CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 66: DISCOVERY

Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, training ground.

One Leaf Floating Cloud walked out of the rest area, feeling somewhat fatigued and stretched lazily.

"I almost lost my life."

Thinking about his sister Ye Qinglu constantly asking him to teach her Shattering Stone Fist and Leopard Shadow Step gave One Leaf Floating Cloud a headache.

When learning Shattering Stone Fist and Leopard Shadow Step, he didn’t feel much, but teaching was almost life-draining.

It suddenly made One Leaf Floating Cloud understand why his parents used to grit their teeth and nearly wanted to knock him out when teaching him lessons back in school days.

Of course, it wasn’t because Ye Qinglu wasn’t smart; on the contrary, Ye Qinglu was too clever. When he taught her, she could infer the rest from one instance, directly questioning the key points of the two martial arts, even allowing him to discover many of his own issues.

After teaching Ye Qinglu for most of the day, it was as if he was awakened to reality, feeling like he had wasted his life living this long.

And when One Leaf Floating Cloud planned to relax by mining in the Maze Tunnel, he saw many players on the training ground looking over, each with a sympathetic expression, especially Twilight of the Gods, who glanced at One Leaf Floating Cloud and sighed.

"What’s with these expressions? Won’t my sudden disconnection mean there’s an issue?" One Leaf Floating Cloud showed a hint of worry seeing everyone’s expressions.

Ye Qinglu had suddenly turned off the internet, which would normally equate to logging out in other virtual games without any problems.

But Descent of High Martial is different from other virtual games; even if players log off, their bodies in the High Martial world merely sleep, and no one is sure whether sudden disconnection could cause issues.

If banned due to some bug, that would be a joke.

"It’s nothing, everyone just feels that this time the martial arts hall update seems to have been an epic downgrade for you." Twilight of the Gods explained, looking at the nervous One Leaf Floating Cloud.

"Epic downgrade?" One Leaf Floating Cloud looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Go see for yourself." Twilight of the Gods pointed to the notification board.

One Leaf Floating Cloud looked and rushed over.

"Damn! What’s going on here? I just lost connection for half a day, and I’m already nerfed by the game?" One Leaf Floating Cloud looked at the two newly released martial arts techniques from the martial arts hall and was dumbfounded.

Liaoyuan Spear Technique (Upper Volume), a Middle Tier Martial Artist Level spear technique, is divided into three layers, with upper and lower volumes. By using a special Breathing Technique and the mobilization of Qi and Blood, the spear technique becomes like a wildfire, burning everything, mastering the First Layer Starfire Realm can increase the speed and strength of the spear technique by three times, using Liaoyuan First Form Starfire. (Requires 3,000 Points and 200 Contribution to exchange; the lower volume requires an elite disciple status to access and exchange; note Liaoyuan Spear Technique combined with Liaoyuan Step Technique can exhibit greater effects.)

Liaoyuan Step Technique (Upper Volume), a Middle Tier Martial Artist Level step technique, is divided into three layers, with upper and lower volumes. By using a special Breathing Technique and the mobilization of Qi and Blood, multiple afterimages can be created, making the body elusive, mastering the First Layer Triple Form can increase speed by 40%, creating up to three afterimages. (Requires Inner Sect Disciple status, 50,000 Points, and 1,000 Contribution to exchange; the lower volume requires an elite disciple status to access and exchange; note Liaoyuan Spear Technique combined with Liaoyuan Step Technique can exhibit greater effects.)

Although the martial arts hall didn’t update much, for One Leaf Floating Cloud who uses the spear, it was like being knocked from the first tier to the third.

The current Spiral Demon Spear Kill only has a 2.5 times strength burst, but simply mastering the Liaoyuan Spear Technique grants a 3 times strength burst and can be paired with the specialized Liaoyuan Step Technique for even greater combat power.

That’s comparing a hammer to it.

"No, I can also learn this spear technique, and as for this step technique, as long as I gather enough Points, I can exchange it right now. The combination of the two still keeps me in the first tier." One Leaf Floating Cloud suddenly thought of his Inner Sect Disciple status, realizing he wasn’t nerfed that badly.

He’s originally good at spear techniques, and learning a higher tier spear technique would be beneficial for him. Not to mention his Spiral Demon Spear Kill isn’t perfectly incorporated yet; the Liaoyuan Spear Technique might even improve it further.

Instead, Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei are in a worse situation.

Before, everyone was not using weapon martial arts. Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei were ahead of the pack, but now as long as everyone has enough Points and Contribution, they can use stronger martial arts, and the advantage of Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei vanished instantly.

This update to the martial arts hall effectively brought the first tier to the same level as everyone else.

For most players, this is also a good opportunity to catch up. As long as they get the Liaoyuan Spear Technique, they can catch up with the first-tier experts.

For a while, the players in the third tier started crazily grinding in the martial arts hall, with none planning to sleep anymore. If they don’t hurry to catch up, when the first-tier people create even more powerful martial arts, the gap will only widen.

Noon the next day.

Lin Qi drove a medium-sized transporter to the Phosphorus Fire Trading Market, and also stopped by the Cangjing Weapon Shop, spending 160,000 Bit to procure two B2 Level standard sabers and swords. He also gave Luo Qi over 400 kilograms of Ancient Bronze Ore to make eight B2 Level standard long spears.

Inside the Phosphorus Fire Trading Market.

"Miss, the person who previously sold Crocodile Rhino Beef has come again."

A Half-Scale Race guard carrying a battle saber quickly entered a chamber made entirely of Energy Ore. Xia Ling was meditating at the center; her breaths were like a whale drawing in water, instantly inhaling all the air in the chamber, only to exhale it all a moment later.

If someone is sensitive to energy, they would even notice a vortex of energy forming with Xia Ling at its center, with energy surging into her body like a frenzy, stimulating all her muscle cells.

"Here again? Let other traders handle it." Xia Ling opened her eyes, apparently uninterested in this trade anymore.

Through past transactions, Xia Ling was well aware that Lin Qi and his crew were just a fortuitous little gang in the wilderness, and the previous deal should have been all the monster meat they could produce.

Without monster meat, Lin Qi and his crew naturally lost their value.

"Miss, the leading young guy said he brought something you would like this time, and wants to make a big deal with us at Phosphorus Fire." The Half-Scale Race guard carrying a battle saber faithfully reported.

"Something I like?" Xia Ling couldn’t help but smile, then asked, "Did you see what it was?"

"Couldn’t see." The Half-Scale Race guard shook his head, "This time they arrived with a medium-sized transporter."

"A medium-sized transporter? They seem to have gotten rich after a few days." Xia Ling got up, a smile playing on her lips, "Alright, since they’re specifically looking to trade with me, let’s see what else they have to offer."

Inside the Phosphorus Fire Trading Market.

Though it was broad daylight, the market was far less bustling than at night, but there were still plenty of gang members and vagabonds coming to trade, each either carrying large metal crates or riding big tricycles.

For someone like Lin Qi, driving a medium-sized transporter here, it was definitely the most eye-catching presence in the field.

"So rich! What kind of gang could this be?"

"They’re all in gray outfits. I’ve heard about them recently while in the wilderness, seemed like they’re called the Gray-clad Gang, always running transport jobs to and from the Grizzly Mine for the Cangjing Weapon Shop."

"No way, would any gang really value transporting some measly mosquito legs of ore?"

"Not sure, but seeing as they used to drive big tricycles and now brought a medium-sized transporter, they must be making good money."

Various vagabonds in the market murmured among themselves while looking at the five players in dark gray long-sleeve T-shirts by the transporter, and some members of small wilderness gangs even showed a semblance of envy.

For many small wilderness gangs, having a big tricycle was already a blessing; a medium-sized transporter capable of withstanding apprentice attacks was a lifelong dream.

And among a group of passing vagabonds, a one-armed young man from the Feather Race was curiously eyeing the medium-sized transporter. Moments later, his expression suddenly changed, shifting to one of ecstatic delight.

This one-armed young man didn’t even care about preparing his transaction items and directly left the Phosphorus Fire Trading Market.

"Captain Mans, I found the medium-sized transporter our base lost before." The one-armed young man spoke in a slightly trembling voice into his smart watch.

A reward of 1 million Bit!

This could completely change his life, not only allowing him a promotion within the gang but also letting him comfortably spend his later years with a few Feather Race beauties in the city suburbs, without needing to venture into the wilderness anymore.

"Are you sure?" The man on the other side confirmed again.

"I’m very sure," the one-armed Feather Race young man explained, "Last year, during a delivery with the convoy, another gang’s Extreme Apprentice attacked the carriage. That Extreme Apprentice used a spear technique that left three holes in the carriage’s middle, and that’s exactly how I lost my arm then, so I remember it clearly."

"Though many transporters in the wild have various battle scars, but such a coincidental pattern should have no second match."

"Alright, you did well, keep an eye on those people, I’ll contact the gang leader right away!" The man on the other side was quite satisfied.