Chapter 478: Grasping Heaven and Man as One, Swallowing the Golden Pill into the Body!

Chapter 478: Grasping Heaven and Man as One, Swallowing the Golden Pill into the Body! (March Monthly Vote Bonus 22)

Early afternoon.

A gentle breeze blew.

Jiang Ning walked ahead with his hands clasped behind his back, looking relaxed.

Following behind was a Green-robed Girl, carrying two large jars of wine, which seemed quite heavy.

The two of them meandered their way to the private garden of the Spring Wind Tower.

The Bamboo Listening Pavilion was located within the private garden of the Spring Wind Tower.

"Inspector Jiang, have you just returned from the Nine Heavens Tower?" Zhao Yu Long, who happened to bump into them, greeted.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded and continued, "I just went to the Nine Heavens Tower to try their wine and dishes."

"Was it good?" Zhao Yu Long asked.

"Not bad!" Jiang Ning nodded, "Out of twenty-four signature dishes, ten suited my taste. Not bad! Not bad at all!"

"Inspector Jiang has quite a discerning palate!" Zhao Yu Long said.

Jiang Ning smiled, "To enjoy good food, one must be picky!"

In his past life, he was born in a country where food was considered the essence of life, a nation renowned for its culinary culture.

He had developed this appreciation early on.

He still remembered the first paycheck he received in his past life. He used it to indulge in a lavish meal, which cost him a thousand yuan, a third of his monthly income.

But he didn't feel it was a waste; he felt it was worth it.

Life is about trying new things.

At an age when he could live carefree, he could afford to be indulgent.

As the saying goes, "Even if I buy osmanthus and wine, it's not the same as when I was young."

After that age, the feeling is never the same.

After a brief exchange, the two parted ways.

Before leaving, Zhao Yu Long invited him to a drinking party.

Tonight, Zhao Yu Long was gathering with some old friends and wanted him and Bai Luoyu to join.

Jiang Ning thought for a moment and agreed.

Zhao Yu Long's old friends were undoubtedly influential figures in Guǎngníng Chéng.

When traveling, it's always better to have more friends than enemies.

He wasn't the type to look down on others and refuse to associate with anyone.

Moreover, he didn't plan to practice today and intended to rest well.

Going out for a walk and clearing his mind would also be beneficial.

Back in the courtyard, Jiang Ning lay down in the bamboo grove.

Lying on a rattan chair, the curved bottom swayed gently, and Jiang Ning immediately closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breeze.

Inside the courtyard, Lvyi saw Jiang Ning and slowed her steps.

Suddenly, her gaze lingered on Jiang Ning.

At that moment, she realized she couldn't sense his presence at all.

Heaven and Man as One?!!

The four words instantly flashed through her mind.

Her heart stirred, and she lowered her breathing even more.

She was afraid of disturbing Jiang Ning.

Time passed slowly.

The sun gradually set.

Their shadows grew longer, and the sunlight became softer.

When Jiang Ning opened his eyes and stood up, Lvyi finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Standing there for over an hour, you really are something!" Jiang Ning looked at Lvyi and shook his head in amusement.

When he was in the state of Heaven and Man as One, his control over his surroundings was extremely high, and even the slightest movement couldn't escape his perception.

So, he naturally knew everything Lvyi did.

Seeing Jiang Ning's expression, Lvyi stuck out her tongue.

Then, she stomped her feet, and her stiff legs quickly recovered with the flow of blood and qi.

"Get ready! We're going out to a banquet later!"

"Yes, Master!"

The next day.

Jiang Ning woke up and rubbed his temples.

He had drunk a lot of wine last night, and it was all good, strong wine.

Wine that greatly benefited martial artists.

So he didn't refuse.

After all, it was beneficial to him, as the wine was infused with a large amount of heavenly treasures, increasing his Essence Points.

Essence Energy: 27121

"Not bad!"

He glanced at his status and nodded in satisfaction.

The good wine at Zhao Yu Long's private banquet last night added several hundred points to his Essence Points.

Just that alone made the trip worthwhile.

As for the people, he had simply made some casual acquaintances.

They were just passing acquaintances, and he didn't think they would be of much use.

True friendships are not so easily formed.

Afterward, a refreshing breeze blew in through the open window, lifting the delicate curtains.

The breeze was invigorating, clearing his mind and making him feel refreshed.

After getting out of bed and washing up, the large red sun had already risen above the distant mountain range.

"Another good day!" Jiang Ning smiled as he watched the rising sun.

At the same time, he understood.

This was not normal.

From Luoshui County, to Dongling City, and now Guǎngníng Chéng, the weather had been unusually abnormal since the beginning of the year.

The snow had melted, and the climate had been consistently clear and dry.

Continuous sunny days had already led to drought.

It was only May, so the effects were not yet obvious.

But by June or July, during the harvest season, the impact would be very noticeable.

The grain yield would be significantly reduced.

Moreover, last year had already experienced a prolonged drought, leading to a significant decrease in grain production.

Even if ordinary households had surplus grain last year, this year’s reserves are now empty.

Another major drought this year would have unimaginable consequences.

And this is in a region of mountains, forests, and marshes.

Within Guangning Prefecture, the terrain is predominantly mountains, forests, and marshes.

Part of the Luo River, which runs through Dongling County, is within Guangning Prefecture.

The Yunmeng Marsh, located in Yunmeng County, is also within Guangning Prefecture.

Additionally, the famous Yunmeng River is also within Guangning Prefecture.

Besides these, there are numerous mountains and forests.

This type of terrain has much stronger resistance to consecutive droughts.

However, even with this, the continuous reduction in grain production will still make the situation in Guangning Prefecture increasingly dire.

Such abnormal weather, although there is no evidence now,

is clearly very strange and is most likely man-made.

Thinking this, Jiang Ning shook his head inwardly.

Over the past year, he has walked through Luoshui County, several counties in Dongling County, and is now in Guangning Prefecture.

He has seen a lot.

Though there is darkness and corruption,

from his perspective, the current state of Great Xia has not yet reached the point of a dynasty's end.

The wheels of history have not yet reached this point.

The current natural disasters are most likely man-made.

For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a great deal of emotion.

The current situation in the world clearly makes everyone a pawn, including himself.

He still knows nothing about the person controlling the chess pieces.

After a moment of deep thought,

he shook his head and no longer dwelled on this matter.

Even if he finds some things intolerable now, he cannot change them.

The strong in this world are as numerous as fish crossing a river, countless.

The higher he goes, the more powerful figures he understands.

What was once a rare sight, Grandmasters, he has now seen dozens of.

What he once only read about in books and biographies, Great Grandmasters, he has now seen two.

And his current martial strength is still at the 4th Rank.

This level of strength is barely enough for self-preservation, let alone interfering with so much.

When in poverty, one should cultivate oneself; when successful, one should benefit the world.

If one day he becomes strong enough,

he will consider acting on things he finds intolerable.

But he is far from that point.

Afterward,

he stood in the courtyard, facing the morning breeze with his eyes half-closed, slowly emptying his mind.

Merging with the heavens and earth, he thoroughly grasped Heaven and Man as One.

He could feel himself getting closer to this point, just a thin membrane away from breaking through.

Time quietly slipped by.

Until the sun was high in the sky.

Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile on his face.

At this moment, he was completely merged with the heavens and earth.

The surrounding air currents swirled, and the bamboo grove swayed.

Rustling softly.

Sometimes it bowed low, the branches creaking.

Sometimes it swayed from side to side, leaves drifting down.

At this moment, his aura was completely gone, fully integrated into the heavens and earth.

“Shall we eat?” he looked at Lvyi.

“Yes, my lord! The meal is ready!” Lvyi nodded.

Then, she suddenly widened her eyes and looked at Jiang Ning.

Because she felt that when Jiang Ning spoke, his voice was calm, but it did not come from his mouth, but from all around.

“My lord, you...” her eyes were wide as saucers.

Jiang Ning nodded slightly: “Yes!!”

“Congratulations, my lord!!!” Lvyi immediately smiled broadly.

Jiang Ning still had a faint smile on his face, his heart filled with joy.

He originally thought it would take him a lot more time to fully grasp Heaven and Man as One.

But unexpectedly, he achieved it at this moment.

It was as if everything came together naturally.

“Perhaps it was because of yesterday!!” Jiang Ning had a sudden realization.

His intuition told him that yesterday, he gave himself a day to relax.

His mind was completely at ease.

The inspiration that flashed through his mind in the afternoon, the insight he gained from immersing himself in the heavens and earth,

and the uninhibited revelry and drinking last night, all helped him a great deal.

With these accumulations, today he naturally reached the point of fully grasping the realm of Heaven and Man as One, taking the final step.

At this moment,

he already had all the conditions to step into the 3rd Rank and achieve the title of Heavenly Master.

If he wanted to, he could begin to draw in the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth into his body, complete the first blood transformation, and undergo the first transformation.

“No rush!”

“No rush!!”

He suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart.

At this final moment, he knew he should not rush.

He would soon practice the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique.

This was also very important.

If he missed noon, he would have to wait until the next day for the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique to be completed.

“Let's go eat!” Jiang Ning said.

“My lord is truly patient!” Lvyi said.

Having been with Jiang Ning for so long, she naturally understood that her lord had already made all the preparations.

Once he fully grasped Heaven and Man as One, he would become the second Heavenly Master in Dongling County in recent years.

The second Heavenly Master after Xiao Qiushui.

At noon,

the bamboo grove swayed, rustling softly.

Whoosh—

Jiang Ning exhaled a breath of turbid air.

After slightly adjusting his state, he began to inhale the Great Sun Essence from the sun above.

Then,

a streak of red light fell from the clouds.

It penetrated his nostrils in an instant.

In that moment,

His internal organs felt as if they were being cooked in a hot pot, exploding suddenly.

But his expression remained unchanged, indifferent.

Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique Experience +1

After a brief moment, a notification appeared before him.

He continued to inhale the essence of the sun.

Strands of red mist fell.

Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique Experience +1

Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique Experience +1

Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique Experience +1

...

As time passed, the experience of the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique continued to increase, bringing it closer to perfection.

Until a certain moment,

Another strand of mist entered his body and was refined.

With a flash of the notification,

Suddenly,

He felt a tremendous change in his dantian.

The liquefied true essence began to contract violently, converging toward the center of his dantian.

Breakthrough!!

The thought flashed through his mind.

He immediately dispelled all distractions, not daring to be the slightest bit distracted.

With the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique reaching perfection, it meant that he had swallowed a golden core, and his fate was now in his own hands, not determined by heaven.

At that moment,

In his observation,

All the true essence in his body converged into his dantian, compressing, and continuously compressing.

Until a certain moment,

The compressed true essence suddenly collapsed and transformed.

In an instant, a bright Inner Core appeared in his dantian.

It was about the size of a pigeon's egg, spinning rapidly.

"Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique!"

"Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique!"

Jiang Ning muttered to himself, is this the Inner Core?

Skill: Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique (Perfection 0/10000)

At that moment, when he saw the panel,

He had no more doubts.

The Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique had reached perfection.

The true essence in his body had also transformed, becoming the Inner Core, the human Inner Core.

In the next moment,

With a thought,

He saw a stream of pure white light emanate from the Inner Core, piercing through his body's meridians.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes.

A thread of white light shot out from his fingertip.

Whoosh—

Where the white light passed, the green bamboo snapped, the wall was pierced, and it then dissipated in the air.

In a crowded place, he dared not let the piercing white light continue.

Because the white light was too sharp; if it continued, it could easily injure or kill innocent people.

"Internal breath like a force field!"

"Core force field!"

"This is the true force field!"

Jiang Ning sighed.

Although he hadn't tested it, he could clearly feel it.

With the formation of the Inner Core, another transformation had occurred.

If before, his internal breath turned into true essence, which could be called an internal force field,

Now, it was a true force field, a significant improvement over the previous state.

From being like a force field, it had reached the true force field.

Then, he activated the Inner Core.

An invisible force field enveloped his entire body, like a garment, protecting him from head to toe, leaving no blind spots.

At that moment, he remained still, quietly sensing the changes in his dantian's Inner Core.

Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique.

Forming the human Inner Core meant reaching true perfection.

After a long while,

Compared to the initial blinding brightness, the Inner Core was now slightly dimmer.

"Sufficient!!"

He stopped the test.

Nodding slightly, he was satisfied.

After forming the human Inner Core, a brief test showed that the force field's burst was more condensed, and its endurance had increased by at least tenfold.

This was a qualitative leap.

Because a martial artist's internal breath and true essence burst briefly and were hard to maintain, human strength was limited.

But now, with endurance increased by more than tenfold, it was a completely different story.

This endurance allowed the force field to burst continuously.

In the presence of the force field, even the most elite soldiers, clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, could be cut down like straw.

After that,

He noticed the Inner Core in his dantian.

The human Inner Core floated in his dantian, continuously spinning.

At the same time, strands of white gas continuously emanated from the Inner Core, integrating into his body.

Wherever those strands of core gas passed, he felt his body being nourished and refined, eliminating hidden ailments and potential risks, making him feel incredibly light.

"Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique!"

"Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique!"

He silently savored the name of this technique in his mind.

After a long while,

He smiled contentedly.

This was the true Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique.

With the formation of the Inner Core, it would nourish and refine his body.

At this moment,

He truly understood the meaning of this technique.

With the formation of the Inner Core, he would be free from all illnesses, and his body would no longer have any hidden risks.

The core gas would continuously nourish his internal organs, limbs, and bones.

He could live a long and healthy life.

This was the true meaning of nourishment.

And this was the true meaning of the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique.

At this moment, he felt the profound and mysterious nature of this technique.

Such effects were miraculous, equivalent to extending one's lifespan, even increasing one's lifespan and its upper limit.

Profound and incredibly mysterious!

And this was also the meaning of swallowing a golden core, taking control of one's fate, not leaving it to heaven.

Breaking the lifespan limit was equivalent to breaking the constraints of heaven and earth.

Chapter end