Inspector's Office.
Early the next morning.
Jiang Ning was leisurely flipping through a martial arts manual in his courtyard.
This manual was the mid-level martial art, Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique, which he had exchanged for contribution points at the Internal Affairs Office the previous day.
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[...]
Time passed quietly.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Jiang Ning closed the manual and closed his eyes, quietly digesting the information in his mind.
Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique.
According to the manual, this was a mid-level martial art.
When mastered, the arrows would summon wind and thunder.
The arrow would fly first, followed by the wind and thunder.
This was the sign of mastery. At the peak of perfection, it was said that a single arrow could summon wind and thunder.
However, the manual didn't explain how to summon wind and thunder or what exactly wind and thunder were.
After a while, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and walked into the courtyard.
He had prepared a strong bow and arrows the day before, intending to practice archery.
The reason for practicing archery was simple.
The Surging Waves Saber Technique was easy to level up, with high efficiency.
It was much simpler than leveling up skills like Inner Alchemy Cultivation Technique, Five Animals Fist, or Indestructible Vajra Body.
So, he wanted to test whether archery skills could also level up so efficiently.
Moreover, practicing archery was necessary.
Archery was a useful skill, whether for defeating stronger opponents or for long-range attacks and ambushes.
Especially for someone like him. If it rained heavily and the world turned dark, who could stop his arrows from miles away?
And who could find him?
Cao Rong was an exceptional archer, and Jiang Ning couldn't afford to underestimate him.
After all, you can't guard against a thief forever.
The best strategy was to take the initiative.
If Cao Rong took the initiative to seek revenge, Jiang Ning wasn't afraid for himself.
But what about his family?
In the courtyard.
Jiang Ning slowly drew the strong bow in his hands.
When the bowstring was halfway drawn, he released his fingers.
Twang
The air cracked as the arrow shot through the air.
Boom
The arrow struck a wooden stake, shattering it. The arrow continued its flight, embedding itself into the wall behind.
In an instant, rubble flew everywhere.
When the arrow finally stopped, it shattered into pieces, leaving a fist-sized hole in the wall.
"The power of archery is indeed formidable!" Jiang Ning sighed softly.
[Skill]: Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique (Uninitiated 1/10)
"It works! The experience gained is indeed simple!"
Seeing this on his status panel, he felt a surge of joy.
Then, he tried again, casually drawing the bow and shooting.
The arrow flew about ten meters before weakly hitting a tree trunk.
[Skill]: Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique (Uninitiated 1/10)
"Indeed, I can't cheat the system like this," Jiang Ning thought to himself after glancing at his status panel.
After packing up, he grabbed a few quivers of arrows and headed out of the Inspector's Office.
"Sir, where are you going?"
"To the lake to practice archery. If anything comes up, find me at the rocky beach near my house!"
"Yes, sir!"
Xie Xiaojiu responded, watching Jiang Ning's retreating figure.
At the rocky beach.
Jiang Ning looked at the hundreds of arrows in front of him, feeling excited.
With these arrows, his Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique would surely improve rapidly.
To ensure the technique reached perfection quickly, he had prepared many arrows and several bows in his storage ring.
The lakeside was the best place for him to practice archery.
As long as he drew the bow and shot, he could gain experience in the Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique.
This action, aside from tiring his hands, wasn't difficult.
As for the fatigue, it was simple. As long as he was in the water, he could quickly recover from any physical discomfort.
In this way, he entered a state of perpetual motion.
Then, Jiang Ning began to draw the bow and shoot.
Twang
Twang
Twang
With each twang of the bowstring, he saw a point of experience added to his Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique.
[Skill]: Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique (Initiated 0/100)
Seeing that the archery skill had been initiated, Jiang Ning felt even more motivated.
In the blink of an eye, a short while later.
Jiang Ning already felt a burning pain in his fingers from drawing the bowstring, and his arms felt heavy and fatigued.
The muscles in his arms were also sore.
[Skill]: Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique (Initiated 33/100)
"After drawing the bow over forty times at this intensity, I've almost reached my body's limit! No wonder archers have always been elite soldiers, and no wonder master archers are so rare!"
Jiang Ning sighed to himself.
Then, with a leap, he plunged into the water.
As he soaked in the lake, he felt the discomfort in his body quickly fade away.
"This effect is incredible!"
He silently praised the water's restorative properties.
Then, he opened his status panel.
[Source Energy]: 201.7
[Skills]:
Firewood Chopping Saber Technique+ (Fourth Breakthrough: 5000/5000) (Traits: Versatility, Swift as the Wind, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber)
Water Affinity+ (Fourth Breakthrough: 5000/5000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control)
His Source Energy points had once again exceeded 200.
Both the Firewood Chopping Saber Technique and Water Affinity skills now showed the familiar plus sign, indicating that he could choose to break through one of them.
Since seeing the Source Energy points on his status panel this morning, he had been thinking.
Should he choose to break through the Firewood Chopping Saber Technique or the Water Affinity skill?
Now, soaking in the lake, he made his decision.
In the next moment, Jiang Ning focused his mind.
The Source Energy points on his status panel began to decrease like flowing water.
In an instant, he felt as if he had merged with the entire body of water. His consciousness expanded in all directions, and the surrounding area within a mile of water entered his mind.
A short while later, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and immediately looked at his status panel.
[Source Energy]: 1.7
The original 200+ Source Energy points had now dwindled to just 1.7.
[Skill]: Water Affinity (Fifth Breakthrough: 6000/6000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control, Water Spirit Body)
[Water Spirit Body]: A special constitution, naturally attuned to water.
Seeing this description, Jiang Ning frowned slightly.
The explanation on the panel didn't provide any useful information.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ning focused his mind again.
In an instant, the same feeling returned.
It was as if he had activated a god's perspective, with the entire area of water within a mile radius entering his mind.
"In the water, my perception has greatly improved. This must be the effect of the Water Spirit Body," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Then, he raised his fingers slightly.
With a thought.
Splash
The previously calm water around him began to churn.
A massive water dragon formed within the water, circling him.
After experimenting for a while, Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction.
"My water manipulation ability has also improved!"
Then, he closed his eyes again.
Above Luo River, the clouds began to churn, and dark clouds gathered.
Boom
A thunderous roar echoed in the sky.
In the residential area by the Luo River, shouts began to rise.
"It's going to rain! Go home and bring in the laundry!"
"It's raining! Bring in the laundry!"
"..."
For a moment, various shouts filled the air.
On the other side.
Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.
As he did, the churning clouds above seemed to lose their supporting force.
Not a single drop of rain fell, and the clouds quickly dissipated, revealing clear skies.
"The range of my cloud and rain summoning has roughly doubled," Jiang Ning murmured to himself.
Then, he added, "These changes must be due to the Water Spirit Body. I wonder if there are other benefits to this trait."
After feeling the changes in his body, Jiang Ning glanced at his status panel again.
[Source Energy]: 1.7
[Skill]: Water Affinity (Fifth Breakthrough: 6000/6000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control, Water Spirit Body)
"Only 1.7 Source Energy points left, but the experience for the Water Affinity skill has already reached the 6000-point cap."
"If I'm not mistaken, the sixth breakthrough will require a full 500 Source Energy points."
"The gap in Source Energy points is even bigger now!"
"Sigh!" Jiang Ning sighed as he looked at his status panel.
After resting in the lake for a while, Jiang Ning waited until his body was fully recovered. He then rose from the water, his feet still submerged, and continued to draw the bow and shoot arrows to increase his Wind and Thunder Arrow Technique experience.
With part of his body submerged in the lake, he no longer felt any physical discomfort from continuously drawing the bow and shooting.
By the time it was mid-morning.
Jiang Ning had half his body submerged in the lake and began his breathing and energy cultivation technique, facing the rising sun.
Being in the water, the burns in his internal organs were constantly healing.
This made his efficiency at least ten times higher than that of an ordinary person, if not more.
Without the healing properties of the water spirit, absorbing a single strand of the sun's essence at this time would have burned his internal organs.
With such burns, without the aid of miraculous medicines, relying solely on his body's natural recovery, he might only be able to perform the cultivation once a day.
But yesterday, he had completed thirty-three cycles of cultivation, increasing his internal breath by thirty-three strands.
By the lakeside, Jiang Ning entered a rigorous training routine.
Meanwhile, Luoshui County was anything but calm.
With the entire Cao family imprisoned, the news spread throughout the city after a day of fermentation.
The Green Snake Gang had also lost all its territory and strongholds in a single day.
The elite members of the gang were either dead, injured, or had fled.
In a single day, the once-mighty Green Snake Gang had vanished.
The previous balance of power among the three major gangs had now shifted to a standoff between the two remaining gangs, both vying to carve up the spoils left by the Green Snake Gang.
On the other side.
Cloud Inn.
Heavenly Room.
"Sect Master, these are all the recent updates I've gathered about Jiang Ning!" A disciple of the Medicine King Valley reported all of Jiang Ning's recent activities to the man with slightly graying temples in front of him.
This man with graying temples was the Valley Master of the Medicine King Valley.
A prominent figure in Dongling County.
A peak fifth-grade martial artist.
Such a powerhouse could condense internal breath into blade-like energy.
A single breath could slay a thousand soldiers.
A single sword strike could split mountains and valleys.
Compared to a newly advanced fifth-grade martial artist, the difference was like heaven and earth.
"Elder Gongsun, what do you think?" the man with graying temples asked.
Gongsun Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "How we deal with Jiang Ning is up to you, Sect Master. However, in my opinion, it's best not to provoke him."
"Not provoke him? But based on our speculation, our Medicine King Valley has already offended him!" The man with graying temples gazed into the distance and murmured, "Elder Liu Qingsong was undoubtedly killed by him."
Then, he continued, "The Cao family had a feud with him, and two days ago, he led a team to raid their home, leaving no survivors. This kind of person worries me."
"Then what does the Sect Master suggest?" Gongsun Yu asked hesitantly.
The man with graying temples fell silent.
After a while, he glanced at the Hidden Dragon Ranking in front of him.
"Hidden Dragon Ranking, 83rd! Based on his performance at the Cao family two days ago, we've underestimated him."
"Indeed, we have," Gongsun Yu agreed.
The man with graying temples continued, "To kill an incense master of the God Worship Cult, and one who had mastered the divine form, regardless of the circumstances, he is at least worthy of being in the top 50 of the Human Ranking."
"At this age, top 50 in the Human Ranking!"
"If we truly offend him, our Medicine King Valley will be in danger in the future."
"Then what does the Sect Master suggest?" Gongsun Yu asked again.
The man with graying temples fell silent once more.
After a while, he said, "For now, we'll make no decision and wait to see how things unfold. I want to see how he handles Cao Rong's retaliation."
"If he can survive Cao Rong's revenge, then I'll visit him and extend an olive branch."
"Besides, his elder brother's arm is injured. When the time comes, I'll go out of my way to heal his arm."
Hearing this, Gongsun Yu immediately said, "The Sect Master is wise!"
Two days later.
Dongling City.
Military Camp.
Boom
"What did you say?" Cao Rong slammed the wooden table in front of him, shattering it into pieces. He stood up, furious.
"Deputy Cao, this is true! Moreover, Commander Yan just received a notice from the Inspector's Office, demanding that he hand over the Cao family members to Luoshui County for trial!"
Hearing this, Cao Rong's expression changed drastically.
He immediately asked, "What did Commander Yan say?"
"Commander Yan naturally refused! Our military won't let the Inspector's Office dictate to us!"
Hearing this, Cao Rong breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, as if remembering something, he asked his deputy, "Deputy Jin, is the Black Wind Army currently roaming the mountains near Luoshui County?"
Deputy Jin nodded immediately. "Indeed, they are!"
Hearing this confirmation, Cao Rong's expression became thoughtful.
Then, he added, "Deputy Jin, could you help me find out how the Inspector's Office plans to deal with my family members?"
"No problem!" Deputy Jin patted his chest and continued, "I've already found out. Since the Cao family members were involved with the God Worship Cult and the evidence is solid, they will be publicly executed in the market square in one month!"
"One month? So soon?" Cao Rong frowned.
"Very soon!" Deputy Jin said. "So, if you want to do something, you need to act quickly. Commander Yan told me that if you need help, he can assist you in reaching the sixth grade as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Cao Rong's eyes lit up.
He immediately understood that Commander Yan was using him as a pawn to undermine the Inspector's Office's authority.
If he succeeded and saved his family, it would deal a significant blow to the Inspector's Office's prestige.
If he failed, all the blame would fall on him.
After pondering for a moment, he nodded. "Understood!"
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