Chapter 2: Improve Cultivation_1

The original master, being a first-class patrol officer of the Da Xia's Jing Tian Department, naturally possessed a certain level of cultivation.

The Concealing Breath Realm was the third realm of martial arts, with the previous two realms being the Body Refining Stage and the Blood Refining Stage, respectively.

The Body Refining Stage tempered the physique, polishing one's self; the Blood Refining Stage stewed the vital energy, mobilizing the body's essence to nourish oneself; and, as the name implies, the Concealing Breath Realm nurtured the inner breath, strengthening it.

These were the first three realms of the martial way in this world.

And only after reaching the Concealing Breath Realm and accumulating a certain amount of merits could one serve as a first-class patrol officer of the Jing Tian Department.

A first-class patrol officer was roughly equivalent to a seventh-rank official of Da Xia; going further up from there would be the Metropolitan Procurator.

However, that step required years of accumulation.

At this moment, a series of footsteps suddenly came from not far away, someone was braving the pouring rain and heading in this direction.

Merged with the original master's memory, Gu Chen knew that it must be his Second Uncle, Gu Chengfeng, coming at this hour in the heavy rain; there would be no one else.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man wearing a cloud-patterned official robe with a standard-issue long saber at his waist walked in.

Indeed, it was Gu Chen's Second Uncle, Gu Chengfeng.

Gu Chengfeng had a tall build, a square face, regular features, thick eyebrows, and when he saw that Gu Chen was awake, he immediately rejoiced, hurried over, and said, "Eldest lad, you've finally awakened; you've been unconscious for three whole days and nights, how do you feel now?"

Having merged the original master's memory and already seeing Gu Chengfeng as his own uncle, upon hearing this, Gu Chen smiled and said, "Second Uncle, rest assured, I'm fine."

"Knowing full well that your heart meridian had been eroded by the evil energy, why did you still insist on fighting?" Gu Chengfeng asked with a stern face.

Upon hearing this, a bitter smile couldn't help but appear on Gu Chen's face; regarding this question, he truly didn't know how to answer.

Seeing his reaction, Gu Chengfeng's expression softened, he sighed, and knowing the original master's stubbornness, he did not continue to blame him and instead said, "It's good that you're awake. The doctor from Changchun Hall said you were injured by a fierce palm strike to your organs, and I've boiled some medicine for you, drink it while it's hot."

After speaking, Gu Chengfeng took out a bowl of medicine and began to feed it to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen wanted to take it himself, but realizing he was seriously injured and it was difficult to even move, he let it be and allowed Gu Chengfeng to feed him the medicine.

Gu Chengfeng had looked after Gu Chen for so many years and had come to regard him as his own son. When the doctor from Changchun Hall said Gu Chen's heart meridian had been invaded by the evil energy and his life was hanging by a thread, it nearly broke his heart.

Fortunately, Gu Chen had now regained consciousness.

Of course, there were some things he hadn't said to Gu Chen; the doctor from Changchun Hall had mentioned that even if Gu Chen miraculously recovered, because the evil energy had taken hold of his heart meridian, he might not be able to practice martial arts in this lifetime; because if he did, the evil energy might attack his heart, and then there would be no saving him.

He couldn't bring himself to say this news yet; he knew his nephew's strong-willed nature, and Gu Chengfeng feared Gu Chen wouldn't be able to bear it if he knew this now.

Soon, seeing Gu Chen obediently finishing the medicine, Gu Chengfeng nodded with satisfaction, and then he extended his palm and placed it on Gu Chen's wrist.

"Second Uncle, what are you..." Gu Chen was immediately puzzled.

Then, Gu Chen felt a warm current flowing from Gu Chengfeng's hand, along his wrist, coursing into his body, making him feel as if he were soaking in a hot spring, alleviating the intense pain within.

This was Gu Chengfeng using his inner breath to regulate Gu Chen's body while also helping him absorb the medicine's effects more quickly.

Only upon reaching the Concealing Breath Realm would a martial artist's flesh and blood generate inner breath; Gu Chen naturally had it within him too, but in his current state of serious injury, he was too weak to mobilize it.

Moreover, Gu Chen's Second Uncle, Gu Chengfeng, was at the fourth realm of martial arts, the meridian-unblocking stage, having opened all twenty-eight channels within the body, with his inner breath being much more profound than Gu Chen's.

"Second Uncle, that's enough," Gu Chen said in time, stopping Gu Chengfeng from continuing to expend his inner breath.

"No bother," Gu Chengfeng smiled and didn't stop, continuing to transfer energy into Gu Chen's body.

Seeing this, Gu Chen felt somewhat helpless, but did not say anything more.

The original master was stubborn, but he also followed his roots; the Gu Family was made up of such characters, both the original master's father and his Second Uncle, Gu Chengfeng.

All these days, Gu Chengfeng had not returned home but chose to stay here to look after Gu Chen.

On the second day, as the ceaseless rain that poured over Tiandu for three days and nights finally ceased, the radiant sunshine bathed the earth. Gu Chengfeng rose early to prepare breakfast and a medicinal meal for Gu Chen, whose health had gradually improved with the help of his second uncle, Gu Chengfeng.

Time flew by, and before long, a month and a half had passed.

After a month and a half of recuperation and the daily expenditure of inner energy by Gu Chengfeng to nurture him, Gu Chen's internal injuries were finally completely healed. The only exception was the demonic yin energy that still lurked around his heart.

Once his injuries had healed, Gu Chen tried to mobilize his inner energy in an attempt to dispel the yin energy, but his cultivation was too weak, merely at the early stages of the Body Refining Stage. His inner energy was not profound enough, so he was completely unable to eradicate the yin energy entrenched in his heart meridian.

Whenever he tried to exercise his martial skills, a dull pain would emanate from his chest.

Each time this occurred, Gu Chengfeng would timely appear to prevent Gu Chen from continuing.

Over time, Gu Chen came to understand that with this yin energy within him, he might never be able to engage in martial arts for the rest of his life.

Fortunately, Gu Chen was not an ordinary person; he still had the help of the face panel.

One evening, persuaded by Gu Chen, Gu Chengfeng did not stay but chose to return home.

After all, he had not been home for over a month. Gu Chengfeng, who already had a family and a daughter with his aunt, had been away for so long that his wife and daughter were naturally worried.

After his second uncle left, Gu Chen opened the mechanism set up by the original owner and took out a package. Inside, there were about ten irregular black crystals when he unwrapped it.

The instant he saw them, Gu Chen felt a chilling and eerie coldness assault him, making his whole body shiver.

These irregular black crystals, known as "Soul Crystals," contained the core power essential to demons and spirits, a profound darkness like ink, created after the extermination of the evil spirits.

Gu Chen picked up a Soul Crystal, which felt cold to the touch, carrying an intense yin coldness that seemed to penetrate the skin and enter his body.

Gu Chen paid it no mind. As his thoughts focused, the Soul Crystal in the palm of his hand began to disintegrate from the edges, as if eroded by the wind, gradually dissipating into the air.

At the moment the Soul Crystal vanished, a bizarre, cold sensation traveled up Gu Chen's hand and entered his body.

Immediately, Gu Chen had the thought, and the face panel appeared before his eyes.

Name: Gu Chen

Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Technique (Great Achievement), Thirteen Grand Protectors' Horizontal Skill (Great Achievement), Red Flame Palm (Minor Achievement), Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist (Initial Insight)

Internal Energy: Pure Yang Technique

Cultivation: 20 Years

Stage: Early Body Refining Stage

Merit Point Value: 5

The originally zero merit point value had now become five points.

After awakening the face panel, Gu Chen had learned that slaying demons and fiends could earn him merit points.

Upon learning this, Gu Chen immediately thought of the original owner. Having absorbed and integrated the original owner's memory, he knew that the original owner had joined the Jing Tian Department years ago and had slain many demons, accumulating quite a few Soul Crystals.

Therefore, once his injuries had healed, he couldn't wait to begin his attempt.

"It really works!"

Seeing that he had successfully increased his merit point value to five, Gu Chen was exhilarated and without hesitation, he began to absorb those Soul Crystals one by one.

After absorbing the Soul Crystals, his merit point value increased from zero to a substantial fifty-two points.

Looking at the abundance of merit points on the panel, Gu Chen struggled to contain his excitement. It reminded him of the time in his previous life when he received his first investment in starting a business, filled with the same exhilaration.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the thrilling emotions within him, Gu Chen instantly wished, and immediately, five merit points disappeared, transforming into five years of cultivation that emerged within his body.