Chapter 351: The Master of Divine Power, Manipulating Celestial Phenomena

Chapter 351: The Master of Divine Power, Manipulating Celestial Phenomena

December 18, 2024

The East Courtyard.

After a brief moment, a powerful surge erupted from the stream, sending water splashing onto the soft stones on both banks.

"Master, I'm here!" Old Turtle's voice reached Jiang Ning even before he came into view.

The force of the surge from the stream indicated the speed of Old Turtle's arrival.

In an instant, Old Turtle emerged from the lake, stretching his neck.

Two quick swishes, and the drops of blood were swallowed by Old Turtle.

"Go back and refine them! Remember to protect them well!" Jiang Ning instructed.

"Yes, Master!" Old Turtle replied.

He came swiftly and left just as quickly after receiving Jiang Ning's command.

After losing three drops of blood in a short time, Jiang Ning felt a subtle change in his body.

"Losing three to five drops of blood daily is manageable, but any more, and it will gradually affect me over time!"

"Old Turtle and Linglong's cultivation must continue. As demons, they have the highest absorption efficiency of my blood, according to recent experiments. Becoming my followers will also allow them to protect my family well."

The sun slowly rose, bathing Dongling City in its glow. Despite the early hour and the city's location in the mountains, the morning breeze still carried a chill.

After finishing his morning routine, Jiang Ning sat down to read.

"Young Master, tea!" Lu Yi brought a pot of hot tea and placed it beside him.

"Just put it aside," Jiang Ning said without looking up from his book.

His gaze remained fixed on the pages.

After a while, a notification appeared:

[Character Recognition Experience +1]



Jiang Ning glanced at the notification and continued reading for a short while before setting down his book and taking a sip of tea from the table beside him.

"Young Master, Madam Liu is calling you for breakfast," Lu Yi said as she hurried into the courtyard.

"Tell her I ate too much last night and won't be having breakfast today!" Jiang Ning replied.

He put down his teacup and resumed reading.

[Skills: Character Recognition (6th Limit Break 2783/7000) (Characteristics: Photographic Memory, Extraordinary Senses, Keen Mind, Exceptional Understanding, Celestial Vision, Superior Six Senses)]



As he continued reading, he realized that he had only completed about a third of the Character Recognition skill.

At his current stage, the importance of this skill had increased significantly.

It was the only skill among his repertoire that directly influenced the growth of his psychic power.

At his current level, the significance of psychic power was undeniable.

At the Fifth Rank, aside from breaking through the Inner Core Nourishing Art, there was no other way for him to quickly achieve perfection in his martial arts training.

And breaking through the Inner Core Nourishing Art required nothing but time.

The other skills he possessed did not contribute to the essence of his martial arts.

Their importance had to be temporarily set aside.

A moment later, Jiang Ning heard unfamiliar footsteps approaching.

He looked up and smiled faintly, recognizing the visitor as Liu Wanwan.

"Auntie," Jiang Ning greeted her.

"Ning, you must eat breakfast in the morning! It's not good for your stomach to skip meals; you'll get stomach problems!" Liu Wanwan said as she carried a food box.

Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile at her words.

"Auntie, I'm no longer an ordinary person. How could I get stomach problems?"

"I don't care about any of that!" Liu Wanwan placed the food box on the tea table and began to open it as she spoke.

"If you don't want to come for breakfast, I'll bring it to you from now on!"

Jiang Ning felt a mix of helplessness and warmth in his heart.

"Thank you, Auntie!"

A short while later, Jiang Ning held a meat-filled bun in one hand and a bowl of lean meat soup in the other, eating heartily.

Liu Wanwan watched him with a gentle smile, seeing him devour the food with his head down.

"Auntie, I'm full!" Jiang Ning wiped his mouth after finishing the food in front of him.

"Then I'll go back and call you for lunch later!" Liu Wanwan packed the bowls and dishes into the food box.

"Okay! Thank you, Auntie!" Jiang Ning replied.

After drinking some more tea and cleaning out his intestines, Jiang Ning continued reading.

[Character Recognition Experience +1]



[Character Recognition Experience +1]



[Character Recognition Experience +1]



As time passed, his experience points continued to accumulate.

Suddenly, the light dimmed, and Jiang Ning's position was shrouded in darkness.

He looked up, and...

At first, the sky above was clear and cloudless, but now it had turned cloudy.

"This isn't good!"

He glanced at the sundial in the courtyard.

It was only the sixth mark of the Hour of the Dragon.

There was still half an hour until the Hour of the Snake.

"I hope the weather doesn't change so quickly!" Jiang Ning muttered to himself.

Then, he temporarily set aside his worries and continued reading the book in his hand.

Half an hour later, the sunlight had disappeared from Dongling City, blocked by the clouds floating overhead.

Jiang Ning looked up at the sky.

The clouds above were thickening, and dark clouds were gathering.

"The heavens don't grant one's wishes!" He sighed softly, then looked at the dark clouds above and thoughtfully glanced at his panel.

【Commanding Clouds and Rain】: A divine ability to control clouds and rainfall.

"I wonder... Can I disperse these clouds with my Commanding Clouds and Rain ability?"

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

"Li Ge, help me bring in the clothes and blankets. The sky looks strange!" Liu Wanwan spoke up.

"Sure!" Jiang Li happily nodded.

Dongling City.

Built against the mountains.

On a large rock.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe and a young monk in a white robe sat cross-legged on the rock, engaged in a game.

"Golden Cicada Master, shall we change the location for our game?" Zhao Yu Long suggested.

"Why?" the young monk asked.

"The weather is changing; it might bring wind and rain!" Zhao Yu Long explained.

"Zhao Zongshi, you're too attached to appearances!" The young monk smiled. "If there's no wind or rain in your heart, then there will be none in the heavens and earth."

Zhao Yu Long nodded thoughtfully at these words.

"Zhao Zongshi, I was just joking!" The young monk chuckled.

Zhao Yu Long: "..."

Just then, the young monk spoke seriously, "Zhao Zongshi, experiencing the wind and rain, and embracing the natural world can help you understand the unity of heaven and man."

"I'm grateful for your guidance!" Zhao Yu Long's face showed gratitude.

This young monk had originally come here under the orders of an abbot from Vajra Temple to learn the famous Dragon Roar Strike technique from Zhao Yu Long.

Now, the young monk was repaying the favor by guiding Zhao Yu Long towards understanding the unity of heaven and man.

How could Zhao Yu Long not feel grateful?

Seeing the expression on Zhao Yu Long's face, the young monk couldn't help but smile.

"Zhao Zongshi, this wind and rain have come at the perfect time. It's an excellent opportunity for you to truly feel the power of nature and the strength of the heavens and earth!"

"Moreover, isn't there a unique charm in playing a game amidst the wind and rain?"

Hearing this, Zhao Yu Long couldn't help but slightly nod in agreement.

"Golden Cicada Master, you speak with reason!"

As his words fell, a ray of sunlight descended from above, landing on the shiny head of the Golden Cicada Master.

Immediately, the ray of sunlight began to expand rapidly.

In an instant, the entire rock was bathed in bright, radiant sunlight.

Zhao Yu Long looked up at the sky and momentarily froze.

The clouds that had been gathering above were now rapidly dispersing in all directions.

Beams of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating various corners of Dongling City.

"The weather is changing so quickly!" Zhao Yu Long exclaimed with a look of wonder.

(Chapter End)

Feeling the sunlight pouring down from above, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel delighted.

"It really works!"

At this moment, his face turned slightly pale.

Dispersing all the clouds above Dongling City was a bit challenging for him now.

He felt a tingling sensation in his mind, a sign of mental exhaustion from over-exertion.

"But it's worth it!" Looking at the change in the sky above, from overcast to clear, Jiang Ning felt it was worth the effort.

Then, he quickly took off his clothes, wearing only a pair of shorts, and jumped into the lake.

The cold lake water soaked him, instantly making him feel refreshed.

He then felt the nourishing effect of the lake water, as the depleted mental energy quickly recovered, and the tingling in his mind subsided.

He narrowed his eyes, quietly feeling his body's recovery.

At this moment, he felt a few cold touches on his back.

Even without opening his eyes, he knew it was the dragon carp.

He closed his eyes and waved his hand to shoo away the fish.

The dragon carp then transformed into a rainbow glow, swirling around Jiang Ning.

Looking left and right, it then dove into Jiang Ning's chest, gently sucking on it.

The next moment—

A splash—

The dragon carp was slapped out of the water, drawing a perfect parabolic path in the air.

"Pachi!" It weakly landed on the shore.

"Go find your mother!!!" Jiang Ning's voice was filled with anger.

The dragon carp on the shore heard this and silently flapped its fins, moving to the side before returning to the lake.

At this time, Jiang Ning no longer paid attention to what had just happened. Instead, he refocused on the Great Sun above.

The time had already reached the hour of the Snake.

He also felt that the mental energy he had just consumed had recovered significantly.

Then he leaped out of the water, landing on the shore, and sat cross-legged.

He assumed the Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture.

After a slight adjustment, he began to practice the breathing technique of the Inner Core Nourishing Technique, facing the Great Sun above.

With each breath—

A strand of crimson Great Sun descended from the clouds, instantly falling into Jiang Ning's courtyard.

On the other side—

Bai Manor.

The residence of Bai Luoyu.

He looked up at a spot five hundred meters away.

In the sky, a crimson glow descended, entering the building where Jiang Ning was.

"Absorbing the essence of the Great Sun, it seems Jiang brother is cultivating the Inner Core Nourishing Technique again!"

"Breathing in the essence of the Great Sun at the hour of the Snake, it seems Jiang brother's Inner Core Nourishing Technique has only reached a minor success. His inner breath has not yet transformed, so I believe I can enter the Fourth Stage before him!"

Thinking of this, Bai Luoyu couldn't help but smile.

Just a moment ago, he was proud of his progress in martial arts, surpassing Jiang Ning.

But the next moment, he thought about Jiang Ning's training time and his current age.

Bai Luoyu couldn't help but laugh at himself.

"I boast of being the top genius of this generation, but I never thought I'd compare myself to Jiang brother."

"I'm already over thirty, while he hasn't even reached adulthood. In this comparison, I've already lost."

In the eastern courtyard—

As Jiang Ning refined the strands of crimson Great Sun essence, his experience in the Inner Core Nourishing Technique continued to grow.

The hour of the Horse approached.

Jiang Ning stopped absorbing and refining the Great Sun essence.

[Skill: Inner Core Nourishing Technique (Minor Success 4895/5000)]



Seeing the display on the panel, with only 105 experience points left until the Inner Core Nourishing Technique's major success, a smile appeared on Jiang Ning's face.

"Tomorrow will be the day of the Inner Core Nourishing Technique's major success, and the time for my inner breath to break through and transform!"

"After tomorrow's breakthrough, the Fifth Stage will be complete, and I should meet the conditions to enter the Fourth Stage!"

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning's heart was filled with joy.

Although he hadn't been at the Fifth Stage for long, he felt like he had been at this level for a long time.

After all, at the Fifth Stage, with the start of both internal and external cultivation, one could be considered to have begun their martial journey.

The Fourth Stage—

As long as he entered the Fourth Stage, he would have nothing to fear from Xiao Qiushui.

If Yu Manyun, that crazy woman, doesn't know when to stop, I'll send her on her way! A flash of killing intent appeared in Jiang Ning's eyes.

His mind also recalled the injuries Wang Jin had suffered when he met him.

At the Fifth Stage, without understanding the combat power of the Fourth Stage, he dared not act rashly against Yu Manyun, as it might provoke Xiao Qiushui.

But entering the Fourth Stage would be different.

Even if it was just the initial stage, with his accumulated power and nearly two cycles of cultivation, he would have the confidence to contend with Xiao Qiushui.

In this case, if Yu Manyun doesn't know when to stop, to prevent what happened to Wang Jin from happening to Jiang Li and others, and to keep Yu Manyun from harming his family, he would have no choice but to take action and settle it once and for all.

After all, one can guard against a thief for a thousand days, but there will always be a moment of negligence.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end