Wanhua Tower.
Jiang Ning walked out of Wanhua Tower carrying a wooden box filled with fifty bottles of Essence of Plants. Looking at the box in his hands, he felt a surge of satisfaction. Spending only a thousand taels of silver to acquire fifty bottles of Essence of Plants felt like a huge bargain.
After all, the effects of the Essence of Plants were far superior to ten-year-old wild ginseng, and his body absorbed it much more easily. This meant that the amount of Source Energy he gained daily would also increase. With these fifty bottles, he wouldn't have to worry about resources for his martial training for the next twenty or so days, at least until he reached the Stone Skin level.
As for the skin-refining sand, he still had some left from Wang Jin's previous gift, which would last him a while longer.
"Now, I can focus on my martial training without distractions. The Inspection Bureau's opening is about twenty to thirty days away. I need to push myself to reach one or two more levels of strength before then," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
After leaving Wanhua Tower, he returned home and immediately immersed himself in rigorous training.
Seven Days Later.
By the Luo River, Jiang Residence.
Jiang Ning, wearing only a pair of shorts, stood in his courtyard, assuming the sixth stance of the Indestructible Golden Body. He circulated the energy of the Five Animals Fist, pushing his qi and blood to continuously refine the membrane beneath his skin.
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
As he refined his skin, the experience points for the Indestructible Golden Body steadily increased.
At this moment, Jiang Ning had already closed his eyes, focusing inward. Through internal observation, he could see the significant changes in the membrane beneath his skin. Initially, when he first achieved the membrane, it was a thin red layer clinging to the underside of his skin. As he progressed with the Indestructible Golden Body, white spots began to appear within the red membrane. The more he refined it, the more the white spread, indicating that he was getting closer to the next level Stone Skin.
At the same time, while in this internal state, Jiang Ning directed his qi and blood to continuously wash over the areas of the membrane that were still red. Based on his previous experience, focusing his energy on these areas allowed his Indestructible Golden Body experience to grow faster, meaning his skin-refining efficiency was also higher.
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.
[Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 987/1000)
"Just 13 more experience points," Jiang Ning murmured, feeling a surge of excitement. "One more session, and I'll break through to the next level, achieving Stone Skin."
With this thought, he stood up, grabbed a small jade bottle from nearby, and drank the Essence of Plants inside. As the emerald-green liquid flowed down his throat, a refreshing coolness spread through his body, clearing his mind and rejuvenating his internal organs and limbs. He could feel the exhaustion from refining his skin gradually dissipating.
After sensing the recovery of his body and the changes within, Jiang Ning couldn't help but praise, "The Essence of Plants is truly amazing. It's so much better than wild ginseng!"
Over the past ten days, he had personally experienced how much easier it was to absorb the Essence of Plants compared to wild ginseng. The effects of the Essence of Plants were almost instantaneous.
At the same time, after absorbing the Essence of Plants, he also gained an additional benefit an increase in Source Energy.
[Source Energy]: 81.6
In just seven days, his Source Energy had risen from 53.08 to 81.06, an average increase of over three points per day. This was the extra boost the Essence of Plants had given him.
Then, he glanced at his system panel.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 81.6
[Skills]:
Literacy (Second Breakthrough 1043/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses)
Five Animals Fist (Perfection 765/1000)
Firewood Chopping Technique (Third Breakthrough 4000/4000) (Traits: Versatility, Swift as the Wind, Mastery of the Blade)
Internal Elixir Cultivation Art (Proficient 1005/2000)
Canglang Blade Technique (Proficient 1/200)
Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 987/1000)
After closing the panel, Jiang Ning felt much more refreshed. He then jumped into a water vat to wash off the dried skin-refining sand.
In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he emerged from the vat, still wearing only his shorts. Although it was already mid-September, the sun was still blazing. Jiang Ning glanced at his reddened skin but paid it no mind. After each session of refining his skin and practicing the Indestructible Golden Body, his skin would turn red due to the damage caused by the skin-refining sand. However, by circulating his qi and blood, his skin would quickly return to its normal, healthy wheat color.
Over the past few months, under the sun's rays, his skin had turned a healthy wheat color, which Jiang Ning found much more satisfying than his previous pale, almost sickly complexion.
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
Now, Jiang Ning's speed in practicing the fist techniques has increased significantly. In one hour, he could complete five rounds of the fist technique, each round increasing his Five Animals Fist experience by one point and adding five strands of qi and blood to his body.
However, condensing qi and blood was extremely taxing on the body, especially at his current efficiency. To maintain his energy, he had been consuming two bottles of Essence of Plants daily, which made him feel like a money-devouring beast.
Previously, after killing Hong Chengtao and the others, he had become quite wealthy. Then, Cao Bin had gifted him a gold leaf, bringing his total assets to over 3,400 taels of silver. However, after purchasing his current residence for 666 taels and buying fifty bottles of Essence of Plants for 1,000 taels, his wealth had been nearly halved, leaving him with just over 1,700 taels.
If it weren't for the generous discounts he had received first from Manager Tong of the Moonlight Pavilion, who had slashed the price of the mansion from 1,666 taels to 666 taels, and then from Manager Han at Wanhua Tower, who had given him a 20% discount and rounded down the price his finances would have been in much worse shape.
Reflecting on this, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel that his money was disappearing at an alarming rate.
Later.
After finishing his fist practice, Jiang Ning's skin gradually returned to its normal color. He immediately stopped and eagerly applied the skin-refining sand all over his body, rubbing it in vigorously.
[Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 987/1000)
Seeing this on his panel, he knew he was on the verge of breaking through to the Stone Skin level. Unable to wait any longer, he began rubbing the sand into his skin with even more force, causing his skin to turn a deep red, as if stained with blood.
Soon, the rubbing was complete.
Exhale.
Jiang Ning slowly let out a breath of turbid air and assumed the third stance of the Indestructible Golden Body. He then circulated the energy of the Five Animals Fist, pushing his qi and blood to refine his entire body. Entering an internal state, he precisely directed his energy to wash over the weaker, red areas of his membrane.
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
As Jiang Ning moved through the fourth and fifth stances, the experience points for the Indestructible Golden Body continued to rise.
Soon, he reached the critical bottleneck.
[Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 999/1000)
Looking at his panel, Jiang Ning saw that he was just one experience point away from the next level. However, he remained calm. For him, there were no bottlenecks or barriers. As long as the experience points reached the required amount, a qualitative change would occur, and his skill would break through.
[Indestructible Golden Body experience +1]
When this notification appeared, his panel instantly changed.
[Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 999/1000) → [Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Proficient 0/2000)
In the next moment, while still in his internal state, Jiang Ning saw the white areas of his membrane rapidly spreading. In an instant, the remaining red areas turned white. He knew that when the entire membrane turned white, it meant he had successfully broken through to the Stone Skin level.
As this transformation occurred, he felt his skin becoming harder and tighter. The intense pain he had felt before was replaced by a tingling sensation as if thousands of ants were crawling beneath his skin.
After dozens of breaths, the transformation was complete.
Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face.
"I've done it!!"
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