Divine Weapon Peak.

In the Weapon Forging Hall, heat and cold coexisted, and the sound of hammering iron echoed continuously.

He Hongfeng rushed in frantically and blurted out:

"Futu Steward, you better hurry, Elder Shang Wu said if she doesn't see you in a quarter of an hour, she'll storm Divine Weapon Peak."

As soon as he finished speaking.

A group of muscular men, bare-chested and robust, in the Forging Hall broke out in a cold sweat.

It seemed they recalled some unpleasant memories.

They all turned their heads in unison, looking at the giant man like an iron tower not far away.

"Hmm?"

Futu's face twitched violently.

He loosened his grip, and the forging hammer fell to the ground.

"What exactly happened?"

Elder Han He slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying:

"To summon and dismiss my Divine Weapon Peak's steward at will and threaten to storm in, do they think there's no one at Divine Weapon Peak!"

The group of burly men lowered their heads, pretending to be busy.

"Uh, Futu, you should go first."

"Yes, Elder."

Futu's expression changed as he walked out of the Forging Hall.

Only then did Han He ask with a stern face:

"Steward He, what exactly happened?"

"Futu Steward's disciple had a spar with the newly promoted True Disciple..."

He Hongfeng recounted the events that had just transpired.

Elder Han He listened, his anger boiling.

An old disciple challenging a newly promoted disciple, such shamelessness, and yet they lost.

Now it's a mess.

That troublemaker Shang Wu, who could stir up trouble even without reason, now had a legitimate reason!

"By the way, you mentioned earlier that Li Mo forced Wang Hao to use Inner Breath?"

"That's right, actually Wang Hao had been secretly using it before, but just a trace. He suffered a loss in the Major Mastery of the Six Harmony Fist, so he was infuriated."

"It's not your fault."

Elder Han He stroked a strand of his graying beard, his eyes flickering.

Major Mastery of the Six Harmony Fist!

Opening meridians in one day!

With just these two points, Li Mo, even if not as good as Ying Bing, isn't far behind.

The Heaven-Climbing Stone Steps never make mistakes.

That boy's physique might be reflected in his martial arts talent, hence his rapid progress.

Such a promising seedling, and he joined Shang Wu's sect.

It's fine if he's just learning martial arts, but if he picks up that crazy woman's bad habits...

Just thinking about it gave Elder Han He a headache.

.....

Martial Exhibition Hall.

As Futu stepped in, he saw his disciple embedded in the wall, life or death unknown, while Shang Wu sat grandly in the main seat, sipping tea.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger:

"Elder Shang, what do you mean by injuring my disciple like this?"

Shang Wu raised her eyebrows, her voice louder than his:

"He started it!"

As she spoke, she lifted Li Mo's arm, pointing at the bruise on his palm:

"If I hadn't arrived in time, my exceptionally talented precious disciple would have been killed by your disciple."

Li Mo coughed lightly, trying to pull his hand back.

But it wouldn't budge.

No, Master, this bruise on my hand was from hitting him.

If it had been a bit later, it might have faded on its own.

Futu gestured from a distance, and Wang Hao was pulled out of the wall.

After feeding him a healing pill, he turned back:

"It was just a spar between fellow disciples, Elder Shang Wu, you've gone too far. Wang Hao has the responsibility to guide new disciples in martial arts, perhaps he was just teaching fist techniques."

"Sparring? Using Inner Breath is also guidance?"

Shang Wu said, slamming the teacup down, angrily:

"Li Mo, what do the Qingyuan Sect's rules say?"

"Those who harm fellow disciples can be killed on the spot."

Li Mo spoke up at the right moment.

"Useless! What good are you!"

Futu angrily glanced at the unconscious Wang Hao.

Bullying a disciple who's only been here for a day, and needing to use Inner Breath?

Now, with the label of harming fellow disciples, he can only swallow the bitter pill!

Despite his anger, he glanced subtly at the young man beside Shang Wu.

He knew Wang Hao's capabilities, and without Inner Breath, he still couldn't take down the opponent?

"Then... thank you, Elder Shang Wu, for disciplining my disciple. Goodbye."

Futu hoisted Wang Hao and prepared to leave.

But before he could take two steps, he was locked by a powerful aura, the hair on his neck standing on end.

"Your Divine Weapon Peak still owes me an explanation."

Shang Wu spat tea leaves into her cup, full of disdain:

"Bring me ten thousand pounds of cold iron, a thousand pounds of red gold, and ten pounds of refined iron. If there's even an ounce missing, don't think about leaving this place."

Everyone present was shocked.

That was equivalent to ten years of production from Divine Weapon Peak.

Even Elder Han He might not be able to provide that.

Visibly, veins bulged on Futu's forehead:

"You're asking for too much! Shang Wu, don't push me too far!"

"And what if I do?!"

A scorching aura spread, making it hard to breathe.

Was it an illusion?

Li Mo, in a daze, seemed to see a lotus blooming in flames on his beautiful master's body, burning eternally.

Futu's momentum stalled.

If it were anyone else, he could be sure they wouldn't dare make a move in the sect.

But when Shang Wu, this madwoman, went berserk, even the Sect Master had to give way.

Li Mo had a sudden inspiration and tried to mediate:

"Elder Futu is just a steward of Divine Weapon Peak, asking for so much, he really can't provide it."

"And I wasn't injured, so how about... asking for less compensation?"

Shang Wu snorted coldly:

"That's true, my disciple, what compensation would satisfy you?"

Li Mo coughed lightly and said, "Prepare the ink and brush!"

He quickly wrote down a list.

Futu glanced at it.

Most of it was fine wines Shang Wu loved, along with some miscellaneous precious items.

Though it would still cost a lot, it wasn't as outrageous as before.

"Come to Divine Weapon Peak to collect it."

Seeing the master and disciple singing in harmony.

Futu's expression was uncertain, ultimately swallowing the bitter pill.

"Ah, that's more like it, wouldn't it have been better to cooperate from the start."

Shang Wu's aura instantly dissipated.

Once Futu left with a cold snort, she beamed with joy, suddenly giving her precious disciple a big hug, burying his head in her chest with delight.

If Li Mo were to describe Shang Wu's figure at this moment, he would say it was suffocating.

If asked what Li Mo was thinking at this moment...

He was wondering why his past girlfriends would suddenly slap his thigh...

"Not bad, my disciple, you've already learned three-tenths of my skills."

"Master, can I have a share?"

Li Mo shyly requested a share of the spoils.

"Hmm?" Shang Wu instantly became alert, looking at her precious disciple as if he were no longer her beloved.

"One to nine."

The beautiful master held up her fingers.

"Master, you only want that much?"

"One part for you, nine parts for me."

Li Mo said helplessly, "Actually, I just wanted some exotic beast meat to roast..."

"Roast meat?"

Shang Wu's eyes lit up: "You can cook?"

"Of course, in Ziyang Prefecture, if I claim to be second, no one dares claim first."

With modern seasonings in hand, he's that confident!

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt himself being lifted.

Then, the surrounding scenery began to blur and rapidly recede.

By the time Li Mo was about to throw up, he finally felt solid ground beneath his feet.

Where was this?

Hearing the sound of iron being hammered, Li Mo looked around in confusion.

Before his eyes was a massive cave, faintly glinting with cold light.

On either side of the cave, there were two rivers, one scorching hot, the other icy cold, channeled into the courtyard through two waterways.

And a group of blacksmiths were working diligently in this courtyard.

"This is..."

"That's the Divine Edge Cavern, it existed even before our Qingyuan Sect was established."

Shang Wu, in a good mood, was happy to explain to her newbie disciple:

"Inside is a pile of scrap metal. I once killed an assassin from Drizzling Rain Pavilion, and his sword was thrown in there. Elder Han He said it's nourished by Martial Sharp Intent."

Martial Sharp Intent?

Li Mo's heart stirred.

Then this Divine Edge Cavern would be a great place to train the Ultimate Weapon Slaughter Body.

"Hmph, those are not scrap metal, Shang Wu, don't disrespect the ancestors of my Divine Weapon Peak!"

Elder Han He stood with his hands behind his back, looking displeased.

Shang Wu didn't argue with him, extending her hand:

"The items?"

"Hmph, Futu!"

With that, Futu came out dragging a cart.

Li Mo guessed that this was prepared by a steward named Futu at Divine Weapon Peak, hence it was ready so quickly.

The items were all requested by his master.

It seemed premeditated, choosing only what could be provided...

Shang Wu squinted her beautiful eyes, smiling like a fox that had successfully stolen a chicken.

"Elder Han He, it's rare for you to be so straightforward. Fine, let's put this matter behind us."

[Congratulations to the host for successfully investing, acting as an accomplice for Shang Wu, and completing an extortion.]

[Investment Feedback: Three jars of Icefire Wine.]

[Investment Feedback: Two bottles of Six-Pattern Clarity Pill.]

[Investment Feedback: Ten pounds of Refined Iron.]

.......

[Clarity Pill: Has the effect of calming the mind and focusing, can suppress distractions to a certain extent. Each pill lasts for two hours, with a maximum of one pill per day. Overconsumption can lead to emotional numbness and loss of humanity.]

[Refined Iron: A thousand pounds of iron yields one ounce of refined iron. Ordinary weapons, with just a trace added, can cut hair. It's an essential material for forging divine weapons and sharp tools.]

Li Mo was also very pleased.

Unexpectedly, helping his master extort could be considered an investment.

A huge gain.

This might not be his best reward ever, but it was definitely the most generous.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

The value of the rewards far exceeded the total his master painstakingly extorted.

"Hehe, how could I lose both face and substance?"

"Hope that when you, Shang Wu, lose, you won't resort to tricks."

Elder Han He snorted coldly.

He was referring to the bet between the two on their disciples.

That wager was worth far more than this mere cart of goods, it couldn't even be measured in gold and silver.

"Then I'll give you a chance... to lose."

Shang Wu smiled, giving a thumbs-up, then turned it downwards.

Li Mo: "......."

Master, where does your confidence come from?

If I remember correctly, Murong Xiao possesses the Screeching Flood Dragon Physique, hailed as a once-in-a-decade genius in Ziyang Prefecture.

If not for Ying Bing, Murong Xiao would undoubtedly be the top disciple of this generation.

Elder Han He's confidence likely stems from that Half-Demon bloodline.

The characteristic of a Half-Demon is an extremely high starting point.

"Heh, my disciple may not be talented, but in the Vital Energy Realm, he has opened five meridians and can already descend to the second level of the Divine Edge Cavern."

"Shameful, truly shameful, just a bit better than when I was young."

Elder Han He sipped his tea calmly.

Shang Wu was genuinely surprised: "He's only opened five meridians in the Vital Energy Realm, and you let him train in the Divine Edge Cavern?"

Elder Han He showed a mysterious smile: "I have my own plans, no need for you to worry."

His disciple possessed a Half-Demon body, with blood leaning towards the physically strong Flood Dragon, and under his guidance, practiced external training, fully exploiting his strengths.

Now, with just his body, he could lift a ten-thousand-pound boulder.

Li Mo might go far in the future, but so what?

The Nine Peaks Martial Meet was just around the corner.

In the short term, there's no way he could surpass Murong Xiao.

"Hmph, it's just the Divine Edge Cavern..."

Shang Wu pouted, ultimately not blurting out 'my disciple can do it too.'

The weapons in the cavern were all tools of slaughter.

Individually, they might not be much, but when gathered in a pattern, they could harm from a distance.

Moreover, some weapons had killed countless people, carrying terrifying killing intent, enough to captivate the soul.

Entering was a dual test of body and mind.

Even she couldn't reach the deepest level of the Divine Edge Cavern.

"Elder Han He, can outsiders enter this Divine Edge Cavern?"

"Hmm?"

Elder Han He paused in his tea-drinking.

Shang Wu discreetly signaled her disciple.

Silly disciple, we don't have to fight every battle...

Elder Han He glanced over:

"You can enter, but I advise you to think twice..."

Inside, apart from Murong Xiao, all were disciples above the Inner Breath Realm.

The former because of his naturally strong body, the latter because they could use Inner Breath to protect themselves.

"I'll try the outskirts first, if it doesn't work, I won't force it."

Li Mo's eyes were bright, speaking to both of them.

Elder Han He shook his head inwardly.

No wonder he got into a conflict as soon as he entered the Martial Exhibition Hall.

Just a bit of progress in martial arts, and he's already unaware of the vastness of the heavens, always wanting to compete.

This mindset, it's good for him to suffer a bit.

"You can go in, but your safety is your own responsibility, don't blame me if anything happens to you or your master."

"Thank you."

Li Mo cupped his hands, then looked at his master.

Shang Wu pondered for a moment, then took out a small bell from her bosom:

"If you can't hold on, shake it twice."

This was the Heartbound Bell.

When one bell is shaken vigorously, the other will ring.

As long as they're not a thousand miles apart, it works.

Elder Shang Wu might seem carefree, but she didn't want her precious disciple to truly get hurt.

"Thank you, Master."

After receiving the bell.

Li Mo walked to the entrance of the Divine Edge Cavern.