I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 39 Breakthrough in Inner Strength! (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)
Chen Mo frowned, realizing a very serious problem: he had expected to encounter the ghostly girl in red at the entrance of the Li residence, having been possessed by an evil spirit.

But what about the old man Li we saw on the street?

Did we enter a ghost town back then?
impossible!
There were so many people there at the time.

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

What I saw and heard on the street must be true.

Didn't Old Master Li die eighteen years ago? How could he possibly stand up and walk? And how could he stop the sedan chair from speaking?

What was that thing I saw back then?
The more I thought about it, the more horrified I became.

Seeing Chen Mo's forehead covered in sweat, Qiu Lan asked, "Young Master, what's wrong?"

Chen Mo finally came to his senses. "Did you personally get this content from Xie Dong?"

Qiu Lan shook her head: "I didn't see Young Master Xie Dong. His maid gave it to me."

"Did the maid mention where Xie Dong found out about this?"

"It is said that Young Master Xie Dong asked his third uncle."

Chen Mo's heart sank.

It was Xie Lianghong, that old coroner, again.

It seems this old coroner is no ordinary person; he must know a lot about the madness and the Li family. I'll have to go and ask him myself later.

Moreover, the information Xie Sanye provided was far too detailed, as if he had some deep connections with the Li family. He might even be concealing important information, such as why Old Master Li regretted killing Li Hongxi later.
These are things we need to ask in person.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo put away the papers. "How many more days should Xie Dong be confined to his quarters?"

Qiulan answered familiarly, "Seven days!"

"Qiu Lan, you've worked hard. Go to the kitchen and eat early." Chen Mo saw that Qiu Lan had worked hard all the way, so he told her to go eat.

Although Qiulan is young, she is thoughtful, capable, and adaptable. She is truly a good maid and very easy to use.

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

"The Li family is all incredibly strange. I'm being watched by them now, so I can't let my guard down for a second. There's no guarantee that Granny Li won't turn on me again."

Chen Mo made some plans for the next step:
First, strive to complete the Blood Transformation and Qi Conversion process as soon as possible, and enter the Inner Martial Arts realm. This will allow you to master the Bloodfire Seal, an Inner Martial Arts technique that is highly effective against ghosts. Moreover, Inner Martial Arts practitioners naturally possess surging and vigorous Qi, which can effectively suppress ghosts.

Secondly, try your best to get in touch with Master Li of Black Mountain Village and learn some powerful methods for dealing with ghosts from them. Only then will you feel safe.

Third, seven days later, after Xie Dong is released from confinement, he should visit the poor Dongzi. Then he should ask his third uncle about the details of the Li residence.

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo immediately took action.

While waiting for Liu Hao, Chen Mo took the opportunity to practice his skills with a knife.

As dusk fell, Liu Hao arrived.

He exchanged a few pleasantries with Chen Mo, then accidentally dropped a booklet before leaving.

Chen Mo: ...

You really know how to play the role perfectly...

Chen Mo played along, waiting until Liu Hao left before pretending to notice the pages on the ground, "Hey, who dropped this? That's really strange..."

He picked up the booklet and returned to the main room. Opening it, he saw four striking characters on the cover:
Black Tiger True Qi!

The book contains over two thousand characters, detailing the methods and techniques for transforming blood into qi. In general, it emulates the powerful blood and qi of a fierce tiger, using medicinal supplements to frantically replenish blood and qi, bringing it to a state of high-temperature boiling, and finally leaping beyond the limit to transform into black tiger true qi.

This process requires long-term use of a medicinal supplement called Tiger Qi Pill to nourish the five internal organs repeatedly, building up their strength and energy, and then impacting the three jiaos. After persisting for a year and a half, and with great perseverance, one can finally complete the process of transforming blood into qi.

Just seeing the words "a year and a half" gave Chen Mo a headache.

Granny Li's clutches are getting closer and closer; it's no longer safe to stay in the Chen residence without going out.

How could I possibly wait another year or two?

The next moment, Chen Mo opened the control panel.

[Current original solution essence: 0]

[Current number of times it can be identified: 1]

[A recognizable object has been detected. Recognize?]

"The recognition count has appeared again?" Chen Mo suddenly had an idea:

Identify!

hum!
As Chen Mo experienced a moment of dizziness, when his mind cleared, the subtitles in front of him changed.

【Name: Black Tiger True Qi】

[Type: Yang-type Internal Skill]

【Function: Promotes blood circulation and regulates qi】

[Introduction: An internal martial art created by a novice internal martial arts master, primarily focused on extracting the body's vital energy and blood to refine a domineering true qi.]

[Note: This internal energy cultivation method is extremely vicious, excessively exploiting the body's potential and emphasizing rapid results. The Tiger Qi Pill's effects are too slow and have significant side effects. Use ten-year-old, cold-natured raw lotus root as the main ingredient, combined with snow lotus, bear heart, crocodile bone, and a hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, boiled in equal weights and consumed. This can greatly reduce side effects and quickly refine the Black Tiger True Qi.]

Chen Mo immediately grabbed paper and pen and wrote on the Xuan paper: Ten-year-old cold-natured lotus root, snow lotus, ambition, crocodile bone, hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum...

After finishing writing, Chen Mo placed the wolf-hair brush on the mountain-shaped brush holder, then called Qiu Lan and asked her to buy the medicine according to the prescription.

At dusk, Qiulan returned carrying a cloth bag that was full to the brim.

After checking the medicinal herbs in the bag and confirming that there were no problems, Chen Mo said, "Qiu Lan, I will be in seclusion for the next few days. Please keep out anyone who might disturb me."

Qiulan will remember this.

……

The days passed.

Because Chen Mo gave the order, Qiu Lan no longer allowed outsiders to enter the East Courtyard.

During this time, Zhou Liang came to visit, trying to discuss the details of establishing a medicine workshop and a library with Chen Mo, but Qiu Lan stopped him.

Chen Wu specially brought the boots sewn by Zhang Ru to Chen Mo's door, wanting to express his gratitude, but Qiu Lan stopped him.

Even when Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan came to visit their beloved son, Qiulan wouldn't let them in. Fortunately, the Chen couple knew that Chen Mo was in seclusion practicing martial arts, so they didn't disturb him, though they were a little worried.

After all, there are plenty of people who go astray and become possessed by martial arts these days.

Chen Mo ignored all of that and focused solely on his secluded cultivation in his room... refining his blood and transforming his qi!

He knew that the solution offered by the Golden Finger was the optimal and fastest one. Others would need a year or two to take Tiger Qi Pills, but he certainly wouldn't.

……

Day 8, early morning.

Before dawn, the eastern sky began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly white hue.

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

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

During this period, Chen Mo didn't know how many times he had taken herbal medicine or how many times he had tried to break through the threshold of the inner school, all of which ended in failure.

But Chen Mo never gave up.

If you fail, readjust and try again.

He knew this hurdle was difficult, and he also knew he wasn't a martial arts prodigy; he merely had the advantage of a cheat code. Therefore, he didn't have overly high expectations, nor did he have an arrogant attitude.

After a night of practicing his internal energy, Chen Mo once again felt the fiery heat of his blood and qi within his body.

When he reached the peak of his internal energy cultivation, Chen Mo suddenly felt a surge of heat rising from the base of his spine, traveling up the spine to the top of his head, circulating in his mind, and finally flowing down his chest to the lower dantian.

Although it was only a very tiny wisp of heat, it was incredibly potent, causing a warm sensation throughout the body, even more pleasurable and invigorating than having sex with my girlfriend in my previous life.

Having tasted the initial benefits, Chen Mo circulated the incantation again, and the heat within his Huangting immediately rose up along his spine to the top of his head before returning to his Huangting.

As one rises, another falls, and a cycle begins.

Wherever it goes, it invigorates muscles and bones, and eliminates fatigue.

brush!
Chen Mo suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint shooting out from them.

"Blood circulation and Qi transformation, successful! I, Chen Mo, have finally entered the inner school!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Some content in the previous chapters has been shortened and chapters combined. Therefore, the number of chapters is reduced, but it won't affect reading experience. We're now entering the final chapters of Volume One, which are packed with exciting content! Here's an extra chapter; anyone want some monthly votes?
(End of this chapter)