Chapter 42: Jiang Ning's Strength

Subsequently.

The two engaged in combat once again.

However, the more the fight progressed, the more alarmed Cheng Ran became.

This was because Jiang Ning's movements were too agile, and his strikes followed no discernible pattern.

In particular, the shifts between movement and stillness, his posture, and his punching momentum constantly shifted from left to right as if devoid of any physical inertia, making it extremely difficult for Cheng Ran to fight him.

He was completely unable to predict Jiang Ning's movements.

"So this is the true power of cultivating all five forms simultaneously? The role of technique is actually this significant?"

After being struck in the chest by Jiang Ning once more, this thought involuntarily surfaced in Cheng Ran's mind.

At this moment, the expression in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Ning shifted repeatedly.

He knew that if it weren't for his perfected blood qi circulating throughout his entire body, giving him a level of durability far beyond ordinary people, these few strikes alone would have been enough to strip him of his combat effectiveness.

Meanwhile, through this initial bout, Jiang Ning had also gained some enlightenment.

He understood why Wang Jin had mentioned to him multiple times that the Five Animals Fist should be practiced through the simultaneous cultivation of all five forms.

With all five forms cultivated together, one's strength, explosive power, movement techniques, and speed are all outstanding, leaving virtually no weaknesses.

Although Cheng Ran was powerful, with his blood qi circulating throughout his body and a single-arm strength of five hundred jin, every movement could easily erupt with over a thousand jin of force.

However, if Jiang Ning chose not to meet him head-on, even Cheng Ran's full-power strikes would be difficult to land.

Once the Ape Form reached the stage of minor achievement, his movement techniques reached a level of microscopic precision.

Even in close-quarters combat with Cheng Ran, he could cause him to miss by a hair's breadth, and more importantly, he could seize the openings where Cheng Ran's old momentum had dissipated but his new strength had not yet emerged.

Thus, even though he sensed that Cheng Ran's explosive power was equal to his own, he was completely suppressing him in the fight.

"Senior Brother Cheng, please give it your all!" Jiang Ning spoke, his expression serious.

Seeing Jiang Ning's earnest look, Cheng Ran nodded slowly. "Very well, Junior Brother Jiang, be careful!"

As his voice fell.

Cheng Ran's figure moved again, a world apart from his previous state.

With his blood qi circulating throughout his body and his full strength unleashed, his speed suddenly increased by fifty percent.

With a flicker of his movement, he closed the distance to within an arm's length of Jiang Ning.

Cheng Ran's arms suddenly swung like a gale, a powerful sense of oppression rushing straight toward Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning, whose blood qi also circulated through more than an arm's length, fought while retreating.

At this moment, Jiang Ning felt the meaning of "one force overcomes ten skills."

Since Cheng Ran's single-arm strength exceeded five hundred jin—more than twice his own—Jiang Ning found that even if he could catch the gaps in Cheng Ran's momentum and only had to deal with sixty to seventy percent of his power, the impact of the punches and kicks still involved Cheng Ran's strength being several dozen percent higher than his own.

He still could not engage in a direct clash of strength.

Every collision left Jiang Ning's arms aching and numb, and his body was constantly forced backward.

Under Cheng Ran's full-power explosion, the pressure was immense.

Jiang Ning simply could not unleash his own full power; the strength he could muster in haste only caused Cheng Ran's arms to shake slightly before being completely neutralized.

Forced back into a corner, Jiang Ning leaped, moving like an agile white ape, and instantly appeared atop the perimeter wall.

"Senior Brother Cheng is indeed formidable. I yield!"

Standing on the wall, Jiang Ning cupped his fists.

*Huff—*

*Huff—*

At this moment, Cheng Ran had ceased his storm-like offensive and was panting heavily.

Hearing Jiang Ning's words, he couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart.

To only reach this level of suppressing an opponent by using his full strength—it would be embarrassing if word got out.

It seemed he had won, but in reality, he had been thoroughly defeated.

But at this moment, he understood even more clearly that Jiang Ning's martial talent and fist technique talent far surpassed his own.

Immediately, a sense of secret relief washed over him.

"Fortunately!"

"Fortunately, there are only about three months left before the opening of the Inspectorate Office."

"If Junior Brother Jiang had a year or half a year, Xiao Peng and I wouldn't even need to compete; we could just give up directly."

"Now that there are only three months left, even if Junior Brother Jiang's talent in fist techniques and comprehension is astounding, and even if he reaches Great Achievement or even the stage of Perfection and masters internal strength..."

"His blood qi cannot possibly reach the stage of perfection, let alone the entry-level of Skin Refining where the skin and membrane become one."

"Those things require the kind of slow, grinding effort that only time can provide."

Thinking of this, Cheng Ran felt immensely relieved.

Relieved that there were barely three months left until the opening of the Inspectorate Office.

Given that his blood qi and fist techniques were roughly on par with Xiao Peng's, he still had confidence to compete on the same stage.

But after witnessing Jiang Ning's strength today, he had absolutely no certainty or confidence to compete if their blood qi were similar.

Subsequently.

Cheng Ran smoothed his rapid breathing and looked up at Jiang Ning on the wall, a strange light appearing in his eyes.

"Junior Brother Jiang has great stamina. After such an intense battle, you can still remain composed without even being flushed or out of breath."

Jiang Ning smiled and leaped down from the wall, landing in front of Cheng Ran.

"With your kind of offensive, Senior Brother, it is natural that your stamina consumption is great. I am different; I focus on mobile combat, so my stamina consumption is naturally lower."

"True!" Cheng Ran nodded, agreeing with the statement.

But in Jiang Ning's heart, he knew the reason he didn't consume as much as Cheng Ran was because his Inner Elixir Health Cultivation had already reached the entry level.

His internal organs had been tempered, granting him organ functions that surpassed ordinary people.

Therefore, a bout of this intensity could not make him feel the exhaustion of depleted stamina.

At this moment, looking at the prompt that had already appeared before him, he felt a surge of pleasant surprise.

【Five Animals Fist Experience +1】

【Skill】: Five Animals Fist (Minor Achievement 50/500)

*In just a few minutes of fighting, my Five Animals Fist experience increased by two points.*

*Combat is indeed one of the ways to increase fist technique experience.*

*However, my blood qi did not increase!*

Jiang Ning then closed the panel.

By now, Cheng Ran's breathing had slowly returned to normal.

He looked at Jiang Ning. "Junior Brother Jiang's comprehensive level of fist technique is already above Xiao Peng's. Fighting you was indeed a wise choice; I feel I have gained a lot!"

"I feel the same!" Jiang Ning nodded with a smile.

A moment later.

Watching Cheng Ran's departing figure, Jiang Ning fell into brief contemplation.

*If I were wielding a blade, relying on the advantages of my movement and saber techniques, I wonder if I could defeat Senior Brother Cheng.*

Recalling the recent battle once more, Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

*It should be possible!*

*With a sharp blade in hand, the advantages of movement and skill outweigh the advantages of raw strength.*

*No matter how strong the force is, as long as one has not entered the ranked martial arts, they are still made of flesh and blood.*

*One strike, and blood will still spray five steps away.*

*But what if Senior Brother Cheng were replaced by Xu Yunfeng?*

Jiang Ning's eyes flickered as he fell into thought.

*Senior Brother Cheng has already reached the level of perfected blood qi circulating throughout his body, with a single-arm strength exceeding five hundred jin, and is on the verge of entering the ranked martial arts.*

*Xu Yunfeng is also at the level of perfected blood qi circulating throughout his body.*

*But without a doubt, Xu Yunfeng must be more formidable than Senior Brother Cheng.*

*After all, Xu Yunfeng is a constable of Luoshui County; he must have experienced many battles and possesses rich combat experience.*

*Senior Brother Cheng is different. Senior Brother Cheng and I are like flowers raised in a greenhouse. If we were to face a life-and-death struggle against Xu Yunfeng with equal strength, we would undoubtedly lose to him.*

*With a blade, I could probably defeat Senior Brother Cheng.*

Jiang Ning then thought about how every time he had seen Xu Yunfeng, the man's blade never left his hand, and his right hand was always resting on the hilt at his waist.

He then shook his head slightly.

"I might not be Xu Yunfeng's match right now!"

"I still need some time!" Jiang Ning murmured to himself.

(End of Chapter)