5: Finally safe

Chen Tao left the Bais Technology building, got into his car, and took out an encrypted terminal.

"Old Wang, the situation is more complicated than expected."

Chen Tao briefly explained the situation in a few sentences.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then a steady voice came through.

"Your judgment is correct."

"Keep tracking, avoid contact."

"Understood."

Hanging up the phone, Chen Tao let out a long sigh.

"Let's go."

...He Ming scrolled through a few short videos of ghost incidents, chuckled, and completely relaxed.

With this layer of protection, he could now develop discreetly behind the scenes.

However, collecting medicinal herbs would inevitably require him to show his face, as delivery drivers needed to deliver goods to his door.

He Ming searched online for the medicinal herbs required for cultivation; common herbs were abundant and easy to find, but when he searched for pharmacies selling herbs over ten years old, there were very few.

He searched for a long time, only finding places that charged for intelligence.

"Hundred-year-old wild ginseng, 99 yuan, free shipping to your home."

"Fifty-year-old spiritual ganoderma granules, 199 yuan..."

"Does anyone actually fall for this?"

He Ming checked the sales records.

He fell silent when he saw that over 100,000 people had ordered... He didn't dare to use the notebook for aggressive searching because he lacked connections, and even if he had the information, he wouldn't have access to purchasing channels.

He Ming knew very well that the groups capable of controlling such high-quality resources were incomparable to ordinary wealthy merchants; their power far exceeded normal imagination.

With his current strength, it would undoubtedly be like an egg hitting a rock, a suicidal act.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the ceiling.

The truly good things must circulate within specific circles; it's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to access them.

To peek into the Heavenly Palace, one must first have at least an entry ticket.

As an unknown nobody, how could he enter such a circle?

Although he could use the notebook to find all the medicinal herbs in deep mountains and wild forests, the process of finding them was too time-consuming.

He Ming once watched a video where a professional ginseng digger spent five full days to completely unearth a hundred-year-old wild ginseng.

As an amateur, it would be even more time-consuming for him, and spending his time on this was definitely not an option.

He Ming picked up his phone and started browsing short videos.

Due to his large orders of medicinal herbs and his searches for pharmacies, big data pushed a large number of advertisements for herb merchants and short videos related to traditional culture to him.

He quickly scrolled through them boredly, finally stopping on a treasure appraisal live stream page.

Brother Quan?

"family members, look closely, this is genuine official kiln..."

"An instant open door!"

He Ming sat up straight.

"Treasure appraisal, antiques..."

His eyes instantly lit up.

"Isn't this the best stepping stone?"

He immediately opened his notebook and quickly wrote a few lines.

"Help me search for ownerless gold cellars near Modu that ancient officials didn't have time to deal with before they got into trouble."

"Modu East Suburb, Tang Dynasty, He Yanchong, Deputy Salt and Iron Commissioner... Detailed address: Yunlu Mountain, 549 meters high..."

He Ming was ecstatic; there really was one!

He had the treasure, but he still needed a safe house.

"Given my current conditions, find a suitable house to live in the eastern suburbs of Modu, requiring strict security, and priced within ten million, preferably for rent."

"Cloud Deer Garden, Zone C, Building 08, architectural area 258 square meters, with garden and basement, lowest quoted price 9 million, annual rent: starting from 100,000."

When He Ming saw this information, his eyes lit up.

The price of nine million was lower than he expected, and he could also rent it annually.

Most importantly, this villa also had a basement, which was perfect for his secret cultivation.

"Cloud Deer Garden security level."

"Cloud Deer Garden security level: medium to high, fifteen security personnel, complete surveillance system."

"That's enough."

He Ming didn't hesitate at all and immediately contacted the owner of Cloud Deer Garden, Zone C, Building 08, and scheduled a viewing.

The next day.

He Ming took two taxis to Cloud Deer Garden.

It was located in the suburbs, the environment was very good, and the air was very fresh.

Most of the property's security personnel were young, which He Ming was very satisfied with.

He took a simple tour of the villa with the owner; the conditions were very good, the furniture was complete, and he could move in directly.

That day, He Ming signed the lease agreement with the owner, for a one-year term, paying a total of 130,000 yuan, of which 30,000 was a deposit.

This money was naturally transacted through a normal bank account, and it was even from an online loan.

All procedures followed the plan given by the notebook, absolutely safe.

After simply tidying up the master bedroom, He Ming left Cloud Deer Garden, took a taxi to the city center, and bought some daily necessities at the mall.

When everything was ready, his heart finally settled down completely.

He went to the study, spread out the omniscient notebook, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote.

"Have I been given extra attention, or investigated through any form of information gathering?"

"No."

Upon seeing the answer, He Ming clutched his chest, feeling his heart rate accelerate.

"Finally safe!"

"Next up is cultivation; I will definitely not be reckless until I am truly invincible!"

After moving into Cloud Deer Garden, He Ming's life entered a tense rhythm.

Various medicinal herbs he ordered online were delivered one after another, and he transformed the basement into a quiet room for his cultivation.

At five in the morning, He Ming woke up on time for extreme physical training.

Weighted squats, explosive sprints, core strength training... each exercise was performed until exhaustion.

The medicated bath after training was the most difficult part.

According to the formula provided by the notebook, he boiled the purchased medicinal herbs into a thick medicinal liquid; while soaking in it, it felt as if countless fine needles were pricking his pores, a stinging pain mixed with an unbearable itch.

Each session had to last at least an hour.

His diet strictly followed the optimal plan.

High-protein beef, chicken breast, paired with specific fruits and vegetables.

He maintained at least two hours of breathing technique training per day.

Before going to bed at night, he also had to perform a round of meditation to adjust his physical and mental state.

This step was the most difficult; in the beginning, he simply couldn't calm down and stop his mind from wandering.

Ten days later.

He Ming could already clearly feel the changes in his body.

His muscles were firmer, his endurance significantly improved, and even his five senses became much sharper.

That evening.

After He Ming completed the last set of training, he felt as if some barrier within his body had been broken; his blood surged throughout his body, and he felt incredibly energetic.

"It's done?"

He quickly grabbed the notebook and rapidly wrote.

"What is my life index now?"

"Current life index: 203.3."

"Finally, I've reached it!"

He Ming let out a long breath; these ten days of arduous cultivation had not been in vain after all.

He could finally use the Blood Refinement Method to completely bind the omniscient notebook.

At midnight.

He Ming cleared an open space in the center of the basement and began to set up according to the "Blood Refinement Method" recorded in the notebook.

He first used cinnabar to draw a complex array pattern on the ground, then placed the notebook at the center of the array.

Afterward, he took out seven oil lamps, arranged them according to the Big Dipper constellation, and lit them.

With the preparations complete, He Ming sat cross-legged in front of the array, concentrating his mind and calming his breath.

As his breathing gradually stabilized, he bit the tip of his tongue and dripped a drop of essence blood onto the cover of the notebook.

Low and ancient incantations echoed in the basement.

As the incantations progressed, the notebook began to emit a faint black glow, and the words "Omniscient" on the cover seemed to come alive, radiating a golden light.

He Ming raised his eyebrows slightly, sensing that his consciousness was establishing a special connection with the notebook.

He focused his mind, and following the method recorded in the Blood Refinement Method, he carved a spiritual imprint deep within his soul.

He cut a gash on his wrist with a small knife, aiming it at the center of the array, and blood rapidly dripped.

As the fresh blood was continuously drawn into the notebook, He Ming could clearly perceive that his connection with the notebook was also gradually strengthening.

This process was extremely taxing on his mind and physical strength; sweat quickly soaked his clothes.

But he gritted his teeth and persisted, continuously injecting his spiritual power into the notebook.

Just as he felt he was about to collapse, the notebook suddenly burst into bright light.

A black stream of light shot out from the notebook and directly entered He Ming's glabella.

In an instant, He Ming perceived that a bloodline-connected contract had been established between him and the notebook.

"It's a success!"

He Ming opened his eyes, his face filled with wild joy.

After resolving the security risks, He Ming was already impatient; after bandaging his wound, he picked up a pen and quickly wrote in the notebook.

"Give me a cultivation technique that leads directly to immortality and is most suitable for my current condition."

The notebook delayed for two seconds, then a dense block of text appeared.

"Star Guidance Technique."

"Grade: Growth-type cultivation technique."

"Features: Draws upon the power of the cosmic stars to empower the self, temper the physical body, and nourish the soul."

"Compatibility: 98.7% compatibility with the host's current physique."

"Note: Requires a life index of 200, and cultivation should be performed at night in an open-air environment for optimal results."

...