After the earth-shattering battle with the Heavenly Sword Sect's Golden Core elder, Mộc Phàm retreated deeper into the Thiên Đãng mountain range, seeking a secret cave to recuperate and comprehend the new transformation within his body. His Black Iron Core was no longer just a deep, dark hue with shimmering blood-red streaks; it now emitted a mysterious silvery-gray light, as if some form of sentience was awakening within.
He circulated the Mortal Body Hundred Forgings Art, feeling every muscle fiber and bone screaming with exhilaration. The power of his Mortal Body True Adamant had not only surpassed its previous limits but he also felt as if his body had crossed an invisible boundary. He could now perceive subtle energy fluctuations in the air that he had been unaware of before—not spiritual energy, but a primal energy that existed everywhere yet was incredibly difficult to sense.
This was the awakening of Mortal Body Indestructible Adamant—a higher realm of the Mortal Body, mentioned in the ancient records of the Mortal Body Sect. Mộc Phàm's body had now reached a level almost impervious to physical attacks, and his resistance to spiritual energy had also significantly increased. He believed that he could now directly contend with mid-stage, or even late-stage, Golden Core cultivators without much difficulty.
During his recuperation, Mộc Phàm began to ponder deeper about the Bloodstone Qi Conductor—the nameless stone that had accompanied him from the beginning. After absorbing the Earth Core Blood Marrow and undergoing the life-or-death battle with the Golden Core expert, the stone became warmer, and the patterns on its surface grew clearer, forming an ancient map.
This map was not just a simple path but a series of special energy points, scattered across the continent. These points were not places with abundant spiritual energy but rather locations harboring various types of primal energies: fire, earth, water, metal, wood... and an even higher supreme energy, symbolized by a complex rune.
Mộc Phàm suddenly understood. The path of the Mortal Body Hundred Forgings Art wasn't just about tempering oneself with available energies, but also about seeking and absorbing heaven- and earth-born materials from these special energy veins to promote the evolution of the Body Core. Heavenly Forged Profound Iron, one of the materials mentioned by the Mortal Body Sect, likely resided at one of these energy points, where the purest metal essence was found.
This also unveiled another secret: perhaps the Mortal Body Sect hadn't been completely annihilated, but some among them had successfully escaped or gone into hiding, leaving behind these legacies. Or perhaps, this was the path that the founding patriarch of the Mortal Body Sect had once walked, and the Bloodstone Qi Conductor was a key to continuing the Dao lineage.
He decided to continue his journey. His next goal was to seek Heavenly Forged Profound Iron, an extremely hard mineral containing primal metal essence, believed to be able to elevate the Black Iron Core to a new realm, possibly the Adamant Core—the pinnacle of the Mortal Body Core. The map on the Bloodstone Qi Conductor indicated a location far to the north, a strangely shaped mountain known as Iron Peak Mountain.
However, Mộc Phàm knew that the journey wouldn't be easy. The Heavenly Sword Sect would certainly not let him go. He also sensed probing gazes from other forces, those who had heard about the "mortal monster" who could defeat a Golden Core elder. Perhaps, those who had destroyed Mộc Loan village and were behind the Black Wind cultivator had also begun to pay attention to him.
Mộc Phàm felt no fear. On the contrary, a flame of combat intent ignited within him. He was no longer passively hunted but a "Hunter of the Hidden Immortal Path." He would use his strength to clear all obstacles on his path to revenge and to uncover the truth of the Mortal Body Sect.
Before leaving the cave, Mộc Phàm spent a short time refining his close-combat skills. With Mortal Body Indestructible Adamant, every punch and every kick carried earth-shattering destructive power. He also experimented with more refined control over his "blood qi," transforming it into a layer of Adamant Qi enveloping his body, or concentrating it at a single point to enhance attack power.