Ancient Godly Monarch Chapter 4: The Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique

Qin Wentian awoke in the dead of night. Shaking his head to clear the fog, his heart pounded with a sense of disorientation.

“My Astral Soul...” he whispered, struggling to piece together his memories. Closing his eyes, he entered a state of meditation. Instantly, a brilliant radiance filled the room. Upon his brow, a shimmering silhouette of a massive hammer manifested. It was breathtakingly bright, appearing as if it were woven from the very essence of starlight.

“I did it! I actually succeeded in condensing my Astral Soul by establishing a link with the Heavenly Hammer Constellation. Now, I simply require a cultivation technique that aligns perfectly with this Heavenly Hammer Astral Soul to unlock my true potential,” Qin Wentian said to himself. However, his brow soon furrowed as he sensed lingering traces of starlight buried within his sea of consciousness.

“What could that be?” To investigate, he dived deep into his mind. There, occupying his Astral Gate, was another faint image of the Heavenly Hammer Constellation. Probing further, he discovered a miniature figure composed of Astral Energy hovering behind the shadow. This being pulsed with an intangible force, seemingly anchoring the Heavenly Hammer Astral Soul in place.

Qin Wentian scratched his head, baffled by this presence in his consciousness.

“Is it possible...?” He vaguely recalled the events preceding his loss of consciousness. To test his theory, he reached for the stone that had always hung from his neck. Only the cord remained; the stone was gone.

“That stone was the only thing that damn old fogey left for me.” Qin Wentian’s expression turned solemn.

Suddenly, the light radiating from the astral figure surged toward the shadow of the Heavenly Hammer. The starlight intensified until it reached a breaking point, then—bang! A piercing pain split his head as fragments of memory flooded his sea of consciousness. Following this, the light of the astral being dimmed rapidly, vanishing until Qin Wentian could no longer sense it.

“The Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique. This is... a memory storage technique! That astral figure held volumes of knowledge, and once it detected an Astral Soul, it fused with it!” Qin Wentian’s heart raced with exhilaration as he realized the truth. Memories surged forward—a cultivation technique that utilized either Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi or Astral Qi to forge the body, harden bone, purge the Meridians of filth, and toughen the organs! This was the Path of a Martial Cultivator’s first stage: the Body Refinement Realm, designed to craft a flawless physical vessel.

The Body Refinement Realm consisted of nine levels. Once a cultivator achieved a perfect body through cleansing, they could use their internal Yuan to trigger their vital acupoints, granting a surge of power. Eventually, all energy channels and Meridians would link together to form a complete circuit with expanded vessels. This allowed endless power to flow through the newly forged pathways, creating immense strength through martial arts. This stage was known as the Arterial Circulation Realm.

In the Body Refinement Realm, a human reaches their peak potential, gaining the herculean strength necessary to rend tigers apart or shatter boulders. In the Arterial Circulation Realm, one gains terrifying, boundless power, making almost any feat possible.

Beyond that lay the legendary Yuanfu Realm, a stage of peerless dominance. Here, a cultivator’s Yuan Energy condenses into liquid, building the foundation of a Yuan Palace. Those at this level possess tyrannical strength and can traverse the skies with ease.

Stellar Martial Cultivators who possess an Astral Soul can naturally draw Yuan Qi from the Constellations into themselves. This is known as Astral Yuan Qi or simply Astral Qi. The properties of this energy match the Constellation the cultivator is linked to. For instance, those linked to the Leo Constellation would possess the ferocity of a lion, multiplying their striking power. When combined with an Astral Soul, the resulting force is devastating. This is why Stellar Martial Cultivators are the undisputed masters of the world.

“Typical cultivation techniques involve refining the body through standard hardship. But this Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique is brutal—it's practically self-torture! It requires enduring the strikes of a smith’s hammer hundreds, even thousands of times. Just as steel must be struck repeatedly to become a fine blade, one must undergo constant refinement to shatter their limits,” Qin Wentian realized, his heart thumping. He rose and headed to the training grounds in the backyard.

“Hu...” Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the infinite stars. A faint smile touched his lips. Now that his Astral Soul was condensed, he could finally absorb Astral Qi and begin his journey.

Closing his eyes, Qin Wentian summoned his Astral Soul and reached out to the Heavenly Hammer Constellation in the 5th Layer of Heavens. Immediately, a domineering and tyrannical Astral Qi poured down, bathing him in starlight. He could feel every vibration of this potent energy from the 5th Heavenly Layer.

The difference in quality between Astral Qi from the 5th Layer and that of the 1st or 2nd Layers was astronomical. They were simply incomparable.

Once he was saturated with energy, he initiated the Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique. At once, several astral hammers formed within him, striking his body with wild intensity. Merely absorbing Astral Qi wasn't enough for true Body Refinement; he had to use the technique to forge that energy into his flesh. Only then would he see real results.

“It hurts...” Sweat poured down his face as his body emitted grinding noises. He gritted his teeth against the agony caused by the hammers. Only by enduring this torture could he reach perfection. The more powerful the Astral Qi, the more intense the pain.

“Ah!” A low growl escaped him, but he refused to yield. The internal rumbling grew louder until his Astral Qi was spent. Yet, he did not stop. Forcing himself up, he manifested a Heavenly Hammer in his grip and began to swing it in a rhythmic, graceful dance while bearing the pain. This was the essence of the technique. Only through tens of thousands of strikes could he transcend his mortal limits.

Starlight from the 5th Layer of Heavens descended upon the hammer as he danced. The weapon crackled, undergoing constant changes.

After a hundred cycles, the Stellar Meridians within Qin Wentian began to take the shape of the Heavenly Hammer. Astral Qi now flowed through these pathways effortlessly. A sense of profound comfort washed over him, making him forget the previous exhaustion.

A sharp “Ka Cha!” echoed from within him—his sinews, Meridians, and bones all vibrated in unison.

Finally, after pushing past his limits several more times, the process ended. Qin Wentian leaned on his palms, breathing heavily. This technique truly demanded everything from him. His body was beyond sore; he felt so drained of strength that he feared he might crumble into dust.

“Perhaps because I’ve never cultivated before, my constitution is weak and my foundation is thin. That must be why the pain is so severe,” he whispered. He sat cross-legged, letting the hammer vanish. The starlight continued to fall, and he absorbed it greedily to recover.

The night faded into dawn. Though the morning air was damp and cold, the meditating Qin Wentian felt no chill. Opening his eyes, he stood and stretched. His movements were fluid, showing no sign of the previous night’s ordeal.

He felt completely refreshed, his body brimming with a level of power he had never known.

“Such incredible recovery speed. The Heavenly Hammer Constellation is truly remarkable.” He recalled Uncle Black’s research. He had chosen this constellation for its specific traits: 1) Explosive Strength, 2) Impenetrable Defense, and 3) Rapid Regeneration. Furthermore, it provided insights into weapon forging.

“By using the Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique to push my boundaries, I reached the 3rd level of the Body Refinement Realm in a single night. This is the power of my Astral Soul and this technique. Now, let’s see what I can do.”

Qin Wentian approached a stone bench and struck it with all his might. A loud crash followed as the bench disintegrated into a pile of dust.

“This is my power! Incredible—a simple strike already has the strength of nine bulls and two tigers.” To a Martial Cultivator, reaching the 3rd level of Body Refinement meant possessing such herculean force.

At the 1st level, one has the strength of one bull; at the 2nd, four bulls; and at the 3rd, nine bulls. By the 9th level, a cultivator wields the power of eighty-one bulls. This terrifying physical capability is why so many strive to walk this path.

Power!

Becoming a Martial Cultivator meant gaining immense strength, but these standards were for ordinary practitioners. Stellar Martial Cultivators who utilized Astral Energy were significantly more powerful than their peers at the same level.

In just one night, he had exceeded the strength of nine bulls. Qin Wentian was elated. He returned to the center of the grounds to continue his training, ready to face the pain once more. For him, this was the new normal. Given the tyrannical Astral Qi of the 5th Heavenly Layer and his unique technique, his early progress was bound to be explosive.

He had no time to waste. He worried that his foster father was still ignorant of the truth. Remaining with the Bai Clan was dangerous; he needed to rely on his own power to escape this place as soon as possible.