Marrow Cleansing, Qi Induction

The story told in this book takes place in a parallel world. Please do not associate it with the real world or try to identify with it. If there are any similarities, they are purely coincidental.

The Shangshi in March still carried a hint of coolness. The morning mist was filled with the freshness of Spring Wind Transforms Willow. Tender buds had sprouted on the branches along the riverbank, and the lush green grass exuded the fragrance of the soil, covering the entire land. The spring scenery had spread throughout Shangshi, as if transforming the city into a green ocean. However, some haze mixed in the air detracted from the beautiful scenery.

"Creak!" With a sound, the door of a rental room on the outskirts of Shangshi City was pushed open, and a young man wearing an ordinary jacket, somewhat worn-out sweatpants, and cloth shoes walked out.

His name was Chen Mo. He had an ordinary appearance and nothing about him was particularly eye-catching. He was just a common young man. If you put him in a crowd, you might not even be able to find him – ordinary looks, ordinary clothes. If you had to find a merit, it would be his pair of clear black and white eyes, which exuded a bright and piercing gaze that was hard to forget once you saw them.

He looked at the morning scenery, but his heart was filled with disappointment. He took a deep breath of the morning air, but halfway through, he started coughing uncontrollably. The air pollution was already quite severe, even in the suburbs. It was only slightly better than in the city, but not by much. Sigh!

He stretched his arms wide and moved his stiff legs. Despite the poor air quality, his cultivation overnight had still yielded limited progress. However, it had invigorated his spirit, leaving him without any sense of fatigue.

He looked up at the sky, which was a hazy gray, mirroring his mood. He didn't know why, but four years were almost over, and he still hadn't reached Qi Refining Layer One. This made him feel deeply discouraged. Sometimes he even thought about giving up, but he had persevered for so many years. If he hadn't entered the Qi Induction stage early on, he might have been so discouraged that he would have quit. He raised his hand and clenched it tightly, as if trying to crush the air. He vented his frustration, and his mood gradually improved with this clenched fist.

If anyone had seen his action, they would have been absolutely astonished. This was definitely not something an ordinary person could do. The strength he exerted and the slight "poof!" sound that accompanied it indicated how powerful his grip was. His physical fitness had far surpassed the limits of an ordinary person.

No one knew what kind of secret Chen Mo possessed. He couldn't tell anyone and could only hide it carefully, not even revealing it to his parents or his younger brother.

Cultivators, clad in ancient robes and riding Flying Swords, soaring through mountains and rivers, capable of manipulating clouds and rain with a single hand. They could visit the East Sea in the morning and the Gobi Desert in the evening, traveling thousands of miles in an instant. These were characters who only appeared in novels and films, but he had encountered them.

He remembered it was after his high school Graduation Exam. His two-month holiday was spent having a blast at home.

One day, he went exploring in the Back Mountain with his village companions. After a day of venturing deep into the mountains, he accidentally stumbled and fell into a low gully while crossing a ridge.

Fortunately, the gully wasn't very deep, only about 5 meters high. The bottom was covered with withered branches and leaves, which acted as a buffer, so he wasn't seriously injured. He only sustained a few scratches on his arms and the back of his hands from the branches, and they bled quite a bit.

Seeing that he wasn't seriously hurt, his companions told him they would go find something to pull him up. The gully wasn't deep but was quite long and had vertical walls. He couldn't climb out by himself.

Chen Mo could only sit in the gully and wait for his companions. Feeling a bit bored, he looked around and spotted a cave not far away, about half a person's height. Curiosity piqued, he walked over to see what was inside.

The cave wasn't deep. After his eyes adjusted to the change in light, he was so scared that he quickly ran out. He saw the Withered Bones of a dead person lying at the deepest part of the cave. Although it was noon, it was still quite terrifying. He was just a young man who had just graduated from high school and had never seen real human bones before.

Outside the cave, feeling the sunlight on his skin, he gradually recovered. "Pfft!" He chuckled, feeling a bit annoyed at his own timidity. He had bragged to his companions about how brave and capable he was, only to be scared by a pile of bones.

Thinking that his companions hadn't returned yet, he turned back and found a slightly thicker branch. He thought that since the person was already dead, it would be best to let them rest in peace. He decided to dig a hole and bury the Withered Bones.

He re-entered the cave and silently paid his respects to the Withered Bones. He had learned this from his parents when they paid respects to his grandparents' graves – to greet them and tell them what you were about to do.

He muttered, "I don't know how you ended up here, but it looks like it's been many years. It's best to let you rest in peace. If you have a spirit, please don't blame me for disturbing your remains..."

Chen Mo prayed earnestly, then began digging a hole next to the Withered Bones with the branch. Fortunately, the soil in the cave wasn't too hard and was easy to dig. Although the wounds he sustained from the fall started bleeding again during the digging, it didn't stop him. The deceased came first. Besides, the scratches weren't very deep, just a bit long. What child in the village hadn't been injured? He wasn't that delicate.

It took him about ten minutes to dig a not-so-deep hole. Then, he tore off a sleeve from his Upper Garment, wrapped his hand, and carefully placed the Withered Bones into the pit one by one. After arranging them neatly, he filled the hole with soil. However, while moving the Withered Bones, he discovered a Cloth Pouch about the size of his palm, a White Bead about one centimeter in diameter, and a Green Jade Piece. The jade piece was engraved with some patterns, about a finger's length and two fingers' width, and not very thick.

As he picked up these items, he accidentally got his hand, which was bleeding, on them, and he was stunned! Things stained with his blood shouldn't be buried with the Withered Bones, as he had heard from the elders in the village when he was young. So, he quickly clasped his hands together in prayer, put the three items aside, and buried the Withered Bones first.

While Chen Mo was burying the Withered Bones, he didn't notice that the three items he had placed aside, after being infused with his blood, all flashed with a faint light. The White Bead and the Cloth Pouch flashed but remained unchanged. However, the Green Jade Piece shone brilliantly, emitting a light that grew stronger and stronger, filling the entire cave with an inexplicable, colorful radiance.

Chen Mo, who was busy nearby, also sensed this. When he turned to look, the Green Jade Piece instantly flew from the ground to his forehead, sticking tightly to his head, right between his eyebrows.

Chen Mo felt a huge "boom!" in his mind, instantly causing him to pass out.

When he heard faint shouts, Chen Mo slowly woke up. Qing Yu was lying beside his head. His companions were calling him. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious.

He shook his head, feeling a dull ache and swelling. He also smelled a foul odor coming from himself. Looking up, he saw that the skin visible on his body was covered in a thick layer of black oil. It was this black oil that emitted an indescribable stench, making him feel like he was going to vomit.

A large amount of information appeared in his mind at this time, but it wasn't the time to understand it. Not only was his mind still a bit hazy, but he could clearly hear his companions shouting. So he quickly shouted a few times to respond to his friends. However, his voice echoed back and forth in the earthen cave, not only making his own ears buzz but also causing the mixture of soil and rocks above to start falling.

Chen Mo was startled. What was happening to him? How could his voice be so loud? It was definitely over 120 decibels. He had just graduated from high school and had a good grasp of acoustics. His shouts had never been this loud before.

He stood up straight, but for some reason, he stood up instantly. He couldn't control himself and rushed forward a few steps. When he felt something was wrong, he turned back, and instantly stood still.

At this moment, Chen Mo was surprised. He silently felt his body and found that he was full of energy, as if he had an inexhaustible supply. Not only that, but he also felt that his reaction speed had changed significantly, becoming much faster.

He instantly threw a punch towards a rock, not to hurt himself, but because he felt he absolutely could.

With a "boom," a clear fist print about an inch deep appeared on the rock, and his hand was completely unharmed. What was going on? Chen Mo thought in shock. Was it related to that coma just now? And there was a lot of information coming into his mind, as if there were many things he needed to think about and pay attention to!

He paused for a moment, then turned and reburied the withered bones. He hadn't finished burying them when he fainted earlier. Although Chen Mo's heart was in turmoil and he was starting to feel scared, he had always been resolute since he was young, and he had to complete what he decided. So, he gritted his teeth, finished burying the withered bones, made a grave mound, and kowtowed three times to the buried grave. Then, he collected the three scattered items on the ground, put them in his embrace, and controlled his body to walk out. Due to the changes in his body, he couldn't get used to it yet, fearing that if he walked too fast or used too much force, he would bump into something or trip.

He thought to himself, "When I have money, I'll come back and properly renovate this grave." The information transmitted from the piece of green jade into his mind was extensive, but it also revealed the identity of the person, which was why Chen Mo performed the three kowtows. He walked out of the cave.