The proof of Emperor Wu began with daily rewards for diligence.

Pei Qingying pulled Chen Jue into the kitchen and, using the noise of the range hood as cover, revealed all the secrets related to "The Little Five Elements Secret" to Chen Jue.

Chen Jue's expression was solemn.

He had previously guessed that the Zong family must have some ulterior motive for spreading their top-level internal skills throughout the world.

This can be seen from the fact that the clan only provides the cultivation content of the first three realms of "Minor Five Elements Absolute" (True Qi, Spirit Seed, and Ascension).

Chen Jue originally thought that the Zong family was using the "Minor Five Elements Technique" as bait to lure out the most powerful group of "Five Elements Roots" in the world.

They would use subsequent techniques as leverage, whether to "accept them as dogs" or to extort money from them, they could reap huge profits.

After all, rumors were circulating that the main family was recruiting a son-in-law, which was proof that they were being treated like dogs...

However, Chen Jue's assumptions were shattered after hearing Pei Qingying's description.

He suddenly realized that his previous assumptions were far too naive in the face of the bloody truth.

The main family is a first-class aristocratic clan with immense power and influence, and they have no shortage of exceptionally talented sons-in-law.

They can choose any of the elites from noble families of the third rank or below, as long as they wish.

They had no need to lower themselves to find a husband from among the common people.

However, the movement of stars and the rotation of the sun and moon are natural phenomena.

Even a powerful dynasty like the Ming Dynasty's imperial family experienced periods of decline and generational gaps, let alone aristocratic families.

This is the situation that has arisen in the clan. Counting five generations back, it has been five hundred years since a top-level person with the Five Elements talent has emerged.

This has led to the depletion of fresh blood in the main family's "Martial King" level.

If this trend continues unchecked and becomes a vicious cycle, within a thousand years, the clan will face a talent shortage and will lose its position as a first-class aristocratic family.

Therefore, in order to reverse the family's fortunes and cultivate a sufficient number of top-tier Five Elements talents, the main family brought out a secret technique that had been kept hidden away for a long time - the "Five Organs Spirit-Seizing and Harmonizing Technique".

That is, to seize and devour the spiritual roots planted in the five internal organs by martial artists who cultivate the "Minor Five Elements Technique" in the Spirit Seeding Realm, and to continuously strengthen their own imperfect spiritual roots in the five internal organs.

Ultimately, quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, causing the spiritual root to transform and break free from the limitations of the root bone, thereby greatly increasing the probability of the sect's martial artist advancing to "Martial King".

"This is treating all the commoner martial artists who cultivate the 'Minor Five Elements Technique' like pigs..."

Chen Jue felt a chill run down his spine.

Those who cultivate the "Minor Five Elements Technique" are like those listed in the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell. Once they successfully cultivate the second realm of spiritual essence, they will face certain death.

What chilled Chen Jue to the bone even more was—

The Zong family, a family so wicked it's practically oozing pus, actually planted a hidden trick in "The Little Five Elements Technique".

Female cultivators within the clan who practice the Yin Five Elements Method can use their Yin Five Elements True Qi to corrupt the Five Elements True Qi of the Lesser Five Elements Absolute Technique.

Within the same realm, a martial artist who cultivates the "Minor Five Elements Technique" will almost certainly lose to a female cultivator who cultivates the "Yin Five Elements Method," regardless of gender or age.

"The main family, they're truly despicable..."

Chen Jue muttered to himself, pondering a solution, and even began to consider the possibility of dissipating his cultivation and starting over.

Seeing Chen Jue's expression change like a slideshow, Pei Qingying felt a pang of sympathy and said, "Actually, it's not that there's no way..."

Her voice was extremely soft, like the faint fluttering of a mosquito's wings.

"What can we do?" Hope rekindled in Chen Jue's eyes.

"Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass," Pei Qingying said.

"What do you mean?" Chen Jue pressed.

"Brother Chen, weren't you granted a month-long leave of absence due to serious injuries because you took a secondary blood-burning potion?"

"Why don't you just pretend your foundation is damaged, disperse your power, and start over... As for changing your cultivation method, I'll take care of that for you."

Pei Qingying patted her chest and said.

"Even so, I don't have the techniques beyond the third realm of the 'Minor Five Elements Technique'..." Chen Jue hesitated.

If a road is destined never to reach the other side, then what is the point of taking that road?

"Don't worry! I can steal the second half of the cultivation technique from my sister. She also has many powerful fellow practitioners..." Pei Qingying said.

"..."

"How did your sister acquire the top-tier internal energy of the main family?"

"Because my sister's surname is Zong!"

"Huh? Your surname is Pei, and your sister's surname is Zong. What kind of logic is that?"

"Don't worry about that, just wait for my good news."

"Miss Pei, there's something I don't understand..."

Chen Jue tilted his head back and drank the medicinal food in the thermos in one gulp. As if summoning his courage, he asked, "Why are you so good to me?"

Pei Qingying was hit by this straight shot, and her neck, cheeks, and earlobes immediately turned a bright red.

"What, what are you saying?! You're Tangtang's older brother, so naturally you're my older brother too. Isn't it only natural for me to be good to you?"

"You...you shouldn't overthink it!"

The little girl didn't even know what she was afraid of; her words sounded like her face had rolled across a keyboard, utter nonsense.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jue breathed a sigh of relief.

Miss Pei was so kind to him that he couldn't help but have a slight illusion about his feelings for her.

He originally thought that if the girl really liked him, he would make a promise like a scumbag: "I will never betray you."

Now it seems unnecessary.

The little girl was beautiful and kind-hearted, but she only regarded him as an older brother.

He himself was a beast in human clothing, yet he had such filthy thoughts about a seventeen-year-old girl in the prime of her life.

I'm so damn stupid!

Chen Jue washed the thermos and returned it to Pei Qingying, then gave her a very sunny smile.

"Miss Pei, from this day forward, we are siblings despite not having the same father!"

"Don't worry! No matter how far I end up, as long as I, Chen Jue, have a breath left, I will never let you be bullied!"

He changed his promise to "never betray" to something else.

But Pei Qingying felt a chill run down her spine.

Good heavens, what exactly did she say...?

"Aaaaaah!~~"

Pei Qingying angrily rubbed her hair, then launched a sneak attack, headbutting Chen Jue in the chest.

"..." Chen Jue was completely bewildered by the little girl's confusing actions and looked at her with surprise.

The young girl, Pei, stomped her foot in anger, grabbed her thermos, quickly changed her shoes, and ran off, not giving Chen Jue any chance to ask any questions.

"...Is it just my imagination?"

Chen Jue shook his head, banishing all the feelings of confusion from his mind.

Strength is the foundation of everything.

Anything without the support of strength, no matter how wonderful, is just a castle built of sand.

With a gust of wind, there is a risk of the land collapsing.

Chen Jue returned to the living room, focused his mind, and circulated the qi and blood generated by the medicinal diet.

Although Pei Qingying had tried various methods to prepare first-level medicinal meals for him with different ingredients, the significant reduction in the medicinal effects was still difficult to avoid.

Chen Jue's Qi and Blood value increased by only 3% after consuming the medicinal diet this time. After the double settlement at midnight and subsequent decay, it can only increase by a maximum of 5%.

Qi and blood value: 178%.

The four movements of the River Chariot are still a bit of a stretch, but slightly speeding up the cultivation process shouldn't be a problem.

As dusk settled.

Seeing that the time had come, Chen Jue went to the kitchen to take down the dragon-patterned bamboo steamer and spread the steamed "spiritual grains and spiritual sprouts" evenly on a piece of cold jade that had been prepared beforehand.

Once the temperature dropped to room temperature, Chen Jue packed them into earthenware jars, sprinkled in soil fungi, and stored them in a cool, shady place.