Acquiring Source Energy Points

The next morning.

[Name]: Jiang Ning

[Source Energy]: 3.9

[Skills]:

Literacy (First Breakthrough 69/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)

Five Animal Frolics Fist (Initiation 4/100)

When he opened his Panel, he froze for a moment.

"Source Energy actually increased by 0.3 in a single day?"

"This is the only time in more than two months that Source Energy has increased by 0.3!"

"Looking at it this way, my previous deduction was correct! The growth of Source Energy is related to the energy I consume that day!"

"Yesterday, I consumed one-tenth of a Wild Ginseng root, along with a bowl of Medicinal Soup from the Martial Arts Hall, as well as meat and a large amount of rice. That was why I could gain 0.3 Source Energy in one day."

He fell into thought, gradually grasping the logic behind the growth of Source Energy.

"Looks like I'll have to find a way to make money in a few days! Without money and tonics like Wild Ginseng to support my fist training, Source Energy will grow slowly as well!"

At that moment, he gained a deeper understanding of the four words: poor scholars, wealthy warriors.

Wealth was simply too important for his martial arts training!

[Five Animal Frolics Fist Experience Points +1]

[Five Animal Frolics Fist Experience Points +1]

[This session of fist training increased Five Animal Frolics Fist Experience Points by a total of 2.]

[Skills]: Five Animal Frolics Fist (Initiation 6/100)

"Five Animal Frolics Fist has already reached five percent progress from Initiation to Proficiency!"

Jiang Ning clenched his fist again. Qi and Blood Power circulated and surged into his right fist.

"Running Blood Qi through one arm is called Minor Qi and Blood Completion. I'm still far from it!"

A new thought immediately arose in his mind.

What kind of Trait would Five Animal Frolics Fist produce after a Breakthrough?

At that thought, he gently shook his head. "I'm getting ahead of myself! Martial Arts Techniques also have the five realms of Initiation, Proficiency, Minor Completion, Great Completion, and Perfected Realm. Only after reaching the Perfected Realm can one achieve a Breakthrough. At my current efficiency of grinding Five Animal Frolics Fist Experience Points, who knows how long that will take!"

Then Jiang Ning walked over to the Stone Dumbbells again.

He grabbed the One Hundred Jin Stone Dumbbell with his right hand and lifted it lightly off the ground.

"Even easier than last night. Looks like my physique has improved a little more!"

Feeling the change in his strength, Jiang Ning secretly rejoiced.

The feeling of improving every moment of every day had him a little addicted.

He wished he could spend all twenty-four hours of the day practicing fists and grinding Experience Points.

"No rush! No rush!!" He secretly shook his head. "Haste makes waste! The body's endurance is ultimately limited! My rate of improvement is already far beyond that of ordinary people. Besides, no bottleneck can stop me. That is one of my greatest advantages!!"

Elsewhere.

Jiang Li had just stepped out of the room when he saw Jiang Ning lifting the Stone Dumbbell to test his strength. His eyes narrowed, and a flash of surprise passed through them.

Little Brother's strength seemed to have improved again. He was lifting that Stone Dumbbell even more easily than he had last night.

Jiang Ning then put down the One Hundred Jin Stone Dumbbell and walked over to the One Hundred Fifty Jin Stone Dumbbell beside it.

He exerted force with his right hand, and three corners of the Stone Dumbbell instantly rose off the ground, but the final corner stubbornly remained planted on the floor.

"Looks like I'm still quite a way from having One Hundred Fifty Jin of strength! I should be somewhere between One Hundred Ten and One Hundred Twenty Jin! Strength really does grow quickly in the early stages!" Jiang Ning gently shook his head and gave up on testing his strength further.

Then, while resting to recover his stamina, he picked up the book he had not finished reading the night before and slowly continued flipping through it.

[Literacy Experience Points +1]

[Literacy Experience Points +1]

"Little Brother, come eat!"

A voice called out. Jiang Ning stopped reading and closed the book in his hands.

[This reading session increased Experience Points by a total of 6.]

[Skills]: Literacy (First Breakthrough 75/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)

"Grinding Experience Points for Literacy really is much easier!" Jiang Ning felt this deeply.

When he arrived at the main house, steaming White Congee had already been set on the wooden table, with bits of minced meat floating in it.

"Little Brother, hurry and eat! Afterward, shall I take you to the Martial Arts Hall?" Jiang Li deftly served a bowl of White Congee for his wife, Liu Wanwan, as he spoke to Jiang Ning.

"Eldest Brother is going with me today?" Jiang Ning asked in surprise.

"Mm!" Jiang Li nodded. "Xu Yunfeng followed you all the way back yesterday. Starting today, I'll take you there and bring you home. With me around, Xu Yunfeng won't dare touch you!"

"No!" Jiang Ning shook his head and continued, "If Eldest Brother comes with me, then Sister-in-law and the two children won't be safe at home."

Jiang Li looked utterly confident. "You needn't worry about that, Little Brother! I've already made arrangements. Brothers from the Yamen, men with whom I've shared life-and-death bonds, will be patrolling this area."

Liu Wanwan also spoke reasonably at that moment. "You don't need to worry about the three of us, Brother-in-law. Your Eldest Brother is still a man of the Yamen, after all, and his name is registered among its officials. Xu Yunfeng is a clever man. A clever man would never do something so outrageous as forcibly breaking into a Residence!"

"Before the Yamen's year-end assessment arrives, nothing will happen to the three of us, and nothing will happen to your Eldest Brother. Only you are different! Anything could happen to you on the road to and from the Martial Arts Hall every day!"

Jiang Li smiled and added, "Your Sister-in-law is right. Besides, whether you can become a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall is the most important thing right now. Your future concerns both me and your Sister-in-law. Under such circumstances, how can we take your safety lightly?"

Jiang Ning quietly listened to his Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law's words, his heart deeply moved.

How could he not understand that these words had not been improvised?

Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law must have talked through the entire night before having this conversation today.

He shook his head firmly once more. "Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law, there's no need to say more. When I go to the Martial Arts Hall today, I plan to stay there for the long term!"

"Stay at the Martial Arts Hall?" Jiang Li abruptly raised his head.

Jiang Ning nodded. "Yes. I plan to ask Hall Master Wang Jin for some work to do, then stay at the Martial Arts Hall for the time being."

"Th-this... will that work?" Jiang Li hesitated.

Jiang Ning shook his head as well. "I don't know whether it will work, but I want to try!"

"Then do it!!" Jiang Li nodded decisively. "There's no harm in trying. If you can stay at the Martial Arts Hall, it will definitely help your martial arts training. You won't have to run back and forth every day, and you'll indeed be much safer. I'll take you there once more later."

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded and did not argue further.

A short while later.

The few of them finished breakfast.

"Eldest Brother, wait a moment!"

Before leaving, Jiang Ning went back into his room. In only a few breaths, he came back out.

"Little Brother, what did you take?" Jiang Li looked at the bulging spot around Jiang Ning's waist.

Jiang Ning smiled. "Just a little means of self-defense!"

As he spoke, he patted his waist again.

What he had placed there was none other than Lime Powder, something often seen in dramas from his previous life.

Lime Powder might seem like a small trinket, but in close-quarters combat, it was undoubtedly a truly useful thing.

He also carried a book on him, one he could use to grind Literacy Experience Points during breaks from fist training.

An hour later.

The two appeared before the gates of Canglang Martial Hall.

Nothing happened along the way.

"Head back," Jiang Ning said.

"Alright!" Jiang Li nodded, then added, "I'll come again this afternoon."

Jiang Ning smiled. "Eldest Brother, don't worry! I'll make Hall Master keep me there."

With that, he strode toward the gates of Canglang Martial Hall.

Watching Jiang Ning's figure disappear through the gates of the Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Li turned and left as well.