Muscle Refining Realm

"Mother, I'm fine. I just couldn't sit still after recovering, so I went to check on the family's properties. Got delayed on the way." Chen Mo replied with a smile.

In truth, his mother's maiden name was Lin, given name Yulan. She was the daughter of a scholarly family from neighboring Qingwu County, well-read and refined since childhood, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her ancestors had even produced a jinshi scholar, and their mansion still bore that glory.

After listening to his mother's nagging for a good while, Chen Mo finally left the central courtyard and returned to the East Courtyard.

Chen Mo asked Ma Tie in detail about his breakthrough to the Skin Refining Realm and the specifics of taking the Qi and Blood Pill.

Once he had thoroughly committed everything to memory, Chen Mo went back to his room, took out a Qi and Blood Pill, and swallowed it.

It was slightly astringent on the tongue, but the pill was smooth and slid down his esophagus into his stomach without effort. Immediately, he felt a scalding hot current surge in his stomach.

Hum!

The heat grew stronger, unbearably scorching, as if it might burn straight through his stomach.

Remembering what Ma Tie had said, Chen Mo grabbed the broadsword beside him and began vigorously practicing the moves of the Fuyang Saber Technique.

Before he knew it, the sky outside the window had brightened. Pale light streamed through the paper window, highlighting the fine beads of sweat on Chen Mo's face.

He had been grinding away for an entire night.

[Fuyang Saber Technique: Unrusting Cold (Beginner)]

A brilliant smile finally broke across Chen Mo's utterly exhausted face.

"Unrusting Cold, mastered. I've finally entered the Skin Refining Realm!"

"With my current Qi and blood, taking the Wei Qi Skin Paste should be no problem."

Without a second word, Chen Mo took a small bowl from the cabinet. It held the first batch of skin paste. He pinched off a small pill and swallowed it.

As soon as it entered his mouth, a peculiar heat surged through his body, racing into his limbs and bones, searing his muscles, flesh, and marrow. It was quite unbearable at first, but fortunately, Chen Mo's Qi and blood were strong enough to withstand the heat, and no other discomfort arose for now.

Chen Mo was glad he had tested it on three death row prisoners first. That ensured he could take it now without any risk. If he had been reckless, the consequences would have been unpredictable.

After taking the medicine, Chen Mo noticed the birthmark on his baby face had faded slightly, and he couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"This is a good start, but I can't slack off. I need to keep training in martial arts and strengthen my Qi and blood..."

Before he knew it, seven days had flown by.

It was now early October. The cold had set in, and the weather grew even harsher.

One morning, Chen Mo dressed early, picked up his saber, and went to the Training Ground to find Zhou Liang.

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

Zhou Liang was taken aback. It took him a moment to see the determination in Chen Mo's eyes before he agreed. "Alright, fine. Ma San, you go a few rounds with the Second Young Master. Mind your strength—don't hurt him."

A burly man nearly two meters tall stepped forward, saber in hand. "I'm Ma San. I've been in the Muscle Refining Realm for two years. Honored to spar with the Second Young Master. Please."

"Please!"

Chen Mo spoke, then immediately drew his saber and charged.

In two or three strides, he was upon Ma San. Without holding back, he raised his saber and slashed—the first move of the Fuyang Saber Technique, Unrusting Cold.

Ma San raised his saber to block, and a loud clang rang out.

The immense force sent Chen Mo stumbling back several steps, his heart full of shock.

So this was the strength of the second gate, the Muscle Refining Realm?

After gauging it in his mind, Chen Mo didn't retreat. He struck again.

Each slash was fiercer than the last, his Qi and blood surging like a dragon.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The piercing clash of sabers exploded across the Training Ground, drawing a crowd of onlookers among the guards.

For the first twenty strikes, Chen Mo struggled to hold his ground. But after twenty, he used the Mysterious Yin Hand to neutralize the side effects of the Fuyang Saber Technique, allowing him to maintain peak condition.

This, in turn, made things difficult for Ma San.

Anyone who practiced martial arts knew that a person's strength was limited, and every saber technique had its drawbacks. No one could stay at their peak forever.

But this young master before him was a monster.

Ma San, on the other hand, had been able to suppress Chen Mo at his peak, but soon he passed that peak and began to decline. He ended up evenly matched with Chen Mo.

This baffled Ma San. He had been at the Chen Mansion for years and knew the Second Young Master's temperament. He could hardly believe that the young master had suddenly become this formidable.

What shocked Ma San even more was that after a hundred strikes... Chen Mo was still at his peak, even growing stronger. Meanwhile, Ma San himself had fallen behind, suppressed by the young master.

How was this possible?

How could anyone defy the laws of martial arts?

Clang!

With one final loud clash, Ma San's saber flew from his hand, and he conceded, his face full of shame. "The Second Young Master is truly a martial prodigy. Ma San is no match."

Chen Mo sheathed his saber. "You're too kind."

Zhou Liang stepped forward then, giving Chen Mo a hearty slap on the shoulder. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Good, excellent! In just half a month, the Second Young Master has fully mastered Unrusting Cold. You're a rare martial prodigy."

But Chen Mo's expression turned dejected. "Too bad... Father doesn't really want me to practice martial arts."

When Chen Mo said this, he had his own calculations in mind.

Although Chen Mo was the heir of the Chen Mansion and would one day inherit the family estate, the problem was that he hadn't inherited it yet... Everything in the household was decided by his father.

And if one wanted to make rapid progress in martial arts, it required a heavy investment of silver.

Without his father's approval, it wouldn't work.

Chen Mo couldn't bring this up himself.

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

If Zhou Liang could help him plead the case, things would go much more smoothly.

That was why Chen Mo had come to the Training Ground today to show off his skills—not just to test his combat ability, but also with the intention of getting Uncle Zhou to act as his advocate.

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

Chen Mo was overjoyed. "Then many thanks to Uncle Zhou."

"Second Young Master is a martial prodigy?"

Chen Yin Fu, sipping tea in the living room, frowned in disbelief at Zhou Liang's words.

But Zhou Liang said excitedly, "Half a month ago, Second Young Master told me he wanted to learn martial arts and asked me for the Fuyang Saber Technique. I thought that even if he could endure the hardship of training, it would take at least a year just to get started. But just now, Second Young Master sparred with Ma San and actually won."

Zhou Liang recounted the details of the sparring match, then sighed in admiration, "I've traveled the martial world for most of my life and seen no shortage of gifted youths. But someone as monstrous as Second Young Master—this is truly the first time I've encountered it."

Chen Yin Fu's mind was in a daze.

In his impression, neither Eldest Young Master Chen nor Second Young Master were cut out for martial arts. And in his plans, Chen Mo had never been an option for training—he was simply meant to inherit the family business.

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

But the one speaking was Zhou Liang, leaving him no choice but to believe.

Seeing Chen Yin Fu's hesitation, Zhou Liang said, "Brother Chen, Honghe County isn't peaceful these days. No matter how much wealth you have, without martial strength to protect it, you won't be able to hold onto it in the end. Now that Second Young Master has the ambition to train, why not let him?"

Chen Yin Fu held his tea cup in both hands, saying nothing.

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

Zhou Liang replied, "Sister-in-law's words are not wrong, but we all know this: the stronger one's martial arts, the better the chance of resisting the Mad Demon Disease. Second Young Master escaped this time, but there's no guarantee he won't be infected again."

At these words, Madam Chen's face turned pale. She shook Chen Yin Fu's arm. "Husband, I think Zhou Liang has a point. Don't keep fixating on the Chen family's little patch of land. If our Second Young Master catches the Mad Demon Disease again, no amount of silver will help. Let him train in martial arts. Besides, training and inheriting the family business don't conflict."

Zhou Liang followed up on Madam Chen's words. "Sister-in-law is a sensible woman. Brother Chen, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Chen Yin Fu said, "Brother Zhou, speak freely."

Zhou Liang said, "I see you as my own elder brother, and I would give my life to protect the Chen Mansion. But after you and I are gone, Second Young Master may not find a martial instructor as selfless as me. Hired guards paid with silver may not be reliable. The more wealth, the more resentment it draws. A parent's love for their child means planning for the long term."

Chen Yin Fu took a deep breath and finally relented. "Brother Zhou is right. I was narrow-minded, only thinking of the family business. Let it be settled. I ask Brother Zhou to teach him well. All expenses needed, I will approve."

Meanwhile, Zhou Liang took two martial arts manuals and hurried excitedly to the East Courtyard. Just as he reached the door, he saw Chen Mo in the living room repeatedly practicing the Double Whip Draw.

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

Zhou Liang was stunned: Second Young Master was actually cultivating the Mysterious Yin Hand at the same time? And he had already mastered the Double Whip Draw, even on the verge of completing the second form, Crane Spreads Wings. How was this possible?

The Mysterious Yin Hand and the Fuyang Saber Technique were mutually opposing in yin and yang. For an ordinary person to cultivate both techniques simultaneously would inevitably lead to qi deviation and damaged meridians.

How had Second Young Master done it?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

As the top martial artist of the Chen Mansion, Zhou Liang had trained for decades and possessed a profound understanding of the martial path. Yet what he was seeing now was shaking his worldview to its core...

Just then—

Slap!

A sharp, piercing sound of air breaking snapped Zhou Liang out of his thoughts. He looked up sharply and saw Chen Mo pressing his legs down, striking forward with one hand while pulling back with the other in an empty strike. Then both hands clapped forward simultaneously, producing that sharp sound of air splitting.

He had clearly mastered the second form of the Mysterious Yin Hand: Crane Spreads Wings.

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

In less than a month, starting from zero... he had reached the Muscle Refining Realm.

What kind of monster was this?