Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 A Golden Core swallowed into the abdomen, my life is controlled by me, not by fate!

Jiang Ning understood the extraordinary nature of entry-level martial artists all too well, the less certainty he felt in his heart.

Having achieved great success in Skin Training was like being clad in bronze armor. Facing martial artists below the entry level, just in terms of defensive power alone, the difference was like that between adults and children.

Not to mention the difference in strength and qi-blood between them, the difference was a qualitative change.

Therefore, advancing from Qi-Blood Perfection to Martial Arts Entry was not a simple journey.

It required time to forge, secret techniques, and resources.

And now, he neither knew any Skin Training secret techniques nor did he know what external aids were needed.

This sort of information about martial arts inheritance wasn’t something he could understand at his current level.

To any power, this kind of fundamental human secret technique would not be casually disseminated—even if it was just the Martial Arts Ninth Grade Skin Training technique.

So at this moment, he didn’t have much confidence.

Of course, if one had money, it would naturally not be difficult to buy such information and secret techniques.

Nor was it an unspeakable secret.

But Jiang Ning knew that he didn’t need to follow this path to obtain the Skin Training secret techniques.

All he had to do was to meet Wang Jin’s assessment requirements like Xiao Peng. That is, to achieve great success in any one of the Five Animals Fist techniques within six months of joining the martial arts hall, and he would become Wang Jin’s true disciple.

A true disciple was a real disciple of the martial arts hall and also genuinely qualified to call Wang Jin “Master.”

By that time, he would naturally be able to access Wang Jin’s legacy and possess the refining skin secret technique.

As of now, at best, he could be considered an outer disciple or, to put it another way, a nominal disciple.

If he didn’t meet the standard within six months and failed Wang Jin’s test, then he could only roll up his bedding and leave.

At this moment.

Seeing Jiang Ning accept the silver note he had gifted, Cheng Ran also smiled and patted Jiang Ning’s shoulder.

“Brother Jiang, that’s the spirit!!”

Immediately.

“Cough cough—” His laughter causing his internal organs to shake, he couldn’t help but cough repeatedly, coughing up strands of blood.

“Brother Cheng, are you okay!” Seeing this, Jiang Ning quickly supported his somewhat shaking form.

After a few moments, Cheng Ran suppressed the urge to cough and then waved his hand, “Brother Jiang, help me rest for a bit, I need to recover slowly!”

On the other side.

Xiao Peng, watching Cheng Ran being supported by Jiang Ning, couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

It was somewhat a pity!

Saved by this youngster halfway, otherwise, if that blow of mine had hit Cheng Ran against the wall, with muscles and bones injured and organs displaced, it wouldn’t have been just a day or two’s delay.

In that case, the most threatening Cheng Ran would no longer be much of a threat.

What a pity, truly a pity!!

Xiao Peng slowly retracted his gaze.

At this time, surrounded by the compliments of those around him, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up slightly, unable to contain his inner delight.

…

In Jiang Ning’s courtyard.

Cheng Ran slowly sat down on a small wooden stool.

“Ptooey—” He spat out the blood clots from his mouth, “This damned Xiao Peng really hits hard.”

Jiang Ning also sat down beside him, “Brother Cheng, how do you feel now?”

“Much better,” Cheng Ran nodded, “Fortunately, my initial success in Skin Training took effect, now only my organs are a bit shaken, the injury isn’t too severe. I’ll probably recover in a couple of days, or even faster with good healing medicine.”

After speaking, Cheng Ran turned to look at Jiang Ning, “Brother Jiang, you can now exert a force of over two hundred catties, right?”

“Brother Cheng’s probing is unstoppable!” Jiang Ning smiled.

“Don’t take offense, Brother Jiang! I am truly shocked and incredulous, so I tested you a bit,” Cheng Ran expressed an apologetic look.

“It’s fine! But please, Brother Cheng, don’t spread this around,” Jiang Ning said.

Cheng Ran nodded, “Of course! With Xiao Peng’s nature of playing dirty, if he knew Brother Jiang has come this far in such a short time, he might very well play some tricks in the dark.”

“Speaking of that kid Xiao Peng, I am not reconciled!” At this moment, anger flashed across Cheng Ran’s face.

“Brother Cheng, you’re lacking real combat experience! In terms of true strength, you’re actually superior to Xiao Peng.”

Cheng Ran nodded in agreement, “Indeed, I’m lacking real combat experience! In the future, I need to improve in this aspect. I won’t let go of the resentment in my heart until I regain the ground I lost today!”

Then he turned to Jiang Ning, “Brother Jiang, if you have time later, why not spar with me regularly to increase your combat experience?”

Jiang Ning pondered for a moment, then nodded, “That is possible, as I’ve never fought with someone before and am also lacking real combat experience!”

“Good!” Cheng Ran nodded repeatedly, “Master Wang once said that martial arts are meant for vanquishing enemies, and one cannot reach the peak through practice alone. Although we can’t fight enemies, sparring can still increase our combat experience, and if we have the chance to join the Inspection Office, combat experience will be even more important.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ning also nodded in agreement, “Then, once Brother Cheng has healed, we’ll spar!”

“Let’s make it a promise!” Cheng Ran extended his right palm.

Jiang Ning understood and extended his right palm to high-five.

Afterwards, Cheng Ran rested for several “hours”, and once his breath had stabilized,

Jiang Ning sent him out of the door of the Martial Arts Hall.

“Brother Jiang, don’t worry! I will definitely try my best to investigate the matter you entrusted to me these past couple of days!” Cheng Ran said.

“I’ll leave it in your hands then, Brother Cheng!” Jiang Ning replied with a bow as he saw him off.

He then scanned over the stalls in front of the Martial Arts Hall but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

…

The next day.

In the early morning,

Jiang Ning was sitting cross-legged in the courtyard, quietly waiting for the sunrise from afar while feeling the fresh breeze on his face.

[Skill]: Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill (Uninitiated 91/100)

He was now only nine experience points away from entering the threshold of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill.

Jiang Ning was very much looking forward to initiating the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill.

The mere requirement of one hundred experience points for initiation indicated the uncommon grade of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill.

As far as he knew, martial arts skills were divided into Lower, Middle, and Superior grades.

Above the Superior grade, there were even higher levels of skills.

Based on the changes in experience value, Jiang Ning had two guesses: one was that the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill was a Middle Grade skill, surpassing the Lower Grade skills.

This was because his Five Animals Fist was a Lower Grade technique, requiring only ten experience points for initiation.

Therefore, it would be natural for a Middle Grade skill to demand exponentially more experience points for initiation than a Lower Grade skill.

The second guess was that the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill ranked above Superior skills and was a mysterious technique.

Only a qualitative difference could lead to a qualitative change in the experience points needed for a breakthrough.

And this guess was not just based on the hundred-point gap required for initiation of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill, which was ten times more than needed for initiating the Five Animals Fist.

A more significant reason was the concept and intent of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill.

Inner Elixir Cultivation was an Inner Strength Method.

Inner Strength cultivation of the organs and entrails was a path taken by Fifth Grade martial artists.

Such internal cultivation methods were bound to be extremely scarce, and it was highly likely that their grade would not be low.

Moreover, the intent of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill was awe-inspiring to Jiang Ning, more resembling the mythical Immortal paths of his previous life rather than martial arts.

It involved swallowing the essence of the Great Sun to strengthen the organs and entrails, and when the skill was perfected, it required drawing the Fire of the Great Sun into one’s body at noon, with the body as a furnace, refining the Golden Core.

Swallowing a Golden Core into the stomach would mean one’s fate was no longer determined by heaven.

Such an intent surely deserved to rank above the Upper Grade Martial Arts Methods.

Of course, this was still just his speculation.

Apart from these factors fueling his anticipation, another crucial factor made him quite eager.

That was the single page he had obtained, which only recorded the initiation method of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill and left out further methods.

When it came to the Perfect Method, it only briefly mentioned it.

Meaning, normally with that single page, he could at most initiate the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill, and it was impossible to reach the Perfect Realm described within.

It was impossible to realize a state where swallowing a Golden Core would mean his fate was his own.

What Jiang Ning was looking forward to was, by virtue of the panel’s magic, even with just a fragment, he could painstakingly accumulate experience and break through the realm of the Inner Elixir Cultivation Skill to achieve perfection.

To reach the state where swallowing a Golden Core meant his fate was his own.