A Heaven-Sent Opportunity!

A Heaven-Sent Opportunity!

After closing the panel.

Jiang Ning got out of bed, put on a close-fitting short jacket, then pushed open the door.

The first faint light of dawn filled his vision. A cool breeze carrying the mingled scent of flowers and grass washed over him, and Jiang Ning could not help taking several deep breaths of fresh air.

Hoo—

He then expelled the foul air that had accumulated in his belly overnight, immediately feeling light and refreshed from head to toe.

Afterward, Jiang Ning went to a corner of the courtyard to wash up.

Ordinary people in this world generally had no habit of washing up, but having lived in a civilized world in his previous life, Jiang Ning simply could not stand the taste in his mouth after waking up in the morning.

Now that he lacked the proper conditions, he could only use a method he had read about in a book in his previous life.

He took out a willow twig that had been soaking in water overnight, chewed and split it open with his teeth, then used its soft-bristle-like fibers to clean his teeth.

As he became increasingly practiced at it, the willow twigs he chewed open became more and more useful.

By the wall, Jiang Ning used his fingers to rub crushed charcoal over his teeth. After repeatedly scrubbing them clean, he rinsed his mouth with clear water, then used the freshly chewed willow twig to clean his teeth once more.

Once he was done, Jiang Ning breathed out and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad!!"

He then washed his face before standing naturally in the courtyard with his arms hanging at his sides.

Feeling the cool breeze mixed with the scent of flowers and grass brush against his face, Jiang Ning began practicing his fist technique.

[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]

[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]

[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Beginner 90/100)

After completing two rounds of practice, his accumulated Five Animals Fist experience had reached 90 points.

At the same time, two more strands of qi and blood power condensed within his body and merged into him.

Hoo—

Hoo—

Jiang Ning panted repeatedly. Feeling his heart pound violently in his chest, a smile could not help appearing on his face.

"I can practice two rounds of fist techniques in one breath now. My stamina has indeed risen to a new level."

He clenched his fist again, sensing the qi and blood power flowing freely within him.

The qi and blood power his physical strength had condensed had long surpassed a hundred strands. Gathered together, so much qi and blood power could course through part of his arms.

Once qi and blood power erupted and empowered his fists and arms, the strength he could unleash in a short time would increase tremendously. If it empowered his feet and legs, the speed he could unleash in a short time would surge greatly.

Qi and blood power was the strongest foundation of a martial artist.

"I'll test my strength again later!"

At the fourth quarter of the hour of the Dragon.

After breakfast, Jiang Ning came to the main gate of the martial academy's front courtyard.

Rumble—

As he pulled back the door bolt and pushed open the heavy gates of the martial academy, the friction between the gates and the ground sent a faint tremor through his feet.

"Junior Brother Jiang is as punctual as ever!" A man in a white training uniform said to Jiang Ning, lightly fanning himself with a folding fan. A barely visible smile played at the corner of his mouth, and his manner was somewhat frivolous.

"Senior Brother Cheng Ran!" Jiang Ning smiled.

Having been at the martial academy for over two days and practicing in the front courtyard the whole time, he had naturally gotten to know some people.

Of them all, the one he got along with best was Senior Brother Cheng Ran.

The others practicing martial arts in the front courtyard did not exactly bear hostility toward him, but they were rather unwelcoming.

After all, most of the disciples who could afford to join Blue-Wave Martial Academy were young people from the inner city.

They formed their own circle and were all fairly familiar with one another.

As for the few young people from the outer city, they were doing everything they could to integrate into the circle of inner-city disciples.

Building good relationships with wealthy children from the inner city meant connections and resources.

Jiang Ning naturally could not be bothered dealing with them.

Only Cheng Ran was different. Though he was from the inner city, he loved making friends. There was not a single ordinary disciple in all of Blue-Wave Martial Academy whom he did not know.

When Jiang Ning had been practicing over the past two days, Cheng Ran had also taken the initiative to befriend him.

Faced with someone else's friendly overtures, Jiang Ning naturally had no reason to refuse.

One more friend always meant one more path forward.

Why refuse?

A moment later.

The martial academy's front courtyard.

"Silence!" Wang Jin emerged from the rear courtyard.

His short jacket accentuated his exaggerated muscles, like coiling dragons rising and falling.

In an instant.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

"An opportunity now lies before you!"

At the word opportunity, everyone's eyes lit up.

Wang Jin swept his gaze across the crowd like the king of beasts inspecting his territory, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Do you know what an opportunity is?"

"I do!" someone said.

"No, you don't." Wang Jin's tone was calm yet forceful.

He continued, "An opportunity is something that can change your fate, let you leap from fish to dragon, and let you walk beyond this patch of heaven and earth."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes shone even brighter.

Seeing the blazing looks in their eyes, Wang Jin nodded with even greater satisfaction.

He continued, "Do you know that the realm has been turbulent in recent years, people's hearts have been unsettled, and natural and man-made disasters have been unceasing? All sorts of demons and monsters, such as the God-Worship Cult, have been appearing with growing frequency?"

"I do!" someone said. "As far as I know, last year alone, our Zeshan Prefecture saw one medium-scale rebellion and five small-scale rebellions. They could not be killed off or eradicated completely, while nearly ten sects worshipping evil gods emerged as well."

Wang Jin glanced at the man, then nodded slightly. "Correct!"

"Therefore, at the beginning of this year, the Human Emperor and the only Martial Saint of this age jointly issued an edict: Inspection Offices must be established in every prefecture, commandery, and county under heaven, to inspect the Nine Provinces and oversee all people."

"The Inspection Office is overseen by the only Martial Saint of this age. Any sect that worships evil gods, or anyone who incites the people and stirs rebellion, no matter their origins or status—even if they are imperial kin and noble blood—may be executed first and reported afterward!"

"This edict will reach Luoshui County in one month. Before the end of the year, every prefecture, commandery, and county must establish an Inspection Office."

"The personnel of the Inspection Office will now be selected from among those of clean background, outstanding strength, and exceptional talent by Luoshui County's major martial academies and various powers."

"This is a heaven-sent opportunity for you! You must know that if one wishes to advance boldly and vigorously in martial cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and a place to cultivate are all indispensable!"

"You must understand that the master of the Inspection Office is the only Martial Saint of this age, the Martial Saint who has overshadowed the realm for more than eight hundred years. Within the Inspection Office, there are techniques for laying the foundations of martial arts and circulating qi and blood, as well as supreme secret arts for achieving Blood-Exchange Grandmastery and Spirit-Nurturing Grandmastery!"

"All kinds of precious medicines and fundamental martial arts methods are available there!"

"These are things you can never obtain in Luoshui County."

"By joining the Inspection Office, you may even receive personal guidance from the Martial Saint!"

At those final words, the entire martial academy erupted.

Countless pairs of eyes burned with fervor.

The words Martial Saint.

To anyone, they were no different from the gods and immortals recorded in ancient texts.

A centenarian could see five generations living under one roof.

But a Martial Saint could overshadow the realm for eight hundred years. What an utterly staggering existence that was.

Wang Jin swept his gaze across the crowd again and nodded in satisfaction.

"Those entering the Inspection Office must be respectable youths under thirty with clean backgrounds! All must possess martial strength that has entered the ranks."

"Blue-Wave Martial Academy has received five recommendation slots. Four have already been decided and will go to three of your senior brothers and one senior sister!"

"There is now one recommendation slot remaining, for you to compete over."

"In three months, whoever achieves mastery in two of the Five Animals Fist's fist forms, brings their qi and blood to mastery, and enters the ranks of martial arts will, together with your four senior brothers, be accepted by me as a personal disciple. The disciple-acceptance ceremony will be announced throughout Luoshui County, and you will enter the Inspection Office as representatives of me, Wang Jin."

"Remember this: the slots for entering the office are limited. There will certainly be further tests at that time, and you will have to contend with other powers! This is an opportunity for fish to leap through the Dragon Gate! No one will give it up!"

"Entering the Inspection Office will inevitably be accompanied by much killing and conflict. For those unskilled in battle, this is a crisis!"

At this moment.

Jiang Ning listened quietly, a fierce heat rising in his eyes.

A personal disciple. Entry into the Inspection Office.

This was a heaven-sent opportunity.

What was a personal disciple? An inheritor of one's robe and teachings, whose status was not merely below that of blood-related children, but could even surpass them.

And the Inspection Office, with its authority to execute first and report afterward, was clearly an extremely high-ranking law-enforcement institution from Wang Jin's description.

If compared with government offices from his previous life's history, its power and depth of backing surpassed even the famed Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Anyone with even a little knowledge of the history of his previous life knew the Embroidered Uniform Guard's fearsome reputation.

Not to mention that this Inspection Office stood even higher than the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and its benefits far exceeded theirs as well.

As the saying went, it was easier to enjoy the shade with a great tree at one's back.

In all of Great Xia, what tree could be greater than the only Martial Saint of this age?

He was a terrifying existence who had single-handedly suppressed Great Xia's fortune for more than eight hundred years. One man against a nation—that was what the words Martial Saint meant.

As long as he could enter the Inspection Office, he would no longer hold the status he had now.

Even if his strength was lacking, with the Inspection Office at his back, he would not fear the great local families in the slightest.

To oversee the realm, inspect the Nine Provinces, and execute first before reporting afterward—such authority was simply too great!!!

The cultivation methods and secret manuals, divine weapons and precious medicines—the benefits were simply too great as well!!!

At that moment, Jiang Ning clenched his fists.

Within three months, I must bring my qi and blood to perfection and enter the ranks of martial arts.

Only then can I become Wang Jin's personal disciple and gain the qualifications to enter the Inspection Office.

If I cannot enter the Inspection Office, then even if I enter the ranks of martial arts and do not fear Xu Yunfeng...

Xu Yunfeng has Cao Bin behind him, and the Cao Family behind Cao Bin.

Before the immensely powerful Cao Family, once I come into conflict with them, entering the ranks of martial arts will at most be enough for self-preservation.

But becoming Wang Jin's personal disciple is different. It would be enough to make them hesitate to strike for fear of the consequences.

Not to mention entering the Inspection Office.

Thanks to Lingka Luo'er for the 500 reward and monthly vote, thanks to Li Cunshan for the reward and monthly vote, thanks to Dugu Lei for the two monthly votes, and thanks to the reader with the numeric username for the monthly vote!

(End of Chapter)