Meteorite Iron is an extremely rare mineral that can only be found in places where a meteorite has fallen.
It is a treasure that can only be obtained through sheer luck.
Weapons forged from Meteorite Iron become divine weapons that can withstand the sword energy of peak masters and even resist strong energy, depending on the skill of the blacksmith.
In my past life, I had seen a weapon made of Meteorite Iron only once.
"The Blood Demon Sword..."
I unconsciously clutched my chest.
The cold sensation that had pierced my heart still lingered in my memory.
Not only did it withstand the terrifying internal energy of the Blood Demon, but it also amplified the power of his techniques.
After awakening in this body, I often found myself lost in meaningless what-ifs.
What if the sword in the Blood Demon's hand hadn't been made of Meteorite Iron? Or at least, what if I had wielded a similar sword?
'But it's all just meaningless speculation.'
In any case, what lay before my eyes now was the same metal used to forge the Blood Demon Sword.
'Well, not exactly the same...'
The Meteorite Iron used in the Blood Demon Sword had a faint red hue, while the one in the hot spring had a faint blue tint.
But I was certain it was Meteorite Iron.
I couldn't imagine any other mineral emitting such a mysterious aura.
"What's this stone? You've been staring at it like you've lost your mind," my father asked, waving his hand in front of my face.
Though my father was well-versed in medicine and rare herbs, he seemed completely unaware of Meteorite Iron.
"This is..."
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest.
It would be troublesome if I pretended to know and later mentioned seeing a strange stone somewhere.
"Meteorite Iron."
"Me... what?" My father's eyes widened in shock.
Even if he hadn't seen it before, as a martial artist, he knew what Meteorite Iron was.
"Meteorite Iron? Kid, are you out of your mind...?"
"Do you think I'm joking?" Seeing my serious expression, my father's face gradually hardened.
He didn't ask how I recognized Meteorite Iron.
After all, I had been reading martial arts-related books and traveling since I was young.
After a moment of silence, my father spoke in a low voice.
"... Treasures that are beyond our means bring disaster. If this is truly Meteorite Iron, it's not something we can handle."
Treasures bring disaster.
Secret manuals of absolute masters, swords that cut through rock like tofu, armor that deflects such swords, elixirs that enhance one's cultivation by a hundred years—every time such treasures appeared, the martial world would bleed.
Meteorite Iron was one such treasure.
"If this becomes known... countless martial artists will shed blood to claim it. Even we, who discovered it, won't be spared."
"Couldn't we quietly sell it on the black market?" I suggested.
My father shook his head firmly.
"That might work for lesser treasures, but something of this caliber? The buyer would surely come after us. They'd have to silence us to keep it a secret."
"... You're right."
I agreed with my father's reasoning.
Selling Meteorite Iron on the black market would likely lead to our deaths.
As I nodded, my father seemed somewhat relieved.
"The person who created this place must have known that, which is why they left the Meteorite Iron untouched and hid this place with a formation."
...
No, that's not it.
It's just that Meng Shifu was too clueless to recognize Meteorite Iron.
But I couldn't say that, so I offered a different explanation.
"I think differently."
"Are you suggesting we take it with us? Do you really want to stir up a bloodbath in the martial world...?"
"We don't have to sell it. We can just keep it."
"Why would you do something so dangerous!" My father glared at me, clearly unwilling to accept the idea.
I laid out my thoughts logically.
"... Even if we leave it here, someone will eventually find it. Baiyun Mountain isn't far from our village, so once rumors of Meteorite Iron spread, martial artists will flock here. They'll think, 'If we search Baiyun Mountain, maybe we'll find more Meteorite Iron.' So they'll comb the mountain. And oh, there's a village nearby—perfect for lodging!"
"What...?" My father's face stiffened.
I continued quickly.
"Among them will be righteous sects, but there will also be evil ones. Those who harass women, draw their swords at the slightest provocation. Can you stop them all?"
"..."
I looked at my father, whose expression was hardening, and gave a bitter smile.
"Do you understand? If we turn a blind eye after discovering this, we'll bear some responsibility for the bloodshed that follows."
"Hah. Your sophistry is quite convincing."
"If you really thought it was sophistry, you wouldn't be making that face."
My father let out a long sigh.
Though he now taught self-defense in a rural village, my father had once studied at one of the five great martial academies and was an outstanding disciple of the righteous path.
The righteousness and chivalry he learned there wouldn't allow him to turn away from such a situation.
As expected, my father reluctantly spoke.
"... So what do you suggest?"
"We take it with us and hide it well. If it weren't for this mysterious atmosphere, who in this rural area would recognize it? Even you didn't know what it was."
Though I might have exaggerated, there was no lie in my words.
I drove the final nail into my wavering father.
"If we both keep our mouths shut, we could even decorate your room with it, and no one would know. They'd just think, 'Oh, Shifu brought back a pretty stone.' So..."
"Fine."
To my surprise, my father nodded without further persuasion.
With a resigned expression, he looked at me and chuckled.
"If I said no, you'd just collapse on the ground, wouldn't you?"
...
I should've done that earlier.
Would've saved me the trouble of talking so much.
My father laughed weakly and said, "Let's take it. We'll hide it well, as you said."
"Yes!" I took the Meteorite Iron out of the water, put it in a bag, and tied it securely.
Was I really going to just hide it at home?
'Are you kidding? I'll sneak it with me when I go to Qinglong Academy.'
My mind was already filled with various ways to utilize the Meteorite Iron.
There wasn't enough to melt down and forge a whole weapon, but mixing it with other metals could yield a few weapons.
The Blood Demon Sword wasn't entirely made of Meteorite Iron either—it was mixed with Cold Iron.
'Or I could make one small weapon entirely out of it.
The rest could be used for...'
Just imagining it made the corners of my mouth curl up.
"Shall we head back?" I carried the bag with the Meteorite Iron and the tiger's core, while the three Polygonum roots were wrapped in cloth and tucked into my robe.
My father was left empty-handed.
This was all out of filial piety—letting him carry just one big thing.
"Father, you carry that."
I pointed at the massive tiger lying on the ground.
My father's face immediately twisted.
"You expect me to carry that alone?"
"Should I help?" I looked down at my frail body, objectively and subjectively weak.
"It's fine, but if I pass out while carrying it, you'll have to carry me too..."
"Ugh!" In the end, my father slung the massive tiger over his shoulder.
Its hind legs dragged on the ground due to its size.
"Ugh. If only you weren't my son... No, if only you were healthy... Ugh!"
Grumbling all the way, my father complained as we descended the mountain.
Meanwhile, my steps felt light as if I were flying.
'I got the elixir I wanted, caught a tiger to live comfortably for a while, and even obtained Meteorite Iron...'
It felt like I got more than I bargained for.
"You brat... Ah! Slow down...!"
I told you to work on your lower body strength.
As soon as we returned home, I washed the three Polygonum roots and left them to dry in the sun.
After carefully peeling them, it took two full days to grind them into powder.
"Finally..."
Before me now was a bowl of warm water and the concentrated Polygonum powder.
I mixed the powder into the water and stirred it well.
"Deep breath..."
Before taking the elixir, I took a moment to calm myself.
My father had gone to the market to sell the tiger skin and other parts.
In other words, I was alone at Baiwu Hall.
-"Absolutely! Do not take the elixir recklessly until I return. I'll help you when I get back..."
-"Do you think I'm an idiot? Go sell the tiger skin for a good price."
That's what I told my father, but...
"Sorry, that was a lie."
I offered a silent apology to my father, who had left with strict instructions.
I had no choice.
What I was about to do was completely different from the usual methods of cultivating internal energy.
The Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
This martial art, which defied the natural order, would appear no different from demonic arts to ordinary martial artists.
If my father saw it, he would never allow it.
"Better to get scolded later."
Gulp, gulp.
I drank the Polygonum powder mixed with lukewarm water in one go.
'Ugh!'
Immediately, a hot energy surged in my stomach.
I sat cross-legged, closed my eyes, and focused on the energy within.
Then, I recalled the口诀 (mnemonic chant) of the Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
'Move.'
The medicinal energy of the Polygonum followed my will.
While it might take months for beginners to even sense this energy, it was no issue for me.
The energy slowly circulated through my meridians, guided by the Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
'This much is familiar...'
In my past life, when I practiced the Reverse Heaven Divine Art, I didn't have the Heavenly Yin Meridian constitution.
Back then, I hit a wall immediately.
"Ugh...!"
Cold sweat began to drip from my forehead.
'I expected this...'
Most of the eight extraordinary meridians were blocked, and a tremendous amount of turbid energy had accumulated in their place.
A body cursed by heaven.
Simply living caused turbid energy to accumulate, and by the age of thirty, all my meridians would be blocked, leading to death.
'Let's give it a try!'
I had no intention of accepting such a fate.
The founder of the Reverse Heaven Divine Art, the first Blood Demon Cult leader, was the same.
He was also born with the Heavenly Yin Meridian constitution.
And the method he used to escape the curse...
'Gather the turbid energy in the dantian.'
In short, it was madness.
Sss, sss, sss...
The medicinal energy of the Polygonum, guided by the Reverse Heaven Divine Art, became as thin as a needle.
It sharply pierced through the gaps in my blocked meridians.
The pain was indescribable.
'Ugh...!'
I gritted my teeth and endured.
The turbid energy clung to the medicinal energy and, under my guidance, slowly gathered in the dantian.
It gathered and gathered, condensed and condensed.
It was no different from accumulating poison in the dantian.
Shudder...
I barely suppressed my trembling body and focused my mind.
Blood seeped from my tightly clenched teeth.
'If I lose focus now, it's over.'
The most crucial step remained.
The Reverse Heaven Divine Art's口诀 formed a protective layer around the condensed turbid energy in the dantian, turning it into an inner elixir!
'Ugh...!'
Though it was brief in reality, it felt like an eternity to me.
Finally, a tiny inner elixir, smaller than a grain of rice, was completed within my body.
I had reached the first level of the Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
"Phew..."
I opened my eyes, unfolded my legs, and slowly stood up.
Though I felt dizzy and staggered for a moment, I managed to rise.
My body was drenched in sweat, and I reeked as if I had been covered in filth.
But a proud smile formed on my lips.
"Success."
My body felt as light as if it could fly.
The turbid energy that had spread throughout my body had gathered in the dantian, making me lighter and sharpening my senses.
I clenched my fist, feeling the changes.
'This is just the beginning.'
With the help of the medicinal energy, I had successfully laid the foundation for practicing the Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
To reach higher levels, I would need many more elixirs and great techniques, but reaching the first level had already extended my lifespan by at least three years.
Moreover, even with just a grain-sized inner elixir, I could now begin practicing martial techniques.
However, I couldn't immediately start practicing the Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
'It would be meaningless.
Each technique requires at least the ability to handle strong energy, and they're all insane.'
Practicing a martial art beyond my capacity would only harm my body.
First, I needed to strengthen this frail body.
Fortunately, I knew a martial art perfect for body training.
"Green Forest Eighteen Forms."
The secret martial art of Meng Huo, the Green Forest King, who had reached the level of Indestructible Vajra.
I would start by building my body with it.