Qi and Blood Capsule 4

Chen Mo opened the System panel and looked at the steadily increasing stats: Black Tiger Stance proficiency 76/300, Body Tempering Fist proficiency 56/300, Qi and Blood Value 74. He was getting closer to mastering them, and he could clearly feel the growing warm current of Qi and Blood within him constantly battering against invisible barriers. The opportunity to break through seemed to be beckoning from not too far away. As for his academic studies, if he maintained his current performance, reaching the top-tier university admission line wasn't impossible. At a time like this, deliberately slowing down just to save money on medicine? That would be equivalent to cutting off his own future, betraying his parents' expectations, and wasting his chance at rebirth.

He thought of Zhao Peng. That guy, always wearing branded martial arts uniforms and casually taking out Basic Qi and Blood Pills during breaks, probably never had to worry about such basic "endurance" issues. Zhao Peng's father was a well-known entrepreneur in Huihe City, with plenty of money, and a constant stream of cultivation resources. Their resources were enough to support them in charging forward at a faster pace with fewer bottlenecks. This was the disparity of reality, and also the predicament that martial arts students from humble backgrounds had to face.

"Two paths." Chen Mo picked up his pen and heavily wrote two words in his notebook: "Breakthrough" and "Make Money."

If he could successfully break through the 100 Qi and Blood mark before the Gaokao, or even earlier, and become a registered First-Rank Martial Artist, then everything would be different. Martial Artist status would not only bring a leap in social standing, freeing him and his family from their bottom-tier struggles, but it would also mean he was qualified to apply for the official "Martial Artist Student Special Subsidy," receiving thousands of yuan monthly. He would be eligible to purchase genuine cultivation resources at a discounted price, and might even be scouted by martial arts associations or corporations for full sponsorship, allowing him to focus solely on preparing for the Gaokao and subsequent martial arts cultivation.

If he couldn't break through, or couldn't do it fast enough, then besides cultivation, he would need to find a stable source of income. Writing novels was the most feasible "Plan B" he could think of. In his previous life, he was a seasoned bookworm, having read hundreds, if not thousands, of web novels, and was familiar with various popular genres and tropes. Although the web novel industry in this world was also well-developed, many genres were still in a blue ocean stage. Especially the Black Tower Prologue he was conceptualizing, which fused elements of martial arts, mystery, and Sequence Role-playing, was highly likely to attract readers. The outline and opening he conceived last night had to be put to paper and published as soon as possible. Even if the initial income was meager, only a few hundred yuan, he had to persevere, striving to generate stable income early on to support his cultivation expenses.

Chen Mo carefully put his bank card into his wallet, then took out the white medicine box from his backpack. Only one Qi and Blood Capsule remained inside. The deep blue capsule shimmered under the light, like a concentrated hope, and also like a conspicuous warning sign, constantly reminding him of the urgency of time and the preciousness of resources.

Without the slightest hesitation, he tilted his head back and swallowed the second capsule with the warm water from his thermos.

The familiar warm current rose again from his lower abdomen, slowly spreading throughout his body, dispelling the physical fatigue and the slight anxiety in his heart. His mind also became clearer, and the irritability caused by his declining state instantly vanished.

But at the same time, a stronger sense of urgency and fighting spirit ignited in his chest.

He couldn't stop, couldn't slow down. He had to grind proficiency faster, break through limits earlier, and write stories more diligently.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author; perhaps they just changed their name!

In response to the requests of many readers, we are now launching the VIP member ad-free feature.

Click to view

After evening self-study, Chen Mo didn't go straight home as usual. Instead, he went to an internet cafe near the school. He rented a private room for an hour, turned on the computer, and logged into the largest online literature platform in this world, "Tomato Chinese Network." Coincidentally, the platform's name was exactly the same as in his previous life, and its interface bore some resemblance, giving him a sense of familiarity.

The process of registering an author account was simple. After filling in basic information and undergoing real-name verification, the account was quickly approved. For his pen name, he thought for a moment and used "Ink Guarding Original Intention." "Ink" was taken from a character in his name, while "Guarding Original Intention" served as a reminder to himself – no matter how many difficulties he encountered in the future, he must not forget why he started, must not betray his parents' expectations, and must not waste his chance at rebirth.

When creating a new book, he solemnly typed into the book title field: Black Tower Prologue: The Puppeteer's Path. Then, in the synopsis, he carefully wrote: "This is an era where martial arts flourish, fists shatter mountains and rivers, and Qi surges to the heavens; this is also a world where mystery has never been far away, ancient ruins hide secrets, and strange knowledge flows in the shadows. When Lin Yan opens that unburnable black notebook, he chooses a path of 'role-playing' that is completely different from mainstream martial arts, a path full of the unknown and danger. Sequences, puppets, source-wells, divinity... Every step is on the edge of madness. At the end of the sequence, is it supreme power, or the madness of sinking into the abyss?"

After finishing the synopsis, Chen Mo opened his document and carefully revised the eight thousand words of the initial draft he had squeezed out last night and today during breaks and lunch. He checked for typos, punctuation, and adjusted the paragraph rhythm to make the opening more suspenseful and the protagonist's personality more distinct. Then, he divided the eight thousand words into three chapters, titled Black Notebook, Sequence Nine: Puppeteer Apprentice, and First Role-playing, and uploaded them one by one.

The moment he clicked the "Publish" button, a green prompt box saying "Publish Successful" popped up on the screen. Chen Mo looked at the screen and let out a soft sigh.

Martial arts cultivation was the main battlefield, concerning his future and his family's fate, and could not afford any mistakes.

Novel creation was the logistics line, concerning whether he could obtain enough resources to support himself, and it had to be opened up.

And the decreasing numbers in his bank card were a countdown hanging over his head, spurring him to fight on both fronts with superhuman willpower and efficiency, carving out a bloody path on this thorny road of counterattack.

Outside the window, the night deepened, and the city's neon lights lit up one after another, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors on the internet cafe's glass. In the private room, the desk lamp focused its light on the screen, and the young man's figure remained straight. On the desk in front of him lay a math test paper, already filled with calculation steps; on the screen, the work page for Black Tower Prologue: The Puppeteer's Path lay quietly, with the first chapter's readership still at 1; within his body, the medicinal power of the second Qi and Blood Capsule was slowly dissolving, nourishing his meridians and Qi and Blood.

Triple pressure, also triple motivation.

This road of counterattack was destined to be not a moment of ease. But in Chen Mo's eyes, there was no trace of fear, only determination and resolve. He knew he had no retreat; he could only move forward.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author; perhaps they just changed their name!

In response to the requests of many readers, we are now launching the VIP member ad-free feature.

Click to view