Chapter 241: Forging Iron Bones, Sixth Rank Martial Dao!

Chapter 241: Forging Iron Bones, Sixth Rank Martial Dao!

Two days later.

Flap, Flap—

The sound of flapping wings echoed from above.

Jiang Ning looked up and saw a white bird swiftly flapping its wings as it approached.

He raised his hand, and the bird in mid-air plummeted, landing on his arm.

Then, he opened the message tube tied to the bird's leg and took out a white note.

The words on the white note were tiny, like crawling ants.

With just a glance, Jiang Ning finished reading it.

"He Jinsheng hasn't been to the Inspection Office these past few days, and his whereabouts are unknown. That's a bit strange!"

Jiang Ning muttered, crumpling the note in his hand and tossing it into the snow.

He initially thought that after He Jinsheng arrived in Luoshui County, he would surely confront him.

After all, there had already been a conflict between him and He Jinyun, so it wouldn't be unusual for He Jinsheng to cause trouble for him from this angle.

Jiang Ning was not afraid of such a situation.

If pushed to the limit, as long as He Jinsheng remained at the peak of the sixth rank, Jiang Ning could find an opportunity to take him down anytime.

With his current archery skills, even from several kilometers away, the miraculous Heart Arrow Technique could hit He Jinsheng with a single shot.

With the powerful Wind Thunder Synchronized arrow technique, if He Jinsheng wasn't prepared, Jiang Ning could even kill him with a single arrow.

As for the future, he could only take things one step at a time.

However, three days had passed, and He Jinsheng hadn't come looking for him.

This was somewhat unexpected for Jiang Ning.

"Forget it! Face the challenges as they come! Thinking about this is less productive than continuing my cultivation!"

Then,

He went to the lakeside and stood on the ice.

He lifted his right foot and gently stomped.

Boom—

The thick ice suddenly collapsed and shattered.

He followed the large opening in the ice and entered the water.

In these past few days, he had also discovered an important point.

That was, while in the water, the experience gain for his Waterfire Essence Technique was faster.

[Technique]: Waterfire Essence Technique (6th Limit Break 832/2000) (Attribute: Water Fire Immortal Garment)



In just a short two days, the progress of this technique was already more than halfway completed.

This was achieved while he focused on bone forging, only practicing this technique during his free time.

Immersed in the water, Jiang Ning instantly felt a sense of security! In the water, his five senses were far more powerful than on land.

Even the range of his psychic energy field was significantly larger.

On land, his psychic energy field could only cover a hundred meters around him, but in the water, it effortlessly encompassed a kilometer, a full thousand meters.

The diameter had expanded tenfold! If only considering the extension of perception, even from a distance of four or five li, he could sense any movement.

So, every time he entered the water, a sense of security arose.

He could perceive several li around him, and even the movement of a fish couldn't escape his notice.

Under such circumstances, a sense of security was natural.

Moreover, his combat power in the water increased by at least several times.

One could even say that his strength in the water far surpassed his current martial prowess.

With six limit breaks in water proficiency, his Water Control Technique had been enhanced.

He had tested it before, and when exerting his full strength, he could control a hundred meters of water, causing a hundred-meter-wide lake surface to rise to his head.

This power was terrifying.

In the water, with his formidable Water Control Technique, he could create a domain.

He could kill, bind, and trap enemies.

These methods were extremely profound.

In Jiang Ning's opinion, even a typical fifth-rank expert, when entering the water, he had the confidence to toy with them in the palm of his hand.

Not only was it impossible for them to touch him, but it was also out of the question to engage him in combat.

However, for stronger enemies, such as the Valley Lord of Medicine King Valley, Lu Qingshan, a peak fifth-rank expert, whose inner breath had already reached the level of Inner Breath Like Gale.

Jiang Ning didn't have absolute confidence.

Because such an expert could slay a thousand armored soldiers with a single sword.

These thousand soldiers were martial artists of the fifth rank.

In the face of such a powerful gale, even the lake water might not hinder their movements.

Perhaps such an expert could sever a mountain with a single sword, splitting the water and cleaving the land.

Jiang Ning still felt a deep sense of apprehension towards such a powerful opponent.

Then,

He stood in the water, observing his body.

As he did so, he noticed that all two hundred and six bones in his body were now glowing with a silvery-white light.

The silver-white color had already occupied more than half of each bone's surface area.

"With another two or three days, I should be able to complete the forging of iron bones and step into the sixth rank of the Martial Dao!"

At this thought, Jiang Ning felt a surge of excitement.

This efficiency, even the so-called Heaven's Pride, would find it hard to match.

The vast vital energy like a sea and the powerful psychic energy that encompassed a hundred meters around him had led to his current high efficiency in forging iron bones.

In the lake, with infinite vital energy and an inexhaustible psychic energy,

Jiang Ning continued his bone forging.

Three days later.

In the lake.

Boom—

With the final strike, a total of one hundred and eight hammers had completed the forging process.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes.

He raised his hand and gestured.

The water in front of him separated, forming a vacuum.

The moment the words left his mouth, a jade vial containing Iron Bone Pills appeared before him. He opened his mouth and sucked, and several pea-sized pills flew out from the vial.

The next moment, he retracted the vial, closed his eyes, and began to refine the Iron Bone Pills within his body. As his vital energy surged, the pills shattered, and the countless threads of iron marrow within were manipulated by his intent, converging onto the bones he had just tempered.

After a brief moment, several Iron Bone Pills were absorbed in an instant.

"It seems... not enough!!!" Jiang Ning muttered to himself. He opened his eyes and waved his hand, separating the lake water and creating a vacuum zone once more. The jade vial reappeared, and several more pills flew out, entering his throat.

The pill coat fell into his abdomen and dissolved. With another surge of vital energy, the pills ruptured, and the iron marrow within seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, transforming into countless silver threads that flew towards his bones.

"Indeed!" Jiang Ning's expression lit up with joy. According to records, this was a sign of the formal casting of the Iron Bones.

This process required a large amount of iron marrow to be absorbed by the entire skeletal structure, completing the final transformation.

In just over a dozen breaths, the iron marrow from the dissolved pills...

The next moment, he opened his eyes and repeated the process, swallowing several more Iron Bone Pills.

After another dozen breaths...

"Still not enough!"

"Not enough!!"

"Still not enough!!!"

Soon, the first vial was emptied, and Jiang Ning immediately took out another one.

Lin Qingyi had prepared an ample supply.

Although there were only ten vials, each was filled to the brim with Iron Bone Pills.

After consuming several Iron Bone Pills...

He finally felt that all 206 bones in his body had reached a state of fullness.

It was as if a dry sponge had absorbed water to the point of saturation, unable to take in even a single drop more.

"Finally... I've reached this step!" Jiang Ning sighed as he gazed at his nearly silver-white bones.

At this stage, all he needed was to wait.

As time passed, the white bones gradually transformed into a true silver-white state, marking his entry into the Iron Bone realm.

Upon reaching that step, his physical body and soul would undergo an even more significant transformation.

The next moment, his figure flickered, and he rose like an arrow.

Boom!

The ice layer above him suddenly exploded, and he shot out of the lake.

At this moment, the lake's surface was filled with howling cold winds and darkness gradually seeping in like ink.

The light at the horizon was also being devoured by the darkness.

Jiang Ning extended his palm, and a snowflake the size of a fingertip gently landed on it.

"Snowing again?"

He looked up at the sky and saw scattered snowflakes falling from the gloomy heavens.

"This weather is torture!" Jiang Ning shook his head.

Since winter arrived, there had been hardly any sunny days, causing his Inner Core Nourishing Technique to stagnate.

Without sunlight, he couldn't absorb the essence of the sun.

Without the sun's essence, his Inner Core Nourishing Technique couldn't gain experience.

If this technique didn't gain experience, his inner breath couldn't advance to the next level.

His current inner breath had already reached a refined state.

If this technique reached the next level, even if the total amount of inner breath was insufficient, it would still achieve a state where the inner breath was as powerful as a gale.

Having the inner breath as powerful as a gale was the symbol of the Fifth Rank Peak.

Once he achieved this, upon completing the Sixth Level Bone Forging, he could directly enter the ranks of the Fifth Rank Peak.

At that time, he could truly be considered a powerful warrior in all directions.

Just like Lu Qingshan, who was at the Fifth Rank Peak and shook the entire prefecture with his might.

In Dongling Prefecture, Medicine King Valley was the most influential sect.

This was due to Medicine King Valley's extensive connections.

After all, sects skilled in medicine and pill concoction were sought after by all.

The second reason was Lu Qingshan himself.

The Fifth Rank Peak was fundamentally different from an ordinary Fifth Rank.

There was a qualitative difference between the two.

[Skills]: Inner Core Nourishing Technique (Minor Accomplishment 893/5000)



Jiang Ning shook his head as he glanced at his skill panel.

He was still over four thousand points away from Major Accomplishment, the level where the inner breath was as powerful as a gale.

If he calculated the progress, it was barely one and a half levels.

"I can't expect it to happen soon, especially with this unpredictable weather!"

"Fortunately, I broke through the limit with the Five Animal Fist, gaining a trait that increases my inner breath daily."

"Even without absorbing the sun's essence, refining it within my body, my inner breath will still increase!"

"After this winter, even if my Inner Core Nourishing Technique hasn't reached Major Accomplishment, my total inner breath will still increase several times."

"By then, my total inner breath should be comparable to that of an ordinary Fifth Rank martial artist."

After a brief moment, Jiang Ning followed the lamplight to his residence.

He climbed over the wall and entered his courtyard.

"Someone's here!" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed as he looked towards his room.

The next moment, his slightly tense expression relaxed.

He already knew who was in his room—it was his eldest brother, Jiang Li.

After opening the door, Jiang Ning called out, "Big Brother!"

"Ah Ning, you're back!" Jiang Li's face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Was Big Brother waiting for me here?" Jiang Ning's face showed a hint of confusion.

"Mhm!" Jiang Li nodded, then picked up a piece of white paper from the table and continued, "This is from a young lady named Feng Jiuge. She's left this for you!"

"She came to our home this afternoon and waited for you for several hours, but since she didn't see you, she left this note and asked me to pass it on to you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's expression turned to one of surprise.

"Feng Jiuge!"

He then approached Jiang Li and took the white paper from his hand.

"Ah Ning, thank you!" Suddenly, Jiang Li spoke up again.

"Why are you thanking me?" Jiang Ning chuckled.

Jiang Li said, "Thank you for helping me, brother. These past few days at the yamen, I've been able to continue my work as a constable, catching criminals!"

Jiang Ning was slightly taken aback by these words.

The yamen held annual assessments at the end of the year, and the examiners always came from the county city.

Jiang Ning was already aware of this.

Months ago, Jiang Li's right arm had been injured.

According to the rules, he would undoubtedly fail the assessment.

If the yamen was lenient, he might be able to retire to a less dangerous position, managing logistics in his old age.

Previously, when there was a conflict with Cao Bin, Xu Yunfeng had also used the end-of-year assessment as a threat to coerce Jiang Li into submission.

The threat was meant to force Jiang Li to comply.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Time seemed to have passed by quickly, but the changes over these months were earth-shattering.

"Ah Ning, what's wrong?" Jiang Li asked.

"Nothing!" Jiang Ning smiled and quickly regained his focus. "By the way, Big Brother, do you know why the entire Cao family is to be beheaded in three days?"

"Doesn't Ah Ning know? Three days from now is the date for the Cao family's execution in the vegetable market. I've been counting the days since I found out! The Cao family was captured by Ah Ning. If even one of them remains, there could be endless troubles in the future!"

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning nodded in strong agreement.

Although the order had been given by Lord Hong Minghu, Jiang Ning himself had been the one to carry it out.

The Cao family would surely hold a grudge against him for this.

If the Cao family were allowed to live, it would indeed lead to endless troubles.

This was a matter of life and death!

Even if Jiang Ning wasn't afraid, it would still involve his family.

With this in mind, Jiang Ning asked, "Three days from now, will Big Brother be going to the vegetable market to witness the execution?"

"Yes!" Jiang Li nodded. "I want to see the execution with my own eyes. Only then will this matter be truly settled, and I can finally be at ease."

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded and then asked, "Big Brother, aside from being a constable, do you have any thoughts on changing positions?"

"I know what you're going to say," Jiang Li smiled. "I'm already used to being a constable! As for the Inspection Office, it's still too dangerous. I won't get involved in that!"

"That's true!" Jiang Ning slightly nodded.

Although he himself didn't feel threatened at the Inspection Office, the lower-ranked inspectors were not as safe.

These days, the sole task of the Inspection Office was to eradicate all members of the Idolatry Sect.

However, during this prolonged operation, there had been instances like He Jinyun's, where he had killed innocent people to claim credit.

But they had also discovered a stronghold of the Idolatry Sect.

During these days of hunting down Idolatry Sect members, three ordinary members had been lost, and the number of injured was in the double digits.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning immediately dismissed the idea from his mind.

He had no fear of these dangers due to his own strength, but Jiang Li was different.

Over the years, Jiang Li had yet to reach the Ninth Level.

This was partly due to a lack of martial resources, but it also indicated that Jiang Li's martial talent and innate abilities were average.

At this moment, Jiang Li spoke again, "I need to head to the kitchen to help your sister-in-law with cooking. Remember to come for dinner later!"

"Okay!" Jiang Ning nodded and watched as Jiang Li left.

After the door closed, his gaze finally fell on the white paper left by Feng Jiuge.

He quickly scanned the paper, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

According to the information left by Feng Jiuge, she had come today for two main reasons.

One was to inform him that her father was returning to Dongling Prefecture, but the Yan Xiaowei from outside Dongling City had sent a new messenger to Luoshui County.

Their purpose was simple—it was regarding the Cao family and Cao Rong.

As for the other matter, Feng Jiuge had discovered a stronghold of the Idolatry Sect, possibly a major one, and wanted to request Jiang Ning's assistance in dealing with it.

Over these months, the Idolatry Sect had been as cunning as a rabbit, hiding in multiple lairs.

Despite their efforts, they had yet to find the sect's true stronghold, like the one previously discovered at the City God Temple.

"I need to make a trip to the Inspection Office!" Jiang Ning circulated his inner breath, crushing the white paper in his hand.

With a light wave, the paper in his hand instantly turned to dust and scattered.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end