[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 2.0
[Skills]:
Literacy (First Breakthrough 654/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)
Five Animals Fist (Proficient 88/500)
Firewood Chopping Sword Technique (First Breakthrough 1783/2000) (Trait: Cross-Application)
Internal Elixir Cultivation Technique (Beginner 32/1000)
Canglang Sword Technique (Proficient 0/200)
Jiang Ning looked at the changes on his panel.
In just one day, his Source Energy had increased from 0.1 to 2.0, a growth of 1.9 points.
This level of growth would have taken him nearly five days before, and before he started practicing martial arts, it would have taken him almost half a month to achieve such an increase.
The price he paid for this was consuming one and a half ginseng roots in a single day.
In terms of market value, this was equivalent to spending nearly twenty taels of silver in one day.
Apart from this change, the most significant change was in his Canglang Sword Technique.
In just one day, this sword technique had gone from not even being at the beginner level to reaching the proficient level.
If Master Wang were to find out about this efficiency, it would shock him to death.
If the world were to know, they would be astounded and regard him as a prodigy.
Regarding this, Jiang Ning had no intention of telling anyone, including his master, Wang Jin.
Outstanding talent could earn him attention and cultivation.
But such efficiency couldn't be explained by mere talent alone.
At least, that's how Jiang Ning saw it.
In his opinion, revealing this might bring some benefits, but the potential drawbacks could be greater, possibly even inviting disaster.
Master Wang's attention and care for him were already substantial.
He couldn't expect Master Wang to treat him like his own son.
He needed to keep some secrets to himself.
And the proficient-level Canglang Sword Technique was his trump card, his ultimate weapon for now.
Once he used this technique, it would be a life-or-death situation.
If before, when he had only mastered a single level of force, he wasn't entirely confident he could kill a martial artist who had achieved the martial rank, now Jiang Ning was confident.
If he unleashed the double force, a full-power strike would kill Xu Yunfeng with a single blow.
At this moment, feeling the vast, ocean-like force within him, Jiang Ning's confidence soared.
After a short rest, he began practicing his fist techniques.
From yesterday afternoon until now, aside from practicing the sword, he had done nothing but practice the sword. He hadn't even absorbed the Solar Essence after sunrise to increase his experience in the Internal Elixir Cultivation Technique.
Now that the Canglang Sword Technique had reached the proficient level, he could finally shift his focus to the Five Animals Fist.
Because further breakthroughs in the Canglang Sword Technique wouldn't bring him much additional benefit.
The most impressive aspect of this sword technique was the Ninefold Force. Each breakthrough in the sword technique allowed him to unleash more layers of force.
At the mastery level, a single strike could unleash the power of nine strikes combined.
This was the most powerful aspect of this sword technique.
But currently, his physique was too weak. Even unleashing a single force at the beginner level would tear his muscles and burst his blood vessels.
It was easy to imagine the strain that unleashing the double force would put on his body.
In Jiang Ning's view, with his current physique, even if he disregarded the consequences, he could at most unleash the power of two layers of force.
Any more, and his arm might explode before he could even strike.
Therefore, in the short term, continuing to grind experience points for the Canglang Sword Technique was meaningless to him.
Switching to focus on the Five Animals Fist was the way to go.
Strengthening his vital energy and physique was the foundation, the prerequisite for achieving the martial rank.
The Ninefold Force was more like a technique, an amplifier of his fundamental strength.
Only with a stronger physique could he unleash the full power of the Ninefold Force and achieve even greater combat effectiveness.
A sufficiently strong physique would also allow him to unleash the full power of the Ninefold Force without restraint.
Moreover, to truly resolve his current predicament, Jiang Ning believed he needed a powerful backer, a large tree that could shelter him from the storm.
He needed a rise in status to truly solve this dilemma.
Otherwise, even if he achieved the martial rank soon, what then?
Kill Xu Yunfeng, and there would still be Cao Bin. Kill Cao Bin, and he would incur the wrath of the entire Cao family, possibly even being hunted by the entire Great Xia Dynasty, living in constant fear.
The enemies would be endless. Kill the small ones, and the big ones will come. Kill the big ones, and the old ones will come. There would be no peace. This was not what he sought.
With this miraculous panel, he needed a large tree to shelter under, one that could give him enough time and safety.
In his view, only the Inspection Bureau, a power institution comparable to, if not surpassing, the Imperial Guards of his previous life, could provide this.
Joining the Inspection Bureau would mean gaining power.
With the Inspection Bureau as his backing, he would have the support of the Martial Sage and the Great Xia court. This was an influence, a massive background.
A truly safe background.
And to join it, he had less than three months.
Within this time, he needed to first refine his vital energy, reach the peak level, and connect it throughout his body.
Then, he needed to temper his skin and connect it throughout his body, achieving the ninth rank in martial arts.
Only then would he qualify to become a member of the Inspection Bureau, the highest authority.
Joining this powerful institution, in Jiang Ning's view, would naturally resolve his predicament.
"However..." Thinking of Xu Yunfeng, Jiang Ning clenched his fist. "However, I won't let go of those who deserve to be punished."
Wanhua Tower.
This tower was the most luxurious building in Luoshui County, glowing brilliantly every night, and also the tallest structure in the county.
From the top of Wanhua Tower, one could see the entire landscape of Luoshui County.
At this moment, in the top-floor pavilion, a man and a woman were present.
The man appeared to be in his early forties, with slightly graying temples.
This person was Shen Congyun, the deputy master of Wanhua Tower in Luoshui County.
In front of him stood a woman around twenty-eight years old.
"Master, here is the information you asked me to collect!" The woman slightly lowered her head and presented the documents tied with a yellow cloth strip to Shen Congyun.
"Call me Deputy Master!" Shen Congyun took the scroll from the woman and spoke indifferently.
"Yes, Deputy Master Shen..." The woman's tone was somewhat stiff.
"Remember next time, don't call me the wrong title again!" Shen Congyun said as he untied the yellow strip on the scroll, his eyes downcast.
"Yes, Deputy Master Shen!" The woman replied, then asked, "Should I take my leave now?"
"Dismissed!" Shen Congyun said without looking up.
As the woman left, only Shen Congyun remained in the pavilion.
Shen Congyun opened the scroll and began reading slowly.
After a while, his gaze moved to the bottom of the scroll.
"I miscalculated. This kid has only been practicing martial arts for a little over ten days, not several months!"
"This means that in just over ten days, this kid has reached the beginner level in the Internal Elixir Cultivation Technique, and without any external assistance. Just how high is his talent in this aspect?!"
Thinking this, a look of astonishment flashed in Shen Congyun's eyes.
Then, he continued to mutter to himself, "Such an outstanding innate spiritual genius, if placed in ancient times, would truly be an extraordinary figure!"
"But if the information about him is accurate born ordinary, yet reaching the proficient level in vital energy in just over ten days of martial arts training"
"With such outstanding martial talent, even in this era, and with the subsequent cultivation methods of the Internal Elixir Cultivation Technique, this kid is a true potential grandmaster!"
"This is a seedling more worthy of my attention than Wang Jin! After all, he is much younger than Wang Jin and has far greater growth potential!"
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