Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 160: Chapter 110: The New Emperor Faints at the Palace Gate! The Evil Guest Returns! _3

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The rhythmic sound of hammering echoed in the mountain cave, uninterrupted, as muscular men with bare upper bodies struck iron blocks. Sweat dripped from their skin, yet not a single one dared slack off.

Because beside them, black-clad martial artists with cold, indifferent gazes were watching like hawks.

Anyone who dared show signs of laziness or carelessness was immediately met with a vicious whip strike. A whip drenched in saltwater was enough to teach them the true meaning of pain, leaving their skin torn and flesh exposed.

”Work harder for me!”

”If I don’t see 300 sets of heavy armor within six months, watch out for your heads!”

”Meet the quota, and I promise you’ll return home safe!”

A cold voice rang out in the cave. A burly man dressed in green paced continuously, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning every corner as his cropped mustache trembled faintly.

It was none other than Leng Yun, Wind Hall Master of the Black Sand Gang.

With their safety tied directly to their performance, the blacksmiths immediately redoubled their efforts.

Nearby, a subordinate, adept at reading expressions, quickly said:

”Master Hall, the temperature here is far too high. You should wait above while we handle everything here. Rest assured, these people won’t cause trouble.”

Leng Yun nodded slowly.

Although he was in the Blood Refining Realm and impervious to both heat and cold, the underground cave’s suffocating environment was far from pleasant.

”Keep a close watch. There must not be a single mistake. This task is crucial to the great ambitions of our Black Sand Gang. If anyone dares slack off... you know what to do.”

”Yes, yes—don’t you worry, Master Hall!”

Leng Yun stepped out of the underground cavern, where someone was already waiting for him outside—a rugged-faced man with a pair of meteor hammers slung on his shoulders.

Leng Yun immediately broke into a laugh:

”Han, Great Gang Leader, what brings you here today?”

Han Lu roared with laughter:

”Don’t tease me, old friend! This time, I’m here to fetch an early batch of heavy armor. The boss is pressing me hard.”

Laughing, he gave Leng Yun a hearty punch.

Although the two hadn’t been close initially, Leng Yun had gone out of his way to assist during the hunt for Du Jiangbo. Han Lu owed him a favor, which gradually fostered their camaraderie. Otherwise, the important task of forging heavy armor wouldn’t have landed in Leng Yun’s lap.

But upon hearing Han Lu’s words, Leng Yun’s face darkened.

”Han Lu, forging operations here have only just begun. Blacksmiths are limited in number—forcing them to work 12 hours nonstop still wouldn’t be fast enough. Unless... we get the gang leader to capture more smiths?”

Han Lu shook his head and replied:

”That’s not an option. We managed to snatch a batch of blacksmiths last time by exploiting the chaos during the siege. If we grab too many, Liu Yuanhu might catch on and start preparing—a hassle we don’t want.”

”The boss has already ordered that future captures must be sparsely spread out to minimize suspicion.”

Forging heavy armor is a crime punishable by extermination of one’s entire clan. Suffice to say, appropriating the iron mines alone had cost the Black Sand Gang incredible effort.

Though the gang cared little about such crimes, any premature discovery by enemies would foil their plans to deploy the armor as a surprise attack.

Leng Yun grew irritable and exclaimed:

”This won’t work, that won’t work—we’re under constant pressure! Might as well kill me and be done with it!”

Han Lu threw an arm around Leng Yun’s shoulder and grinned:

”If all else fails, we could feed those blacksmiths blood-boiling pills to stimulate their potential. Modify the formula a bit, and their efficiency should skyrocket—for what it’s worth, we weren’t planning on letting them live afterward anyway.”

Cold light flickered in his eyes, and Leng Yun’s eyes lit up as well.

”Good idea!”

”You truly live up to your reputation as a trusted lieutenant of the gang leader, Han, Great Gang Leader!”

”Not at all, Master Hall. Once you complete this mission, your influence within the gang will surely soar. With your talents, ascending to the Bone Refining Realm is well within reach. When that day comes, I hope you’ll look after me!”

The two flattered each other, then burst into knowing laughter.

...

Gu’s Manor.

Upon returning from Canghe County, Gu Sheng immediately consumed a Blood Strengthening Pill. As its medicinal power dispersed, he felt his progress in Blood Refining surge significantly—about 40% advancement, by estimation.

This meant...

If Gu Sheng could obtain two more Blood Strengthening Pills, he could effortlessly reach the Perfect stage in the Blood Refining Realm. Otherwise, he’d have to rely on Strengthening Blood Powder to slowly temper his flesh and blood. While less expensive, this method would take at least three months to bear results.

Given his current situation, Gu Sheng naturally preferred the faster path to breakthrough.

Unfortunately...

Blood Strengthening Pills were difficult to acquire. The one he had just used had been painstakingly purchased after a long wait in line with Pill Master Ge Qing.

”I’ll approach this systematically,” he thought. ”Without another Blood Strengthening Pill, I’ll just have to continue training with Strengthening Blood Powder for now. Such a shame the black-market auction hasn’t reopened—perhaps something might turn up there.”

Gu Sheng’s struggles with resource scarcity had resurfaced.

Sometimes, even ample wealth wasn’t enough to secure needed items.

The path of martial arts was destined to be grueling, demanding endless resources and tireless effort.

One small comfort for Gu Sheng lay in his relative independence from resources compared to others. At least when it came to breaking past bottlenecks, Gu Sheng required nothing extra.

For now...

Gu Sheng stayed at Gu’s Manor, diligently cultivating.

His Snake Breath Skill was nearing the realm of special effects, and he looked forward to reaching that milestone.

Beyond that, Flying Thunder Leg and Golden Body Skill also demanded considerable time to refine. His goal was to elevate these body-strengthening martial arts to the same level as Iron Stone Fist.

If successful, unexpected benefits might arise.

For the moment, Gu Sheng wasn’t in financial difficulty and felt no urge to don a new identity to accept mercenary missions. Standard task rewards held little appeal—only items like Blood Strengthening Pills or rarer resources intrigued him.

This allowed him to avoid getting caught up in the current turbulence.

Following the uproar earlier in the year, Liu Yuanhu had grown increasingly aggressive, working tirelessly to cleanse the remaining rebel remnants in Canghe County and personally intervening where necessary.

Rumors suggested he was desperate to shed his interim county magistrate title and secure official recognition—a move he considered vital.

Gu Sheng speculated that the establishment of the Blade-for-Hire network might be tied to this ambition.

However, deeper information remained elusive; Gu Sheng had never become directly involved and preferred to observe discreetly from the shadows.

Meanwhile, back at Gu’s Manor, the atmosphere among the main family had grown increasingly somber. Gu Xiaojiang had once again entered retreat mode. Three days ago, he finally reached the threshold of his physical limit and began attempting to break through by forging Qi Blood Power.

Gu Sheng simply continued grinding away in solitude.

Just as he thought he’d soon elevate Snake Breath Skill to the special effects realm, an unwelcome visitor arrived.

The Black Sand Gang.

They had come to collect the year-end tribute again!