At the same time.
Within the Divine Edge Peak courtyard.
"What kind of body-refining martial arts did you teach Li Mo?"
Han He casually probed for information.
Even though he believed Murong Xiao couldn’t possibly lose, knowing one's enemy was the key to victory.
However, Shang Wu’s next words nearly made Han He spit out his tea:
"Body-refining martial arts? I didn’t teach him any."
"You didn’t?!"
"He only opened his meridians yesterday—where would he find the time to learn body-refining techniques?"
Han He’s aged face twitched.
You don’t even know what your own disciple is practicing, yet you let him enter the Divine Edge Cave?
He had assumed Shang Wu had prepared some hidden trump card to win their bet.
And Li Mo…
Could he really have picked up some low-tier martial art like Iron Shirt and started training like a fool?
Just then—
"Master! Master!"
"Something terrible has happened!"
Murong Xiao rushed into the courtyard, his back drenched in sweat—not from exhaustion, but panic.
"Weren’t you training? What’s wrong?"
Han He frowned at his disciple.
He had always believed his disciple possessed a calm temperament, which was why he’d allowed him to descend to the second level of the Divine Edge Cave.
Why was he so frantic now?
The Divine Edge Cave was right under his nose—what major incident could possibly occur?
"Brother Li has entered the third level of the Divine Edge Cave!"
"Master, you must go save him!" Murong Xiao urged.
His desperate demeanor made it seem as though his own father had fallen into a river.
"Brother Li? Which Brother Li?"
Han He was momentarily confused.
"Shang Wu’s true disciple—Li Mo!"
Han He: "?"
Shang Wu: "Huh?"
Li Mo… had gone to the third level?
The third level housed named weapons.
Whether it was the lingering killing intent of past weapon masters or the innate sharp energy of the Divine Edge Cave, neither was something a Qi-Blood Realm cultivator could withstand.
The blacksmiths in the courtyard collectively gasped.
Even they, who worked with weapons daily, dared not linger too long on the third level.
For someone in the Qi-Blood Realm, it was certain death.
"That doesn’t make sense."
"How did he even get down there?"
Han He stood abruptly, his expression shifting between shock and suspicion.
To reach the third level, one had to pass through the second.
A novice who had just entered the Qi-Blood Realm, with no body-refining experience, shouldn’t even make it past the second level!
Yet Murong Xiao’s expression left no room for doubt.
"I don’t know either…" Murong Xiao shook his head.
"Perhaps he possesses a rare treasure that shields him from the sharp energy."
Han He pondered for a moment before arriving at this possibility.
"He should be fine… right?"
Shang Wu’s drunkenness instantly evaporated as she hesitantly pulled out a Resonance Bell from her robes.
The bell hadn’t rung.
Han He said gravely,
"On the third level, your disciple likely lost his mind to the killing intent the moment he stepped in!"
"With a treasure, he might last a short while…"
Before he could finish—
A crimson figure shot out like a meteor, leaving only a crater where she had stood.
"Eh? What just flew past?"
The inner sect steward at the entrance rubbed his eyes.
"Who are you? Register!"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Oh… it’s you…"
Han He followed swiftly.
If a true disciple died in the cave, even he, as an elder, would bear responsibility.
"Shang Wu, don’t collapse my Divine Edge Cave!" he shouted after her.
This reaction was understandable. Once, an Inner Breath Realm disciple had accidentally entered the third level and lost his mind.
The speed of an Observation Divine Realm expert surpassed even the flicker of flame.
Truly, faster than fire.
Shang Wu made no effort to conceal her aura, her scorching heat overwhelming even the sharp energy of the weapons.
As a result, the first and second levels of the Divine Edge Cave were left with many trembling martial artists.
In mere moments, Shang Wu arrived at the third level.
But then, she suddenly halted.
"Huh?"
Her tense expression gradually relaxed, replaced by bewilderment.
"Shang Wu, my disciple has saved yours this time."
"How do you plan to repay this debt—"
Elder Han He descended with his hands clasped behind his back.
But his words caught in his throat.
The elder who had overseen Divine Edge Peak for twenty years froze on the spot at the sight before him.
He had thought this would finally force Shang Wu, that madwoman, to owe him a favor—perhaps she’d stop freeloading off his peak.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to witness such an unforgettable scene.
A young man sat atop a bluestone, surrounded by dozens of weapons—each radiating a docile, submissive aura.
Without exception, they were all named weapons.
Every inner sect disciple had the right to enter the Divine Edge Cave and choose a weapon. With luck, one might earn the recognition of a named weapon.
Of course, most could only pick from the first or second levels.
For an ordinary disciple, gaining the acknowledgment of a single named weapon was already a stroke of immense fortune.
To know, even most elders of the various peaks wield nothing more than Named Weapons.
Dozens of Named Weapons recognizing a master at once?
Han He would rather believe his old eyes—those of a master in the Internal Scenery Realm—were failing him.
"Gulp—"
Han He swallowed hard.
"I told you, this kid doesn’t seem like a fool."
"He’s doing just fine with his training."
Shang Wu snorted, her lazy demeanor returning.
Han He was speechless.
Who was it that nearly crashed into someone several times just moments ago?
At this point, he had no time to argue with Shang Wu. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the youth surrounded by Named Weapons, scrutinizing him again and again.
Even after weathering countless storms, he couldn’t help but question reality.
"This kid really is cultivating."
"And he’s drawn dozens of Named Weapons—the killing intent and sharpness in this entire area now revolve around him."
"Even someone in the Observation Divine Realm would have to think twice before confronting him."
"Yet he remains completely unharmed..."
Han He himself was a master craftsman, exceptionally sensitive to weapons.
But the more he understood, the more he realized how impossible this feat was for someone in the Qi-Blood Realm!
"By the way, old man Han He."
"Doesn’t your Divine Edge Cave have a rule?"
"If someone gains the recognition of a Named Weapon, they can take it away, right?"
Shang Wu wiped the corner of her mouth, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming.
She didn’t even have a Named Weapon herself.
Well, that was because she had something better.
But!
This was dozens of them!
If she took her precious disciple for a few more strolls around the third level, there might be even more.
Han He: "?"
Are you here to stock up on goods?
"You’re mistaken. Each disciple can only take one weapon from the Divine Edge Cave."
"That wasn’t the case before."
"That was then, this is now!"
...
"The effects of the Tranquil Heart Pill are wearing off."
Li Mo stopped circulating his cultivation technique.
Opening his eyes, he gazed into the distant, cold glow.
When he had pushed the Extreme Soldier Slaughtering Body to its limit earlier, he had faintly sensed something.
That trace of connection was weak, but it undeniably existed.
Deep within the Divine Edge Cave, something was calling to him.
"Ahem, Li Mo, you may choose one of these Named Weapons to take with you."
The voice of Elder Han He came from behind.
Only then did Li Mo snap out of his thoughts and notice the two figures behind him.
Elder Han He looked resigned.
His master, however, was practically drooling over the weapons surrounding him.
Why were they here?
"Thank you, Elder Han He, but I don’t plan to choose a weapon just yet."
Li Mo cupped his hands respectfully.
His father’s greatest hobby was collecting all kinds of weapons, often saying he dreamed of owning a Named Weapon.
Naturally, Li Mo knew how precious they were.
But the problem was...
He hadn’t trained in any weapon techniques yet. It wouldn’t make sense to just pick a Named Weapon at random and then search for a matching martial skill.
"Exactly, disciple, no rush."
Shang Wu chimed in, then turned back with a smirk and added, "Once you can descend to the fourth level of the Divine Edge Cave, we’ll take our time picking one."
"Right, Elder Han He?"
Han He’s eyelid twitched violently.
The fourth level—those were the treasures the Divine Edge Peak guarded as its very lifeblood.
"Let’s see if he can even get down there first."
"Sooner or later."
Shang Wu, delighted to see the annoying old man flustered, patted her disciple’s shoulder triumphantly.
But the moment she did, she noticed something odd.
"Huh? Li Mo, why do you feel harder?"
"Guess why I came to the Divine Edge Cave in the first place."
Li Mo had a retort on the tip of his tongue but held back.
Well, the Extreme Soldier Slaughtering Body technique was indeed remarkably effective.
At the very least, he no longer felt pain when his master slapped him.
By rough estimate, his physical toughness had increased by at least thirty percent—and this was just the first day of training.
It would only get stronger from here.
"Once my body toughens up further, I’ll go deeper."
"Whatever’s calling to me… it’s not on the fourth level. It’s even further down."
Li Mo withdrew his gaze.
...