40: Chapter 40 Preparation

The taxi ride took over an hour. On the way, Chen Mo looked at the streetscape outside through the car window.

The city looked no different than before, but if one looked closely, the changes were hidden in the details.

The green belts along the road were denser than before, and the trimmed shrub balls had already sprouted uneven new branches.

The ivy under the overpass had grown thicker than in previous years, wrapping the concrete bridge piers like a green wall.

Chen Mo knew this was the effect of dispersed Spiritual Qi.

The spirit energy particles were evenly distributed, constantly releasing dispersed Spiritual Qi, and the whole world was changing bit by bit.

Arriving downstairs at his uncle's home, Chen Mo paid and got out of the car.

He went upstairs, and when he reached the door of his uncle's home, before Chen Mo could knock, the door was pulled open from the inside.

His uncle stood at the doorway with a slightly nervous smile on his face.

His cousin Chen Wei and cousin Chen Ting had already arrived and were sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Seeing Chen Mo come in, both of them stood up at the same time.

"Xiao Mo, you..."

Chen Wei looked him up and down, "Have you gotten stronger again?"

Chen Mo realized then that the changes in his Physique after a month of seclusion could not be hidden under his clothes.

His shoulders were two fingers wider than a month ago, and the sleeves of his T-shirt were stretched tight by his arms.

"I haven't stopped working out."

Chen Mo brushed it off, then sat down on a chair in the living room.

His uncle sat down opposite him. Chen Wei and Chen Ting also sat down again, their eyes fixed on him.

Chen Mo spoke directly.

"Uncle, Brother Wei, Sister Ting, you've all seen the information online, right?"

His uncle nodded, his expression complex.

Chen Wei also said, "It's been on the trending searches for several days, and the customers at my shop discuss it every day. But to be honest, we just feel that working hasn't been as tiring lately, and we sleep well when we get home; we haven't really felt any major changes."

"That's right," Chen Ting chimed in, "The city is covered in concrete everywhere, and if the grass on the roadside grows a bit taller, it gets trimmed by sanitation workers. How could we notice anything unusual?"

Chen Mo nodded.

This was the reality of the situation in the city.

Steel and concrete filtered out all natural changes, and ordinary people only saw trimmed lawns and regularly maintained green belts.

The city was a man-made shell, isolating everything happening in the natural world outside.

But the shell would be broken sooner or later.

"I saw it with my own eyes when I went out this time," Chen Mo said. "Plants in the wild have already gone out of control. Paths that people used to walk on are now covered by grass and vines for a long stretch. Old trees that had been withered for years have sprouted again. The density of the entire primeval forest has increased significantly in just one month."

His uncle's expression changed.

Chen Wei and Chen Ting looked at each other, and the ease on their faces vanished.

"Research institutes abroad have already published papers confirming that there is some unknown factor in the air, which is directly causing plants to Breakthrough their growth limits."

Chen Mo continued, "At the same time, changes in human Physique have also begun—underlying illnesses are healing on their own, recovery speeds are accelerating, and physical strength and energy are improving comprehensively. There is already a large amount of data supporting these."

"Then this... what exactly is going on?" his uncle asked.

"Currently, no one knows the specific reason," Chen Mo paused. "But the result is already before us—the world has changed. And the change is still accelerating."

He did not say the word "Spiritual Qi".

His uncle and the others did not need to know the concepts of spirit energy particles and dispersed Spiritual Qi.

They only needed to know that changes were happening and that they needed to prepare in advance.

"Then what should we do?" Chen Wei asked, his tone becoming serious.

Chen Ting also nodded.

Chen Mo said, "The Xia Kingdom hasn't released an official statement yet. Take advantage of this time to buy more food that can be stored for a long time and stock it at home."

His uncle frowned, "Will it reach that point?"

"No," Chen Mo shook his head. "According to the data I have seen so far, this change is progressive; there won't be a sudden shortage of food. But once the authorities officially announce the news, there will definitely be panic buying. When that happens, logistics won't be able to keep up, and even if it's just for a few days, it will be a problem. Buying slowly now is inconspicuous and won't cause panic."

His uncle nodded, his brow relaxing a little.

"Second," Chen Mo continued, "For those who have a habit of exercising, the improvement in Physique will be more obvious. You can start doing some basic training from now on; it doesn't need to be very professional, just stick to it every day. I will send you the training videos later, just follow them. Third, try to stay in the city and the residential compound during this time, and don't go into the wild."

"What's wrong with the wild?" Chen Ting asked.

"Animals and plants are evolving," Chen Mo said simply. "The current environment in the wild is different from a month ago. The city is currently the safest place."

He didn't say more.

Chen Mo did not teach the Human Breathing Method to his uncle and the others.

The training manual for the Human Breathing Method was still locked in a drawer at his old home.

He had no intention of teaching it to anyone right now. It wasn't because of selfishness, but because taking this out now would be like lighting a firework in the dark.

The Human Breathing Method was currently the only way for ordinary people to actively absorb dispersed Spiritual Qi.

Its value was such that once any country discovered it, they would spare no cost to obtain it.

Whoever mastered this method would possess the priority for evolution.

And Chen Mo's current strength was not enough to protect himself and his Family under the gaze of a national-level power.

A punching force of sixteen tons could run rampant in the city. But facing the power of a country? Not enough. Far from enough.

So, before he possessed a real trump card, all he could do was let his uncle and the others make the most basic preparations—having food reserves, having a training plan, and staying in safe areas.

With him there, his uncle's Family would not be in danger. This was the greatest protection he could provide at the moment.

"Alright," his uncle finally slapped his knees and stood up as if he had made a firm decision. "We'll listen to Xiao Mo. We'll go buy some this afternoon."

Chen Wei and Chen Ting also stood up; although they were still a bit worried, they had at least calmed down.

In the afternoon, Chen Mo went to the wholesale market with his uncle and Chen Wei. His uncle originally only wanted to buy some rice and flour, but Chen Mo silently helped them push three large carts, filled with rice, flour, cooking oil, compressed biscuits, canned luncheon meat, canned fruit, vacuum-packed cured meat, and large barrels of mineral water.

Chen Mo did not stop him. Although he knew it wouldn't reach the point of a food and water shortage, these things could give his uncle peace of mind.

The root of fear is the unknown. And the most direct way to deal with the unknown is to have a sense of control over specific matters. Even small things, like piling up food at home, could make people feel at ease.

After moving the items back home, the three men worked together to stack the various cans and bags of rice and flour into an empty room. They stacked them neatly, taking up more than half the room.

Chen Ting stood to the side, counting the items and recording them on her phone.

His uncle stood at the doorway looking at the room full of supplies, his expression complex. "I've lived for over fifty years, and I've never hoarded this much stuff."

"Better safe than sorry," Chen Mo said.

After hoarding the supplies, Chen Mo began to teach his uncle and the others basic training.

He sent the pre-downloaded training videos to the Family group—front and side demonstrations of the Standing Post, breakdown teaching of basic movements, and methods for coordinating breathing rhythms.

Then he personally demonstrated a few of the simplest movements. Each movement was done perfectly, and each contraction was held for a few seconds. No equipment was needed; it was pure bodyweight training.

His uncle followed along with a few movements, and his shoulders began to ache. Chen Wei tried it out, and sweat soon appeared on his forehead. Chen Ting was the most diligent; although her movements weren't standard, it was clear she was trying hard to find the feeling.

Chen Mo stood to the side, correcting them one by one, his tone patient, but he didn't lower the standards at all.

This training method had been improved by Chen Mo. It was far less efficient than his own Standing Post training method, but if ordinary people stuck with it for a period of time, the effects of activating muscles and training would not be bad.

After they finished training, his uncle sat on the sofa, panting, but there was a rare sense of relaxation on his face that he hadn't had in a long time.

"It turns out that breaking a sweat is actually quite comfortable," his uncle said.

Chen Mo smiled.

Dinner was prepared by Aunt, and it was all dishes that Chen Mo loved to eat. Braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, stewed pork ribs, and a large bowl of rice.

The Family sat around the dining table, no longer talking about those nerve-wracking topics, but rather about trivial daily life.

Chen Mo ate a lot. Aunt smiled and said his appetite was even better than before, then went back to the kitchen to add another dish.

After finishing dinner, Chen Mo stood up.

"Uncle, Aunt, I'm heading back."

"Heading back?" His uncle stood up immediately. "Xiao Mo, according to what you said, the wild is so dangerous now, and there's a mountain behind our old home. How unsafe is it to live alone!"

Aunt also chimed in, "That's right, it's not like there isn't room at home; you should move in with us."

Chen Wei added, "If there's no room here, you can go to my place too; I have an empty room there."

Chen Mo shook his head.

"The old house is built of concrete, so the structure is fine. Although there is a mountain behind it, it's still some distance from the foot of the mountain, so animals can't get in. Besides, right now it's just that the grass and trees are growing a bit faster; there's no real danger."

"But—" his uncle wanted to say something more.

"Uncle," Chen Mo interrupted him, his tone calm but his eyes very serious. "You know that I've never liked being controlled since I was a child. I'm used to living alone; I'm not used to staying together."

He walked out after saying this.

"Hey, Xiao Mo," his uncle reached out to grab his arm. He didn't catch him.

Chen Mo's movements were too fast. He turned, stepped, opened the door, and slipped out; the whole process was as smooth as a gust of wind blowing through the room.

His uncle's fingers were still hanging in mid-air, but Chen Mo was already standing in the hallway.

"Uncle, Aunt, Brother Wei, Sister Ting, I'm leaving now. Call me if anything happens."

The voice came up from the stairwell, and he had already gone down a floor.

His uncle stood at the doorway, stunned for two seconds.

"This child... he runs too fast."