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

In the afternoon, Xiao Anran was flipping through books in the pavilion—but his mind was elsewhere. Feng Bao, on the other hand, was studying diligently in his room.

"Have you ever read the 'Martial Classic'?" Su Mu asked as he entered Feng Bao's room.

"Godfather, I have not only read the 'Martial Arts Classic,' but I can also recite it backwards!" Feng Bao stood up and replied respectfully.

"Very good." Su Mu nodded, then asked, "Would you like to learn martial arts?"

"I do want to... of course I do." Feng Bao blushed and said in a low voice, "But when I was a tutor in the Imperial Study, I heard people from the Martial Arts Bureau say that my physique was too poor and my constitution too weak, and that I was not suited for martial arts."

"So what if your innate talent is lacking?" Su Mu said calmly. "Your godfather can help you embark on the path of martial arts like Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian. But you must do one thing for me—don't tell anyone else that I am the one helping you."

"Don't worry, Godfather!" Feng Bao said solemnly, "I will never reveal a single word!"

"There's no need to be too secretive. If someone really presses for answers, it's fine to tell them." Su Mu is about to break through to the Grandmaster level and is on the verge of forming his primordial spirit, so he's not too concerned about the secret being leaked. In fact, it would be a good thing if more people knew that he could help others quickly master martial arts—more people would be willing to recognize him as their godfather.

Once Feng Bao has mastered martial arts and advanced to the Acquired Realm, Emperor Xiao Anxun will surely question him. At that time, how could Feng Bao dare to conceal it? Even if he didn't want to say, he would have no choice but to.

Su Mu was unwilling for Feng Bao to lose his life for keeping secrets.

"How will Godfather help me?" Feng Bao's eyes lit up with anticipation.

Su Mu took out a Qi-stabilizing pill, this time without dissolving it in water, and gave it directly to Feng Bao.

As soon as the elixir entered his stomach, Feng Bao cried out in pain and rolled around—the pain of having his tendons and marrow cleansed was unbearable for ordinary people.

A short while later, cries of pain drew Xiao Anran in. She pushed open the door and, seeing the scene, asked in surprise, "What happened?"

"I took the Qi-stabilizing pill," Su Mu said without hiding it.

"A Qi-stabilizing pill?" Xiao Anran was even more surprised. "With his poor physical constitution, wouldn't it be a waste to use a Qi-stabilizing pill?"

"Not necessarily," Su Mu said dismissively.

"With his talent, he would need at least three Qi-stabilizing pills to enter the martial arts path," Xiao Anran shook his head.

"Then give him three." Su Mu said calmly.

"Do you have a lot of Qi-stabilizing pills?" Xiao Anran pressed.

"It's enough in short," Su Mu replied vaguely.

"What a waste," Xiao Anran sighed. "Cultivation resources are becoming increasingly scarce these days. Qi-stabilizing pills should be given to children with excellent aptitude."

"I don't take in children with excellent aptitude as godsons," Su Mu shrugged.

"That's true." Xiao Anran's doubts deepened—where did he get these pills? Even members of the royal family with poor physiques would find it difficult to obtain Qi-stabilizing pills. Yet he casually gave three to a little eunuch.

That's far too generous.

Could it be... that he has found the elixir treasure in some ancient cultivation cave?

This young Su has quite a few secrets.

Did my great-grandfather really send me here just to study? Or did he sense that this person was extraordinary and intend for me to befriend him?

Xiao Anran raised an eyebrow and looked Su Mu up and down. She still couldn't sense any fluctuations in Su Mu's spiritual energy, but judging from his words and demeanor, he was indeed different from an ordinary eunuch in his forties.

Calm, confident, and even with a hint of nobility.

Moreover, he had a handsome face without wrinkles and a tall, well-proportioned figure, unlike a middle-aged eunuch at all.

eccentric.

That's so weird.

After about half an hour, Feng Bao's pain gradually subsided, and he collapsed from exhaustion. Following Su Mu's instructions, he forced himself to get up and went to the kitchen to drink several cups of warm water.

Su Mu and Xiao Anran walked into the courtyard.

"How much do you know about swordsmanship?" Xiao Anran asked Su Mu, raising his sword and turning his head.

"I have a little knowledge," Su Mu said, not as a modest remark. Although he had thoroughly understood "The Complete Explanation of the Fundamentals of Swordsmanship," he was only a beginner in the art of swordsmanship. The way of the sword is vast, and the path to reaching a higher level is long and arduous.

"Shall we have a friendly spar?" Xiao Anran twirled her sword, eager to try.

"That's inappropriate." Su Mu shook his head. "Swords have no eyes. How dare I offend the princess, who is of noble birth?"

He is unwilling to do anything that is not profitable.

Su Mu's swordsmanship might not be high, but it was definitely above Xiao Anran's. Sparring with her would benefit her, but not him. It would be a complete waste of effort.

"You think you can hurt me?" Xiao Anran retorted.

"Better safe than sorry," Su Mu chuckled.

"Impossible!" Xiao Anran exclaimed confidently. "My swordsmanship has reached a high level; no one but a grandmaster or great grandmaster could harm me in the slightest. Could it be... that you are already a grandmaster or great grandmaster?"

"None of those." Su Mu's cultivation level was indeed not at the Grandmaster level, but he was capable of killing a Grandmaster.

"Don't tell me you're afraid I'll hurt you." Xiao Anran waved her hand. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"I will only spar with my adopted son." Su Mu turned and walked towards the library.

"You—" Xiao Anran was speechless with anger.

Even if a eunuch possesses cultivation, he shouldn't treat a princess with such disrespect. Where does he get his audacity?

"He only sparred with his adopted son... Could it be that he wants to take me in as his adopted daughter?" Thinking of this, Xiao Anran became even angrier.

If she hadn't suspected that Su Mu was the one who attacked that night, she would have definitely taught him a lesson. Now, seeing that Su Mu spared no effort to help Feng Bao enter the martial arts path, her opinion of Su Mu was even higher, and she was even more certain that he was the one who attacked that night.

Therefore, she wanted to spar with Su Mu—perhaps she could glimpse his true strength through their encounter.

However, Su Mu refused.

"Hiding it so well, one's abilities must be limited."

"Are they avoiding battle because they don't want to reveal their true cultivation level?"

"Fine, I'll see how long you can hide."

Xiao Anran practiced his sword in the courtyard, his sword aura sharp and fierce. Feng Bao was pleasantly surprised to find that he was full of strength and no longer felt weak as before. He also came to the courtyard to try to stretch his muscles and get used to his newfound strength.

"My godfather has been very kind to me, and I will do my best to repay him!" Feng Bao felt grateful.

That night.

Su Mu sat cross-legged on the second floor of the library, adjusting his state. Once his mind was completely calm and his body reached its peak, he would attempt a breakthrough.

The Qi Sea space had expanded to over thirty zhang in length, width, and height, filled entirely with golden true Qi. As the "Imperial Supreme Body Technique" was activated, a massive amount of golden true Qi began to condense and rotate, transforming into a huge golden vortex.

The vortex spun faster and faster, shrinking smaller and smaller, and the true energy was continuously compressed and condensed accordingly.

Su Mu took out a Qi Condensation Pill and swallowed it. This was a mid-grade Xuan-level pill, which could accelerate the conversion of true qi into true essence. He had a total of ten Qi Condensation Pills, all of which were given to him by the system after he adopted Feng Bao as his godson.

The Condensing Essence Pill can both aid in breakthroughs and quickly replenish true essence, similar to the Qi Condensation Pill for true qi, and can be reused.

For two whole hours, Su Mu consumed three Qi Condensation Pills. The golden true qi in his dantian was finally completely transformed into—true essence.

True Qi is Qi, True Essence is Liquid. A qualitative change has already begun.

At this moment, the golden true qi that filled Su Mu's dantian was no longer overflowing; instead, a fist-sized, solidified golden true essence was suspended within it.

This ball of true essence may not seem large, but it contains immense power far exceeding that of true qi.

The key to a martial artist breaking through to the Grandmaster level is to compress and condense true qi into true essence, hence the Grandmaster realm is also known as the "True Essence Realm".

Su Mu adjusted his breathing, swallowed a Qi Condensation Pill and a Qi Gathering Pill, and continued to practice breathing exercises. The newly generated golden true energy flowed into his Qi Sea and merged into that ball of true essence.

In the latter half of the night, Su Mu swallowed another Spirit Nourishing Pill, and after the medicinal effects wore off, he took another Mind Concentrating Pill.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the soul fire had swelled to over three meters in height.

As the effects of the Concentration Pill and the soul-strengthening techniques of the Imperial Body Technique worked together, a humanoid phantom slowly materialized from the soul fire—that was the nascent form of Su Mu's primordial spirit.