Chapter 34: Perfection in Saber Techniques, Minor Accomplishment in Five Animals Fist!

[Skill]: Wood-Chopping Saber Technique (Perfection 0/1000)

As this skill transitioned from Great Success to Perfection.

In an instant.

Jiang Ning felt a difference.

His mind was once again flooded with countless images flashing by.

Every single image that flashed through was a record of every strike he had made during this period.

Countless angles, countless overlapping lights and shadows, eventually distilling into the pure essence.

At the same time, Jiang Ning felt waves of numbness spreading through his arms, as if thousands of ants were crawling over them.

After several breaths.

All the anomalies had vanished.

Jiang Ning gripped the wood-chopping saber in his hand, a smile appearing on his face.

"Is this the Perfection level of the Wood-Chopping Saber Technique?"

"To think it has such an effect. Even though I am holding a mere wood-chopping saber, it feels as if my flesh and blood have extended! I can manipulate it just like my own arm!"

He swung the saber casually a couple of times.

*Whoosh—*

*Whoosh—*

The sound of the blade cutting through the air emerged, and a faint smile reappeared on Jiang Ning's face.

His swinging speed had increased by approximately thirty percent.

Furthermore!

Jiang Ning brought the blade down again.

*Thud—*

As the saber fell, the heavy log lying diagonally on the wooden post was suddenly severed clean through its waist.

"And the force I exert has also increased by about twenty to thirty percent! This improvement is truly excellent!!"

He gripped the saber, nodding in satisfaction.

"If I were given a real blade right now, my combat power would increase several times over at the very least!"

At this moment, Jiang Ning felt a surge of high spirits.

He even felt like going straight to find Xu Yunfeng to have a massive fight and split him in two with a single strike.

"No rush! No rush!!"

*Whew—*

Jiang Ning took a deep breath, allowing his agitated heart to gradually return to calm.

*My current blood qi strength is still far behind his. I need more time!*

He tightened his grip on the wood-chopping saber.

Then, he opened his panel once more to take a look.

[Skill]: Wood-Chopping Saber Technique (Perfection 0/1000)

He was only one thousand experience points away from breaking the limit of the Wood-Chopping Saber Technique!

This wouldn't be difficult for him!

If necessary, he could grind out those one thousand experience points in a single day.

Unfortunately!

Source Energy points limited his progress!

[Source Energy]: 6.8

Looking at the Source Energy points on the panel, he felt a sense of regret.

"To break ten Source Energy points, at my current efficiency of increasing by 0.4 per day, it will take about eight days! I'm in no hurry to grind experience for the Wood-Chopping Saber Technique! However, if I go out, I'll have to consider getting a real blade for self-defense!"

"For me right now, having a blade in hand and not having one are worlds apart!"

"After all, an inch longer is an inch stronger. How can mere flesh and blood contend with steel weapons?"

Jiang Ning's mind stirred, and he added this task to his schedule.

In the blink of an eye, four days had passed.

After finishing one set of boxing forms.

[Five Animals Boxing Experience +1]

[Skill]: Five Animals Boxing (Small Success 17/500)

Looking at the prompt before him, Jiang Ning shook his head slightly.

"Only when the spirit and form are both present can the boxing technique reach Great Success! It seems that with my comprehension, it is completely impossible to achieve that!"

After trying for over a day, Jiang Ning was prepared to give up.

He would give up on trying to grasp the essence of reaching Great Success in the Five Animals Boxing through self-study.

A few days ago, because he had consulted Wang Jin, he had mastered the essence of the Tiger Form's Small Success stage—the balance of hardness within softness and softness within hardness.

Consequently, in the days leading up to reaching Small Success, his efficiency in gaining experience from practicing the boxing had increased significantly.

Every time he completed a set, he gained two experience points.

It was precisely because of this that he was able to grind this skill to Small Success in just a few short days.

Immediately after, Jiang Ning clenched his fists.

The blood qi within his body surged, instantly permeating one arm, with some strength still remaining.

"My blood qi is now considered to be at the Small Success stage. Now that the Five Animals Boxing has reached Small Success, every time I practice a set, I can condense three strands of blood qi power. With this efficiency, I believe it won't be long before my blood qi reaches Great Success, or even Perfection!"

"However, the day the Inspectorate opens is not far off. Reaching Perfection in blood qi is nothing special; I still need to enter the martial ranks and excel in actual combat to enter such a prestigious institution."

He could not afford to be slack!

He promptly opened his panel to take a look.

[Name]: Jiang Ning

[Source Energy]: 8.4

[Skills]

Literacy (Limit Break 1x: 416/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)

Five Animals Boxing (Small Success 17/500)

Wood-Chopping Saber Technique (Perfection 1000/1000)

Internal Elixir Health Cultivation (Beginner 91/100)

"Four more days until I have enough Source Energy to break the limit of the Wood-Chopping Saber Technique."

"As for the Internal Elixir Health Cultivation, I will reach the Beginner stage tomorrow. This is a method for internal strengthening; it is a path usually taken by martial artists at the Fifth Rank. I wonder what the effects will be after reaching the Beginner stage?"

He closed the panel.

In the afternoon.

After finishing one set of boxing forms.

[Five Animals Boxing Experience +1]

[Skill]: Five Animals Boxing (Small Success 18/500)

Feeling his increased blood qi and physical strength, Jiang Ning felt somewhat pleased. He walked to the side, picked up a bucket of cold well water, and poured it over his head.

"Refreshing!!"

He shook his head, sending water droplets flying in all directions.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you splashed water on me!"

Hearing the voice behind him, Jiang Ning turned around. The newcomer was Cheng Ran, the only person among the disciples in the martial arts hall's front courtyard who was friendly with him.

These past few days, since arriving at the martial arts hall, Jiang Ning had done nothing but grind experience through training.

Having obtained Wang Jin's permission to reside long-term at the hall, Jiang Ning had not stepped foot outside its gates. Consequently, he had not participated in the social activities of the other disciples, such as group dinners or drinking to build friendships.

As a result, he naturally had little conversation with the other disciples.

Especially since Jiang Ning was so diligent in his training, he had even less time to interact with them, and no one was foolish enough to come looking for trouble with him.

Seeing Cheng Ran approach, Jiang Ning smiled and continued to shake his head lightly. The water droplets from his hair fell onto the dirt around him, and in an instant, the water marks were rapidly evaporated by the heat of the ground.

"Senior Brother Cheng, you ran over here yourself, you can't blame me!"

Cheng Ran said, "Hehe! Wasn't I just joking with you, Junior Brother Jiang?"

As he spoke, he lowered the bucket into the deep well.

"This damn weather is getting hotter and hotter!" Cheng Ran remarked.

Jiang Ning looked up at the sky, which was a vast, cloudless blue.

He nodded in agreement. "It seems it hasn't rained for over two months!"

"Indeed!" Cheng Ran confirmed.

The bucket he had dropped into the well was now full. With a few quick movements, he lifted the bucket filled with cool well water.

"Not just these two months; the entire first half of the year, it has hardly rained in Luoshui County!" Cheng Ran said.

As he finished speaking, Cheng Ran lifted the bucket and poured it over his head.

"Ahhh, refreshing!!!" he shouted wildly.

Then, he continued to complain to Jiang Ning, "Brother Jiang, do you know that July is the harvest season? Two days ago, when I went on inspection, a whole bunch of tenant farmers were crying their hearts out in front of me! I couldn't bear it and waived half a year's worth of their taxes. When I got back, my father gave me a real thrashing!"

At this point, Cheng Ran seemed to recall the painful price he paid that day, grimacing slightly.

"Senior Brother Cheng is quite kind-hearted!" Jiang Ning said sincerely.

Hearing this compliment, Cheng Ran couldn't help but look a bit proud.

He then feigned a composed expression. "Let's not talk about that! Brother Jiang, do you know what major event is happening at the martial arts hall in a few days?"

"What major event?" Jiang Ning asked curiously.

"Did you see that tiger in the cage?" Cheng Ran asked.

Jiang Ning nodded.

Cheng Ran pointed to the left side of the courtyard.

"In six days, that tiger will be released into that courtyard!"

"At that time, the hall's true disciples will step into the ring, allowing us to watch the tiger's combat from a close distance. This will be of great help for us to break through to the Great Success stage of the Tiger Form!"

"I heard that Senior Sister Li Qing is currently in seclusion at home, preparing for her final sprint to enter the martial ranks. On that day, Senior Sister Li Qing will likely step into the ring as well!"

As Cheng Ran spoke, a hint of excitement appeared on his face.