Forging

Hu Mang hadn't expected that the demonic path had become an industry overseas, and that the focus of their research was on human modification and the implantation of Law Artifact.

It is quite popular not only in Java, but also in other parts of Nanyang.

Even the fact that the Demonic Machine Hall spread to Java was considered relatively late.

After all, gaining immense power through a simple implantation surgery is indeed something to be very envious of.

During the six months that Hu Mang was away, the Demonic Machine Hall had already become famous on the island.

Many indigenous people come here seeking to be rehabilitated.

"It seems that Heavenly Gate doesn't have this kind of human modification," Hu Mang muttered to himself.

"Mr. Mang, doesn't Heavenly Gate have this kind of method?" Liang Xiaoqiu asked curiously.

"No, no."

"If the Heavenly Gate is so powerful, why doesn't it exist?"

"It's probably for forming the Golden Core," Hu Mang thought for a moment and said.

In Heavenly Gate, forming the Golden Core is not a very distant thing, but there is a prerequisite for forming the Golden Core: the human body's meridians must be intact, that is, there cannot be any missing limbs.

You might feel good doing this and that, but it'll ruin your chances of achieving the Golden Core stage.

Unless you're like those two demonic cultivators Hu Mang saw, who underwent complete body modifications, with all their meridians being artificial, then it naturally doesn't matter.

Otherwise, from Heavenly Gate's perspective, such a transformation would be counterproductive.

After Hu Mang explained the limitations of Heavenly Gate on human body modification and the development of the Golden Core, the girl with the braided hair showed visible envy.

"Is the Heavenly Gate that powerful? I might never even be able to form my core in this lifetime."

"It's all up to human effort," Hu Mang said casually.

"By the way, what kind of Spirit Root do you have?"

"I possess both water and fire Spirit Root."

"Your dual Spirit Root aptitude isn't bad, but with water and fire Spirit Root, your luck isn't very good," Hu Mang said casually.

Liang Xiaoqiu also looked dejected.

Among the five Spirit Root, the interaction between water and fire is the most intense, and it is almost always a conflict, with little chance of mutual generation.

Cultivators with water and fire Spirit Root often find their cultivation efforts twice as difficult and half as effective, rather than half as effective and twice as effective.

If this were in Heavenly Gate, the subject selection teacher would usually suggest that parents directly refine a portion of their Spirit Root, or simply abandon it completely and then take the route of "Digital Spirit Root, online cultivation".

But this is overseas, where there's no such advanced technology for modifying one's Root Bone. If you encounter someone who is your natural counter, you can only accept your fate.

"Old man, haven't you finished figuring this out yet?"

Hu Mang looked at Master A Pei, who was squatting on the ground, and suddenly spoke.

Since someone was willing to shoot for free, Hu Mang naturally didn't mind such a good thing. He quickly took out the good stuff he had salvaged from the Dragon Blood Tide: lightning-struck driftwood, ghost iron, tide-patterned black iron ingots, and three or four other treasures of the same level, letting the other party study them.

Upon seeing such a high-level forged treasure, the old man became completely captivated. He stopped drinking and listening to others, squatting on the ground muttering to himself, seemingly lost in thought.

Speechless, Hu Mang could only use a wisp of Divine Sense imbued with the power of the Heavenly Devil Field to pull the other party out of this immersive state.

"Are you awake?"

The old man rubbed his ears while looking at the Hu Mang in amazement.

"So that's how you got that thousand-year-old Yin wine! You salvaged it from the bottom of the sea. I'd heard before that Dragon Blood Tide spewed out in the East Sea, leaving behind many treasures, but I never expected you to have so many treasures for forging artifacts!"

The old man only said half of what he meant; the implication was that since there were so many crafted treasures, there must be even more of other types.

Can you fight?

"If you only want to forge one Ghost Gun, this plus this is enough. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Master A Pei placed the lightning-struck driftwood and a piece of ghost iron aside.

"As for the remaining materials," the old man pondered for a moment, "I can try to forge you a piece of armor at the level of Law Treasure."

"But you can only have defensive power at the level of Law Treasure. Don't even think about anything else. I'm just a blacksmith, not one of those carving and array masters from your Heavenly Gate."

Pure armor, right?

Hu Mang was taken aback.

He hadn't heard of this kind of pure protective gear in a long time.

Law Artifact, Spirit Artifact, and Law Treasure —in theory, the higher the level, the more spiritual they become, and some Law Treasure treasures are even more intelligent than ordinary cultivators.

However, he had indeed heard that some overseas forging techniques passed down through generations could forge protective gear made entirely of Law Treasure materials.

In fact, Heavenly Gate also possesses this technology, but it is generally used for key components in large-scale cultivation projects. Due to cost-effectiveness issues, it rarely ends up on the market.

So when Hu Mang first heard about this operation, he thought it was quite unusual.

"Well, these materials are all top-notch. I'm at least 50% confident I can forge a Law Treasure- level protective gear," Master A Pei said enthusiastically. For a craftsman of his caliber, forging weapons and protective gear was an addiction.

"Armor..."

Hu Mang did not feel that his physical body was weak. After mastering the Profound Yin Body Refinement, he was impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. However, this was only the strength of ordinary Law Artifact. Hu Mang did not have the perverted idea of using his vital points to test the sharpness of the opponent's weapon.

So after only a moment's hesitation, Hu Mang nodded.

"Can."

"Okay! I'll go design the blueprints right away."

"Wait a minute," Hu Mang's expression turned subtle as he watched the other party unceremoniously stuff treasures worth at least 50 million into his storage box.

Do you think I'd feel comfortable handing these things over to you so easily?

"What!?" Master A Pei's beard bristled and his eyes widened. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who steals other people's materials? Do you know how many people in Java are lining up to have me forge their treasures?"

As he spoke, the old man unceremoniously kicked the half-empty wine jar into his lap.

"..."

"I'll act as guarantor."

As she spoke, Liang Yanqiu walked straight in.

Although she was only dressed in home clothes, the elder sister-in-law had a well-proportioned and plump figure, delicate and soft skin, and outstanding features. Even the old man Apei, who was devoted to forging and had never married, couldn't help but take a few more glances before saying something respectfully but awkwardly.

"Madam Liang."

"Xiao Qiu, go and see Master A Pei off."

Liang Xiaoqiu quickly led the old man away, but the old man continued to shout as he walked.

"Boy, I don't care what kind of Heavenly Blood Python you are, but if you bring another jar of that wine next time, I'll let bygones be bygones for your current offense. Remember, it's Jade Spring Famous Brew; I'm no longer used to other wines. Don't forget that..."

After the old blacksmith left, Liang Yanqiu's delicate features relaxed, and the corners of her eyes, which had been upturned, curved into a soft arc.

"Looks like you've been staying quite comfortably these past few days."

"It's alright, but my reputation isn't great," Hu Mang said honestly. "People outside are probably saying I'm a charlatan who stole his sister-in-law."

Liang Yanqiu's smile deepened, gentle yet possessing a captivating charm.

"You care a lot about your reputation?"

"Not really, it's just that the feeling of not getting any meat and getting all sorts of trouble is still unpleasant. Besides, just two nights in Liang Household Garden has strained my five-year friendship with Boss Zheng. Where else can I find a business like that?"

"If you hadn't already suspected Zheng Qingbo, you probably wouldn't have been able to get in so easily," Liang Yanqiu said, walking directly behind Hu Mang. Her hands weren't delicate, but her fingertips pressed firmly and gently along the taut lines of his shoulders and neck, easing the tension in Hu Mang's posture.

Then, Hu Mang Liang Yanqiu's hand and said with a forced smile:

"Sister-in-law, we in Heavenly Gate have a saying: 'Don't discuss business at the table, and don't discuss business at the table.' Since everyone wants to make a deal, let's just make a deal."

"Boys need to protect themselves when they're out and about."

Liang Yanqiu's smile vanished, and her expression turned cold.

"Help me kill Zheng Qingbo, and name your price."

"You want me to be an assassin? Throughout history, assassins have never had a good ending," Hu Mang said softly.

"Do you have any official connections in Heavenly Gate?" Liang Yanqiu suddenly asked.

"What's the meaning?"

"My people have uncovered a very important piece of information: Zheng Qingbo once dealt with a Heavenly Gate undercover agent in the area, but he handled it very cleanly, and I can't find any concrete evidence."

"The reason why the Autonomous Association needs to reform and increase its number of members is that with the continuous expansion of the sea routes, the trade volume in Nanyang is increasing exponentially every year. Therefore, the Autonomous Association has decided to open a large maritime market in Nanyang, and all relevant forces want to get involved."

"What does this have to do with me?" Hu Mang asked, puzzled.

"More than half of the goods transported to Nanyang are exported from Heavenly Gate. Therefore, the Autonomous Association proposed that the Heavenly Gate government should establish a presence in this sea city. However, not everyone is willing to accept this decision. There are several staunch opponents, including Zheng Qingbo."

"Oh, I see. You not only want to use my knife, but you also want to use Heavenly Gate as a tool to kill someone," Hu Mang paused, then chuckled. "But sister-in-law, why do you think I have connections with the authorities?"

"No?" Liang Yanqiu stared at Hu Mang with her deep black eyes.

"Hmm... Let the Yang World handle matters of the living; the people I know usually deal with the dead."

"What about the demonic path? The reason Zheng Qingbo vehemently opposes the Heavenly Gate officials moving in is because many of the hostages he swindled as a smuggler were used to refine techniques for the demonic path. His strong opposition stems from his fear that if the Heavenly Gate people were to enter, they would settle scores with him."

Hu Mang frowned. "Do you have any evidence?"

"I'm still investigating."

"Then let's talk after you've finished your investigation," Hu Mang said calmly. "You probably don't know, but Heavenly Gate nowadays emphasizes procedural justice. I can't just kill someone first and then give you time to find evidence, can I?"

"Alright, sister-in-law, I need to practice now. You can continue with your work."

After Hu Mang left, Liang Yanqiu's faint smile faded, the usual gentle curve of her eyes lowered slightly, and the soft pretense in her eyes disappeared, leaving only a thoughtful consideration of the pros and cons.