At the vegetable market.
"How pitiful! The entire Cao family is about to be executed here!"
"Pitiful? You still don't know what the Cao family has done over the years? They've committed so many heinous acts, they deserve to die!"
"Exactly, they deserve it! If it weren't for the Cao family, I wouldn't have had to sell my daughter!"
Upon hearing this, the people around her looked at her with disdain and quietly moved away.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
When Jiang Ning arrived at the vegetable market, he saw the remaining two hundred members of the Cao family kneeling on the open ground.
The crowd around them was shouting insults, and cursing at them. Some even threw rotten vegetable leaves and other refuse at the Cao family.
"Seeing the Cao family's fate like this, it's a bit sad," Jiang Li said with a hint of sympathy.
Jiang Ning nodded slightly.
On the other side.
"That's Jiang Ning, isn't it?" A man from the crowd, who had entered the city earlier, immediately spotted Jiang Ning.
"Yes, it's him!" The deputy from the military camp, Jin, observed for a moment and nodded.
The man gave Jiang Ning a few more glances.
Suddenly, Jiang Ning turned and looked over at him.
Seeing this, the man smiled at Jiang Ning, then quickly shifted his gaze away.
Jiang Ning also slowly turned his gaze back.
"What keen perception! Jiang Ning is not simple!" The man said, "No wonder Cao Rong died at his hands."
"Sir, with the Cao family being executed today, should we intervene?" Jin, the deputy, whispered.
"Cao Rong is dead, what value does the Cao family still have? What's there to intervene in?" The man said indifferently. "This Hong Minghu is not an easy opponent."
At the same time, Jiang Ning, with his heightened senses, easily heard these words amidst the noise of the vegetable market. He suddenly realized.
"So, this is the envoy from the military camp that Feng Jiugao mentioned?"
"From what he said, it seems like he, like Feng Xiaocheng, doesn't want to cause trouble for me!"
The sun slowly climbed higher, and in the blink of an eye, it was noon.
On the stage.
An official holding a file began listing the crimes committed by the Cao family.
Once the summary was completed, the county lieutenant on the platform threw the execution decree onto the ground in front of him.
"Execute!"
He shouted, and the decree hit the ground.
Thud!
The executioner spat a mouthful of strong liquor onto the large axe.
The next moment.
The axe fell, and a head rolled.
Blood immediately sprayed over three feet.
For a moment, the execution ground was filled with the sounds of urine and excrement as some of the Cao family members collapsed to the ground in fainting.
Seeing the decapitated heads rolling on the ground, Jiang Li's eyes flashed with a hint of reluctance.
"Ah Ning, do you think there will come a day when our family ends up like this?"
"No." Jiang Ning replied calmly and then looked at Jiang Li. "Big brother, just focus on expanding the family. As long as I'm alive, the Jiang family's foundation will stand for generations."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li grinned.
"Ah Ning, don't rely on me to expand the family! You're already getting old, it's time to start your own family!"
"When I was your age, Ming'er was already a month old."
Jiang Ning smiled upon hearing this. "It's all up to fate!"
"Deputy Jin, let's go!" The man gave one last look at the final batch of the Cao family members being executed and turned to leave.
Upon seeing this, Deputy Jin immediately followed in his footsteps.
On the other side.
Jiang Ning also said, "Big brother, it's over! Let's go!"
"Alright!" Jiang Li nodded.
At noon, over two hundred members of the Cao family were beheaded in the vegetable market, their blood flowing like a river, and the ground turned red.
As time passed, many people could no longer stand the bloody scene and left, turning away from the execution ground.
Among the onlookers, there were some who, overwhelmed by the stench of blood, vomited their last night's meal.
After returning home.
Jiang Ning put everything aside and continued his martial arts practice.
Seeing the downfall of the Cao family, Jiang Li seemed to have been deeply moved.
Jiang Ning's feelings were similarly stirred.
The Cao family had once been prosperous, controlling the transportation of goods in Luoshui County, involved in the salt and iron trade, and with influence in both the underworld and the official world.
However, with the establishment of the inspection office and the arrival of Hong Minghu, they were doomed. No one dared to stand against the action taken to destroy the Cao family and establish authority.
Now, even though Jiang Ning was about to deal with the Liu family, Xu Zhengnan, who had deep ties with them, did not hesitate to strike against the Liu family and became the main force behind their downfall.
Both the Cao and Liu families had met such a fate because their influence had weakened.
Jiang Ning understood clearly now that, with his power and position, various forces sided with him in the conflict with the Liu family.
As for Hong Minghu's relationship with the Cao family, it was even less worth mentioning.
Jiang Ning knew that today, his power was greater than that of others, and various factions would stand with him.
But in the future, if his power weakened, those same factions would treat him just like they did the Liu family turning against him, causing his downfall.
To avoid ending up like the Cao or Liu families, he would need both strength and status.
Right now, Jiang Ning understood that if it weren't for his position as the deputy leader of the inspection office, with only his current strength, he would never have reached this level.
When it comes to the strong, there is always someone stronger.
No matter how powerful one becomes, unless they are the strongest in the world if they commit a crime, someone will come to apprehend them.
But once he donned the official mantle of the inspection office, everything changed.
Even though all the forces guessed that Cao Rong was killed by him, so what?
Feng Xiaochen chose hypocrisy and the serpent, not to be his enemy.
Today, the man who departed from Dongling County's military camp, replacing Feng Xiaochen to handle Cao Rong's matter in Luoshui County, also chose not to clash with him.
And then there's Lu Qing Shan, the sect leader of the Medicine King Valley, a top-tier expert at the peak of the fifth rank.
Although he figured out that Jiang Ning was the one who killed Liu Qingsong and also took the Leopard Embryo Reformation Bone Pill, which was supposed to be offered to King Huai'an, for himself, Lu Qing Shan still chose to ally with him.
Such events, relying solely on his strength, would be impossible.
Without a background, without support, no matter how strong one is, they are just a reckless person.
In the end, they could only flee to a distant land and become a bandit.
Unless they become the world's number one, only then can they suppress all injustices with their strength.
But in the past eight hundred years, there has only been one person who achieved this.
That person is the Martial Sage of the Great Xia, the national protector.
The bright moon hung high in the night sky.
Even though it was deep into the night, with the reflection of the snow, the world appeared exceptionally bright.
Jiang Ning stood at the shore, gazing into the distance. He could see the distant mountains with their blurred outlines and the uneven rows of houses.
"I hope tomorrow is another sunny day!"
"That way, I can continue to improve my Inner Alchemy Cultivation cultivation!"
Jiang Ning silently thought to himself.
Then, he opened his panel to take a look.
[Skill]: Five Animal Fist (First Limit Break 1950/2000) (Specialty: Essence Stored in the Five Organs)
"Only 50 experience points left until the second limit break!" Jiang Ning sighed to himself and then walked toward the ice layer on the lake.
After breaking through the ice.
Once in the water, Jiang Ning slowly closed his eyes.
He could feel the enormous physical exhaustion from his long hours of practice. His energy had already been severely depleted.
However, after entering the water, it felt like his dried-up body was being nourished by a gentle spring rain, silently revitalizing him.
Invisible strands, like fine threads, entered his body and replenished his energy.
Under this nourishment, his body quickly recovered, and his condition returned to its peak.
The blood and vitality he had expended seemed to gather, like the spring water flowing through a mountain stream.
As he floated with the current in the water, fish occasionally swam past him.
Not long after.
Jiang Ning opened his eyes, and his body moved like a dragon soaring through the sky.
Boom
The lake water splashed upward, and the ice above him instantly shattered. With the force of the water, Jiang Ning burst out of the lake's surface.
Landing on the surface, Jiang Ning felt his condition had fully returned to its peak.
[Skill]: Five Animal Fist (First Limit Break 1950/2000) (Specialty: Essence Stored in the Five Organs)
"Continue practicing the fist for the final push!"
He closed the panel and whispered to himself.
At this moment, Jiang Ning chose not to return to his courtyard.
He went directly to the shore and began practicing his fist.
[Five Animal Fist Experience +3] [Five Animal Fist Experience +4] [Five Animal Fist Experience +4]
...
As he continued practicing, his understanding of the technique deepened. His insights into the Five Elements, the internal organs, and the five animals also grew stronger.
As his Five Animal Fist experience increased, flashes of inspiration kept appearing in his mind. It felt as if he was entering a state of enlightenment, occasionally experiencing sudden clarity and insight.
Under the bright moonlight, a figure appeared on the shore. At times, it moved like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain, exuding an overwhelming aura.
At other times, it was as nimble as a white ape, moving swiftly.
At times, it was as mighty as a wild bear, shaking the earth with its force.
After a long time.
Whoosh
Jiang Ning retracted his fist and slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale air toward the calm lake.
[This time practicing Five Animal Fist has increased the experience by 52 points.]
Seeing this message appear before him, Jiang Ning opened his panel.
[Source Energy]: 376.88 [Skill]: Five Animal Fist+ (First Limit Break 2000/2000) (Specialty: Essence Stored in the Five Organs)
"Finally, it's enough!" Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
Now, his source energy points had reached the requirement for the second limit break of the Five Animal Fist, and the experience points had also met the necessary condition.
The next moment.
He looked at the panel, and a thought flashed through his mind.
His source energy points rapidly decreased, stopping at 176.88.
At the same time.
His eyes gradually lost their focus, becoming hollow, as if his spirit had left his body.
At this moment.
He seemed to transform into a fierce tiger in the wilderness, roaring through the mountains.
With one roar, the mountains shook, and rocks tumbled.
Then, he seemed to transform into a mighty bear, stomping its foot to crack the earth.
He also saw himself as a crane soaring into the sky, its wings flapping, transforming into a sharp arrow that shot through the air, traveling thousands of miles in an instant.
As he kept switching perspectives, immersing himself in the forms of the five beasts, flashes of insight continued to appear in his mind.
After a long time.
He closed his eyes.
Suddenly, within his internal organs his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys he saw five figures.
A Fire Ape.
An Earth Bear.
A Golden Crane.
At the same time, he also saw the five-colored light drifting through the heavens and earth.
The earth was mainly orange, belonging to the element of earth in the Five Elements.
The trees were mainly green, belonging to the element of wood.
The lakes were mainly black, belonging to the element of water.
As for the red and white, representing fire and metal, they were relatively rare around him.
Feeling the changes around him, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"The world, everything, exists within the Five Elements," he muttered to himself, slowly opening his eyes. The panel appeared before him.
[Source Energy]: 176.88 [Skill]: Five Animal Fist (Second Limit Break 2/3000) (Specialty: Essence Stored in the Five Organs, Five Elements Spirit)
[Five Elements Spirit]: Absorbs the spirit of the Five Elements, refines the internal organs, and can break the limits of the organs.
Looking at the explanation on the panel, Jiang Ning's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Five Elements Spirit?"
"Breaking the limits of the internal organs?"
"What does this mean?"
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
After thinking for a moment, he suddenly closed his eyes.
Then, he began to perform his punches.
As his fists moved, he saw countless green particles in the air detach from the surrounding plants and trees, gathering toward his body.
As he carefully felt it, he immediately sensed a wave of comfort in his liver.
"In Five Animal Fist, the tiger represents wood, and wood governs the liver!"
"Practicing the tiger form has the effect of refining the liver!"
Jiang Ning silently understood and suddenly had an epiphany.
After a while, he changed his form to the bear.
Immediately, he saw orange particles separating from the ground beneath him and gathering towards his body.
As the yellow particles entered his body, he felt a wave of comfort in his spleen.
"In Five Animal Fist, the bear represents earth, and earth governs the spleen!"
"Practicing the bear form has the effect of refining the spleen!"
Once again, Jiang Ning understood clearly.
A moment later, he changed to the ape form.
In the air, scarce red particles began to gather towards his body.
As the red particles entered his body, he felt a surge of vitality in his heart, and his blood started to flow wildly.
"In Five Animal Fist, the ape represents fire, and fire governs the heart."
"Practicing the ape form has the effect of refining the heart!"
Next, after finishing the ape form, he practiced the deer and crane forms.
When he finished practicing all five forms, the following message appeared:
[Five Animal Fist Experience +4]
The prompt appeared before him, and he slowly opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face.
[Skill]: Five Animal Fist (Second Limit Break 6/3000) (Special Trait: Internal Organs Store Essence, Five Elements Spirit)
"Now I understand."
Looking at his panel, Jiang Ning murmured.
After this round of exploration, he had a general understanding of the changes after breaking the limits of Five Animal Fist with the Five Elements.
Practicing the forms not only increased his vitality but also, as in the previous round, his vitality increased by fifteen threads.
Compared to the first limit break, the efficiency of refining vitality had increased by fifty percent.
Additionally, it allowed him to channel the Five Elements energy from the world drawing power from the earth, plants, water, and other sources to refine his internal organs.
This was a multi-benefit move.
Practicing the fist was not only increasing his mastery of the technique, but also refining his vitality, and strengthening his internal organs.
The stronger the internal organs, the more robust his internal energy would become.
This meant that, soon, his total internal energy would surpass that of other warriors of the same level.
Previously, after the first limit break, Five Animal Fist also had a minor effect of absorbing stray Five Elements particles and refining the internal organs.
However, the effect back then was weak, and only stray Five Elements particles could be absorbed.
Now, it seemed as if he had become a higher being, able to draw power from all the elements of the world and refine his body.
The efficiency between the two was on completely different levels!
Afterward, Jiang Ning practiced Five Animal Fist by the lake again.
When he reached the ape form, he suddenly felt a surge of fire in the air.
Boom
The void ignited, and a nearby large tree was set ablaze.
With the raging fire reflecting around him, he suddenly felt a flood of red particles entering his body.
"Just as I thought!!"
Jiang Ning was delighted in his heart and continued his fist movements, channeling the fire energy into his heart to refine it.
As the massive amount of fire energy entered his body, his blood began to flow wildly, like untamed wild horses galloping within him.
"This works!!"
He confirmed in his heart once again, having fully grasped the second limit break of the Five Animal Fist.
Later, when practicing the crane form, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
There were no gold-based minerals within several yards, and naturally, there were no abundant gold elements around.
Without gold elements, he couldn't efficiently refine his lungs.
[Five Animal Fist Experience +4]
As he finished his set, another prompt appeared in front of him.
[Skill]: Five Animal Fist (Second Limit Break 10/3000) (Special Trait: Internal Organs Store Essence, Five Elements Spirit)
He glanced at his panel again before closing it.
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