Luo River Lake.
Beneath the thick layer of ice.
In the azure-blue lake water.
"Gurgle, gurgle"
A figure sat cross-legged in the water, with streams of bubbles rising around them from time to time as if a fish were blowing bubbles.
This figure was Jiang Ning.
After practicing his fist techniques to the point of exhaustion, his qi and blood depleted, he needed to immerse himself in the water to nourish his body and restore his condition.
At this moment, his body had already returned to its peak state under the lake's restorative effects.
His essence, qi, and spirit were replenished, and his stamina was fully restored.
Once again, he allowed the internal energy stored in his dantian to erupt violently within his body, letting it run rampant through his meridians.
At this moment, his internal energy was completely chaotic, surging recklessly through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the Twelve Primary Meridians, forcibly opening countless tiny collateral branches that were usually imperceptible.
In an instant, his meridians began to tear, internal bleeding started, and his organs suffered damage under the violent onslaught of the rampaging energy.
For an ordinary person, reaching this stage would mean either death or severe depletion of vitality, with shattered meridians making it difficult to circulate internal energy in the future.
This was the most severe form of qi deviation a complete loss of control over the surging internal energy, wreaking havoc within the body.
But with his formidable regenerative abilities and the nourishing properties of the water, the countless wounds in his body healed rapidly, tearing and mending over and over again.
The collateral branches of his meridians were repeatedly torn apart and then swiftly restored.
Through this cycle of destruction and reconstruction, his meridians gradually became more resilient.
Moreover, many previously hidden and undetectable meridian branches now became visible.
Over and over again.
In what felt like the time it took to burn half an incense stick, Jiang Ning opened his eyes.
"That's enough for today! I'll continue tomorrow!"
"In a few more days, once all the meridian branches in my body are fully reconstructed, the explosive power of my internal energy will be unmatched!"
With that, he tilted his head upward, and his body shot through the azure lake water like a fish.
Boom
The thick layer of ice above shattered instantly as a figure emerged from the water and landed atop the ice.
Carried by the underwater currents, Jiang Ning had broken through the ice at a location far from where he had initially entered the lake.
With a single glance, his sharp vision took in the scenery several thousand meters away.
Once he oriented himself, he leaped into the air, soaring like a wild goose across the sky, kicking up swirling snow in his wake.
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
The snow had fallen relentlessly for those seven days.
When the skies finally cleared again, there was not a cloud in sight just an endless expanse of blue.
In the days following the New Year, Luo River County had been unusually peaceful and harmonious.
Thanks to the Xie family's charitable efforts of opening their granaries to distribute porridge, as well as the Yellow Heaven Sect's daily incense-burning prayers and distribution of blessed talisman water, not a single case of death from cold, had been reported in the inner or outer city since the turn of the year.
The talismans of the Yellow Heaven Sect, when affixed to the body, could retain heat for most of the day. Even dressed in thin hemp clothing in the depths of winter, one could stay warm for hours.
This greatly improved the Xie family's reputation, and Jiang Ning's name spread throughout Luo River County as a result.
As for the Yellow Heaven Sect, its influence had expanded rapidly. In the outer city, its followers now accounted for thirty percent of the population an astonishing figure.
Even in the inner city, the sect had gained many adherents.
Yet, regarding this matter, Hong Minghu had remained silent, as if giving tacit approval.
Jiang Ning, on the other hand, had no interest in involving himself in such affairs.
The only thing that had captured his attention during these days was the vacant position of the county magistrate.
On the night he had executed Magistrate Li Hong, a messenger bird had been dispatched immediately, and Ye Qiu had personally escorted Li Hong's corpse to Dongling County to report the incident.
Since then, the magistrate's duties had been temporarily shared by the county registrar and the captain of the guards.
Once Jiang Ning learned of this arrangement, he paid little further attention to the matter.
Every day, he devoted himself entirely to training and cultivation.
Beyond that, his focus was on unlocking all the meridian branches in his body, repeatedly reconstructing them to enhance their capacity to withstand the explosive surge of internal energy.
After these days of effort, he sensed that the reconstruction of his meridian branches had reached its limit.
Even when subjected to the violent onslaught of internal energy, the reconstructed branches showed no further improvement.
This meant that his meridian branches had temporarily reached their peak capacity constrained by the limits of his physical body.
To raise this ceiling further and enhance his endurance, he would need to strengthen his physique.
The body was an interconnected whole; strengthening one aspect would inevitably lead to improvements in others.
For instance, during the Bone Forging stage of the sixth rank, the transformation of the bones also brought about a general enhancement of the body.
Thus, by improving his physical strength, the endurance limit of his meridians could be raised once more.
[Skills]:
Literacy (Fifth Breakthrough 1133/6000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension, Heavenly Eye)
Five Animals Fist (Fourth Breakthrough 4066/5000) (Traits: Essence Storage in Five Organs, Five Elements Spirit, Fist Technique Master, Bear-Tiger Physique)
After glancing at his skill panel, Jiang Ning's gaze settled on the line displaying his Source Energy points.
Compared to the growth in Source Energy points, the progress in the Five Animals Fist was far more striking. With less than a thousand experience points remaining until the next breakthrough, the skill was on the verge of another evolution.
The rapid advancement in the Five Animals Fist was largely due to his relentless training over the past few days.
Apart from the occasional time spent reading, Jiang Ning devoted himself entirely to practicing his fist techniques.
Having achieved a breakthrough in his fist techniques and gained deeper personal insights, the experience points he earned from training had significantly increased.
As a result, in just a few short days, the progress of his Five Animals Fist had advanced by more than a third.
"In a few more days, my Five Animals Fist will reach the required experience threshold. The only thing left to worry about is the Source Energy points."
"I'm still short by over 400 points, but that shouldn't be too difficult to obtain!"
With this thought in mind, Jiang Ning stood in the center of the courtyard and raised his hand, summoning a wine jug.
The Lunar Stone inside had been steeping for over half a month.
Without hesitation, he uncorked the jug.
Gulp
Gulp
He drank deeply, the rich liquor pouring down his throat like a glacial river, only to transform into a blazing fire in his stomach the next moment.
The abrupt shift from icy cold to scorching heat sent a fine sheen of sweat across his skin.
After draining the jug, he took advantage of the rising intoxication to continue practicing his fist techniques in the courtyard, waiting for the Hour of the Snake (9-11 AM) to arrive.
The next morning.
"Excellent, another fine day!"
Pushing open the door, Jiang Ning gazed at the clear, cloudless sky and smiled faintly.
The good weather from the day before had yielded bountiful gains.
The explosive growth of his internal energy was unmistakable the once mist-like energy in his dantian had now expanded into a vast, surging sea.
At the same time, his Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique had also progressed significantly.
[Skills]:
Five Animals Fist (Fourth Breakthrough 4333/5000)
Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Minor Achievement 2900/5000)
After glancing at his skills, his eyes shifted upward.
[Source Energy]: 1651.11
"Good!" Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction. "This brings me even closer to 2,000 Source Energy points."
After a quick wash, he resumed his fist training without delay.
Meanwhile, in Qujiang County.
Inside an inn, Bai Luoyu leisurely enjoyed his breakfast.
Xiao Emei stared at him, visibly exasperated.
"What's the rush?" Bai Luoyu said, utterly relaxed. "Eat first, then we'll set off."
"Elder Bai, you said the same thing yesterday!" Xiao Emei retorted.
Bai Luoyu chuckled. "Yesterday, I saw sudden clouds gathering I was worried the weather might turn. Besides, how could we travel before the snow had even melted?"
An hour later, a horse-drawn carriage carrying the two finally departed Qujiang County, heading toward Luo River County.
"Wasting precious time like this… How is it that someone like Bai Luoyu is stronger than me?"
Xiao Emei watched the carefree elder with growing resentment, feeling an acute sense of injustice.
Luo River County – Noon.
"Elder Brother, Sister-in-law!" Jiang Ning stepped into the dining hall and greeted them warmly.
"Come, sit!" Jiang Li patted the stool beside him. "How about sharing a drink with me today?"
"Gladly." Jiang Ning nodded and took his seat.
The table was laden with an unusually lavish spread twelve dishes in total, ten of which were substantial main courses.
The reason for such extravagance? Today was Jiang Yiming's birthday his fifteenth.
"Yiming," Jiang Ning said, pulling out a blood-red amber crystal and handing it to his nephew. "This is my gift for you."
Encased within the crimson amber was a single drop of dark red liquid a drop of Jiang Ning's refined blood essence, purified of all personal imprints.
Once stripped of its original owner's influence, his blood became a peerless medicinal treasure completely safe and free of side effects.
Even a single drop of his ordinary blood could enhance physical constitution, boost strength, and improve innate martial talent.
This drop of refined essence, however, was far more potent.
It would reshape Jiang Yiming's martial foundation, elevating his physical potential to that of a true martial prodigy.
At fifteen, Jiang Yiming was now physically mature enough to begin formal martial training.
That was why Jiang Ning had decided to gift him this treasure.
As for its effects?
He had already tested it on Lü Yi.
Once purified, his blood became a pure, transformative elixir one that could dramatically strengthen the body without any drawbacks.
The only one at a disadvantage is himself. The loss of a drop of blood means he has lost a fraction of his strength though minuscule, it is undeniably gone.
He had conducted experiments before: simply losing blood had no lasting effect on him. His body would recover briefly and return to normal.
But if his blood was completely absorbed by Lü Yi, his physical strength would genuinely diminish somewhat. He could also sense that a few strands of his vital energy had vanished into thin air.
This phenomenon was utterly mysterious, and Jiang Ning couldn't comprehend it at all.
At that moment.
In the dining room.
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Jiang Yiming, who had already stood up, took the blood-red amber containing Jiang Ning's essence from him and expressed his gratitude.
At the same time.
Liu Wanwan looked surprised. "A-Ning, what is this?"
Jiang Ning replied, "A potent medicine. If Yiming swallows this, his physical strength will surge, and his martial foundation will become incredibly solid. Once he steps onto the martial path, he can easily achieve the first rank."
"That incredible?" Liu Wanwan's eyes widened.
Jiang Ning smiled, recalling the effects of his blood on Lü Yi, Xie Xiaojiu, and the two horses, Snow-Red Flame, in the Wang family's stable. He nodded.
"It truly is remarkable. With this, Yiming will undoubtedly be hailed as a martial prodigy in the future!"
"This is too precious!" Liu Wanwan quickly took the blood-red amber from Jiang Yiming's hands and placed it back on the table in front of Jiang Ning.
She continued, "A-Ning, this thing is far too valuable. We can't accept it!"
"You've worked so hard to get to where you are now. One misstep in the official world, and without the backing of strength, it could mean ruin."
"You need this kind of potent medicine to enhance yourself far more than Yiming does. Besides, if you're strong enough, our entire family will benefit and live much better lives."
Hearing her words, Jiang Ning shook his head.
"Sister-in-law, this thing is useless to me, but for Yiming, it's a treasure for laying the foundation of his martial path."
"Yiming is not only your son but also my only nephew."
"Both emotionally and logically, I must take his future seriously."
"Besides, Yiming is already fifteen now, his body fully developed. It's time for him to step onto the martial path."
"Before, because of my incompetence, you and Elder Brother couldn't properly nurture Yiming or give him a good starting point."
"Now that I've achieved some success, how could I neglect Yiming's future?"
Beside them.
Liu Wanwan's face immediately showed guilt.
Thinking back to all her complaints and resentful remarks about Jiang Li in the past, as well as her coldness toward Jiang Ning back then compared to his attitude now she felt deeply ashamed.
"A-Ning, I was wrong in the past as your sister-in-law."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning understood her intent.
He smiled and shook his head. "In my eyes, Sister-in-law, you've already done more than enough! With a burden like me back then, how could you not have grievances? If it were anyone else in your place, they probably would've kicked me out of the house long ago."
As for Liu Wanwan's slight coldness toward him in the past, Jiang Ning understood it completely and bore no resentment now.
Her dissatisfaction back then had only been verbal complaints. In reality, she had never deprived him of a single meal.
For over a decade, his dirty clothes had been washed by Liu Wanwan's own hands, one piece at a time.
The holes in his clothes had been meticulously sewn up by her needle and thread.
Even though because of him, Jiang Yiming had never received a proper education or attended a good private school.
Liu Wanwan had never directed harsh words at him, let alone taken any action to drive him out of the household.
Calling her "a sister-like elder sister-in-law" would not be an exaggeration.
So how could he possibly hold any resentment toward her?
The next moment.
Jiang Ning picked up the blood-red amber that Liu Wanwan had placed on the dining table.
Then he said to Jiang Yiming, "Yiming, open your mouth."
Hearing this, Yiming opened his mouth.
He had been listening to their conversation and now understood that the blood-red amber in Jiang Ning's hand contained a type of potent human medicine that could help him smoothly embark on the martial path and earn him the reputation of a martial prodigy.
At this moment.
Jiang Ning flicked his finger.
The solidified amber shattered instantly, breaking into countless fragments. The drop of essence sealed within the blood-red amber flew straight into Jiang Yiming's mouth.
As the essence entered Jiang Yiming's body.
After just a few breaths.
Jiang Yiming's face rapidly turned red, and his entire body became as flushed as a boiled lobster.
"Father… Mother…"
"I feel so hot!!!"
Jiang Yiming cried out in pain.
"A-Ning, what… what's happening?" Liu Wanwan panicked at the sight.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry!" Jiang Ning reassured her. With a wave of his hand, he instantly conjured a sphere of water that enveloped Jiang Yiming.
As the cool water surrounded him, Jiang Yiming's pained expression rapidly eased, and the redness of his body began to fade.
Jiang Ning then explained, "Sister-in-law, carry Yiming and place him in a water barrel. Cooling him down with water will suffice. His current state is just the medicine taking effect."
Hearing this, Liu Wanwan felt much more at ease.
The current Jiang Ning had already earned her complete trust.
Especially the way he had just summoned water with a wave of his hand to envelop Jiang Yiming this left Liu Wanwan utterly astonished.
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