Immortal Refiner

As usual, Li Qing brought the meal to Master Gu. Outside the tent, he heard a series of urgent coughs.

”Cough, cough, cough!”

Pulling back the tent flap, he saw Master Gu lying on the bed, the aura of death around him even more pronounced, and the age spots on his face seemed to have multiplied.

These were the signs of a dying man.

Seeing this, Li Qing sighed inwardly.

Reaching the end of one’s life was truly a tragic thing, especially when plagued by lung disease. It was likely that Master Gu wouldn’t pass peacefully.

”Master Gu, it’s time to eat,” Li Qing said as he placed the meal in front of Master Gu, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes.

Whether it was due to the gratitude for the teachings or the care he had received during his time in the army, Li Qing had to admit that without Master Gu, his life on the frontier wouldn’t have been so comfortable.

Master Gu seemed to sense Li Qing’s thoughts. He looked at Li Qing and said, ”Er Niu, my time is short. There’s something I need to ask of you.”

Was this about to be his final request?

Li Qing muttered to himself, then leaned closer to the bed, looking sincerely into Master Gu’s eyes. ”Master Gu, whatever it is, please tell me. I owe you for your teachings, and I’ll do my best to fulfill your wish.”

”Do you want to leave the frontier?” Master Gu stared intently at Li Qing, as if trying to see through him.

Wasn’t that obvious? With the impending chaos of war, who wouldn’t want to leave this troubled place as soon as possible?

Of course, Li Qing couldn’t say that out loud. Even though Master Gu was nearing death, he still couldn’t fully trust him.

”Leaving the Frontier Army without permission is a serious crime,” Li Qing feigned a look of shock, appearing quite naive.

Paired with his cowherd-like appearance, it gave off an air of honesty and simplicity.

”Cough, cough, cough! I’m from Qingzhou, my home is in Chongning County. Back then, I lost my temper over some matters and offended the local magistrate, so I was exiled to the Frontier Army as a blacksmith.”

Master Gu coughed as he continued, ”I still have descendants in Chongning. If you ever get the chance, I hope you can return the ’Ancient Mystic Hammer Art’ to the Gu family. Our ancestral legacy shouldn’t end with me.”

Li Qing remained silent for a moment, then said, ”Master Gu, if I ever retire from the military, I will definitely return the ’Ancient Mystic Hammer Art’ to the Gu family!”

”Good, I’m relieved to hear that, cough, cough, cough!” Master Gu coughed again, then added, ”While I’m still alive, let me guide you in this stance. From the looks of it, you must have practiced a lot last night.”

Having practiced the ’Ancient Mystic Hammer Art’ for so many years, Master Gu could immediately spot the subtle changes in Li Qing’s legs—a sign of someone who had just started practicing the stance.

”Thank you, Master Gu!” Li Qing quickly expressed his gratitude.

”Enough talk. Show me your stance now,” Master Gu waved his hand, urging him.

Li Qing immediately complied, assuming the stance as described in the hammer art.

Once he was in position, he closed his eyes and began silently reciting the accompanying mental technique.

Seeing Li Qing’s proficiency, Master Gu’s cloudy eyes lit up slightly.

He had only given Li Qing the ’Ancient Mystic Hammer Art’ last night, and in such a short time, he had already made significant progress. This young man was indeed a promising martial arts talent.

Master Gu nodded slightly in his heart, quietly admiring Li Qing’s natural talent and physique, but he didn’t say much.

With his life experience, he had seen all kinds of people. The talent Li Qing had shown was merely decent, far from being a prodigy. ”Not bad. You should now be able to hold the stance for nearly half an hour. However, there’s an important aspect of the foundational stance in this hammer technique, and that is the breathing,” Master Gu leisurely instructed.

”Exhale deeply into your dantian, calm your mind, and feel it carefully.”

Li Qing, standing in the stance with his eyes closed, listened attentively to Master Gu’s teachings.

Under Master Gu’s guidance, his stance practice was surprisingly efficient this time. He quickly entered a state where his entire body felt warm and his qi and blood seemed to come alive.

”Hu!”

After half an hour, Li Qing let out a long breath, his honest and simple face now marked with traces of sweat.

”It’s a pity you started martial arts too late. If you had begun from childhood, you might have achieved something significant on the martial path,” Master Gu said with a look of regret.

The martial path is best started young, while the bones are still malleable.

The human body has its limits. After the age of forty, qi and blood decline, and the body begins to age. Progress becomes nearly impossible.

Li Qing, now only sixteen, was just starting out, still stuck on the basics of stance practice. In Master Gu’s eyes, it was indeed too late.

This gap couldn’t be bridged by mere talent alone.

”Master Gu, I don’t aspire to achieve great heights in martial arts. If I can gain a bit more strength to forge better, that would be enough for me,” Li Qing said, scratching the back of his head with a simple smile.

Master Gu chuckled wryly, struggling to get up from his bed. ”In the military, those Centurions are nothing special, but there’s a Commander surnamed Yuan. If you ever cross paths with him, be very careful.”

”Also, there’s a female Commander surnamed Qian. Her background is mysterious, and you must never offend her!”

Li Qing blinked, then nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice.

”I’m just a humble blacksmith. I doubt I’ll ever have any interaction with such important figures. Don’t worry, Master.”

”Hahaha, alright, off you go. It’s a blessing to have taken on a disciple in my final days,” Master Gu waved his hand, shooing Li Qing out of the tent.

After leaving the tent, Li Qing quickly washed his food bowl and returned to his own tent.

He stoked the furnace and began melting iron ingots, preparing to forge the farming tools and blades the Yan Family had ordered.

The forging conditions in the military camp were much better than in the World of Eternal Night. Here, melting iron ingots and forging items were more efficient.

As for the World of Eternal Night, where time flowed three times faster, Li Qing planned to focus solely on martial arts training there.

This way, he could maximize the advantages of both worlds.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Once the iron ingots were melted, Li Qing began hammering away, one strike at a time.

Soon, he was pleasantly surprised to find that wielding the hammer now felt much more natural, and his strength had also increased significantly.

”It must be the effect of the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art. This will greatly improve my efficiency in forging iron!” Li Qing exclaimed to himself in delight.

Just practicing the basic stance techniques had yielded such remarkable results, further solidifying Li Qing’s determination to master the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art to its fullest potential.

TL/N: Please add this book to your reading list!

(End of the Chapter)

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