Inside the house.
He opened his system panel once again to take a look.
[Source Energy]: 1357.88
[Skills]:
Five Animals Fist (Fourth Breakthrough 633/5000) (Trait: Essence Stored in the Five Organs, Five Elements Spirit, Grandmaster of Fist Techniques, Bear-Tiger Physique)
Firewood Chopping Saber Technique (Sixth Breakthrough 4788/7000) (Traits: Versatility, Saber Like Thunder, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber, Natural Saber Talent)
Water Affinity+ (Sixth Breakthrough 7000/7000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation+, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control, Water Spirit Body)
In the morning, he still had over two thousand Source Energy points. After the earlier consumption, it had now dropped to just over a thousand.
But now, the Water Affinity skill on the panel met the conditions for the next breakthrough.
The experience value for Water Affinity had long reached 7,000 points, and the 1,000 Source Energy points were the necessary condition for the seventh breakthrough both were now fulfilled.
With just a thought, the Water Affinity skill could smoothly complete its breakthrough.
However, after only a brief hesitation, he dismissed the idea.
The path to the fifth rank was right before him.
The growth of internal energy didn't just affect his combat power at the fifth rank it influenced every aspect of his future progress.
Even for the fourth, third, second, and first ranks, internal energy remained critically important.
If internal energy were exhausted, even a third-rank grandmaster or a second-rank supreme grandmaster would see their combat power halved.
This was also why, despite top-tier grandmasters being capable of splitting rivers and cleaving mountains, they still couldn't single-handedly fight against thousands of troops.
The total amount of internal energy was always limited.
A grandmaster drained of internal energy would still struggle against an army, still grow exhausted, and still reach their limits.
In such a situation, even a few fourth-rank martial artists could easily kill an energy-depleted grandmaster.
Even supreme grandmasters and the peak first-rank experts beyond them could not escape this fate.
Thus, Jiang Ning understood very clearly that strengthening internal energy should be his top priority.
So he had no intention of carelessly spending the hard-earned Source Energy points he had saved up.
Instead, he planned to continue improving the Five Animals Fist, pushing it toward another breakthrough.
Based on his deductions, the next breakthrough for Five Animals Fist would require 2,000 points.
With his current 1,300+ Source Energy points, reaching 2,000 was not an unattainable goal.
Inside the house.
"Young Master, why are you eating so little?" Lü Yi looked at Jiang Ning, who had set down his bowl and chopsticks, her expression puzzled.
Seeing her confusion, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile faintly.
"With Internal Strengthening achieved, I can control my metabolism. Naturally, I don't need to eat much."
At this point, he hadn't consumed a single grain of rice or drop of water all day, yet after just two bowls of rice, he already felt satisfied.
This was the advantage of the Internal Strengthening realm controlling the body's metabolism and reducing its consumption.
It was precisely because of this that he had been able to maintain a normal three-meals-a-day routine before.
Otherwise, if he were to eat freely, even ten people's worth of food wouldn't be enough for him alone.
For his usual martial training consumption, he mainly relied on absorbing water to nourish his body.
After standing up, Jiang Ning glanced at Lü Yi, who was holding a bowl in her left hand and chopsticks in her right, and said,
"Take your time eating. I'm going to practice some fist techniques."
With those words, he pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard, where the cold wind immediately assaulted him.
Only after Jiang Ning left and the door closed again did Lü Yi begin wolfing down her food.
After starving for a day, her stomach had long been empty.
Especially after starting martial training, she had noticed her appetite increasing at an alarming rate it was now shockingly large.
Before, just to fill her stomach, she had to steam plain white buns to stave off hunger.
And today, the dishes in front of her were all high-quality, mostly meat-based plenty of fish and meat.
She had been drooling over them earlier but didn't want to seem impolite in front of Jiang Ning, so she forced herself to eat slowly.
Now that Jiang Ning was gone, she could finally let loose, shoveling large mouthfuls into her mouth.
Meanwhile.
Just after stepping outside, Jiang Ning heard the faint sounds of Lü Yi devouring her meal inside and couldn't help but chuckle.
He had already noticed that Lü Yi was starving, so he deliberately stopped eating early.
For him now, eating a little more or less made little difference.
When it came to replenishing his body's energy, ordinary food was already an inefficient method.
But because he was still flesh and blood, he needed certain nutrients from food to sustain himself.
Moreover, he had long been accustomed to eating three meals a day.
On occasions when he was slightly hungry, eating delicious food was still a kind of happiness.
When meals were delicious enough, eating wasn't just a necessity for survival it was also an enjoyment of life.
It could evoke an inexplicable sense of contentment.
And the meals Liu Wanwan cooked were delicious enough that even ordinary home-style dishes sometimes made Jiang Ning bite his tongue in delight.
So even though he had achieved Internal Strengthening, he still maintained the habit of eating three meals a day.
Then
He stopped paying attention to the noises coming from inside.
Standing in the snow-covered courtyard,
the faint candlelight leaking through the window provided a sliver of illumination in the dark yard.
He circulated his internal energy, and with a burst, the ground was instantly cleared, leaving behind a clean and spacious stone-paved area.
Standing on the cleared ground,
he closed his eyes once more.
Immediately, the five Animal diagrams appeared in his mind.
Tiger, deer, ape, roc, bear.
The five Animal diagrams emerged vividly in his consciousness, every strand of fur, every texture, clear.
"As expected, no issues now!"
"It seems drawing them out and reinforcing them once really was effective!"
Later.
He assumed a fist stance.
With a sudden movement of his body
Roar!
A thunderous tiger's roar erupted out of thin air.
Lü Yi turned her head to look out the window and immediately saw a crimson glow outside, the flames bright and intense.
"This is..." Her eyes widened in shock, a grain of rice falling from the corner of her mouth.
Meanwhile.
In the courtyard.
Jiang Ning practiced his fist with closed eyes while visualizing in his mind a mythical beast bathed in flames amidst a sea of fire.
In an instant, he felt as though he had truly entered that fiery abyss.
All around him front, back, left, right, above, below there was nothing but endless flames.
Overhead, shadowy, indistinct figures seemed to weave together into a cage, trapping him within this inferno.
At this moment, he also sensed the continuous influx of fire-attribute spiritual energy from the outside world, merging into his body and settling within his heart.
Inside the house.
Lü Yi tiptoed to the door and peered through the crack. In the dark courtyard, she saw a fiery tiger bathed in raging flames.
The tiger crouched low at times, pounced at others, and occasionally lashed out with its tail, splitting the air with explosive force.
Yet, despite the ferocity of the flames, she noticed that very little heat reached her.
Even though she was separated from the fiery tiger by nothing more than a door less than three zhang away she could barely feel any scorching waves.
It was as if the flames before her were mere illusions, possessing form but no tangible substance.
No!!
She suddenly shook her head.
She saw that the originally damp bricks on the ground, covered in melted snow, had now become completely dry.
She also noticed the dark patches of moisture on the nearby bricks receding, indicating that the water vapor was rapidly evaporating.
Just then.
The fiery tiger turned its head, its gaze piercing through the door crack and locking onto her.
Instantly, she felt a wave of heat rush toward her face, forcing her to squint.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
She hastily stumbled backward, her right hand pressing against her ample chest, her eyes filled with lingering fear.
In that split second, she saw nothing but the tiger a massive beast wreathed in flames, dominating the world before her.
At that moment, she also felt an overwhelming surge of scorching heat, as if she were about to be consumed by the fire.
She gently patted her heaving chest, and only after a while did her pounding heart gradually calm down.
Elsewhere.
Jiang Ning shifted his fist stance.
A sharp, murderous aura suddenly filled the courtyard.
Within a zhang around him, flashes of white light occasionally streaked through the air.
Wherever the white light passed, the snowflakes stirred up by his fists were instantly split in two.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +2]
As he finished the first round of his routine, a notification appeared before his eyes, which he ignored as usual.
Then.
Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze swept across the courtyard.
He immediately noticed the dried stone bricks and the melted snow beyond a zhang away.
Yet, despite this, there was not a single trace of actual fire damage in the entire courtyard.
"My fist intent has likely entered the second stage gradually shifting from illusion to reality."
Observing the scene before him, Jiang Ning nodded slightly, a satisfied expression on his face.
After completing a round of fist, he also understood the improvements brought by the second breakthrough of the Five Animals Fist.
The efficiency of condensing qi and blood had increased once more, and the nourishing effects on his internal organs had grown even stronger.
More importantly, his fist intent had undergone another transformation.
Compared to its previous illusory nature, the fist intent now clearly had the power to affect reality.
Trapped Fire Tiger fist Intent.
Once unleashed, it was as if a fiery tiger had descended into the real world, capable of radiating scorching waves of flame.
This indicated that his fist intent had reached a new level, achieving an initial effect of turning the intangible into the tangible.
"Unfortunately, my knowledge of martial arts is still too lacking. I'm not entirely sure what level my current fist intent corresponds to."
As this thought arose, Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.
Then, sensing that his condition was still optimal, he took out a wine jug that had been brewing for some time.
The jug contained premium liquor purchased from the Moonlit Tower, in which fragments of the Moon Stone he had retrieved from the sunken ship at the lake bottom had been soaking.
Soaking the Moon Stone fragments in wine produced the legendary "Emperor's Nectar."
He uncorked the jug and, with a few hearty gulps, drained the wine in one go.
[Source Energy]: 1357.88
"After soaking for so long, I hope the increase in Source Energy points will be decent by tomorrow morning!"
Looking at the current Source Energy value on his panel, Jiang Ning muttered to himself.
Then, he began bone-forging and fist practice.
According to his original plan, he was supposed to visit the Internal Affairs Office of the Inspection Bureau today.
Based on his conversation with Granny Bai from the Internal Affairs Office the day before, the rewards for his slaying of a fifth-grade internal strength realm warrior from the God-Worshipping Cult would only be finalized today.
However, an unexpected incident during his morning fist technique breakthrough disrupted his original plans.
Now that it was already late at night, he had no choice but to visit the Internal Affairs Office the next day.
Afterward, he continued practicing his fist techniques.
After the breakthrough of the Five Animals Fist, the way he trained had also changed.
Previously, he only needed to channel his qi and blood to practice the fist forms.
But now, not only did he have to do that, but he also had to continuously visualize the corresponding Animal diagrams while training.
This was the insight he gained after his fist technique breakthrough in the morning.
The next day.
He opened his eyes.
[Source Energy]: 1488.76
"Not bad!"
Looking at his panel, he nodded in satisfaction.
Overnight, his Source Energy had increased by over a hundred points, bringing him one step closer to the 2,000-point threshold.
Based on his estimation, once his Source Energy reached 2,000 points, he would meet the requirement for the next breakthrough of the Five Animals Fist.
As for the experience points, that was just a matter of time.
Then, taking advantage of the early morning, he continued practicing his fist techniques, tempering his bones bit by bit to fully transform his entire skeletal system into jade-like bones.
Morning.
The sky was still overcast with dark clouds.
Jiang Ning arrived at the Internal Affairs Office.
He saw Granny Bai, her hair streaked with silver, still sitting inside like an ordinary elderly village woman, warming herself by a charcoal fire.
"Senior!"
At his voice, the old woman slowly opened her slightly squinted eyes.
"It's you!" she said as if she had just woken up, her gaze somewhat bleary and her thoughts sluggish.
A moment later, her eyes cleared from their muddled state.
"I thought you'd forgotten, kid!" The old woman smiled.
"I'm broke right now how could I forget?" Jiang Ning replied.
"You've got quite the luck, kid!" the old woman continued. "Since the previous directive from above didn't mention rewards for killing a Fifth-Rank God-Worshipper, this time, they're extending the previous merit-based reward increase."
As she spoke, the old woman kept her smiling gaze fixed on Jiang Ning, as if waiting to see his reaction.
At this, Jiang Ning's eyes instantly brightened, and his breathing grew heavier. "Senior, are you saying... a million?"
"Indeed! A million merit points as your reward!" The old woman nodded slightly, then sighed with emotion. "A million merits for you, it's like ascending to heaven in a single step!"
"If you want a promotion, this million merits alone could bump you up several ranks. You could rise to the sixth rank and become a Deputy Commander in the prefecture city. With your strength, you'd be more than capable."
"Or, if there's a vacancy somewhere, you could choose not to be the tail of a phoenix but instead become the head of a chicken and take up a position as the Chief Inspector of a county's Inspection Office. That would be even more comfortable."
"Every local Inspection Office operates independently. As Chief Inspector, you'd wield supreme authority in that area!"
Hearing the old woman's words, Jiang Ning immediately understood.
She seemed to be guiding him on his future choices.
With a million merit points and his current strength, he indeed had many options.
But he had no such thoughts at all.
When he joined the Inspection Office, his original intention was simply to find a place to settle down.
Not to climb the bureaucratic ladder and achieve some glorious, honor-bestowing, ancestor-glorifying career.
Even if there were vacancies for Chief Inspector positions due to the recent establishment of Inspection Offices across various regions which was unlikely he had no such aspirations.
The higher the rank, the more trivial and tedious affairs there would be.
The more trivial affairs, the less he could focus on martial training and improving his strength.
In this world where power resided in the individual, all fame, status, and wealth were, in his eyes, ultimately just external things they could only be accessories, not the main focus.
The main focus had to be the improvement of his strength and the evolution of his life's essence.
Take the Great Xia's Martial Saint, for example.
A single person had suppressed the world's peace for eight hundred years. A single person had lived for a full eight hundred years.
Living for eight hundred years was not just a symbol of strength but also a transformation of life's essence.
And this Martial Saint was the clearest example before his eyes!
A single person outweighed armies and legions.
Compared to him, even the emperor sitting high in the imperial court paled in comparison.
The rise and fall of the throne, and the stability of imperial power all likely depended on his will.
Before the Martial Saint, the throne meant nothing. Imperial authority meant nothing.
With his near-millennium lifespan, who knew how many dynastic changes he had witnessed?
His existence, his near-thousand-year lifespan, was akin to a deity walking the mortal world.
To ordinary people, such a lifespan was nothing short of immortality.
An average mortal life lasted only sixty years.
A thousand years was dozens of generations.
Before such a being, what did glory, wealth, power, and status even matter?
If the Martial Saint wanted them, they were his for the taking.
Changing dynasties would require nothing more than a single thought from him.
So Jiang Ning had long understood what he sought.
Power, status, glory, and wealth were merely secondary pursuits for him now.
In this era, he still needed power and status to provide him with a comfortable and secure environment, allowing him to train in peace and enhance his strength.
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