Martial Hall.
Jiang Ning sat cross-legged in the courtyard, quietly waiting for the sunrise.
At this moment, his mind wandered far away.
From what he understood, the overall strength of martial artists in Luoshui County wasn't particularly high.
Ninth-rank martial artists were considered skilled, and in the entire Luoshui County, they formed the backbone of strength.
The constables of the county office, and the leaders of the three major gangs all were ninth-rank martial artists.
With such strength, no matter which faction they joined, they could live comfortably.
They were truly above the common people, capable of transcending social classes and standing above ordinary folk.
If they joined the government, they could easily secure an official position.
For example, the constables all held official positions, genuine ninth-rank officials.
Although these were minor positions, for ordinary people, this was already a significant leap, a chance to change their fate.
As for eighth-rank martial artists, they were considered major figures in Luoshui County. Each of them controlled important resources within the county.
For instance, the leaders of the three major gangs were well-known to be eighth-rank martial artists, having mastered their strength and possessing over a thousand jin of force.
Eighth-rank martial artists, as Jiang Ning understood, refined their muscles through the use of internal force, increasing muscle density and quantity, thereby greatly enhancing their strength.
The top experts in this realm could easily unleash over two thousand jin of force with a single arm. Those born with extraordinary strength could even exceed three thousand jin.
The increase in strength at this level was extremely noticeable. Even in later realms, no other stage provided such a significant boost to strength unless one reached the level beyond internal refinement.
Thus, the eighth rank of martial arts was also known as the Divine Strength Realm.
The top experts in the Divine Strength Realm were like overlords in Luoshui County.
Even powerful local families like the Three Great Families had to treat such figures with respect.
Above the eighth rank was the seventh rank of martial arts.
This included people like Wang Jin and Cao Rong, as well as the county sheriff who oversaw all constables, the commander of the city gate guards, the garrison commander outside the city, and the pillars of the Three Great Families all were seventh-rank martial artists.
As for the sixth rank of martial arts, no one in Luoshui County openly claimed to be at this level.
Therefore, Jiang Ning was well aware that once he reached the ninth rank of martial arts, with his various skills and enhancements, he would truly possess the strength to protect himself in Luoshui County.
Moreover, he would qualify to join the Inspection Bureau.
Joining the Inspection Bureau would bring about a real transformation.
Without absolute invincibility, the importance of power and influence was undeniable.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of motivation.
In the next moment, the sun fully rose.
Jiang Ning immediately entered a state of calm, facing the sun and beginning his breathing and absorption technique.
As he absorbed the solar essence, invisible strands of solar energy continuously flowed into his internal organs through his nostrils.
Under the refinement of the solar essence, he could feel the functions and strength of his internal organs slowly improving.
[Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[...]
As time passed, the experience of the Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique on his panel continued to increase.
Before long, over an hour had passed.
It was almost Chenshi (7-9 AM).
Jiang Ning stopped absorbing the solar essence.
As he opened his eyes.
[This session of absorbing solar essence increased Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique experience by 44 points.]
[Skill]: Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique (Initial Stage 802/1000)
"44 points, one more than yesterday."
"Indeed, at this level, the earlier the sunrise, the longer I can absorb solar essence, and the more experience I gain."
"At this rate, in five more days, my Internal Elixir Nourishment Technique will break through."
"I hope it doesn't suddenly rain in the next few days!"
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Jiang Ning shook his head, feeling a bit guilty.
Forget it!
Let it rain a few times!
It hasn't rained in the areas around Luoshui County for three months. The heavens seem determined to make life hard for the people!
Fortunately, being near the Luo River, there's still water for drinking and irrigating the fields.
Other places must be suffering even more than Luoshui County.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.
These days, when he occasionally returned to visit his elder brother's family, he could see the increase in beggars as he passed through the outer city.
From their behavior and clothing, it was obvious that these beggars were once ordinary poor people.
They begged with shame and embarrassment.
Some even knelt on the ground with their children, begging for food.
In such circumstances, he had witnessed several worship activities of the God-Worshipping Sect.
They prayed to the heavens, begging for rain!
As a result, the number of members in the God-Worshipping Sect was growing daily.
"Natural disasters and human calamities are signs of a collapsing dynasty!"
"In such an environment, I must grow stronger as quickly as possible."
Jiang Ning shook his head.
Then he focused his mind and picked up the book he had set aside earlier.
[Skill]: Literacy (First Breakthrough 1995/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)
"Only five more experience points! Let's finish this in one go!"
With this thought, he began flipping through the book.
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[Literacy Experience +1]
[...]
The experience points increased bit by bit, steadily approaching 2000.
A moment later.
[This reading session increased literacy experience by 5 points.]
[Skill]: Literacy+ (First Breakthrough 2000/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)
"Finally, it's full!"
He then glanced at the source energy section.
"Everything is ready. I hope the breakthrough in literacy will bring me significant benefits!"
In the next moment, Jiang Ning focused his mind.
The source energy points on the panel decreased rapidly like flowing water.
At the same time, he felt a sudden clarity in his mind, as if a drop of ice water had fallen into his brain.
In an instant, his mind became serene, entering a state of neither joy nor sorrow.
In this state, he felt an unusual sensation between his eyebrows, as if something was about to emerge.
"What's going on?"
He thought to himself.
Suddenly, a strand of his consciousness sank, and an image appeared in his mind a diagram of the human body.
He saw the internal organs, the flow of blood, the 639 muscles, and the 206 bones.
"This is... my body!"
"I can perform internal observation!!"
Jiang Ning murmured inwardly.
Internal observation was an ability that could only be achieved when one's spiritual power reached a certain level.
This ability was extremely useful for any martial artist.
Mastering internal observation would allow one to progress much faster on the martial path.
Whether it was refining the skin at the ninth rank of martial arts or refining muscle fibers at the eighth rank, internal observation allowed for more precise refinement, unlike groping in the dark. This naturally greatly improved the efficiency of refinement.
Generally speaking, unless one was born with extraordinary spiritual power, achieving internal observation was not easy.
The strength of spiritual power depended more on innate talent.
As for post-natal methods, as far as Jiang Ning knew, there was no systematic method in this world to strengthen spiritual power.
Although both Taoism and Buddhism had methods to nurture the spirit, they were related to Taoist and Buddhist scriptures, and the efficiency of strengthening spiritual power was not high. Without high talent and comprehension, it would take at least five to ten years to see noticeable results.
Apart from these two, Confucianism also had the effect of subtly strengthening spiritual power through reading and understanding the classics. However, this efficiency was also very low.
Then there was the path of civil service through the imperial examinations, entering the sacred temple to worship, and receiving the infusion of righteous energy, which could nurture the soul and strengthen spiritual power.
But this was also very difficult.
Ten years of hard study, and how many could truly rise above the rest?
Martial arts were already arduous, and adding the burden of studying for the imperial examinations made it even harder.
After all, a person only had twelve hours in a day.
Subtracting time for meals and sleep, how much time was left?
Dividing this time between martial and civil pursuits made it even more challenging.
Moreover, everyone's talents and strengths were different. Achieving success in an area where one lacked talent was even more difficult.
"The imperial examinations are so important and provide such significant help in martial arts. It's no wonder they are controlled by aristocratic families!"
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning shook his head inwardly.
In the future, if he wanted to obtain some scholarly honors, it wouldn't be easy.
"I hope joining the Inspection Bureau can help me!"
He thought to himself.
A moment later, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and immediately checked his status panel.
[Skill]: Literacy (Second Breakthrough 0/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Extraordinary Senses)
[Extraordinary Senses]: A feather cannot be added, and a fly cannot land.
"A feather cannot be added, and a fly cannot land."
Seeing this, his eyes narrowed, and he murmured to himself.
"Isn't this a saying from Wang Zongyue's Taijiquan Treatise that I read in my previous life?"
"This phrase means that when Taijiquan is practiced to the highest level, the body's sensitivity reaches an extreme. Even something as light as a feather or as small as a fly, if it touches any part of the body, can be immediately sensed and countered."
Jiang Ning pondered further.
What are the five senses?
They are sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Together, they form the five senses.
Thinking of this, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.
In an instant, he noticed that his vision had undergone a dramatic change.
In his line of sight, even an ant searching for food in the corner of the wall could be seen.
Even a green caterpillar nibbling on a leaf could be instantly detected.
"This vision! It's incredible!!"
Jiang Ning was inwardly shocked.
The difference from before was like a person with 500-degree myopia suddenly putting on glasses.
The effect was astonishing!
Then, he slightly closed his eyes and listened with his ears.
In an instant, all kinds of sounds entered his ears.
The footsteps of passersby outside the martial hall, the buzzing of bees flapping their wings, the sound of leaves falling...
Sounds from all directions entered his ears, and he could discern where each sound came from.
He then took a slight sniff with his nose.
The smell of soil, grass, and even his sweat was distinctly noticeable.
In the next moment.
"Cough"
He couldn't help but open his eyes and cough lightly.
Looking down at himself, he murmured.
"I need to take a bath later!"
Then, his expression turned to one of great joy.
"A feather cannot be added, and a fly cannot land."
"This is just about my sense of touch."
At this moment, the muscles in his arm twitched slightly, and a fly that had just landed on his arm was instantly flicked away.
"Extraordinary Senses!"
"What a great trait!"
"It's worth it!!"
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