After leaving the National Preceptor’s Residence, Xiao Mo handed the body-tempering prescription for the Heaven-Splitting Fist to Wei Xun and told Wei Xun to go fetch the medicine.

However, Xiao Mo had added a few extra ingredients to the prescription.

This was not because Xiao Mo did not trust Wei Xun.

Rather, the body-tempering prescription for the Heaven-Splitting Fist was truly not ordinary, and the imperial palace was filled with Yan Shanao’s eyes and ears.

Xiao Mo was worried he would expose something.

Very quickly, Wei Xun returned with the medicinal ingredients.

“The three of you may leave. I will do it myself.”

Xiao Mo spoke to the three palace maids beside him who were about to attend him for his bath.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The three palace maids dipped into a bow and left the room.

Xiao Mo placed each medicinal ingredient into the medicine tub.

A rich medicinal fragrance filled the room.

He lay down in the tub, and following the method of tempering the body, he silently circulated the spiritual energy within him, absorbing the essence of the medicinal ingredients in the bathwater.

Xiao Mo could feel it with absolute clarity—those spiritual medicines’ essence was being absorbed by him, and his skin, tendons and bones, and flesh and blood were being tempered little by little.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Xiao Mo broke out in a heavy sweat, the sweat mixed with sticky impurities expelled from his body.

Xiao Mo moved to another tub to rinse clean, then changed into a comfortable sleeping robe.

“Not bad.”

Feeling the toughness of his body, Xiao Mo was very satisfied.

With the “martial cultivator physique” talent, the medicinal liquid from these spiritual medicines was absorbed completely by him, with almost no waste.

Leaving the Imperial Study, Xiao Mo returned to the sleeping palace.

After sparring with Jiang Qingyi for an entire day, Xiao Mo was extremely exhausted. He fell asleep very quickly.

What Xiao Mo did not know was that a mosquito was secretly watching him from the shadows.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ

Just as Xiao Mo had fallen sound asleep, the horned mosquito quietly flew toward him.

The horned mosquito landed on the back of Xiao Mo’s hand, rubbed its mosquito legs a few times, then suddenly stabbed down at the back of Xiao Mo’s hand.

But in the next moment, the horned mosquito froze.

No matter what it did, it could not pierce this human’s hand.

As a mosquito, the horned mosquito felt humiliated and began stabbing Xiao Mo rapidly and forcefully.

After the time it takes half an incense stick to burn,

the horned mosquito was so tired it lay sprawled on the back of Xiao Mo’s hand.

As if its mentality had shattered, it blankly lifted its head, like it was doubting its entire mosquito life.

“Stop sleeping. Get up, all of you!”

The next morning.

A palace lady-official walked into the room where Sili lived and shouted.

Sili, who was used to a leisurely life, was very displeased, but in the end she still forced down her morning irritability, got out of bed, and changed clothes.

“From today onward, I will teach you palace etiquette and take you to familiarize yourselves with the inner palace. Study with your hearts, look with your hearts, listen with your hearts. Otherwise, if you make a mistake in the future, you will lose your heads! Do you understand?”

The palace lady-official said to Sili and the other newly admitted women.

“Yes, Big Sister.” Everyone dipped into a bow.

The palace lady-official nodded. “Very good. Follow me.”

Sili and the others followed behind the palace lady-official, but her mind was fixed on the horned mosquito drawing blood.

She did not know whether the horned mosquito had gone smoothly or not.

At last, a full day passed.

Late at night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Sili got up from bed and once again went to the sleeping palace of Zhou’s ruler.

Standing at the entrance of the sleeping palace, Sili summoned the horned mosquito.

After sensing the call,

the horned mosquito flew out from inside the room and landed in Sili’s palm.

“Where’s the blood?” Sili asked.

The horned mosquito shook its head. It looked extremely aggrieved, then BUZZ BUZZ BUZZED as it explained.

“You’re saying you couldn’t pierce the body of Zhou’s ruler?” Sili said in shock.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ—the horned mosquito hurriedly nodded, then rubbed its numb mouth.

“...”

Sili froze for a moment.

The horned mosquito was only a low-tier spirit pet, but it was still a spirit pet.

How could it be that it could not even pierce the skin of an ordinary emperor?

“Forget it.” Sili waved her hand and took out a silver needle, about the size of a mosquito leg.

“Take this, pierce his skin, then draw blood for me. Do you understand?” Sili said sternly.

The horned mosquito hurriedly nodded, hugged the silver needle, and flew inside.

Not long after, the horned mosquito flew back out.

This time, it finally drew blood.

Sili let Zhou’s ruler’s fresh blood drip onto a pearl.

The pearl gave off a faint red glow.

For several days in a row,

Sili came every night to draw blood.

Watching the pearl in her hand grow redder and redder,

Sili also felt a faint nervousness in her heart.

So long as two more days passed, she would be able to confirm whether Zhou’s ruler truly was her master’s reincarnation.

On the sixth day that Xiao Mo had his blood taken.

At the Asking-the-Dao Altar.

Xiao Mo sat cross-legged on the ground, tempering his sword intent.

He was making final preparations for his later attempt to break into Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Qingyi stood at Xiao Mo’s side, both guarding him and preventing him from going into qi deviation, and also sensing his sword intent to correct some things he was doing incorrectly.

A full day passed.

The sword intent around Xiao ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Mo gradually calmed.

In the end, Xiao Mo took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

“It’s acceptable.”

Looking at Xiao Mo, Jiang Qingyi nodded.

“The Hundred Schools’ methods for entering Foundation Establishment all differ greatly. You currently focus on sword arts, so you must use sword intent as the foundation to break the realm.

“And a person’s sword intent is like a sword billet. We must hammer it, temper it, hone it, sharpen it, until sword intent finally becomes an incomparably sharp immortal weapon.

“This process runs through cultivation from start to finish. Remember not to rush it.

“Better slow than wrong.

“Does Your Majesty understand?”

“Many thanks to Immortal Lady Jiang for the guidance.” Xiao Mo nodded.

“It can’t be called guidance.” Jiang Qingyi turned her head away. “Speaking of which, where does Your Majesty plan to enter Foundation Establishment? Don’t tell me it will be inside this imperial palace.”

“Of course not.”𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Xiao Mo shook his head.

“I have already had people select a remote place where the spiritual energy is still fairly abundant. When I am fully prepared, I will go.”

“Your Majesty should enter Foundation Establishment three months from now.” Jiang Qingyi said seriously.

“Three months from now?” Xiao Mo did not understand. “Entering Foundation Establishment three months from now—what is the reason?”

“There is no reason, but if Your Majesty truly wants to enter Foundation Establishment, then listen to me.”

Jiang Qingyi said coldly.

“And when the time comes, I will accompany Your Majesty to enter Foundation Establishment together. Or is it that Your Majesty thinks I would harm you?”

Xiao Mo smiled. “If Immortal Lady Jiang wanted to harm me, you would have acted long ago. Why wait until now, and how would you have given me the Condensed Light Longsword?”

“Good that you know.” Jiang Qingyi turned around. Beneath the veil, it seemed an extremely faint curve lifted. “Let’s go. To Your Majesty’s sleeping palace.”

“Immortal Lady Jiang is going to my sleeping palace?” Xiao Mo said, confused.

“What? Is Your Majesty afraid I’ll eat you?”

Jiang Qingyi sneered.

“Or is Your Majesty worried that if I go to your sleeping palace at night and word gets out, it will make the two future royal consorts misunderstand?”

“Or is it that—”

Jiang Qingyi turned back, took one step, walked in front of Xiao Mo, and looked up at him from below.

“Your Majesty has already set your heart on me, and now that I’m going to Your Majesty’s sleeping palace, Your Majesty is secretly delighted?”