The seven days passed quietly within the secluded cave.
Apart from the steady sound of hammer striking iron and the occasional roar of the furnace, almost nothing disturbed the peaceful atmosphere hidden behind the waterfall.
Lou Feng devoted every waking moment to the task his master had assigned him.
At first...
The strange language recorded within the ancient book was almost impossible to understand.
Its characters differed completely from the script used throughout the Great Qian Dynasty. Every stroke seemed to contain hidden meaning, making ordinary memorisation far more difficult than expected.
Even so...
Lou Feng never complained.
Whenever he encountered a character he failed to recognise, he would quietly copy it dozens of times upon the stone floor before comparing it against the explanations his master had briefly left behind.
The first day passed with slow progress.
The second...
Became noticeably smoother.
By the third day, Lou Feng no longer needed to stop at every unfamiliar sentence.
By the fourth...
Even Lin Sheng looked away from the forge for a brief moment.
The boy had already become proficient.
Not merely capable of recognising the words...
But capable of naturally reading entire passages without hesitation.
Watching Lou Feng continue studying despite already reaching that level, Lin Sheng slowly lowered the forging hammer in his hand.
"So this..."
"...is the comprehension of a Child of Luck."
There wasn't the slightest trace of envy in his voice.
Only curiosity.
Crystal had continuously monitored Lou Feng's learning speed throughout the past several days.
**•[Language acquisition efficiency exceeds estimated human average by 418%.
No abnormal mental fluctuations detected.
Conclusion: Target displays exceptionally high comprehension ability.]•
Lin Sheng wasn't surprised.
If Lou Feng truly possessed fortune blessed by heaven, then extraordinary comprehension was hardly unusual.
What interested him wasn't the talent itself...
But how naturally everything seemed to align for the boy.
The cave contained immortal cultivation inheritances.
The boy happened to possess suitable spiritual roots.
Now...
He had mastered an entirely foreign language within only four days.
Everything continued moving exactly as destiny intended.
Except...
The person standing at the end of that path had quietly changed.
Originally...
Lou Feng should have discovered this cave alone.
Now...
He had a master.
The remaining three days passed just as peacefully.
Although already capable of reading fluently, Lou Feng continued studying every page repeatedly.
He didn't know why.
He simply felt that the more familiar he became with the language, the more mysterious many of the characters appeared.
Certain words even seemed to carry an indescribable rhythm that ordinary writing lacked.
Finally...
On the morning of the seventh day, Lin Sheng called him over.
The forge had already cooled.
The cave was unusually quiet.
Lou Feng immediately stood before his master before respectfully cupping his fists.
"Master."
Lin Sheng nodded before taking out two ancient booklets from his storage ring.
Their covers were yellowed with age.
One carried four powerful characters.
Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art.
The second appeared much thinner.
Its title read...
Basic Qi Eating Method.
Lin Sheng handed both manuals over.
"These will become the foundation of your future cultivation."
Lou Feng carefully accepted them with both hands.
Although he had no idea what they contained...
He could instinctively feel their importance.
Lin Sheng pointed toward the thicker manual.
"The Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art is your primary cultivation method."
"Its creator believed that the human body and metal share many similarities."
"Raw ore becomes divine steel only after enduring repeated refinement."
"The human body follows the same principle."
"The more it is tempered..."
"...the stronger it becomes."
Lou Feng quietly listened.
"The forging techniques I'll teach you from now on aren't merely meant for creating weapons."
"They're also meant to help you understand your own body."
"The hammer."
"The furnace."
"The heat."
"The timing."
"Every lesson learned while forging can eventually be applied to body refinement."
Lou Feng lowered his head respectfully.
"I understand, Master."
Lin Sheng then pointed toward the second booklet.
"This is the Basic Qi Eating Method."
"It teaches one how to breathe correctly."
"Study it carefully."
Lou Feng blinked slightly.
The method seemed...
Simple.
At first glance, it resembled little more than an unusual breathing technique.
There was nothing particularly profound about it.
Seeing his expression, Lin Sheng merely said,
"Everything begins with breathing."
"The rest..."
"You'll understand in time."
He deliberately offered no further explanation.
Whether it was spiritual roots...
Fetal Breath...
Or immortal cultivation...
Lin Sheng had no intention of revealing any of it yet.
Instead...
He wished to observe.
Would Lou Feng's fortune naturally guide him toward sensing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi?
Would the Child of Luck instinctively overcome the first barrier that ordinary cultivators struggled against?
Those questions interested Lin Sheng far more than directly teaching him.
After assigning both manuals, Lin Sheng personally guided Lou Feng through the opening stages of the Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art.
Unlike ordinary body refinement methods, this technique didn't begin with medicinal baths.
Instead...
It began with the forge.
Heavy hammering strengthened explosive force.
Light rhythmic hammering refined control.
Alternating between the two gradually tempered muscles, tendons and bones, allowing the body itself to become like repeatedly forged steel.
Each swing required perfect coordination.
Each breath needed to match the movement of the hammer.
The entire process resembled forging a weapon.
Except...
The weapon being forged was one's own flesh.
Time quietly slipped away.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
During that period, Lou Feng's once-thin body gradually became healthier.
The malnourished appearance slowly disappeared.
Although still far from robust, his complexion had become considerably rosier.
His hammer techniques likewise improved steadily.
Watching the boy complete another round of forging practice, Lin Sheng finally spoke.
"Your Uncle Wang has already recovered."
The hammer stopped midair.
Lou Feng froze.
"...Master?"
"I healed him several days ago."
"You needn't worry about him anymore."
Hearing those calm words, the burden weighing upon Lou Feng's heart finally disappeared.
His eyes reddened slightly.
He deeply bowed toward Lin Sheng.
"Thank you, Master."
Lin Sheng merely waved his hand.
"Continue training."
Lou Feng nodded firmly.
Although Uncle Wang had recovered...
Another figure still remained deeply engraved within his heart.
The Wind Tiger Gang.
Every bruise.
Every insult.
Every drop of blood.
He remembered all of it.
Several times, the thought of asking his master to destroy them had crossed his mind.
Yet each time...
He dismissed it himself.
He didn't even know how powerful his master truly was.
More importantly...
This hatred belonged to him.
If someone else avenged it...
Would it truly still be revenge?
Lou Feng slowly tightened his grip around the forging hammer.
His gaze gradually became resolute.
One day...
He would personally return.
He would take back everything that had been stolen.
And the Wind Tiger Gang...
Would pay for every injustice they had committed.
Standing quietly beside the forge, Lin Sheng watched the determination slowly settle within the boy's eyes.
He said nothing.
He merely picked up another piece of raw iron...
...and resumed forging.
Nearly three months had passed since Lou Feng first stumbled into the hidden cave behind the waterfall.
The frail, undernourished orphan who had arrived with hollow cheeks and trembling limbs was nowhere to be seen.
Standing beneath the waterfall now was a youth whose figure had changed dramatically.
His height had increased by nearly half a head, making him appear closer to fifteen than twelve. The loose robes that had once hung awkwardly over his body now fit snugly across broadening shoulders.
His muscles weren't exaggerated.
In fact, at first glance, he still looked lean.
But every strand of muscle beneath his skin had become compact and refined, like repeatedly folded steel. There wasn't an ounce of unnecessary flesh.
Lin Sheng watched silently from a nearby stone platform.
His Mental Perception swept across Lou Feng's body before Crystal completed its assessment.
•[Target: Lou Feng]
•[Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art: Preparation Realm — Major Accomplishment.]
•[Estimated physical combat capability equivalent to Acquired Peak martial artist.]
•[Primary weakness detected: Lack of combat experience.]
Lin Sheng nodded inwardly.
Three months.
Reaching this level within three months wasn't something ordinary talent could accomplish.
Lou Feng had pushed himself relentlessly every single day.
Every morning began with forging.
Every afternoon was spent tempering his body.
Every evening ended with meditation before repeating the process again.
There wasn't a single day of laziness.
More importantly...
His comprehension was frightening.
Somewhere during the second month, Lou Feng had unconsciously begun synchronising the rhythm of his hammer strikes with the circulation of the Hundred Refinement Body Forging Art.
Every strike strengthened both the weapon before him...
And his own body.
Even Lin Sheng hadn't taught him that.
The boy had discovered it himself.
A Child of Luck...
Lin Sheng silently sighed.
No matter how many times he witnessed it, Heaven's favour toward such individuals remained astonishing.
The waterfall continued roaring beside them.
The surrounding valley had entered early summer.
Sunlight filtered through dense green leaves while countless unknown flowers bloomed among the rocks, filling the air with a faint fragrance.
Lou Feng sat quietly atop a smooth boulder.
His legs were crossed.
His breathing was calm.
To ordinary people, it looked like nothing more than simple meditation.
But Lin Sheng knew better.
This was the Qi Eating Method.
The youth gradually emptied distracting thoughts from his mind.
His breathing slowed.
Then...
The familiar scene appeared once again.
Within the darkness behind his closed eyelids floated countless tiny specks of light.
Some burned crimson.
Others shimmered with pale golden radiance.
The first time Lou Feng had seen them, he hadn't dared touch them.
Now...
He instinctively guided his consciousness toward the nearest cluster.
The moment contact was established—
The crimson and golden lights immediately flowed toward him.
Outside...
The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi quietly stirred.
Tiny strands of Fire Spiritual Qi mixed with equally delicate traces of Metal Spiritual Qi entered through his nose and mouth before travelling silently throughout his body.
They flowed through every meridian.
Passed every acupoint.
Finally nourishing his internal organs.
His lungs became slightly stronger.
His heart beat with greater vitality.
The improvement was subtle.
So subtle that Lou Feng couldn't consciously detect it.
Yet the transformation continued uninterrupted.
Three hours later...
He slowly opened his eyes.
A faint white mist escaped from his mouth.
Lou Feng stood up before instinctively clenching his fist.
His movements felt...
Different.
His body felt lighter.
Sharper.
Even the surrounding world appeared clearer than before.
"So..."
"You've finally entered the Entry Realm."
Lin Sheng's calm voice came from behind him.
Lou Feng immediately turned around.
"Master."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"I... I'm not entirely sure what happened."
"After cultivating the Qi Eating Method..."
"I suddenly felt healthier."
"My body also became much lighter."
Lin Sheng smiled faintly.
"The feeling is normal."
"You've officially stepped onto the path."
Lou Feng's eyes immediately brightened.
"So... does that mean I've become stronger?"
"You have."
Lin Sheng's expression gradually became serious.
"But remember one thing."
His silver eyes fixed directly upon Lou Feng.
"The Qi Eating Method..."
"Must never be cultivated in front of outsiders."
"Only practise it inside your residence..."
"...or somewhere absolutely safe."
Lou Feng had never seen his master speak so seriously.
He immediately straightened his back.
"This disciple understands."
Lin Sheng nodded in satisfaction.
Then he looked toward the distant mountains beyond the valley.
"It's time."
Lou Feng's excitement instantly froze.
"...Time?"
"To return."
Silence followed.
The joy on Lou Feng's face slowly disappeared.
Instead...
A trace of nervousness surfaced.
The Wind Tiger Gang.
Those faces.
Those humiliations.
Those beatings.
Everything resurfaced once again.
Seeing his disciple's hesitation, Lin Sheng spoke calmly.
"With your current strength..."
"...the Wind Tiger Gang can no longer threaten you."
Lou Feng unconsciously tightened his fists.
Confidence slowly replaced uncertainty.
Lin Sheng turned toward the cave entrance.
The hidden waterfall continued flowing exactly as it had three months earlier.
Nothing had changed.
Yet everything had changed.
Stepping outside, Lin Sheng looked toward the distant county.
"When you've settled your affairs..."
"...come find me in the county town."
Lou Feng bowed deeply.
"Yes, Master."