Complementary

In the late winter, deep into the night, a figure clad in black, with a hood pulled low, waded through the thick snow on the street under the faint moonlight, arriving before the blacksmith shop.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Master Li, are you there? I've come to pick up the blade as agreed."

It wasn't Li Qing who opened the door, but the blacksmith's apprentice, Qi Kang.

"The master has already forged the blade you wanted. Take a look and see if it's to your liking."

As he spoke, Qi Kang, with some effort, handed over a Fine Iron Battle Halberd.

The craftsmanship of this blade was exquisite. Both the texture of the blade itself and the patterns on it fully demonstrated the blacksmith's painstaking effort.

Upon receiving the long blade, Zhong Hui immediately fell in love with it, a look of joy appearing in his eyes.

He caressed the blade, unable to put it down, feeling its cool touch and becoming even more satisfied.

The bright moonlight fell upon the blade's edge, reflecting a cold, white light. The late winter air seemed to grow even colder.

This was a sharp weapon, a weapon for killing!

"Thank you! Please tell your master that I, Zhong, will surely deliver the remaining silver within a few days!" Zhong Hui said solemnly.

"Alright," Qi Kang nodded.

Without further conversation, Zhong Hui took the blade and left the blacksmith shop, heading towards the south gate.

South of Shengtian lay a continuous, rugged mountain range stretching east to west, its terrain difficult and treacherous.

This mountain range was called Little Cui Ridge. Though its name included "Little," it was anything but small. It blocked trade between the north and south, resulting in little interaction between the two regions of Feng Kingdom. Most trade occurred between the east and west.

Inside the blacksmith shop, Qi Kang watched Zhong Hui's figure gradually disappear down the street, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, Qi Kang turned around.

With a snap, he knelt facing the room where Li Qing was, then kowtowed three times on the cold ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After finishing his kowtows, Qi Kang rose and walked out of the blacksmith shop, his steps unwavering.

The winter moonlight seemed cold, and as Qi Kang stepped outside, his heart felt equally frigid.

Master, thank you for your care during this time, but I don't want to be a mediocre blacksmith my entire life. I want to learn peerless martial arts. I want to change this world!

And so, on the snow-covered street of Chiming Street late at night, two long sets of footprints stretched out.

In one of the rooms of the blacksmith shop, the blazing furnace fire radiated warmth, driving away the cold air.

Li Qing, who had been lying on the bed pretending to sleep, opened his eyes. He had naturally noticed the commotion outside the blacksmith shop and had long since guessed Qi Kang's thoughts.

"I knew this kid wouldn't be content with just anything. Sigh, looks like I'll have to find another quick-witted apprentice." Li Qing sighed.

He had seen the changes in Qi Kang over this period. From a naive boy who had seen nothing of the world, he had become a quiet youth who kept his thoughts buried deep within his heart.

Perhaps this was the normal change that occurred when someone recognized the darkness of the world.

For a moment, Li Qing regretted telling Qi Kang his views on certain matters. Who knew that after recognizing the essence of things, this fellow would change so much.

"Everyone has their own destiny. What can I change?"

Lying on the bed, Li Qing lit an oil lamp and, on his own, took out a dark golden scroll.

Golden Body Technique!

Since obtaining this martial arts manual, Li Qing hadn't had much time to read or practice it.

As winter was about to give way to spring, he finally couldn't resist taking out this high-level martial arts manual.

After all, since reaching the Outer Strength level, his martial progress had inevitably slowed. Although his internal energy had become more substantial, he couldn't even see a hint of breaking through to the Internal Energy level.

To rapidly improve his strength, he could only choose to cultivate another martial art, especially one that focused on tempering the body.

"This Golden Body Technique is truly extraordinary. Without a certain martial foundation, it's hard to get started. The first level of cultivation requires maintaining one posture without moving, combined with a mental method, imagining oneself as a stone statue."

If an ordinary person tried to cultivate the Golden Body Technique, they would likely find it hard to persevere. Soon, their Blood Essence would become stagnant, and their body would go numb.

The cultivation in the later stages was even more demanding, not only subjecting the body to torment but also requiring a considerable amount of time.

After carefully reading through the scroll, Li Qing sat on the bed and couldn't help but sigh. There was a reason why some high-level martial arts were used as doorstops.

But despite his complaints, Li Qing dutifully began to practice this martial art, which, once mastered, offered astonishing defensive capabilities.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, assuming a posture and remaining motionless.

As time passed, Li Qing's Blood Essence gradually calmed down, and his heart began to beat with a regular rhythm.

The physique of an Outer Strength martial artist allowed him to maintain a single position for a long time without moving. His substantial Blood Essence ensured that his blood would not cause muscle stiffness and numbness due to prolonged immobility.

During his cultivation, Li Qing gradually lost his sense of time, his entire mind immersed in the changes occurring within his own body.

Then, his breathing became increasingly long and deep. This change in his inhales and exhales was not something Li Qing consciously did but happened involuntarily.

He found this rhythm of breathing somewhat familiar.

After a long while, Li Qing's mind jolted violently.

"This is... Turtle Breath Technique?!"

Li Qing was startled to discover that while meditating and practicing the Golden Body Technique, he could simultaneously circulate the Turtle Breath Technique without any conflict whatsoever!

In fact, these two martial arts seemed to complement each other.

"One of these martial arts is an external martial art, and the other is an internal martial art. They have absolutely no common ground to connect them."

If he had to point out the only commonality, it was that both were very time-consuming to practice. An ordinary person would likely have to train until they were eighty to see any results!

This discovery of them complementing each other was an unexpected joy.

Li Qing wasn't unfamiliar with the Turtle Breath Technique, but there was a reason he had gradually abandoned it.

That reason was its slow progress. For a long time, he hadn't cultivated even a trace of Internal Energy. In contrast, external martial arts like the True Intent of the Fierce Tiger had significantly boosted his strength and elevated him to the level of an Outer Strength martial artist.

That's why he had gradually set aside the Turtle Breath Technique, intending to focus his energy on several external martial arts first to gain a certain level of self-preservation.

Now that he was in Shengtian City, there weren't too many threats to his personal safety.

"Since it can be cultivated alongside the Golden Body Technique, I might as well take this opportunity to pick up the Turtle Breath Technique again!"

Thus, Li Qing calmed his agitated mind once more and poured his entire being into cultivating the Golden Body Technique, allowing himself to enter that wondrous state again.