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Chapter 4 - Blood and Iron

Luo Yun didn't return to Gu Peak Village.

He knew there was nothing left for him there—no opportunities, no knowledge, and no future. The old man had been right: no one would notice if he disappeared. So he chose to vanish.

He found shelter in an abandoned shack near a dry ravine, not far from Black Rock Hill. It was nothing more than cracked wood and old stone, but it was quiet, isolated, and far from unwanted eyes.

And now, he had something precious.

A cultivation scroll—his first real technique beyond basic body training.

Ironblood Tempering Technique – Tier 1 (Partial)

"Temper the flesh with pain, harden the bone with will, refine the blood with fury."

"Only through bloodshed and suffering can the body awaken its dormant strength."

"The technique is dangerous. Improper use can damage the heart meridian. Do not proceed without a stable foundation."

Luo Yun read the scroll again and again.

He had no teacher to explain the risks.

But he had no time to wait.

The first step was simple: stimulate the body through blood circulation, then control the heat generated within the dantian to push spiritual energy into the limbs.

But he didn't have real spiritual energy. He only had that faint warmth—generated from herbs and survival. And it wasn't enough.

The scroll mentioned a solution:

"Use Ironroot Powder or Beastbone Extract to accelerate blood flow."

He had neither.

So he improvised.

He recalled that Shadow Wolf blood had high energy residue. He still had a rag soaked in its dried blood.

Boiling the rag in water and drinking the bitter liquid was the worst thing he'd ever tasted.

He vomited twice.

Then he began the first cycle.

The pain was immediate.

His limbs burned, not from fire, but from something deeper—a tearing, grinding sensation, as if his blood had turned to molten lead. His chest tightened. His ears rang.

His body collapsed.

He woke up hours later, shivering, his vision blurry.

But he smiled.

Because the warmth inside him had grown.

Slightly, but undeniably.

Day after day, Luo Yun repeated the process.

He pushed his limits.

He fasted. He trained. He endured.

Each night, the pain got worse.

Each morning, his body got stronger.

After a week, he could feel his skin toughening, his reflexes sharpening, and his movements gaining explosive force.

But there was a cost.

He hadn't slept properly in days. His dreams were filled with snarling beasts, burning bones, and twisted versions of himself. His hands trembled when still. He started speaking to himself without realizing it.

One night, after a particularly brutal training session, he saw his reflection in the dark pool beside the shack.

His eyes looked different.

Colder. Sharper. Less… human.

He stared for a long time.

"Is this the price?" he whispered.

"Is this what it means… to grow stronger?"

On the tenth night, it happened.

His body had reached the threshold.

He had circulated the Ironblood technique to its final cycle. The warmth within him exploded into fire. His heart pounded like a war drum. His bones cracked as they grew denser. His blood roared through his veins like a storm.

He screamed—not in pain, but in fury.

It was as if his body had become a furnace.

And when it passed, when the fire cooled and the storm settled—

Luo Yun stood, breathing heavily, eyes wide.

He clenched his fists.

His skin no longer bruised from light strikes.

His bones no longer ached after training.

He could break small rocks with a punch.

He had stepped into Ironbody Stage One—the second level of body cultivation.

But…

He didn't feel triumphant.

He felt empty.

That same night, he encountered a stranger.

While collecting water from the nearby stream, he saw someone sitting on a rock—hooded, quiet, watching the moon.

A woman.

She didn't look dangerous. But in this world, appearances meant nothing.

Luo Yun stayed cautious.

"You're new," the woman said without turning around. Her voice was clear and calm.

"I haven't seen you at the market."

"I don't go often," Luo Yun replied.

"You've started the Ironblood Technique," she said, glancing at him now. "I can smell it. Your body reeks of burnt blood and wolf residue. You're pushing it too fast."

Luo Yun didn't answer.

"I used to cultivate that too," she said. "Years ago."

"What happened?"

She smiled faintly. "It worked. But it turned me into someone I didn't recognize."

She stood and walked past him, slowly.

Before disappearing into the shadows, she said one last thing:

"Be careful, Luo Yun. Strength is useful—but not if you lose what makes you you."

Luo Yun froze.

He had never told her his name.

He returned to the shack in silence.

Sat beside the dying fire.

And stared at his hands.

For the first time in days, he didn't train.

He didn't push the next cycle.

He just sat there.

Thinking.

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