The next day.
As soon as Jiang Ning woke up, he checked his status panel.
[Source Energy]: 9.3
"Yesterday it was 6.8, and today it's 9.3."
"A daily increase of 2.5 points. Not bad, really not bad!"
Looking at the changes on his panel, Jiang Ning felt even more optimistic.
In the past few days, even with the temporary abundance of wild ginseng, his source energy had only been increasing by about two points per day.
But yesterday, after taking two additional Qi and Blood Pills, he gained over twenty strands of Qi and blood. This extra boost was equivalent to practicing his fist techniques seven or eight extra times in a single day.
Even with his already high efficiency in refining qi and blood, this was a significant improvement, increasing his rate of accumulating qi and blood by about twenty percent.
At the same time, it also brought him an additional increase in source energy.
In just one day, the energy he had consumed had increased his source energy by 2.5 points.
[Skills]:
Literacy (First Breakthrough 756/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)
Five Animals Fist (Minor Mastery 356/500)
Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (First Breakthrough 2000/2000) (Trait: Versatility)
Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique (Initial Stage 97/1000)
Canglang Blade Technique (Proficient 0/200)
After glancing at his panel again, Jiang Ning could see that his progress over the past day had been significant.
His Five Animals Fist had gained 82 experience points yesterday, bringing the total to 356. He was now just over a hundred points away from the 500 needed for the next level.
"In two more days, my Five Animals Fist will reach the mastery level," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
After washing up, he continued practicing his fist techniques in the courtyard.
As he diligently practiced, he could feel his qi and blood growing stronger and his physical strength increasing.
The two Qi and Blood Pills from yesterday had given him a pleasant surprise.
The two pills had provided him with a total of fifty strands of qi and blood, far exceeding Wang Jin's estimate of twenty strands per day.
The actual effect was more than double what had been predicted.
Jiang Ning had some guesses about why this was.
The enhancement of his internal organs' functions might have improved his absorption of the medicinal effects.
Two days later, at Chenshi (7-9 AM).
Jiang Ning stopped absorbing solar essence and opened his status panel.
[Source Energy]: 19.3
[Skills]:
Five Animals Fist (Minor Mastery 496/500)
Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique (Initial Stage 188/1000)
"I just need to practice my fist techniques two more times, and my Five Animals Fist will break through to the mastery level."
"So close! It's about to break through!"
Excitement flashed in his eyes.
Then, he stood up and began practicing his fist techniques.
In the courtyard, each move he made was powerful and precise, his movements stirring up gusts of wind.
At times, he was as agile and swift as a white ape; at other times, he was as light and graceful as a deer.
The fallen leaves on the ground were swept up by his rapid movements.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +2]
[Five Animals Fist Experience +2]
When the notifications appeared, Jiang Ning saw a sudden change on his panel.
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Mastery 0/1000)
In the next moment, a flood of insights about the Five Animals Fist poured into his mind.
At the same time, all the scenes of him practicing the techniques over the past few days flashed through his mind.
It felt like both an instant and an eternity had passed.
When Jiang Ning opened his eyes, a bright gleam shone in them.
"Finally, mastery!"
He then moved, instantly transforming into a blur as he darted forward.
In the small courtyard of forty square meters, his movements were unrestricted.
He moved like the wind, stirring up gusts as he went.
His body seemed to have no inertia or momentum, shifting left and right, up and down, making it difficult to track.
A moment later, Jiang Ning suddenly came to a stop, transitioning from motion to stillness. A hint of excitement appeared on his face.
"The mastery-level Five Animals Fist has not only greatly improved my explosive power, but also my agility and speed. I can move like the wind and transition seamlessly between motion and stillness."
"With this level of movement, I can handle ordinary ninth-rank martial artists."
Confidence flashed in his eyes.
With this level of movement, even if he couldn't defeat someone like Cao Bin, who had years of experience as a ninth-rank martial artist, he at least had the means to protect himself.
If he focused on escaping, combined with his stamina, he had a good chance of getting away.
Then, he thought of Cao Rong from a few days ago.
With a single motion of his arm, Cao Rong fired an arrow that broke the sound barrier, its speed surpassing that of sound.
Thinking of Cao Rong, Jiang Ning's sense of pride vanished completely.
"My strength is still far from enough. I need to enter the ranks of martial arts as soon as possible!"
"According to Wang Jin, Shen Congyun will be returning to the headquarters in Guangning Prefecture tomorrow morning to face punishment for violating Wanhua Tower's rules."
Knowing this, Jiang Ning felt a sense of urgency.
Once Shen Congyun left Luoshui County, his deterrence against the Cao family would greatly diminish.
So Jiang Ning couldn't afford to let his guard down.
After leaving his small courtyard, Jiang Ning arrived at the stone locks in the front yard of the martial hall.
He stood in front of the 400-jin stone lock.
Then, he gripped the cold iron of the stone lock with his left hand.
"Lift!" he shouted inwardly, tightening his muscles and exerting force.
In the next moment, the 400-jin stone lock left the ground and hung in the air.
Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile. "My left arm has 400 jin of strength!"
Boom
As he set the stone lock back on the ground, a dull thud echoed.
"My left arm has 400 jin of strength. I wonder if my right arm can lift the 500-jin stone lock."
With this thought in mind, he walked over to the 500-jin stone lock and gripped it with his right hand. He exerted all his strength, his face turning red.
After a moment, he exhaled and relaxed, shaking his head slightly.
"Still a bit far off!"
"500 jin of strength isn't so easy to achieve."
"But it's normal. After all, my qi and blood haven't even reached major mastery, let alone perfection!"
"The fact that I have 400 jin of strength is already thanks to the mastery of my Bear Fist and the repeated breakthroughs in my blade technique."
He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of qi and blood instantly flowing through his arms.
"Keep practicing. Now that I have the resources Wang Jin provided, I need to seize the opportunity to achieve perfection in qi and blood as soon as possible and enter the ranks of martial arts."
"Without reaching the ninth rank, I'm still too far behind, and I won't even qualify to pass the Inspection Bureau's assessment and join them."
Cao Residence
"Big brother, do you have to leave now?" Cao Bin followed behind Cao Rong.
Cao Rong had a strong bow slung across his back and a quiver hanging at his waist, containing seven arrows.
His steps were steady, and though his movements didn't seem fast, he was moving quickly because each step covered a much greater distance than an ordinary person's.
Each step was over a meter long.
Cao Rong said, "There's been an urgent military order from above. I need to return to report for duty. The Black Wind Army has recently moved into Dongling Prefecture. I need to go back and participate in their suppression."
"The Black Wind Army has come to Dongling Prefecture?" Cao Bin looked surprised.
"Yes, so make sure to instruct the merchant caravans to take a break for now. Also, send more people to guard the iron mine at Tieling Mountain," Cao Rong said.
"Understood, big brother!" Cao Bin quickly followed Cao Rong's steps and responded.
Cao Rong arrived at the stables and patted his steed.
Neigh
The warhorse stood over two meters tall, its coat glossy and its body robust.
Anyone who knew horses could tell that this was a truly excellent steed.
The horse nuzzled Cao Rong's head, and then Cao Rong mounted it.
Seeing this, Cao Bin quickly spoke up. "Big brother, what about Jiang Ning? I heard that Shen Congyun is about to leave for the headquarters in Guangning Prefecture to face punishment."
"Once he leaves, who knows how long it will be before he returns."
"Do I still need to bring gifts and apologize to that kid?"
Cao Rong thought for a moment, then said, "You decide for yourself!"
Cao Bin said, "Once Shen Congyun leaves, it could be a long time before he returns. Our Cao family has come this far. Why should we bow our heads and apologize to some commoner? I don't want to go."
Cao Rong nodded. "Not going is fine too! Since Wanhua Tower's headquarters is punishing Shen Congyun, he won't be returning to Luoshui County anytime soon."
"In a year or so, I should be able to advance to the sixth rank of martial arts."
Hearing this, Cao Bin's expression lit up with joy.
"Big brother, are you about to break through?"
Cao Rong said, "Almost! It could be as soon as six months or as long as a year or two, but I will reach the sixth rank. By then, my position will be promoted."
Hearing this, Cao Bin was overjoyed, and his confidence soared.
"Since that's the case, there's no need to apologize."
"You decide for yourself!" Cao Rong said. Just as he was about to spur his horse forward, he seemed to remember something.
He glanced at Cao Bin and said, "No matter what you do, don't go too far. Don't create a deadly feud. That kid is highly valued by Wang Jin, who was willing to break ties with us over him. There must be something special about him."
"At the same time, Shen Congyun was willing to risk so much to intervene on his behalf. That also says something."
"That kid has something extraordinary about him."
Cao Bin said, "Don't worry, big brother! I understand!"
Cao Rong gave him another look, then slapped the horse's back.
"Giddy up"
At his command, the warhorse understood and galloped out of the courtyard.
The sound of hooves echoed through the streets of Luoshui County in the early morning as Cao Rong rode along the wide roads of the inner city toward the city gates.
Cao Bin watched Cao Rong's departing figure and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
In the Cao family, Cao Rong wasn't the head of the household, but his words carried more weight than the family head's.
The Cao family's current status was largely due to Cao Rong's strength and position.
He had elevated the Cao family to a new level.
Because of this, Cao Bin always felt a natural sense of fear toward Cao Rong.
Then, a look of joy appeared in Cao Bin's eyes.
"Big brother is about to advance again, and Shen Congyun is about to leave. What do I have to worry about?"
Cao Bin's heart began to stir with ambition.
But then he remembered Cao Rong's words and shook his head.
"No! Big Brother is right. It's better not to provoke that kid."
"If Shen Congyun and that old man Wang Jin value him so highly, his martial talent must be exceptional."
With that, he suppressed the ambitious thoughts in his heart.
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