Under the moonlight.
Splash
Water splashed in the pool as a figure emerged from the lake.
It was Jiang Ning.
"Excellent!!" Jiang Ning clenched his fist excitedly, feeling the surging power within him.
He could sense that his ability to channel strength throughout his body had become much smoother than before.
This indicated that the toughness of his tendons had significantly improved.
"At this rate, it won't be long before I truly step into the seventh grade of martial arts."
"Normally, when one first reaches the seventh grade, they can unleash 30% more force than at the peak of the eighth grade."
"With an additional 30% strength, I believe I can hold my own against most seventh-grade martial artists."
At this thought, Jiang Ning couldn't help but recall the scene of Cao Rong's attack that day.
The arrow pierced through the air, briefly creating a sonic boom.
"Cao Rong is indeed terrifying!"
"Hong Minghu wants me to lead the operation to wipe out the Cao family. This will undoubtedly provoke Cao Rong to retaliate with everything he has."
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning frowned slightly.
"This is troublesome. I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible!"
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
By the banks of the Luo River.
Snap
Jiang Ning casually flicked his arm, which whipped through the air like a long whip, producing a crisp sound.
"Flicking my fist like a whip I've officially reached the seventh grade of martial arts!!"
Jiang Ning's face lit up with joy.
He had only used half of the ox tendon powder, yet he had already reached the seventh grade, where his tendons were as tough as an ox's.
Reaching this level meant he had officially entered a new realm of martial arts.
Immediately, Jiang Ning clenched his fist, feeling the energy circulating and gathering within his body.
In the next moment.
Boom
He threw a punch, and the energy surged out like a flood.
The punch landed in mid-air, producing a thunderous sound.
"Still not enough," Jiang Ning shook his head slightly.
With this punch, he could feel the air becoming almost tangible before his fist.
However, it still wasn't enough to create a sonic boom.
This meant his punch still fell short of the power of Cao Rong's arrow.
Recalling that scene, Jiang Ning's expression became thoughtful. "It seems Cao Rong is indeed extraordinary. His archery skills are remarkable!"
"His bow and arrows are also unusual."
"Archers are truly formidable threats."
"Perhaps I should also try learning archery!"
With this thought, Jiang Ning glanced at his status panel.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 237.6
[Skills]:
Literacy (Second Breakthrough: 2955/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses)
Five Animals Fist (First Breakthrough: 413/2000) (Trait: Essence Stored in the Five Organs)
Firewood Chopping Saber Technique+ (Fourth Breakthrough: 5000/5000) (Traits: Versatility, Swift as the Wind, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber)
Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Proficient: 1977/2000)
Surging Waves Saber Technique (Advanced: 67/1000)
Indestructible Vajra Body (Intermediate: 453/5000)
Water Affinity+ (Fourth Breakthrough: 5000/5000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control)
Over the past few days, his Source Energy had increased, reaching 237.6.
With Source Energy now exceeding 200 points, and both the Firewood Chopping Saber Technique and Water Affinity skills fully maxed out, he could choose to undergo a fifth breakthrough for either.
However, Jiang Ning had no plans to spend his Source Energy on these skills.
The Literacy skill was on the verge of another breakthrough.
According to Feng Jiuge, once Literacy broke through again, he would be able to use the so-called Sumeru Ring.
This was the priority for his Source Energy.
Currently, his Source Energy is running low.
To achieve the fifth breakthrough for Water Affinity, he needed 200 Source Energy points, and the same went for the Firewood Chopping Saber Technique.
These two skills alone would require over 160 Source Energy points.
Not to mention, Literacy was also approaching its third breakthrough, which would require another 50 points.
"The Source Energy deficit is quite large," Jiang Ning sighed inwardly as he looked at his status panel.
Then, his gaze shifted downward.
[Skill]: Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Proficient: 1977/2000)
"Fortunately, the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique is of a high enough level that reaching the stage of condensing internal breath doesn't require Source Energy."
The Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique was now at a critical juncture.
Today, this technique would undoubtedly break through to the intermediate level.
At the intermediate level, the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique would allow him to generate internal breath within his body.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of excitement.
Mastering internal breath would bring about a qualitative leap in his strength.
In his opinion, this improvement might even surpass the boost he gained from reaching the seventh grade of martial arts.
After all, internal breath was a power typically mastered by fifth-grade martial artists.
Only by mastering internal breath could one truly be considered a fifth-grade expert.
Jiang Ning then glanced up at the sun.
The sun had long passed its early morning phase, and its rays were now intense and scorching.
The temperature was steadily rising.
This meant that the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) was approaching.
"Soon," Jiang Ning muttered to himself.
Once the hour of Chen arrived, it would be time for him to practice the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique and absorb the essence of the sun.
With that, he put aside other thoughts and picked up a miscellaneous book to read.
[The Travels of Qingwei Zhenren]
This book recounted the travels of a Taoist master, Qingwei Zhenren, who journeyed across the nine provinces, the southern lands of demons, and even the three islands of the Eastern Sea and the eighty-one islands of the starry seas.
Although it was a miscellaneous book, Jiang Ning read it with great focus.
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[...]
As time passed, his Literacy experience continued to grow.
Compared to before, Jiang Ning noticed that his efficiency in reading books had significantly improved.
This led to a faster accumulation of experience.
With Literacy on the verge of another breakthrough, he couldn't help but feel eager.
According to his deduction, the moment Literacy broke through again, he would be able to use the Sumeru Ring.
About an hour later.
[Skill]: Literacy (Second Breakthrough: 2966/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses)
After glancing at the status panel, Jiang Ning closed it.
He sat cross-legged, facing the direction of the rising sun.
With each breath, his internal organs felt as if they were being scorched by the sun's true fire.
[Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique Experience +1]
[Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique Experience +1]
[Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique Experience +1]
[...]
As time passed, the experience for the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique inched closer to the 3000-point threshold.
The sun rose higher in the sky.
[Skill]: Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Proficient: 1999/2000)
During a pause in his breathing, Jiang Ning glanced at the status panel.
A flash of excitement crossed his mind.
He suppressed his emotions and continued to absorb the essence of the sun.
A moment later.
[Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique Experience +2]
With this notification, the status panel suddenly changed.
[Skill]: Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Intermediate: 1/5000)
In an instant, Jiang Ning felt a wave of relief wash over his entire body.
It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and his internal organs felt incredibly light.
At the same time, his blood surged like a river, the sound of its flow audible.
In a matter of moments, his blood had completed a full cycle through his body.
At this moment, Jiang Ning felt the first wisp of energy, like spring rain, emerge within his internal organs.
This wisp of energy silently passed through his organs and settled in a spot three inches below his navel.
"This must be the so-called dantian," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
He then focused inward.
Although he had attempted internal observation countless times before, he had never been able to locate the dantian.
But this time was different.
Guided by that wisp of internal breath, Jiang Ning instantly sensed the location of his dantian three inches below his navel.
At the same time, he saw the wisp of internal breath, like a cloud of smoke, within his dantian.
"Is this internal breath?" Jiang Ning looked at the wisp of energy in his dantian, feeling a surge of joy.
In the next moment, he opened his eyes.
With a flick of his finger, he felt the wisp of internal breath appear at his fingertip.
At his will.
Sss
The air stirred slightly as the nearly invisible wisp of internal breath shot out from his fingertip.
It pierced into the ground in front of him.
A row of grass was cleanly cut.
Jiang Ning then dug into the soil and shook his head slightly.
"Indeed, without reaching the level of true energy, the power of internal breath diminishes rapidly once it leaves the body."
After a few more breaths, Jiang Ning felt the wisp of internal breath in his dantian had fully recovered.
He then conducted another experiment.
Gathering the wisp of internal breath at his fingertip, he lightly tapped a rock in front of him.
Instantly, his finger sank three inches into the stone.
"Truly formidable!" Jiang Ning's eyes shone with amazement.
After all, no matter how strong his body was, it was still made of flesh and blood, lacking the sharpness of a blade.
But with internal breath, his finger became as sharp and tough as metal.
And this was just the effect of a single wisp of internal breath.
After another hour or so, Jiang Ning continued to experiment with the wisp of internal breath.
The results matched the descriptions in the books.
Internal breath was incredibly versatile. Wherever it was directed, it greatly enhanced that part of the body.
For example, when applied to his legs, it could drastically increase his speed.
Although it only lasted for an instant.
But this was with just a single wisp of internal breath.
If applied to his fists, it could unleash even stronger and more explosive punches.
Even a branch, when infused with internal breath, could briefly become as tough as a weapon.
Moreover, internal breath also could heal wounds and accelerate recovery.
"No wonder fifth-grade martial artists are considered true powerhouses! With just a single wisp of internal breath, the effects are so profound. A top-tier fifth-grade expert, as long as their internal breath isn't exhausted, can't be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of lower-grade opponents!" Jiang Ning couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of internal breath.
Then, he glanced up at the sun and down at the shadows around him, quickly estimating the time.
The hour of Si (9-11 AM) was approaching.
To advance the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique from intermediate to advanced, he needed to absorb the essence of the sun during the hour of Si.
The sun's essence during this time was even more intense, placing greater strain on his internal organs but also providing a more potent refining effect.
A short while later.
The hour of Si arrived.
Jiang Ning faced the sun once more, swallowing a protective pill left by Shen Congyun, and began to absorb the sun's essence.
With each breath, he felt the fierce and domineering essence of the sun enter his body through his nostrils.
Boom
The moment this essence entered his body, it felt like a raging fire scorching his internal organs. Even the cooling effect of the protective pill was like a drop in the ocean, unable to counteract the intense heat.
In an instant, overwhelming pain spread through his organs.
After what felt like an eternity dozens of breaths later.
[Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique Experience +1]
Whoosh
Jiang Ning exhaled a stream of scorching air.
If someone were to place their hand near his nose at this moment, they would feel that the air he exhaled was hot enough to burn ordinary skin.
"The essence of the sun is truly terrifying!" Jiang Ning opened his eyes, frowning deeply as he sighed.
He could feel that even with the strength of his internal organs, the intense heat from the sun's essence had caused significant damage.
In this state, it would be unwise to attempt another round of sun essence absorption anytime soon.
Then, his expression relaxed.
"Two wisps of internal breath!" A hint of joy appeared on his face.
[Skill]: Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Intermediate: 2/5000)
After checking his status panel, Jiang Ning nodded thoughtfully.
"It seems that absorbing one wisp of the sun's essence increases the Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique's experience by one point."
"At the same time, it also adds one more wisp of internal breath to my dantian."
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ning leaped to his feet.
Splash
He plunged into the water.
Submerged in the lake, Jiang Ning felt a deep sense of contentment.
His condition was rapidly recovering to its peak, and the cooling sensation soothed the damage to his internal organs, aiding their recovery.
"While my body recovers, I can practice my saber techniques. With the support of internal breath, I should be able to withstand the explosive force of nine layers of energy!"
With this thought, Jiang Ning wasted no time.
He leaped out of the water, grabbed his saber from the rocky shore, and plunged back in.
[Surging Waves Saber Technique Experience +1]
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[Surging Waves Saber Technique Experience +1]
[...]
Feeling the triple benefits of improving his saber technique, water affinity, and internal breath Jiang Ning felt even more motivated.
Two hours passed in a flash.
Splash
A figure leaped out of the water and landed on the lake's surface.
By now, even after multiple rounds of absorbing the sun's essence, Jiang Ning's body had fully recovered to its peak condition.
[Skills]:
Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Intermediate: 33/5000)
Surging Waves Saber Technique (Advanced: 151/1000)
"Thirty-three experience points, thirty-three wisps of internal breath! I believe my current strength is now on par with Wang Jin's!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.
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