Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Five more days passed.

That morning, Shen Qi squatted by the well to draw water, and poured a bucket of ice water over his head.

Before the chill could even penetrate his skin, it was completely evaporated by the furnace-like blood and qi within his body. He brushed the water droplets from his hair, casually clenched his fist, and the bones between his knuckles cracked crisply, his strength deep and full, without a trace of weakness.

When the blood and qi surge to the fist, there is nowhere for them to go. The meridians are stretched to the limit, and the blood and qi are churning and surging through the twelve meridians. Every inch of the tendons and ligaments is stretched to the limit, and if even a little more is added, it will overflow.

We've reached the top.

Shen Qi dried his hands and face, changed into a clean cotton robe, locked the courtyard gate, and left the mortuary.

Zhao Youtian was airing out account books in the front yard when he saw him coming out and called out, "Seventh Brother, going out?"

"Inner city, seeking Lord Zhou."

Shen Qi responded and continued walking, crossing the outer city street, showing his waist token to pass through the checkpoint, and heading straight for the Zhou residence.

……

Zhou House.

Zhou Wenyuan was wiping an old knife in the courtyard. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, then casually placed the knife on the weapon rack.

"You've come at the perfect time." He stood up, looked Shen Qi up and down, and his gaze lingered slightly on Shen Qi's chest and abdomen.

Without needing to examine it closely, one could tell from Shen Qi's excessively steady gait that his qi and blood had reached a state of perfection.

Zhou Wenyuan turned and went into the side room. After a short while, he brought out a wooden box and placed it on the stone table. With a "click," the copper clasp popped open, revealing three exquisite medicine jars lined with bright yellow silk inside.

"Three blood ginseng roots, two qian of red peony extract, and three he of deer antler blood," Zhou Wenyuan instructed one by one. "These three ingredients are essential for replenishing qi and blood when breaking through to the Gang Sha realm. Take the blood ginseng first as a base. Take the red peony extract during the transformation to prevent burns to the meridians. Save the deer antler blood for last, to be used when consolidating the blood evil."

Shen Qi picked up the three porcelain jars, weighed them in his hand, and put them into his pocket.

"Come with me."

Zhou Wenyuan led Shen Qi through the backyard to a semi-underground stone chamber. The chamber was small, with walls made of bluestone. A three-inch-thick iron door was half-open, its hinges oiled, making it silent when pushed or pulled.

The room was empty, with stone brick walls and a thick felt carpet on the floor. In the corner sat a copper basin filled with water. There was nothing else there.

Zhou Wenyuan patted the thick stone wall and said, "This secret chamber is built of bluestone and sealed with iron sheets to isolate it from sound. If you break through here, even if your internal energy surges, there will be no risk of it leaking out."

Shen Qi looked around and nodded.

Zhou Wenyuan stood by the door, his expression becoming more serious.

"Your Qi and blood reserves far surpass those of your peers, and the transformation process will take longer. According to my estimation, the process of separating the Qi and blood into its essential elements will take at least three days. It is crucial not to interrupt it prematurely. Once the Qi and blood begin to differentiate, it is like an arrow drawn from a bow; forcibly withdrawing it will only damage the foundation."

He gave Shen Qi a few more instructions, telling him not to rush things and that the transformation of the Qi and Sha must be done step by step. Finally, he patted Shen Qi on the shoulder.

"Go inside. I'll stay outside; you can focus on your breakthrough."

Shen Qi clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Thank you, sir."

The stone door slammed shut. A dull thud echoed through the sealed chamber before finally fading into silence.

As the light dimmed, only a sliver of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the stone wall.

Shen Qi sat cross-legged in the center of the thick felt.

He took out a porcelain jar containing the blood ginseng from his robes and broke the wax seal. A sweet, pungent medicinal aroma wafted out. The ginseng was blood-red, dry, and firm, clearly very old.

Shen Qi put the blood ginseng into his mouth, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it. The medicinal power dissolved, instantly igniting a raging fire within his internal organs. This medicinal power was like oil being poured over a raging fire, instantly igniting the already overflowing blood and qi. Within the twelve meridians, the qi and blood surged like raging waves crashing against the shore, rumbling and roaring. The meridians were stretched to the point of almost bursting, and a powerful force surged and surged within his body, eager to break free.

He quickly closed his eyes and focused his mind.

Qi and blood churn within the meridians, surging like a surging river. Anyone else would be following the methods taught by their master, gradually exploring the pathways of qi and blood flow. A slight misstep could lead to a deviation, causing minor damage to the meridians or even severe qi deviation and demonic possession.

But Shen Qi doesn't need to figure it out.

Fragments of memories assimilated from the life threads of the dead surfaced one by one in his mind. The insights, key points of qi and blood circulation, and even lessons learned from the failures of numerous martial arts predecessors when breaking through to the Gang Sha realm had all become part of his own foundation. Countless paths trodden by his predecessors unfolded before him, and he only needed to follow the clues to see things clearly.

Qi and blood gathered in the dantian, and Shen Qi guided it.

Minute.

The scalding torrent of qi and blood burst open, one stream flowing outwards and the other inwards.

The released energy burst forth from his meridians, penetrating his muscles and bones, and condensing on his body surface. Shen Qi felt as if an invisible layer of energy covered his entire body, flowing slowly along his pores, warm yet resilient, like a layer of protective armor.

The introverted energy, however, goes against the grain, twisting into a stream of heat that penetrates the internal organs. The heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys are all cleansed and tempered one by one.

A sudden soreness and tightness rose in Shen Qi's chest and lungs. He frowned slightly and immediately took out some red peony extract and swallowed it. The cool, bitter liquid went down his throat, suppressing the burning sensation by a third.

He was not impatient; he simply followed the route he remembered and meticulously guided the transformation of qi and blood.

time flies.

As the protective energy thickened and the blood energy condensed, the balance of Yin and Yang led to a sharp decrease in blood and energy, and the feeling of fullness and dissipation quickly subsided.

Shen Qi took out the last jar of deer antler blood, tilted his head back, and poured it in.

The hot, pungent liquid entered his stomach, causing his bloodlust to suddenly sink, and his internal organs to shudder. Shen Qi groaned, his teeth clenched, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

A few breaths passed.

A continuous warmth emanated from my internal organs, neither scalding nor burning, like a warm stove held close to my heart in winter, comforting and lingering.

Shen Qi slowly opened his eyes.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread. In his palm, a tiny vortex of air spun silently, carrying a visible force that whipped up the sweat between the lines of his palm and flung it in all directions.

He withdrew the vortex of qi and activated the Spring Wood Skill. The blood and evil qi within him responded immediately, and a warm sensation spread from his internal organs, making his meridians unobstructed.

Gangsha Realm.

It became.

Shen Qi stood up and stretched his limbs. He felt inexplicably refreshed, as if he had been thoroughly cleansed from the inside out. He walked to the copper basin in the corner and scooped up some water to wash his face.

His face was reflected in the basin of water; his complexion was as smooth as jade, his eyes were like cold stars, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he looked around. He was truly a man of outstanding spirit and handsome appearance.

He walked to the stone gate, placed his hands against the gate, and pushed hard.

The iron-plated stone door slid open heavily.

The sunlight streamed in, making him squint slightly.

Zhou Wenyuan sat on the veranda outside the training room, holding a teacup in his hand and blowing on the foam, clearly intending to stay for a long time.

Hearing the stone gate creak, he subconsciously looked up.

Shen Qi stepped out, his steps were composed, his clothes were neat, and his expression was clear and normal.

Zhou Wenyuan put down his teacup and stood up.

He stared at Shen Qi for a couple of moments, then suddenly strode forward and grabbed Shen Qi's wrist.

Qi (vital energy) enters the body for exploration.

Shen Qi allowed the external force to probe into his meridians.

A moment later, Zhou Wenyuan released his grip.

He took a step back, his expression shifting several times.

"...How is that possible?"

Shen Qi calmly replied, "The separation of the vital energy and the transformation of evil spirits have been completed."

Zhou Wenyuan turned his head and glanced at the sky. The sun was setting in the west.

Half a day.

From the time the stone gate closed until now, it's been half a day at most.

Zhou Wenyuan took a deep breath and grabbed Shen Qi's arm.

"Walk."

"Where to?"

"Martial Arts Testing Hall".

Zhou Wenyuan grabbed Shen Qi and strode quickly out of the courtyard.

As Shen Qi was being pulled along at a rapid pace, he felt as if he had seen this scene before.