Chapter 292: The Four Steps of External Tempering, The Terror of the Golden Body!

Chapter 292: The Four Steps of External Tempering, The Terror of the Golden Body!

The Inspection Office.

"Lord Jiang!" Two people at the entrance saw Jiang Ning and immediately bowed in greeting.

Jiang Ning nodded and stepped through the main gate, heading towards his own division.

At this moment, Green Ripple did not follow.

According to the rules, ordinary people were not allowed to enter the inner halls of the Inspection Office.

Although no one would say anything if Jiang Ning brought her in, he didn't want to break the rules, and there was no need to.

The next moment—

"Xiaojiu?" Jiang Ning looked at Xie Xiaojiu, who was walking out of his division, with a surprised expression.

Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Xie Xiaojiu hurriedly cupped her hands in greeting, "My Lord!"

"What a coincidence!" Jiang Ning smiled.

Xie Xiaojiu pursed her lips. She knew it wasn't a coincidence at all.

She had been in and out of the office dozens of times today.

This time, she had waited for Jiang Ning's arrival.

She quickly composed herself, "My Lord, it's been a while!"

"Yes, it has been a while!" Jiang Ning sighed.

After about a month-long holiday, the two had not met.

On the first day of the New Year, Xie Xiaojiu also did not come to visit him at his residence.

Initially, Jiang Ning was puzzled, but later he understood the situation.

Xie Zhengtian had made such a big scene at the Xie Manor, and he must have done a lot of ideological work with Xie Xiaojiu, asking her to come and plead on behalf of the Xie family.

After all, Xie Xiaojiu was Xie Zhengtian's daughter and the Ninth Miss of the Xie family, and she was now working under Jiang Ning, with a relatively good relationship with him.

However, precisely because of their relationship, Xie Xiaojiu didn't want to put him in a difficult position, so they had not met during the holiday.

Xie Xiaojiu followed behind Jiang Ning, watching his back, and suddenly spoke up.

"My Lord, thank you!"

Jiang Ning turned back and smiled, "What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for giving the Xie family a chance!" Xie Xiaojiu's tone was low.

Jiang Ning said, "It's not that I gave the Xie family a chance, but that the Xie family gave themselves a chance! Xie Zhengtian could harden his heart to scrape the bone and heal the wound, executing those who deserved it and capturing those who needed to be captured. I gave him a chance by opening the granary and distributing food. Although merits and demerits cannot offset each other, it is still considered a good deed for the people."

"If I were a few years younger, perhaps I wouldn't tolerate even a speck of sand in my eyes. Whether it's black or gray, after gaining strength, I would have wiped them all out and given the people of the city a pure and just world."

"Chop off the hand that reaches out, and behead the head that dares to show itself! Only pure goodness is allowed, and no evil or corruption is tolerated."

"This may satisfy personal grudges, but with the ever-changing situation and frequent natural disasters, the people of the city will only face greater hardships and difficulties, and more lives will be lost.

"Moreover, this world is so vast, how can I possibly manage it all?"

"Besides, I'm not a saint. Doing good deeds and acts of kindness is just something I do when the opportunity arises."

Jiang Ning smiled as he spoke.

Initially, he hadn't thought that he would do anything to benefit the town or the people.

Now that he had reached this point, it was just a matter of convenience, a simple effort.

He was well aware that leaving the relatively honest Xie family to survive with a severe punishment was the best course of action for the people of the city.

The Xie family was now opening their granary to feed the poor and needy, which would save many lives during this cold winter.

If it were any other family or power in the position of the Cao, Liu, and Xie families, they would not have done better, and it was more likely that they would have done worse.

Just as the dragon slayer would eventually become an evil dragon.

This was an ancient vortex of karma, a vortex of human nature, impossible to escape or break free from.

Even he himself couldn't guarantee that his original intentions would remain unchanged in the future.

Let alone a family or a power!

Unless his own intentions remained unchanged, and with his strength, he had absolute control over Luoshui County, only then could the people of the city truly be happy and healthy!

But he wasn't a nanny! He had no thoughts about playing the role of a nanny, nor did he have such an obligation.

In any era, any environment, any person, in the end, one can only rely on oneself.

Everything else is fate and destiny.

A while later, Jiang Ning arrived at his desk.

He casually picked up a stack of documents from his desk, about ten pages thick.

He skimmed through them and understood their contents.

These documents summarized various matters in Luoshui County over the past month, and there were no major issues.

The main responsibility of the Inspection Office was to capture and punish anyone who dared to cause trouble, regardless of whether they were commoners, high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, or members of sects and gangs.

The Divine Worship Sect was a typical example and a potential threat.

Therefore, the Inspection Office had primarily focused on eliminating the forces developed by the Divine Worship Sect within the county.

After destroying the Divine Worship Sect's most important stronghold and finding the divine statue that was once enshrined in the City God Temple, there were hardly any traces of the Divine Worship Sect left in the county.

Chapter Completion

Translation

The native powers, entangled with the Cao and Liu families and the Divine Worship Sect, have also been eradicated.

Consequently, this month-long holiday has yielded no significant reports.

After briefly scanning the documents, he set them aside.

"Is the Manor Master in?" Jiang Ning inquired, turning to Ninth Miss Xie, who trailed behind him.

"Yes, Lord Ye visited earlier this morning, but since the Manor Master wasn't working, they didn't meet. Lord Ye instructed me to remind the Manor Master to visit him when available."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded thoughtfully.

A notion formed in his mind: Lord Hong's prompt summons likely bore good news, rather than ill intentions.

After all, on the eve of the Year-End Festival, he single-handedly defended the city against the Black Mountain Army's rebellion, leveraging his archery skills. This feat undoubtedly warranted grand rewards.

He surmised that Lord Hong's summons was related to this matter, but he wasn't eager. The recognition he deserved wouldn't elude him.

Within the Patrol Office, even the current Lord Hong paled in comparison to Jiang Ning.

Over half a month ago, Jiang Ning could already rival two opponents simultaneously. He had slain two Fifth Rank Inner Fortification Realm warriors from the Divine Worship Sect on the Luo Water River. His current prowess far surpassed that of half a month prior.

His Jade Bone refinement had advanced significantly, nearing completion. In terms of techniques, he had achieved a breakthrough: his Psychic Energy had transformed, enabling him to activate the Heavenly Eye. Moreover, his Sword Technique had transcended its previous limits, enhancing his Sword Style.

Jiang Ning's current strength was vastly superior to his past self, with the Sword Technique breakthrough yielding the most pronounced increase in combat prowess. This technique, his most potent means of defeating enemies, now shone even brighter.

Presently, he could vanquish a Fifth Rank Inner Fortification Realm warrior from the Divine Worship Sect with a single, full-force strike.

In his current estimation, Lord Hong, who had relied on external means to enter the Fifth Rank Inner Fortification Realm, undoubtedly fell short of his own abilities.

In Luo Water County, the only individual who might surpass him, aside from potential hidden powerhouses, was the enigmatic White Grandma from the Internal Affairs Bureau.

"Is the elderly lady from the Internal Affairs Bureau in?" Jiang Ning inquired.

Ninth Miss Xie responded, "Yes, she's been sunbathing in the bureau's courtyard since morning. With the payroll distribution today, subordinates have been visiting to collect their necessities."

Jiang Ning declared, "I'll pay a visit to the Internal Affairs Bureau!"

Ninth Miss Xie hastily followed, "I'll accompany you, sir!"

Though she didn't mention the Xie family's affairs again, she silently expressed gratitude to Jiang Ning for sparing her family.

Internal Affairs Bureau

Upon entering the courtyard, Jiang Ning spotted an approximately fifty-year-old woman with a few silver locks, yet appearing to be in her forties, basking in the sun. Her demeanor exuded serenity, with eyes slightly narrowed.

As the duo entered, the elderly lady slowly opened her eyes.

"Ah, you?"

"Greetings, esteemed elder!" Jiang Ning bowed, his hands clasped.

Initially, he considered discreetly activating his Heavenly Eye to probe the elderly lady. However, his body instinctively reacted with trepidation, and he grasped that this woman was an unfathomable, formidable individual. His demeanor turned reverent.

The elderly lady praised, "You're quite impressive, young one!" after gazing at Jiang Ning. "Luo Water County's recent tranquility is, in part, thanks to your efforts!"

Jiang Ning humbly replied, "It's only natural; with greater ability comes greater responsibility. As the people's 'ir,' I should shoulder the duty of protecting them."

The elderly lady nodded in approval, "Well said, well said! This is your payroll, temporarily distributed by me due to logistical reasons. Your merits in defending the city will be acknowledged by a personal envoy from higher authorities."

As she tossed a cloth bag toward Jiang Ning, he caught it, and it instantly vanished into his Infinite Storage Ring. To him, the payroll had become insignificant; its value was hardly enough to fill a gap in his teeth. Thus, he saw no need to inspect it.

After putting away the bag into his Infinite Storage Ring, Jiang Ning bowed respectfully once more.

"Senior, with my current authority, am I not qualified to learn about the Fifth Rank Inner Fortification Realm of the Martial Dao?"

The elder woman glanced at Jiang Ning, instantly understanding his intention.

She nodded slightly, "Indeed, within the Nine Stages of the Martial Dao, there is a significant division of influence. Below the Fifth Rank, it is the Four Steps of External Body Forging, which focuses on tempering the skin, flesh, sinews, and bones."

"The methods to achieve these four steps are not exactly top secret. As long as you have money, you can easily obtain the related methods."

"Joining various sects across the lands can also easily grant you access to these methods."

"Among these four steps of External Body Forging, only a few crucial steps are truly secret. For instance, the Golden Body Technique in the skin polishing step, which can achieve the highest level of skin polishing. There are only a handful of such techniques under the heavens, not even enough to count on both hands."

"Among them, the Vajra Indestructible Body Technique from Vajra Temple is the best. If one can cultivate the Vajra Indestructible Body, even though it's just the Ninth Stage of the Martial Dao, it's enough to battle against a Sixth Rank opponent."

Standing before the elder woman, Jiang Ning listened attentively to her words. When he heard this part, he couldn't help but feel amazed.

"This is so exaggerated?" He showed a look of surprise.

"Exaggerated?" The elder woman gave Jiang Ning a faint look and then shook her head. "Your horizons are still too narrow, and you don't understand the terror of the Golden Body. You should know that the physical body is an integrated whole. If you can achieve the Golden Body, do you think the skin, flesh, sinews, and bones will be inferior?"

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning nodded in agreement.

"That's right!"

He acknowledged the truth in the elder woman's words.

This was also the reason why, after forging the Iron Bone, Mystic Bone, and Jade Bone, the strength of the physical body would undergo a transformation.

If one were to compare the human body to a grand building, then the bones would be the load-bearing columns and steel frame structure of Great Xia.

The stronger and more resilient the load-bearing columns and structure are, the more majestic the building becomes.

Similarly, with the transformation of the bones, the strength of the physical body would also increase.

Therefore, Jiang Ning agreed with the elder woman's words.

The human physical body is inherently an integrated whole.

Thus, in these four steps of External Body Forging, each step's improvement and change would only have a different focus, rather than solely enhancing one aspect.

In the Ninth Rank Skin Polishing stage, the focus is on the defensive power of the skin.

However, it also brings about an increase in strength and qi and blood.

In the Eighth Rank Divine Power Realm's Strength Training stage, the focus shifts to strength, which involves the tempering of the body's muscle groups.

Hence, during this stage, strength increases significantly, but defense and other aspects also receive a certain level of improvement.

The focus is primarily on strength, and during this stage, the increase in strength accounts for eight to nine-tenths of the overall enhancement.

As for the Seventh Rank Sinew Training stage, the emphasis is on explosive power, and the tempering of the body's major sinews reaches its peak.

During this stage, explosive power increases dramatically. A casual punch, empowered by the explosion of the body's major sinews, is like an arrow propelled by a bowstring, with terrifying explosive power.

In this stage, the primary focus is on enhancing explosive power, while other aspects receive less improvement compared to the previous stages.

However, the Sixth Rank Bone Tempering stage is different.

In Bone Tempering, the focus is on enhancing the strength of the body's bones.

It allows the bones to gradually transform, achieving Iron Bone, with bone strength comparable to Ten-Forged Steel.

Achieving Mystic Bone, the bone strength rivals Hundred-Forged Steel.

Reaching Jade Bone, the bone strength equals Thousand-Forged Steel.

The enhancement of bone strength is the primary focus of this stage.

Upon completion of this stage, it's akin to the body donning an inner protective robe.

Once Jade Bone is achieved, every bone in the body possesses the strength of Thousand-Forged Steel.

It's worth noting that an ordinary Seventh Rank martial practitioner's standard equipment is just a Thousand-Forged Divine Blade.

A Ten-Thousand-Forged Divine Blade is already considered a Divine Armament.

In the vast Luoshu County, not a single Ten-Thousand-Forged Divine Blade can be found in any blacksmith shop.

Forging Ten-Thousand-Forged Steel requires an extremely formidable strength and enduring stamina.

Luoshu County simply doesn't have such powerful martial practitioners to take up the craft of blacksmithing.

Therefore, it's not an exaggeration to call someone who has achieved Jade Bone in Luoshu County invincible.

A martial practitioner with Jade Bone can let others strike their neck with a Thousand-Forged Divine Blade, and their head will remain unharmed.

Even just the skull alone can withstand the slashes of a Thousand-Forged Divine Blade.

The 206 bones in the body also provide almost complete protection to various parts of the body.

This survival ability is also the most terrifying aspect of a Sixth Rank martial practitioner.

Moreover, the importance of bones in the human body is self-evident.

Thus, in the Sixth Rank Bone Tempering step, each comprehensive transformation of the bones significantly enhances the physical body.

The improvement is far greater than in the previous steps.

All these factors corroborate the words of the White Grandma.

The physical body is an integrated whole, and there is no such thing as a solitary improvement in one aspect; there are only differences in emphasis.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end