Breaking Through to Fifth Grade

Back at Li Mu's courtyard.

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

After hearing Jiang Jiang and Li Mu fooling around inside, he turned and headed into his own room.

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

Jiang Jiang had been cultivating with complete focus for the past three days, so he had no choice but to stand guard beside her.

Thus, ever since obtaining the techniques, he had not had the chance to read them.

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

Fifth Grade refined the Five Organs and Six Bowels.

After reading the technique, he understood why Huang Muheng had said that great medicine was a 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.

In truth, each of the five organs and five bowels in the human body had a corresponding physical organ, while the triple burner among the six bowels had no corresponding organ.

Furthermore, each of the five organs and five bowels possessed a 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.

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

One needed to refine great medicine of the corresponding attribute and inject the medicine's energy into the organs to 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 wisp after another of spiritual essence was like children returning home from a long journey, all rushing into Zhou Ming's embrace.

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

Nourished by blood qi, his organs radiated faint warmth.

The sun set, and the moon rose.

Zhou Ming, who had been sitting 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 massively greater rewards.]

[Innate Divine Abilities: 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 Level Complete), Eighth-Rank Cultivation Techniques (Eleven)—Complete, Seventh-Rank Cultivation Technique (Complete), Sixth-Rank Cultivation Technique (Complete), Fifth-Grade Cultivation Technique (Complete)]

[Martial Techniques: Eight Saber-Cutting Forms—Mastery Beyond Perfection, Flower-Print Fist—Highly Accomplished (0/100), Soaring Dragon Body Technique—Mastery Beyond Perfection, Soaring Dragon Spear—Mastery Beyond Perfection, Winter Frost Sword—Mastery Beyond Perfection]

Damn it!

Was he really stuck?

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

"Forget it. There's no need to rush."

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

Two years?

What a joke. I was being far too modest.

Destroying a Li Household would be easy.

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

Lying on the bed, Zhou Ming's ears twitched. After listening intently for a while,

he immediately sat up and crossed his legs on the bed.

Tap!

The door opened.

Two graceful figures entered his room.

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

Li Mu muttered, "It's not like you're paying for it. It's already dark, and you still don't know to light a candle?"

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

Zhou Ming's face lit up 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 bustling with life.

Following the street, the three stopped in front of a restaurant.

Li Mu introduced it happily, "This is the best restaurant in Qing Prefecture City. I had a hard time reserving a private room. Come on, I'll broaden your horizons."

With that, she pulled Jiang Jiang into the restaurant.

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

Spring Fragrance Tower.

Uh!

That name did not sound particularly respectable.

Then Jiang Jiang tugged him inside.

The main hall was packed with diners.

Beside every table stood women dressed in thin gauze.

They dress like that even in the dead of winter. No wonder the business is so good.

"Do they look good?"

Hearing Jiang Jiang's voice beside his ear,

Zhou Ming blurted out, "Not bad."

Li Mu stood by the stairs and muttered, "You lecherous pervert. Jiang Jiang and I are bringing you out, and you still have the nerve to stare at those wine girls?"

After scolding him, she grabbed Jiang Jiang and headed upstairs.

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

Zhou Ming shrugged and followed.

Upon entering the private room on the second floor, Zhou Ming glanced downstairs. Directly below them was a stage, where the wine girls were dancing merrily.

He did not dare look for long, withdrew his gaze, and sat down.

Before long, the table was filled with delicious dishes of every color and aroma.

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

"This is deer antler three treasures. Hurry and try some."

"This winter bamboo shoot stew with bear tendon is delicious too. Eat, eat."

Jiang Jiang raised a hand to stop Li Mu's arm as she was serving food, rubbing her forehead helplessly. "Enough, enough. Let me try what's already in front of me first."

Looking at the plate piled into a small mountain before Jiang Jiang,

Li Mu smiled. "All right. I'll introduce more dishes to you later."

Zhou Ming kept his head down and wolfed down the food.

Seeing how he ate, Jiang Jiang laughed. "Eat slowly. No one's competing with you."

"Mhm! Mhm!" Zhou Ming replied with his mouth full of oil.

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

This time, bitterness appeared on her face.

This food... tastes 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? The food doesn't suit your taste?"

Jiang Jiang shook her head helplessly. "Maybe I don't have much of an appetite. It feels a little unpleasant."

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

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

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

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

Zhou Ming asked expectantly, "How is it? Tasty, right?"

Jiang Jiang's face was full of bitterness as she swallowed it with difficulty.

Zhou Ming frowned, reached out, and a wisp of spiritual essence appeared in his hand.

"Try this!" Zhou Ming extended his hand.

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

Jiang Jiang did not hesitate. She carefully released her blood qi 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.

"Are trash like you worthy of such a treasure?"

Zhou Ming's expression darkened as his blood qi erupted instantly. "My property is gone. Have you thought about how you'll compensate me?"

As his blood qi burst forth, a muffled boom rang through the entire restaurant.

A terrifying aura spread outward in every direction from Zhou Ming.

The guests seated downstairs all felt their breathing catch at the pressure!

The man stared gravely at Zhou Ming. "How are you already at the Fifth-Grade Peak?"