By the side of the Luoshui River.
In front of Jiang Ning's mansion.
A luxurious carriage slowly came to a stop.
"Sister-in-law, is this the house Jiang Ning lives in?" A young girl with a pretty face poked her head out from behind the curtain of the carriage. Upon seeing the vast lake before her and the icy scenery under the heavy snow, she immediately showed a look of awe in her eyes.
"Yes!" Lin Qingyi's voice slowly came from within the carriage. "After he made his fortune, he bought a lakeside mansion here and brought his brother, sister-in-law, and their family from the outer city to live with him!"
At the same time.
A man stepped out of the carriage, bending slightly to exit. He glanced at the scenery ahead.
Then, he nodded slowly. "The Jiang Ning you mentioned seems to be a man of loyalty. The inner city is much safer than the outer city."
Yesterday afternoon, he and his younger sister had gone to the outer city and witnessed the current situation there. Seeing the occasional frozen corpses on the street, he suddenly realized how hard the lives of ordinary people were.
Frozen corpses on the road!
It was no longer just a description in books, but something he had witnessed with his own eyes.
Moreover, from what he understood, Luoshui County was relatively peaceful compared to many other places in the current Great Xia Empire.
Some areas were like hell on earth, with suffering far exceeding that of the people here.
But even knowing this, he felt helpless.
The unstoppable tide of events couldn't be changed by mere mortals.
Even as the Eighth Prince of Great Xia, he had no way of doing anything about it.
All he could do was offer a small, insignificant effort.
As the man stepped out of the carriage, Lin Qingyi and the young girl also exited.
The cold wind howled, and the young girl's delicate nose immediately turned red from the chill.
"It's so cold!!" She stamped her feet and quickly rubbed her hands together, blowing warm air into them.
Seeing this, Lin Qingyi immediately took off the white fur cloak from her shoulders and draped it over the girl.
"I told you to wear more clothes, but you wouldn't listen! The lakeside is wide open with no shelter. How can it not be cold?"
The girl gave Lin Qingyi a playful smile. "You're still pampering me, sister-in-law."
At this moment, the man beside them gave Lin Qingyi a slightly surprised look.
Lin Qingyi wasn't wearing much her outfit seemed rather thin, almost identical to what an ordinary person would wear in autumn.
And now, the three of them were standing by the Luoshui River. Although it was close to noon and the temperature had risen a few degrees compared to the night, it was still cold enough to freeze the water. Snow was falling from above, and a cold wind was blowing across the icy surface of the lake.
In such cold wind, Lin Qingyi's clothes fluttered, but there was no sign of discomfort on her face.
This kind of composure was not something ordinary people could achieve by simply toughing it out.
When the cold entered the body, no matter how much one tried to endure, one's body would inevitably shiver.
But Lin Qingyi's performance clearly showed that she was unaffected by the cold.
"Could it be that sister-in-law's martial arts are above mine?" A question flashed through the man's mind.
Meanwhile, the young girl, now wrapped in Lin Qingyi's fur cloak, immediately felt warmth spread through her body.
"Sister-in-law, aren't you cold?" she asked.
Lin Qingyi smiled. "I'm not cold!"
"I don't believe it!" The girl shook her head, pulled her hand from the thick fur cloak, and gently took Lin Qingyi's soft, delicate left hand. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Sister-in-law's hand is warm!"
Lin Qingyi smiled and said, "Let's go! I'll take you to see Jiang Ning!"
"Okay!" The girl's face immediately lit up with excitement.
Yesterday, she had gone to the outer city with her brother, and she had heard about the recent deeds of Jiang Ning.
He had punished the wicked, destroyed the gangs that had been poisoning the county, and saved many children who had been crippled by these evildoers.
After seeing those disabled children, she developed an even greater admiration for Jiang Ning, whom she had yet to meet.
A young man with ambition, acting with righteousness and chivalry.
She had read many such stories in books.
Such deeds were something she, like a caged bird, could only yearn for.
On the other side.
Jiang Ning stood in the courtyard.
He moved like a white ape flying through the mountains, his form constantly changing, sometimes leaving behind afterimages.
Around the courtyard, torches stood tall, and blades were planted in the snow.
This was the ideal practice space he had created for his Five Animal Fist.
The earth beneath his feet was the source of the spirit of the earth.
The artificial pond in the courtyard was the source of the spirit of water.
The flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard were the source of the spirit of wood.
The torches around him were the source of the spirit of fire.
The blades standing in the snowy courtyard were the source of the spirit of metal.
With all five elements present, this was the perfect environment for practicing the Five Animal Fist.
In such an environment, practicing the Five Animal Fist would greatly enhance his internal foundation.
From his understanding, the stronger the internal foundation of the five organs, the more powerful the internal energy that could be cultivated in the future.
The internal energy of the five organs would be stored in the dantian.
After a while.
He finished a round of the fist technique.
[Five Animal Fist experience +4]
Jiang Ning retracted his fists and stood still, a faint smile on his face.
"As expected, it works!"
This time, with the environment containing all five elements, he felt that after completing a round of the fist practice, his internal organs were also nourished.
A faint sense of relaxation and joy emanated from within, spreading throughout his body.
It was unlike before when he practiced the Five Animal Fist and felt something uncomfortable in his internal organs due to the lack of the metal element's influence.
Now, there was no such sensation.
After feeling it for a moment, he practiced the fist again.
This time, as his body moved, he threw a punch that resembled a tiger pouncing down the mountain, with a fearsome aura.
Clang
A heavy sound of metal striking echoed from within his body, and a powerful impact spread from the inside out.
"Works!"
His mind focused slightly as he continued practicing.
One breath later.
He turned and swung his right hand like a tiger's tail lash.
Boom
The air exploded.
Clang
A second metallic sound rang from within his body.
At this moment, he was multitasking, practicing the fist while also refining his bones.
Both were progressing in parallel, and he was constantly adjusting the rhythm.
The rhythm of practicing the fist and refining the bones.
The 108 Heavenly and Earthly Bone Forging Method.
The most important thing about this bone refining method was the number 108.
108 represented one complete cycle.
One complete cycle was one round of bone refining.
To practice both simultaneously, he needed to find a comfortable rhythm.
He needed to make the fist technique and the bone refining technique work in harmony so that when the fist practice was completed, it would also mark the completion of one full cycle of bone refining.
"Master Lin, please follow me!"
Walking on the shallow snow, Jiang Li led the way ahead.
Behind him, Lin Qingyi and the man and woman who had come with her followed closely.
After a while.
They arrived outside the eastern courtyard.
Suddenly.
The man accompanying them paused, a surprised look in his eyes.
"Bone refining sound?"
"Did Minghao hear it too?" Lin Qingyi smiled and said.
The sound of bone refining and the sound of Jiang Ning practicing his fist had reached her long before the Eighth Prince behind her.
She wasn't surprised by this sound.
After all, the Iron Bone Pill, Mystic Bone Pill, and Jade Bone Pill Jiang Ning had used came from her hands.
If Jiang Ning still needed these three pills, it meant he was about to reach the Sixth Rank in Martial Arts.
So, it wasn't surprising to hear the sound of bone refining outside his courtyard after several days.
However, for the Eighth Prince Ji Minghao, this was a huge surprise.
The Sixth Rank in Martial Arts wasn't considered an extraordinary achievement in larger places.
But in this small town, coupled with Jiang Ning's youth, it was rather intimidating.
Ji Minghao, the Eighth Prince of Great Xia, had reached the Sixth Rank in Martial Arts by the time he turned twenty, with Jade Bone already completed.
For him to reach this level, his natural martial talent was unquestionable.
The Great Xia royal family had optimized its lineage over generations, ensuring that the martial roots of the children were of the highest quality.
His mother was a grandmaster, and now she had reached the rank of a grand grandmaster.
As for his father, needless to say, he was an even more exceptional figure.
Being born as the heir to a grandmaster, he was naturally destined for greatness in martial arts.
With top-tier martial talent, abundant resources, and everything at his disposal, achieving Jade Bone at the age of twenty wasn't an outrageous accomplishment.
However, seeing such a feat in this small town made him feel quite shocked.
The Sixth Rank in Martial Arts was enough to gain a title in the martial examinations.
At the very least, one could achieve the title of a Martial Scholar.
If one could achieve Jade Bone like him, becoming a Martial Graduate was almost certain.
The Martial Examinations were only open to young men under the age of thirty, and those who passed could earn a title.
Even the Martial Scholar position could grant someone a government position in the county, at least an eighth-grade martial officer.
For most people, this was a way to rise through the ranks, change their destiny, and bring honor to their families.
As for a Martial Graduate, that was even more impressive.
One could join the army, starting as a lieutenant.
As one's martial skills improved and they became familiar with military strategy, they could easily become a general.
Though this would be the rank of a miscellaneous general, it was still a general.
When traveling, who wouldn't respectfully address such a person as "General"?
From this, it was clear that the Sixth Rank in Martial Arts had some status in the world.
And Ji Minghao, the Eighth Prince of Great Xia, had seen a young man practicing bone refining in a small town like Luoshui County.
The same age as him, just turning twenty.
"Impressive!!!" Ji Minghao couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
From this, he could already tell that Jiang Ning's future achievements in martial arts would certainly surpass his own.
Having just turned twenty and already at the Sixth Rank, the possibility of achieving the rank of grandmaster was over fifty percent in his view.
With sufficient guidance, Jiang Ning might even reach the position of a grand grandmaster.
"No wonder Sister-in-law holds Jiang Ning in such high regard." At this moment, Ji Minghao's mind suddenly cleared up.
Although there are many grandmasters in the world,
There are also a few great grandmasters.
But the world is so vast.
In the imperial family, any great grandmaster is a person of great importance.
Even he, Ji Minghao, the Eighth Prince of Great Xia, would never dare to insult a great grandmaster.
Even his father, the supreme ruler, must treat a great grandmaster with respect when they meet.
At this moment,
Ji Minghao stood outside the courtyard, and his regard for Jiang Ning grew even more.
A genius who rises from a small place with the same level of power has much more potential than a genius born into wealth and high status.
Because the resources they have access to are completely unequal!
Moreover, their determined mindset often allows them to go further in the future.
At the same time,
Jiang Li also overheard the conversation between Lin Qingyi and Ji Minghao.
"Bone refining?"
He was slightly surprised.
Then, after a moment of thought, he stopped and hesitated before looking at Lin Qingyi and the others.
"Would it be possible for the three distinguished guests to rest in the front hall first? Once my younger brother finishes his training, I'll have him come to the front hall to meet you?"
"No problem!" Lin Qingyi nodded slightly, agreeing.
"No need!" Ji Minghao suddenly spoke up.
Seeing Lin Qingyi and Jiang Li looking at him, he smiled.
"I've come to Luoshui County and heard many stories about Jiang Ning, so I admire him greatly!"
"Now that I'm here to pay a visit, I can't do so without showing sincerity."
"I'll wait here."
Jiang Li, hearing this, said calmly, "Young Master Ji, it's snowing heavily today, and the lake wind is quite cold. It would be better to stay indoors and avoid the chill."
"It's fine!" Ji Minghao waved his hand. "A bit of snow is nothing! We martial artists are no strangers to wind and frost!"
At this, Lin Qingyi couldn't help but smile.
Then she said, "Li Ge, no need to persuade him anymore. Since Minghao wants to wait here, let him wait."
At this moment, Lin Qingyi had already figured out some of Ji Minghao's intentions.
Ji Minghao always liked to make friends with heroes from all over the world, often disregarding his status and showing respect to those with talent.
As for his exact intentions,
That would depend on what was in the hearts of each individual.
However, at this moment, Jiang Li was slightly startled by the term Li Ge (Brother Li) that Lin Qingyi had used.
He quickly waved his hand and said, "Leader, I really can't accept being called 'Li Ge.' I can't bear such a title! Just call me Jiang Li."
Lin Qingyi smiled, "You're older than me. What's wrong with calling you 'Li Ge'?"
At the side, Ji Minghao, hearing their conversation, couldn't help but show surprise in his eyes as he looked at Lin Qingyi.
What kind of person was Lin Qingyi?
He, the Eighth Prince of Great Xia, had to call her "Sister-in-law."
Her status and position were self-evident.
She was a princess consort,
And one that he had to show deep respect for.
This was because the old king in her royal family was his father's uncle and also a pillar of the current royal family.
He was once known as the second greatest in the world.
Alongside a few others, he ranked as second in the world.
Now, another person had joined this second place, the leader of the Yellow Heaven Sect, Yellow Heaven Daoist.
Five people were sharing the title of second in the world.
As for first place, there was only one person.
That person was the Martial Sage, who remained number one even eight hundred years ago.
This Martial Sage had slain great demons, killed gods and Buddhas, and even defeated remnants of immortals.
Some said that even in the ancient times, when immortals and gods coexisted, this Martial Sage was capable of slaying both.
Therefore, while second place could have many holders, first place was reserved for that one Martial Sage.
Why were there five people sharing the title of second in the world?
It was simple!
These five had all reached the pinnacle of the first rank.
Each one was the cornerstone of a top-tier faction.
Until they fought, no one could say who was stronger or weaker, who was higher or lower.
This was why a balance could be maintained, and why there were five people tied for second place.
Once someone reached this level, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly unless necessary.
Especially now, when everyone knew that the world was on the brink of great chaos, no one would dare to make a move lightly.
Once one's weaknesses were exposed and their strength was found lacking, they might face utter destruction!
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