Muscle Refining Realm

"Mother, I'm fine. My injuries had just healed, and I couldn't sit still, so I went to check on some of the family's businesses. I got held up a little on the way back." Chen Mo smiled as he answered.

His mother's surname was Lin, and her given name was Yulan. She was a young lady from a scholarly family in neighboring Qingwu County, well-read and sensible from childhood, and skilled in the four arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her ancestors had even produced a successful imperial examination candidate, bringing honor to their family estate.

After listening to his mother chatter for quite a while, Chen Mo finally left the central courtyard and returned to the East Courtyard.

Chen Mo asked Ma Tie in detail about the many particulars of breaking through to the Skin Refining Realm and taking the Qi and Blood Pill.

Only after committing everything to memory did Chen Mo return to his room and take out a Qi and Blood Pill.

It was slightly bitter on his tongue, but the pill was smooth and slippery, sliding down his throat into his stomach without effort. Right after, he felt a scalding stream of heat welling up in his gut.

Buzz!

The heat grew stronger and stronger, becoming unbearably hot, as if it were about to burn right through his stomach.

Remembering Ma Tie's warning, Chen Mo immediately picked up the broad saber beside him and began practicing the moves of the Fuyang Saber Technique with all his might.

Before he knew it, dawn had broken outside. Bright light streamed through the paper-covered window, illuminating the fine beads of sweat on Chen Mo's face.

He had pushed himself to the limit for an entire night.

[ Fuyang Saber Technique: Unrusting Cold (Novice) ]

At last, a brilliant smile spread across Chen Mo's utterly exhausted face.

"Unrusting Cold is complete. I've finally entered the Skin Refining Realm!"

"With my current qi and blood, taking Wei Qi Skin Paste shouldn't be a problem."

Without a second thought, Chen Mo took a small bowl from the cabinet. It contained the first batch of skin-paste mixture. He pinched off a tiny ball and swallowed it.

The moment it entered his mouth, he felt a peculiar stream of heat surge through his body and rush into every limb and bone, searing his muscles and bones. It was rather hard to bear at first, but fortunately Chen Mo's qi and blood were strong enough to withstand the heat. For now, it hadn't caused any other discomfort.

Chen Mo was glad he'd found three death-row prisoners to test it on. That was how he'd made sure nothing could go wrong when he took it himself. If he'd acted more recklessly, the consequences could have been hard to predict.

After taking the medicine, Chen Mo felt that the birthmark on his Baby Face had faded a little, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"This is a good start, but I can't slack off. I still need to keep training and build up my qi and blood..."

Before he knew it, seven days had passed in a flash.

It was now early October. The first frost had arrived, and the weather had grown even colder.

Early that morning, Chen Mo got dressed and headed to the Training Ground with his saber. There, he found Zhou Liang.

"Uncle Zhou, could you find me a guard in the Muscle Refining Realm to spar with?"

Zhou Liang was taken aback. He stared for a moment, then saw the determination in Chen Mo's eyes and agreed. "All right, all right. Ma San, come trade a few moves with the Second Young Master. Mind your strength. Don't hurt him."

A burly man standing nearly six feet three inches tall stepped forward with a saber in hand. "I'm Ma San. I entered the Muscle Refining Realm two years ago. It's an honor to spar with the Second Young Master. Please."

"After you!"

Chen Mo said a few words, then immediately drew his saber and charged.

He covered the ground in a few strides, rushed up to Ma San, and slashed without holding anything back. His opening move was the first form of the Fuyang Saber Technique: Unrusting Cold.

Ma San raised his saber to block. Their blades clanged together with a deafening crash.

The immense force sent Chen Mo staggering back several steps, amazement rising in his heart.

So this was the power of the second barrier, the Muscle Refining Realm?

With a rough measure of Ma San's strength in mind, Chen Mo didn't back down. He struck again.

Each slash hit harder than the last, his qi and blood surging like a dragon.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The grating clang of blades erupted across the Training Ground, drawing a crowd of guards.

For the first twenty strikes, Chen Mo struggled to hold his ground. After that, he used the Mysterious Yin Hand to offset the Fuyang Saber Technique's drawbacks, allowing him to maintain his peak condition.

Ma San, on the other hand, began to feel the strain.

They were all martial artists, and everyone knew a person's strength was limited. Every martial art had its drawbacks. No one could stay at their peak forever.

Yet somehow, the young master before him was a monster.

At first, while Ma San was at his peak, he could suppress Chen Mo. But he soon passed his peak and began to tire, and before long, he was evenly matched with Chen Mo.

Ma San was thoroughly baffled. He'd been at the Chen Mansion for years and knew the Second Young Master's temperament. He could hardly believe the Second Young Master had suddenly become so powerful.

Even more horrifying, after a hundred strikes... Chen Mo was still at his peak, and seemed to be growing stronger by the moment. Ma San, meanwhile, had fallen behind and was being pressed back by the Second Young Master.

How was this possible?

How could anyone ignore the laws of martial arts?

Clang!

At the last deafening clash, Ma San's saber flew from his hand, and he admitted defeat with a rueful expression. "The Second Young Master truly is a martial arts prodigy. Ma San can't compare."

Chen Mo sheathed his saber. "You were holding back."

Zhou Liang came over and gave Chen Mo's shoulder a hearty slap. His eyes shone with excitement. "Good! Excellent! The Second Young Master mastered Unrusting Cold in just half a month. He truly is a rare martial arts prodigy."

Chen Mo, however, looked dejected. "It's a pity... Father doesn't really want me practicing martial arts."

When Chen Mo said this, he had an ulterior motive.

Although Chen Mo was the heir to the Chen Mansion and would inherit the family business one day, he hadn't inherited it yet... For now, everything in the household was still decided by his father.

And if he wanted to make rapid progress in martial arts, he would need to spend a great deal of silver.

He couldn't do that without his father's approval.

It wouldn't work if Chen Mo asked him himself.

After all, in his father's eyes, he was still just a child.

But if Zhou Liang could help plead Chen Mo's case, things would go much more smoothly.

That was why Chen Mo had shown off at the Training Ground today: besides testing his combat ability, he'd hoped to persuade Uncle Zhou to speak on his behalf.

Sure enough, Zhou Liang spoke up. "Leave this to me."

Chen Mo was delighted. "Then I'll have to thank you, Uncle Zhou."

"The Second Young Master is a martial arts prodigy?"

Chen Yin Fu was drinking tea in the reception hall when he heard Zhou Liang's words. He furrowed his brow, unconvinced.

Zhou Liang, however, was excited. "Half a month ago, the Second Young Master told me he wanted to practice martial arts and asked me for the Fuyang Saber Technique. I thought that even if he could endure the hardship, it would take him at least a year to reach the beginner level. I never expected him to beat Ma San when they sparred just now."

Zhou Liang described every detail of the sparring match, then sighed in amazement. "I've traveled the martial world for most of my life and seen more than a few gifted youngsters. But I've never seen anyone as monstrous as the Second Young Master."

Chen Yin Fu's mind was in a muddle.

In his impression, neither Eldest Young Master Chen nor the Second Young Master had been cut out for martial arts. And in his plans, martial arts hadn't even been an option for Chen Mo. He'd intended only to raise Chen Mo to inherit the Chen family's business.

If anyone else had told him this, Chen Yin Fu wouldn't have believed it.

But Zhou Liang was the one saying it, so he had no choice but to believe him.

Seeing Chen Yin Fu hesitate, Zhou Liang said, "Brother Chen, Honghe County is far from peaceful these days. No matter how much wealth a family has, without the strength to protect it, sooner or later they'll lose everything they've built. Now that the Second Young Master wants to practice martial arts, why not let him?"

Chen Yin Fu held his teacup in both hands but said nothing.

Madam Chen, sitting nearby, said, "But martial arts training is so hard. Second Young Master is only fifteen and his health is frail. As his mother, I can't bear to see him suffer."

Zhou Liang replied, "Madam, you're not wrong. But we all know that the stronger a person is, the better their chances of resisting Mad Demon Disease. The Second Young Master escaped it this time, but there's no guarantee he won't catch it again in the future."

At that, Madam Chen's face went pale. She tugged at Chen Yin Fu's sleeve. "Husband, I think Zhou Liang has a point. You can't keep worrying only about this little patch of land that belongs to the Chen family. If our Second Young Master gets Mad Demon Disease again, no amount of silver will help. You might as well let him practice martial arts. Besides, martial arts and inheriting the family business aren't mutually exclusive."

Zhou Liang continued, following Madam Chen's lead. "Madam is a sensible woman. Brother Chen, there's something I'm not sure whether I should say."

"Say whatever you like, Brother Zhou."

"I regard you as my own elder brother, so I'll risk my life to protect the Chen family. But after you and I are gone, the Second Young Master may not find a martial arts master like me, one without selfish motives, to protect him. Guards hired with money can't always be trusted. The wealthier a family becomes, the more it invites resentment. A parent's love for their child means planning far ahead for them."

Chen Yin Fu took a deep breath and finally relented. "Brother Zhou, you're right. My perspective was too narrow. I was only thinking about the family business. It's settled, then. Please teach him well. I'll cover all the expenses."

Zhou Liang took two martial arts manuals and hurried excitedly to the East Courtyard. When he reached the door, he saw Chen Mo repeating the charging motion for Double Whip Draw in the reception room.

Double Whip Draw was the first form of the Mysterious Yin Hand. The next two were Crane Spreads Wings and Carry Block Strike, corresponding to Skin Refining, Muscle Refining, and Bone Refining, respectively.

Zhou Liang was astounded. The Second Young Master was practicing the Mysterious Yin Hand too? He'd already mastered Double Whip Draw and was even about to master the second form, Crane Spreads Wings. How was that possible?

The Mysterious Yin Hand and the Fuyang Saber Technique clashed like yin and yang. An ordinary person who practiced the two martial arts at the same time would inevitably lose control, injuring their meridians.

How had the Second Young Master managed it?

It couldn't be. It was absolutely impossible!

As the Chen Mansion's top expert, Zhou Liang had practiced martial arts for decades and possessed a profound understanding of the martial path. Yet what he was seeing before him was shattering his entire worldview...

Just then—

Crack!

A sharp, piercing whistle split the air and broke Zhou Liang out of his reverie. He looked up sharply and saw Chen Mo lower into a crouch, one hand striking forward as the other swept back in a tail-like arc. Then he brought both hands forward together, producing a shrill whistle through the air.

He had unmistakably mastered the Mysterious Yin Hand's second form: Crane Spreads Wings.

Which meant the Second Young Master... had broken through to the Muscle Refining Realm.

In less than a month, he'd gone from nothing... to the Muscle Refining Realm.

What kind of monster was he?