Cheng Ran's Alarm

A single arm's strength exceeded two hundred pounds.

In Cheng Ran's eyes, that was not an terrifying number.

After all, once he had achieved Qi and Blood Completion and penetrated the whole body, the strength of one arm had already surpassed five hundred pounds—more than twice Jiang Ning's current strength.

But strength exceeding two hundred pounds, appearing in someone who had only practiced martial arts for a short time, greatly shocked Cheng Ran.

At this rate of growth, it would not be long before Jiang Ning caught up to him.

Though actual growth could not be calculated that way.

The further one progressed, the harder it became to increase one's strength.

That was why, despite Cheng Ran having achieved Qi and Blood Completion and penetrated the whole body, his strength only exceeded five hundred pounds.

Yet strength of over two hundred pounds also allowed him to roughly estimate the level Jiang Ning's blood qi had reached.

His blood qi was at least above Minor Completion. Perhaps he had even achieved blood qi flowing through both arms.

Moreover, given his friendship with Jiang Ning, Cheng Ran knew very well that Jiang Ning's only supplements were the Wild Ginseng Zhou Xing had given him and the medicinal decoction supplied by the Martial Arts Hall.

Beyond that, there was nothing else.

With such ordinary training conditions, yet strength that had risen to this extent, Cheng Ran could think of only one possibility.

Jiang Ning's Martial Talent was extraordinary. Relying solely on the Five Animal Frolics Fist, a foundational Martial Path technique, he could condense a great amount of Qi and Blood Power.

Furthermore, Jiang Ning's fist technique must have progressed at Divine Speed, likely reaching mastery or even Minor Completion.

Thinking of this, waves surged within Cheng Ran's heart.

Having personally witnessed Jiang Ning's changes, he understood Jiang Ning better than anyone present.

He had never imagined that a friend he had casually made would possess such exaggerated Martial Talent.

Such talent stood head and shoulders above the crowd; even across all of Luoshui County, it was exceedingly rare.

At this moment.

After pondering briefly, Cheng Ran chose not to make it known.

He then smiled and cupped his hands again. "Many thanks to junior brother Jiang for making a move!"

"Senior Brother has already thanked me!" Jiang Ning smiled.

Cheng Ran also laughed. "As the saying goes, injured muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. At such a crucial juncture, if my muscles and bones had been injured, junior brother Jiang would have spared me the misery of being bedridden for a long time. How could a mere word of thanks express my gratitude?"

"How about this!" Cheng Ran said. He rummaged through his clothes, then pulled out a Silver Note. "Junior brother Jiang, this is the only Fifty Taels of Silver I have on me. It may not be much, but it is a token of my regard. Please accept it."

Seeing this, Jiang Ning looked at Cheng Ran in surprise.

A faint smile then appeared on his face. "Senior Brother Cheng is so generous. I certainly won't refuse, you know? Just don't secretly regret it later!"

Cheng Ran immediately burst into laughter. "What I like about junior brother Jiang is precisely this unpretentious, clean and straightforward temperament!"

As he spoke, Cheng Ran stuffed the Silver Note in his hand into Jiang Ning's palm. "Anything I, Cheng Ran, give away is naturally given sincerely. How could there be any reason for regret?"

"Besides, though I, Cheng Ran, am not from some enormously wealthy family, I can still afford this little sum for a good friend. Not to mention that junior brother Jiang stepped in to help, sparing me injuries to flesh and skin, pain in my muscles and bones, and the hardship of being bedridden!"

"Compared to that, what are a mere Fifty Taels of Silver? If junior brother Jiang refuses to accept them, that would be looking down on me!"

Jiang Ning smiled. "In that case, I'll accept it without further ceremony!"

He immediately tucked the Fifty-Tael Silver Note into his pocket.

At this moment, the people in the distance watched this scene.

Their eyes revealed envy, especially the few Good Family Disciples from the Outer City, whose envy was even stronger.

"He gave Fifty Taels of Silver the moment he made a move. Cheng Ran really is generous!"

"Of course. Cheng Ran is the only son in his family. His family not only has several thousand acres of fertile land, but also a Wine Shop. Senior Brother Cheng is naturally wealthy and lavish. Otherwise, how could he have reached the level of Qi and Blood Completion and penetrating the whole body? The silver spent on this was no small amount!"

"Jiang Ning is truly lucky to be on good terms with Senior Brother Cheng and receive Senior Brother Cheng's favor."

"If he earned Senior Brother Cheng's favor, that is also his own merit. He spared Senior Brother Cheng the injuries of damaged muscles and broken bones. There are only around three months until the Patrol Office of Luoshui County is established. If Senior Brother Cheng wants to compete for a place in the Patrol Office, a few days lost recovering would matter far more to him than Fifty Taels of Silver."

"That is true. For us people of Luoshui County, entering the Patrol Office would be no different from a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate. Our futures would be utterly transformed."

"..."

Elsewhere.

Jiang Ning accepted the Fifty-Tael Silver Note as naturally as could be.

He had no intention of putting on a show by refusing it back and forth.

At present, Fifty Taels of Silver would be of great help to him, while to Cheng Ran, it was insignificant.

He was also desperately short of resources right now.

On the Martial Path, without the aid of resources, one's progress and efficiency would be greatly affected.

Since losing the aid of Wild Ginseng, the number of times he practiced his fist technique each day had dropped considerably, and the Source Energy Points he gained each day had likewise decreased.

With these Fifty Taels of Silver, he could return to his previous level of efficiency.

That way, his fist technique would progress faster, and he would accumulate blood qi more quickly as well.

This would greatly increase his chances of joining the Patrol Office three months from now.

All along, although he had long made up his mind to join the Patrol Office, he had never wavered in that resolve.

But whether he could actually succeed, he did not know.

After all, he did not have much time left. Three months was simply too short.

Within three months, he had to achieve Great Accomplishment of Qi and Blood, attain Martial Dao Entry Rank, and pass the practical examination for entering the office.

As for the first requirement, he was confident now. It would not be a problem.

But regarding the second, Martial Dao Entry Rank, he had no confidence at all.

On the Martial Path, even Qi and Blood Completion and penetrating the whole body only meant one was an ordinary person—an ordinary person who had yet to break through the limits of the human body.

Only upon reaching Martial Dao Entry Rank could one be said to have formally stepped onto the Martial Path.

As far as he knew, to enter the Ninth Rank, one had to circulate the blood qi throughout the body, supplement it with a Secret Method and external materials, train both inside and out, and refine a layer of Skin Membrane beneath the skin—a membrane connected to the flesh.

Once the Skin Membrane was initially formed, the entire body would be without leaks, like the membrane beneath a layer of peeled ox hide, running continuously across the body's flesh.

Only then had one entered the Martial Dao ranks, becoming a Skin Refining Martial Artist, worthy of being called a Ninth Rank Martial Artist.

Upon first entering the Ninth Rank, one's strength did not transform noticeably. It only raised the intensity of blood qi and one's strength somewhat, while slightly improving resistance to blows. Even this increased resistance provided little protection against weapons and sharp blades.

But once one advanced further in the realm of Skin Training and reached Skin Refining Small Accomplishment, with the Skin Membrane hard as stone—the level of Stone Skin—it would be entirely different.

Not only would ordinary weapons find it difficult to inflict much harm upon a Martial Artist at this level, but their resistance to blows would increase enormously.

More importantly, their blood qi and strength would further increase.

If Martial Artists like these donned armor, wielded weapons, and formed an army, they would be a nightmare on the battlefield. Ten could defeat an ordinary thousand troops; a hundred could defeat an ordinary ten thousand.

If one reached Great Completion in the Skin Training realm, one would undergo a further transformation.

The Skin Membrane, connected to the flesh, would rival bronze, and ordinary swords could hardly harm it.

At Skin Refining Great Accomplishment, even dressed in a single layer of clothing, one would be as if clad in armor.

Such was the might of a Ranked Martial Artist.