Translator: AnubisTL
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The rhythmic clang of the hammer echoed through the Blacksmith Shop, each strike sending showers of sparks flying.
Under Li Qing's hammer, a snow-silver dagger was taking shape.
The Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron itself was incredibly tough, far harder than any metal Li Qing had ever seen. This eliminated the need for quenching.
After forging, Li Qing carved a flawless handle from the Male Deer King's antler.
The antler handle connected to the dagger's end, which was formed by fusing Ink Gold and Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron.
Li Qing seamlessly joined the antler handle to the dagger, creating a weapon of unparalleled material and craftsmanship.
"I'll call you the Wandering Dragon Dagger," Li Qing said, nodding in satisfaction at the dagger, which was now only missing its edge.
Graceful as a startled swan, lithe as a wandering dragon!
These words best described the snow-silver dagger. The cold glint reflecting from its edge sent a chill down the spine.
For days, Li Qing had been agonizing over what weapon to forge, neglecting his appearance and becoming quite disheveled.
But as he immersed himself in forging the Wandering Dragon Dagger, he rediscovered his focus, and his essence, qi, and spirit began to slowly merge.
He not only understood why he needed to craft this Peerless Divine Weapon but also found his own Martial Dao.
Next, Li Qing began sharpening the blade. He gripped the handle with one hand and pressed the other against the dagger's blade, carefully honing it.
With each stroke, the Wandering Dragon Dagger grew sharper.
This process lasted for a considerable time, requiring him to replace the whetstone three times. Finally, the system notification for completion appeared before his eyes.
[Successfully forged Superior mundane tool: Wandering Dragon Dagger. Reward: Five years of Lifespan!]
Li Qing paid no attention to the message, nor did he question why such a small dagger would grant him five years of Lifespan.
He felt his body undergoing a profound transformation. Vital Energy surged through his veins, and his Internal Strength was shifting towards an unimaginable state.
Li Qing stood motionless, the dagger still clutched in his hand. He closed his eyes slightly, carefully savoring and comprehending this change.
Gradually, an astonishing Martial Dao will erupted from Li Qing, its pressure as tangible as a physical force sweeping outward from his body.
Boom!
Essence, qi, and spirit merged into one!
Refining Strength into Marrow!
His Martial Dao will surged higher and higher. Li Qing suddenly opened his eyes, his disheveled hair lifting and dancing wildly in the windless air.
"Roar!"
Li Qing threw back his head and roared, the sound wave crashing through Chiming Street like a tsunami before spreading even further.
All the residents of Chiming Street clutched their ears in slight pain.
The roar lasted for an extraordinarily long time, because Li Qing's breath was so deep and his inner strength flowed endlessly, like a vast, surging river.
Finally, Li Qing stopped.
"So this is what it means to be a Transformed Strength Grandmaster?!"
Li Qing spread his hands, feeling the boundless power surging within him and the awe-inspiring Martial Dao aura that now radiated from his every pore.
He had finally done it!
He had reached the Divine Intent Realm, the ultimate symbol of human martial prowess!
From this moment on, every Martial Art he practiced would be infused with his unique will, and every movement he made would resonate with the true essence of the Martial Dao.
Peerless elegance, a Grandmaster among mortals!
At this moment, Li Qing simply wanted to burst into unrestrained laughter. After years of arduous pursuit, he had finally achieved the Grandmaster Realm.
His expression quickly turned cold, his gaze fixed on the Inner City, where the opulent Imperial Palace stood.
"Hahaha! Now that I've become a Grandmaster, I shall right the wrongs of this world!"
His words echoing in the air, Li Qing hoisted the Peerless Hammer back onto his shoulders and secured the Wandering Dragon Dagger and four Fallen Life Nails to his waist.
With these preparations complete, he picked up a jar of century-old Bitter Ginseng Wine and stepped out of the blacksmith shop.
Li Qing's movements were as light as a swallow's, each step effortlessly covering over ten meters. He lightly tapped his toes on the rooftops of the buildings lining the street, his form moving with incredible speed.
The city gates separating the Inner and Outer Cities were mere steps for him now.
The guards stationed at the checkpoints below watched in stunned disbelief as Li Qing soared over the towering city walls like a majestic eagle.
"Quick, shoot him down with arrows!"
"It's a Jianghu Martial Artist! Pursue him quickly before he escapes!"
"..."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sharp sound of arrows piercing the air suddenly erupted. Several deadly arrows shot toward Li Qing with deadly accuracy.
Li Qing, however, remained unconcerned. He chuckled lightly, even taking the time to sip some Bitter Ginseng Wine.
Just as the arrow storm closed in, he flicked his sleeve, unleashing a fierce gust of wind that swept the incoming arrows away in a single stroke!
"Hahaha! The Inner City's forbidden grounds are nothing more than this. I'm off!"
With those words, the Grassland guards at the street checkpoint watched in stunned silence as Li Qing vanished like a shooting star.
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace, chaos reigned. The tables laden with fine wines and delicacies had been overturned, leaving a scene of utter disarray.
Countless Wu Dynasty officials, their souls seemingly lost, scattered in panic, and many were cut down in the ensuing melee.
Outside, a massive wave of Grassland troops surged in like a flood, beginning to hunt down the invading Martial Artists.
Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha'er, enveloped in a golden aura, was attacked by a red-clad woman who was desperately hacking at his Golden Light Shield with a jet-black sword.
Each strike sent ripples through the shield.
"Protect the Holy Monarch! Protect the Holy Monarch!"
Yet beside the red-clad woman stood a slender young man with graying temples. He was ruthlessly slaughtering the burly Grassland warriors who tried to come to Tuwa Ha'er's rescue.
Tuwa Ha'er's expression was grim. He had known that Jianghu Practitioners would cause trouble today, but he hadn't expected so many to appear at once.
Shengtian City had undergone repeated searches and martial law. The fact that so many Martial Artists were still hiding within its walls surprised him.
Of course, it was only a momentary surprise. His face showed no fear or unease.
Though the stunning red-clad woman wielded a Peerless Divine Weapon—a pseudo-magical artifact—her brute force alone wouldn't be enough to harm the Golden Light Shield.
The shield might not last forever, but Tuwa Ha'er had more than one talisman. The Windwalk Talisman allowed him to escape at any moment, while the Golden Shield Talisman made him invulnerable to blades and arrows.
With these two talismans bestowed upon him by the Immortal, these Inner Strength Martial Artists posed no real threat to his life.
Even if it meant sacrificing countless Grasslands troops, Tuwa Ha'er was determined to wear down these Jianghu Practitioners until they perished here, eliminating any future threats!
However, Tuwa Ha'er didn't want to drag this out too long. Several high-ranking officials had already been slain by the Martial Artists amidst the chaos. If this continued, his court would soon be nothing but an empty shell.
"Nuchik!"
At Tuwa Ha'er's roar, a small giant-like figure charged out from behind the palace.
His name was Nuchik, a renowned warrior of the Grasslands, blessed with astonishing natural strength. Even several horses pulling together couldn't budge his arm.
The Sage Ruler had once tried to have Nuchik train in martial arts, but the little giant's aptitude was woefully lacking, utterly clueless about the Martial Dao.
So, he had given Nuchik all the Qi Blood Pills he had obtained from the Yellow-Robed Old Monster.
To everyone's surprise, the pills worked wonders. The already immensely powerful Grasslands warrior's strength multiplied exponentially.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Nuchik's running resembled a charging elephant. Each footfall caused the Imperial Palace's grand hall to tremble faintly.
Qi Kang felt a chill run down his spine at the commotion. He realized this had completely transcended the realm of ordinary humans.
"Roar!"
Nuchik roared, sending everyone in his path—regardless of their allegiance—flying through the air. Those who couldn't escape in time were crushed into pulp beneath his massive feet, killed beyond all hope of revival.
The giant warrior was clad in thick armor, protecting his most vital areas.
"Commander Qian," Qi Kang said gravely. Though the giant appeared to have no understanding of the Martial Dao, his sheer brute strength likely surpassed that of every Martial Artist present.
Qian Hong, who had already swung her sword countless times, was panting heavily. She frowned and glanced back at the giant.
"Forget about that dog emperor for now. Let's deal with that fat man together," she decided instantly, abandoning the Sage Ruler who was within striking distance and joining Qi Kang in charging toward the giant.
It was a good plan, but this was the Grasslands, and the Sage Ruler was on home turf.
The Sage Ruler watched the two Maple Country Martial Artists abandon him with a cold smile, contempt burning in his eyes.
As soon as the two Jianghu Practitioners charged towards Nuchik, a large number of Grasslands soldiers swarmed forward, sacrificing their lives to hold them back.
"Watch out!" Qian Hong was slashing through the enemy with her Qing Hong Sword like she was cutting through melons, but there were simply too many of them to kill.
The giant Nuchik had already charged forward. He threw a powerful punch at Qi Kang, who was at the front. The air seemed to explode around them.
Bang!
Qi Kang's slender frame was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.
Seeing this, Qian Hong's face fell into despair.
What terrifying strength is this? Even an Inner Strength Martial Artist can't withstand a single punch like that. Who exactly is this giant?!
"Die!" Qian Hong roared in fury, her Qing Hong Sword cleaving through the enemy's thick armor with a clean, decisive strike, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Just as she was about to follow up with another blow, the Marauders surged forward again, restricting her movements.
Meanwhile, the giant Nuchik fixed his crimson eyes on Qian Hong, letting out a bestial roar:
"Roar!"
Another punch thundered towards Qian Hong. This blow was delivered with immense force, its power terrifying.
Qian Hong drew her sword to defend, but a monstrous, overbearing force surged from the Qing Hong Sword, making it difficult for her to maintain her balance. Her steps faltered as she stumbled backward.
The other Inner Strength Martial Artists present were also entangled in the human wave tactics, unable to come to her aid.
They had intended to assassinate Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha'er, and the emperor of the Grasslands naturally aimed to capture them all in one fell swoop.
Just as the situation teetered on the brink of complete crisis, a tall figure appeared atop the Imperial City, seemingly out of nowhere.
A young man stood there, his posture upright and his spirit soaring. He casually flicked his fingertip.
Whoosh!
A streak of silver light erupted from his fingertip, hurtling forward at lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, the silver beam pierced through the giant Nuchik's fist just as he was about to strike Qian Hong.
"Aaaaaah!"
The giant, Nuchik, recoiled his hand in a mixture of shock and fury. He stared at the silver-white iron spike that had pierced through his palm, letting out a pained howl.
"Who!"
Most of the onlookers had been focused on the battle between Qian Hong and Nuchik. Seeing the seemingly unstoppable and invincible giant suddenly wounded, they were naturally stunned.
In the next moment, a clear, crisp voice rang out:
"The world has suffered at the hands of Marauders for too long. Tuwa Ha'er, I've come to take your dog life!"
Swish!
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice, fixing on the highest point of the Imperial Palace's grand hall.
There stood a tall, upright young man, casually stretching with a jar of wine in hand, utterly relaxed and carefree in front of the crowd.
"It's Master Li!"
"Li Qing?! Is that the Fierce Tiger Li Qing?!"
"Master Li has arrived!"
Several of Li Qing's acquaintances were present, including Yang Xing of the Maple Guard and Zhao Yuan, who wielded the Silent Blade. They all recognized Li Qing!
(End of the Chapter)
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