Internal Affairs Department.
In the courtyard.
Jiang Ning examined the token in his hand and noticed that it wasn't much different from the one he had before.
The only real change was that the original inscription, Sub-Eighth Rank, had been replaced by just two characters:
Eighth Rank.
This signified that his official rank had been upgraded from Sub-Eighth to Primary Eighth Rank.
After carefully putting away the token, Jiang Ning cupped his fists and spoke again:
"Senior, I would like to exchange for detailed information about the Fifth Rank Internal Strength Realm and martial techniques related to inner energy."
"I knew you'd say that," the old woman replied knowingly.
A small booklet instantly appeared in her hand.
Under the sunlight, Jiang Ning could make out the words on the cover:
A Comprehensive Explanation of the Fifth Rank Internal Strength Realm
"This is a copied edition of the Martial Saint's insights on the Fifth Rank. It should be enough to resolve any confusion you have about it."
"Normally, it would cost a thousand contribution points. But today, I'll give it to you for free!"
As she finished speaking, the booklet landed in Jiang Ning's hand.
Then, the old woman looked at him again and continued:
"As for the inner energy techniques you mentioned there's no such thing as a martial art specifically called that. Inner energy is simply inner energy. It's an extraordinary force, similar in some ways to the true qi of ancient cultivators who walked the path to immortality."
"Some martial artists might have their unique methods of circulating it."
"That falls under the category of skills, not martial arts."
"One such technique is already recorded within the three pages you possess."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning could no longer suppress his curiosity. He immediately opened the booklet and began to read.
[Literacy EXP +3]
[Literacy EXP +5]
[Literacy EXP +2]
[…]
As he continued flipping through the pages, his Literacy skills kept gaining experience.
Though it was just a three-page booklet, Jiang Ning took his time, studying it thoroughly for nearly the length of a tea break.
When he reached the end, he slowly lowered the booklet.
[From this reading session, your Literacy EXP increased by 369 points.]
[Skill]: Literacy (Five-Time Limit Breakthrough 838/6000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension, Heavenly Eye)
Glancing at his status panel, Jiang Ning saw that his Literacy had now reached 838 EXP, thanks to consistent effort over time.
This brief reading session has brought the most noticeable gain so far.
He closed the panel and began to mentally review the content he had just absorbed.
According to the Comprehensive Explanation of the Fifth Rank, the Fifth Rank realm was divided into multiple stages.
The initial phase focused on internal Strength cultivating and strengthening the functions of the five internal organs and six hollow organs.
At this stage, a martial artist's stamina improved dramatically. Their ability to hold their breath underwater increased, and their bodily functions became more vigorous overall.
Once the internal organs were sufficiently strengthened, the martial artist would gain basic control over their body, unlocking hidden potential by breaking through the body's natural limits.
Only then could one be considered truly stepping into the Fifth Rank?
This marked a fundamental difference from the Sixth Rank.
The next step was to condense inner energy.
When one's inner energy could materialize from the intangible and erupt outside the body, they entered the second stage.
However, at this point, the farther the inner energy traveled from the body, the faster its strength would fade.
The third stage was when inner energy underwent a transformation and condensed into true like steel.
At this level, the inner energy became so solid that even when expelled several meters away, it could slice through gold and jade. Its power diminished far less over distance.
Beyond this, the qualitative transformation of inner energy reached its peak.
What followed was merely a matter of accumulating quantity.
And that was the key: in the Internal Strength Realm, the older a martial artist became, the more powerful they typically were.
Those who reached this point could greatly extend their peak physical condition and maintain their prime for much longer.
However, with age, the body's blood and functions would inevitably begin to decline.
Yet inner energy would not. It would continue to grow in strength, becoming increasingly terrifying through sheer accumulation.
From a wisp of mist…
To a stream…
Then to a river…
A lake…
A sea…
A deep abyss…
And finally, to a prison of energy.
Each stage represented a greater level of accumulated inner energy.
Determining which level a martial artist had reached was simple one only needed to observe the phenomenon manifested in their dantian.
For example, in Jiang Ning's case, his dantian currently displayed a mighty rushing river of inner energy clear evidence that he had reached the Inner Energy Like a River level.
From the booklet, Jiang Ning also learned what it meant to be at the peak of the Fifth Rank.
This required inner energy to be condensed into true like steel, while the internal organs became so powerful they could emit thunderous roars.
And in terms of volume, inner energy had to reach the Like a Sea level.
As for legends that spoke of a single breath slaying thousands on the battlefield…
Even among Fifth Rank elites, those were rare legends warriors whose inner energy had reached the Like an Abyss level.
At that level, inner energy was boundless and unfathomably deep.
Its explosive force alone could suppress average Fifth Rank martial artists with ease.
As for Inner Energy Like a Prison…
That was a power far beyond what any Fifth Rank martial artist could possess.
Only grandmasters, or even those above grandmaster level.
Because ordinary fifth-rank martial artists, constrained by age, could spend their entire lives accumulating power without ever achieving the transformation of "internal energy like a prison."
"Internal energy like a prison" is also a symbolic aura of veteran grandmasters.
At this moment, Jiang Ning's confusion was completely dispelled.
Then, he recalled another technique recorded in the small manual a method for manipulating internal energy.
In an instant.
The internal energy in his dantian erupted, transforming into countless fine threads that instantly enveloped his entire body.
At that moment, he was clad in a seamless garment of internal energy.
This garment wrapped around him completely, providing all-around, flawless defense.
Now.
The previously composed old woman suddenly froze, a faint look of surprise crossing her face.
"Such strong mental power?"
"He completed the weaving of the 'Heavenly Garment' in a single thought?"
She couldn't help but feel inwardly shocked.
Jiang Ning stood in place, sensing the energy garment encasing his body, and immediately understood the meaning behind the old woman's earlier words.
This was a matter of skill.
Maintaining this garment required extremely high control.
The effect of this internal energy garment was simple: it could repel water and fire, block the transfer of poison, and heat, and even defend against slashes from blades or volleys of arrows.
After briefly testing it, he dispersed it.
For him at this stage, such a technique held little significance.
After this experience, he temporarily set aside his exploration of internal energy techniques.
"For me, overwhelming quantity and quality are still more cost-effective!" he thought, shaking his head slightly.
He also realized that the "Cloud-Parting" and "Tidal Wave" techniques used by the Wind Envoy of the Worshipers Sect were manifestations of skill, not mastery of martial arts.
Internal energy was just internal energy.
Aside from slight differences due to different cultivation methods, it was largely the same.
His "Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique" focused more on health preservation, producing internal energy that was neutral and balanced, with effects like warming the organs and prolonging life.
Martial artists who practiced the Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique had a longer prime period for training compared to ordinary martial artists.
This was the advantage of the Internal Alchemy Nourishment Technique.
However, its drawbacks were also evident. The internal energy produced by this method differed from others and was less suited for combat, offering weaker enhancements in battle.
Some internal cultivation methods produced violent, fiery internal energy with devastating offensive power.
Others produced cold, insidious internal energy that, once inside an opponent's body, clung like a persistent parasite, extremely difficult to expel.
Still others produced light, agile internal energy that greatly enhanced movement techniques.
Different internal cultivation methods resulted in different inclinations of internal energy.
After fully understanding the fifth-rank Internal Strength Realm, Jiang Ning grew increasingly curious about the fourth-rank and higher levels of martial arts.
He then asked the old woman a few questions.
She told him that she didn't have any books on general martial knowledge in stock. If he wanted to learn more, he would have to go to the Inspection Bureau in the prefectural city.
At the same time, she briefly explained the realms beyond the fifth rank.
The fourth rank involved tempering the marrow and required mastery of "Force" the ability to harness the power of heaven and earth.
Using the power of heaven and earth to temper the marrow would trigger another comprehensive transformation and enhancement of the body.
The third rank involved tempering the blood this was the realm of Blood-Tempering Grandmasters.
Beyond that was the second rank, Great Grandmasters, and the first rank, the pinnacle of martial arts.
Before the emergence of Martial Saints, the first rank was the ultimate limit of martial arts.
On Luoshui Lake.
"You're not lying to me?" The old woman still seemed unable to believe Jiang Ning.
Because Jiang Ning had just shared another critical piece of information with her.
Two fifth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect had died on a deserted island in Luoshui Lake.
When she heard this, her first instinct was skepticism.
Through her dissections and research, she knew all too well how tenacious the divine descendants of the Flesh and Blood God the followers of the Worshipers Sect were.
A fifth-rank martial artist from the Worshipers Sect possessed a nearly indestructible body.
Even experts who had condensed their internal energy into blade-like intensity would find it extremely difficult to kill them.
She had just asked Jiang Ning to demonstrate his internal energy.
Jiang Ning's internal energy was diffuse, clearly only at the stage of materializing the intangible just capable of leaving the body.
It hadn't yet reached the intensity of condensing into like steel.
Moreover, the internal energy Jiang Ning had just displayed felt neutral and balanced to her, clearly leaning toward healing, health preservation, and bodily regulation rather than combat.
Unless this kind of internal energy underwent a transformation and condensed into blade-like intensity, it wouldn't provide a significant boost to combat power.
So she couldn't help but doubt how could Jiang Ning have single-handedly killed two fifth-rank Internal Strength Realm experts from the Worshipers Sect.
At this moment.
Hearing the old woman's skepticism, Jiang Ning replied:
"How would I dare deceive you, Senior?"
"You'll see for yourself soon enough!"
Hearing this, the old woman nodded slightly to herself.
Indeed!
Without another word, she fell silent.
Truth or lie?
She would know soon enough when she saw for herself.
At the same time, Jiang Ning also felt a sense of helplessness.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't have revealed so much about his strength.
Like the two fifth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect he had killed earlier disclosing this information would inevitably expose much of his true power.
Such rapid progress, if revealed too openly, would undoubtedly raise suspicions.
It might invite unnecessary risks and trouble.
But the credit for killing two fifth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect was too significant, and the rewards were too important for him at this stage.
Because of He Jinyun's case, the Worshipers Sect, and the Black Lotus Matriarch incident
Improving his strength had become urgent.
Especially regarding He Jinyun's matter. No matter his current status or position, without sufficient strength, his safety still depended on external factors on others weighing the pros and cons.
This feeling left him with little sense of security.
A short while later.
The two arrived at the familiar deserted island.
The island was still blanketed in snow.
Though some of the snow had melted under the sun, no greenery was visible yet.
The lake's surface remained frozen thick.
After stepping onto the island, the old woman's gaze swept across the traces of the fierce battle Jiang Ning had fought with the Wind Envoy.
"This kid wasn't lying to me!"
"The island bears the marks of a major battle, and the scale of the fight matches what he described as a clash between fifth-rank martial artists."
Soon, Jiang Ning led the old woman to where he had hidden the bodies.
With a single palm strike, rubble tumbled, the ice cracked, and two frozen corpses were revealed.
Because the bodies had been preserved in ice and the weather was cold, there was no sign of decay, despite the time that had passed.
Moreover, as far as Jiang Ning knew, the corpses of high-level martial artists decomposed very slowly.
A grandmaster-level expert could remain lifelike even a hundred days after death.
This phenomenon has been mentioned in many miscellaneous texts.
He had also read about Golden Body Arhats whose remains stayed perfectly preserved for centuries something that had shocked him at the time.
The old woman examined the two corpses briefly before nodding.
"Jade bones have formed. It seems you spoke the truth. These two were indeed fifth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect."
"Senior, does this count as merit?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Of course it does!" The old woman nodded, then added, "However, the previous rewards issued by the higher-ups didn't account for fifth-rank targets. They never expected a small county like this to produce a prodigy like you, capable of killing fifth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect."
As she spoke, she looked at Jiang Ning with a hint of amazement.
Even with the evidence before her, it still seemed exaggerated.
Precisely because she knew so much because her true self had lived countless years, witnessing the rise and fall of countless prodigies she found it even more astonishing.
In such a remote place, producing a single genius with the potential to reach grandmaster level could already be called a once-in-a-century event.
Yet Jiang Ning's current performance could hardly be described as merely "grandmaster potential."
Barring unforeseen circumstances, in her eyes, the grandmaster was only Jiang Ning's starting point.
Where his true upper limit lay, even she couldn't say.
At this thought, she couldn't help but glance up at the sky.
The resurgence of spiritual energy, the upheaval in the Great Xia Dynasty, the restless stirrings of all manner of dark forces
It was clear that this era was a special turning point.
"Could this be what they mean by 'a time of great contention must give rise to those favored by destiny'?"
For a moment, the old woman felt as though Jiang Ning was suddenly shrouded in layers of mist.
A mist even she couldn't penetrate!
Meanwhile.
Sensing the old woman's gaze lingering on him, Jiang Ning felt a chill run down his spine.
But his expression remained unchanged.
"In your case, calculating the merit based on the reward for killing sixth-rank martial artists from the Worshipers Sect would be inappropriate."
"Fifty thousand contribution points are far too little!"
"But I can also tell you frankly a tenfold increase like before isn't likely either."
"Originally, the higher-ups intended the fifty-thousand-point reward for killing a sixth-rank martial artist in a county as an ambitious goal a 'carrot' for local enforcers."
"No one expected anyone from a county-level Inspection Bureau to kill a sixth-rank martial artist from the Worshipers Sect."
"Let alone someone capable of killing fifth-rank Internal Strength Realm experts."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning wasn't particularly surprised.
If the reward were multiplied tenfold from the original
For two fifth-rank martial artists, the higher-ups would have to give them a million contribution points at once.
Just converting those points into silver would net him a million taels.
That amount of wealth could instantly make anyone the richest person in Luoshui County.
If he had such resources, his martial path would benefit immensely.
But such a windfall was just wishful thinking.
While a fifth-rank Internal Strength Realm martial artist's value might normally exceed five hundred thousand taels of silver
Value was one thing, rewards another.
He hadn't held out much hope for such an exaggerated reward in the first place.
His baseline expectation was to at least receive the standard reward for killing a sixth-rank martial artist fifty thousand contribution points.
With two kills, that would still total a hundred thousand points.
Combined with his existing savings, his total contribution points would return to around a hundred and forty thousand.
In other words, his promotion today would be a free gain.
If the reward could be slightly higher than the sixth-rank standard, that would just be an unexpected bonus.
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