Fourth Level

As the Head Escort announced the final person's Fist Force, the second Fist Force test finally came to an end.

First were the Top Five in Fist Force. Aside from Zhao Lusi in Fifth Place being replaced by Jiang Ping, the "Little White Face," the top four remained unchanged, though their rankings had shifted slightly.

Sun Qi, the unrivaled first person in Fist Force.

The second-place holder, whose initial Fist Force had likewise reached one hundred and eighty pounds, had fallen to fourth, overtaken by Qian Dele and Liu Wensheng, who took second and third place respectively.

Then came the number of people who had entered the Nourishing Life Technique—there were actually eight of them. If those on the verge of breaking through were included, the number could double.

This left many people murmuring to themselves. Was the Nourishing Life Technique really as difficult to practice as the rumors claimed?

Seeing everyone begin to discuss and exchange thoughts, Head Escort Liang did not offer a direct explanation. He merely said:

"Practice diligently. Those who have broken through must not grow complacent. The Nourishing Life Technique is easy to enter, but breaking through the later stages is no simple matter. And those who have yet to break through should work even harder. Do not squander the Escort Agency's cultivation. If you aspire to the Martial Dao, then place importance on nutritious food."

With that, the Head Escort hurried away.

Escort Huang went to the dining hall to give a few instructions, then chose to leave as well.

Once the two escorts had gone, the crowd became like wild horses released from their reins, all rushing toward the dining hall.

Jiang Ping was among them. Now ranked fifth in Fist Force, he had earned extra nutritious food and had long been unable to wait.

Of course, everyone entered the dining hall together, but the flow of people was clearly divided as the waters of the Jing and Wei. People like Sun Qi and Qian Dele were surrounded by crowds, showered with flattery, with many followers trailing after them.

Luo Tiegen, who had just been calling Jiang Ping brother, now hovered around Qian Dele, every inch a lapdog.

As for Liu Wensheng, who ranked third, he disliked such occasions and waved away those who wanted to gather around him.

Jiang Ping, this newly risen member of the Top Five, also received congratulations, but he dealt with them simply, neither distant nor close.

Before long, Jiang Ping carefully carried two portions of beef and white rice to an empty table and began eating.

His appetite had never been small, and after practicing martial arts, it had grown even greater. Unfortunately, he had possessed nothing to supplement his diet with. Now that he had an extra portion of beef, it could not only nourish his body and advance his Martial Dao, but also satisfy his stomach.

After the meal.

Jiang Ping arrived at the Training Ground.

He was curious whether eating double portions of nutritious food could make up for his lack of stamina and let him practice for longer each day.

"Whew~"

Without wasting time, Jiang Ping took a deep breath and began today's cultivation, practicing the Nourishing Life Technique.

Several streams of qi and blood within his body boiled and flowed along with his movements and breathing, faintly showing signs of growing stronger.

At a certain moment.

That qi and blood suddenly doubled in density and began to boil even more fiercely. A powerful sensation rose naturally within Jiang Ping's heart.

I've broken through to the Third Layer, Jiang Ping thought.

The Third Layer of the Nourishing Life Technique could increase Fist Force by sixty pounds, bringing his total Fist Force to more than two hundred and seventy pounds.

The undisputed first in the entire field!

And he was only one barrier away from meeting the Escort Agency's assessment requirements!

Yet Jiang Ping was not overly excited. Only after finishing a full set of movements did he stop and glance at the Destiny in his mind:

[Nourishing Life Technique Fourth Level (5/100): Practice ten times a day, and it will be achieved in a hundred days.]

Worthy of the Late Bloomer Destiny. Even the Fourth Level of a Nourishing Life Technique takes a hundred days to master. The time needed for later stages will surely only increase. Once I learn profound techniques, won't the time they consume become even more outrageous?

Could it be that I'll have to wait until I'm seventy or eighty before I can reach the strength of the current Chief of the Escort Agency?

Then how would I indulge in wine, women, and song, amid wind and flowers beneath the moon?

Fortunately, I'm a genius!

Jiang Ping let out a long breath. He had talent, after all.

Then, he continued practicing.

As his movements slowly unfolded, the technique's proficiency on his Destiny gradually increased as well.

What was talent?

Every round of the Nourishing Life Technique brought growth. Every movement brought gains. Every moment and every breath led further down the road of progress.

That was talent—the reality Jiang Ping was experiencing!

Time passed.

After Jiang Ping had completed six rounds, he was already panting heavily, sweat pouring down like rain. Yet he felt that his stamina had not run out and that he could continue practicing.

"Double portions of nutritious food really are different. I broke my practice record the very first day I started eating them!"

Jiang Ping was somewhat pleased. The extra nutritious food was beginning to show results. Being able to practice a little more each day meant a little more progress. No one would ever think he was short... of diligence again.

"I broke through! I broke through!"

At that moment, an excited voice rang out. Jiang Ping glanced over and discovered that the one who had broken through was none other than Sun Zheng, who liked asking others about their progress every day.

This roommate of his danced with joy, his face full of excitement as he announced it to the people around him.

However, many people had already broken through the day before, so his breakthrough did not seem particularly remarkable.

What was more, after today's Fist Force test, Sun Zheng was far from the only one to break through.

Jiang Ping gave him a brief glance, then withdrew his gaze and paid no further attention.

He focused on his own cultivation, curious how many more rounds his remaining stamina could support after six.

Yet reality was rather disappointing. Just one more.

After completing the seventh round, Jiang Ping felt as though his body had been hollowed out. It was like entering Sage Time; all he wanted was to lie down.

Still, his progress was obvious. His Fourth Level progress had already passed one-third.

A day passed in a rush.

Jiang Ping had gained a clear understanding of the effects of double portions of nutritious food. They roughly gave him enough energy to practice three additional rounds. It was not much, but it greatly sped up his cultivation progress, leaving him only a step away from the Fourth Level.

This was the result of double portions of nutritious food combined with his own talent. Jiang Ping seemed never to have encountered difficulty or a bottleneck in the Nourishing Life Technique. His cultivation progress continued to rise at an absurd rate.

The next morning arrived.

More than a hundred Pre-Escorts stood bare-chested on the Training Ground, practicing beneath the Blazing Sun, each with more or less sweat beading on their foreheads.

Jiang Ping was among them, but at this moment, he was filled with anticipation.

After breaking through in the Nourishing Life Technique yesterday, his cultivation progress had once again surged forward without obstruction. By today, after practicing only three rounds, the technique would advance again.

Bzzz!

[Nourishing Life Technique Fourth Level (98→99/100)]

The information on his Destiny changed, and Jiang Ping raised an eyebrow slightly.

He was only a thread away from reaching the Fourth Level.

He was neither nervous nor uneasy, and continued practicing the Nourishing Life Technique as usual.

A while later.

[Nourishing Life Technique Fourth Level (99→100/100)]

The Fourth Level of the Nourishing Life Technique was complete!

Boom!

At that moment, Jiang Ping felt a muffled sound come from within his body. What followed was the fierce boiling of qi and blood throughout his body, like water brought to a boil, leaving his entire body burning hot.

Fortunately, the sensation vanished in an instant. Once he steadied his mind and carefully sensed himself, he could clearly feel that the qi and blood within him had nearly doubled in density once more.

The Fourth Level of the Nourishing Life Technique increased strength by a hundred pounds!

That was Jiang Ping's current state. A powerful sense of strength swept over him once again.

According to what the Head Escort said, once the Nourishing Life Technique reaches the Fourth Level, one becomes different from ordinary people. Three to five ordinary men would not be able to get close!

Jiang Ping thought to himself, unable to stop a little excitement from rising in his heart.

But he quickly suppressed that joy and pondered inwardly, The Nourishing Life Technique has nine layers. At the Seventh Layer, a qualitative transformation occurs, and one becomes a Martial Artist.

And reaching the Ninth Layer represents the Great Accomplishment stage of a Ninth Grade Martial Artist—the limit of the Nourishing Life Technique. With my talent, it probably won't take long to cultivate this technique to its utmost limit.

But if I want to go from great accomplishment in qi and blood to perfection, I'll have to seek out subsequent techniques—the Stance Techniques of the major Martial Arts Halls!