Shan Lingguan looked at Chen Ku and said:

"Currently, you're still missing a Water Spirit Item. I'll ask your Senior Brother Qin to keep an eye out for you."

"Master's great kindness, I will never dare to forget."

Chen Ku was deeply grateful.

"Alright, you've been out all night, it's time to return."

After assisting Chen Ku with his cultivation for the night, Shan Lingguan also felt a bit tired but still smiled and said:

"I have some personal matters to attend to as well. On regular days, if you have issues, seek out your Senior Brother Qin."

Chen Ku had something to ask the elder, "Senior Brother Qin plans to take disciples soon on behalf of our master, allowing my status to be recognized publicly. Master, do you think I should agree?"

"At other times, that would also be a good thing, but not now. There will be big events in Baojiao County; he and I are already being watched. Bringing you into the spotlight wouldn't be good or safe. I'll decline on your behalf."

"Big events?" Chen Ku frowned and asked, "Is it related to Lord Tan's reforms?"

The elder shook his head and said: "Focus on your cultivation efforts, and I'll pave the way for you. There's no need to ask about or worry about other affairs."

At his age, he simply hoped that Chen Ku could successfully inherit the teachings of the Imperial Enlightenment Sect.

Chen Ku had his suspicions, but seeing the elder unwilling to elaborate, he refrained from asking further.

After the sky brightened, the pair had fried dough sticks and steamed buns at a roadside stall before Chen Ku left the civilian residence.

Reaching a secluded area, he released the Five-colored Peacock and gently advised:

"Keep an eye on the Commandery Princess's residence for now. I suspect that the adversary mentioned by Master and Senior Brother Qin is likely the Masked Man beside the Commandery Princess. Report back if anything seems amiss."

Qin Yuxian, a grandmaster of his generation, was definitely partaking in significant matters, facing obstructions likely not just from Marquis of Han Shou's Mansion, as Shan Lingguan's awareness of his identity suggested, perhaps…

The elder might be preparing to discreetly assist Qin Yuxian with some unsavory tasks, allowing his overt operations to proceed more smoothly.

Chen Ku also had a self-awareness.

Though his power had recently increased, the whirlpool of forces involving the imperial court, royal authority, local officials, marquis mansions, and various major powers was not something he could easily enter.

...

Medicine King Hall, after a rest day of celebrations yesterday, resumed normal operations today, yet Chen Ku no longer needed to be preoccupied with other matters.

With his current status at Medicine King Hall, he was no longer just a young shopkeeper but more of a mascot; his mere presence brought prestige to the hall.

Early in the morning, he visited Master Yang Luochen and Monk Yun Fang to pay respects.

He understood that his current position was largely thanks to the help of these benevolent elders. Although his abilities now nearly matched Master Yang Luochen's, far exceeding Master Shang Yunfang's, his respect for the two elders remained unchanged.

Yang Luochen, with keen eyes, noticed a change in Chen Ku's aura the moment they met, and said with surprise:

"You little fellow, how come just one night without seeing you, you seem to have been reborn."

The Huntian Overlord Body once cultivated to the Third Layer significantly boosted Chen Ku's power with unimaginable results.

Chen Ku softly covered up saying: "Disciple plans to break through to the Inner Strength of the Fifth Realm."

"So soon?!"

Yang Luochen was briefly bewildered.

Fifth Realm?

Then he gazed at Chen Ku, eyes shining: "It's good news, but be careful; if issues arise, take it slow."

He realized with Chen Ku's rapid cultivation pace, it wouldn't be long before he ventured to the Qiu Dragon Mansion area.

There, strength in Fourth and Fifth Realms was minor; of course, higher power offered greater assurances.

Chen Ku felt the elder's genuine care, not needing many words but providing a sense of mental security.

Soon after, he paid his respects to the two elders and returned to his room.

Not rushing to advance, he first took out the Fire Beak Pot, starting to assimilate the two hundred Fourth Realm Fire Evil Qi.

[The Four Realm Fire Beak Pot Evil Qi is intended to harm the master...has been consumed by the Diagram Master's Lihuo True Qi...]

[Diagram Master has acquired two hundred Fourth Realm Fire Evil Qi.]

With his current Li Fire Body, Chen Ku could almost effortlessly assimilate the two hundred Fire Evil Qi, feeling the Lihuo True Qi grow further.

Secretly thinking:

"With the Fire Beak Pot as a constant cultivation resource, given time, my Lihuo True Qi matching Shan Lingguan Master's level isn't a dream."

Seeing the additional two hundred Fourth Realm Evil Qi on his account,

Chen Ku immediately restored the Qiu Dragon Incarnation and Iron Armored Rhinoceros Avatar.

"Fourth Realm Iron Armored Rhinoceros...Fifth Realm Iron Armored Rhinoceros..."

While only one capability of armor defense emerged from the Golden Horned Iron Armored Rhinoceros, far surpassing the Fourth Realm Iron Armored Rhinoceros, the Fourth Realm form was still a perfect transformation.

"Now, the need for higher-level Evil Qi is appearing again!"

Looking at his current overall transformations, nearly reaching Fourth Realm levels,

Yet with his impending breakthrough to the Fifth Realm,

These Fourth Realm transformations were becoming insufficient, requiring advancement alongside him.

Counting them:

Currently, he had gained three Fifth Realm Evil Qi—Sand Snake King, Golden Horned Iron Armored Rhinoceros, Giant Crocodile, and one Fifth Realm Dragon Energy…

To manifest these transformations, nearly two hundred Fifth Realm Evil Qi were needed.

Particularly that Fifth Realm Dragon Energy, requiring offspring of multiple Totem Divine Beasts to produce a Flood Dragon.

Considering asking the Flower Fox Mink to fetch fire again from Fire Beak Mountain, but realizing the requirement for at least Fifth Realm Flame Qi, even a single flame could possibly end the Flower Fox Mink's life.

"Time to upgrade your quality."

Surveying his options, Chen Ku decided to refine the Fourth Realm Iron Armored Rhinoceros and Flower Fox Mink, giving the Flower Fox Mink an upgrade.

Contemplating further, he chose to add the Centipede Viper into the mix.

This Third Realm transformation had been shelved for a long time, mostly unused, now serving as fuel to enhance the Flower Fox Mink's fire resistance abilities.

[Using one Fourth Realm Evil Qi as the embryo, injecting Flower Fox Mink Transformation, Iron Armored Rhinoceros Transformation, Centipede Viper Transformation, calculating the success probability of Fetus Transformation Refining Shape…]

[Ten percent!]

[Begin Fetus Transformation Refining Shape with one Fourth Realm Evil Qi?]

"Yes, begin."

[This time, fetus transformation refining shape will yield results in twenty-four hours.]

Seeing this timing, Chen Ku's heart stirred slightly:

"This timing is about the same as last time when the Qilin Blood Gu Transformation was injected into the Hui Dragon Transformation. Could it be that this time it could also refine a supreme quality Fourth Realm transformation?"

Since it would take another twenty-four hours to see the result,

Chen Ku went out for breakfast and then returned to his room to start preparing to open the remaining four meridians.

The Girdle Vessel, this meridian, was walked through once in advance during Chen Ku's cultivation of the Mystic Barrier when it was part of the Medicine King Hall's Mystic Barrier Chapter. Now it only needed to be expanded...

With the True Qi of a four-layer cultivation body, in less than half a day, Chen Ku had already opened up the Girdle Vessel.

In a blink, a day and a half had passed.

He successively opened the Ren and Du Meridians. If one carefully viewed the inside of Chen Ku's body at this moment, his nineteen meridians were like a grid of nineteen rows intertwining harmoniously, facilitating the high-speed flow!

"Just the last Chong Meridian left."

Chen Ku recalled the description of the Chong Meridian in the cultivation technique:

"The Chong Meridian is the most important one among the Twelve Main Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians, capable of regulating the Qi and blood of the twelve meridians, hence known as the sea of the twelve meridians. Thus, it is also called the Sea of Blood.

If one could open up the Chong Meridian, it would guide the body's blood Qi to reach the five viscera and six bowels, tendons, bones, and membranes, injecting Qi Power into the viscera to achieve the effect of 'Inner Strength.'

This is also the crucial step in breaking through from the Fourth Realm Meridian-Opening to the Fifth Realm Inner Strength."

Just as Chen Ku was preparing to make the final impact, to break through the last meridian and the Fifth Realm Inner Strength—

Crack!

[This time, fetus transformation refining shape has ended]

Chen Ku's attention was immediately drawn to a scene within the Transformation Diagram.

He saw a creature with the head of a qilin, the tail of a beast, with deer antlers, two horns, and four ears. The forelimbs were paws, the hindlimbs were hooves, covered not with scales but with snow-white fur, and beneath the fur was a metallic sheen.

At first glance, he recognized it as a new transformation of the Flower Fox Mink, Iron Armor Rhinoceros, and Centipede Viper.

In appearance, it completely inherited the traits of the Flower Fox Mink and Centipede Viper, primarily as these two were already a combination of various transformations.

Now, it mostly retained the features of qilin head and white fur.

But...

Chen Ku suddenly was surprised: "Why doesn't it have wings?"

Having wings to fly was the most precious ability of the Flower Fox Mink.

But when he carefully checked the attributes panel of this thing, not only did he breathe a sigh of relief, but he was also overwhelmed with joy.

[???? (Unnamed Transformation)]

[Cultivation Realm: Fourth Realm Peak Demon]

[Transformation Level: Transform Level]

[Evil Qi Quality: Excellent]

[Abilities: Eating All Humans and Beasts, Size Change, Fine Dog Sense, Immune to All Poisons, Able to View Internal Organs, Become a Demon by Drinking Blood, Right Arm as Steel, Blood Claws Like Blades, Golden Eyes Hundred Miles... Spitting Ice, Water Avoidance, Swallowing Water, Traveling Two Thousand in a Day, Carrying a Thousand Jun, Impervious to Swords and Spears, Ears Clear Eyes Bright, Tail Hammer Thousand Jun... Head Like Profound Copper, Skin Like Heavy Armor...

Strength of One Dragon, Riding Mist Technique]

Chen Ku looked in amazement at the strength of this transformation.

The body transformation alone has the strength of one dragon?!

If he added a second incarnation, wouldn't it be the strength of two dragons!

Perfectly matching the strength of the Hui Dragon Transformation.

And this is just "excellent quality"?

Shouldn't this be supreme quality?

The most crucial point was that after seeing this transformation lacked the flying ability of two wings, Chen Ku discovered that a new flying ability had been refined during this shape refinement process, replacing it.

"Riding Mist Technique?"

Chen Ku felt a stir in his heart and suddenly felt a lot of clouds forming under his feet, lifting him from the ground into the air. He couldn't help but exclaim:

"Cloud Riding?"

This is clearly a standard immortal's technique.

Then looking at the Transformation Diagram, where it now resembled everything but also nothing, Chen Ku summoned it.

It flew out from between his eyebrows, transforming into a palm-sized creature that was neither deer nor fox, neither qilin nor cow.

Looking at it, Chen Ku, as if inspired, blurted out:

"Four Unlikes?"

He immediately thought of Jiang Ziya's mount, the Four Unlikes.

He watched the little creature flying around him and laughed:

"I'll call you Four Unlikes then."

The Transformation Diagram was promptly renamed as well.

Chen Ku then felt the strength throughout his body; just a Hui Dragon and a Four Unlikes gave him a solid four dragon power.

He took out the Fire Beak Pot and hung it on the Four Unlikes, smiled, and said:

"You've successfully taken over the Fire Pot of the Flower Fox Mink. Work hard on the task of fetching fire in the future."

Caring the small fire pot, Four Unlikes flew out of the courtyard into the night on mist.

Chen Ku watched it leave and began to resume his cultivation.

In a flash.

Two days passed.

The cultivation of this last meridian, even with the help of the four-layer cultivation body, was slow. Mainly because this challenge was not only for the last meridian but also a gateway to the Fifth Realm.

Only by breaking through the Chong Meridian could the whole body's blood qi be carried into the viscera, tendons, bones, and membranes.

Fortunately, although slowed down somewhat, finally, when the sun was blazing intensely at noon,

Boom!

Chen Ku's True Qi surged overwhelmingly into the first internal organ, the 'spleen' of the five viscera and six bowels.

The Fifth Realm is achieved!

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