Three Days Later.
The moonlight spilled from the sky, casting countless silver scales on the surface of the lake.
Twang
Jiang Ning shot an arrow, which streaked across the sky like a rainbow before disappearing into the distant lake.
[Source Energy]: 721.11
[Skills]: Wind and Thunder Archery+ (First Limit Break: 2000/2000) (Trait: Wind and Thunder Breath)
"Hoo"
After glancing at his status panel, Jiang Ning exhaled deeply.
After three days of relentless archery practice, the experience points for Wind and Thunder Archery had once again reached their limit.
Now, it had met the requirements for another breakthrough.
Over the past three days, Jiang Ning had lost count of how many times he had drawn his bow and depleted his Wind and Thunder energy.
Each time his Wind and Thunder energy ran out, he had to immerse himself in the lake to speed up his recovery.
The larger the contact area between his body and the water, the faster his recovery rate.
When fully submerged, his recovery speed was more than ten times faster than on land.
It was only by recovering in the water that he could draw his bow hundreds of times a day, depleting his Wind and Thunder energy again and again.
At the same time, while recovering in the water, he didn't waste any time. Instead, he took the opportunity to practice his Five Animals Fist underwater.
Improving his Five Animals Fist could enhance his vital energy, which was the foundation of martial arts.
Now.
Looking at his status panel, the hard work of the past three days had finally paid off.
The experience points for Wind and Thunder Archery were full. All he needed was to spend 200 Source Energy Points to achieve the second limit break of Wind and Thunder Archery.
After another glance at his panel.
[Source Energy]: 721.11
[Skills]: Wind and Thunder Archery+ (First Limit Break: 2000/2000) (Trait: Wind and Thunder Breath)
Jiang Ning no longer hesitated.
Breakthrough!
With a thought.
In an instant.
His Source Energy Points rapidly decreased.
In the blink of an eye, his total Source Energy Points had dropped by exactly 200.
[Source Energy]: 521.11
The Source Energy Points on the panel froze at this number.
A moment later.
Jiang Ning was slightly stunned.
Because several breaths had passed, and he hadn't felt any changes in himself.
Unlike the first limit break of Wind and Thunder Archery, where he had closed his eyes and seen the power of wind and thunder in the void.
In the next moment.
Jiang Ning immediately looked at his status panel, focusing on the skills section.
[Skills]: Wind and Thunder Archery (Second Limit Break: 0/3000) (Traits: Wind and Thunder Breath, Heart Archery)
"Heart Archery?" Jiang Ning murmured.
He quickly looked at the description on the panel.
[Heart Archery]: Guided by the heart, shoot arrows that follow your will.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning was stunned again.
"Guided by the heart?" His brow furrowed slightly, and a look of confusion flashed in his eyes.
He then thought to himself, "Let's give it a try!"
Immediately.
A white light flashed in Jiang Ning's hand, and an arrow appeared.
He drew the bowstring.
Twang
As he released the bowstring, the arrow shot through the air, disappearing into the night in an instant.
But at this moment, Jiang Ning's eyes widened slightly, revealing a look of surprise.
Because as the arrow flew, he suddenly saw another perspective the perspective of the arrow itself.
From this perspective, he could see everything ahead.
Time seemed to slow down.
Suddenly.
The arrow's speed remained unchanged, still easily breaking the sound barrier, but Jiang Ning noticed that the arrow's direction shifted slightly according to his will.
The deviation wasn't large.
But over a distance of several li (about 1.5 kilometers), even a slight deviation could result in a huge difference.
Then, Jiang Ning willed another change.
The arrow, which had been flying over the lake a li away, suddenly veered downward and plunged into the water.
As the arrow entered the water, its speed drastically decreased.
Splash
Only after Jiang Ning's will guide it did the arrow pierce through a half-zhang-long (about 1.5 meters) fish, finally losing its momentum.
Withdrawing his focus, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel amazed.
Although the effect seemed simple, it brought him unexpected joy.
Heart Archery was essentially the equivalent of sword control in fantasy novels a way to kill enemies from a distance.
An arrow that could change direction was entirely different from one that couldn't.
Once an arrow was shot, its direction was set.
Such archery was only effective for sneak attacks, especially in broad daylight.
Even with a range of several li, no matter how fast the arrow was, it would still take a couple of breaths to reach its target.
In such a situation, as long as the target noticed, they could easily dodge by moving a single step.
Subsequent arrows would have almost no chance of hitting the enemy.
For example, with just one breath, Jiang Ning could cover a distance of over ten zhang (about 30 meters).
With such a gap, as long as someone was on guard during the day, it would be impossible for them to be hit by an arrow from a distance.
Distance and speed could easily allow someone to dodge arrows shot from afar.
But now, things were different.
With Heart Archery.
Jiang Ning could use his will to guide the arrow, changing its direction in mid-air without affecting its speed or power.
In this way, the true terror of archery could be fully displayed.
Given an open space, one person with a bow could easily suppress dozens of opponents of equal strength. Showing your head meant death.
Under the guidance of Heart Archery, it would be extremely difficult to avoid his deadly arrows.
With Heart Archery, the true horror of archery would be fully realized.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of joy.
If he had mastered Heart Archery that night when he attacked Liu Linmen.
Liu Linmen wouldn't have been able to handle it so easily.
Forget about charging at him Liu Linmen would have been lucky to escape unscathed.
An arrow following a fixed trajectory could be called a dead thing.
But an arrow guided by Heart Archery could be called a living thing, guided by his will.
Once an arrow gained the vitality of a living being, its lethality became truly deadly.
Even the so-called sword control techniques couldn't compare to the terror of his Wind and Thunder Archery now.
In the next moment.
Jiang Ning drew his bow again.
The longbow in his hand was easily drawn to full draw.
Wind and Thunder energy silently infused the arrow.
Twang
The arrow left the bowstring, breaking the sound barrier.
In an instant, it disappeared into the night, only losing its supersonic momentum after flying four li (about 2 kilometers).
It then traveled another two li before its momentum gradually faded, and it plunged into the lake.
With Heart Archery, Jiang Ning could see where the arrow was, even in the vast darkness of the lake.
His second perspective synchronized with the arrow's flight.
"This arrow is about 20-30% more powerful than before the second limit break! My strength has improved by at least another level."
Jiang Ning put away his bow and murmured to himself.
Then.
Boom
He lightly kicked the ground, sending gravel flying as he leaped toward the lake like a great bird spreading its wings.
In mid-air, the wind over the lake rushed against his robes, creating a gliding effect as he smoothly descended.
Boom
As he landed on the lake's surface.
He stomped hard with one foot, causing the water to explode. The reaction force instantly counteracted the kinetic energy from his high jump.
Then, Jiang Ning walked on the waves, swiftly heading toward the shore.
By now, the night was deep, and the moon hung high in the sky.
It was time for him to return and sleep.
He had tried before sleeping at night was the best way to deeply relax and recover his body's condition.
No other method could replace the benefits of sleep.
So even at this level, no matter how good his physical condition was, he still maintained a nightly sleep routine.
It was both a pleasure and the greatest aid to his body.
Arriving at the shore, Jiang Ning secretly observed his residence.
Sensing the safe and sound presence of his elder brother, sister-in-law, Little Doubao, and Jiang Yiming inside, Jiang Ning felt relieved and left.
These past few days, he had checked on his elder brother's family every night before leaving.
Not staying here for the time being was the greatest protection he could offer them.
If he stayed here, and Liu Linmen came knocking one night, it would be truly dangerous.
No one knew better than him that he was the one who had attacked Liu Linmen that night.
Moreover, that night, the Yellow Heaven Sect's Earth King had found him and placed a mark on him that he still couldn't detect.
As Lin Qingyi had said, even if Liu Linmen didn't yet know that he was the culprit, as soon as Liu Linmen used his Heaven's Eye on him, he would discover the mark left by the Earth King.
Once that happened, the truth would come out, and conflict between him and Liu Linmen would be inevitable.
If conflict arose, the greatest danger would fall on his elder brother's family, who were still ordinary people.
That's why Jiang Ning had chosen not to stay at home but to lodge at Xie Xiaojiu's residence instead.
As long as Liu Linmen couldn't find him, it was unlikely he would be able to determine who the culprit was that night!
After all, the Earth King's soul had been injured by Lin Qingyi when it found him.
Soul injuries were urgent, and the Earth King might not have had time to inform Liu Linmen about who was responsible.
It was precisely because of this consideration that Jiang Ning had taken these actions.
Based on the discoveries of the past few days, Jiang Ning was almost certain that his earlier guess was correct.
Liu Linmen, the Yellow Heaven Sect's incense master, truly didn't know who the culprit was.
Over the past few days, according to reports, Liu Linmen had visited two commanders at a frequency of once every two days.
He was secretly investigating.
That's why Jiang Ning couldn't appear at his residence now.
As long as he didn't show up and nothing happened, Liu Linmen wouldn't dare to take drastic action against his elder brother's family.
His official status as a deputy commander couldn't be ignored.
As an eighth-rank deputy commander with real authority, he could mobilize dozens of ninth-rank martial artists under his command and even request assistance from the troops stationed outside the city.
In this regard, unless Liu Linmen had completely lost his mind, he wouldn't dare to harm Jiang Ning's elder brother's family before anything happened to Jiang Ning himself.
That's why Jiang Ning hadn't hidden them away.
Moreover, even if he wanted to hide them, there was no place to do so.
Outside Luoshui County, he had no connections, no resources, and no network.
That would only make things more dangerous.
Besides, if he made them leave, it would be like announcing his guilt.
It would only put them in greater danger.
After considering all these factors, Jiang Ning chose to disappear himself, appearing only at the Inspection Bureau during the day for official duties and lodging at Xie Xiaojiu's residence at night.
By making it impossible for Liu Linmen to find him, he could buy more time to further improve his strength.
The stronger his strength, the greater his confidence!
Now, Jiang Ning's confidence was far greater than it had been a few days ago.
But he also knew it wasn't enough.
A fifth-rank internal strength expert wasn't so simple. With the various techniques he had mastered now, if he rashly confronted such an opponent, even self-preservation would be difficult, let alone completely resolving this hidden threat.
Xie Residence.
Tap, tap
Xie Xiaojiu heard two light knocks on the window and immediately looked over.
"Sir?"
"It's me!"
Hearing Jiang Ning's familiar voice, Xie Xiaojiu's anxious heart finally settled.
Normally, Jiang Ning would have returned by this time.
But tonight, he was later than usual, which had made her mind wander.
She knew a little about why Jiang Ning was staying at her place to avoid something or someone.
That's why she had been feeling uneasy.
Only now, hearing Jiang Ning's familiar voice, did she finally feel at ease.
Then.
Xie Xiaojiu got out of bed, went to the window, and opened it. Jiang Ning climbed through the window and entered her room.
"Sir, you're back so late. Did something happen?" Xie Xiaojiu closed the window to keep out the cold wind, then looked at Jiang Ning with concern.
"Don't worry. I just had a breakthrough today, so it took a bit longer," Jiang Ning said casually.
"Sir, you had another breakthrough?" Xie Xiaojiu's eyes sparkled, and a look of joy appeared on her face.
She didn't doubt the truth of Jiang Ning's words.
Over the past few days, spending time with Jiang Ning day and night, she had noticed some changes in him.
His strength was far beyond what she could match.
The more talented she was, the more she understood how terrifying Jiang Ning's abilities were.
His overflowing talent made her feel utterly outmatched.
Xie Xiaojiu knew she would never have a chance to catch up to Jiang Ning in her lifetime.
But she didn't feel jealous. Instead, she felt genuine happiness.
"A small gain," Jiang Ning said with a smile, seeing the bright look in Xie Xiaojiu's eyes.
Then he took off his outer robe, and Xie Xiaojiu immediately took it from him, hanging it on a nearby clothes rack.
Her actions were as natural as a wife tending to her husband returning home.
"Sir, would you like to bathe tonight? I've prepared hot water in advance."
"No, it's a bit late," Jiang Ning shook his head.
Then he went to the simple wooden bed set up nearby.
This was his new bed.
Jiang Ning had insisted on not taking over Xie Xiaojiu's bed, so she had no choice but to set up a simple bed for him.
This new bed, with Xie Xiaojiu's careful preparation, was also very soft and warm.
As Jiang Ning sat on the bed and bent down to take off his shoes.
"Sir, let me do it!"
Xie Xiaojiu knelt, her long skirt covering her ankles and spreading softly on the wooden floor.
She removed Jiang Ning's shoes and socks, then turned and left.
A moment later, she returned with a basin of hot water.
"Sir, wash your feet before going to bed."
"Just put it down. I'll do it," Jiang Ning said.
"Sir, rest. I'll take care of it," Xie Xiaojiu knelt, placed the basin down, and smiled up at Jiang Ning.
She then took Jiang Ning's feet and placed them in the basin.
"Is the water temperature okay?" Xie Xiaojiu looked up at Jiang Ning, using her pinky to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
Jiang Ning looked at her and couldn't help but smile.
"It's perfect."
As he spoke, Jiang Ning gently ruffled Xie Xiaojiu's hair.
At this moment, Jiang Ning suddenly felt a warm and comforting sensation.
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