In late winter, deep in the night, a hooded figure dressed in black bathed in the thin moonlight, trudging through the thick snow on the street until he arrived before the blacksmith shop.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Is Master Li here? I've come to collect the weapon as agreed."
The one who opened the door was not Li Qing, but Qi Kang, the blacksmith shop's apprentice.
"Master has already forged the weapon you wanted. Take a look—does it suit your hand?"
Saying this, Qi Kang somewhat laboriously handed over a Fine Iron Battle Halberd.
The forging craftsmanship of this weapon was exceptionally refined. Whether it was the texture of the blade or the patterns upon it, everything showed the smith's painstaking care.
The moment Zhong Hui took the battle halberd, he took a liking to it. Expressions of delight appeared in his eyes.
He stroked the blade lovingly, reluctant to put it down. Feeling its icy chill, he grew even more satisfied.
The bright moonlight fell upon the blade, reflecting a cold, pale gleam. The late-winter air seemed several degrees colder.
This was a sharp weapon—a weapon made for killing someone!
"Thank you! Please tell your master that Zhong will deliver the remaining silver in full within a few days!" Zhong Hui said solemnly.
"Alright." Qi Kang nodded.
Without continuing their conversation, Zhong Hui took the weapon and left the blacksmith shop, heading toward the southern city gate.
South of Sheng Tian lay a rugged mountain range that stretched from east to west, its terrain rough and exceedingly difficult to traverse.
This mountain range was called Little Cui Ridge. Though its name bore the word "little," it was not small in the slightest. It cut off trade between the north and south, so exchanges between Feng Kingdom's northern and southern regions were scarce. Most commerce flowed instead between east and west.
Inside the blacksmith shop, Qi Kang watched Zhong Hui's figure gradually disappear down the street, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes.
The next moment, Qi Kang turned around.
With a slap, he knelt before the room where Li Qing was, then kowtowed three times against the icy floor.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After kowtowing, Qi Kang rose and walked out of the blacksmith shop, without a trace of hesitation in his steps.
Even the winter moonlight seemed cold. As Qi Kang stepped outside, his heart was equally icy.
Master, thank you for taking care of me these days, but I don't want to be a mediocre blacksmith for the rest of my life. I want to learn peerless martial arts. I want to change this world!
And so, on Chiming Street in the late night, two long trails of footprints stretched across the thick snow.
Inside one room of the blacksmith shop, the blazing furnace radiated warmth, driving every bit of chill from the air.
Li Qing, who had been lying in bed with his eyes closed, opened them. Of course, he had noticed the commotion outside the blacksmith shop, and he had long guessed what Qi Kang was thinking.
"I knew that kid wasn't the settling-down type. Sigh, looks like I'll have to find another clever apprentice." Li Qing sighed.
He had watched Qi Kang's changes over this period. The kid who had once never seen the world had become a taciturn youth, burying all his thoughts deep in his heart.
Perhaps this was the natural change someone would make after seeing the darkness of the world for what it was.
For a moment, Li Qing even regretted telling Qi Kang all his views on certain matters. Who knew that after seeing the essence of things clearly, the fellow would change so drastically?
"Everyone has his own fate. What can I possibly change?"
Lying in bed, Li Qing lit an oil lamp and took out a dark-golden book slip.
Golden Body Technique!
Ever since obtaining this martial arts manual, Li Qing had scarcely found the time to read or practice it.
As winter was about to give way to spring, he finally could not resist taking out this superior martial arts manual.
After all, once he had stepped into the Outer Strength level, his martial progress had inevitably slowed. Though the strength throughout his body had grown considerably more substantial, he could not even see the faintest sign of entering the Internal Energy level.
If he wanted to rapidly increase his strength, he could only choose to cultivate another martial art, especially one like this that was specifically meant to temper the flesh.
"This Golden Body Technique truly is extraordinary. Without some martial foundation, it would be difficult to even begin. The first level requires holding a single posture without moving and, together with the cultivation method, imagining oneself as a stone statue."
If an ordinary person began cultivating this Golden Body Technique, he would likely find it hard to endure. Before long, his qi and blood would become blocked, and his body would turn numb.
The cultivation of the later levels was even more exaggerated. Not only did the body have to endure torment, but it also required a considerable amount of time.
After carefully reading through the book slip, Li Qing, seated on the bed, could not help but sigh. There was a reason certain superior martial arts were used to prop up table legs.
But complaints were one thing. For a martial art whose defense would become astonishing once cultivated to great mastery, Li Qing naturally began practicing it honestly.
He sat cross-legged on the bed in a particular posture, then held that position without moving.
As time gradually passed, the qi and blood throughout Li Qing's body slowly settled, while his heart beat in a steady rhythm.
The body of an Outer Strength martial cultivator allowed him to maintain one movementless posture for a long time. His abundant qi and blood kept his muscles from stiffening and going numb simply because he remained still.
As he cultivated, Li Qing gradually lost all sense of time. His entire mind became immersed in the changes within his own body.
Then his breathing gradually became deeper and longer. This change with every inhalation and exhalation was not something Li Qing consciously did, but something that formed of its own accord.
This rhythm of breathing felt somewhat familiar to him.
After a long while, Li Qing's mind violently trembled.
"This is... the Turtle Breath Technique?!"
Li Qing discovered in shock that while sitting still and practicing the Golden Body Technique, the Turtle Breath Technique could operate at the same time, with no conflict whatsoever!
One could even say that these two martial arts seemed to complement each other.
"One of these martial arts is an external art, while the other is an internal art. They have absolutely no common ground that could connect them..."
If he had to name their only shared point, it was that both took an enormous amount of time to practice. Ordinary people would likely have to train until they were seventy or eighty before seeing any results!
This discovery that they complemented each other was an unexpected delight.
It was not as though Li Qing had never practiced the Turtle Breath Technique, but there was a reason he had gradually set this martial art aside.
Its effects came far too slowly. For so long, he had failed to cultivate even a trace of Internal Energy. Yet several external martial arts, such as the True Intent of the Fierce Tiger, had increased his strength considerably and elevated him into the level of an Outer Strength martial artist.
That was why he had gradually abandoned the Turtle Breath Technique, planning to focus his efforts first on several external martial arts so that he could gain a certain measure of self-protection.
Now that he was in Shengtian City, there were not many threats to his personal safety.
"Since it can be cultivated together with the Golden Body Technique, I can take this opportunity to pick up the Turtle Breath Technique again!"
Thus, Li Qing calmed his wavering mind once more and devoted himself wholly to cultivating the Golden Body Technique, entering that wondrous state again.