Chapter 68 - 68 Breakthrough in Sword Technique, Double Power! - Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Breakthrough in Sword Technique, Double Power!

The carriage continued on its way toward the Martial Arts Hall.

Before long, the carriage arrived in front of the Martial Arts Hall without incident.

Standing atop the carriage, Cheng Ran watched as Jiang Ning approached the gate of the Martial Arts Hall.

Suddenly, Cheng Ran spoke up again.

“Brother Jiang!”

Hearing the call, Jiang Ning turned around.

Cheng Ran spoke again, “It’s all Brother’s fault today! Without Master Wang’s intervention, Brother would truly have been inexcusable!”

Jiang Ning smiled, “It’s fine, Brother should head back soon! There’s no need to mention it anymore.”

Having said that, he crossed over the threshold of the Martial Arts Hall, disappearing from Jiang Ning’s line of sight.

Watching Jiang Ning leave, Cheng Ran said to the coachman, “Home!”

After issuing this order, he turned and got into the carriage.

“Go—”

Under the coachman’s control, the carriage began moving again, heading toward Cheng Mansion.

Inside the carriage.

Cheng Ran looked at Elder Zheng beside him.

“Sigh—”

He sighed softly.

“Young master, are you blaming me?” Elder Zheng asked.

Cheng Ran shook his head, “How could I have the right to blame Elder Zheng? I was too complacent! Taking Jiang Ning out almost harmed him!”

Elder Zheng looked at Cheng Ran and explained, “Young master, it’s not that I didn’t want to obey your order! But Xu Yunfeng is not someone we can afford to offend! He is working for Cao Bin, and with such strength, he will soon enter the Inspection Office.”

“Young master also knows how powerful the authority of the Inspection Office is! It’s better not to offend someone like Xu Yunfeng if we can avoid it!”

“Moreover, although I have achieved Great Success at Martial Arts Ninth Grade, my strength has declined with age, and my Qi-Blood has waned. Truly fighting might not guarantee victory over him!”

“After all, the young have the advantage with strength! Whether in stamina or bodily functions, I just can’t keep up with the younger generation!”

Cheng Ran spoke, “Elder Zheng, I understand all of this. At the end of the day, the blame is mine! Today I almost caused harm to Brother Jiang, and it leaves me feeling uneasy!”

After expressing this sentiment, he sighed deeply again.

…

Elsewhere.

In the Martial Arts Hall.

“Back already?” Wang Jin stood in the front courtyard and called out.

“Master!!” Jiang Ning greeted with a salute.

“Close the gate and come with me!” Wang Jin walked back toward the yard where he lived, with his hands behind his back.

“Yes, Master!” Jiang Ning replied, turning around and walking back to the gate of the Martial Arts Hall.

Boom—

As he pushed the gates, they slowly closed.

After securing the gate, he made his way to the backyard, where Wang Jin resided.

Arriving at the Martial Arts Hall’s backyard.

Wang Jin was already sitting in a bamboo chair woven from bamboo strips.

He gestured to the empty bamboo chair in front of him, “Sit down and talk!”

“Yes, Master!”

After Jiang Ning had taken a seat.

Wang Jin then asked, “How are your thoughts after tonight’s events?”

“Master’s might is peerless!!” Jiang Ning said.

Wang Jin couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’m not asking you to flatter your teacher!”

Jiang Ning thought for a moment before replying, “The truth lies within the range of a fist.”

Hearing this, Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning in surprise.

“Not bad, lad, for having such an awareness!”

“The fist is the truth, as for the rest, it’s all nonsense!”

“As long as you are strong enough, even if you surpass your master in power, the Cao, Liu, and Xie families would have to bow before you.”

“Your family’s issues are nothing compared to that!”

Jiang Ning nodded, “I understand, Master. I will work doubly hard in practicing my boxing!”

Wang Jin showed a relieved expression, “Good! Don’t go out these next few days. It’s lucky I arrived in time tonight. If that constable had captured you and you’d been thrown into the county jail, it wouldn’t be so easy for me to bail you out!”

“After all, in this county, although my power is not bad, I am not invincible!”

“Thank you, Master!” Jiang Ning expressed his gratitude again.

Wang Jin waved his hand dismissively, “All that talk is useless! I opened this school and took in disciples so that the stronger my disciples are, the more proud I can be! You practice your boxing well and make me proud. That’s the best repayment!”

“Yes, Master!” Jiang Ning saluted.

…

Leaving Wang Jin’s courtyard and returning to his own residence, Jiang Ning was deep in thought all the way home.

Strange!

Why did Xu Yunfeng, who didn’t dare to make a move before, dare to act against me tonight?

Could something have happened?

Did someone give Xu Yunfeng the confidence to not fear Master Wang?

That’s not right either!

If Xu Yunfeng wasn’t afraid of Master Wang, he wouldn’t have behaved like that just now, right?

Standing in his own courtyard, Jiang Ning shook his head slightly to clear his mind after a lot of thinking.

Forget it!

Unless I can catch Xu Yunfeng and press him for answers, there’s no point in making wild guesses without any evidence.

[Skill]: Canglang Blade Skill (basic proficiency 43/100)

Glancing at his status panel, Jiang Ning muttered to himself.

If my blade skill could break through and reach mastery, I should be able to kill Xu Yunfeng with one strike, shouldn’t I?

He then steadied his mind.

Shua——

The long blade left its sheath, reflecting beams of cold light on the blade’s surface under the pale moonlight.

“Meet the enemy head-on and counteract their moves!”

“Enhancing my strength is my top priority right now.”

“As long as I am strong enough, there’s nothing to fear.”

Shua——

The long blade cut through the air, raising gusts of wind that churned the fallen leaves and dust on the ground, scattering them all around.

[Canglang Blade Skill Experience Value +1]

[…]

Experience value also rose steadily as he practiced the blade skill and insights into the skill flowed into Jiang Ning’s mind.

In such focused training, Jiang Ning even felt that he might achieve this level of skill even without relying on the magical effect of the panel.

…

The next day at noon.

Shua——

With a slash of the blade, the wind whirled and threw up clouds of dust in all directions.

[Canglang Blade Skill Experience Value +1]

As this notification appeared in front of Jiang Ning, the panel also changed.

[Skill]: Canglang Blade Skill (mastery 0/200)

At this moment, the Canglang Blade Skill formally broke through from basic proficiency to mastery.

At this moment, Jiang Ning stood still like a statue, his eyes slightly closed

His arms’ muscles popped out, twisting like dragons.

After a long time.

He opened his eyes, holding the blade in his right hand, he made a light swing.

Shua——

A slash through the air revealed a streak of sudden cold light as the blade edge seemed to tear apart the sky itself.

“The blade is faster!”

He waved the long blade in his hand a few more times at random.

Humm humm humm——

As the power flowed, the long blade in his hand vibrated slightly.

At the same time, a massive force gathered inside him, ready to burst forth at any moment.

He could distinctly feel that once this power was released, it would be like floodgates opening, capable of summoning a tremendous force.

After feeling the power within him for a moment, Jiang Ning thought to himself.

“With mastery of the blade skill, I’ve naturally grasped the two-layered power!”

“Once the two-layered powers erupt, my one strike could unleash more than twice the might of the previous single-layered power!”

“However, my physical body can’t withstand such an overwhelmingly powerful force. Even the eruption of the first layer tore my muscles and caused my blood vessels to burst, so I can’t use the doubled power of the two-layered force unless it’s a life-or-death situation!”