Chapter 14: Testing Strength
Chapter 14: Testing Strength
The moonlight shone coldly.
Jiang Ning stood in the courtyard.
[Skill]: Five Beasts Fist (Entry Level 0/100)
He examined his status panel, deep in thought.
"Just now during my afternoon practice, I gained four experience points again! This proves that it's not just one point per practice session, but rather, as long as I practice diligently, I should gain at least one point!"
After a moment of reflection, Jiang Ning found this reasoning very reasonable.
Commonly, martial arts practitioners talk about moments of enlightenment, like building a house from the roof down, or understanding one thing by relating it to another.
If each practice session only granted one experience point, then by the time he mastered a basic martial art, he would have to practice it ten times just to reach the entry level.
That would be too unreasonable!
"This is the way it should be!" He felt even more excited in his heart.
The existence of this status panel represented that hard work was rewarded, and his efforts would surely pay off."
This is like a direct path to the heavens."
How could he not be excited?
In an instant—
"Haa—"
He exhaled a breath, calming his excited mind.
After reaching the entry level, what changes would the Five Beasts Fist undergo? According to the Fist Script, once he practiced the fist technique and refined his first strand of vital energy, it would signify his entry into the Five Beasts Fist.
At the entry level, each practice session of the Five Beasts Fist could temper his physique and provide a chance to refine his vital energy.
He decided to give it a try.
Jiang Ning clenched his fist. The energy he had consumed during his afternoon practice had been fully restored by the medicinal soup and a hearty meal, leaving him brimming with vigor and an abundance of untapped power.
Now was the perfect time to practice his fist technique.
The next moment, Jiang Ning assumed his stance and began his practice.
On the steps, Jiang Li sat quietly in a chair, observing.
He watched as Jiang Ning's every move was accompanied by controlled breathing, exuding a powerful aura.
"Good! Very good!" Jiang Li nodded in satisfaction.
[Five Beasts Fist Experience +1]
At that moment, as the prompt appeared, Jiang Ning instantly felt a warm current flowing within him.
Wherever the warm current passed, he felt as if he were bathing in a hot spring, incredibly refreshed.
He could sense his physique growing stronger under the nourishment of vital energy.
[Skill]: Five Beasts Fist (Entry Level 1/100)
In an instant, as he broke through with the Five Beasts Fist, he reached the entry level.
"Now I have two strands of vital energy!"
Jiang Ning clenched his fist, and the two strands of vital energy coursed through his body like a conductor guiding an orchestra.
When the vital energy reached his right palm, he felt it become more powerful under its influence.
This was the effect of the Five Beasts Fist at the entry level, allowing him to harness vital energy in coordination with the fist technique.
In this state, when vital energy surged into his fist, practicing the Tiger Form increased his explosive power, the Bear Form enhanced his strength, and he became as steady as a rooted tree.
When the vital energy flowed into his legs, practicing the Ape Form made him agile and nimble, and the Crane Form boosted his speed.
The next moment, as the vital energy merged, he channeled the Tiger Form Fist toward the tree trunk in front of him, unleashing a powerful punch.
Boom—
The tree shook, its leaves rustling loudly.
"This is it!" Jiang Li, sitting in the chair, widened his eyes at the sight.
"Is this the power of vital energy enhancing the fist?" He couldn't quite believe it.
At that moment, after Jiang Ning retracted his fist, he saw that his originally weak fist, compared to the tree trunk, was only slightly red, with no wounds.
"As they say, only by mastering vital energy can one barely be considered a martial artist!"
He muttered to himself and walked towards a corner of the courtyard.
In that corner stood two rows of stone locks, ranging from 50 to 1000 jin in weight.
"I wonder if my practice this afternoon has increased my strength."
He approached the smallest stone lock.
It was a 50-jin stone lock.
With a single hand, he effortlessly lifted it.
"Indeed, it's much easier. It seems that my afternoon of practice has genuinely increased my strength!"
Jiang Ning placed the 50-jin stone lock back on the ground and then grasped the 100-jin stone lock next to it with his right hand.
"I wonder if I can lift this 100-jin stone lock," he muttered to himself.
Previously, he had attempted to lift this 100-jin stone lock, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift it completely.
This was quite normal.
In his understanding, even in his previous life, it was rare for an adult male to lift a 100-jin dumbbell with one hand.
Moreover, in this life, he was only eighteen years old, living in a society akin to feudal times, with far less nutrition than the average male in his previous life.
So, it was normal for him to be unable to lift the 100-jin stone lock with one hand.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind, and Jiang Ning instantly exerted force with his right hand.
The 100-jin stone lock was lifted into the air by his single hand.
"My strength has indeed increased!" Jiang Ning tried to lift it a few times with one hand until he was exhausted, then released the stone lock.
"Being able to lift a 100-jin stone lock with one hand and still have strength left, it seems my power has increased by one or two levels in just one afternoon. The effect is indeed remarkable!"
"And this is just a pure physical change. If I combine it with vital energy, my strength will increase even more!"
At this moment, Jiang Ning gained a preliminary understanding of the martial arts in this world. The effects of martial arts techniques were far more miraculous than any training methods from his previous life.
On the other side, Jiang Li stared at Jiang Ning with widened eyes, witnessing his brother's actions.
"Is my little brother a martial arts prodigy? He's achieved such results after just one afternoon of training?"
After the experiment...
---
Jiang Ning seized the moment and continued his practice, determined to make the most of his progress.
This time, he completed a round of Five Beasts Fist in just over a quarter of an hour.
[Five Beasts Fist Experience +1]
He sensed his body again and felt a surge of joy.
"According to the Fist Script, only after reaching the entry level of Five Beasts Fist can one have a chance to condense Vital Energy, but even then, it's just a possibility!"
"Usually, after practicing a few rounds of a technique, one might be able to condense a strand of Vital Energy. Only with exceptional talent and understanding can one guarantee that almost every practice session results in condensing a strand of Vital Energy."
"I've practiced two rounds of the technique, and each time, I've condensed a strand of Vital Energy. Does this mean I can achieve a 100% success rate in condensing Vital Energy?"
Jiang Ning assessed his condition, knowing that the medicinal soup and the hearty dinner at the dining table could sustain him for two more rounds of practice.
"Let's give it a try!" he muttered to himself.
At that moment, Jiang Li's voice rang in his ear.
"Little brother, have you condensed Vital Energy?"
Jiang Ning looked up and saw Jiang Li standing up, his eyes filled with astonishment as he stared at Jiang Ning.
"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded, deciding to be truthful.
"It's truly incredible!" Jiang Li exclaimed, his eyes widening as if seeing Jiang Ning for the first time.
Seeing Jiang Li's reaction, Jiang Ning smiled, "Five Beasts Fist is a lower-tier martial art. Once you master the technique, condensing Vital Energy is as natural as water flowing into a channel. My memory is strong; I can memorize the Fist Script after reading it once. I also have a generous senior who gave me a ginseng root worth over ten silver ingots when I entered the martial academy."
"It seems sending my little brother to Canglang Martial Academy was the right choice! Reaching the entry level is like recovering the cost of the ginseng. Good, very good!" Jiang Li laughed heartily.
Jiang Ning smiled ambiguously, knowing that the ginseng root worth over ten silver ingots was indeed an unexpected delight.
Without the powerful effects of the ginseng, he wouldn't have been able to reach the entry level in just one day.
---
That night, Jiang Ning practiced two more rounds of the technique. Although there were no more surprises, he gained two points of experience in Five Beasts Fist and condensed two more strands of Vital Energy.
With these additions, his total Vital Energy reached four strands.
The four strands of Vital Energy merged, becoming more robust as they circulated within his body, nurturing his physique.
After completing the two rounds, Jiang Ning felt that his body couldn't handle further practice.
Realizing this, he decided not to force himself.
Excessive practice would be counterproductive and harmful to his body.
He then asked Jiang Li about Xu Yunfeng's martial arts level.
After Jiang Li's description, Jiang Ning had a rough idea of his elder brother's previous strength and Xu Yunfeng's capabilities.
Before Jiang Li's injury, when he was at his peak, his Vital Energy had already flowed through all four limbs. The technique he cultivated was an ordinary, lower-tier sword technique, primarily focused on combat effectiveness, with a secondary effect of refining Vital Energy.
In contrast, Xu Yunfeng might have reached the limit just below the Ninth Rank Warrior, with Vital Energy flowing through his entire body.
Comparing the two, Xu Yunfeng was clearly superior to Jiang Li.
After understanding this, Jiang Ning realized that his current abilities were far behind Xu Yunfeng's.
Their strengths were not on the same level.
However, Jiang Ning remained undeterred and unafraid.
With his rate of progress, given some time, he was confident he could eventually surpass Xu Yunfeng.
Now, having joined the Canglang Martial Academy, at least for the next few months, Xu Yunfeng, being the smart person he was, would neither dare nor be able to make a move on Jiang Ning.
But Jiang Ning was aware that he might still get caught up in the gang fight between the two factions one day.
Xu Yunfeng, working for Cao Bin, might escalate his previous threats to force Jiang Li into submission.
Before that, Jiang Ning knew he must improve his martial arts skills.
Once he mastered the technique, he could pass Wang Jin's examination and become a direct disciple of the martial academy.
Being a direct disciple would grant him a status comparable to that of a government official or a wealthy merchant.
Even in Xu Yunfeng's situation, he wouldn't dare to act against Jiang Ning, let alone the gangs he could influence.
(End of Chapter)
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