Indoors.
Jiang Ning pulled out a piece of glowing red charcoal.
From what he knew, burning red charcoal could reach temperatures of around 700 degrees.
In the bellows furnace of a blacksmith's shop, the temperature could even rise to nine hundred or a thousand degrees.
In an oxygen-rich environment, it could exceed a thousand degrees.
This was why charcoal was often chosen as fuel for iron smelting its temperature was exceptionally high.
Then, he picked up the glowing red charcoal with his bare hand.
"It doesn't burn!" Looking at the charcoal, red as a jujube, in his palm, a trace of amazement flashed in his eyes.
The scorching-hot charcoal now felt like warm jade in his hand only a faint warmth, without the slightest scorching pain.
After playing with the charcoal for a while, its temperature gradually cooled. Jiang Ning's gaze returned to the brazier in front of him.
The charcoal in the brazier was fully ignited, the flames roaring fiercely.
"Let's try again!"
Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Then, he leaned down and blew gently on the charcoal stove.
Crackle
Sparks burst from the stove, and the flames flared even higher.
Satisfied, Jiang Ning nodded.
Then, he extended his finger into the flames produced by the fully burning charcoal.
The next moment, he witnessed a miraculous sight.
As his finger touched the flames, it seemed as though an invisible layer of clothing covered his skin, keeping the flames at a slight distance from his flesh.
At the same time, he felt no burning sensation at all only a warm, comfortable feeling.
It was as if his finger wasn't being thrust into flames but into warm water.
Then, he moved his finger left and right.
Wherever his finger passed, the flames parted as if avoiding a king.
"Is this the Water-Fire Immortal Robe?"
"It's truly miraculous!"
Watching this scene, a glimmer of astonishment flashed in Jiang Ning's eyes.
After a simple test, the flame-resistant effect of the Water-Fire Immortal Robe did not disappoint him in the slightest.
He could plunge his hand into flames without suffering any burns.
This meant he was now impervious to most flames in the world.
After all, the upper-temperature limit of most flames in the world was only around a thousand degrees no higher than the flames in his charcoal stove.
From what he knew, even the temperature of lava ranged only from seven hundred to twelve hundred degrees.
In other words, thanks to the miraculous effects of the Water-Fire Immortal Robe, he could now likely bathe in lava.
"Incredible, absolutely incredible!"
The thought of bathing in lava brought a flicker of excitement to Jiang Ning's eyes.
Bathing in lava was such an absurd notion yet now, he was almost certain he could do it.
[Skill]: Water-Fire True Force (First Breakthrough 0/2000) (Trait: Water-Fire Immortal Robe)
Taking another look at his panel, Jiang Ning marveled.
The Water-Fire Immortal Robe's trait was simply unreasonable.
With just his current mortal physique, he could now be unafraid of flames and even bathe in lava.
This was practically the authority of a creator god, a divine power.
Crunch
Crunch
The sound of snow being trampled reached Jiang Ning's ears.
The next moment
Knock, knock, knock
The door was rapped.
"Little Brother!" Jiang Li's voice came from outside. "Miss Lüyi from the Wanhua Tower is here to see you!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning's eyes brightened, and he opened them fully.
[Skill]: Water-Fire True Force (First Breakthrough 73/2000) (Trait: Water-Fire Immortal Robe)
He glanced at the panel, then closed it.
Then, he strode out of the room.
A faint excitement now colored his face.
For Lüyi to visit in such terrible weather likely meant Lin Qingyi had news for him.
Namely, news about the Iron Bone Pill the very thing he needed most right now.
With the Iron Bone Pill, he could begin bone tempering and step into the realm of the sixth rank in martial arts.
The next moment
Jiang Ning pushed open the door, revealing two figures before him.
One was Jiang Li, bundled in a thick cotton coat, his face ruddy.
The other was Lüyi, dressed in a green long skirt with a white rabbit-fur cloak draped over her shoulders.
"Big Brother!"
"Miss Lüyi!"
Jiang Ning greeted them.
"Little Brother, I'll leave you two to talk. I'll head back first!" Jiang Li said.
"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded.
As Jiang Li turned to leave, Lüyi spoke up: "Commander Jiang, my mistress has asked me to invite you to Wanhua Tower."
"Did your mistress mention the reason?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Yes!" Lüyi nodded, then added, "My mistress said the item Commander Jiang needs is now ready."
"Then let's go!" Jiang Ning turned and closed the door behind him.
"Commander Jiang, won't you wear a fox-fur cloak before going out in this weather?" Lüyi asked, eyeing his thin attire.
"No need," Jiang Ning shook his head.
"Then please follow me, Commander Jiang. The carriage is already waiting for us outside," Lüyi said.
Outside the courtyard.
"Commander Jiang, please!" Lüyi lifted the heavy carriage curtain.
Jiang Ning stepped inside without hesitation.
The carriage was tall enough that he didn't need to bend over to enter.
It was also spacious glancing around, he estimated the interior to be over ten square meters, with no sense of crowding.
Moreover, the carriage was luxuriously decorated. The wooden seats and benches were made of high-quality materials, filling the space with a faint sandalwood fragrance mixed with a woman's scent.
It was obvious this carriage belonged to a woman.
Jiang Ning immediately thought of Lin Qingyi.
A carriage this extravagant would cost tens of thousands of taels of silver far beyond what Lüyi could afford.
The next moment, Lüyi also lifted the curtain and entered the carriage.
At the entrance, she removed her rabbit-fur cloak, shook off the snow and melted water droplets, then carefully hung it on the wall by the door.
Next, she stepped onto the rug near the entrance, removed her snow-dampened shoes, and stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet inside.
Jiang Ning glanced at her delicate feet, then looked down at the trail of footprints he had left behind.
"Commander Jiang, it's fine. You don't need to remove your shoes I'll do so," Lüyi quickly said, noticing his gaze.
After smoothing her skirt, she knelt gracefully by the tea table.
Glug glug glug
Hot tea poured into the cup, steam curling upward.
"Commander Jiang, please have some tea first. It will take some time to reach Wanhua Tower."
"Mm." Jiang Ning nodded faintly.
During the journey, after a few sips of tea, he resumed circulating his Water-Fire True Force.
Wanhua Tower.
Pavilion.
"Commander Jiang, it's been a while!" Lin Qingyi poured tea, wisps of blue smoke rising beside her. The air was filled with the scent of musk, refreshing the mind with each breath.
"Sister Lin, you have quite the refined taste brewing tea here while admiring the snow," Jiang Ning said with a smile.
"With nothing else to do, I prepared tea while waiting for you. Compared to my room, this place is more suitable for receiving you," Lin Qingyi replied.
"True," Jiang Ning nodded. "A man and woman alone in a room gossip might harm Sister Lin's reputation."
As he spoke, he sat down across from her.
"My reputation?" Lin Qingyi murmured, then shook her head with a bitter smile. "What reputation do I even have left in the future?"
Her last words were barely a whisper.
But Jiang Ning's current strength and hearing were extraordinary. Sitting barely thirty or forty centimeters away, even her softest murmur reached his ears.
What does that mean?
Jiang Ning wondered silently.
He studied Lin Qingyi carefully and noticed a trace of sorrow between her brows.
After a brief pause, he set aside his doubts for the moment.
Then, he changed the subject: "Sister Lin, did those ten drops of Hundred Spirit Blood work well?"
"Very well!" As she spoke, Lin Qingyi filled Jiang Ning's cup with steaming tea. A faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips, and the sorrow in her eyes vanished.
Her mouth curved slightly. "But what you want to ask about are the three types of bone-tempering pills, right?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning scratched his head sheepishly, wearing an awkward smile. "Sister Lin, you're as sharp as ever!"
"Take them." Lin Qingyi waved her hand.
Three neatly arranged rows of pill bottles appeared on the table.
"Ten bottles of Iron Bone Pills, ten bottles of Mystic Bone Pills, and ten bottles of Jade Bone Pills thirty bottles in total."
"Generally speaking, these thirty bottles should be enough to help you reach the Jade Bone level."
"If it's not enough in the future, you can come back to me. I'll find more for you."
Jiang Ning's face lit up with joy.
"Thank you, Sister Lin!" He cupped his hands in gratitude.
Then, he added, "But Sister Lin, these thirty bottles must be worth far more than a hundred thousand taels of silver, right?"
Lin Qingyi replied indifferently, "Since you call me 'Sister,' don't worry about it."
"Then I'll thank you again, Sister Lin!" Jiang Ning clasped his hands once more.
"If you want to thank me… in the future…" Lin Qingyi looked at Jiang Ning's face, then shook her head. "Never mind."
"Sister Lin, if you have something to say, please speak frankly," Jiang Ning said seriously.
Lin Qingyi looked at Jiang Ning's earnest expression, and a serene smile appeared on her face.
"Forget it. My matters shouldn't trouble or involve you."
"You should know, after all, that your sister will soon step into the Grandmaster realm!"
"Impressive!" Jiang Ning praised sincerely.
Seeing that Lin Qingyi seemed unwilling to elaborate, Jiang Ning suppressed his curiosity for now and didn't press further.
Half an hour later.
Jiang Ning stepped out of Wanhua Tower and re-entered the carriage he had arrived in.
Meanwhile, on the pavilion's railing, Lin Qingyi leaned against the balustrade, watching as her carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
A faint smile lingered on her lips.
"This little fellow does have a conscience, not some ungrateful wolf, carefully probing about the slip of words I made earlier."
"But ah... no matter how much of a prodigy you are, you're still too young. How could you possibly help me with my troubles?"
"It's better not to drag you into this whirlpool."
At this moment, thinking of the old prince, Lin Qingyi couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Those who married into the old prince's household never truly completed their weddings.
And she was merely a cultivation vessel for the old prince's ancient demonic arts once they reached completion.
Facing the old prince's power and the influence of his estate in the imperial court, Lin Qingyi couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.
Inside the carriage.
Jiang Ning stared at the Iron Bone Pill in his hand, excitement surging within him.
Beside him, Lüyi knelt gracefully on the carpet. After pouring tea for Jiang Ning, she remained silent, quietly observing him.
A moment later, Jiang Ning opened the jade pill bottle and poured out a silvery pill the size of a silkworm cocoon.
"So this is the Iron Bone Pill?"
Holding the pill in his palm, he murmured to himself.
Then, he carefully returned it to the bottle.
After storing the pill securely, Jiang Ning closed his eyes again, recalling the techniques of the 108 Heavenly and Earthly Bone-Tempering Method.
"According to the sheepskin scroll, 108 hammer strikes make one cycle."
"To temper a single bone properly, at least one full cycle must be completed only then will the method truly take effect."
"The human body has 206 bones. If each bone is tempered individually, that means 206 cycles in total. That's the optimal time to take the Iron Bone Pill, ensuring maximum efficiency and the most cost-effective approach."
"I wonder, with my current mental strength, how many bones can I temper simultaneously using qi and blood energy?"
Jiang Ning pondered silently.
"Never mind I'll just try and see!"
Having made up his mind, he focused his spirit inward.
His brow furrowed slightly.
"I can condense up to thirteen small hammers of qi and blood at once," he noted mentally.
The next moment, following the guidance of the 108 Heavenly and Earthly Bone-Tempering Method, he directed the first hammer strike.
Boom
His entire body trembled violently!
Qi and blood roared within him!
Jiang Ning's expression tightened momentarily as a sharp pain flashed through him.
Then came a numbing sensation that spread through his limbs, followed by an indescribable relaxation a deep, soothing comfort.
"Was that... refreshing?"
The aftereffects of that single strike felt like a full-body massage at a high-end spa, leaving him utterly relaxed and at ease.
Boom
Another strike descended.
His body shuddered again.
Gradually, Jiang Ning adapted to the rhythm.
With his formidable mental control, each hammer strike now involved all thirteen qi-blood hammers working in unison.
This efficiency was thirteen times that of an ordinary Bone-Tempering realm martial artist.
Outside, the snow continued to fall.
The carriage moved slowly along the snow-covered road, its pace unhurried.
Inside, Lüyi, recognizing that Jiang Ning was cultivating, had lit a stick of musk incense.
Musk had calming and mind-focusing properties, even helping to relax the nerves beneficial for martial practitioners.
She sat curled up nearby, utterly silent, her gaze fixed on Jiang Ning's face with quiet admiration.
"Commander Jiang is truly handsome..."
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as certain thoughts crossed her mind.
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