Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

The traitor's stronghold in the west of the city was a small courtyard with two sections. He Damin's spirit floated on the roof, his pale golden soul almost blending into the night under the moonlight. The Soul Refining Banner trembled gently in the spiritual sea, and the Blood Soul Chains hung down like the forked tongues of a hungry serpent.

In the courtyard, three traitors were drinking. On the table were peanuts, pig's head meat, and half a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor). The leader was a fat man in his forties with a face full of scars, and a Mauser pistol tucked into his waistband. The other two were younger, both carrying rifles.

"Brother, I heard something happened at the transfer station in the east of the city last night?" a young traitor asked in a low voice. The fat man took a swig of wine and sneered, "More than twenty Japanese soldiers died, not even dogs were spared. The whole city is under martial law now, we need to be on high alert these next few days."

"Who's so bold?" "Who knows?" The fat man narrowed his eyes. "But this is strange. There's not a trace at the scene. It's like... a ghost did it."

The words had barely left his lips when three blood-soul chains shot down like venomous snakes! The fat man reacted the fastest, instinctively reaching for his gun, but the chains were already wrapped around his neck. His eyes widened, a hoarse sound escaping his throat, his body convulsing violently. The other two traitors hadn't even had time to react before the chains pierced their chests as well.

Three pale white wisps of soul light emerged from the corpse, struggling in terror, but were quickly swallowed by the Soul Refining Banner. The number of blood beads increased by three, and the blood-red patterns on the banner became even more vibrant.

He Damin remained expressionless. These traitors aided and abetted the evildoers and deserved to die.

He drifted into the house and conducted a quick search. He took two pistols, over a hundred rounds of ammunition, 23 large croakers, 120 small croakers, and several thousand silver dollars—the ill-gotten gains plundered by the traitors. As for the other valuables, he left them untouched, intending to use them to create chaos during the Japanese investigation.

Having done all this, the spirit transformed into a stream of light and returned to Nanluoguxiang. It was three in the morning when it returned to its physical body. He Damin did not immediately go to sleep, but instead sat cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed) and introspectively examined himself.

At his dantian, the wisp of true energy grew stronger. Although still weak, it sprouted like a seed, full of vitality. This was the result of a night of breathing exercises according to the "Taoist Innate Elixir Method," combined with the pure soul power fed back by the Soul Refining Banner, making his cultivation speed much faster than expected.

"But that's not enough." He Damin opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them.

The basic Taoist arts he has mastered—talismans, footwork, hand seals, the use of the Three Pure Ones Bell, and the basics of peach wood sword forging—all require magical power. Without magical power, these are just empty words.

Traditional Chinese martial arts cultivate qi and blood, strengthening the body and making one invincible in close combat. Taoist arts cultivate qi, connecting with heaven and earth to cast spells. The two complement each other, but are fundamentally different. What he needs now is to truly embark on the path of cultivation, and the Foundation Establishment Pill is that key. "Tonight, take the Foundation Establishment Pill."

In the Taiji Space, on the Yang side of the study, He Damin took out the small jade bottle. The bottle was warm to the touch and cool to the touch, containing ten Foundation Establishment Pills. He poured one into his palm. The pill was pale gold, the size of a longan, with cloud-like patterns flowing across its surface, emitting a refreshing fragrance. Just one whiff was enough to make every pore on his body open up, and the true energy in his dantian subtly stirred.

"Foundation Building Pill, open the Qi Gate, open the Dantian..." He Damin muttered to himself.

He was well aware of the risks of taking the Foundation Establishment Pill. The Marrow Cleansing Pill merely transformed the body and expelled impurities; the process, though painful, was relatively safe. The Foundation Establishment Pill, however, forcibly opened the "qi gate" connecting the human body to heaven and earth, creating a space in the dantian to store magical power. Success would allow one to embark on the path of cultivation and practice true Daoist arts. Failure would result in anything from damaged meridians rendering one useless to the body exploding and dying.

But He Damin did not hesitate. In his previous life, he had fought his way through two hundred children to become a world-class assassin, relying on his daring to take risks and his decisiveness to fight to the death. In this life, with a family to protect and Japanese invaders to eliminate, he needed power even more.

Sitting cross-legged on a futon in his study, He Damin adjusted his breathing, allowing himself to enter a state of clarity. The Tai Chi Harmony Exercise slowly circulated, his Qi and blood flowing through his meridians, bringing his body to its optimal state. His soul returned to his body, achieving a unity of spirit and flesh, with his soul power merging with his Qi and blood.

The time has come. He Damin tilted his head back and swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill. The pill melted instantly in his mouth, transforming into a scalding torrent that flowed down his throat. Unlike the gentle transformation of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the power of the Foundation Establishment Pill was far more violent, like a volcanic eruption with surging lava!

"Boom—!" He Damin felt a loud bang in his mind, and his entire consciousness went blank. Immediately afterward, a sharp pain came from his dantian, as if a thousand steel needles were piercing him at the same time, or as if someone was hitting him hard with an iron hammer!

He clenched his teeth, his gums bleeding, but he didn't utter a sound. A surge of heat coursed through his body, forcibly stretching and tearing his meridians wherever it went. He Damin could clearly hear his bones cracking and popping—the groans of his body under extreme pressure. Beads of blood began to seep from his skin; his capillaries had ruptured under the pressure. Blood was flowing from all seven orifices; he looked utterly wretched.

But He Damin was secretly delighted—this was the Foundation Establishment Pill attempting to break through the "Qi Gate"! A cultivator has twelve regular meridians, eight extraordinary meridians, and three hundred and sixty-five acupoints. The most crucial of these is the "Qi Sea" acupoint in the dantian, the foundation for storing magical power. And connecting the Qi Sea with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is the "Qi Gate."

The dantian is naturally closed and requires external force to open. This is exactly what the Foundation Establishment Pill does. Heat surges wildly in the dantian, forming a vortex. He Damin can feel something breaking down and reforming there. Each breakage brings excruciating pain, but with each reformation, the space in the dantian expands a little more.

This process lasted a full hour. He Damin was covered in blood, as if he had been pulled from a pool of blood. But his eyes were firm, and he held on to the last shred of clarity in his mind.

Finally—"Crack!" A sound like an eggshell breaking rang out inside her. In her dantian, an invisible barrier was completely shattered! A torrent of heat found its outlet, surging into the newly opened space like a flood bursting its banks. The space was initially only the size of a grain of rice, but under the impact of the heat, it rapidly expanded, eventually stabilizing at the size of a fist.

The Qi gate opened! The dantian was formed! Almost the instant the Qi gate opened, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged in frantically. The Taiji space was already rich in spiritual energy, and now it formed a visible vortex. The azure spiritual energy gathered from all directions, poured into He Damin's body through the newly opened Qi gate, and was compressed and condensed in his dantian.

One drop. Two drops. Three drops... A pale golden liquid slowly condensed in his dantian; it was the most primordial form of magical power—true essence!

Each drop of true essence contained immense energy, a hundred times more refined than the previous true qi. He Damin could clearly feel this true essence quietly suspended in his dantian, radiating a gentle yet powerful fluctuation.

He tried to mobilize one drop of true essence. With a thought, that drop of true essence immediately transformed into a warm current that surged out of his dantian and traveled along his meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians that had been damaged by the Foundation Establishment Pill were rapidly repaired, and even became stronger and wider.

"This is... magic!"

He Damin opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them. He extended his right hand, and with a slight thought, a drop of true essence gathered in his palm. A faint golden light danced in his palm; although it lacked earth-shattering power, He Damin could feel the power contained within—enough to activate even the simplest Daoist technique!

Without hesitation, he immediately gave it a try. The method for drawing the most basic talisman in the *Complete Collection of Maoshan Talismans*—the exorcism talisman—appeared in his mind. He extended his right index finger, using his true energy as ink, and drew in the air. Golden light flowed from his fingertip, and a complex talisman slowly took shape in the air. Although the lines were still somewhat trembling and not entirely smooth, the structure was complete, and the talisman's meaning was beginning to emerge.

As the last stroke was completed, the rune suddenly lit up, emitting a faint golden light that lasted for three breaths before dissipating. Success! Although it was only the most basic form of drawing runes in the air, and the duration was pitifully short, it was a breakthrough from zero! From this day forward, he was no longer a "theoretical practitioner" with only knowledge of Taoist arts but no practical application, but a true cultivator!

He Damin didn't stop, continuing to introspect. The benefits of the Foundation Establishment Pill went far beyond opening the Qi gates and dantian. First, his physical attributes improved once again. The Marrow Cleansing Pill modified the foundation, while the Foundation Establishment Pill "upgraded" that foundation. He could feel his muscles were tighter, his bones stronger, and his internal organs brimming with vitality. Now, although he still looked like a thirteen-year-old boy, his physical attributes far surpassed those of an ordinary adult.

Secondly, the fusion of soul and body is more perfect. Although the fusion was completed before, there was always a slight, subtle barrier. Now, with the soul and body completely united, the soul can move freely in and out of the body, and the energy consumption is also less.

More importantly, the connection between the Soul Refining Banner and him had become even stronger. With a thought, the Soul Refining Banner appeared in his hand. The originally black banner now faintly shimmered with golden light. The Blood Soul Chains were no longer simply scarlet, and the surface of the Soul Locking Chains also had faint golden patterns. He could feel that the power of the Soul Refining Banner had increased by at least 30%, and it was perfectly in tune with his will, as if it were his own arm.

"It seems that the Foundation Establishment Pill also has a tempering effect on the soul," He Damin said thoughtfully.

He tried channeling a wisp of true essence into the Soul Refining Banner. The banner trembled violently, and the Blood Soul Chains flew out automatically, dancing in the air. The chains were faster, their trajectories more treacherous, and they faintly emanated a golden light capable of dispelling evil. If he were to encounter that Yin-Yang Master again now, He Damin was confident he could take his life within three moves.

Putting away the Soul Refining Banner, He Damin tried out other abilities. Soul Clone Technique—now he could create seven clones, each possessing half the strength of the original, and lasting longer. Memory Reading and Soul Control—fewer resources, stronger effects. Even his martial arts skills had improved. The Tai Chi Harmony Skill operated automatically, absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth at a faster pace. The moves of Bajiquan and Twelve Tan Legs became clearer in his mind, and his power techniques became more refined.

"Foundation building, indeed laying the foundation for the Dao," He Damin exclaimed.

When He Damin finished his cultivation and left the Taiji Space, it was just dawn outside. He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling the power flowing within his body—his blood and qi surging like a river, his true essence calm as a deep pool, and his soul solid as diamond. The three powers coexisted harmoniously, complementing each other.

A rooster crowed outside the window, followed by the sounds of the neighbors getting up. He Damin got up from the kang (a heated brick bed) and went into the yard. The winter morning was bitterly cold, but he didn't feel cold despite wearing only a thin shirt. His marrow cleansing and foundation building techniques had made him far more resistant to cold than ordinary people.

He drew a basin of well water to wash his face; the water was icy cold, but it invigorated him. "Good morning, Uncle!" Xiao Yuzhu rubbed his eyes as he came out of the main room and immediately ran over when he saw He Damin.

He Damin smiled and picked up his nephew: "Good morning, Yuzhu. How about Uncle performs a magic trick for you today?" "Okay!" Little Yuzhu's eyes lit up.

He Damin flipped his right hand, and a piece of candy appeared out of thin air in his palm—a simple application of using true essence to retrieve objects remotely from the Taiji space. Although it didn't consume much energy, it was still somewhat strenuous for him at his current level. It would be more convenient to use soul power to retrieve and place things. But Xiao Yuzhu didn't know any of this; he only saw his uncle conjure the candy with a wave of his hand and immediately cheered, "Uncle can do magic tricks! Uncle is amazing!"

Lu Bingxin came out of the house and smiled when she saw this scene: "Damin, don't always spoil him." "Good morning, sister-in-law." He Damin put down Xiaoyuzhu. "I'm going to Fengzeyuan today. I'll bring Yuzhu something delicious when I come back tonight." "Don't waste money." Lu Bingxin said this, but her eyes were full of smiles.

He Daqing also came out. Seeing his younger brother's energetic appearance, he nodded with satisfaction: "Alright, learn well from me today. The shopkeeper praised your knife skills yesterday, saying you have talent." "It's all thanks to your good teaching, brother," He Damin said modestly.

The family washed up and ate breakfast in the courtyard, the atmosphere warm and cozy. He Damin drank his millet porridge, looking at his older brother and sister-in-law, and then at his nephew, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He learned cooking by day, practiced Taoist arts by night, and hunted Japanese devils in the dead of night. Three paths running parallel, three approaches working simultaneously.

Foundation Building is just the beginning; there is still a long road ahead. Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Qi into Spirit, Refining Spirit into Emptiness, Refining Emptiness into Dao... each realm is an insurmountable chasm.

Outside the window, the sun rises, and golden light shines into the courtyard.