Martial Arts School, Back Courtyard.
Facing Wang Jin's question, Jiang Ning nodded slowly. "My Five Animals Fist has now reached perfection."
Upon hearing Jiang Ning's affirmative answer, even though Wang Jin had already suspected as much, his breathing still became slightly hurried.
In less than two months of learning the fist techniques, Jiang Ning had gone from a complete novice to achieving great mastery of his qi and blood, and even breaking through to the perfection level of the Five Animals Fist. His skill in the fist techniques was now on par with Wang Jin's own.
Wang Jin couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment. Is this what a true genius looks like? No wonder Shen Congyun holds Jiang Ning in such high regard.
After a few moments, Wang Jin regained his composure and looked at Jiang Ning again.
"Can you now freely control the Five Animals' energy at will?"
Jiang Ning nodded, speaking with utmost honesty. "Yes!"
In Jiang Ning's view, revealing that his Five Animals Fist had reached perfection was no big deal. He now had several trump cards up his sleeve, and the perfection of the Five Animals Fist wasn't something he needed to hide. Moreover, the perfection of the fist technique would naturally become apparent during daily practice. With Wang Jin's experience, he would recognize it at a glance, making it unnecessary to conceal.
"Try it out. Send a burst of energy into my body and let me see!" Wang Jin said.
Jiang Ning nodded slightly. "Alright."
In the next moment, he raised his hand and lightly tapped Wang Jin's arm. A surge of energy instantly flowed into Wang Jin's body.
Feeling the familiar energy within him, Wang Jin's expression turned to one of astonishment.
"Five Forces Combined?" he murmured to himself.
Then, he looked up at Jiang Ning again, his mind swirling with thoughts.
Regarding the Five Animals Fist, while others might not know, Wang Jin was well aware. Achieving perfection in the Five Animals Fist and mastering the five types of energy was already a rare feat, something that most martial artists who practiced the Five Animals Fist could achieve after reaching perfection in all five forms. However, this was not something that only a few in the world could accomplish, as the Five Animals Fist was not his exclusive martial art. Many had studied it before.
But beyond perfection, there was a deeper level of the fusion of the five energies into one. This was the most difficult step. According to the theory of the Five Elements, the Five Animals corresponded to the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Combining these five elements was an extremely challenging task. Even Wang Jin himself had only achieved this after a year of dedicated study following the perfection of his Five Animals Fist.
However, once achieved, the energy of the Five Animals Fist would undergo a further transformation, becoming a balanced and harmonious force. While this energy might not be particularly outstanding in combat, it was exceptionally effective for tempering one's own body. Even the Ninefold Energy of the Canglang Blade Technique, which Wang Jin had mastered, paled in comparison to the Five Animals' combined energy when it came to self-cultivation.
Looking at Jiang Ning, Wang Jin couldn't help but grin, then burst into laughter.
"Excellent! Truly excellent!!"
Front Courtyard.
Zhou Xing, who had just walked into the front courtyard, heard Wang Jin's hearty laughter coming from the back. He couldn't help but stop and turn around.
"Junior Brother Jiang is truly remarkable!" he sighed softly, speaking only to himself.
Hearing Wang Jin's laughter, Zhou Xing understood that it was Jiang Ning who had brought such joy to their master. This indicated that Jiang Ning had made significant progress on his martial path.
Zhou Xing then sighed inwardly. It seems it won't be long before Junior Brother Jiang steps into the ranks of the Ninth Grade of martial arts. With such talent, Master Wang will surely help him seize this opportunity.
"For Junior Brother Jiang to fully realize his potential, given that he was born in Luoshui County, he must join the Inspection Bureau. It seems that in the future, my colleague won't be Junior Brother Xiao Peng or Junior Brother Cheng Ran, but Junior Brother Jiang Ning. My previous investment in Cheng Ran seems to have failed."
Zhou Xing muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly at the last sentence before continuing on his way.
Back Courtyard.
After finishing his laughter, Wang Jin composed himself and looked at Jiang Ning.
"You've done well, kid. You've achieved the fusion of the Five Forces. With this combined energy, your efficiency in tempering your body will be several times that of an ordinary person. This will greatly aid you in refining your skin and stepping into the Ninth Grade of martial arts."
"Your qi and blood should be nearing perfection, with your energy flowing freely through your limbs. In the next month and a half, before the Inspection Bureau opens its doors, with my help, you might just be able to seize this opportunity."
"You have great talent. To go far on the martial path, you either need to join one of the top sects or rely on the imperial court by joining the Inspection Bureau. Aside from these two options, you have no other choice."
"The further you go on the martial path, the more tightly guarded the core teachings become especially the path to becoming a Grandmaster or even beyond. If you have no way to join a top sect, the Inspection Bureau offers a ready path. If you want to go far, you must seize this opportunity."
After listening to Wang Jin's words, Jiang Ning replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand! That's why I am determined to succeed in the upcoming opening of the Inspection Bureau!"
"Good to have such confidence! A true man should be confident!" Wang Jin nodded in satisfaction as he looked at Jiang Ning.
Then he added, "In that case, go and train! Strive to achieve perfection in your qi and blood as soon as possible. Only then can you begin to refine your skin and step into the Ninth Grade of martial arts. Only by entering the Ninth Grade will you be qualified to join the Inspection Bureau."
At this point, Jiang Ning paused for a moment, adjusting his expression before speaking.
"Master, I have already stepped into the Ninth Grade of martial arts."
"Well done!" Wang Jin replied casually.
But in the next moment, his expression froze, and his voice rose slightly. "What did you just say? Say it again!"
Seeing this, Jiang Ning smiled wryly. He had expected that revealing his achievement would provoke such a reaction from Wang Jin. However, in the Skin Refining stage, even a slight touch would reveal his progress. There was no point in hiding it from Wang Jin, nor was there any need to conceal his current martial progress.
Jiang Ning then repeated, "Master, I have successfully refined my skin and stepped into the Ninth Grade of martial arts."
Hearing this, Wang Jin's body moved like a gust of wind, appearing instantly by Jiang Ning's side. He immediately tapped Jiang Ning's arm, sending a surge of energy into his body to sense the changes.
Wang Jin's eyes widened in disbelief, and he looked as though he was questioning reality.
He's refined his skin! He's truly stepped into the Ninth Grade! Did I oversleep last night and hallucinate today? How is this possible?
How did this kid manage to do it? He was only gone for ten days, and when he returned, he suddenly said his Five Animals Fist had reached perfection. Not only that, but he also achieved the fusion of the Five Forces and refined his skin, stepping into the Ninth Grade!
Wasn't he just at the peak of qi and blood, not yet perfected? How did he change so drastically in such a short time?
Wang Jin's mind was filled with countless questions, and he remained in a daze for a full breath before finally regaining his senses. His gaze refocused on Jiang Ning.
It must be that Shen Congyun left him something valuable something truly valuable! Otherwise, how could he have progressed so rapidly? And how could he have obtained the method for refining his skin? Yes, that must be it! Otherwise, none of this makes sense!
Having convinced himself of this, Wang Jin grinned at Jiang Ning, revealing his teeth.
"Good kid! You've truly made me look at you with new eyes!"
Wang Jin gave Jiang Ning's shoulder two heavy pats, his joy evident.
Feeling the force of Wang Jin's pats, Jiang Ning's mouth twitched slightly. Then he said, "I owe my achievements to you, Master. Without the tonics and Blood Qi Pills you provided to strengthen my qi and blood, I wouldn't have been able to reach this level today."
"You sure know how to talk!" Wang Jin chuckled.
After a few more exchanges, Jiang Ning returned to his room in the martial arts school.
Opening the door, he went inside and took out a box from the cabinet. Inside were the resources Wang Jin had given him to aid his training. Normally, when he went out, Jiang Ning would carry some wild ginseng with him, as it was dried, small, and easy to carry. However, the Blood Qi Pills were different. They needed to be stored carefully to prevent the loss of their medicinal effects, so Jiang Ning hadn't carried them with him before.
Opening the box, Jiang Ning took out the remaining wild ginseng and Blood Qi Pills, placing them on the table to count.
After finishing the count, Jiang Ning murmured to himself, "There are still twenty-three wild ginseng roots. Even if I buy them from Zhou Xing, they're worth about two hundred and thirty taels of silver. As for the Blood Qi Pills, there are sixty-eight left. From what I know, each pill is worth about five taels on the market. While they're not cost-effective for me, they're essential for the children of wealthy families who practice martial arts. In total, these pills are worth about three hundred and forty taels."
"Master Wang has indeed been generous to me. He's spent nearly a thousand taels on me. Given his wealth, which is probably around ten thousand taels, and considering how much money martial arts consumes, he must have spent a significant amount over the years. As he's gotten older, he's likely needed many tonics to maintain his qi, blood, and physical condition, slowing their decline."
"In the future, I'll need to rely on myself for the resources needed to continue my martial training."
With this in mind, Jiang Ning took out a small cloth pouch from his pocket. Inside were two gold leaves and four hundred-tael silver notes.
"Fortunately, I've come into this windfall. Otherwise, in a few days, I'd be worrying about money. With over two thousand taels' worth of wealth, after buying a house, I should still have enough to last me for a while."
Thinking this, Jiang Ning felt much more at ease. With money in hand, one can truly feel secure!
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