Backyard.
Just as Wang Jin stepped out of his room, ready to continue enjoying his breakfast, he saw Jiang Ning returning.
He was slightly surprised. "Why are you back, kid?"
Jiang Ning cupped his hands respectfully. "Master, I would like to ask for a sword. I want to carry it with me day and night to familiarize myself with the feel of the blade."
Hearing this, Wang Jin suddenly recalled Jiang Ning's process of learning the Five Animals Fist.
Jiang Ning had memorized the fist manual after just one read and had mimicked Wang Jin's movements after watching him practice just once, performing the fist techniques with remarkable accuracy.
Wang Jin couldn't help but chuckle.
"You sly kid, I know exactly what you're thinking!"
"Fine!"
"If I don't let you try, you'll never be satisfied. It's good to get familiar with the feel of the blade anyway."
Wang Jin went back into his room.
Jiang Ning stood in the courtyard, feeling a surge of excitement.
He naturally understood the meaning behind his master's words.
Although Wang Jin had seen through his intention to try practicing the Canglang Sword Technique, he had tacitly approved of it.
A moment later, Wang Jin emerged from his room, holding a sword a sword with a pitch-black hilt.
He tossed the sword to Jiang Ning, who quickly caught it.
"This sword is called the Ebony Longsword. The hilt and scabbard are made of ebony, and the blade is made of hundred-fold refined iron. It weighs fifteen pounds and is worth a hundred taels of silver," Wang Jin explained.
Jiang Ning gripped the Ebony Longsword and slowly drew it.
A cold glint reflected in his eyes.
The blade was as smooth as a mirror, shining brightly under the sunlight.
Swish
Jiang Ning flicked the hilt, and the sword slid back into its scabbard.
He then cupped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, Master, for granting me this sword!!"
Wang Jin said, "Since you want to try, go ahead and give it a shot! I know you well if you don't try, you'll never be satisfied!"
"Master knows me best!" Jiang Ning grinned.
"Alright, go back now!" Wang Jin waved his hand. "After trying, you'll realize it's impossible for you right now!"
"After that, focus on practicing your fist techniques. As for this sword, just get used to it in your spare time!"
Jiang Ning bowed again. "Thank you, Master!"
After returning to his courtyard, Jiang Ning had about an hour and a half before the martial arts school opened at the Chen hour (7:45 a.m.).
He slowly drew the Ebony Longsword, and the cold, gleaming blade was fully revealed in his hand.
The sword was two feet and seven inches long and weighed fifteen pounds.
Holding it, Jiang Ning could feel its substantial weight.
Even with his current strength of over three hundred pounds in one arm, the fifteen-pound sword felt neither too heavy nor too light it was just right.
"Worth a hundred taels of silver this is no small sum!"
Looking at the Ebony Longsword in his hand, Jiang Ning couldn't help but marvel.
A hundred taels of silver was enough to support an ordinary family of three for ten years.
Gripping the black hilt, Jiang Ning casually swung the sword a few times.
Instantly, he felt as if the sword had become an extension of his body as if it were connected to him by flesh and blood.
He swung it horizontally through the air.
Swish
A cold glint flashed through the air, and a leaf floating in the wind was cleanly split in two.
"This feels amazing!!!"
Jiang Ning couldn't help but be mesmerized.
With the sword in hand, he felt a surge of confidence.
Even if Xu Yunfeng appeared before him now, he would dare to face him head-on.
Standing in the courtyard with the sword in hand, Jiang Ning slowly closed his eyes.
In his mind, he recalled the Canglang Sword Technique he had just carefully studied.
After a few breaths, Jiang Ning suddenly opened his eyes. He had completed a mental review, and the practice method of the Canglang Sword Technique was now crystal clear in his mind.
In the next moment, he began to execute the Canglang Sword Technique as recorded in his memory, moving the sword with precision.
Whoosh
Whoosh
Whoosh
The sword whistled as it cut through the air.
Holding the sword and performing the Canglang Sword Technique, Jiang Ning felt no unfamiliarity with the weapon. Instead, it felt incredibly familiar, as if he had been wielding it for countless years.
At the same time, he executed the Canglang Sword Technique flawlessly.
The blade's light flashed in the courtyard, slicing through the air with each strike.
At this moment, Jiang Ning seemed like a seasoned swordsman who had devoted years to the art of the blade!
He wielded the sword with ease, fluid, and natural, without any hint of awkwardness.
At the same time, Jiang Ning could feel an invisible force circulating within his body, as if it were pulling at something.
After completing one round of the sword technique:
[Canglang Sword Technique Experience +1]
Huff
Jiang Ning exhaled lightly, his face slightly flushed, his body warmed up, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.
He clenched his fist, sensing the faint, almost imperceptible feeling within his body.
"Is this the process of force being born?" Jiang Ning murmured to himself, deep in thought.
[Skill]: Canglang Sword Technique (Not Started 1/10)
He glanced at his panel, and his eyes lit up.
"It works! With this miraculous panel, I can indeed master this mid-tier martial art."
Seeing the change on the panel, he felt a surge of motivation.
Mastering the basics would allow him to grasp the Ninefold Force, a powerful force.
This meant that even at the foundational level, the Canglang Sword Technique could rival the perfected Five Animals Fist, or even surpass it.
After all, the Ninefold Force, derived from a mid-tier martial art, was more potent than the Tiger Force, which came from a low-tier martial art.
"Perhaps only by perfecting all five forms of the Five Animals Fist and condensing the Five Animals Force could it rival the foundational level of the Ninefold Force," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
He then felt the changes in his body and was even more delighted.
He realized that practicing the sword technique consumed less energy than practicing the Five Animals Fist.
"Let's try another round of sword practice!"
With this thought, Jiang Ning began practicing the Canglang Sword Technique again.
The Canglang Sword Technique was inspired by the endless waves of the ocean.
When attacking, each strike was faster and stronger than the last, creating an unrelenting onslaught that left no room for the opponent to breathe.
When defending, the sword's light formed an impenetrable curtain, leaving no gaps.
During the second round of practice, Jiang Ning felt a deeper understanding of the Canglang Sword Technique.
He could more clearly sense an invisible force circulating within his body.
[Canglang Sword Technique Experience +1]
[Skill]: Canglang Sword Technique (Not Started 2/10)
Looking at the panel and feeling the changes in his body again, Jiang Ning was certain.
Although the Canglang Sword Technique was a mid-tier martial art, practicing it consumed less energy than practicing the Five Animals Fist.
This meant he could gain experience in the Canglang Sword Technique faster than in the Five Animals Fist.
The question in his mind flashed by, and he quickly understood.
The Five Animals Fist, with each practice, involved the fundamentals of the human body.
Practicing the Five Animals Fist would condense vital energy and strengthen the physique.
The physique was the foundation of strength.
The Five Animals Fist was the fundamental method before reaching the martial arts rank.
Naturally, it consumed more energy.
On the other hand, although the Canglang Sword Technique was a mid-tier martial art, it leaned more toward technique.
Therefore, it made sense that it consumed less energy.
In Jiang Ning's view, if he had to choose between the two, even though the Five Animals Fist was a low-tier martial art, its importance outweighed the Canglang Sword Technique.
Without a strong physique and vital energy, all techniques were like castles in the air they would collapse at the slightest touch.
"I can't neglect the Canglang Sword Technique now. After all, it's a mid-tier martial art. As long as I make progress, my strength will improve by leaps and bounds!"
"But I can't neglect the Five Animals Fist either. Strengthening vital energy is the foundation of the human body and a necessary condition for reaching the martial arts rank."
Jiang Ning muttered to himself, fully aware of the importance of balancing the two.
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