Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

[Moonlight Treasure Mirror - Holder Status]

Name: Chen Mo

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Realm (Aperture Opening)]

Bone age: 19 years and 5 months

[Remaining lifespan: Approximately 1090 days]

[Root Bone: Grade B, Lowest Level (Affinity with Yin Meridians)]

[Soul: Superior Grade B]

[Qi and Blood: Normal (Depleted at the source, slightly replenished)]

[Technique: Netherworld Paper Making Technique - Incomplete, Level 3] (Can be deduced and completed, requires Moon Essence Spirit Rhyme > 1)

[Technique: Taiyin Chongxing Jue - Qi Refining Stage - Opening Yin Acupoints]

[Technique: Yin Sha Bone Tempering Technique, First Level - Tempering Bones to Iron]

Martial Arts: Willow Catkin Movement Technique - Mastery, Gale Blade Technique (Fragment) - Beginner

【Moonlight Enchantment: 0.73】

Life expectancy has increased to over a thousand days.

The four words "slight supplementation" that appeared after the blood and qi condition improved made him feel slightly relieved.

The pure Yin energy nourishes the body, not only improving physical constitution but also providing some benefit to replenishing one's origins. Although the process is slow, it ultimately offers hope.

After opening the dantian acupoint, lifespan increased by more than two years, and the moonlight spiritual energy also increased to 0.73, not far from the point.

"I wonder if opening the acupoints later will increase lifespan?" Chen Mo pondered. "In the Qi Refining Realm, a total of nine Yin Acupoints need to be opened to form a unique Yin Meridian."

"But at my current pace, it will probably take about another year to open all the acupoints."

"The speed is still too slow."

After the enlightenment, the biggest change was not the increase in strength, but the much more refined perception and control of the Yin energy.

Although the wisp of Yin energy within his body was subtle, it was as powerful as an arm or fingers.

"The core of 'Netherworld Paper Puppets' lies in the splitting of the mind and the driving force of the essence and blood. In the past, I relied entirely on my soul and my own essence and blood to sustain myself, which not only consumed a lot of energy but also lacked precision."

A glint of light appeared in Chen Mo's eyes. "Now I possess the Taiyin Qi, which is of far superior quality to the Earth Yin Qi, and it naturally resonates with the Yin attribute of the paper puppet. If I use my own Taiyin Qi as a guide, combined with the Divine Transformation of Thought to control it..."

Without hesitation, he conjured a paper puppet of a sword and weapon in front of him.

He focused his mind and channeled the cool energy from his dantian, sending a wisp of it to his fingertip, where he gently touched the cinnabar talisman between the paper puppet's eyebrows.

hum!

The paper puppet trembled, and its previously stiff figure instantly came to life. On its blank face, a faint purple glow flowed through the cinnabar talisman.

Chen Mo felt his connection with the paper puppet suddenly become several times stronger, and controlling it became as natural as breathing.

With a slight thought, the paper puppet makes the corresponding movements, swift and silent, and can even perform some delicate maneuvers that were previously difficult to do.

Moreover, maintaining this state of control significantly reduces the consumption of one's own soul and the consumption of Yin energy, and the Yin aperture can even be slowly replenished by moonlight on its own.

"Alright, it seems that sensing Qi is just the beginning; enlightenment is the start of cultivation."

Under the moonlight, Chen Mo manipulated the paper puppets of swords and weapons to complete a series of complex and skillful movements.

Once his thoughts settled, the paper puppet instantly froze, returning to a state of lifeless stillness.

"Controlling puppets with qi is indeed much less strenuous than using blood essence, and the control is incredibly precise. If I were to face that painted-skin ghost again, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

As he mentally assessed the changes in strength, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the corner of the bed, where the eerie painted-skin ghost head was suppressed.

The core of the "Taiyin Chongxing Technique" lies in Chongxing, which involves fusing specific parts of powerful and bizarre demons, absorbing their essence and characteristics, and even gaining some innate abilities, thereby greatly enhancing cultivation and combat power.

This is a shortcut, but also a perilous path.

If the fusion fails, at best one's cultivation will regress and one's Yin energy will backfire.

In severe cases, the mind is corrupted, the body is deformed, and one is reduced to a monster that is neither human nor ghost.

Chen Mo recalled the warning in the "Taiyin Chongxing Jue" regarding the initial fusion: "At the beginning of the Chongxing, one must avoid being greedy for quick results and rushing ahead."

The painted skin ghost's head still retains strong resentment and chaotic yin energy; directly merging with it would be extremely risky.

"Eat your food one bite at a time, and walk your path one step at a time."

He suppressed his inner desire for power, and reason prevailed.

"The most urgent task is to open the subsequent Yin Apertures as soon as possible and solidify the foundation. We can consider this scalp later when our cultivation has improved."

He refocused his attention on his own cultivation.

After the acupoints are opened, the speed of absorbing moonlight increases slightly, but it is still far from enough to fill the next acupoint.

"Cultivation resources..."

Chen Mo lightly tapped the edge of the bed with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and took out the piece of Yin Cicada Shell given to him by Tingyulou from the wooden box under the bed.

The molted skin of the cicada is icy to the touch, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet exceptionally tough, with its natural patterns gleaming faintly in the dim light.

He stared at the precious medicine given to him by Tingyulou in his palm, and could feel the pure Yin energy contained within it at his fingertips.

Absorbing it rashly, given one's own weak strength and unclear foundation, is too risky.

"Cultivation resources can be raised slowly, and the crisis of lifespan cannot be resolved overnight, but if one wrong step is taken and one falls into someone else's trap, there may be no way out." Chen Mo was alert in his heart. After hesitating for a moment, he put the Yin Cicada Shell back into the wooden box and pressed it back under the bed.

This item may have other uses in the future, but certainly not now.

. . . . . .

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Mo knocked on Chen Dachuan's door.

After hearing his account of what he had seen and heard last night, Chen Dachuan's expression became somewhat uncertain. "Why did you go out last night if you had nothing to do?"

"Is that the point?" Chen Mo was speechless.

"The three counties in Linhe have a combined population of several hundred thousand; the joint government will not care about them."

Chen Dachuan frowned, somewhat unsure of what to do. "Besides, Jinshi is not like Linhe; everything there costs money, from food and drink to sanitation..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Mo interrupted him with a handful of silver notes, "Are you leaving or not?"

"Walk!"

Chen Dachuan chuckled as he took the banknotes and counted them; they totaled a full twelve hundred yuan. "Where did you get so much money?"

"I found it."

Chen Mo couldn't stand his pathetic attitude. If he were to take out more than ten thousand yuan, it would scare him to death.

After Aunt Liu and her daughter got up, the house instantly became busy. Yuanyuan, looking bewildered, hugged her little bundle and dared not utter a sound as she looked at the adults' solemn faces.

What they could take with them were nothing more than gold, silver, valuables, essential items, and a little dry food.

Some valuable items are stored in the basement.

Even when the sun was high in the sky, they had only managed to pack two not-so-bulging bundles.

As Chen Mo locked his door, he subconsciously glanced at the Li family's house next door.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and it was eerily quiet.

Just as they were about to leave, they heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar, and a sturdy blue-canopied carriage stopped at the Li family's shop.

Two men dressed in gray short-sleeved shirts got out of the car and quickly entered the yard.

Before long, Widow Li and her daughter Li Siqing came out, each carrying a small package, and hurriedly boarded the carriage with their heads down.

The carriage then sped away in a cloud of dust, and from beginning to end, Li Siqing didn't glance at the Chen family's direction once.

"They..." Chen Dachuan was somewhat taken aback.

"Walk."

Chen Mo's doubts deepened, but he didn't have time to investigate further.

Li Siqing's family had obviously also received some kind of news.