Breakthrough to Inner Family! (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)

Chen Mo frowned deeply, realizing a serious problem: he had mentally prepared himself for encountering the ghostly girl in red after being possessed by evil and entering ghost territory at the Li Manor gate.

But what about seeing Old Master Li on the street?

Had he entered ghost territory back then?

Impossible!

There were so many people around at the time.

Qiulan, Ma Tie, and Xie Dong were all there.

What he saw and heard on the street had to be real.

Wasn't Old Master Li supposed to have died eighteen years ago? How could he stand up and walk? How could he stop a sedan chair and speak?

What exactly had he seen back then?

The more he thought about it, the more horrified he became.

Qiulan, standing nearby, noticed Chen Mo's forehead drenched in sweat and asked, "Young master, what's wrong?"

Chen Mo snapped back to reality. "Did you get this content directly from Xie Dong?"

Qiulan shook her head. "I didn't see Young Master Xie Dong. His maidservant gave it to me."

"Did that maidservant say where Xie Dong got the information?"

"Apparently, Young Master Xie Dong asked his third uncle."

Chen Mo's heart sank.

That old coroner Xie Lianghong again.

It seemed this old coroner was no ordinary man—he must know a lot about the Mad Demon Disease and the Li family. He'd have to go ask him in person later.

Moreover, Third Master Xie's information was too detailed, as if he had deep dealings with the Li family. He might even be hiding important details—like why Old Master Li regretted killing Li Hongxi after doing it.

He'd have to ask about all this face-to-face.

With that thought, Chen Mo put away the paper. "How many more days does Xie Dong need to be grounded?"

Qiulan answered smoothly, "Seven days!"

"You've worked hard, Qiulan. Go eat in the kitchen early." Chen Mo, seeing her tired from the journey, told her to go eat.

Though Qiulan was young, she was thoughtful, handled things well, and knew how to adapt. She was a fine maidservant, easy to work with.

Watching Qiulan leave, Chen Mo felt an increasing sense of urgency.

"The Li family—each one is stranger than the last. Now that the Li family has its eyes on me, I can't let my guard down for a second. There's no guarantee Granny Li won't make a move against me."

Chen Mo weighed his next plans:

First, complete Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation as soon as possible and step into the Internal Martial realm. Then he could master the Blood Fire Seal, an Internal Martial Technique that greatly suppressed ghostly beings. Besides, Internal Martial Masters naturally had surging blood and qi that could counter ghosts.

Second, try to get in touch with Daoist Priest Li of Black Mountain Stronghold and learn some major methods for dealing with ghosts from there. That would give him a sense of safety.

Third, after seven days, when Xie Dong's grounding was lifted, go visit poor Dongzi. Then ask his third uncle for details about the Li Manor.

With his mind made up, Chen Mo acted immediately.

While waiting for Liu Hao, Chen Mo simply took a knife and practiced.

By dusk, Liu Hao arrived.

He exchanged a few pleasantries with Chen Mo, then "accidentally" dropped a booklet and left.

Chen Mo: ...

You really commit to the act...

Chen Mo played along, waiting until Liu Hao was gone before pretending to discover the booklet on the ground. "Hey, who dropped this? How strange..."

He picked up the booklet and went back to the main room. Opening it, he saw four bold characters on the cover:

Black Tiger True Qi!

The booklet contained over two thousand words, detailing the methods and techniques for Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation. In short, it mimicked the fierce blood and qi of a tiger, using medicinal supplements to wildly fill the blood and qi, heating it to a boiling state, and finally breaking through the limit to transform into Black Tiger True Qi.

This process required long-term use of a pill called Tiger Qi Pill, repeatedly nourishing the five organs, using the iron-hard five organs to nurture qi, then striking the triple burner. After persisting for a year or so, with great willpower, one could finally complete Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation.

Just seeing the words "a year or so" gave Chen Mo a headache.

Granny Li's claws were drawing closer, and staying inside the Chen Mansion wasn't even safe anymore.

How could he wait a year or so?

The next moment, Chen Mo called up his panel.

Code
[Current Original Understanding Essence: 0]
[Current Recognition Count: 1]
[Recognizable object detected. Recognize?]

"The Recognition Count appeared again?"

Chen Mo's mind stirred.

Identify!

Buzz!

As Chen Mo's mind spun and then cleared, the subtitles before him changed.

[Name: Black Tiger True Qi]

[Type: Yang Internal Art]

[Function: Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation]

[Introduction: An internal art created by a junior Internal Martial Master, focused on squeezing the body's blood and qi to refine a domineering true qi.]

[Note: This art is extremely vicious, prioritizing rapid success by over-pressing the body's potential. Tiger Qi Pills are too slow and have severe side effects. Use ten-year-old cold-natured raw lotus root as the main ingredient, paired with Snow Lotus, Bear Heart, Crocodile Bone, and Hundred-Year Ganoderma, boiled in equal weight and consumed. This greatly reduces side effects and quickly refines Black Tiger True Qi.]

Chen Mo immediately fetched paper and brush, writing on Xuan Paper: ten-year-old cold-natured raw lotus root, Snow Lotus, Bear Heart, Crocodile Bone, Hundred-Year Ganoderma...

After finishing, he placed the wolf-hair brush on the mountain-shaped brush rest, then called for Qiulan and told her to buy the ingredients according to the prescription.

At dusk, Qiulan returned carrying a cloth bag stuffed full.

Chen Mo checked the herbs in the bag, confirmed they were correct, and said, "Qiulan, I'll be in seclusion for the next few days. Turn away anyone who comes to disturb me."

"Qiulan remembers."

Days passed one by one.

Because Chen Mo had given the order, Qiulan kept outsiders out of the East Courtyard.

During this time, Zhou Liang came, trying to discuss details about setting up the pharmacy and the Library Tower with Chen Mo, but Qiulan stopped him.

Chen Wu specially brought boots sewn by Zhang Ru to express his gratitude to Chen Mo, but Qiulan also blocked him.

Even when Chen Yin Fu and Lin Yu Lan came to visit their precious son, Qiulan wouldn't let them in. Fortunately, the Chen Couple knew Chen Mo was in seclusion training and didn't disturb him, though worry crept into their hearts.

After all, these days, plenty of people went berserk from martial training.

But Chen Mo paid no heed to any of this, focusing solely on his seclusion in the room... Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation!

He knew the solution from the Golden Finger was the best and fastest. Others taking Tiger Qi Pills would need half a year or more. But he certainly wouldn't.

On the eighth day, early morning.

The sky wasn't yet bright, and a fish-belly white spread across the eastern horizon.

The heavy snow had just stopped, but the cold grew even more biting.

Chen Mo sat cross-legged in the room, circulating the Black Tiger True Qi technique.

Countless times, he drank the herbal decoction, and countless times, he tried to break through the internal martial threshold, all ending in failure.

But Chen Mo never lost heart.

Failed? Adjust and try again.

He knew this threshold was tough, and he knew he wasn't some martial prodigy—just someone with the convenience of the Golden Finger. So he held no lofty expectations, nor any arrogance.

After a night of circulating his energy, Chen Mo once again felt his blood and qi burning like fire within him.

When he pushed the technique to its limit, Chen Mo suddenly sensed a stream of heat sprouting at the base of his spine, surging up along the spine straight to the crown of his head, circling through his mind, then pouring down through his chest and settling in the lower dantian at the Huangting position.

Though it was only a tiny wisp of heat, it was extraordinarily miraculous, warming every muscle and bone in his body, leaving him more refreshed and comfortable than a round with his girlfriend in his past life.

Tasting this sweetness for the first time, Chen Mo circulated the mantra again. The heat in his Huangting immediately rose back up along the spine to the top of his head, then descended once more to the Huangting.

Up and down, it formed a cycle.

Wherever it passed, muscles and bones loosened, and all fatigue vanished.

Swish!

Chen Mo's eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam shooting forth.

"Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation, done! I, Chen Mo, have finally entered the internal martial realm!"

ps: The previous text has been slightly condensed and chapters merged. So the chapter count has decreased, but it doesn't affect reading. Next, we enter the finale of the first volume, full throttle ahead. An extra chapter here—any monthly votes to spare?