On the first day of the new year
After seeing off Xie Zhengtian, the head of the Xie family, Jiang Ning withdrew the two silver banknotes he had just received and handed them to Lü Yi, instructing him to make a trip to Wanhua Pavilion to purchase the two types of celestial treasures he needed.
Stargrass and Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart.
After making the necessary arrangements, he headed toward his eastern courtyard.
It was now Chen Hour (7-9 AM), and there was less than an hour left before Si Hour (9-11 AM) when he could absorb the essence of the Great Sun to advance his Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique.
In the blink of an eye
Si Hour arrived.
Jiang Ning sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in his courtyard, assuming the Five Hearts Toward the Heavens posture, and began practicing his breathing technique to absorb the Great Sun's essence.
With each breath in and out, the essence of the Great Sun entered his body through his nasal passages and into his internal organs.
[Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[...]
As he continued to practice his breathing and absorption technique, the experience points of his Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique steadily increased.
He could also feel strands of internal energy condensing and merging into his dantian, causing the internal energy within to grow even stronger. The raging river-like phenomenon inside him became even more powerful.
After two hours
Noon was approaching.
"Huff"
Jiang Ning slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, opened his eyes, and smiled with satisfaction.
Two hours of absorbing the Great Sun's essence had resulted in significant improvement in his strength.
The increase in his internal energy was especially noticeable.
[Total Experience Gained from Absorbing the Great Sun's Essence: 113 Points]
[Skill: Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique (Minor Achievement 1500/5000)]
"I've nearly reached a third of the way." Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction, closed his status panel, and stood up.
After finishing his short training session, he took a walk to the main hall.
There, he learned that in the two hours he had been training, many people had come to visit.
On the first day of the new year, it was customary in Luo Shui County for people to visit family and friends.
After the major events of last night, the various forces in the city had all realized that Jiang Ning had grown into one of the most powerful figures in Luo Shui County.
As a result, they dared not delay and rushed to his residence early in the morning to express their goodwill.
Jiang Ning took a quick look at the list of visitors that his sister-in-law, Liu Wanwan, had recorded, as well as the gifts they had brought for the new year. He immediately understood the situation.
In just two hours
Nearly all the major forces in Luo Shui County had come to pay their respects.
Unlike Xie Zhengtian, who had specifically requested an audience, most of them had simply come to deliver gifts and asked Liu Wanwan to pass along their greetings.
"It seems that last night's battle caused quite a stir among the city's powers."
Jiang Ning smiled at the thought.
The way these powerful factions were behaving only confirmed that all his hard work in martial arts training had been worth it.
If not for his strength, would they be acting this way now?
With that thought, Jiang Ning chatted briefly with his brother and sister-in-law, instructing them to call him when it was time for the meal.
Then, he picked up the little bean bun, who was dressed like a small bear and played with him for a while before heading back to his eastern courtyard to continue practicing his fist techniques and tempering his bones.
Approaching Noon
Finally, Jiang Ning heard Lü Yi returning.
A subtle excitement filled his heart.
Because Lü Yi had gone out with 20,000 taels of silver to Wanhua Pavilion to purchase the two celestial treasures he needed
Stargrass and Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart.
Ever since he had absorbed the Miao Yan Spirit Fruit, Jiang Ning had realized that consuming such celestial treasures greatly boosted his Source Energy Points.
That single spirit fruit had provided him with over 300 Source Energy Points.
Now, with two celestial treasures, the increase in Source Energy Points would surely be substantial, allowing him to surpass 500 points.
Once he exceeded 500 Source Energy Points, his strength would take another leap forward.
His Chopping Wood Blade Technique would be able to break through its sixth limit, granting him a new special ability.
Additionally, his blade momentum would advance once more, further enhancing his strongest combat technique.
He vividly remembered
A few days ago, when he had been attacked by two Fifth-Rank Internal Strength Martial Artists from the Worship God Sect, one of them had transformed into a Six-Armed Divine Descendant.
At the time, none of his techniques could kill that Six-Armed Divine Descendant.
His only means of slaying that monstrous foe had been to unleash his blade momentum and rely on the sharpness of his spirit weapon.
That was the only way he had been able to cut it down.
This proved that his blade momentum, combined with his spirit weapon, was his most powerful method of killing enemies.
Now, with his blade technique breaking through its limit once more, his strongest killing move would become even more formidable.
And then
He quickly completed a round of bone refinement and Five Animal Fist practice, then retracted his fists before calling for Lü Yi.
"Young Master!" Lü Yi came running over.
"Did you bring the items?"
"I did!" Lü Yi nodded repeatedly, then took out two jade boxes carefully hidden on her person.
"The Stargrass and the Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart you wanted, Young Master!" Lü Yi said before pulling out a few loose silver banknotes. "Young Master, this is the leftover silver."
Jiang Ning took the two jade boxes from Lü Yi's hands and glanced at the four silver banknotes she held each worth one thousand taels, totaling four thousand taels.
"Keep the banknotes. There will be plenty of expenses in the future."
"Yes, Young Master!" Lü Yi immediately nodded happily upon hearing this, then stuffed the four banknotes into her small pouch with delight.
Managing money held special meaning for her.
At that moment, Jiang Ning carried the two jade boxes toward the pavilion beside the bamboo grove in his courtyard.
Seated on a stone stool, he looked at the two jade boxes placed on the stone table, his face full of joy.
Now that he had these two treasures, his strength could improve once more.
Then, he unsealed the edges of the jade box, which were closed with a gel-like jade adhesive.
This sealing method significantly extended the preservation time of any heavenly materials and earthly treasures, reducing the loss of their medicinal effects.
The next moment
As the jade box was opened, its contents were revealed before him.
Inside lay a three-leafed plant, about ten centimeters long. The plant was a deep purple, and its leaves shimmered with a phosphorescent glow, emitting a silvery starlike light as if filled with celestial energy.
"No wonder it's called Stargrass!" Jiang Ning couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
Then
He grabbed the Stargrass and put it into his mouth.
As his teeth chewed down, the entire Stargrass was crushed within his mouth.
"Tastes plain and unremarkable," Jiang Ning muttered as he tasted it, shaking his head.
Then, with a gulp, the Stargrass was swallowed into his stomach.
He waited for a moment but felt no changes in his body.
It was as if he had just eaten an ordinary weed rather than a so-called celestial treasure.
"Oh well." He shook his head. "Let's see if the Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart has any noticeable effects."
With this thought, he turned his attention to the other jade box on the table.
Like before, this box was sealed with jade adhesive.
The next moment
He unsealed the jade adhesive and opened the box, revealing the Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart inside.
Despite its name, the "heart" was a solid, greenish stone about the size of a regular pebble.
Even in the bright daylight, it emitted a faint green glow, with wisps of ethereal mist swirling inside, occasionally flashing with divine light truly a mystical sight.
"Looks pretty impressive," Jiang Ning chuckled.
Then he picked up the Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart.
To his surprise, it wasn't hard like stone but had a soft, gel-like texture.
A gentle squeeze left a visible indentation.
Without further hesitation
He placed the pebble-sized Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart into his mouth.
As soon as it entered, it felt just like biting into a piece of jelly.
However, unlike ordinary jelly, the Ten-Thousand-Wood Heart had more chewiness.
Within moments
He had completely chewed and swallowed it.
Immediately, he felt a surge of boundless vitality spreading through his body, a cool energy coursing through his organs and limbs.
His entire being was suddenly overwhelmed with an indescribable sense of comfort.
But that was all aside from the refreshing sensation, he didn't feel any direct enhancements or changes in his body.
"I suppose the real effects will show tomorrow."
That afternoon
Jiang Ning paid a visit to Wang Jin, staying for half an hour before heading to the Wanhua Pavilion to see Lin Qingyi.
After spending a short while there, he returned home to resume his martial arts training.
As for any other visitors, he refused to see them all.
The next day
Jiang Ning pushed open his door.
"The weather should be quite nice today," he murmured with a smile, clearly in a good mood.
Because the first thing he had done upon waking up was check his status panel
And the results satisfied him.
[Source Energy]: 618.83
Having exceeded 500 points in Source Energy meant that he could now push his Chopping Blade Technique beyond its limits once more and obtain a new trait.
With that in mind, he focused on the Techniques section of his status panel.
[Techniques]: Chopping Blade Technique+ (Five-Time Limit Break 6000/6000)
(Traits: Versatility, Swift as Wind, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber, Natural Saber Talent)
The plus sign next to the Chopping Blade Technique indicated that it was ready for another breakthrough.
The next moment, he made his decision.
His Source Energy began to rapidly deplete.
At the same time, he slowly closed his eyes.
And in an instant
Countless images flashed through his mind.
In these scenes, there was spring and summer, autumn and winter.
And in every single one, he was practicing his chopping blade technique.
He practiced only one move chop.
Billions upon billions of chops, a sheer quantity that led to a qualitative transformation. At the moment of enlightenment
He swung his blade to chop firewood.
The motion was ordinary and unremarkable, yet the light in the world seemed to dim for a brief instant. Then, a single streak of blade light appeared.
With the emergence of this blade light, all the images in his mind vanished.
He slowly opened his eyes and once again looked at his status panel.
[Techniques]: Chopping Blade Technique (Six-Time Limit Break 4788/7000)
(Traits: Versatility, Blade Like Thunder, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber, Natural Saber Talent)
"Five traits?"
Jiang Ning's gaze sharpened as he noticed the changes on the panel.
Then, he paid closer attention to the newest trait.
"Blade Like Thunder?" he murmured, shifting his focus to the description.
[Blade Like Thunder]: The speed of blade strikes is as swift as a thunderclap.
At that moment, he recalled the previous version of this trait.
[Swift as Wind]: As if guided by divine assistance, blade strikes are exceptionally fast, far surpassing ordinary people.
"So this must be the upgraded version of Swift as Wind!" Jiang Ning muttered to himself as he observed the changes on the panel.
Then, he thought of the previous transformation in his Water Affinity abilities and turned his gaze to the Water Affinity technique section.
[Techniques]: Water Affinity (Six-Time Limit Break 7000/7000)
(Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation+, Water Affinity, Cloudwalking Rainfall, Water Spirit Body)
[Water Manipulation+]: A form of authority, granting innate control over water sources.
He still remembered that, in the beginning, Water Manipulation was merely described as a supernatural ability.
But when his Water Affinity skill underwent a breakthrough, Water Manipulation evolved into an authority, and the description on the panel became more explicit.
The + sign next to the trait indicated its upgraded version.
Looking at the differences in how these two traits were presented
Jiang Ning immediately understood.
A technique's limit break not only granted new traits but also enhanced existing ones.
Like how Water Manipulation evolved from a supernatural ability into an authority.
Like how Swift as Wind became Blade Like Thunder.
Both were strengthened versions of their original forms.
With that thought
He reached out his hand, and a long blade appeared in his grasp.
The next moment
Swish, swish, swish
Blade lights flashed continuously throughout the courtyard.
Moments later
The ground was covered in deep, clear blade marks.
"My blade speed has increased by thirty percent! Not bad!!" Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction.
Although this breakthrough hadn't granted him a completely new trait, the direct increase in blade speed was a significant boost to his combat power.
A thirty percent increase in speed was an immense improvement.
In a fierce battle, even a ten percent difference in speed could mean the difference between life and death.
Let alone a thirty percent increase.
This boost in speed alone gave him enough of an edge to completely overwhelm his previous self.
Moreover, the limit break of his Chopping Blade Technique didn't just improve speed it also strengthened his blade momentum.
His gaze fell on the courtyard ground, where hundreds of crisscrossing blade marks were now visible.
Some were deep, some shallow.
The deepest cuts were three to five centimeters deep and over ten centimeters long.
The shallowest marks were mere faint traces.
All of these marks were made casually as he swung his blade without using any additional force beyond raw strength.
And yet, his blade light had solidified as if it were a tangible edge, leaving clear cuts on the stone ground.
This was a breakthrough in blade momentum, an advancement beyond his previous level.
Now, whenever he swung his blade even if he used only brute force he could still draw upon the power of heaven and earth, forming a blade light that extended beyond his weapon.
And even this detached blade light carried lethal force.
If an ordinary martial artist had his level of blade control, they could use a regular weapon to slaughter ninth-rank martial artists with ease.
A few strikes from a distance such as razor-sharp blade light falling upon a ninth-rank martial artist would be enough to cut them down.
"Improving my techniques is still the most direct way to enhance my strength!" Jiang Ning sighed in appreciation as he looked at the scars he had left on the stone pavement.
In mere moments
His Chopping Blade Technique had undergone a limit break, and his strength had immediately risen to a whole new level.
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