Chapter 4

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Time flew by like a horse galloping through the plains. A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Mu’s lifestyle was the same as before, spending each day reading, writing, and painting.

It was hardly any different from those studious scholars polishing their characters in the Tianjing Library.

Of course, all that was just a facade.

During the day, Zhao Mu would walk around Eternal Happiness Palace and look for places he could imprint his Dao mark and acquire foreign objects.

At night, he would practice his martial arts and meditate, tempering his bones and physique.

With the 30 years of internal energy refined from the Blood Bodhi, its effects were akin to Zhao Mu consuming elixirs and applying salves every day.

When paired with the Tiger Demon Bone Refinement Fist, the effects of his physique’s training were extremely obvious.

At that moment, he was no longer the helpless and crippled prince.

Even several burly men from the army might find it difficult to confront him.

Huff!

Within the bedroom, Zhao Mu sat on the bed in the lotus position.

He slowly opened his eyes as his chest moved, letting out a long breath of white fog.

His strong internal organs moved his internal breath, pushing it out like a flying sword. It shot out over half a foot and lingered for some time.

“I’ve already completed the Body Tempering Stage. My internal organs are as tough as an iron plate and my internal breath strong enough to be expelled like a sword.”

Zhao Mu nodded in satisfaction. He flipped open the fist technique on the table. He then paired it with his breathing exercise from earlier as he immersed himself within the martial arts experience in his mind.

One needed to be particular about learning methods.

Mindless practice without understanding the concepts would result in low efficiency.

He was imprisoned within the cold palace for 12 years. Although he had no special talents, he was quite well read.

After reading through it for two hours, he closed its pages.

On the cover, the words Great Zen Martial Scriptures were written boldly.

Rumor has it that the fist technique came from the Heavenly Dragon Zen Garden, written by Monk Yuankong, who was the leading figure of the previous generation of Arhat Hall.

Within it detailed the concept of ‘Zen-Martial Unity’ and also discussed in detail about the minute differences between Qi blood, Qi strength, and Qi force.

Reading through those lines, Zhao Mu felt that Monk Yuankong had a great in-depth understanding of the first five levels of the ten levels of Mortal Stage.

The scripture recorded the hallmark of Form Shaping Stage’s completion.

An active Qi that burned like a furnace, impervious to cold and heat.

Completion of the Body Tempering stage would result in a strong internal breath, expelling it like a sword.

Upon breaking through the Second Mortal Stage, one would not only grow strong enough to fight off 10 opponents, one would also be able to pull back a 120-tael heavy bow to let out seven consecutive shots. That was proof of the power of one’s strength.

Zhao Mu had ready a book on archery named Arm of God.

It stated, “Pulling the bow at full strength of one hundred twenty taels. That is known as the tiger’s strength, not to be considered. Mid pull is lowered by twenty to thirty taels, while a low pull is halved.”

Zhao Mu speculated that he should more or less have the so-called strength of a tiger. 

“Too bad there are no heavy bows around that I can test with.”

After the completion of two Mortal Stages, he felt reassured.

A normal person would have to spend 10 to 20 years of hard work to go through Form Shaping and Body Tempering.

Even children of big families would take several years to temper their physique.

What about him?

He achieved completion in just 10 days!

With the mysterious stone dial’s help, he might have the chance to aim for the level of an Innate grandmaster.

Zhao Mu’s heart was excited despite his calm expression.

He took some snacks from the table and ate them.

Ever since he started cultivating, his food intake increased daily and would eat multiple portions.

“If this goes on, I might be exposed.”

Zhao Mu was worried even though he used the excuse of his developing body.

However, the more he trained, the bigger his appetite would be. It would eventually attract the attention of others.

Monk Yuankong of the Heavenly Dragon Temple mentioned it in the fist technique.

Ever since he unblocked the apertures in his body, he would take five meals a day, consuming a cow each day.

By the time he reached the fourth Mortal Stage, he would circulate his Qi continuously and went to nine meals a day, consuming three cows.

The increase in energy requirements naturally increased his appetite. That was a necessity.

Only when one reaches the fifth Mortal Stage of Foundation Establishment to develop the Dantian, where the Innate Qi reside, would one be free of such a scary eating habit.

“I can’t hide this. I need to find another way.”

Zhao Mu had been imprinting his Dao marks lately, signing in at various locations and obtained a number of foreign objects.

In the study, he acquired the Perfect Memory ability.

In the training room, he acquired the Weapons Mastery ability.

In the meditation room, he acquired the Frozen Heart Scriptures…

Zhao Mu explored the various halls and rooms in the Eternal Happiness Palace. Most of the things he acquired were just items of common rarity.

Only on the rare lucky occasions would he imprint on some special abilities.

The best reward he obtained was the Qi nurturing mantra that could suppress demons.

Frozen Heart Mantra came from the Storm Riders comic.

It was a secret technique that Lie Feng’s family found in order to suppress the rampaging blood within his body.

However, for Zhao Mu at that moment, the imprinted items were not useful as they would not give him any immediate benefit.

‘Eternal Happiness Palace was the Eastern Palace1 complex used by the Crown Prince of the previous era. Several generations had passed and the Qi had grown weak. I’m afraid it’s hard to imprint a suitable foreign object,’ Zhao Mu thought to himself.

He was not trying to find the best martial arts in the world and obtain an explosive growth that would immediately turn him into an Innate grandmaster.

Putting the realisticness of that aside, even if it were possible, Zhao Mu might not be willing to do so.

Monk Yuankong had mentioned in the fist technique that only the sincere could reach for the top on the path of martial arts.

Training was for the body, physique, Qi, internal energy, and most importantly, the mind.

With only internal energy, one could shatter the earth and crush mountains, but that would only be a barbaric martial artist. A person like that was not qualified to be a grandmaster.

Fists and swords have their own intents!

If one could not focus their will on the path of martial arts and transform their mental state to overcome all powers, then it would be impossible to reach greatness.

“I mustn’t bite off more than I can chew. The Tiger Demon Bone Refinement technique is going smoothly. If I can find another technique that unblocks apertures, refine them, and condense true Qi, then I’ll be able to break through once more.”

Zhao Mu pondered. At the moment, he urgently needed to settle two things.

First was his growing food consumption, which was hard to control.

It might attract attention from others and expose him for secretly practicing martial arts.

Next, he needed to imprint a martial arts technique that would give him a way to unblock apertures, then move forward at full speed to break through the next stage.

“I’m afraid Eternal Happiness Palace won’t be sufficient. I need to find a suitable location.”

Zhao Mu turned around and his gaze went beyond the window.

The imperial city was huge. How many places were there with deep Qi veins?

Clement Hall, the hall where the officials pay their respects to the Emperor of Zhou and discuss state matters.

Virtue Hall, residence of the Crown Prince. 

Queen’s Court, the palace complex where the queen and consorts reside.

There was also the library, armory, sacrificial altar… and other restricted areas.

If he could sign in at those locations and imprint his Dao mark, it would surely bring him great rewards.

‘The imperial library and armory is out of the question.’

Zhao Mu contemplated and thought to himself, ‘However, nearby Jingren Palace seems to be the library that’s shared by all the princes.”

Although he had never left the cold palace since birth, the Eleventh Prince often stayed in the inner palace. Because of his young age, he could enter the various palaces freely.

From the words of his little brother, Zhao Mu eventually gained a rough understanding of the imperial city’s layout.

“Jingren Palace is nearby, and the cold palace doesn’t have many royal guards. The security is lax. I’ll wait until midnight then take a tour after masking my face and changing my clothes,” Zhao Mu decided after pacing about.

If it were in the past, something serious like leaving the cold palace on his own accord against the emperor’s will would make him hesitate and reconsider.

However, after learning martial arts, Zhao Mu realized that his physique was not the only thing that grew stronger. His courage was also growing with each passing day.

“This must be why the wise say that we need to mind the body before minding the soul.”

From Zhao Mu’s perspective, a firm and peaceful heart was not something easily achievable.

Without strength or anything to rely on, it would only be a fragile bubble that was easily popped.