The Western District.
Unlike the orderly streets of the Eastern District, this place never truly slept.
Even during daylight, narrow alleys remained shrouded in darkness while the smell of blood, cheap wine and damp earth lingered in the air. Countless gangs operated openly here, each occupying its own territory and collecting protection fees from the surrounding residents.
Deep inside one of those hidden compounds...
Corpses littered the floor.
Blood slowly dripped from cracked stone tiles as broken tables and overturned chairs lay scattered throughout the room.
At the centre stood a young man wearing the white-striped robes of a Wind Tiger Gang steward.
One hand gripped another man's neck, effortlessly lifting him off the ground.
The man's face had long turned purple.
"I... I don't know..."
"I really don't know anything..."
His legs kicked helplessly.
The steward's expression remained completely indifferent.
"You've already wasted enough of my time."
Crack!
The man's neck twisted unnaturally.
His corpse dropped heavily onto the floor beside the others.
Silence.
Only a few trembling survivors remained kneeling in one corner.
Each of them lowered their heads, afraid to even breathe.
The steward slowly turned around.
His cold gaze swept across everyone present.
"So..."
"Are any of you finally ready to speak?"
The room remained deathly quiet.
Then—
One middle-aged man hurriedly crawled forward.
"I know!"
"I know what happened!"
"I'll tell you everything!"
The steward looked at him without expression.
"Speak."
The terrified man swallowed nervously.
"That steward... Meng Yun..."
"He really went to Su Village."
"He was chasing the boy called Lou Feng."
"I heard the boy somehow survived after jumping from the cliff."
"The three youths sent to kill him also died."
"Meng Yun personally went afterward..."
"...and never returned."
The steward listened quietly.
Every word matched the scattered clues gathered during the past several days.
"So..."
"It truly wasn't an accident."
Several breaths later, he slowly nodded.
"I understand."
The informant's face lit up with hope.
"S-Sir..."
"I've already told you everything..."
"You promised—"
Before he could finish—
A palm struck his forehead.
Bang!
His skull exploded instantly.
The remaining survivors froze in terror.
The steward calmly withdrew his bloodstained hand.
"I only promised to let you speak."
"I never promised to spare you."
Screams echoed throughout the compound.
They ended almost as quickly as they began.
...
Several hours later...
The courtyard had once again fallen silent.
Not a single living witness remained.
The steward slowly walked outside.
Fresh blood stained his fingers.
His expression twisted with disgust as he removed a clean handkerchief before carefully wiping each finger.
"Disgusting."
Only after ensuring every trace of blood had disappeared did he throw the cloth aside.
At that moment...
A gang member hurried over before respectfully bowing.
"Steward!"
The man didn't even raise his head.
"What is it?"
"We've just received word."
"Steward Meng Jin has been summoned by the Gang Inspector."
The steward's expression immediately darkened.
"Meng Jin..."
Meng Yun's older brother, the strongest steward under the Wind Tiger Gang and his competition.
If even Meng Jin had been called personally by the Inspector...
Then this matter had clearly attracted the attention of the upper ranks.
After several breaths of silence, the steward spoke coldly.
"Gather everyone."
"I want that boy found."
"Alive or dead."
The gang member immediately lowered his head.
"As you command!"
---
A week later...
The rhythmic sound of hammering echoed continuously through one of Qinshan County's blacksmith streets.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Inside a modest forge, Lou Feng stood bare-chested before the blazing furnace.
Sweat flowed freely down his body as the heavy forging hammer repeatedly rose and fell with astonishing precision.
His expression remained completely focused.
Every strike landed in exactly the same position.
Every movement flowed naturally into the next.
Watching him forge no longer resembled watching someone work.
It resembled watching an artist complete a masterpiece.
Ever since beginning his training under Lin Sheng, his understanding of forging had advanced by leaps and bounds.
The Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art didn't merely temper his physique.
It also allowed him to gradually understand the rhythm hidden within forging itself.
Each strike refined the metal.
Each strike refined his body.
Eventually...
The two became one.
Clang!
The final hammer descended.
Lou Feng slowly exhaled before placing the completed spear into cold water.
Steam instantly erupted.
Just then, footsteps entered the forge.
A burly martial artist walked inside before smiling.
"Young Brother Lou."
"Is my spear finished?"
Lou Feng nodded.
"It is."
He disappeared briefly into the rear workshop before returning with a dark-grey steel spear nearly two metres long.
The martial artist accepted it immediately.
First with both hands.
Then...
With one.
His eyes brightened.
The balance was excellent.
The centre of gravity matched his requirements perfectly.
Even the weight felt almost identical to what he had requested.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Excellent!"
"As expected of Young Brother Lou."
"This spear is even better than I imagined."
"I'll take it."
Without hesitation, he produced a string of copper coins before placing it into Lou Feng's hand.
There were exactly...
Two thousand five hundred wen.
Lou Feng accepted the payment with a smile.
"Thank you for your patronage."
The martial artist laughed heartily before leaving with his newly forged weapon resting proudly across his shoulder.
Watching the man disappear into the crowd, Lou Feng couldn't help feeling a slight sense of accomplishment.
His master had instructed him not to remain hidden within the cave forever.
Instead...
He should publicly forge weapons.
Refine his techniques.
Meet different customers.
Learn what different martial artists truly needed.
Only by tempering both his craftsmanship and his heart through constant practice could he eventually become a true Divine Weapon Forger.
Night quietly descended upon Qinshan County.
The bustling streets gradually emptied as merchants closed their shops one after another. Lanterns illuminated the Eastern District, giving the quiet residential streets a warm and peaceful atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to the chaos lurking within the Western District.
Inside his room, Lou Feng sat cross-legged upon his bed.
His breathing remained slow and rhythmic.
If an ordinary person observed him, they would simply assume he was sleeping while meditating.
A cultivator, however, would immediately notice something different.
Tiny strands of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi continuously flowed toward him before entering through his nose with every measured breath. The surrounding Spiritual Qi gradually gathered around his body, nourishing his meridians before slowly dispersing once more.
Several hours later...
Lou Feng slowly opened his eyes.
A joyful smile appeared across his face.
"I've broken through..."
His voice carried unconcealed excitement.
The Basic Qi Eating Method had finally allowed him to advance into the Minor Achievement Stage of the Fetal Breath Realm.
Although the increase in strength wasn't particularly dramatic, he could clearly feel his meridians becoming broader and more resilient than before. The circulation of Spiritual Qi had likewise become noticeably smoother.
His master had already explained every stage of the Fetal Breath Realm.
The Entry Stage established the foundation.
Minor Achievement strengthened the meridians.
Major Achievement tempered the internal organs.
Perfection completed the body's preparation for true Qi Refining.
Lou Feng clenched his fist.
The faint Spiritual Qi circulating through his meridians responded immediately.
His smile widened.
"I'll definitely become stronger."
After calming his excited emotions, he extinguished the oil lamp before quietly lying down to rest.
The Eastern District remained peaceful.
Before long...
He drifted into a deep sleep.
---
Elsewhere within the courtyard...
Lin Sheng remained seated inside his cultivation chamber.
The room had long since been covered with countless runic inscriptions.
Formation runes.
Concealment runes.
Qi-gathering runes.
Isolation runes.
Every wall, pillar and corner contained meticulously engraved patterns that silently absorbed the surrounding Spiritual Qi.
Fortunately...
Runic Imprinting remained fully functional upon this continent.
That discovery alone had greatly increased his confidence.
Lin Sheng slowly closed his eyes.
Within his body, the Five Elements Astral Qi resting inside the twelve acupoints quietly stirred.
He no longer needed to worry about damaged meridians.
After months of careful recuperation, every injury caused by the void had completely healed.
Today...
He intended to verify one final matter.
His Gang Qi silently circulated.
The twelve Astral Qi nodes immediately resonated.
Following the route perfected countless times by Crystal, they began revolving through the Heavenly Circulation Cycle.
Warm currents spread throughout his body.
His internal organs gradually became active.
His thoughts turned incomparably clear.
Even the pores across his skin slowly opened.
Lin Sheng's Mental Perception immediately focused on the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
He wanted to know...
Whether the Astral Qi originating from the Immortal Cultivation Continent could still establish a connection with the world around him.
Several breaths passed.
Then...
His eyes suddenly opened.
The surrounding Spiritual Qi had responded.
Although the reaction was subtle, it unquestionably existed.
The Five Elements Astral Qi within his body resonated with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of this continent.
Crystal immediately completed its analysis.
•[Verification complete.
Astral Qi successfully establishes external resonance.
Heavenly circulation operating normally.
Breakthrough prerequisites satisfied.]•
A faint smile finally appeared on Lin Sheng's face.
It had worked.
Everything he had worried about after arriving on the Martial Continent had now been resolved.
His foundation remained intact.
His Astral Qi had not been rejected by this world.
That meant...
The path toward the Astral Gang Realm remained open.
Now...
He only needed to choose the right time to take that final step.