Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

"This fog has come at just the right time." Luo Meng stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the white expanse all around.

The Zhenyuan's newly acquired "Phantom Mist" ability is fully activated.

The massive ship, shrouded in mist, glided silently past the twelve checkpoints, both visible and hidden, that the Salt and Iron Association had set up around Hantie Island, like a ghost.

A group of seasoned sea wolves, who claimed to be able to discern the wind and waves, treated it as a thick cloud of sea fog and didn't even lift their eyelids.

Xu Hao instructed Luo Meng to moor the boat on the back side of the island.

This is a dead-end reef area full of undercurrents and whirlpools, which ordinary ships dare not approach. But for the tough and resilient Zhenyuan, it is no different from being parked in its own backyard.

"Second brother, the boat is yours now." Xu Hao changed into a coarse cloth outfit and patted Chen Yuanzhi on the shoulder.

Chen Yuanzhi looked at Xu Hao's face, which was full of fat and looked fierce, and his eyes twitched: "Boss, you look like that... don't come out and scare people tonight."

"That's called imposing." Xu Hao grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, which, combined with his face, made him even more unsettling.

He gathered Luo Meng and a few clever sailors, launched the small boat, and quietly landed on the island.

Because of the tight security around the island, the Salt and Iron Society only set up checkpoints at the docks where ships docked to collect fees for going to the island. Xu Hao and his group avoided the docks and landed on a shallow beach.

The black market on Cold Iron Island is built inside a huge natural sea cave.

The place is perpetually dark, with several large iron cauldrons hanging from the dome, filled with sea animal fat, their fires casting long, yellowish shadows. The air is thick with the stench of the sea, the smell of sweat, and a faint trace of blood.

The stalls on both sides displayed all sorts of strange and unusual items: broken weapons, bones of unknown sea creatures, and even piles of oddly shaped stones.

Xu Hao walked up to a stall selling medicinal herbs and just pulled out a hundred-tael silver note from the Great Heng Dynasty when the stall owner looked at him like he was a fool.

"You're from out of town, aren't you? Daheng's silver notes aren't even good enough to wipe your butt here. The only things that matter here are blood crystals, sea beast materials, or barter."

Xu Hao stuffed the silver note back into his pocket and cursed under his breath.

The fate of the Great Heng Kingdom has truly collapsed to the point of utter ruin.

He wasn't in a hurry to inquire about Luo Ying's whereabouts.

If a workman wants to be good, he must first sharpen his weapon.

The hundred-refined steel sword was destroyed during his fight with Sun Niqiu. Now, with his strength, it's time for him to get a more suitable weapon.

The group headed straight for the island's largest weapons workshop—Bai Lian Ge.

The entrance to Bailian Pavilion is small, but the interior is quite deep.

Xu Hao stepped across the threshold and bumped into a waiter who was about to greet him.

The waiter saw his muscular face and then glanced at Luo Meng, who was as tall as an iron tower behind him. He swallowed the polite words that were on the tip of his tongue and quickly made way for him by pressing himself against the wall.

Xu Hao ignored them, his gaze sweeping over the rows of swords, spears, and halberds, finally settling on a long sword in the corner.

The knife was entirely black, without a scabbard, with an extremely thick back and a chilling, eerie light emanating from its blade.

Xu Hao stepped forward and gripped the hilt of the knife with one hand. It was icy cold to the touch, and a faint chilling aura seemed to seep into his meridians through his palm.

Luo Meng, who was standing nearby, noticed something was wrong and whispered a reminder: "Boss, this knife has been gathering dust and no one has touched it. There's probably something fishy going on."

Xu Hao didn't turn around. He tightened his fingers and suddenly pulled his wrist upward.

Good heavens. It must weigh at least 300 pounds.

"Sir, you have a good eye." The shopkeeper was a gaunt old man who smiled like a fox. "This knife is called 'Sea Devourer,' and it's forged from polluted, sunken sea iron. This knife carries a yin energy backlash; its previous owners were all drained of their life force and turned into dried corpses. If you buy it, sir, we don't offer returns or exchanges."

Xu Hao chuckled. A backlash from Yin energy? He dared to swallow even a Blood Fiend Crystal whole; why would he fear this broken blade?

"How much?" Xu Hao reached for the blood crystal in his pocket.

"I'll take this knife."

A hand suddenly reached out from the side and slapped the hilt of the knife.

The newcomer was dressed in a flashy red leather armor, with the Blood Bone Alliance's beast tooth token hanging from his waist, followed by several domineering henchmen.

"I've got my eye on this knife, boss, name your price." The foreman glanced sideways at Xu Hao. "What, you have a problem with that?"

Luo Meng stepped forward, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

Xu Hao reached out to stop Luo Meng.

According to the rules of the Salt and Iron Association, weapons are forbidden on the island, and anyone who violates this rule will be attacked by the entire island.

This place is crowded and noisy; it's not worth getting into trouble over a knife.

"No objection, please go ahead." Xu Hao let go of his hand and readily gave up his seat.

The henchman sneered, "You're smart enough to know your place. You look fierce, but you're just a spineless coward."

Xu Hao didn't speak, but instead etched the man's face into his mind. Buying a knife is too expensive; isn't getting it for free better?

After leaving the Hundred Refinements Pavilion, Luo Meng's expression remained grim.

"Boss, are we just going to let this go like this?"

"What's the rush? Let the knife rest on his body for a while," Xu Hao replied casually.

As the two were walking, Luo Meng suddenly stopped and stared intently at a corner of the wall on the outskirts of the slave market.

Here, several inconspicuous symbols are drawn with some kind of dark red liquid.

Luo Meng crouched down, his fingers tracing the symbol, his voice trembling: "It's my sister's mark. She...she's seriously injured and is being hunted by two forces."

"Can you tell which way it ran?"

Luo Meng determined the direction: "Lower level, abandoned mine area."

"Walk."

The slums and abandoned mines below the black market are a hundred times worse off than those above.

Sewage flowed everywhere, and starving refugees could be seen everywhere.

As they went deeper, the atmosphere around them became increasingly eerie.

Xu Hao could sense that countless eyes had appeared in the darkness, greedily staring at them.

Xu Hao stopped in his tracks as he passed a shady shop selling intelligence.

A row of brand-new bounty posters had just been put up on the wooden boards outside the shop.

The last two pictures above caught his attention.

One of them is Chen Yuanzhi, with a reward of five thousand taels of gold.

The other one... had a face full of scars and looked fierce, which was exactly what Xu Hao looked like now.

The text below reads: "Mysterious pirate Zhen Shan, suspected of possessing advanced body-refining techniques, murdered a member of the Blood-Clad Tower. Bounty of 10,000 taels of gold!" Posted by: Blood-Clad Tower.

Xu Hao looked at the portrait and laughed in anger.

Sun Niqiu, that old cripple, has a broken leg but his brain is still sharp.

Unaware that he was Xu Hao, he simply sold the name and strength of "Zhenshan" to the Blood-Clad Tower, intending to use someone else to do his dirty work.

"Boss, this..." Luo Meng also saw the bounty notice, and his expression changed drastically.

Ten thousand taels of gold, coupled with the allure of a high-level body-refining technique, would be enough to drive the desperate criminals on this island mad.

At that moment, faint footsteps could be heard coming from the surrounding alleyways.

It wasn't one person, but a group of people.

Several auras carrying intense killing intent had already locked onto Xu Hao and Luo Meng.

Luo Meng's hand had already touched the hilt of the knife at his waist, his palms were sweaty.

Xu Hao didn't panic at all; instead, he grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"Boss, we're surrounded," Luo Meng said in a low voice.

"I know." Xu Hao cracked his neck, the bones popping. "Weapons are prohibited on the island, right?"

Luo Meng nodded.

"Then let's find a secluded spot." Xu Hao patted Luo Meng on the shoulder. "Let's go, give these poor guys a chance to rob the rich and help the poor."