron Town's permanent population alone exceeded ten thousand, making it already comparable to a small county in scale. As for its defensive strength, it was probably above that of the various counties under Linjiang Prefecture.

Hong Yuan strolled about casually and saw patrol squads clad in armor and carrying sharp weapons passing down the streets from time to time. Each squad had ten men. The moment someone got into an argument or a fight, they immediately stepped in, either rebuking them or directly seizing them and hauling them away!

Aside from these town guards, several watchtowers stood on the commanding heights on the three sides of Black Ridge Mountain.

Hong Yuan had only noticed them after entering the town.

With these watchtowers present, each one needed only three to five men rotating shifts to look down from above and take in any movement for dozens of li around. The moment bandits or the like attacked, they could swiftly ignite beacon fires to give warning.

Combined with the town guards and all manner of fine armor and weapons, if they held the walls, even if a thousand or ten thousand men came attacking, they absolutely would not be able to take the town in a short while.

And as long as they could hold on for one or two hours, the prefectural city would receive the news, and when that time came, the three great prefectural guards would naturally be dispatched.

With such backing, it was no wonder the gate patrol seemed strict, but in truth was lax.

After all, if Hong Yuan could get in by offering silver, then if villains had the mind to, they could do the same.

Hong Yuan did not wander around for long. After all, his entire body was still soaked and muddy, not yet dry. He casually bought a short blade from a blacksmith shop, then went straight to the largest restaurant in town.

The restaurant had originally been full, but under Hong Yuan's great coin-scattering offensive, a private room was quickly freed up.

First, he had one waiter go buy new clothes and boots, then had another prepare a bathtub and boil hot water. He instructed the shopkeeper that after he bathed, the food and wine should be sent directly into the room.

With silver paving the way, the waiters moved briskly. Before long, Hong Yuan was comfortably lying in a steaming bathtub.

He soaked for a while, then took out the short blade he had bought. First, he waved it casually, cutting off a corner of the table in the room.

After confirming how sharp the blade was.

Hong Yuan held the knife in his right hand, aimed it at his left arm, and swiftly drew it across.

With a hiss!

It was as if the blade had cut across some kind of leather. The edge slid away rapidly, while only a white mark was left on Hong Yuan's arm. His muscles exerted a slight force and tensed, and the white mark instantly vanished.

Joy appeared on Hong Yuan's face.

Though he had not used much strength in that slash, this performance still showed that he was indeed already evolving toward something "inhuman."

After his transmigration, his body had been strengthened once. Back then, he could already be considered among the very best constitutions found in ordinary people.

And upon that foundation, as thread after thread of root bone increased, he grew ever stronger, until after crossing five threads of root bone and increasing by a sixth, his body finally welcomed a small transformation.

Hong Yuan had a strange feeling. Five threads and five wisps of root bone and comprehension formed a small checkpoint, while "ten" should be a major checkpoint!

Perhaps when he reached "ten," he would arrive at a true transformation, a dual sublimation of body and spirit.

Hong Yuan looked forward to it.

He pressed the blade against his arm again, increasing the strength in his right hand. Only when he used ten percent of his power did he finally count as having cut a bit of skin, but he was immediately blocked by the tough flesh and blood beneath.

With Hong Yuan's current strength, ten percent of his power had actually already surpassed most ordinary people!

He did not continue testing. He circulated his qi and blood, and his left arm immediately stopped bleeding.

Then he called for a waiter to change the water once more and washed himself clean. Only then did Hong Yuan leisurely put on a clean white robe.

As though he had calculated the timing precisely, just as he finished changing and washing, not long after, the shopkeeper came in with a face full of smiles, leading two waiters carrying trays as they respectfully served up dish after dish and wine.

When conditions allowed, Hong Yuan would absolutely never treat himself poorly. Thus, he ordered every specialty dish in the restaurant, and even asked for two jars of good wine.

After the wine and dishes were placed on the table, the shopkeeper attentively asked whether he needed anyone left behind to serve him.

Hong Yuan waved him away, then pushed open the window himself.

A slightly cool breeze blew in, lifting the strands of hair that had not yet fully dried.

It was afternoon at this time. A smear of the setting sun shone slantwise, and warm rosy light entered through the window.

Hong Yuan looked at the bustling crowd below and listened to the clamorous sounds of ironware clashing within the town. He leisurely filled a cup of wine and took a delighted sip.

The meal lasted a little under half an hour. Only when evening arrived did he leisurely go downstairs.

As for the leftovers and cold scraps in the room, the staff would naturally clean them up.

Whether buying a fine weapon or having one forged anew, Hong Yuan naturally would not choose those tiny workshops with only three or five people.

In Black Iron Town, master craftsmen of superior skill were everywhere, but two families stood above the rest: the Ou Family and the Xu Family.

These two families basically held the power of Black Iron Town in their hands. The commanders of the town guard and the city gate guards each came from one of the two families.

Nor were the two families rivals as ordinary people imagined. On the contrary, they had an excellent relationship and had jointly opened a Hundred Refinement Workshop. They had also invited more than a dozen great craftsmen to join them, and had dealings and cooperation with many great clans in the prefectural city.

An iron-forging workshop naturally would not be built in the commercial district. Hong Yuan turned down two streets and arrived at what the townsfolk called "Blacksmith Street." He went all the way to the end of the street, and a broad workshop district came into view.

Hanging above the main entrance was a gilded plaque bearing the three words "Hundred Refinement Workshop."

Hong Yuan walked straight inside. In the shop, a middle-aged shopkeeper who was working an abacus heard the sound and raised his head. Seeing that the newcomer was dressed in plain clothes, his hair casually loose, yet possessed a bearing and brilliance the likes of which he had never seen in his life, he did not dare be negligent and hurriedly asked, "May I ask what instructions you have, young master?"

"My surname is Hong. I wish to have a weapon forged."

"This... Young Master Hong may not know, but our Hundred Refinement Workshop does not accept commissions from individuals. If you wish to have a weapon cast, this humble one would be willing to introduce you to the Cast Iron Workshop or the Silver Hook Workshop. Their craftsmanship is all superb."

At this point, the middle-aged shopkeeper suspected this was some noble family's young master, seized by a whim and possessed of thoughts of becoming a wandering hero.

Hong Yuan smiled. "There are always exceptions."

His gaze swept around and caught sight of a weapon rack on one side of the hall. He immediately walked over and took down a refined-iron longsaber, then flicked it with a bent finger. A clear ding rang out at once!

There were still a few attendants in the shop. At this moment, they all looked over along with the middle-aged shopkeeper, not knowing what Hong Yuan intended to do.

Hong Yuan reached out with the five fingers of his right hand and gripped the back of the blade. Suddenly, there came a crisp crack. Before the middle-aged shopkeeper could understand what it meant, Hong Yuan had already handed the longsaber to him.

"Please give this saber to your head shopkeeper, and convey my meaning to him."

The middle-aged shopkeeper accepted the longsaber in utter confusion, then suddenly drew in a cold breath with a hiss, his expression changing drastically. He hurriedly brought the longsaber close to his eyes to examine it.

Only to see that on this steel saber, cold light gleaming brilliantly, five deep finger marks had shockingly appeared on the blade, embedded in it as if it had been squeezed like mud.

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked and looked again. When he raised his head to look at Hong Yuan once more, it was as though he had seen a ghost.

Though the saber in his hand had not been forged from Cloud Pattern Iron, it was still the fine work of a great craftsman. Blades and swords from ordinary workshops would break with a single chop against it. Yet this young master before him, who looked elegant, graceful, and extraordinarily handsome, could actually leave marks in it with five flesh-and-blood fingers. What kind of strength was this?

Being in this line of work, he had dealt for years with young wandering heroes and all sorts of jianghu folk, and even knew many gang leaders and experts from martial sects.

But someone capable of gripping iron with five fingers and leaving an imprint—he had lived more than half his life, and this was the first time he had ever seen such a thing.

Amid the shock in his heart, the middle-aged shopkeeper was glad he had not been negligent. He hurriedly bowed with cupped hands. "Please wait a moment, young master. This humble one will go invite the workshop master over at once."

With that said, the middle-aged shopkeeper instructed several attendants to serve fine tea and attend to him properly, while he himself hurried off, carrying the longsaber.

They waited for roughly half a quarter of an hour.

The sound of steady, powerful footsteps rang out.

Immediately after, a man about fifty years of age, with a dense curly beard, a ruddy face, and bulging muscles that even his brocade robe could not conceal, wearing an iron crown on his head, strode swiftly out from the rear hall.

Before the man arrived, his resonant laughter came first.

"Haha! This morning I heard magpies calling on the branches, and it turns out an honored guest has arrived. This old man is Ou Zhenyun, unworthy head shopkeeper of the Hundred Refinement Workshop. Greetings, Young Master Hong!"

In just a few steps, this man with a powerful physique and abundant qi and blood arrived before him, gave a salute, and sized Hong Yuan up with a glance. A flash of surprise passed through his eyes.

If that middle-aged shopkeeper had not been a junior of his family, and if his words had not been so certain, he truly would not have believed that the young master before him actually possessed such terrifying finger strength!

"Mr. Ou, you are too courteous!" Since the other party's etiquette was thorough, Hong Yuan also smiled and returned the salute.

"Haha! I dare not be called mister. This old man is nothing more than a blacksmith. Even now, having changed into these clothes, I am still very unaccustomed to them!"

Ou Zhenyun laughed boldly, stroking his beard as he said, "This old man would like to ask an impertinent question. May I know which great sect Young Master Hong comes from? To possess such astonishing skill—truth be told, when this old man saw that saber blade earlier, I was so startled I leapt up and nearly slammed my head into the roof beam."

He seemed to be saying it as a joke.

Hong Yuan smiled. "Then that was Hong's fault. But I must disappoint you, old sir. I am merely an unaffiliated wanderer of the jianghu."

Ou Zhenyun naturally did not believe him, taking it only as the other party deliberately concealing the truth. He changed the subject and said, "May I ask what sort of weapon Young Master Hong wishes to forge?"

"Hong wishes to forge a spear. The Life-Taking Throat-Locking Spear!"

Hong Yuan smiled, and in his mind there surfaced the scene from "The Five Shaolin Masters" of Hong Xiguan fighting with a spear.

We're both surnamed Hong. There shouldn't be any problem if I borrow it for a while, right?

"It's difficult to describe in words. Please bring me brush and paper, Mr. Ou."