Omen

Chapter 9: Omen

Ning Xuan's mind had opened up.

He just needed to summon the Heavenly Demon Scroll and then undergo training that he wouldn't have been able to do before, and he could become stronger.

The training targeted at "Constitution 3.9 Ning Xuan" would also apply to "Constitution 1.4 Ning Xuan."

But what should he practice?

He had already finished practicing the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber.

And from Master Zhang, he knew that "Jianghu martial arts" had many overlapping stages.

It wasn't that if you practiced the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber and then practiced a boxing, palm, or sword technique, you could become several times stronger.

Master Zhang himself hadn't reached that level, but he understood many of the intricacies of the Jianghu very well.

He told Ning Xuan some principles.

"A person's constitution is seventy percent training and thirty percent nourishment. Too much is as bad as too little. The difference in constitution between any two people in the Jianghu is actually not that large. It's not that practicing my Swallow Chasing Wind Saber and then practicing another martial art will make your constitution stronger.

That doesn't exist.

In such a situation, it's more likely to distract you, leading to regression instead of progress.

Therefore, in the Jianghu, everyone fights for moves, settling victory and death with moves.

Even if you master the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber, achieve the Swallow Return Three Sabers, and become a top expert in the Jianghu, looking back at the long river of Jianghu history, you've only just begun, just entered the first realm.

This realm is the Having Moves Realm."

Ning Xuan asked, "Is the next realm the No Moves Realm?"

Master Zhang said, "Yes and no."

After speaking, he added, "To reach the No Moves Realm, you first need to break moves, break all the moves in the world.

All sorts of moves in the world cover various attack methods and hide various follow-up killing intents.

Only by fighting and killing against masters in these aspects, breaking their moves, will you get closer and closer to the No Moves Realm.

But different moves are different in the hands of different people.

For those who haven't mastered them, speed alone can break them, which is why there's always been the saying, 'All martial arts in the world are unbreakable if they are fast enough.'

But what if both sides are very fast?

That's when you truly enter the domain of breaking moves, and that's when you can truly improve."

Ning Xuan originally wanted to ask, "What if beasts have tough skin and thick flesh, impervious to blades and spears, and also know martial arts?" But Master Zhang had already given him the answer.

"Impervious to blades and spears" and "unbreakable if fast enough" both describe a top-down suppression. But when you cultivate, how can you use those weaker than you as a reference?

That's why moves exist.

And aren't demonic arts also a type of move?

To make your moves stronger, learning is not enough; you need to practice, you need to break.

Only by breaking others' moves can you gain insights, and even when executing the same move, you will be much stronger than before.

Ning Xuan felt that this No Moves Realm couldn't be deliberately pursued.

He only understood one thing from Master Zhang: even if he went to find a new martial art to practice now, it would most likely have no effect.

So, he decided to return to the most primitive training methods: weighted long-distance running, rock climbing, squats, weightlifting, one-finger push-ups, sit-ups, and so on.

As long as he could continuously increase the weight and make himself very tired, then... it should mean that his training was effective.

Deep Mountain Forest

Ning Xuan strapped a giant rock, like a small mountain, onto his back, took a deep breath, and began his morning run. When he reached a cliff, he dropped the giant rock and looked up at the steep cliff face that pierced the clouds. He suddenly leaped up, his body appearing more than twenty feet high. His right hand formed a claw and slammed down fiercely.

Snap!!

His fingertips dug into the rock as easily as an ordinary person's fingers sinking into soft mud.

His ferocious figure hung suspended, and with a tightening and pressing of his fingers, he rose.

Snap!

His left hand's five fingers dug into the cliff face.

He climbed and leaped on the sheer cliff like a giant gecko.

For ordinary people, a single slip would mean falling to the bottom of the cliff and being crushed to death.

But for him, it was like running on flat ground. Although it required effort, it was by no means dangerous.

After the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, Ning Xuan climbed to the cliff top.

He stood on the protruding cliff, arms spread to greet the rising sun.

Half a month later.

The cliff.

Under an old pine tree, a squirrel was blankly eating pine nuts. High above, a hawk was staring sharply at it, its wings slightly folded, its body hunched, ready to dive down and hunt its prey.

Suddenly, a terrifying aura descended.

The squirrel dropped its nut and bolted.

The hawk no longer paid attention to its prey and fled with its wings spread.

CRACK!!

A hand grabbed onto a protruding rock on the ten-thousand-foot cliff.

A dark figure followed, rolling up and sitting on the edge of the precipice.

Early morning, the sea of mist turned golden.

Amidst the golden mist, Ning Xuan took a deep breath and gazed into the distance.

The training these past few days had been very effective.

He glanced at his status panel.

[Life (Constitution): 1.8]

[Mountain Crashing Bear] (Can provide an additional 2.3 to Life attribute after summoning)

"Life" had increased by a full 0.4.

While this was delightful, there were even more interesting developments.

That is, as his main body's constitution improved, his physique was normalizing.

From over ten feet tall after summoning the Heavenly Demon Scroll, he had reduced by two feet. Now, he was just over eight feet tall, very tall, but within the human range.

This meant, 'If his main body was very weak, then after summoning the Heavenly Demon Scroll, he would become infinitely close to the appearance of the demons and monsters within the Heavenly Demon Scroll.

But if his main body was strong enough, even if he summoned the Heavenly Demon Scroll, his physical changes wouldn't be too exaggerated.

Even if his main body surpassed the Heavenly Demon Scroll, his physique would be completely unaffected, merely becoming more condensed, containing even more terrifying explosive power.'

He could completely use the Heavenly Demon Scroll to train himself, allowing him to break through the limits of the human body step by step.

Thinking of this, Ning Xuan was filled with drive.

Training was also for improving his quality of life, so that if disaster were to strike, he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

Although he didn't understand why the Mountain Crashing Bear Demon hadn't attacked the Ning Family Manor after nearly a month. Ning Xuan could never forget the pain of being gnawed away inch by inch by the bear demon.

Experiencing that kind of suffering once was enough.

"Continue!"

Ning Xuan rested briefly, then shouldered the giant boulder again. Like a gecko, he "whooshed" up the sheer cliff face, muscles bulging, veins like earthworms, and began to climb rapidly head down, feet up.

He.began his morning training.

In the evening, Ning Xuan changed into a brocade robe and reappeared at the entrance of Star River County.

Horses and such were long unnecessary.

His running speed surpassed that of a thousand-mile steed.

If he were to pursue someone, that person, even on the fastest horse, would not be able to escape.

Therefore, the originally long distance from Star River County to the desolate mountains had been shortened due to his greatly increased speed.

To Old Mountain, where the Ning Family Manor was located thirty miles outside the county, he could run there in the time it took an incense stick to burn, and return just as quickly.

Today, in the setting sun.

He had trained all day and felt refreshed.

His physique was more streamlined, transforming from a soft, effeminate young man into a strong and agile youth.

His muscle lines were subtly visible, firm but not bulky, like a coiled leopard. His shoulders seemed broader, his steps steady and powerful, and even his breathing had an uplifting rhythm.

He hadn't truly "played" for a month.

Normally, he would have gone out to have fun long ago.

Feasting, visiting courtesans, hunting, beast fighting, horse racing, appreciating paintings, appraising jade, searching for novelties at the Wealthy Merchant Guild – these were his simplest and most basic daily routines.

A fiery passion ignited in his heart, but he quickly dismissed the idea, thinking to himself, 'I'll go play after I'm done training. I can still improve.'

He would not stop.

He was determined to improve himself as much as possible, until he reached a point where he "couldn't improve any further," only then would he feel at ease and slack off.

At this moment, in the setting sun, the ancient streets of Star River County were picturesque, with shops lining the roads, presenting a scene of ancient prosperity.

Old Master Ning was not only renowned but also a widely known philanthropist in the surrounding villages and towns.

Star River County, and even the neighboring Prefecture City, could be said to be prosperous because of Old Master Ning.

But no one knew what Old Master Ning actually did.

Everyone only knew that those who came to do good deeds would say that Old Master Ning had sent them after completing their tasks.

Old Master Ning truly commanded great respect.

Everyone who saw Young Master Ning also greeted him with friendly smiles.

Usually, it was like this.

But today was a little different.

There was wind on the streets.

The wind was very cold.

Dust swirled because of it, and the canvas awnings rustled.

There was red in the sunset.

Red, turning to gray.

In the wind, under the sunset, people walked with hurried steps, their faces filled with a strange panic. Even when they saw Young Master Ning appear at the county gate from afar, they didn't bother to smile.

On the side of the street, a carriage was parked quietly.

But when Ning Xuan appeared, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and a petite and delicate maidservant rushed out from within. As if she had narrowly escaped a disaster, she grabbed Ning Xuan's hand and cried, "Young Master, it's truly too good that you're alright, too good, too good, sob sob sob."

She repeated this sentence several times.

Only she knew about the young master going out.

And to avoid worrying the main wife of the Ning Manor, she had kept it a secret on his behalf.

If something happened to the young master, she would be finished.

Something had happened in the county today.

She hadn't even dared to stay in the manor and had rushed to drive the carriage to wait at the county gate.

Ning Xuan glanced around, then looked at the extremely nervous Xiao Jie and said, "Let's talk in the carriage."

Xiao Jie nodded.

Then, as soon as Ning Xuan got into the carriage, he saw a solid bundle on the carriage seat. He picked it up and weighed it.

Good heavens, there were quite a few clothes, and also gold, silver, and other valuables.

Upon a closer look, he even saw banknotes inside.

It seemed something had indeed happened in the county. Xiao Jie had already made arrangements for his tragic demise, preparing to flee overnight if she couldn't wait for him.

Ning Xuan's mood remained undisturbed. He pulled the bundle tighter, casually tossed it aside, neither asking about it nor caring.

He knew what kind of person Xiao Jie was.

It wasn't surprising.