Standing beneath the moonlight.
"Master, my Five Animals Fist has already reached the proficient realm!" Jiang Ning said truthfully.
"Proficient?" Wang Jin's eyes flew wide open, turning perfectly round.
"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded.
"You said you've reached proficiency? Perform the Five Animals Fist for me once!" Wang Jin's expression immediately became extremely serious.
"Yes!" Jiang Ning replied.
The next moment.
I hope showing my accomplishments will make Wang Jin value me more and give me greater support.
I also hope to receive Wang Jin's guidance and see the changes unfold as I predicted.
The thought flashed through Jiang Ning's mind.
Beneath the veil of moonlight, he assumed his stance and began performing the Five Animals Fist before Wang Jin.
Now that Jiang Ning's Five Animals Fist had reached the proficient level, every movement, every stance, had shed its former stiffness.
It was as though his breathing and fist technique had long since fused into his bones and become bodily instinct. Everything flowed as one.
Seeing this scene, the changes in Wang Jin's eyes grew greater and greater. Beneath the moonlight, his eyes bulged wide as ox bells.
Unbelievable!
Unbelievable!!
Raging tides and towering waves surged through his heart.
"It's only been a few days! This brat's Five Animals Fist has already reached the proficient level?"
"Does such a Martial Dao prodigy truly exist in this world?"
"His learning ability is this strong, and his body is even suited to the Five Animals Fist. In just a few days, he has fused this fist art into his bones, turning the rhythm of his breathing and every movement into bodily instinct?"
"With such outrageous talent, if his comprehension is up to par, then he can definitely inherit my legacy!"
"Now, the only question is how good his comprehension truly is. Without exceptional comprehension, even a mid-grade martial art cannot shine brilliantly in his hands!"
"And the disciple I want must possess truly exceptional comprehension, capable of cultivating that mid-grade Martial Dao cultivation method to perfection. Only then might he learn another mid-grade martial art, fusing water and fire together and layering his force upon itself. That would become a high-grade Martial Dao cultivation method!"
"But what a pity, what a pity!!"
At that moment, the look in Wang Jin's eyes as he watched Jiang Ning turned regretful.
"He started learning martial arts too late! Three months—even if fate favored him enough to reach the heavens, he would find it difficult to meet the requirements for entering the Inspection Office!"
"If he had begun martial training two years earlier, he surely could have seized this chance to leap over the dragon gate!"
"Once he seized this opportunity, his future destiny would be completely different! He would no longer be confined to this tiny patch of heaven and earth, confined to little Luoshui County!"
"This brat's timing is simply too unfortunate!!!"
The more Wang Jin thought about it, the deeper his regret became.
Never mind his future progress—at the very least, Jiang Ning was the fastest-progressing beginner Wang Jin had ever seen.
He had only entered the path a few days ago. Though he cultivated all five animal forms at once, he had already reached proficiency.
Yet he was fated to miss the Inspection Office.
As a newly established imperial department, with that Martial Saint personally stationed there, joining the Inspection Office would be a heaven-sent opportunity for anyone.
For someone like Jiang Ning, born into an ordinary family, it was an opportunity to defy fate and change his destiny.
Wang Jin's thoughts slowly returned, and he continued watching Jiang Ning practice with seriousness.
"This brat truly is outstanding, but having missed this opportunity, his future accomplishments will ultimately be limited!"
"But that's fine. If he succeeds in martial training and passes my test, becoming my final disciple would not be so bad!"
"This brat looks like someone loyal and devoted, not the sort who would deceive his master and destroy his ancestors! Missing the chance to join the Inspection Office really does make him more suitable to care for me in my old age and see me through to the end!"
"Otherwise, joining the Inspection Office would be a great opportunity for him, but with the authority it holds, it surely will not be peaceful. It will inevitably be accompanied by slaughter and bloodshed! He might even meet an untimely death along the way!"
Having thought it through, Wang Jin no longer dwelled on it and quietly watched Jiang Ning finish demonstrating the Five Animals Fist.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +1] [Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Proficient 14/200)
After one round, two more strands of blood and qi formed within Jiang Ning's body, while wisps of heat rose from the top of his head.
"Not bad! Truly not bad!" Wang Jin nodded slightly, praise showing in his eyes.
"It is because Master taught me well!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands.
Wang Jin chuckled. "No need to say that! I gave you no additional instruction. I merely passed the Five Animals Fist on to you and demonstrated it a few times before you. Reaching this point was mainly due to your diligence and talent!"
After saying that, Wang Jin continued, "Starting tomorrow, go to the back kitchen and collect a bowl of medicinal soup each morning, noon, and night! Go find Auntie Sun in a while and tell her about this!"
Hearing that, Jiang Ning was overjoyed.
Showing Wang Jin his progress had indeed been the right move.
How could Wang Jin value him if he did not reveal his talent?
How could he obtain this benefit?
During the day, Xiao Peng had become Wang Jin's personal disciple, and his greatest benefit had been the right to collect a bowl of medicinal soup from the back kitchen each morning, noon, and night.
Now that Jiang Ning had received the same benefit, it was clear Wang Jin valued him even more.
At that moment, Jiang Ning did not bother concealing the joy on his face.
"Yes!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you, Master!!"
Wang Jin nodded and smiled. The more he looked at Jiang Ning, the more pleasing he found him. "You wanted to ask me about the essentials of the minor accomplishment realm of the Five Animals Fist just now, didn't you?"
"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded, then cupped his hands. "Please, Master, dispel my confusion!"
Wang Jin nodded. Then he removed his short jacket, wearing only a pair of gray shorts that fell short of his knees, revealing the lean, powerful muscles across his body.
"The hardness within softness of the Tiger Form Fist—what is softness within hardness? The steadiness of the Bear Form Fist contains light agility. The Ape Form Fist is nimble and flexible, its body shifting unpredictably. The Deer Form Fist combines movement and stillness: stillness within motion, motion within stillness. The Crane Form Fist soars into the clouds; when it moves, the heart follows the will. All of this is related to your control over your body, and to your understanding of force."
"Being able to achieve these things is difficult to explain in words! Just as you continue breathing even in your sleep!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning's expression turned thoughtful.
Wang Jin continued, "I'll perform a round of the fist art for you and show you what minor accomplishment-level Five Animals Fist looks like. Pay close attention to the changes in the patterns of my muscles."
"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands in thanks.
"Watch carefully!" Wang Jin gave a low shout.
His feet did not appear to move at all, yet his whole body suddenly shot backward. In an instant, he arrived in an open space three meters away from Jiang Ning.
The next moment.
His arms moved, and he began performing the Five Animals Fist.
Jiang Ning immediately focused completely on Wang Jin's movements, especially the changes in the patterns of muscles across his body.
The changes in muscle patterns contained the circulation of force.
As Wang Jin performed the fist art, Jiang Ning also became thoughtful.
In Wang Jin's hands, the Tiger Form Fist was no longer as textbook-standard as the version he had previously demonstrated for Jiang Ning.
At times, his movements were slow, like a fierce tiger gradually closing in.
At times, he erupted without warning, like a tiger descending the mountain, bursting forth with terrifying momentum.
"Hardness within softness, softness within hardness? This is rather like the so-called Tai Chi from my previous life—movement and stillness combined, hardness and softness complementing each other!"
That made him think of throwing a punch. Drawing the fist back was done so it could be swung out with greater force.
It also made him think of a spring: the harder it was compressed, the stronger its explosive force.
Seen this way, softness was stored strength, while hardness was eruption.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Ning continued firmly memorizing the flow of Wang Jin's muscle patterns.
Time slowly passed.
In Wang Jin's demonstration.
The Five Animals Fist was also completely different from what Jiang Ning had seen before.
In Wang Jin's hands, every move and stance of the fist art seemed filled with life.
The hardness within softness of the Tiger Form Fist, and the softness within hardness.
The steadiness of the Bear Form Fist containing light agility.
The nimbleness and flexibility of the Ape Form Fist, its body shifting unpredictably.
The combination of movement and stillness in the Deer Form Fist: stillness within motion, motion within stillness.
The Crane Form Fist soaring into the clouds, moving as the heart followed the will.
All manner of fist intent unfolded in his hands.
After finishing one round of the fist art, Wang Jin slowly exhaled a breath from his abdomen. Then, without flushing or panting, he looked at Jiang Ning.
At that moment, Jiang Ning had already closed his eyes.
Within his mind, the scenes of Wang Jin performing the Five Animals Fist replayed again and again.
Every move and stance, every gesture and motion, even the minute changes in muscle patterns, surfaced before his eyes.
Only after the time it took to drink a cup of tea did Jiang Ning slowly open his eyes.
"How does it feel?" Wang Jin asked.
"I'll give it a try!" Jiang Ning said.
I have some bad news to report: the trial run ended after one round!
But I don't want to give up, because every book is the product of painstaking effort.
I hope all readers will continue supporting it. On the day of the recommendation PK, please move your fingers and follow the updates, giving it some support in the data.
Without recommendations, not even immortals can save the results!
(End of Chapter)
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