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 faint light of dawn at the horizon entered his sight. A cool breeze carrying the mingled scent of flowers and grass rushed toward his face, and Jiang Ning could not help taking several deep breaths of fresh air.

Huff—

He expelled the foul air that had accumulated in his belly through the night, and his entire body immediately felt relaxed and refreshed.

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

The common people of this world basically 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 each morning.

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

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

As he became more and more practiced, the willow branches he chewed apart became increasingly useful as well.

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

Once he finished cleaning, Jiang Ning breathed out and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad!!"

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

As the cool breeze carrying the scent of flowers and grass washed over him, Jiang Ning began practicing his fists.

[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]

[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]

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

After completing two rounds of practice, the accumulated experience for the Five Animals Fist had reached ninety points.

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

Huff—

Huff—

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

"I can practice two rounds of fistwork in one go now. My stamina really has risen to a new level."

He clenched his fists again, sensing the blood and qi force flowing freely within his body.

The blood and qi force condensed by his physical strength had already reached over a hundred strands. With so much blood and qi force gathered together, it could run through part of his arms.

Once blood and qi force erupted and enhanced his fists and arms, the power he could unleash in a short time would increase greatly. If it enhanced his feet and legs instead, the speed he could unleash in a short time would soar.

Blood and qi force was the greatest foundation of a martial artist's strength.

"I'll test my strength again later!"

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 aside the door bar and pushed open the heavy gates of the martial academy, the doors scraped against the ground, sending a faint tremor through his feet.

"Junior Brother Jiang is as punctual as ever!" A man dressed in white training clothes spoke to Jiang Ning while lightly waving a folding fan in his hand. A faintly flirtatious smile hung at the corner of his lips, and his expression was rather 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 relatively familiar with one another.

As for the few youths from the outer city, they were also doing their utmost to blend into the circle of inner-city disciples.

Building good relations with wealthy young masters from the inner city meant connections and resources.

Jiang Ning naturally could not be bothered to deal with them.

Only Cheng Ran was different. Although he was from the inner city, he enjoyed 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 martial arts these past two days, Cheng Ran had also taken the initiative to befriend him.

Faced with another person's friendly overture, 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 came out from the rear courtyard.

His short jacket made the muscles on his body appear extraordinarily exaggerated, 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 over 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.

"You do not!" 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 allow you to walk out of this patch of heaven and earth."

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

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

He then said, "Do you know that the realm has been in turmoil these recent years, people's hearts have been in turmoil, and natural disasters and man-made calamities have never ceased? All sorts of demons and monsters like the God-Worship Cult have been appearing frequently?"

"I do!" someone said. "As far as I know, last year alone, there was one medium-sized rebellion and five small rebellions in our Zeshan Prefecture. They could not be killed clean or exterminated completely, and nearly ten churches worshipping evil gods emerged as well."

Wang Jin gave that person a slight glance, then nodded faintly. "Correct!"

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

"The only Martial Saint of the present age presides over the Inspection Office. Any sect that worships evil gods, or anyone who incites the people and provokes rebellion, regardless of their background or identity—even if they are imperial kin and noble relatives—may be executed first and reported afterward!"

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

"The personnel of the Inspection Office are currently being selected by Luoshui County's major martial academies and various powers from those with clean family backgrounds, outstanding strength, and exceptional talent."

"This is a heaven-sent opportunity for you! Do you know that if you wish to advance bravely and diligently in Martial Dao cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and land are all indispensable!"

"You must understand that the master of the Inspection Office is the only Martial Saint of the present age—the Martial Saint who has overshadowed the world for more than eight hundred years. Within the Inspection Office, there are methods for laying the foundations of Martial Dao and circulating blood and qi, as well as supreme secret arts for achieving Blood Exchange Grandmaster and Spirit-Nourishing Grandmaster!"

"All kinds of precious medicines and fundamental Martial Dao 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 people's eyes blazed with fervor.

The words Martial Saint.

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

A centenarian elder could have five generations under one roof.

Yet a Martial Saint could overshadow the world for eight hundred years. What an outrageously extraordinary existence that was.

After sweeping his gaze over the crowd again, Wang Jin nodded in satisfaction.

"Those entering the Inspection Office must be upright youths under thirty with clean family backgrounds! All must possess Martial Dao rank-entry strength."

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

"One recommendation slot remains, and you will compete for it."

"Three months from now, whoever can achieve mastery in two fist intents of the Five Animals Fist, complete blood and qi, and Martial Dao rank-entry will be accepted by me as a personal disciple alongside your four senior brothers. The disciple acceptance ceremony will be announced throughout Luoshui County, and you will enter the Inspection Office representing the honor of Wang Jin."

"Remember this: entry slots are limited. There will certainly be further tests when the time comes, and you will have to contend with other forces! This is a chance for fish to leap through the dragon gate! No one will give it up!"

"Entering the Inspection Office will certainly bring countless killings and struggles. For those unsuited to battle, this is a crisis!"

At this moment.

Jiang Ning listened quietly to the end, and a fiery gleam rose 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 mantle and teachings, whose status was not merely below blood-related children, but could even stand above them.

As for the Inspection Office, it possessed the authority to execute first and report afterward. From Wang Jin's description, Jiang Ning knew it was an extremely high-ranking law-enforcement institution.

If compared to government departments from the history of his previous life, its authority was immense and its backing profound—surpassing even the famed Embroidered Uniform Guard.

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

Not to mention that this Inspection Office stood above the Embroidered Uniform Guard in status, while the benefits it offered were far greater as well.

As the saying went, it was good to enjoy the shade beneath a great tree.

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

That was a terrifying existence who had suppressed Great Xia's fortune for more than eight hundred years. One person could stand against an entire nation—those were the words used to describe a Martial Saint.

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

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

Overseeing the realm, inspecting the Nine Provinces, executing first and reporting afterward—this authority was simply too great!!!

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 achieve complete blood and qi and enter the ranks of Martial Dao.

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 achieve Martial Dao rank-entry and no longer fear Xu Yunfeng...

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

Before the immensely powerful Cao Family, once conflict arises with them, Martial Dao rank-entry can at most allow me to protect myself.

But becoming Wang Jin's personal disciple is different. It would be enough to make them wary of breaking the rat's vessel for fear of the mouse.

Not to mention entering the Inspection Office.