The Effect of Photographic Memory

The Effect of Photographic Memory

After a long while.

As Jiang Ning turned to the final page, he had thoroughly finished reading the Five Animals Fist manual.

[This reading of the fist manual increased Literacy experience by a total of 10 points.]

Seeing this prompt, Jiang Ning felt a little surprised. Such a brief reading had earned him ten whole experience points—far beyond what he had expected.

He promptly put the matter aside and slowly closed his eyes.

Page after page of everything recorded in the Five Animals Fist manual he had just read instantly surfaced in his mind.

At this moment, he had also gained a general understanding of Five Animals Fist.

It was a low-grade martial art that had entered the ranks, a style of fist technique created through observing five animals in nature: the tiger, bear, ape, deer, and crane.

When Tiger Form reached mastery, its explosive power was exceedingly strong. When Bear Form reached mastery, one's strength greatly increased. When Ape Form reached mastery, one's movements became nimble and agile, able to shift and dodge with ease. When Crane Form reached mastery, one's speed became incredibly fast, the body light and effortless; with a slight lift of qi, one could cross more than ten feet in a single bound.

As for Deer Form at mastery, it made one vigorous, nimble, and light. With a single leap, one could clear high walls. It was also a fist style that strengthened one's essence, qi, and spirit, regulating the body's condition.

Just like the woman surnamed Li standing nearby.

The manual contained records of both breathing methods and training methods.

Practicing Five Animals Fist over a long period could strengthen the qi and blood within the body. Once one's qi and blood grew powerful enough to flow freely through the entire body, filling every limb and bone, that was the foundation before entering the ranks of martial arts.

If one cultivated all five animals together through this manual, the martial foundation forged would be exceptionally solid and extraordinarily rare. It was an extremely suitable cultivation method for laying one's martial foundation.

Beyond being suitable for building a foundation, Tiger Form was for explosive power, while Ape Form was for movement techniques. Even in combat, they were not lacking in the slightest.

After thoroughly understanding Five Animals Fist, Jiang Ning's approval of this fist technique rose even higher.

For his current circumstances, it truly was an exceptionally suitable fist technique.

At the same time, he secretly sighed over how important it had been to spend those previous two-plus months reading the books at home.

If he had not read so many books and already stored so much knowledge about this world in his mind, how could he have understood the fist manual?

For ordinary people, even if they could read the words, handing them a fist manual would not mean they could learn from it. They would not understand it, and if they rashly practiced it, they would inevitably go astray, easily damaging their bodies in the end.

That was why learning martial arts required someone to guide and personally teach you.

A fist manual was the sublimation of countless insights, containing the crystallized wisdom of those who came before.

[Name]: Jiang Ning

[Source Energy]: 3.6

[Skills]:

Literacy (First Breakthrough 57/2000) (Trait: Photographic Memory)

Five Animals Fist (Not Yet Initiated 0/10)

Looking at the panel, the appearance of Five Animals Fist on it instantly eased the faint worry that had been hanging in Jiang Ning's heart.

The Literacy skill on the panel had also gained a full ten experience points in a short time because he had carefully read through the Five Animals Fist manual.

Jiang Ning then opened his eyes. The manual in his hands had already been closed.

"Senior Sister, I've finished reading it!"

"You remembered it?"

"Mhm!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"You remembered all of it?!" The woman's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Jiang Ning, her face full of disbelief.

"I remembered every bit of it!" Jiang Ning said firmly. "If Senior Sister doesn't believe me, you can test me!"

"Alright!" The woman nodded, thoroughly agreeing with Jiang Ning's suggestion.

Then she asked, "What was recorded on the eighth page?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Ning answered, "A fierce tiger descends the mountain; spirit bursts forth, eyes and claws radiate might, strengthening sinews and bones."

Hearing Jiang Ning's answer, the woman's eyes widened even further. Then she asked again, "What about the third line on page ten?"

"The posture of spreading wings and soaring through the clouds is the only way to merge form and spirit as one, issuing forth from..." Jiang Ning answered directly.

The woman stared at Jiang Ning, her eyes gradually widening into perfect circles.

After a while, Jiang Ning asked, "Senior Sister, do you have anything else to ask?"

The woman shook her head. Looking at Jiang Ning with a face full of admiration, she no longer had her previous serious expression. "Now I've truly seen what Photographic Memory means! With talent like yours, you shouldn't be learning martial arts—you should be taking the imperial examinations and earning honors."

Jiang Ning merely smiled without replying.

Then the woman spoke again. "Let's go! Since you've already memorized all the essentials of the fist manual, come with me to find Old Wang. It will be easier for you to get started if Old Wang demonstrates Five Animals Fist for you to observe."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands.

The two returned to the martial hall's rear courtyard.

"Why are you back already?" The elderly man lying in a rattan chair opened his eyes and looked toward the two entering the courtyard.

The woman said, "Head Master, Jiang Ning has already memorized all the essential points of the fist manual."

"All of it?" The old man's gaze sharpened as his piercing eyes turned toward Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning cupped his hands. "Master, this disciple was born with Photographic Memory, so I can remember the manual's essential points after reading it just once."

"So that's how it is!" The old man nodded. Then he stood up. "In that case, I'll personally demonstrate Five Animals Fist once for you. Watch carefully, remember carefully, learn carefully!"

"Yes, Master!" Jiang Ning replied.

"Li Qing, go call over those people practicing in the front courtyard. Let them watch it once more as well!" the old man ordered.

"Yes, Head Master!" The woman nodded.

Her figure flickered, her speed astonishing. In just a few steps, she crossed out of the courtyard, every movement light and graceful.

Several breaths later, more than ten people stood clustered together, crowding the entrance to the rear courtyard.

"You all watch carefully and learn carefully as well! Only by learning your fist techniques well can you change your lives! Only then can you take control of your own fate!" the old man said.

"Teacher is right!" A burly man immediately hurried to flatter him.

The next moment.

The old man assumed his stance.

Suddenly.

Roar—

A tiger's roar erupted from his mouth.

In that instant, Jiang Ning seemed to see a fierce tiger roaring as it descended the mountain, the aura of the king of beasts bearing down as if it had truly arrived.

Jiang Ning's gaze tightened. He watched every move and every stance of the old man with complete concentration, not daring to let himself be distracted in the slightest.

Li Qing, standing to the side, likewise watched the old man's every move with utmost seriousness.

Even she could gain new insights each time she watched the Five Animals Fist performed at complete perfection.

With tiger, bear, ape, crane, and deer all brought to perfection, even she had not achieved such a level.

Under the old man's demonstration, he began with Tiger Form Fist, followed by Bear Form Fist.

If Tiger Form Fist was filled with the explosive power of the king of beasts, then Bear Form Fist gave one the feeling of taking root in the earth, brimming with tremendous strength.

By the time the Five Animals Fist demonstration was fully completed, the time it took to drink a cup of tea had already passed.

Once the old man finished demonstrating, Jiang Ning immediately closed his eyes.

At that moment, the scene from before surfaced again in his mind, like a recorded film playing once more.

At the old man's wave, the dozen or so men behind him silently withdrew from the rear courtyard as well.

Only after a long while did Jiang Ning slowly open his eyes.

"How much did you remember?" the old man asked.

"Reporting to Teacher, I remembered all of it!" Jiang Ning answered.

"You truly remembered everything?" the old man pressed again.

Jiang Ning nodded firmly. "I remembered all of it."

"Good. Then demonstrate it once for me!" the old man said.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning bowed.