Outside the house, the wind and snow raged.
Inside, the dim lighting made the room appear somewhat dark.
In the darkness, Jiang Ning suddenly opened his eyes.
In that instant, the dimly lit room seemed to brighten.
[Skills]: Five Animal Fist (Third Limit Break 11/4000) (Traits: Essence Stored in the Five Organs, Five Elements Spirit, Grandmaster of Fist Techniques)
[Grandmaster of Fist Techniques]: Possesses extraordinary talent in fist techniques, enough to establish a school and be recognized as a grandmaster.
"Grandmaster of Fist Techniques?"
Looking at the newly added trait on his status panel, Jiang Ning muttered to himself.
Without a doubt, this was a trait that enhanced his talent in fist techniques.
Just like how some martial artists possessed unparalleled talent in fist techniques any fist style they practiced could be easily mastered to its core essence, reaching a level of absolute perfection.
Such individuals could even stand on the shoulders of predecessors, innovate, and create even stronger fist techniques.
For instance, the Five Animal Fist was created by martial artists observing tigers, apes, deer, bears, and cranes, forming a foundational martial art.
Creating any martial art required an extremely high level of martial comprehension and innate talent.
And some were simply born with such rare, unparalleled gifts.
Jiang Ning slowly closed his status panel.
"This means that from now on, I will possess extraordinary talent in fist techniques!"
The next moment, he closed his eyes once more, carefully digesting the insights that had just surfaced in his mind.
Not even half a cup of tea's time passed before he opened his eyes again.
Creak
As the door swung open, a gust of wind and snow rushed into the house.
Jiang Ning stepped over the threshold and walked into the courtyard.
At this moment, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and a thin layer of snow had once again covered the ground.
As he stepped onto the snow, the sound of "crunch, crunch" echoed softly.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, wind and snow swirled around Jiang Ning's head.
The next moment, he slowly closed his eyes, standing still amidst the snowstorm.
He was gathering momentum accumulating fist momentum.
With the third limit break of the Five Animal Fist, aside from gaining the Grandmaster of Fist Techniques trait, which transformed his talent, the biggest change was the realization of five types of momentum:
Trapped Tiger.
Furious Bear.
Agile Ape.
Soaring Crane.
Serene Deer.
The tiger was the Trapped Tiger once freed from its cage, it would shred everything apart.
The bear was the Furious Bear once enraged, it would fear nothing.
The ape was the Agile Ape once entering the mountains, it would be unbound and free.
The crane was the Soaring Crane once taking flight, it would ascend to the heavens.
The deer was the Serene Deer once returning to the forest, it would rest in tranquility.
These were the five fist momentums he had just comprehended.
And this understanding did not come from merely breaking the limits of Five Animal Fist, but from the transformation of his innate martial talent, allowing him to naturally grasp what belonged to him alone.
With this realization, the previous correlation between the Five Animals, the Five Organs, and the Five Elements also changed.
Previously, Five Animal Fist was associated as follows:
Heart (Fire) - Ape
Kidney (Water) - Deer
Spleen (Earth) - Bear
Lung (Metal) - Crane
Liver (Wood) - Tiger
But now, it had evolved into:
Heart (Fire) - Tiger → The heart was the cage restraining the ferocious tiger.
Liver (Wood) - Deer → The deer symbolized serenity, returning to the forests.
Spleen (Earth) - Bear → The bear represented overwhelming strength.
Lung (Metal) - Ape → The ape signified an indestructible body.
Kidney (Water) - Crane → The crane embodied soaring into the sky.
The inspiration for Kidney (Water) - Crane stemmed from the saying:
"A great roc, once rising with the wind, can soar up to ninety thousand miles."
Upon comprehending these five fist momentums, he began nurturing them within his five Organs:
Heart (Fire) - Trapped Tiger
Liver (Wood) - Serene Deer
Spleen (Earth) - Furious Bear
Lung (Metal) - Agile Ape
Kidney (Water) - Soaring Crane
These five manifestations were now taking form within his organs.
This was the true display of his Grandmaster of Fist Techniques talent.
Without this trait, which had revolutionized his martial aptitude, achieving such comprehension would have been impossible.
In the martial path, intent precedes technique.
And at this moment, though his intent had yet to transcend the mortal realm, it was already extraordinary.
As he stood in the snow, fine flakes gradually accumulated atop his head.
The freshly fallen snow had also begun to cover his footprints.
At this moment, he resembled a motionless sculpture standing firm in the storm.
Within this meditative state, he could feel his heart nurturing a certain momentum in the Trapped Tiger's Momentum.
A fierce tiger crouched within his heart, restrained, yet ready to burst forth at any moment.
Meanwhile…
From the direction of the kitchen, Lü Yi approached, carrying a steaming bowl of meat broth.
But the moment she saw Jiang Ning standing amidst the snowstorm, she immediately stopped in her tracks, not daring to make a sound afraid of disturbing him.
Time passed slowly.
The steam rising from the bowl of meat soup in Lü Yi's hands gradually diminished. Even though she stood beneath the round archway connecting the two courtyards, a light dusting of snow had accumulated on her head and shoulders.
Suddenly
The fierce tiger caged within Jiang Ning's heart abruptly opened its eyes. At the same moment, his own eyes snapped open.
In the next instant
His body moved, and he threw a punch.
Within a radius of several feet, the accumulated snow instantly vanished into nothingness. This punch seemed ordinary at first glance.
However, in Lü Yi's eyes, the moment Jiang Ning struck, he transformed into a tiger engulfed in raging flames.
The tiger's gaze held an endless fury, an intensity that seemed to pierce straight into her soul.
When the tiger raised its head and roared at the sky, Lü Yi's heart suddenly stopped for a brief moment, and her vision turned completely black.
In the darkness, the flaming tiger remained, its form burned into her mind.
This was fist the force of the fist that reached into the realm of the spirit, imprinting itself upon the consciousness.
If someone knowledgeable were present, they would immediately recognize that this level of fist was beyond extraordinary.
A fist that could manifest on the spiritual level
Against such an opponent, if one could not resist the mental suppression, they would already be at a disadvantage before even exchanging blows.
At that moment
As Jiang Ning's punch landed, he immediately regained his awareness.
He saw Lü Yi slowly collapsing.
His figure flickered, and with the aid of his Wind and Thunder Breath trait, he seemed to bypass all resistance from the surrounding air, appearing at Lü Yi's side in an instant.
With his left hand, he caught her before she could fall completely.
With his right hand, he reached out and effortlessly caught the bowl of meat soup that had slipped from her grasp midair.
Not a single drop of soup was spilled.
"Master…" Lü Yi slowly opened her eyes as Jiang Ning's inner energy nourished her.
Jiang Ning took a sip of the soup and smiled. "Not bad."
Lü Yi, realizing that Jiang Ning's hand was still supporting her back, quickly straightened herself.
She then noticed that half of the soup in his bowl was already gone.
"Master, the soup has gotten cold. Let me reheat it for you."
She reached out her hands, intending to take the bowl.
"No need." Jiang Ning shook his head, then finished the remaining soup in a few gulps.
"There's still a bit of warmth left just right." He handed the empty bowl back to Lü Yi. "What made you think of bringing me soup?"
Lü Yi took the bowl from him. "I saw that Master woke up so early and hadn't eaten anything since last night, so I thought I'd make some soup to fill your stomach."
"I didn't expect to disturb your training…"
Jiang Ning shook his head. "You didn't disturb me, but you should be more careful in the future. You have no martial foundation watching my training could be dangerous."
"Yes," Lü Yi lowered her head.
Jiang Ning then chuckled. "The soup was quite good."
"If Master likes it, I'll bring you another bowl," Lü Yi offered.
"No need." Jiang Ning waved his hand. "One bowl is enough to fill my stomach."
Then, he looked at her. "Did you not go back to rest?"
"No… no, I didn't." Lü Yi lowered her head again.
Jiang Ning patted her on the head. "Go rest for now. Your body isn't strong enough to endure this cold weather."
As soon as he finished speaking
Achoo!
Lü Yi sneezed, a glistening drop of snot hanging under her nose, swaying slightly in the wind.
Her face instantly flushed red with embarrassment.
Jiang Ning, amused by the sight, let out a soft laugh.
He then watched as Lü Yi hurriedly ran off.
Feeling the faint warmth in his stomach, Jiang Ning murmured to himself,
"Not bad."
"Having someone take care of me does improve my quality of life, and it saves me from dealing with a lot of trivial matters."
"I should ask Lü Yi to buy me a carriage later so I won't have to hire one every time."
With that, Jiang Ning opened his status panel once more.
[Source Energy]: 63.71
[Skill]: Five-Animal Fist (Third Limit Break 11/4000) (Traits: Essence Stored in the Five Organs, Five-Element Spirit, Grandmaster of Fist Techniques)
"Grandmaster of Fist Techniques truly an excellent talent."
He nodded in satisfaction.
The Five-Animal Fist had undergone a complete transformation compared to before.
Within his five viscera, five divine entities were taking form.
These five entities were the manifestation of Fist.
The punch he had just thrown had demonstrated the sheer ferocity of the Caged Tiger Stance.
Had he not controlled the Fist's release, and had Lü Yi taken the full force instead of just the residual shock
Simply witnessing the explosion of the Caged Tiger Stance would have been enough to shatter the mind of an ordinary person.
At best, they would become mentally unstable and descend into madness.
At worst, they would die on the spot.
This was the power of momentum and dominance.
When one's Momentum was strong enough, it could manifest as divine might, rivaling gods and buddhas.
After closing his status panel,
Jiang Ning swept his gaze around.
The courtyard had already been covered in a fresh layer of snow, and the branches were weighed down by thick frost.
Seeing this
He gently stomped his foot.
A surge of inner energy burst forth from his body, spreading outward like an invisible shockwave.
Instantly, all the accumulated snow in the courtyard was lifted into the air, rising three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high.
Then, Jiang Ning brought his right hand together, fingers forming a palm.
With a slow forward push of his hand
The suspended snow was propelled beyond the high courtyard wall, landing on the rocky ground outside.
At this moment
If someone were to witness this scene, they would immediately think of the word "extravagance."
After all, while inner breath was powerful, restoring it was no simple matter. If one's inner breath were to be depleted, without any external assistance, it would take at least a day or two to fully recover.
Thus, using an outburst of inner breath just to clear away the snow was an incredibly lavish act.
But for Jiang Ning, recovering his inner breath was merely a matter of moments, as long as he was submerged in water.
Afterward, Jiang Ning returned to his room.
He raised his hand and waved toward the table before him.
The miscellaneous treasures he had purchased the previous day instantly appeared on the tabletop.
Among them were a Blood Lotus from the depths of the Luo River, wild ginseng from Beiqiu Mountain, Earth Ganoderma, Jade Bamboo, and Qiong Nectar.
Looking at the rare treasures laid before him, Jiang Ning wasted no time.
He grabbed a piece of Earth Ganoderma and tossed it into his mouth.
After a few casual chews, he swallowed it down.
He planned to consume everything on the table today.
Only by doing so could he accumulate enough energy points.
With his current rate of progress, as long as he had sufficient energy points, his strength would continue to grow.
Just like how his Five Animals Fist had undergone its third breakthrough.
Not only had his innate talent transformed, but he had also reached the level of a martial arts grandmaster.
What does it mean to be a grandmaster?
It means having the qualifications to establish a school and pass down a legacy.
The "Martial Arts Grandmaster" trait granted him an extraordinary talent in martial arts.
With such talent, even the most ordinary boxing technique, in his hands, could unleash remarkable power.
Even if his opponents possessed the same level of martial arts mastery, they would still be beaten to death by him in just a few punches.
Such a vast disparity in talent was enough to instill despair.
Throughout history, countless people have walked the path of martial arts.
But how many could truly claim the title of grandmaster?
A mere handful.
And he was one of those few.
That was the power of the "Martial Arts Grandmaster" trait.
In the realm of martial arts, he possessed the qualifications to establish a sect and leave behind a lasting legacy.
Before long, after consuming various medicinal herbs and treasures, Jiang Ning felt his blood surging and his body heating up.
"This won't do!"
"I need to practice my punches and temper my bones!"
Without hesitation, he stuffed a forty-year-old wild ginseng into his mouth.
Then, in a single step, he strode out of the room.
As he opened the door, his jaw moved a few times, and the wild ginseng was swallowed into his stomach.
The cold wind outside rushed into the room, brushing past his body.
But Jiang Ning felt no chill.
His body was burning with internal energy.
Although his internal organs had been tempered and his stomach's digestion far exceeded that of ordinary people, rapidly breaking down the treasures he had consumed...
His body was struggling to keep up.
He had overindulged in nourishment.
The herbs he had just eaten were not mere ordinary supplements.
They were rare and potent medicinal treasures.
Decades-old ginseng and Earth Ganoderma were far stronger than the ten-year-old herbs he had once consumed at the beginning of his martial arts journey.
Back then, even a ten-year-old wild ginseng had to be consumed in multiple portions.
But now, he swallowed decades-old medicinal treasures whole.
No matter how powerful his digestion, the accumulated medicinal energy was overwhelming.
Stepping into the courtyard, he saw that the snow had not let up in the slightest.
He took a stance and slowly began practicing the Five Animals Fist.
As he trained, he focused on guiding his internal energy, continuing to temper the 206 bones in his body.
In three to five more days, his bones would fully darken, becoming pure and flawless black.
At that point, he would step into the second stage of Bone Tempering The Mystic Bone Realm.
Meanwhile, elsewhere
"Luo River County?"
"We've finally arrived!"
A man stood in the snowstorm, draped in a pure white cloak with a hood that blended seamlessly into the snowy ground.
From a distance, he was nearly indistinguishable from the surroundings.
He reached into his garments and pulled out a black, writhing finger its surface seemed to squirm like living worms.
The finger floated above his palm, pointing unerringly toward Luo River County.
"The direction was correct."
"This county is where it happened!"
"The divine fetus was destroyed. According to the oracle, the one responsible must be brought back."
With that, he carefully stored away the writhing black finger.
The god worshipped by his sect was growing stronger by the day.
Its divine might was becoming ever more vast and unfathomable.
As a guardian of the sect, he had received a baptism of the god's blood, elevating both his strength and his status far above ordinary guardians.
But at the same time, he had become deeply bound to that deity.
He was now a true divine envoy, a representative of the god's will.
Thus, he dared not disobey.
He had to carry out his mission.
Even if it meant traversing thousands of mountains and enduring relentless storms, he could not falter.
He turned his gaze toward the city gates, carefully observing the patrolling soldiers atop the walls.
With the heavy snow sealing off the roads, Luo River County's main gate was shut tight.
Only a small side entrance, one yard wide, remained open.
A few scattered travelers passed through the narrow opening.
As for the soldiers on the walls, the howling winds and falling snow had drastically reduced their numbers.
They were sparse, indifferent, and entirely unguarded.
Moments later, the cloaked figure reached the base of the city wall.
Timing his move precisely between the patrols, he leaped and effortlessly scaled the wall, disappearing into Luo River County.
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