Breakthrough to Fifth Grade

Back in Li Mu's large courtyard.

Zhou Ming glanced at the two women's quarters, his ears twitching slightly.

After hearing Jiang Jiang and Li Mu playing around inside, he turned and entered his own room.

Once inside, he sat cross-legged on the bed, opened his bundle, and took out the cultivation technique.

For the past three days, Jiang Jiang had been training with complete abandon, leaving him no choice but to stand guard nearby.

So ever since obtaining the technique, he had not had a chance to read it.

Now, he picked up the technique that recorded Fifth Grade Organ Refinement and studied it carefully.

Fifth Grade trained the Five Organs and Six Bowels.

After reading the technique, he finally understood why Huang Muheng had said that Great Medicine was the prerequisite for a Fifth Grade Perfect Foundation.

The Five Organs were the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

The Six Bowels were the gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, and triple burner.

Among the Five Organs and Six Bowels, the five organs and five bowels of the human body each had corresponding physical organs, while the triple burner among the Six Bowels had no corresponding organ.

Furthermore, the Five Organs and Five Bowels each had their own corresponding Five Elements attribute.

The lungs and large intestine belonged to metal.

The liver and gallbladder belonged to wood.

The kidneys and bladder belonged to water.

The heart and small intestine belonged to fire.

The spleen and stomach belonged to water.

Circulating the cultivation technique, consuming blood qi, and nourishing the organs—this was a Fifth Grade martial artist's Organ Refinement.

Yet nourishing the organs with blood qi could not activate their Five Elements attributes.

Only by refining Great Medicine of the corresponding attribute and injecting the energy within it into the organs could one activate their Five Elements attributes.

Only then could a Perfect Foundation be formed.

Zhou Ming closed the jade slip and immediately began absorbing the spiritual essence drifting between heaven and earth.

One mote of spiritual essence after another was like children returning home from distant travels, all throwing themselves into Zhou Ming's embrace.

As he circulated the cultivation technique, the spiritual essence absorbed into his body transformed directly into his own blood qi and slowly merged into his major organs.

Nourished by the blood qi, his organs radiated threads of warmth.

The sun set, and the moon rose.

Zhou Ming, seated cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes, a trace of confusion on his face.

Then, with a thought, he summoned the panel.

[Dragon Glory Earth Human Transmigration Panel]

[Host: Zhou Ming—Immaculate Body]

[Destiny: Double Results with Half the Effort]

[Analysis: Do half the work, reap a whole lot more.]

[Innate Divine Ability: Myriad Forms of the Immaculate (Unique), Consume Heaven and Earth's Essence (Unique).]

[Rank: Fifth Grade Martial Artist—Jade Skin, Jade Bone, Meridian Opening (Complete), Circulatory Acupoints (Complete), Five Organs and Six Bowels (Five Elements Missing)]

[Cultivation Techniques: Dragon Soaring Stance (Ninth Layer Complete), Eighth-Rank Cultivation Technique (Eleven Techniques)—Complete, Seventh-Rank Cultivation Technique (Complete), Sixth-Rank Cultivation Technique (Complete), Fifth-Rank Cultivation Technique (Complete)]

[Martial Skills: Eight Saber-Cutting Forms—At the Pinnacle, Flower-Print Fist—Mastery (0/100), Soaring Dragon Body Technique—At the Pinnacle, Soaring Dragon Spear—At the Pinnacle, Winter Frost Sword—At the Pinnacle]

Damn it!

Was he really stuck?

Zhou Ming flopped backward, kicked out his legs, and lay down on the soft bedding.

"Forget it. No need to rush."

Feeling the vast, dense blood qi within him, a smile appeared on his face.

Two years?

What kind of joke was that? I, Zhou Ming, had simply been too modest.

Destroying a Li Household was nothing more than taking something from the palm of his hand.

Zhou Ming rolled over onto his stomach and murmured, "Once the Martial Examination is over, I'll head to Muzhou Prefectural City and wipe out the Li Household!"

Lying on the bed, Zhou Ming's ears twitched. After concentrating and listening for a moment—

He immediately rose and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Tap!

The Fang Men opened.

Two graceful figures stepped into his room.

As the candle on the table was lit, Zhou Ming slightly opened his eyes and asked, "What is it?"

Li Mu scolded softly, "It's not like you have to pay for it. It's already dark, and you don't even know to light a candle?"

Jiang Jiang smiled. "Mu Mu said we're going to eat something delicious. Want to come with us?"

Delight flashed over Zhou Ming's face as he shouted, "Thank you, Miss Li!"

Li Mu shot him a glare, grabbed Jiang Jiang, and headed outside.

Zhou Ming immediately put on his shoes and followed behind them.

Qing Prefecture City never closed its markets at night, and the streets were still brimming with the warmth of human life.

Following the street onward, the three stopped before a restaurant.

Li Mu introduced it happily. "This is the finest restaurant in all of Qing Prefecture City. I had to go through great trouble just to reserve a private room. Come on, I'll broaden your horizons."

With that, she pulled Jiang Jiang inside.

Zhou Ming raised his head slightly and glanced at the signboard.

Spring Fragrance Tower.

Uh!

This name did not seem particularly proper.

Then Jiang Jiang tugged him along, and he entered the restaurant.

The main hall was filled with diners.

Beside every table stood women dressed in gauzy robes, waiting attentively.

They dressed like that even in the dead of winter. No wonder business was so good.

"Do they look good?"

Hearing Jiang Jiang's voice beside his ear—

Zhou Ming blurted out, "Not bad."

Standing by the stairs, Li Mu cursed softly, "You hungry ghost of lust. Jiang Jiang and I brought you here, and you still want to stare at those tavern girls?"

After scolding him, she took Jiang Jiang upstairs.

Jiang Jiang rolled her eyes at him and stayed close beside her good sister.

Zhou Ming shrugged and followed.

After entering the private room on the second floor, Zhou Ming glanced below. Directly opposite was the stage built downstairs, where the tavern girls were dancing with great enthusiasm.

Not daring to look any longer, he withdrew his gaze and took a seat.

Before long, the table was covered with dishes that were rich in color, aroma, and flavor.

"Jiang Jiang, this is Qing Prefecture City's famous flower cake. It's delicious."

"This is deer antler three treasures. Hurry and taste it."

"This braised winter bamboo shoot and bear tendon is delicious too. Eat, eat."

Jiang Jiang raised a hand to stop Li Mu's arm, which was still reaching for food, and rubbed her forehead helplessly. "All right, all right. Let me taste what's already in front of me first."

Looking at the small mountain piled onto the plate before Jiang Jiang—

Li Mu smiled. "Fine, then I'll introduce more later."

Zhou Ming lowered his head and wolfed down the food.

Seeing his appearance, Jiang Jiang smiled. "Eat slowly. No one's going to fight you for it."

"Mhm! Mhm!" Zhou Ming replied through a mouthful of oily food.

After taking a few small bites, Jiang Jiang's willow brows furrowed slightly. Then she picked up a small piece from the dish Zhou Ming was eating, placed it in her mouth, and chewed gently.

At once, bitterness appeared on her face.

This food... tastes terribly awful!

Li Mu picked up a piece of flower cake and took a small bite.

Just as she was about to say it was delicious, she noticed the bitter expression on Jiang Jiang's face beside her.

Li Mu asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Does the food not suit your taste?"

Jiang Jiang shook her head helplessly. "Maybe I don't have much appetite. It just tastes a little bad."

Zhou Ming, who had been burying his head in his meal, raised it. "No way. I think it's really delicious."

Then he picked up a piece of Shell Bear meat soaked in sauce, placed it on a small plate, and handed it over.

"Try this. It's Shell Bear meat. It tastes good even roasted plain, but it's even better soaked in sauce."

Jiang Jiang did not hesitate. She picked up the Shell Bear meat and placed it in her mouth.

Zhou Ming asked expectantly, "Well? It's good, right?"

A bitter expression covered Jiang Jiang's face as she swallowed it with difficulty.

Zhou Ming frowned, raised his hand, and grabbed at the air. A mote of spiritual essence suddenly appeared in his hand.

"Try this!" Zhou Ming held out his hand.

The instant the spiritual essence appeared, Li Mu's beautiful eyes fixed tightly on Zhou Ming's hand.

Without hesitation, Jiang Jiang carefully released her blood qi, sending it toward the spiritual essence in Zhou Ming's hand.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Zhou Ming and reached out to seize the spiritual essence.

Then a voice rang out.

"Do worms like you deserve such a treasure?"

Zhou Ming's face darkened, and the blood qi throughout his body erupted instantly. "My property is gone. Have you thought about how you'll compensate me?"

As his blood qi erupted, a low, muffled boom resounded throughout the restaurant.

With Zhou Ming as its center, a terrifying aura spread in all directions.

The diners seated downstairs felt that aura, and all their breathing stalled!

The man looked at Zhou Ming with grave eyes. "How are you already at the Fifth-Grade Peak?"