Chen Mo's mind was as calm as still water, and even the surrounding Dou Qi seemed to silently retract, like a bottomless, tranquil pool.
Yet, within his dantian, a raging storm was brewing.
Following the Iron Body cultivation method from the Undying Profound Art: Golden Body Chapter, Chen Mo refined all the medicinal ingredients—except for Queen Medusa's blood essence—into a single bottle of spiritual liquid using his cauldron.
Then, he mixed the spiritual liquid with the blood essence and swallowed it all in one go.
Instantly, it felt as though a volcano had erupted within him. A vast and boundless energy surged through his body like a monstrous tidal wave, crashing and colliding violently.
Chen Mo hurriedly activated the Undying Profound Art: Golden Body Chapter, guiding the energy to circulate throughout his body, allowing it to fuse with his flesh and bones.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
Then, he suddenly shouted:
As soon as the words left his mouth, a surge of scalding heat escaped from his lips.
The next moment, his skin began to crack inch by inch, blood oozing from the fissures. The excruciating pain contorted his face, and his lips were bitten raw.
This phase of tempering could not be resisted—it had to be endured purely through willpower.
In the side hall of the royal chamber.
A sliver of sunlight filtered through the window, casting a glow on the floor.
On the bed, a human-sized cocoon of blood sat in a meditative posture.
Moments later, cracks spread across the blood cocoon before it finally shattered, revealing a naked figure whose skin gleamed with a metallic luster.
Suddenly, Chen Mo opened his eyes. His pupils were bright and clear, standing in stark contrast to the metallic sheen of his body.
He raised his right hand, forming a sword gesture with his fingers, and gently slashed his left arm with a strand of sword Qi.
Not a single scratch appeared—not even a mark.
"Tianyuan, come out!"
Summoning his weapon, Tianyuan, from within his body, Chen Mo wielded it and slashed his left arm again.
This time, thanks to the power of a lower-tier Spirit-grade weapon, a faint scratch appeared—but the skin remained unbroken.
Chen Mo was astonished.
This Iron Body technique was far more powerful than he had expected.
With just his physical resilience alone, even a Da Dou Shi would struggle to harm him.
Shifting his gaze to the system panel, he noticed that Queen Medusa's favorability had risen to 55, and he had accumulated 90 Favorability Coins.
He planned to save up until he had 100, then use them to upgrade his Heaven and Earth Sword Physique to perfection.
Afterward, he extracted two abilities—Concealment Technique and the Earth-Tier Primary Dou Technique A Sword Across Eras.
As the name suggested, Concealment Technique allowed one to suppress their aura completely. Unless the opponent's cultivation was several realms higher, they wouldn't be able to detect his true strength.
As for A Sword Across Eras, with his near-mastered Heaven and Earth Sword Physique, Chen Mo comprehended it instantly with just a single glance.
After putting on his robes, he browsed through the Medicine Saint's Alchemy Compendium in his mind.
Upon finding what he needed, he headed to the alchemy chamber.
Later that afternoon, Chen Mo emerged from his room and made his way to Queen Medusa's royal chamber.
"Is Her Majesty present?" he asked softly, addressing Yue Nu, one of her attendants.
"The Queen has ordered that she will not be seeing anyone today," Yue Nu replied sternly.
Chen Mo quickly said, "I have something important to discuss with Her Majesty. Yue Nu, could you at least inform her?"
"No. The Queen will see no one today," she reiterated firmly.
"Alright then," Chen Mo sighed, deciding to return tomorrow.
Just as he turned to leave, a cold yet elegant voice rang out from within the chamber.
Wasn't she supposed to see no one today?
Chen Mo turned back, pushed open the doors, and stepped inside.
Then, he froze slightly.
This time, Queen Medusa was not lazily reclining on her throne as usual.
Instead, she was seated in a meditative posture on her luxurious bed, her long purple serpent tail coiled beneath her.
More surprisingly, she wasn't wearing her usual regal attire. Though she still wore a red dress, it felt far less imposing than before.
At a glance, if one ignored her serpent tail and she remained silent, it would be difficult to distinguish her from an ordinary human woman.
"What business do you have with me?" Queen Medusa asked, opening her bewitching eyes and glancing at him from afar.
"I came to express my gratitude, Your Majesty," Chen Mo said as he stepped forward, retrieving a jade bottle from his storage ring. "I specially refined this Serpent Essence Pill today. It's beneficial for Snake-People, helping to stabilize their foundation and restore their vitality."
From a distance, it was hard to distinguish her from a human. But up close, there was no mistaking it.
That cold, dignified, and noble aura hadn't diminished in the slightest despite her change in attire. This was something a mere butterfly-like beauty could never possess.
Queen Medusa's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She gave Chen Mo a deep look before speaking indifferently.
"Mm. I will accept it. If there's nothing else, then you may leave."
Now that he was here, how could Chen Mo just leave so easily?
His daily 'wool-shearing' session had yet to begin.
He took out another small jade bottle from his storage ring.
"This is Rejuvenation Elixir. It works similarly to the Serpent Essence Pill but is applied externally. Since it requires manual application, allow me to assist you, Your Majesty."
Before she could refuse, Chen Mo stepped closer.
Then, under her stunned gaze, he sat right on the edge of her bed, removed his boots, and climbed onto it.
He... He... How dare he?!
Queen Medusa was taken aback.
Last night, this human had dared to sit on her throne.
And today, he was climbing onto her bed?
What would he try next?
Before she could finish her sentence, Chen Mo uncorked the jade bottle, and before she could even react, he slipped a Serpent Essence Pill into her mouth.
In that brief moment, she even felt his fingers brush against her lips.
"Don't speak. Just refine the pill."
Ignoring her fury, Chen Mo poured the Rejuvenation Elixir onto his palm and began gently massaging her shoulders.
Queen Medusa thought to herself, "This human... dares to order me around? Has he lost his mind?!"
[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 2 Favorability Coins. Triggered Intimacy Bonus: Acquired Tier 3 Alchemy Skill.]
For the next two days, Chen Mo repeated this process.
By then, Queen Medusa's complexion had fully recovered.
However, her favorability was proving difficult to increase.
Despite his efforts, it had only risen to 63.
Chen Mo was sent flying across the royal chamber, crashing into the far wall.
The culprit? Queen Medusa's serpent tail.
Seeing that her favorability had reached 63, he had gotten a bit too bold—he had dared to caress her slender waist.
"Uh... Your Majesty, I can explain—"
For the second time in three days, Chen Mo was beaten unconscious.
If you want to support me or read advanced Chapters (15+), consider checking out my pat.
patr*on.com/Salsita2k