Luoshui County, City Gate.
In the night, the carriage carrying Shen Congyun gradually disappeared.
Lin Qingyi retracted her gaze and glanced at Jiang Ning indifferently.
"Shen Congyun has entrusted you to me. If you have any matters in the future, you can come to Wanhua Tower to find me."
"But let me make this clear I won't help you like Shen Congyun did! I will only assist you within reasonable limits. The rest will depend on yourself."
"I understand," Jiang Ning said. "Thank you, Senior!"
"Don't call me 'Senior.' It sounds terrible!" Lin Qingyi said.
"Thank you, Sister Lin!" Jiang Ning smiled.
"You sure know how to take advantage of the situation," Lin Qingyi said lightly, then turned and left.
As she turned, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Being called "Sister" by someone Shen Congyun valued made her feel unusually pleased.
This feeling was completely different from how others treated her.
In her eyes, someone Shen Congyun valued was worthy of interacting with her.
Especially since Jiang Ning's appearance aligned with her aesthetic preferences, making him pleasant to look at.
Moreover, Jiang Ning was only eighteen years old.
Not only do men always love eighteen-year-old girls, but women do too!
At this moment, Jiang Ning watched Lin Qingyi's retreating figure and felt a slight stir in his heart.
She didn't refuse!
That meant she tacitly agreed!
Being able to call her "Sister" was a good thing!
At the very least, he could now borrow her influence!
Meanwhile.
In a restaurant by the street.
Cao Bin slowly retracted his gaze from the direction of the city gate.
"It was Shen Congyun in the carriage! He's truly gone!"
"With him gone, I feel much more at ease!"
"Internal and external cultivation, with internal energy condensed at the seventh rank of martial arts he's truly terrifying!"
"But once my elder brother reaches the sixth rank, it won't be long before we no longer fear him!"
At the same time, even though it was night, there was a flurry of activity in the buildings along the street.
Figures moved quickly in the darkness, spreading the news in all directions.
Back at the martial hall.
Jiang Ning resumed practicing his fist techniques.
Shen Congyun's departure left him feeling uneasy.
Although the Cao family had bowed before Shen Congyun, no one knew what the Cao family was thinking now.
After all, the previous conflict had been so intense.
The Cao family was not a benevolent one.
Fortunately, Cao Rong had also left!
Jiang Ning thought to himself.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Mastery 27/1000)
After completing a round of fist techniques, his Five Animals Fist experience increased by one point.
"One round of fist techniques, one experience point, and four strands of qi and blood."
Jiang Ning clenched his fist, feeling the surge of qi and blood flowing through his limbs. He instantly felt a powerful force filling his body.
"My previous estimate was a bit off. The total amount of qi and blood needed to fully open the lower limbs is much greater than that for the upper limbs."
"But at my current efficiency, within a month, my fist techniques will reach perfection. By then, I will have condensed a total of four thousand strands of qi and blood. Combined with the additional effects of the Qi and Blood Pills, that should be enough to fully perfect my Qi and blood."
He continued practicing his fist techniques.
Every increase in qi and blood, every increase in strength, made him feel more confident.
Before going to bed, he checked his status panel again.
[Skill]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (First Breakthrough 2000/2000) (Trait: Versatility)
"Tomorrow, I'll have 20 points. I wonder if 20 points will be enough for the second breakthrough of the blade technique."
With this thought, he slowly entered a deep sleep, allowing his body to recover overnight.
The next morning.
As soon as the sky began to lighten, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and got out of bed.
Crackle
As he stretched his limbs and moved his joints, crisp sounds echoed throughout his body.
"Comfortable" he sighed, then immediately looked at his status panel.
[Skill]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique+ (First Breakthrough 2000/2000) (Trait: Versatility)
"Huh?"
The moment he saw the panel, Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
"It's possible? Only 20 points for the second breakthrough?"
A look of surprise appeared on his face.
When he first opened the panel, he hadn't been hopeful.
Twenty points of source energy were extremely easy for him to obtain now.
It would only take eight or nine days.
So he had thought that the second breakthrough of a skill would require more points.
Perhaps ten times the first breakthrough, after all, the decimal system was a reasonable standard.
But now, seeing the bright plus sign next to the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique, he knew he had been wrong.
The second breakthrough of the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique didn't require as many source energy points as he had imagined.
Only twenty points.
With twenty points of source energy, he could achieve the second breakthrough of his Firewood Chopping Blade Technique.
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of anticipation.
A new trait, especially for a blade technique, would undoubtedly bring him new changes and improvements.
His strength would increase again.
Then, his gaze fell on the plus sign next to the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique on the panel. With a slight movement of his mind, the source energy points on the panel began to decrease rapidly.
As the source energy points decreased, he suddenly felt his mind enter a transcendent state, as if he were no longer an ordinary mortal.
In his mind, he saw himself holding a blade, chopping down again and again, regardless of the season or weather.
Just this one move, repeated tens of thousands of times.
With each chop, he gained new insights into the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique.
The speed of his blade also became faster, like a white rainbow flashing across the sky.
In this state, time seemed to no longer exist.
At the same time, Jiang Ning felt a tingling and itching sensation in his arms, as if thousands of ants were crawling inside them, or as if an electric current was flowing through them.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes.
In that instant, a flash of blade light seemed to pass through his eyes.
[Skill]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Second Breakthrough 1967/3000) (Traits: Versatility, Blade Like the Wind)
[Blade Like the Wind]: As if divinely assisted, the speed of your blade is extremely fast, far surpassing that of ordinary people.
"Blade Like the Wind?" Jiang Ning murmured.
Then he grabbed the long blade by his bedside and moved swiftly, reaching the courtyard in a few steps.
Swish
He drew the blade, and a cold light flashed as the blade left its sheath.
In the next moment, the courtyard was filled with flashing blade lights. Layers of blade shadows filled the space within three zhang (about 10 meters) of Jiang Ning, leaving no corner untouched!
The air around him surged, and the fallen leaves and branches on the ground were swept away in all directions.
The blade in his hand moved faster and faster, the flashing blade lights forming a curtain that seemed impenetrable, not even a drop of water could pass through.
After a long time.
Swish
Jiang Ning sheathed his blade, and the blade lights around him dissipated.
[Canglang Blade Technique Experience +1]
Jiang Ning's face lit up with excitement.
"This blade is so fast! Nearly fifty percent faster than before."
At this moment, he was extremely excited.
A fifty percent increase in blade speed what did that mean?
If two people were of equal strength, being ten percent faster with the blade would give a ninety percent chance of victory.
Being fifty percent faster would create an insurmountable gap in actual combat, like the difference between an adult and a child.
In a duel, while the opponent's blade was still halfway through its swing, Jiang Ning's blade could already reach any vital point on the opponent's body.
That one-third distance difference was the difference between life and death.
Against an opponent of equal strength, with this blade speed, he could easily strike first unless he was careless. His chances of victory would be one hundred percent.
"I wonder how strong I am now!" Jiang Ning couldn't help but murmur to himself. "If I use the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique, with a fifty percent increase in blade speed, combined with the explosive power and speed from the second breakthrough, I should be able to kill Xu Yunfeng without even using the Ninefold Force, right?"
"After all, my strength has improved again, and the gap between us isn't that big anymore!"
Thinking of this, under the light of dawn, Jiang Ning walked to the front yard of the martial hall.
He stood in front of the 500-jin stone lock.
He gripped the tempered iron in the middle of the stone lock with his right hand, then exerted force with his right arm.
The muscles on his exposed right arm bulged, showing clear definition, like coiled dragons filled with power.
In the next moment, the stone lock slowly lifted off the ground. Jiang Ning's lower body sank slightly to stabilize his posture.
"It works!" Excitement flashed in his eyes. He held the position for nearly ten breaths before slowly setting the stone to lock down.
Boom
Even though he set it down gently, the stone lock still made a dull thud, and the dirt on the ground was pushed aside.
"Phew"
Jiang Ning exhaled the breath he had been holding, his face filled with excitement.
"My right arm's strength has exceeded 500 jin. This level of strength is comparable to someone with perfected qi and blood."
"Even ordinary ninth-rank martial artists typically have a single-arm strength between 700 and 1000 jin. The gap between me and them has narrowed again!"
Then, he shook his right arm and squatted down, gripping the stone lock with his left hand.
"Lift"
He let out a soft cry, focusing his qi in his dantian, and exerted force with his left arm.
Then, the stone lock lifted off the ground again.
After holding it for two breaths, he set it down with a heavy thud.
"500 jin! My left arm also has 500 jin of strength!"
Jiang Ning was even more excited.
Even before perfecting his qi and blood, his arms already had 500 jin of strength. This level of power was comparable to those born with extraordinary strength.
Feeling such a significant improvement, Jiang Ning was filled with motivation.
Then, he looked at his status panel again.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
: 1.9
[Skills]:
Literacy (First Breakthrough 903/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)
Five Animals Fist (Mastery 35/1000)
Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Second Breakthrough 1967/3000) (Traits: Versatility, Blade Like the Wind)
Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique (Initial Stage 188/1000)
Canglang Blade Technique (Proficient 1/200)
"Only 1.9 source energy left. I need to keep accumulating."
"My literacy experience is almost halfway there. At my current rate of accumulating source energy, it will only take eight more days to reach 20 points."
"During this time, I need to read more books to increase my literacy experience."
"At the same time, I can't neglect my fist techniques and the Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique."
"As for the Canglang Blade Technique, there's no rush now! My physique isn't strong enough yet. I'll focus on improving this blade technique after I enter the ranks of martial arts and refine my skin."
Then, his gaze fell on the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique.
"1967 experience points, only 1033 points away from the next level. During this time, I need to max out the experience for the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique, and preferably accumulate a bit more."
"Chopping firewood is extremely simple for me now and doesn't take much effort."
"One chop equals one experience point. It's fast!"
After finalizing his plans, Jiang Ning continued practicing his fist techniques, waiting for the sunrise.
Now, with Wang Jin's support and assistance, he could freely use medicinal supplements without worrying about running out anytime soon.
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