Stepping out of the prison gate, Ning Yue stood with his hands on his hips in front of the black iron gate, carved with a Bixie, for quite a while.
Only after the alcohol in his stomach had largely evaporated with the circulation of his Qi and blood did he stride forward, chest out, with a swagger.
Today, not only did he earn 800 taels of silver for free, but he also unexpectedly obtained this Profound Gang Body Refining Art that Warden Xie Qing still hadn't fully mastered.
Looking at the five large characters solidified in the 'Cultivation Method' column on his panel, Ning Yue's smile became impossible to hide.
The second-class merit he earned yesterday from fighting dozens of bandits only got him a Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art; today, he just called out "Big Brother" a few times, and another 'second-class merit' was easily in his grasp.
Of course, no one could have imagined that an unknown Xiaoqi officer possessed a top-tier comprehension talent like the 'Heavenly Martial Star,' so Xie Qing's carelessness was understandable.
Now with ample silver and complete cultivation methods, it was the perfect time to improve his strength.
If he could enter the Lian Rou Realm and then face Yijin (Tendon Changing) Realm bandits again, even if he still couldn't defeat them, there would be great hope for escape.
He returned to his dormitory as if flying, and Ning Yue ordered his servants to boil water for a bath.
After drinking, taking a sauna was a good habit Ning Yue had developed in his previous life, and he intended to diligently maintain it in this life.
Of course, times had changed, and Ning Yue now had new demands for himself: living in a luxurious mansion and having beautiful maidservants!
He wondered when his simple and unadorned wish would be realized with this 'pay-to-win' system attached?
"Ah!" Ning Yue, soaking in the medicinal bath, let out a long sigh.
Then, holding his breath and concentrating, his mind focused, and the water in the wooden tub rippled slightly; under the impetus of the medicinal power, Ning Yue's realm began to slowly ascend.
Tiny whirlpools formed and dissipated in the wooden tub, the medicinal soup boiled without fire, and rolling hot steam enveloped Ning Yue's entire body.
He felt as if he had been thrown into a blacksmith's forge, like an angle iron, refined by true fire and hammered, the intense pain penetrating his limbs and bones.
In the large wooden tub, the water level slowly dropped with the constantly evaporating hot steam, and the originally rich brown bathwater gradually thinned.
When the water level reached his waist, the entire dormitory was engulfed in thick steam.
Ning Yue opened his eyes at this moment.
His naked upper body, shimmering with the faint golden light caused by the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art, gradually intensified, the jade-gold turning to dark gold.
Profound Gang Body Refining Art Minor Accomplishment, costing five hundred taels!
He stood up, and drops of water rapidly slid down his sharply defined muscles; as Ning Yue leaned on the bathtub, just as he was about to step out, the wooden tub suddenly cracked in his hand.
This made him freeze on the spot.
One must know that all daily necessities in the army, though not luxurious, were extremely durable; just this bathtub, for example, was made of Xuan Tie Blackwood over fifty years old and three inches thick.
Yet Ning Yue easily broke it with a casual twist, his strength was truly terrifying.
It is said that the Lianrou (Body Refinement) Realm brings the greatest increase in strength, and Ning Yue now had a profound understanding of this.
Others also said, "Lianrou (Body Refinement) Great Accomplishment, arm strength of a thousand jun (unit of weight)"; Ning Yue looked at the Xuan Tie Blackwood piece in his hand and mused that his current strength was probably higher, not lower, than a thousand jin (another unit of weight)!
Having just entered the Lianrou (Body Refinement) Realm, he couldn't fully control his body's state, so Ning Yue simply sat back in the bathtub; his wealth points were less than four hundred remaining.
He might as well upgrade this Night Battle Eight Desolations saber technique to perfection; then, with his saber, archery, and lightness skill all at their peak, he would be more intimidating when spoken of.
The Night Battle Eight Desolations saber technique originated in the early years of the Da Yuan Dynasty's founding; it is said to have been created by the founding general Ying Huo in his early years, whose strength and realm were unfathomable, but the threshold for learning this saber technique was not high.
Ning Yue guessed it was created by the general in his early years to hone his cultivation and protect his path.
The saber technique has only eight forms, subtly aligning with the profound principles of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams; the saber technique is overbearing and ruthless, requiring the practitioner to have the intent of 'no regrets once the saber is drawn.'
Passed down for over two hundred years, this saber technique is widely praised in the army, but not many can practice it; no other reason, it is a top-tier Profound-grade cultivation method, and only because of Xie Qing's powerful family could he, a mere warden, obtain such a saber technique.
On the panel, the wealth points transformed into a trickling icy current, rapidly coursing through his meridians; phantom images of saber dancers appeared before Ning Yue's eyes, some strange and unpredictable, some grand and magnificent, some wild and fierce, some upholding orthodoxy and discarding the unconventional.
A myriad of forms and postures, forming a unique style; though there were eight forms, under the system's deduction, they seemed to evolve endlessly, fearless in close combat or group attacks!
Ning Yue was lost in it, as if endless martial arts true intent was hidden within, enticing him to explore.
He didn't know how long it had been; when the oil lamp in the room had burned out, Ning Yue reluctantly opened his eyes, his four hundred wealth points on the panel completely gone, yet this Night Battle Eight Desolations saber technique was stuck at 99%, stubbornly holding the line like a first love, refusing to break through.
Ning Yue rubbed his chin, feeling deep regret but helpless; he estimated that this final push would probably cost him a hundred taels of silver to complete.
In these two days, he had been incredibly lucky to scrape together two thousand taels of silver, only to have it completely depleted after just two upgrades.
In his mind, it was as if the 'pay-to-win' system had transformed into a gold-swallowing beast, laughing wildly beside him, while he seemed to have lost all power to resist; in an instant, the luxurious mansion and beautiful maidservants drifted far away from him.
If he had no money, could he not cultivate on his own?
Ning Yue frowned, arguing with himself; what if he worked himself to death, cultivated himself to death tonight? He was determined to master this saber technique thoroughly!
In the darkness, the dormitory door silently opened, and rolling hot steam billowed out.
A figure in tight, thin clothes leaped, moonlight like a thin veil gently enveloping him, then shattered by a flash of saber light like a bolt of silk.
The saber technique flowed like mercury spilling onto the ground, airtight; clusters of silver-white saber flowers bloomed and faded before and behind Ning Yue.
Sometimes like a raging storm, sometimes like a gentle stream, the Great Accomplishment Night Battle Eight Desolations had fully grasped the essence of this saber technique; heavy and light, fast and slow, deep and shallow, long and short, Ning Yue's saber moved with him, effortlessly.
He clearly had already understood with his mind and seen with his eyes, the saber technique's secret skills beckoning to him from afar, but alas, his legs were clumsy and his wrists stiff; the secret skill seemed close at hand, yet forever out of reach.
Saber technique perfected, secret skill achieved!
Under the night sky, the young man's posture was agile, leaping like a dragon, determined to break through martial arts obstacles and achieve complete mastery!
On a night with a bright moon and sparse stars, the saber light in the training ground illuminated the moonlight for an entire night.
The next day, the moonlight was like a wash, the young man danced with his saber... If not in one day, then two days!
The third day, ......
The tenth day, ......
Ten days later, Ning Yue, with two dark circles under his eyes, silently walked into the Zongqi office, his steps faltering, holding his waist and propping his hip, like an internet-addicted teenager who had spent three days and three nights in a black internet cafe...
Xue Ren looked up and scolded with a smile: "So young, why are you so unrestrained?"