Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

The Soul Nourishing Pill is a low-grade Xuan-level spiritual pill that enhances the soul; it is an extremely rare treasure!

For martial artists, enhancing their spiritual power has always been extremely difficult. This is why many martial artists in the Acquired Realm cannot break through to the Innate Realm in their entire lives—to reach the Innate Realm, one not only needs sufficient accumulation of true qi, but also powerful soul power, so as to clearly perceive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around them.

After reaching the Innate Realm, the strength of one's spiritual power becomes even more crucial for breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm. Only by continuously enhancing one's spiritual power can one perceive more of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, control true energy more precisely, and ultimately reach a state of oneness with heaven and earth. This is the core prerequisite for breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm!

The reason why the vast majority of Innate Realm experts cannot break through to the Grandmaster Realm is because their spiritual power grows too slowly; another group of Innate Realm experts, due to their advancing age and declining spirit and energy, ultimately lose the possibility of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm.

"Perfect timing to test the effects of this Soul Nourishing Pill." Su Mu took out a Soul Nourishing Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his stomach, and a strange energy surged forth, heading straight for Su Mu's sea of ​​consciousness. His cultivation level was not high enough to discern the specific changes within his sea of ​​consciousness; he only felt his head throbbing violently, as if he had been struck hard with a hammer!

Immediately afterwards, everything went black before Su Mu's eyes, as if his consciousness had been instantly pulled away, and he fell straight down.

However, a sharp, piercing pain from the depths of his soul jolted him awake like a needle. But this clarity lasted only a moment before an even stronger wave of dizziness swept over him, dragging him into darkness... He was tormented by this cycle of waking and dizziness repeatedly!

Su Mu then realized that his spiritual strength was too weak to withstand the medicinal power of the Spirit Nourishing Pill. Fortunately, although the pain was intense, it did not damage the foundation of his soul; it was more like a forced "exploration" and "infusion".

About an incense stick's time later, Su Mu finally regained full consciousness and struggled to sit up. He could feel that the effects of the Nourishing Spirit Pill were still ongoing, and a small portion of the pure soul power had slowly merged with his soul's origin. An unprecedented sense of clarity was spreading through his sea of ​​consciousness.

Another hour passed, and the throbbing pain in my head completely subsided, replaced by a profound tranquility.

"Finally, I made it through!" Su Mu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "The soul power from one Spirit Nourishing Pill is still far from enough to condense 'divine consciousness.' But the wonder of this pill is that its effects don't diminish with increasing dosage. As long as my spiritual power can withstand it, I can continue to absorb it and grow stronger!"

He didn't rush to take the second pill. Strengthening the soul was no small matter; each leap required sufficient adaptation and consolidation. Otherwise, if the sudden increase in perception couldn't be controlled, it could lead to disaster—for example, ordinary rustling of the wind could be magnified into a disturbing noise; misjudging one's own strength might result in a light palm strike shattering a table, or an unintentional leap might send one flying several feet, arousing unnecessary suspicion.

Su Mu got up and walked into the courtyard, closed his eyes, and quietly felt the atmosphere.

The world has changed.

Even without relying on sight, the subtle trajectory of a fallen leaf brushing against the air, its swaying speed, and the precise distance between it and his skin are all clearly reflected in his "heart" like ripples on water. This insight, which transcends the five senses and reaches the essence, is a profound realm he has never experienced in either of his two lives.

In combat, the value of this extraordinary perception is immeasurable—it allows one to anticipate the subtle shifts in an opponent's energy, the smallest flaws in their moves, and their intentions, thus gaining the upper hand. The overwhelming dominance of a Xiantian realm martial artist over a Houtian realm martial artist stems not only from the difference in true energy and quantity, but also from this superior perceptive ability, which is the more fundamental gap.

"Godfather!"

Su Mu was immersed in the new sensory world when Cheng Ping'an trotted into the courtyard, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement. "I'm going to the Imperial Kitchen to get my meal, and on the way... hehe, I'll get revenge for you!"

"Hmm? Did you get into trouble?" Su Mu came to his senses and instructed, "Remember, you must never reveal a single thing about your cultivation using pills, or you will be courting death."

"I'll remember that!" Cheng Ping'an nodded emphatically, then began to speak animatedly, "Godfather, guess what? That Yang Mao tried to slap me like last time, but this time I instinctively raised my hand to block—I really didn't dare to use force—and as a result, when he touched my arm, he grimaced in pain and almost lost his balance!"

"Oh?" Su Mu seemed slightly surprised. "He suffered a loss, but didn't make a scene?"

The Imperial Kitchen is no place to be trifled with. As the steward, how could Yang Mao not have a few skilled fighters around him?

"I was going to have an outburst!" Cheng Ping'an's eyes lit up. "But it just so happened that Eunuch Huang from the Martial Arts Department was nearby! He took one look and said that my 'bones and muscles have opened up and my qi is beginning to move,' meaning I had entered the path of martial arts, and even praised me for having some talent. Those few from the Imperial Kitchen who wanted to surround me were all silenced by Eunuch Huang's words."

"Did Eunuch Huang inquire about the origins of your cultivation?" Su Mu's gaze narrowed slightly.

"I asked!" Cheng Ping'an replied. "I told him what my godfather taught me: that I was just figuring out the methods in the 'Martial Arts Classic' on my own and practicing them haphazardly without any real method. After hearing that, Eunuch Huang didn't ask any more questions."

"Well handled." Su Mu nodded. This kid was quick-witted enough. "Did Eunuch Huang mention transferring you to the Martial Arts Division?"

"It was mentioned!" Cheng Ping'an's eyes revealed longing. "I told him that I was still a criminal and was reflecting on my mistakes at the academy. Eunuch Huang then said that I should first lay a solid foundation, and if I could really make a name for myself by practicing according to the 'Martial Arts Classic,' he would find a way to get me transferred over."

"Hmm," Su Mu responded, already having made his decision. The appearance of this eunuch Huang was an opportunity, or perhaps a new pair of eyes. He looked at Cheng Ping'an; whether this child's path to martial arts would be a blessing or a curse lay in his next choice.

The Martial Arts Bureau's favor towards Cheng Ping'an was entirely reasonable. A ten-year-old child, self-taught and relying solely on a basic martial arts manual, had managed to cultivate to the peak of the late-stage Qi Refining realm. This was beyond mere "good talent"; he was a rare gem, one in a hundred years! To let such a genius remain buried in the dust of the library would be an unforgivable waste in the eyes of any martial artist.

"Father, the people from the Imperial Kitchen didn't dare to make things difficult for me openly because of Eunuch Huang," Cheng Ping'an's smugness gradually gave way to worry. "But when I came out, I caught a glimpse of Eunuch Yang's eyes... as cold and sinister as a venomous snake! Will he hold a grudge and seek revenge on us later?"

"Holding a grudge? Seeking revenge?" Su Mu scoffed, his tone icy. "Given his vindictive and petty nature, it's a done deal. Right now, he's probably already mentally plotting how to kill us several times over."

"But...but he's valued by the Martial Arts Bureau, isn't he afraid?" Cheng Ping'an asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.