Chapter 151: Seventh Rank Death, Mastering the Secret Art!

Chapter 151: Seventh Rank Death, Mastering the Secret Art!

Lo River.

Beneath the lake's surface, the clash of blades and swords continued, the unleashed strength causing ripples to dance on the water's surface, deterring the surrounding fish from coming near.

After a dozen breaths, Liu Qingsong's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, his inner strength erupted, causing the flexible soft sword to straighten instantly.

Clang!

Jiang Ning blocked the strike with his horizontal blade, but was still pushed back several paces.

Seizing the opportunity, he retreated, adjusting his stance.

Jiang Ning halted, gripping his sword handle, his qi and blood surging into his right hand, gradually numbing the tingling sensation.

At the same time, Liu Qingsong spoke, "You're quite impressive! I rarely praise someone, and you're the first!"

"It seems, Senior Liu, that you still have hidden techniques to reveal?" Jiang Ning said slowly.

As he spoke, Jiang Ning also felt his body recovering continuously due to being immersed in the water, his expended stamina and energy replenishing on their own.

At this rate, within a few breaths, he would return to a state of overflowing vitality.

"You're smart, but it's a pity!" Liu Qingsong said.

The next moment, Liu Qingsong, standing in the water, opened his eyes, his left hand forming a sword finger and pointing it forward.

"Burn—"

His deep voice resonated from his mouth, causing the lake water to ripple like sound waves.

Simultaneously, Jiang Ning witnessed Liu Qingsong's skin undergo a sudden transformation, turning dark red all over, like a boiled lobster.

"Little friend, today you must die here, I dare not spare your life!" Liu Qingsong slowly lowered his sword finger.

"It's time to end this!" Liu Qingsong declared, brimming with confidence.

The Blood Burning Forbidden Technique was the only forbidden art he mastered, a life-risking technique.

When employing this technique, one's blood and energy are ignited, unleashing formidable combat power.

Liu Qingsong only dared to use this technique in his youth.

Back then, with robust physical functions, even when using this secret art that damaged the body, he could recover the damage with sufficient medicinal support, ensuring no harm to his foundation.

However, as he aged, his physical functions weakened, and he no longer dared to use this forbidden technique.

Using the Blood Burning Forbidden Technique now would not only burn his blood but also shorten his lifespan.

It would further deteriorate his physical functions, hastening his descent into old age.

Initially, he didn't want to use this forbidden technique.

But after witnessing Jiang Ning's monstrous talent today, he knew that if he missed this golden opportunity, killing Jiang Ning in the future would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Such a monstrous talent, once an enemy, must be dealt with decisively.

At that moment, as Liu Qingsong's words fell, he tensed his muscles, and with an unstoppable momentum, he advanced towards Jiang Ning.

The powerful burst from his legs made the water beneath him as solid as the ground.

The water in front of him parted to the sides as he approached.

"This... this is a forbidden technique!" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.

"Unstoppable!" he realized.

Based on Liu Qingsong's current performance, Jiang Ning understood that his strength had increased by at least three to five times compared to before using the forbidden technique.

If he had some advantage due to the terrain earlier, he was no match for Liu Qingsong now that the forbidden technique was in play.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning sighed as he watched Liu Qingsong approach.

"It's time to end this!"

"What?" Liu Qingsong was taken aback by Jiang Ning's words.

The next moment, he felt a significant change in the surrounding water flow.

The once calm water now rolled down from his head, and the water beneath him seemed as soft as cotton, hindering his ability to exert force.

At this moment, facing Jiang Ning from a distance of one zhang, he felt like the distance was an insurmountable chasm.

No matter how he struggled, he couldn't escape this confined space.

It was as if an invisible cage trapped him in place.

"What is this?" Liu Qingsong asked, no longer struggling as he looked at Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning seemed not to hear Liu Qingsong's question, remaining silent.

In fact, he was indeed focused on something else.

This was his first attempt at using the Water Control Technique to manipulate the water flow and create a water prison.

The intricate control required his undivided attention.

Liu Qingsong saw Jiang Ning's indifferent attitude, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He knew he wouldn't get any answers from Jiang Ning.

Instantly, he silently adjusted his own state.

After a moment, a thunderous roar erupted from within his body, and his entire body trembled with power.

He stomped his feet, and the force within him completely erupted.

Boom!

This kick was like a bomb exploding in the water.

With such an astonishing burst of power, the water didn't have time to resist, and it was completely blasted apart.

Then, the powerful recoil caused Liu Qingsong's body to soar into the air, and he shot up to a height of ten feet.

He's out!

Feeling the change in the surrounding water flow, Liu Qingsong's heart was filled with excitement.

The joy of a narrow escape instantly filled his heart.

For so many years, he had never felt such joy as he did at this moment.

However, the next moment, Liu Qingsong's heart sank, and he began to sink, as if falling into the depths of hell.

Despair had never been as intense as it was now.

Because he realized that the invisible water prison he had just escaped from by exerting all his strength had reappeared beside him.

Moreover, he also felt that his condition was getting worse and worse.

With the Blood Burning Forbidden Technique, he could persist for a few more breaths when he was younger.

But now, at his advanced age, each year was worse than the last.

The Blood Burning Forbidden Technique caused greater damage to his body, and it was more difficult to maintain the burning of his qi and blood.

More critically, he felt that he was reaching the limit of holding his breath.

Upon realizing this, he suddenly understood.

So this was why Jiang Ning had lured him into the water before.

After a long while, Jiang Ning quietly looked at Liu Qingsong's body floating in front of him, feeling a surge of emotion.

A Seventh Rank Martial Artist in Luoshui County was like a god.

The Cao, Liu, and Xie families could firmly reside in Luoshui County because they possessed Seventh Rank Martial Artists, which was a crucial factor.

At this moment, a Seventh Rank Martial Artist from Medicine King Valley had fallen by his hand.

"Is this the power of a divine technique?" Jiang Ning muttered to himself.

[Water Manipulation]: A divine technique, allowing one to innately control water sources to a certain extent.

He glanced at this characteristic again and silently said in his heart, "With a weak control over water sources, I can easily defeat an unmatched enemy in the water."

"The might of divine techniques is indeed terrifying!"

Jiang Ning then approached Liu Qingsong and gently closed his wide-open eyes.

Liu Qingsong was extremely resentful before his death, and Jiang Ning knew it.

Anyone dying in this manner, suffocating in the water, would not be at peace.

Especially someone like Liu Qingsong, a highly respected and powerful individual.

Through this battle, Jiang Ning also gained a rough understanding of the strength of a Seventh Rank Martial Artist.

If they were on land, he would have no chance against Liu Qingsong.

Whether it was speed, explosive power, or combat experience, he would be completely overwhelmed.

Not to mention, Liu Qingsong, as a veteran Seventh Rank Martial Artist, possessed a wide array of martial arts techniques.

Once that forbidden technique was unleashed, with his current strength, he would undoubtedly be defeated by Liu Qingsong within a few moves.

"A Seventh Rank Martial Artist, not to be provoked lightly," Jiang Ning silently reminded himself.

Then, he began to search Liu Qingsong and the other two Eighth Rank Martial Artists for spoils of battle.

After a short while, the three of them were tied to a large boulder, and as the boulder slowly sank to the bottom of the lake, Liu Qingsong and the others' bodies gradually disappeared into the dark lake water.

"This way, no one should be able to find these three bodies," Jiang Ning thought as he gazed into the dark depths of the lake, then turned and left.

Soon after, at the East Courtyard.

His mansion was silent at this moment.

Because of his recent request, Jiang Li and his family of four had gone to the martial arts academy.

By now, they should have arrived at the academy.

So, Jiang Ning wasn't in a hurry.

Counting the spoils of battle from Liu Qingsong and the other two was the right thing to do.

Then, Jiang Ning placed the items he had just scavenged from Liu Qingsong and the others on the table in front of him.

Several bottles and jars, some silver bills, and two gold leaves among the coins.

In addition to these, there was also a sheepskin scroll and a flexible sword.

The flexible sword was Liu Qingsong's weapon.

There weren't many spoils from Liu Qingsong and the others.

Jiang Ning thought this was normal, as it was inconvenient to carry many things when traveling.

Most people, when they go out, bring silver and weapons, and that's about it.

He glanced at the money and weapons, which didn't require further inspection.

What he needed to examine were the sheepskin scroll and the flexible sword.

Then, Jiang Ning picked up the sheepskin scroll.

Strength Enhancing Pill.

He glanced at the label on the bottle.

His heart leaped with joy.

He had heard of this pill before; it was an extremely useful auxiliary pill for the Eighth Rank Divine Strength Realm.

It had an excellent effect on strengthening the intensity of muscle tempering.

This pill was also created by Medicine King Valley.

"This is not bad!" Jiang Ning scanned the few bottles and jars in front of him.

There were four bottles of Strength Enhancing Pills in the jade pill bottles.

"These must be the daily auxiliary medicines of those two Eighth Rank Martial Artists," he thought to himself.

Jiang Ning opened one of the bottles, poured out two pills, and popped them into his mouth, chewing them like sugar beans and quickly crushing them.

"Tastes good!" Jiang Ning nodded, putting away the four bottles of Strength Enhancing Pills.

Then he looked at the labels on the remaining jars.

"Healing pills? They're not worth much!" Jiang Ning set the healing medicine aside.

He then picked up the sheepskin scroll.

【Furnace Refining Technique】

Jiang Ning glanced at the large characters at the beginning of the sheepskin scroll and then moved his gaze downward.

On the scroll, the words carved in black ink appeared before him, resembling tadpoles.

【Literary Proficiency Experience +1】

【Literary Proficiency Experience +1】

【Literary Proficiency Experience +1】

【.】

In less than half a tea break, he had finished browsing.

Then, his gaze fell on the furnace depicted at the bottom of the sheepskin scroll.

He scanned it deeply, and the pattern was instantly imprinted in his mind.

At this moment, having finished browsing the scroll, he understood what was recorded on it.

It was a secret technique.

A secret technique unique to Medicine King Valley.

This secret technique was very simple to cultivate; as long as one could completely visualize the furnace on the sheepskin scroll in their mind, they could effortlessly succeed in cultivation.

The effect of this secret technique was also straightforward.

It was to assist in refining and absorbing the medicinal pill.

When needed, visualize the furnace on the sheepskin scroll in your mind.

Then, use the surrounding qi and blood as fuel, ignite the furnace, and refine the pill.

This way, the pill could be quickly refined, and its medicinal power could be fully released.

The most significant feature of this secret technique was that it could increase the absorption rate of the pill and reduce the accumulation of medicinal toxins.

Normally, it was difficult for the medicinal power of a pill to be completely absorbed.

Ordinary people could only absorb two or three tenths of it at best.

The better one's talent, the more they could absorb.

Using this secret technique to refine pills could also increase the absorption rate and reduce the accumulation of medicinal toxins.

Regarding medicinal toxins, it was said that three parts of medicine contained one part of toxin. Therefore, regardless of the pill's effectiveness or the rarity of its ingredients, there would inevitably be residual medicinal toxins.

Over time, the accumulation of these toxins could have a significant negative impact on the body.

After understanding the secret technique on the sheepskin scroll, Jiang Ning was delighted.

The Furnace Refining Technique was a very practical secret technique for him at the moment.

"Let's give it a try!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

He then sat cross-legged on the spot, closing his eyes.

In his mind, the furnace depicted on the sheepskin scroll instantly appeared in vivid detail.

At this moment, his ability to remember everything he saw was fully demonstrated.

For others, this most difficult step was as simple as drinking water for him.

As for the other requirement of this secret technique, it was to master spiritual power and be able to visualize one's own body, which was the basic requirement of this secret technique.

And at this moment, Jiang Ning possessed both.

The next moment.

Jiang Ning focused his mind on the furnace.

Boom—

In his visualization, a raging fire suddenly ignited beneath the furnace, enveloping it and emitting an astonishing heat wave.

At this moment, if there was someone nearby, they would feel Jiang Ning like a blazing fire, emitting an astonishing heat wave.

Under this heat wave, the air seemed to distort slightly, as if it were the height of summer.

Time passed, breath by breath.

In just a few dozen breaths, Jiang Ning stopped visualizing the furnace and suddenly opened his eyes.

"What a tremendous consumption!" Feeling the changes in his body, Jiang Ning was secretly shocked.

At this moment, he felt a significant depletion of his internal qi and blood energy.

The magnitude of this depletion was no less than that of practicing his fist technique for several hours.

Then, he visualized his body again, sensing the changes within.

Having swallowed two Strength Enhancing Pills, he wanted to see how they had been affected by the Furnace Refining Technique.

"Is this the refined medicinal liquid of the Strength Enhancing Pill?" Jiang Ning wondered.

Just then.

"That is..." His heart trembled.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end