But unfortunately for Happy, he had not been fated to meet that person.
Once Heartless Iron became famous, he was known to have three rules.
He would not refine normal equipment and would only touch divine weapons and demon vessels.
He would not refine equipment for those who could not give him the money and ingredients required. After all, he relied on it for a living.
He would not refine equipment for those who were known to have a horrible personality. He never left the city anyway, so no one could bother him about that. Not a single big shot in the game could enter his sights.
And such a person had actually joined Mu Clan?
Happy was not just surprised, but full of sincere happiness that rose from the bottom of his heart!
Mu Clan had truly managed to get itself a treasure!
Even if Mu Clan did not want to get rich, it was impossible for them.
"Thunderous Battle, give priority to developing Heartless Iron and show him the best treatment possible. Let him choose all the materials he wants. Even if he asks to refine high-grade masterpieces now, give them to him.
"I will continue staying in the royal mausoleum to provide high-grade masterpieces for him with everything I have. Also, tell him that once he becomes a true forgemaster, I will give him the chance to refine grade one masterpieces," Happy wrote resolutely.
"Okay!" Thunderous Battle could understand the reasoning behind Happy's orders in the beginning, but when he heard that he would be providing grade one masterpieces, his expression instantly changed. "Isn't this too much of a risk though? There isn't anyone who can provide grade one masterpieces for sale in the market right now…"
Everyone knew that not only was the damage of grade one masterpieces incredibly astonishing, they also had unique attributes attached to them. Nation Protecting Divine Sword and the parts of Golden Armor Set were all rare items that were worth more than ten million.
It was too much of a risk to use such valuable equipment as refinement material!
"It's fine. Riches can only be obtained if we take risks. If we fail, we can give up, but if we keep them, they will only end up as junk."
Happy knew very clearly that if they were not refined, even divine vessels might not be as strong as equipment that had been refined. The third-echelon Clear and Far was a perfect example of that.
"Alright, I'll tell him."
Thunderous Battle pondered it for a moment before he answered in a serious tone. He paused for a moment, then added, "But there has been news lately that quite a lot of people are not pleased with you monopolizing the royal mausoleum, and that includes Class One Hall and Towering Palace. You'd best be careful."
"I know."
Happy knew all too well that some people would become restless if he continued to occupy the huge gold mine by himself and refused to give it up.
Chapter 369 - Instability in the World of Martial Arts
[World of Martial Arts Secret News Log]
Wandering Know-it-all had been lying low for some time. Ever since he created the amazing log that had been acknowledged by the system, he had been working hard beyond everyone's sight.
On that day, however, he suddenly announced on the last page of the log to all martial artists that he would make a series of changes to the ranking boards.
The standards for Rich Rank were not changed. It continued using everyone's wealth as its standard for ranking the people, but the requirements for every other ranking board had been changed.
The Famous People Rank was no longer determined by the fame of a person in the game, but the effect from major incidents, along with a person's reputation in the game. It might seem like it was nothing, but there was a new limit behind the two requirements, and it was this: those who enter this ranking board cannot be people who are weak, and since this was a ranking board for famous people, those who were evil could not enter.
For example, Lu Mingyue, the palace master of Cold Moon Palace, was kicked out of the Famous People Rank. A few other famous people who had gained their fame through bloodthirsty and dishonorable methods were also kicked out of the Famous People Rank.
However, a One Hundred Demons Influence Rank had been added among the ranking boards in World of Martial Arts Secret Log! It recorded the deeds of great but evil players who did things ruthlessly and would resort to all sorts of methods to achieve their goals. The person ranked at the top was not Lu Mingyue, however, but a person named Orochimaru. The person ranked in second place was Ghost's Worry, which left the famous successor of the Sunflower Manual only in third place.
New changes had also occurred to the Divine Weapons Rank.
Weapons and armor were no longer ranked based on their rank alone. Their echelon was also included.
However, the weapon ranked at the top was not the third-echelon Clear Abyss, but a grade one third-echelon masterpiece, Mountain Breaker Axe. Its damage reached a phenomenal 1,500 points, and it shocked everyone who saw it. There were around a dozen third-echelon masterpieces behind it. Regrettably, Happy's Clear Abyss was placed at the thirteenth place, which was much lower than the others, and it was also a very bad rank because of its number.
As for the Dragon Rank and Phoenix Rank, while the initial requirements for a person to be ranked on the board did not change, a system that allowed people to issue challenges to them had appeared.
All those who could not accept the fact that someone had been ranked ahead of them could now issue challenges to those people. They would be considered to have won once they killed their opponents fairly. Then, they would obtain that person's rank..
Anyone who was not ranked in the ranking board could also challenge those in the Dragon Rank and Phoenix Rank to enter those ranks! However, they had to be truly confident in their own abilities to be able to do so, or else, they would be asking for their own deaths by challenging players on the Dragon and Phoenix Ranks.
To many people, it was a channel Wandering Know-it-all had created for the increasing number of great players who obtained ultimate techniques but did not have enough martial arts in Grandmaster Realm to enter the ranks.
It would allow more great players like Lu Mingyue to enter the people's sights!
It also provided a chance for players in sects who were confident in their abilities and who had a powerful background supporting to show of their talents. Many sects needed a great player who had a powerful ability to mobilize their sect's manpower to defend their sect!
Of course, if the challenges truly became a fashion, it would be inevitable for a great amount of bloodshed to be stirred up by strong players challenging even more powerful players.
Happy could already predict that due to the announcement, many of the powerful players in the game would become eager to cause trouble!
*****
"Stay where you are!"
When Happy was on his way to the royal mausoleum, a group of people suddenly charged out of the forest and surrounded him from all sides. They intercepted him while he was in the middle of a government-made road. Other people who were hurrying forward saw that the situation was not right, and they quickly avoided them.
Happy's expression did not change. He stopped resolutely and looked around while forming a plan in his head.
"You're Happy?"
The person in the lead was tall, built, and had a loud voice. He walked out of his group arrogantly, and the metal belt as well as metal gauntlets on his body were very eye-catching.
The people around him were dressed similarly. They had an exquisite small metal bow by their waists, a small black pouch used to carry hidden weapons, and the words Tang Sect—the famous sect—sewn faintly on their deerskin gloves.
When the group faced Happy, they did not show any hint of nervousness…
"I see, so you're from Tang Sect…"
Happy placed his fist in his palm and gave them a brief greeting before he said in an indifferent and cold tone. "I wonder if there is something about me
that has caught your fancy for you to stop me here."
"You have pretty good judgment. I am Tang Feng! I came here today because I want to enter the royal mausoleum, but I heard that you have almost monopolized the resources there, so I want to discuss things with you to try and persuade you to not go today."
When he saw Happy's expression change, Tang Feng continued speaking. "I know how great you are, Happy, since you are ranked at the top of the Famous People Rank. You have Golden Bell Cocoon, which allows you to tank damage from a Moksha Realm martial artist, but unfortunately for you, Tang Sect specializes in hidden weapons, and coincidentally, we recently learned a few techniques that allow us to break defenses. If you want to try it, we can fight against each other."
The man sounded exactly like a wandering bandit leader.
However, Tang Feng's threat was indeed something that Happy could not overlook.
There were all sorts of hidden weapons in Tang Sect, and different hidden weapons had different amazing uses. Some of them as well as their techniques contained the effect of breaking through defenses, and they had a high advantage when it came to going up against others in battle.
This was an important reason behind why Tang Sect could have a stable position in the world of martial artists and even occupy a spot for themselves!
However, Tang Feng clearly underestimated Golden Bell Cocoon's defenses as well as Happy.
Happy smiled faintly. "We should settle matters the way wandering martial artists would. You want me to give up on the royal mausoleum with just one sentence? I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Then, we will have to personally fight against you to ask for your advice."
Tang Feng knew from the start that Happy would not surrender so easily. His expression darkened, and a handful of thin, black, metal sand appeared in his hand.
Tang Sect's fame in World of Martial Arts was not great right then, but that did not mean that they did not have any sort of power. On the contrary, they were more famous than Shaolin Temple and Wudang Sect, it was just that they did not attack others easily.
Their unique technique of using hidden weapons meant that their force when they attacked was as great as a thunderbolt. Their use of various poisons also gave the Tang Sect disciples a chance to create situations in which a person would feel as if they were being attacked by multiple people in one go.Tang Sect attacked only when they were certain to win, and it was something that many sects could not compare to.
Those with any semblance of intelligence were able to bring out the advantage of being a Tang Sect disciple to its full potential, and those who were idiots were often still able to succeed by sheer luck even if they did not have a plan or were unskilled.
That was how wandering martial artists saw Tang Sect!
Tang Feng was clearly a rather outstanding representative among Tang Sect disciples. When Happy saw the others in the area taking the initiative to move away to clear out the battlefield, he could tell just how confident they were in Tang Feng. Even if they were facing Happy, who was the top ranked player on the Famous People Rank, they did not worry about him at all.
"Please, go on!"
Right when Tang Feng finished speaking, a thin layer of black sand went straight toward Happy's face. It was as if a huge fish net had suddenly been spread in front of him, and it instantly locked down all his paths of retreat.
What surprised Happy even more was that at the instant the "black fishnet" spread open, black smoke spread out. It was very thick, and it instantly formed a black net with great murderous intent!
Tang Feng also immediately vanished from Happy's sight.
"Perfect timing."
Buzz!
It moved in the form of a drill and displayed its full might when it crashed into the black net with a grand momentum.
The black net that looked like a piece of art was instantly pierced through by the sword glare. Happy moved with his sword and charged out from the black net he had just torn!
"You're good!" Tang Feng said from behind Happy.
Happy quirked an eyebrow and activated his Golden Bell Cocoon!
Clang! Clang!
Two metal arrows were knocked away by the golden bell that appeared just in time.
Shing, shing…
Tang Feng seemed to have been prepared for it since a long time ago. When he saw the golden bell appear, he said nothing and raised his hand to trigger a mechanism. A row of thin and fine needles shot out straight at Happy's back.
Chapter 370 - Great Players from Tang Sect
Ting ting…
Once Happy activated Golden Bell Cocoon, he acted as if he had eyes on his back. He did not turn his head around, but delivered a deep blue sword ray from an unbelievable angle. That sword ray looked like a shooting star, and it swept through the entire row of thin and fine needles in an exceptional manner.
Each of the three consecutive attacks that came one right after the other brought a greater threat than the last. They were supposed to be more difficult to fend against with each attack, but Happy took care of all of them.
Upon seeing that, Tang Feng's expression changed slightly. He finally put away the pride of Tang Sect's best, and his expression became stern. He flung his arms, and two handfuls of black sand went toward Happy, who had turned around to attack him, from a close distance .
Happy tapped against the ground and changed his direction with a twist of his body like a phantom. His sword went sweeping toward Tang Feng, and when he saw Tang Feng quickly throw a handful of black sand at him, he scowled.
Tang Feng had many techniques: shower style, swallow and release style, chain style, and many others that would allow him to unleash his hidden weapons in ways that they would fly irregularly, such as butterfly style, drill style, and so on…
Happy had some degree of understanding of Tang Sect's techniques from his previous life, so he could tell what sort of fighting technique was being used based on the starting stance alone!
The second handful of black sand was clearly not an attack using the net style!
'Swallow and release style. Not bad, Tang Feng, you do indeed have some abilities.'
The most profound secret behind the swallow and release style was that it would not have any of its force leak. One single attack from this style could extend to many other attacks, and if Happy used the same method to handle it, he would soon notice that the attacks came nonstop, and he would quickly lose his momentum of sweeping through the attacks with the force of a whirlwind. His strength would be depleted, and he would soon find himself at a disadvantage.
He could recover from that disadvantage before other players, but if he had to do it in front of a disciple from Tang Sect, it would be the same as him putting his neck under Tang Feng's blade.
However, it was already too late for Happy to change his technique.
They were both in the air, and Happy had just forcefully held his breath and used his qi to change his direction. He had nearly used up that mouthful of qi, so if he wanted to retreat now, it would be too late.
'I'll have to wing it!'
Happy slashed forward with the power of Wind Spirit Spin and resolutely challenged the black sand that came at his face.
Tang Feng smiled coldly upon seeing that. He quickly threw his second handful of black sand and began gathering strength to throw the third handful.
'Dragon Capture!'
Happy did not wait for Tang Feng to attack the third time. He swiftly got six and a half feet away from Tang Feng and executed Dragon Capture with his left hand. His qi shot out, and the huge suction force quickly caused the smile on Tang Feng's face to freeze.
'This is bad!'
Shock flashed past Tang Feng's face.
To others, he seemed to have delivered himself into Happy's control. He had lost control over his body, and the black sand in his hands had slipped out of his grasp.
Once Happy gained the momentum, he did not intend to show any mercy. He swung his sword without he
sitation at Tang Feng's head.
At that moment, the group of Tang Sect disciples showed an expression that they had been expecting this, and a strange smile appeared on Tang Feng's face. He laughed, and a golden light rose from his body.
Buzz!
Golden Bell Cocoon…
And it had also reached great completion!
The body fortification technique of the golden bell forced Happy away while his face betrayed his shock.
At the instant he was freed from Happy's control, Tang Feng smiled in a way that said that victory was certainly his. He pulled his held arm back and pointed at Happy before he quickly exerted force…
At the same time, the black sand in his right hand created a huge black net. It instantly spread out and went to devour Happy like a huge, gaping mouth.
'Universe in Sleeves!' Happy's expression changed again.
Tang Feng's attack was one of the killing moves from Tang Sect. The hidden weapon, Universe in Sleeves, could be hidden in the hand, and it was used to kill enemies at a close distance. It was incredibly sinister and domineering, and it also had the effect of tearing through defenses as well as making a person instantly lose their qi.
For the first time ever, Happy found himself in a such a bad position when in a direct fight that he could say nothing about it.
'Not bad, Tang Feng, Tang Sect's disciple!'
Happy had been forced away by Golden Bell Cocoon, and his qi surged in his body. Even if he forcefully executed Petite Dragon, he would not be able to avoid being set up for Universe in Sleeves.
He smiled coldly, and the moment his defense was about to be torn through, he quickly retracted his golden bell into his body!
Boom!
He activated Golden Bell Cocoon again, releasing a regal presence with an explosive might.
Sword Among Us c1-1268 Page 188
