The night ended on an unexpectedly cheerful note as Chen Mo and Sun Bo finalized their deal. It was a bizarre sight—two men exchanging toasts while the two subdued protectors lay silently nearby, oblivious to the negotiations that had just taken place.

  Sun Bo smiled wearily as he glanced at his two unfortunate protectors and said, “My lord, would you please spare these two retainers? The family has invested heavily in their cultivation.”

  Chen Mo nodded calmly. “Naturally. I have no intention of killing them. However, there is another matter. I will be staying here for a while. This mansion is the safest place for me right now, and it will be convenient for both of us to deepen our… trust.”

  Sun Bo immediately understood. This young man did not trust him yet and intended to keep him under close watch. Instead of resisting, he welcomed the idea.

  “That would actually be for the best, my lord,” Sun Bo replied smoothly. “I will remain here as well. Delivering what you need will be much easier. I will have the servants prepare an isolated courtyard so you can train in peace.”

  Chen Mo’s gaze sharpened. “You are not to leave the mansion during this period. Not until I say so.”

  Sun Bo bowed slightly. “Absolutely, my lord.”

  Chen Mo glanced toward the unconscious figures. “And what about these two?”

  Sun Bo pondered for a moment, then a foxlike smile crept onto his face. “How about this? I will tell them that a senior from the Sun family paid an unexpected visit and was deeply dissatisfied with their performance. This way, your presence remains secret, and I can punish them openly without raising suspicion.”

  Chen Mo nodded in approval. “Very well. Let’s do that.”

  Chen Mo unsealed Mo Yan and He Zuo and departed for his new residence, unconcerned about Sun Bo fleeing—impossible with him keeping watch.

  The two protectors gradually regained consciousness, and when they opened their eyes, they found themselves in the study, Sun Bo standing before them with a grim expression.

  Without giving them a moment to speak, Sun Bo said sharply, “Truly disappointing… such disgrace. Stand up, both of you.”

  Mo Yan and He Zuo struggled to comprehend what had happened, but as realization dawned, their faces drained of color. Experts of their caliber quickly understood the truth, and a deep sense of shame flooded their hearts.

  “The senior from the Sun family was merely passing by,” Sun Bo continued, his tone stern yet controlled. “This time he chose to spare both of you. Keep this incident a secret—we cannot afford to be the laughingstock of the family.”

  Despite the mix of fear and shame, both men bowed deeply and said in unison, “Thank you, Master Bo.”

  “Go back to your duties,” Sun Bo commanded.

  As they departed, Sun Bo’s smile widened. It was an unexpected gain: for the first time, these two had called him “master.” Previously, their strength had made them disdainful, and they had seen Sun Bo merely as an ordinary asset of the family to be obeyed, not respected. In the martial world, strength commanded respect above all—and now, for the first time, Sun Bo had earned it.

  Within a few days, Chen Mo grew accustomed to the comfort of his new residence. Sun Bo had even assigned the four girls he had rendered unconscious that night to serve him—well, that was one option, and silencing them completely would have been a waste in Sun Bo’s eyes as a merchant. Chen Mo didn’t care either way; what mattered to him was the lifestyle. Compared to his grim days in the slums, living among sewage and rats, this new life was like stepping from hell into heaven.

  Today, Sun Bo came to visit Chen Mo. As he entered, he bowed respectfully.

  “Master Chen, the medicine will be transported here this afternoon,” he reported.

  Chen Mo nodded. “What about the information I asked for?”

  Sun Bo hesitated slightly, then said, “Well, Master Chen, directly investigating the government could make us suspicious, but here’s what we know: the one responsible for the hunt is Commander Qi. He’s a high official in the army and an Organ Refinement middle-stage expert. His arrival in Jian City marked the start of this intense pursuit. Interestingly, Commander Qi originally comes from Lian City.”

  Chen Mo’s eyes narrowed. “Oh… so he came here just for me?”

  “Most likely,” Sun Bo replied. “There’s one more thing.”

  Chen Mo’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”

  “Lord Qi used to serve under Lian City’s Lord Xu Haoran, the dignified Innate master,” Sun Bo said carefully.

  Chen Mo’s face grew solemn. “Is that Innate master here too?”

  Sun Bo shook his head. “Rest assured, my lord. Lord Xu returned to the capital at the exact time Commander Qi was transferred.”

  Chen Mo fell into thought. So, most likely… this is all the doing of Xu Haoran.

  “Well,” Chen Mo said calmly, his voice low, “I’ll make sure to pay him a visit one day… and have him compensate me with his head.”

  For an instant, a chilling killing intent flickered in his eyes, sharp enough to freeze the air in the courtyard.

  Sun Bo’s heart skipped a beat. He did not dare say another word. After receiving Chen Mo’s dismissal and being urged once more to deliver the medicines as soon as possible, he bowed deeply and withdrew at once, leaving without a single unnecessary step.

  In the afternoon, Sun Bo returned, carrying a long wooden box in both hands. He set it carefully before Chen Mo, his movements respectful and measured, then straightened his posture and began to speak, his tone cautious yet earnest.

  Sun Bo’s fingers hovered over the box as he continued, his voice growing more deliberate. “As for its consumption, Master Chen must be especially careful. It is taken over three consecutive nights, no more, no less. Each time, the dose must not exceed three drops. And there is one absolute rule,” he stressed, lifting a finger, “the body must remain in motion while absorbing it. Standing still or meditating in place would invite internal collapse.”

  His expression darkened. “The risks are severe. If one’s bones have not already reached the peak of late Bone Forging, micro-fractures will form within, invisible but deadly. Take even a drop too much, and the bones may harden permanently, robbing the body of flexibility and leaving the cultivator crippled. Worse still, without a proper Ashbone or similar stabilizing foundation, the marrow itself can suffocate.”

  Sun Bo exhaled softly before adding, “Because of these dangers, the elixir is completely unavailable through orthodox channels. It appears only in the highest tiers of black markets or sealed auction vaults, places where even reputation must be paid for in blood.” He glanced at Chen Mo, then concluded, “Its estimated value ranges between 2500 and 3500 taels od silver. In truth, even silver may not be enough, should word of it spread.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Chen Mo nodded once, his voice calm and final. “Very well. You may leave. Take those girls with you and deal with the matter properly. I have no need for distractions.”

  Sun Bo did not dare linger. He bowed deeply, then withdrew from the courtyard with the servants in tow, ensuring everything was handled quietly and without a ripple.

  Left alone, Chen Mo turned his gaze back to the wooden box. The faint scent of medicine seeped into the air, heavy and oppressive. His expression hardened. Rest was over. Comfort was over.

  It was time to begin yet another round of brutal cultivation.

  Night sealed the private courtyard in silence. High walls shut out the city, talismans dulled sound, and only the faint glow of lanterns painted long shadows across the stone floor. Chen Mo stood at the center, barefoot, spine straight, breath measured. In his hand, the vial of Heaven-Weight Bone Tempering Elixir clung to the glass like liquid iron.

  Three drops touched his tongue.

  The world sank.

  It was not heat or pain but an overwhelming weight, as if the courtyard itself had collapsed into his skeleton. Chen Mo exhaled sharply and moved at once. Threaded Movement unfolded, every step deliberate, force distributed through bone and marrow. To remain still was to invite collapse.

  The elixir pressed inward. His legs trembled. Fine cracks crept across the flagstones beneath his feet, spreading like frost. Inside him, bones compressed, marrow qi tightening, vibrations folding inward again and again. Sweat streamed down his back as he flowed through turns, leaps, and controlled strikes, threading force with merciless precision.

  A second surge followed.

  His vision darkened. Blood filled his mouth, metallic and hot. He slammed his palm into the courtyard wall, not to attack but to anchor. Stone caved inward beneath his hand, the impact soundless, the force swallowed by his bones. His spine hummed, every vertebra vibrating in perfect alignment.

  Time stretched thin.

  When the pressure finally receded, Chen Mo stood motionless at the center of the courtyard. Lantern flames flickered violently, then steadied. He clenched his fist.

  There was no gust, no visible qi.

  Yet the stone pillar across the courtyard folded inward, collapsing upon itself as if crushed by an unseen weight.

  Chen Mo relaxed his hand, breathing slow, bones heavy and silent beneath his skin. The elixir had taken root. In the stillness of the courtyard, late Bone Forging revealed its true nature.

  Not explosive strength.

  But absolute, crushing control.

  Chen Mo exhaled slowly, his back pressed against the cold stone floor. “What an overbearing medicine…” he muttered, his voice hoarse yet satisfied.

  He summoned the panel and let his eyes linger on the numbers.

  Realm: Bone Forging (Late Stage) 650/900

  For a heartbeat, he stared in silence. Then laughter burst from his chest, raw and unrestrained, echoing through the quiet courtyard.

  “Hahahaha… wonderful,” Chen Mo said, eyes gleaming like sharpened steel. “Organ Refinement is already waiting just around the corner.”

  The pain still gnawed at his bones, but it no longer mattered. Each drop of agony was proof that the path ahead was shortening, step by brutal step.

  After two full days of rest, recovery baths, and quiet circulation to soothe his battered bones, Chen Mo finally rose again.

  There was no hesitation this time.

  With Sun Bo supplying the medicine steadily, all distractions had been stripped away. No running. No hiding. No bargaining. Only grinding.

  Day after day, the secluded courtyard remained sealed. Thick medicinal fumes curled through the air, mingling with the low tremor of qi vibrating through bone and marrow. Each session was torment. Each dose felt like molten iron being poured into his skeleton, compressing, reshaping, forcing every fragment of bone to endure heaven-weight pressure.

  Chen Mo did not adapt to the pain.

  He endured it.

  Time blurred into repetition. Circulate. Move. Endure. Collapse. Recover. Repeat.

  Soon enough, twenty more days slipped past without a sound, like grains of sand vanishing between clenched fingers.

  Today, Chen Mo’s consciousness was once again drawn into that mysterious inner space.

  This time, there were no years to count.

  There was only motion.

  Endless repetition without beginning or end, skeletal qi circulating in flawless cycles, polished until even intent could no longer refine it further. His bones had reached their limit. Any additional compression would not strengthen them. It would shatter the frame entirely.

  So Chen Mo turned inward.

  Qi slipped past the bones and flowed into the organs.

  The first to answer was the heart.

  It felt like a hammer striking from within. Blood surged violently, veins swelling as his heartbeat roared through the courtyard like a war drum. Chen Mo clenched his jaw, forcibly stabilizing the rhythm. Each pulse tempered the heart wall, thickening it, teaching it how to endure power without rupture.

  Then came the lungs.

  Qi poured in like cold fire. His breath staggered, chest burning as the lungs expanded and contracted beyond mortal limits. He forced slow, measured breathing, drawing qi into every hidden recess, refining layer after layer until breath itself became resilient.

  The liver and spleen followed.

  A bitter heat bloomed through his abdomen. Impurities, toxins, and lingering medicinal residues were incinerated on contact. His stomach cramped violently, but clarity followed. His internal balance sharpened, clean and efficient, like a blade freshly honed.

  Finally, the kidneys.

  The most dangerous step.

  Qi descended into the core of his vitality. Pain detonated up his spine as marrow and organs resonated together for the first time. For a single heartbeat, Chen Mo hovered on the edge of collapse, existence trembling between advance and annihilation.

  Then he anchored it.

  He threaded the vibration inward instead of letting it explode outward, locking force into bone, marrow, and organ alike.

  The organs answered.

  A deep, unified hum echoed within him.

  Blood, breath, marrow, and bone aligned into a single, self-sustaining cycle. The sensation was not violent. It was sealed. Complete. Like a furnace closed at last, heat contained, power conserved.

  Chen Mo opened his eyes.

  His breathing was slow. His heartbeat steady. His presence felt heavy, dense, yet perfectly restrained. When he stood, nothing seemed different at first glance. No overflowing aura. No dramatic transformation.

  Yet every step carried endurance beyond exhaustion, strength that could be exerted again and again without tearing himself apart.

  Late Bone Forging had made him dangerous.

  Organ Refinement made him unstoppable.