Pernicious Meteor Hammer

Little Li remained completely unaware that someone had set their sights on him.

Divine Edge Cave, fourth level.

The sharp, murderous aura of weapons swirled in the air, howling winds roaring through the cavern like ghostly wails.

Anyone whose flesh had not been tempered, or who lacked special techniques, would likely have their bones dissolved and flesh scattered by the razor-sharp winds in an instant.

Yet the young man's body stood unshaken.

Through the tattered remains of his clothing, glimpses of skin faintly shimmered with a treasure-like glow.

"Exhale..."

"Inhale..."

Li Mo's body was in the midst of a breakthrough, akin to a weapon being honed.

Under the relentless grinding of the sharp energy, the rust was gradually stripped away, revealing its true edge...

Most disciples of the Qingyuan Sect wielded ordinary weapons.

Only a select few inner disciples possessed a "sharp weapon"—some acquired from the Divine Edge Cave, others purchased elsewhere.

And now, Li Mo's flesh was approaching the level of a sharp weapon.

Suddenly.

The scattered aura abruptly intensified, growing even more frigid.

The radiance on Li Mo's body grew increasingly dazzling, finally reaching its critical point.

His eyes snapped open, a fierce sharpness flashing within them. With a soft exhale—

Pfft—

A small crater exploded into the opposite cave wall.

A single breath, sharp as an arrow.

If it struck someone at the initial stage of Qi and Blood cultivation, it could leave them either dead or severely wounded.

Li Mo rose to his feet, indifferent to his tattered clothes. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within.

Picking up a piece of bluestone, he applied a slight pressure.

Silently, the stone crumbled into dust, slipping through his fingers.

"A body comparable to a sharp weapon."

"Even a ninth-grade mystical beast would struggle to break my defense, let alone an eighth-grade one."

Brushing the stone dust from his palm, Li Mo examined his hand under the dim light, satisfaction swelling in his heart.

Hmm, his skin tone hadn’t changed—if anything, it seemed fairer now?

Like it had been polished smooth...

"Thank you."

Bowing solemnly, Li Mo paid his respects to the six mystical weapons before him, including the Scarlet Sky Sword.

Hum—

A faint resonance emanated from the weapons, as if acknowledging him.

Then, Li Mo strode to the deepest part of the Divine Edge Cave’s fourth level.

Holding a luminous pearl in his left hand, he tapped the stone wall with his right index finger—the sound crisp, not dull.

"Hollow?"

Li Mo raised an eyebrow.

Under the glow of the pearl, he noticed that this section of the wall had a slightly different hue from the surrounding rock, as if it had been artificially constructed later.

After a brief pause—

Boom—

Li Mo’s fist shot forth like a dragon, unleashing the power of his eight opened meridians and his weapon-grade physique.

The sheer force blasted the wall apart, sending rubble flying.

"There really is a path!"

Li Mo’s eyes lit up.

But before he could celebrate—

A gale roared toward him, as if countless arrows were firing at his face. The overwhelming, weaponized sharpness seemed to solidify into tangible form!

Li Mo: "!"

Alarmed, he immediately activated the Extreme Weapon Slaughter Body technique at full power.

Forcing his eyes open, he saw—

A narrow passage, barely wide enough for one person, with faint red and blue light emanating from the other end.

Inside a cavern the size of a basketball court, two pools lay side by side.

One seethed like molten lava, the other radiated bone-chilling frost, their waters flowing outward.

At the point where the two pools converged—

A pitch-black hammer stood inverted, silently diverting the mingling fire and ice.

Boom—

Though it was just a hammer trembling—

The impact felt earth-shattering, shaking the entire Divine Weapon Peak.

A single glance made Li Mo’s mind explode with visions.

In a daze—

He saw a burly, bearded man wielding the hammer, striking a sword blank on an anvil, sparks flying in all directions.

The Scarlet Sky Sword?

The Frost Sky Sword?

Had both these mystical weapons been forged by this hammer?

The thought had barely formed when the scene shifted again.

Now the hammer, still in the bearded man’s grip, smashed into the skull of a dragon-like beast the size of a small mountain—its head exploding, leaving only the horns intact.

Then, in the hands of other mighty warriors, the hammer crushed countless foes.

A single strike could reduce an entire mountain to dust.

Rumble—

"Not good—this is an actual earthquake!"

Snapping back to reality, Li Mo realized—

The tremors weren’t an illusion. The Divine Weapon Peak was truly shaking!

He sprinted for the exit.

As he ran, an inexplicable voice echoed in his mind—

Not human speech, yet he understood its meaning:

"I’ll be waiting."

Was that... the hammer?

......

Divine Weapon Peak, Forging Hall.

Hiss—

White steam billowed as Han He removed his shirt. Despite his aged face, his upper body was a terrifying mass of sinewy muscle.

He retrieved the newly quenched weapon—a three-pronged blade with a beast-mouth design, gleaming coldly.

"Master, you’ve forged another named weapon."

Murong Xiao relaxed his stance, admiration shining in his eyes.

Lately, he had been practicing the Cyclone Hammer technique under Han He’s guidance.

"Ah, a named weapon."

"In the past, the master forgers of our Divine Weapon Peak produced many true grandmasters—ones capable of crafting mystical weapons."

Han He sipped his tea, gently stroking the newly forged trident.

"You’ll reach that level one day, Master."

"I’m too old. This lifetime... it’s unlikely."

Han He shook his head, then turned an expectant gaze to Murong Xiao.

"With your half-demon physique, train hard. Perhaps one day, you’ll be worthy of wielding the Rampart Calamity Starfall Hammer..."

Before he could finish—

Boom—

The earth quaked, panicked shouts erupting everywhere.

Han He shot to his feet, brows furrowed deeply.

As if struck by realization, he vanished in a blur—

Appearing at the entrance of the Divine Edge Cave in an instant.

"Earthquake!"

"Run! Get out now!"

Those still inside fled for their lives, as if regretting not being born with extra legs.

Li Mo emerged among them—

Clothes in tatters, looking like a wild man.

Murong Xiao rushed over, eyeing his ragged state with concern.

"Brother Li, what happened to you...?"

"Ah, just tore my clothes while training."

Li Mo replied casually, though his heart pounded uneasily.

There was no doubt—today’s commotion was his doing.

"The elders are gathering. What’s going on?"

Murong Xiao suddenly remarked.

Following his gaze, Li Mo saw nine figures now standing at the cave entrance.

"Even my master is here."

Li Mo grasped the severity of the situation.

The disturbance in the Divine Edge Cave must have been caused by that hammer.

Just what tier of weapon was it?

"Brother Li, want to come change clothes with me?"

"Yeah, good idea."

......

After the two left, at the Divine Edge Cave entrance—

"Han He, could it be...?"

Qian Bufan ventured cautiously.

Han He nodded grimly.

"Indeed. The Rampart Calamity Starfall Hammer."

"You don’t look like you’ve become a grandmaster. What triggered it?"

A middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Yin Huacheng spoke up—

Yin Huaxuan, master of the Rare Beast Peak.

Shang Wu, eyes half-lidded, chuckled:

"Old relics have tempers too, don’t they?"

The other eight immediately glared at her.

Han He snorted coldly.

"Shang Wu, do not disrespect our Divine Weapon Peak’s ancestral treasure."

The reason why the Divine Edge Peak bears such a name is, naturally, because it possesses a true divine weapon.

The Pangu's Starfall Hammer.

Even before the Qingyuan Sect was established, it had already existed within the Divine Edge Cave.

Later, only when successive generations of Divine Edge Peak elders reached the level of Grand Artificers and sought to forge profound artifacts would they "invite" it out.

They merely used it—never truly wielded it.

This matter was known only to the Sect Master and the respective peak elders.

"Enough talk. Why don’t we go down and take a look?" Xue Jing stroked his long beard as he spoke.

The elders exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

The journey passed in silence.

Before long, they arrived at the fourth level of the Divine Edge Cave—the place where profound artifacts were stored.

When they saw the gaping hole, their pupils constricted in shock.

"This hole... seems to have been blasted open by sheer brute force?"

"There are no traces of internal energy or martial intent."

"Who did this?"

The elders looked at one another, confusion evident in their eyes.

Clearly, none of them had been the one to open this passage.

Just as they were puzzling over it, they noticed Han He's expression had turned strange.

Following his gaze, they too looked toward the deepest part of the Divine Edge Cave, where ice and fire converged.

Shang Wu raised an eyebrow and said with a smirk,

"Han He, it seems that ancient hammer has acknowledged a master."

Everyone: "!"

The realization struck them like a thunderbolt, and they couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

A divine weapon...

Han He’s face twitched uncontrollably as he stood frozen in place, as if his soul had left his body.

"Acknowledged a master? Who?" Qian Bufan struggled to steady his voice.

No one answered.

"How intriguing. To have the divine weapon acknowledge a master, yet leave it behind here..."

Yin Huaxuan’s eyes gleamed with speculation.

"Surely it couldn’t be because they couldn’t lift it?"

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. A divine weapon would never acknowledge someone who couldn’t even wield it as their master."

Han He trembled uncontrollably, his voice hoarse.

For a moment, silence fell over the group.

After a long pause, Han He was the first to speak again.

"I will investigate this matter. If I uncover any leads, I will report to the Sect Master and convene a discussion with the elders of all peaks."

"Should we seal this hole?"

"Hmm, after the sect trials, newly promoted true disciples and inner disciples will come to the Divine Edge Cave to select their weapons."

"I don’t think it’s necessary."

"True. New disciples likely won’t make it this far anyway."

After a brief discussion, the elders of the various peaks began filing out of the Divine Edge Cave.

Only Han He remained, standing motionless as the interplay of ice and fire cast his shadow against the wall.

After a long while, his expression turned desolate, and he let out a melancholic sigh.

"So... you were unwilling to remain just a forging hammer, were you?"