Translator: AnubisTL
That night, Commander Li delivered over a hundred pounds of iron ingots to Li Qing’s tent.
Maple Country strictly controlled resources like salt and iron, and all of this was done in secret, attracting no attention.
Once inside the tent, Commander Li glanced around to ensure no one else was present, then whispered, "Er Niu, have you heard of Ink Gold?"
Ink Gold?
Li Qing shook his head in confusion. Neither in his past life nor this one had he ever heard of such a thing.
With that, Commander Li pulled out a fist-sized piece of black metal from his pocket.
"This is Ink Gold. The iron mine we guard in the Frontier Army occasionally yields this special material, though it’s extremely rare."
Li Qing stared at the metal tightly clutched in the commander’s hand and recalled how, during Master Gu’s lifetime, the female Commander Qian Hong had approached him to forge the Qing Hong Sword. She had mentioned a special type of ore.
It must have been this Ink Gold that Commander Li now held. Li Qing was surprised that the commander had managed to obtain something so rare.
Still, Li Qing feigned ignorance and asked, "What is Ink Gold usually used for?"
"This matter is of great importance. You must not mention it to anyone else!" Li Gui said sternly, then lowered his voice further. "Ink Gold is far harder than ordinary iron. Weapons forged from it are incredibly sharp, capable of piercing even ordinary iron armor."
"I want you to help me melt this Ink Gold into the blade of the Mountain-Splitting Axe. Can you do it?"
"Commander Li, I’ve never forged anything like this before. I’m not sure if I can manage it," Li Qing replied, shaking his head.
"Master Gu once forged weapons using Ink Gold. You’re his disciple, so you should be able to handle it. Just give it your best shot!" Li Gui said with a frown.
Li Qing swallowed hard and replied, "I can only try, but I can’t guarantee success."
"Do your best. I’m not an unreasonable man," Li Gui said with a smile, then carefully handed the Ink Gold to Li Qing, his eyes filled with reluctance.
Obtaining this piece of Ink Gold had cost him dearly, and he had gone through great lengths to keep its existence hidden.
Most of the Ink Gold mined from the pit had ended up in the pockets of Chiliarch Qian Hong. As a mere commander, Li Gui considered himself fortunate to have secured even this single piece.
TL/N: Chiliarch is a Greek term that literally means "commander of a thousand."
"Remember, this must remain a secret. If word gets out, neither of us will survive," Commander Li warned one last time before cautiously exiting the tent.
Left alone, Li Qing stared at the pile of iron ingots on the ground and the piece of Ink Gold in his hand, lost in thought.
"Is Ink Gold really that extraordinary?" Li Qing narrowed his eyes, recalling the prompts that had appeared when he successfully forged weapons in the past.
Weapons he had forged from ordinary iron ingots were labeled as "mundane-grade." Did that mean there were higher-grade weapons? "If Ink Gold is truly this remarkable, then forging an entire weapon from it might elevate it beyond the mundane-grade category."
Thinking of this, Li Qing gently caressed the ink-black metal with his hand. Its texture was smooth and warm, yet even after holding it in his palm for a long time, it remained cold and unheated.
Truly a miraculous metal, unheard of!
However, Li Qing was in no hurry to start forging. It was nighttime, and the noise of blacksmithing would be very noticeable.
He carefully hid the Ink Gold, ensuring no one would come looking for him again, and then returned to the World of Eternal Night.
The surroundings were still as cold as ever, but after practicing martial arts, Li Qing had become strong and robust, gaining a certain resistance to the cold. This time, he didn’t plan to continue practicing the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram. Instead, he unfolded the bamboo scroll that recorded the Turtle Breathing Art.
"It’s actually an internal martial art. The Yan Family’s collection is truly rich! But it’s too slow to show results. It might take ten years just to reach a minor level of mastery. No wonder the Yan Family was willing to part with it."
In the martial world, martial arts are mainly divided into two types: one is external martial arts like the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art, and the other is internal martial arts like the Turtle Breathing Art.
It’s hard to say which is superior, as both are powerful when mastered to a high level.
The former shows results quickly, and most martial artists in the martial world practice external martial arts. However, once they grow old and their vitality weakens, their martial prowess will gradually decline.
This is why it’s said that fists fear the young. Young and vigorous individuals, relying on sheer brute force, can even defeat experienced masters with wild punches.
Internal martial arts, on the other hand, are different. As one ages, the internal energy within the body becomes increasingly profound.
However, internal martial arts take decades to show results, and each internal martial art is precious. Therefore, internal martial arts masters are often rarer than external martial arts masters.
"Generally, few people practice both internal and external martial arts simultaneously. It’s too time-consuming and often leads to more losses than gains."
"The Yan Family gave me these martial arts together. They must have ulterior motives."
Li Qing sighed, then held the bamboo scroll and began to read it carefully.
The Turtle Breathing Art is also divided into three levels: minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection!
These three levels correspond to the Outer Strength experts, Inner Strength experts, and Transformed Strength grandmasters in the martial world!
However, because it’s an internal martial art, even if the Turtle Breathing Art is practiced to the level of minor mastery, it’s still difficult to match an Outer Strength expert.
Outer Strength experts ultimately rely on their own strength. Although internal martial arts at the minor mastery level provide some enhancement, there is still a gap.
When practiced to the level of major mastery, these gaps gradually diminish.
If one can practice internal martial arts to perfection, reaching the level of a Transformed Strength grandmaster, they can even surpass others.
This is why Li Qing is so interested in the Turtle Breathing Art. He has no shortage of time. Even if his martial arts aptitude is poor, practicing this internal martial art for a hundred or two hundred years before emerging would make his internal energy indescribably unparalleled in the world! Soon, Li Qing immersed himself in the content of the Turtle Breathing Art, his eyes shining with eagerness as he voraciously memorized this internal martial art.
After spending nearly four hours, Li Qing finally committed this martial art to memory.
But before he could start practicing, a commotion erupted outside the courtyard.
"Yan San, get out of here! If you dare lay a finger on my granddaughter again, I’ll fight you to the death!"
Old Man An’s furious voice rang out, and from the tone, it was clear what had happened.
Li Qing sighed inwardly, deciding not to get involved in the matter.
As a modern man, he detested the ways of the Yan Family and Yan San. If he ever became powerful enough in the future, he wouldn’t mind wiping out this family in passing. But that time had not yet come.
(End of the Chapter)
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