Mastering a New Skill (PK—Please Follow for More!!!)

He stood before the wooden post.

Jiang Ning tightened his grip on the firewood blade and swung it hard at the log before him.

Crack—

The sound of splitting wood rang out.

Jiang Ning instinctively released the firewood blade and shook his right hand, which had gone numb from the shock.

"Little fellow, can you handle it?" Aunt Sun poked her head out from the kitchen window.

"Big Sister Sun, I'm fine!!" Jiang Ning smiled at Aunt Sun.

He rubbed his palm. Once his blood began circulating, the numbness quickly eased.

He immediately gripped the firewood blade again and planted one foot on the log. As his Blood Qi circulated, strength surged through his right hand, and he instantly pulled the firewood blade free from where it was lodged in the log.

The next moment.

Jiang Ning held the firewood blade as Blood Qi once again flowed into his right arm. Then he exerted himself viciously against the log that had previously been split halfway through.

The blade fell.

Crack—

The log instantly split in two.

"Not bad!!" A calm voice came from behind him without a sound.

Jiang Ning turned around. He immediately set down the firewood blade and bowed.

"Master!!"

"Don't mind me! Focus on chopping wood. Chopping wood is also a form of training! The two words 'Canglang' are actually the name of a blade technique!!" Wang Jin spoke slowly.

When Jiang Ning heard those words, his eyes suddenly lit up. In an instant, he understood why Wang Jin had assigned him this firewood-chopping job.

It seems my performance this morning caught Wang Jin's eye! Jiang Ning immediately understood the whole chain of events.

He was instantly filled with even more motivation.

Having entered Wang Jin's good graces, he no longer had to worry about his personal safety for the time being.

Especially now that he could stay at the Martial Arts Hall permanently, there was even less reason to worry.

Afterward.

Jiang Ning propped up another thick log, and Blood Qi surged into his right arm.

The blade fell.

Crack—

The log instantly split in two.

The power of Blood Qi truly is wondrous! Jiang Ning looked at the result of that strike and sighed inwardly.

With his first strike, because he had not erupted with Blood Qi, his all-out blow had only managed to split the log halfway.

But now, with Blood Qi erupting, he could split the log cleanly in two.

This showed just how wondrous the power of Blood Qi was.

Wang Jin stood where he was and watched for a while. Then he nodded in satisfaction and walked toward the kitchen where Aunt Sun was.

When he arrived at the kitchen.

Wang Jin's nose twitched slightly.

"You certainly treat this boy well. You even added Earth Ganoderma to tonight's meat paste."

"Hall Master!!" Aunt Sun immediately spoke nervously, then hesitated before continuing, "Watching this little fellow reminds me of my child. If nothing had happened, he should have been about this age by now!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jin fell silent.

The kitchen was quiet for several breaths. The only sound was the crackling of burning wood.

Then Wang Jin's voice broke the silence.

"It's fine. Add more meat! I have a favorable impression of this boy too!"

Aunt Sun's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hall Master Wang, do you mean this little fellow has a chance to inherit your mantle?"

Wang Jin shook his head. "It's too early to say that! Whether he can seize this opportunity depends on his comprehension! If his comprehension is lacking, he won't go far even after receiving my inheritance! But for now, we can cultivate him first."

"Understood!!" Aunt Sun looked delighted. "This little fellow is very polite. I quite like him!"

Wang Jin seemed to think of something as well. His expression softened, and a trace of a smile appeared. "He is indeed very polite!!"

Elsewhere.

While the two of them conversed.

Jiang Ning stood before the wooden post where he chopped wood, his eyes wide with shock.

[Skills]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Initiation 1/100)

"Chopping wood can actually give me a blade technique?" Jiang Ning's heart was full of astonishment.

Then, a faint look of delight appeared on his face.

"Let's try again!"

As the thought arose, he placed a log beneath the wooden post.

With Blood Qi erupting.

Crack—

The log split in two.

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[Skills]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Initiation 2/100)

It really works!

Jiang Ning could not help feeling delighted, and a glint flashed through his eyes.

Then another log was placed atop the wooden post.

Crack—

As the firewood blade fell, the log once again split in two.

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[Skills]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Initiation 3/100)

"Not bad! Really not bad!"

Looking at the changes in the Panel, he was highly satisfied.

"With Experience Points growing this quickly, this is far faster than the Five Animal Frolics Fist! It might even be easier to gain Experience Points than with Literacy!"

After finishing his test, Jiang Ning became even more energetic.

"One log after another was continuously split apart in his hands!"

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[...]

After Wang Jin walked out of the kitchen, his gaze was immediately drawn to Jiang Ning.

"Has this boy gone mad??" Wang Jin stared at Jiang Ning with his mouth slightly agape.

At that moment, Jiang Ning caught sight of Wang Jin from the corner of his eye. He immediately set down the firewood blade and bowed to Wang Jin while panting slightly.

"Master!!"

Wang Jin waved his hand. "Why are you chopping wood with such effort?"

Jiang Ning spoke with an extremely serious expression. "Master allowed me to stay at the Martial Arts Hall and protect my safety! I have no way to repay you, so I can only work hard and use this to express the gratitude in my heart."

Hearing this, Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning helplessly. "There's no need to go this far. Even work must be done in moderation! You've exhausted too much of your strength. How can you still practice your fist?"

Jiang Ning shook his head. "Master, don't worry. I still have the Wild Ginseng Senior Brother Zhou gave me to sustain me."

"You're using Wild Ginseng to recover your strength so you can chop wood? You've put the cart before the horse!" Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Master has shown me the kindness of teaching and imparting knowledge, and the kindness of protecting me from harm! I cannot express the gratitude in my heart with words, so this is the only way I can show it! If I accepted it all as a matter of course, my heart would be ill at ease!" Jiang Ning's face was utterly serious.

Wang Jin shook his head helplessly. "Very well, do as you please! Chopping wood can train your strength and help you become familiar with the feel of a blade. Where the eyes go, the hands follow—that is the foundation of blade techniques! If your comprehension meets the standard and you become my Direct Disciple, this basic skill in blade techniques will be indispensable!"

"Understood!" Jiang Ning's face was filled with excitement.

Seeing this, Wang Jin could not help smiling.

"Young people are certainly straightforward. Whatever they're thinking shows plainly on their faces! Unlike this old man, who is steady and composed!"

Afterward, Wang Jin secretly watched Jiang Ning for the time it took to finish a cup of tea.

"This boy truly values loyalty and affection!" Wang Jin gave a slight nod. As he looked at Jiang Ning, his gaze gradually softened.

"Now I only hope this boy's comprehension meets the standard! Given his temperament, he could support me in my old age and see me off when I die, rather than turning against his Master and destroying his ancestors! Thinking about it this way, he really is a good sapling! But how he turns out in the end will depend on whether he fights for it himself. Without striving on the Martial Path, one's lifelong achievements will be limited."

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[Skills]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Initiation 99/100)

"I'm only one Experience Point away from a Breakthrough!"

Looking at his Panel, Jiang Ning's weary body suddenly shook, and for no apparent reason, fresh strength welled up within him.

He straightened the log, then raised and dropped the blade.

Crack—

With a clear sound, the log split in two down the middle.

[Firewood Chopping Blade Technique Experience Points +1]

[Skills]: Firewood Chopping Blade Technique (Proficiency 0/200)

In that instant, the final increase in Experience Points triggered a qualitative transformation from quantitative accumulation. The Firewood Chopping Blade Technique broke through from Initiation to Proficiency.

Jiang Ning gripped the firewood blade in his hand and instantly felt a sense of familiarity.

He instinctively knew how to exert himself to unleash greater chopping force, and how to apply his strength to conserve his stamina with maximum efficiency.

The muscles in his arm also grew tauter as his Experience Points continued to rise. Now that the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique had broken through, the muscles in his arm grew faintly hot before tightening even further.

Jiang Ning set down the firewood blade and clenched his fist. Feeling the changes in his arm's strength, he nodded in satisfaction.

"The Breakthrough of the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique really offers excellent value!"

"Breaking through to Proficiency has already produced an initial effect for me. The effects of the later breakthroughs into Minor Completion, Great Completion, and Perfected Realm will only be stronger!"

"And there's still the Breakthrough!!!" A glint flashed through his eyes. Thinking of the changes after a Breakthrough, his heart filled with anticipation. "The first Breakthrough of Literacy gave me the Trait of Photographic Memory. I wonder what Trait the first Breakthrough of the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique will give me?"

"At my current efficiency, it shouldn't take many days to push the Firewood Chopping Blade Technique to a Breakthrough!"