Early the next morning.
Jiang Ning opened his eyes.
[Source Energy]: 3343.33
Seeing the number in the Source Energy column on the panel, his mood instantly brightened.
The Source Energy points had surpassed the 3,000 mark, which would suffice for his needs in the coming period.
He then glanced at the Skills section.
[Skills]:
Literacy (Sixth Breakthrough 511/7000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension, Heavenly Eye, Transcendent Sixth Sense)
Firewood Chopping Blade Technique+ (Sixth Breakthrough 7000/7000) (Traits: Versatility, Saber Like Thunder, Mastery of the Saber, Unity of Man and Saber, Natural Saber Talent)
Wind and Thunder Archery (Third Breakthrough 49/4000) (Traits: Breath of Wind and Thunder, Heartfelt Archery, Arrow of Wind and Thunder)
Water-Fire True Force (Second Breakthrough 48/3000) (Traits: Wind and Thunder Breath, Heart's Archery, Wind and Thunder Arrows)
At present, the Source Energy points could only support breakthroughs for one or two of these four skills.
Among them, the one he most wanted to upgrade was Literacy.
This skill enhanced his mental power, and its importance was undeniable.
Next was the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique. Advancing this technique would directly increase his combat strength.
Currently, both the Source Energy points and the technique's experience value met the requirements for the seventh breakthrough of the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique.
Moreover, with over 3,000 Source Energy points, he could even achieve two consecutive breakthroughs in one go.
In other words, with a single thought, the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique could leap from the sixth breakthrough straight to the eighth.
This would instantly elevate his strength by two minor tiers.
"No rush, no rush!" He shook his head.
After glancing at Wind and Thunder Archery and Water-Fire True Force, he closed the panel.
For now, these two skills weren't urgent priorities.
Improving his blade technique was the most straightforward way to enhance his combat power, and gaining experience for the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique was also simple all he needed to do was chop firewood.
At his current efficiency, he could gain thousands of experience points in just an hour.
Thus, the experience value for the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique had long overflowed by tens of thousands of points.
He pushed open the door.
In the dim eastern sky, a faint crescent moon hung high as the first light of dawn emerged.
The corners of his lips curled up again.
The weather was good, which meant he could set off as planned.
He began washing up in the courtyard.
"Young Master, you're back?"
The noise Jiang Ning made soon caught the attention of Lü Yi in the neighboring courtyard.
She stepped into the main courtyard and widened her eyes upon seeing Jiang Ning already washing up.
Jiang Ning chuckled at her reaction.
"I returned last night!"
Then he added, "Did you sun the blankets yesterday?"
When Jiang Ning had returned late last night, he'd immediately noticed the scent of sunlight on the bedding as soon as he lay down.
Lü Yi nodded. "Young Master, the weather has been exceptionally clear these past few days, so I took the liberty of airing out your blankets."
As she spoke, she stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Good thing I didn't slack off."
Jiang Ning smiled, feeling rather pleased.
Having Lü Yi around was precisely for the sake of making daily life more comfortable, sparing him the hassle of trivial matters.
Like airing out the bedding.
The warmth of sun-dried blankets gave him a deep sense of comfort and familiarity.
In his childhood his past life, he'd loved burrowing into sunlit quilts those were the carefree, happy days of his youth.
Even now, the memory brought a faint smile to his face.
"Young Master, let me take your clothes to wash and sun them. There's also a wardrobe full of clothes that I haven't had time to rewash and air out these past few days," Lü Yi said, already heading toward Jiang Ning's room.
"No need," Jiang Ning shook his head.
Seeing her turn back in confusion, he continued, "A few days ago, my elder brother and sister-in-law discussed making a trip to Dongling City now that the weather has improved. We'll likely set off soon."
"To Dongling City?" Lü Yi looked surprised, then asked, "Can you take me along?"
"Of course," Jiang Ning nodded.
Then, glancing in the direction of Luoshui Lake, he added, "Soon, the area around Luoshui might not be safe."
Based on the gruesome state of the two aquatic demon gatherings he'd discovered in the past two days, Jiang Ning could guess the extent of the great demon's madness.
According to Long Li, there were only three known aquatic demon gatherings in the lake.
Yet, the two he'd investigated had both been annihilated by the great demon, White Chi.
The lesser demons had all been refined by White Chi, becoming fuel for her growing power.
From the traces left behind, the two gatherings had been destroyed within a short span of each other likely just days apart.
This spoke volumes about White Chi's frenzy.
Jiang Ning suspected that the great demon might eventually bring disaster to the shores of Luoshui Lake.
Meanwhile, Lü Yi's curiosity was piqued by Jiang Ning's words.
But after a brief moment of contemplation, she suppressed her urge to ask further questions.
After finishing his wash, Jiang Ning sat in the courtyard, bathed in the rising morning light, and continued reading.
For now, he preferred to reserve his Source Energy points for the Literacy skill.
As for improving his combat power, he wasn't in a hurry.
Dongling City was built on hilly terrain.
A river cut through Dongling City, dividing it into the East Bank and West Bank.
The residents of East Bank were mostly wealthy merchants and officials.
Because the East Bank was situated on higher ground with more rugged terrain, the river served as a natural barrier and protective walls had been built along its banks. This made defending the East Bank several times easier than defending the West Bank.
If Dongling City were ever besieged by enemy forces, breaching the formidable defenses of the East Bank would be nearly impossible.
As a result, land prices on the East Bank were several times higher than those on the West Bank.
Thus, the West Bank was primarily inhabited by ordinary commoners.
Among all the information about Dongling City, what concerned Jiang Ning the most wasn't anything else it was the Raging River that ran through the city, splitting it in two.
With that river there, no matter what happened in Dongling City, he would always have a way out.
Once in the water, it would be his domain.
Not to mention the new traits he had gained after completing the eighth breakthrough in his aquatic skills.
[Skill]: Water Affinity (Eighth Breakthrough 7888/9000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation+, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud and Rain Control, Water Spirit Body, Great Five Elements Water Escape, Lord of Rivers and Lakes)
The trait Lord of Rivers and Lakes allowed him to draw power from any river or lake he was in.
This reminded him of the mountain and river gods from the myths of his previous life.
Those deities, once granted divine titles by heaven, could harness the power of their designated domains.
The trait Lord of Rivers and Lakes had a similar effect.
After achieving the eighth breakthrough in his aquatic skills, he tested this trait in a river.
The boost it provided was something he still couldn't fully comprehend.
A casual punch could create a vacuum, instantly vaporizing the water before his fist.
This terrifying power made all his other abilities seem feeble in comparison.
It was precisely because of this advantage that he wasn't in a rush to improve his swordsmanship.
Once in the water, he would wield unimaginable combat power.
As he read,
in the courtyard pond,
a carp covered in golden-red scales, its tail fins like crimson clouds, floated motionless in a corner, as if asleep.
Beside the pond, an ordinary-looking turtle lay on its back, completely still.
[Literacy Exp +1]
[Literacy Exp +1]
[Literacy Exp +1]
[...]
Jiang Ning quietly flipped through the book in his hands, savoring the leisurely morning.
"Young Master, your tea!" Luyi softly approached with a cup of tea.
"Mmm." Jiang Ning nodded, his eyes still fixed on the book.
He took the cup from Luyi and took a small sip.
The faint fragrance of spring tea lingered on his palate, and warmth spread through his body.
As time passed,
the sky grew brighter.
Yet, there wasn't a trace of morning glow in the eastern sky.
Before long,
a fiery red sun rose from behind the eastern mountains.
As the sun emerged, golden light instantly bathed the entire courtyard.
Jiang Ning glanced at the rising sun and smiled faintly.
The sunrise lacked the usual morning hues clearly, it was going to be another clear day.
This not only meant he could set off for Dongling City today
but also that his Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique would make significant progress, with Exp points breaking through 4,000.
Thinking this, he opened his status panel for a quick look.
[Skill]: Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Proficient 3941/5000)
The Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique was now just a few dozen points shy of 4,000.
Once the Exp reached 5,000, his inner energy would transform, condensing into like steel.
Coupled with his nearly 120 years of cultivated power, the boost in combat strength would be substantial.
He closed the panel and continued reading, steadily increasing his literacy Exp.
At 7:45 in the morning,
Tap-tap-tap
A series of light, hurried footsteps approached from a distance.
In just moments, the sound reached the gate of Jiang Ning's courtyard.
The next second,
a little girl with two pigtails, barely over a meter tall, appeared before Jiang Ning.
"Uncle!!" Her eyes widened, and her lips curled into a grin.
"Little Doudou!" Jiang Ning chuckled, setting down his book and opening his arms.
The little girl, nicknamed "Little Doudou," immediately scampered over and threw herself into his embrace.
"Uncle's back! Doudou missed Uncle so much!!"
Her voice was sweet and clingy.
Hearing the genuine longing in her tone, Jiang Ning smiled warmly and ruffled her hair.
"Did you miss me that much?"
"Mm-hmm!!" Little Doudou looked up at him and nodded emphatically.
Jiang Ning smiled faintly.
He picked up his little niece and set her on his lap.
Then he pinched her chubby cheeks.
"Little Doudou, what brings you running into my courtyard all of a sudden?"
"Uncle!" Little Doudou lifted her tiny head, her big eyes like two black grapes. "Mama's already made breakfast, so she sent me to check if you were back yet."
"Hehe!" Little Doudou grinned brightly. "I didn't expect Uncle to be back today!"
Seeing her genuine delight, Jiang Ning pinched her plump cheeks again.
"Did you come yesterday too, Little Doudou?"
"Not just yesterday!" Little Doudou looked up at Jiang Ning. "I came the day before too!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning ruffled her hair.
Then he picked her up and stood.
"Let's go, time for breakfast!"
"Uncle, don't carry me I can walk by myself! I'm all grown up now!" Little Doudou seemed to have recently absorbed some motivational advice from someone.
Jiang Ning chuckled and set her down.
Just then
"Wow!!!"
Little Doudou's eyes widened in amazement.
Following her gaze, Jiang Ning saw the dragon carp named Linglong still sleeping in the pond.
Little Doudou immediately scampered over to the edge of the water.
"Uncle, this goldfish is so pretty!!!" Her eyes sparkled.
Then, she cautiously reached out a tiny hand and touched the dragon carp's back.
"Splash"
The dragon carp jolted awake, flicking its tail and sending water droplets flying.
"Why are you disturbing my sleep?!" Linglong's tone was sharp, clearly annoyed at being woken up.
The next moment, she saw Little Doudou's wide-eyed stare.
"You can talk?"
Just then, Jiang Ning's voice reached the dragon carp's ears.
"Linglong, this is my niece."
At these words, the dragon carp paused.
Then she said, "What an adorable little girl."
"Fishy, you're so pretty!" Little Doudou exclaimed, still amazed. "Can I pet you?"
Linglong glanced at Jiang Ning, then back at Little Doudou.
"My name is Linglong. I'm a dragon carp, not just any fish!" After introducing herself, she swished her scarlet-red tail fins and swam to the edge of the pond, poking her head out.
Seeing this, Little Doudou stretched out her tiny fingers again.
"Giggle"
Little Doudou grinned, revealing her two front teeth.
"Nice to meet you, Linglong! My name is Jiang Yuanyuan, but you can call me by my nickname, Little Doudou!" She introduced herself with equal seriousness.
"Little Doudou, aren't you scared that I can talk?" Linglong asked curiously.
She remembered once appearing by the riverbank, fascinated by human life on land.
Back then, she'd startled a child by speaking, making them burst into tears.
But Little Doudou in front of her didn't seem fazed at all.
"Why would I be scared of you?" Little Doudou widened her eyes, staring right into Linglong's bulging fish eyes.
"Alright, you two can chat later," Jiang Ning interjected. "Little Doudou, it's time for breakfast, or your mother will start worrying."
"Oh, right!" Little Doudou quickly stood up, as if suddenly remembering.
"Bye, Linglong! I'm going for breakfast now! I'll come play with you later!" She waved enthusiastically at the dragon carp.
"Goodbye, Little Doudou!" Linglong flicked her scarlet tail fins in response.
"Oh, Linglong!" Just as Little Doudou was about to leave the pond, she stopped and turned back excitedly. "Do you want to come have breakfast with us? There's super, super, super delicious fish soup!!!"
Linglong: "..."
She very much wanted to say, I am a fish.
Meanwhile, on the other side
The old turtle, who had just woken up, seemed to recall something.
Drool immediately trickled from its mouth.
It hadn't forgotten a few days ago, Jiang Ning had killed that electric eel with over two hundred years of cultivation.
After visiting the two lakes where the water demons gathered, it had deduced from certain clues that the demons there weren't particularly strong.
That eel's two hundred years of cultivation had been considered exceptional.
Among the two groups of water demons, it hadn't sensed a single being with four hundred years of cultivation.
The strongest were only around three hundred years.
Most were minor demons with just over a century of cultivation.
With that in mind, the old turtle flipped over and landed on its feet.
"Little Doudou, I'll go."
"Little turtle, it's you!" Little Doudou exclaimed in surprise as she picked up the old turtle from the ground.
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