Grinding to Become the Martial Saint of the Mortal World

A single arm capable of exerting over 200 jin of force. 

To Cheng Ran, this wasn't a terrifying figure. After all, since achieving a full circulation of qi and blood throughout his body, his single arm could exert over 500 jin of force more than double Jiang Ning's current strength. 

However, the fact that Jiang Ning, who had only recently begun martial training, could already surpass 200 jin of force left Cheng Ran deeply shocked. 

At this rate of growth, it wouldn't be long before Jiang Ning caught up to him. 

Of course, actual progress couldn't be calculated so simply. 

The further one progressed in strength, the more difficult it became to improve. 

This was why, even after achieving full circulation of qi and blood, Cheng Ran's strength had only reached slightly over 500 jin. 

But Jiang Ning's 200 jin of force allowed Cheng Ran to roughly estimate the level of Jiang Ning's qi and blood development. 

Jiang Ning's qi and blood had at least reached the minor achievement stage, and he might have even achieved circulation in both arms. 

Moreover, given their friendship, Cheng Ran knew very well that Jiang Ning's only resources for supplementation were the wild ginseng given by Zhou Xing and the medicinal soups provided by the martial arts school. 

Beyond that, Jiang Ning had nothing else. 

With such ordinary training conditions, yet still managing to reach this level of strength, there was only one explanation in Cheng Ran's mind: 

Jiang Ning's martial talent was extraordinary. Relying solely on the foundational Five Animals Fist, Jiang Ning was able to condense a significant amount of qi and blood energy. 

Furthermore, Jiang Ning's progress in fist techniques must have been astonishingly rapid, likely reaching proficiency or even minor mastery. 

Thinking of this, Cheng Ran's heart surged with waves of astonishment. 

Having personally experienced Jiang Ning's transformation, he understood Jiang Ning better than anyone else present. 

He never could have imagined that a friend he had casually befriended would possess such an exaggerated level of martial talent. 

This kind of talent was unparalleled among their peers and extremely rare even in the entire Luoshui County. 

At this moment, Cheng Ran pondered for a brief moment before deciding not to make a fuss about it. 

He then smiled and cupped his hands in gratitude once more. "Thank you, Junior Brother Jiang, for your assistance!" 

"Senior Brother, you've already thanked me," Jiang Ning replied with a smile. 

Cheng Ran chuckled. "As the saying goes, 'A hundred days to heal tendons and bones.' At this critical juncture, if I had suffered injuries to my tendons or bones, Junior Brother Jiang's intervention spared me from a long period of bed rest. A mere thank-you is hardly enough to express my gratitude." 

"How about this?" Cheng Ran said, rummaging through his robes before pulling out a silver note. "Junior Brother Jiang, this is the last of my silver fifty taels. It's not much, but it's a token of my appreciation. Please accept it." 

Jiang Ning looked at Cheng Ran with slight surprise, then smiled faintly. "Senior Brother, you're being so generous. I won't refuse! But don't secretly regret it later." 

Cheng Ran laughed heartily. "I like Junior Brother Jiang's straightforward and unpretentious nature!" 

As he spoke, Cheng Ran pressed the silver note into Jiang Ning's hand. "When I, Cheng Ran, give something, I mean it sincerely. There's no room for regret!" 

"Besides, while I may not come from a wealthy family, I can still afford to give this much to a friend. Not to mention, Junior Brother Jiang's help spared me from flesh wounds, bone injuries, and the misery of bed rest. In the face of that, what's fifty taels of silver? If Junior Brother Jiang didn't accept it, I'd feel slighted!" 

Jiang Ning smiled. "In that case, I'll graciously accept." 

With that, he pocketed the fifty taels of silver. 

At this moment, the onlookers in the distance watched the scene with envy, especially the few disciples from the outer city, whose eyes shone with even greater longing. 

"Fifty taels of silver, just like that! Cheng Ran is truly generous!" 

"Of course! Cheng Ran is the only son in his family. They own thousands of acres of fertile land and a restaurant. Naturally, he's well-off. Otherwise, how could he have reached the level of full qi and blood circulation? The amount of silver spent to get there is no small sum!" 

"Jiang Ning is so lucky to have befriended Cheng Ran and earned his favor." 

"Earning Cheng Ran's favor is his own doing. He spared Cheng Ran from injuries to his tendons and bones. With the Luoshui County Inspection Bureau's recruitment opening in about three months, a few days of recovery would have been far more costly to Cheng Ran than fifty taels of silver." 

"True. Joining the Inspection Bureau is like a fish leaping through the Dragon Gate for us in Luoshui County. It would completely change one's prospects." 

"..." 

On the other side, Jiang Ning accepted the fifty taels of silver without hesitation. 

He had no intention of engaging in the superficial back-and-forth of polite refusals. 

Right now, fifty taels of silver would be a great help to him, while to Cheng Ran, it was insignificant. 

Jiang Ning was in desperate need of resources. 

On the path of martial arts, without the aid of resources, progress and efficiency were greatly hindered. 

Since the wild ginseng had run out, the number of times he could practice his fist techniques each day had decreased, and his daily source energy points had also diminished. 

With these fifty taels of silver, he could return to his previous level of efficiency. 

This would allow him to progress faster in his fist techniques and accumulate qi and blood more quickly. 

It would significantly increase his chances of joining the Inspection Bureau in three months. 

While he had long been determined to join the Inspection Bureau, whether he could achieve it remained uncertain. 

After all, three months was an extremely short time. 

In three months, he needed to achieve major progress in qi and blood, reach the rank of a martial artist, and pass the practical examination for entry. 

For the first goal, he now felt confident and believed it was achievable. 

But for the second goal reaching the rank of a martial artist, he had no confidence at all. 

On the path of martial arts, even with full qi and blood circulation, one was still considered an ordinary person, not yet having broken through the limits of the human body. 

Only by reaching the rank of a martial artist could one truly be said to have stepped onto the martial path. 

As far as he knew, to enter the ninth rank of martial arts, one needed to circulate qi and blood throughout the body, supplemented by secret techniques and external aids, refining a layer of membrane beneath the skin that connected to the muscles. 

This membrane, once formed, would create a seamless barrier throughout the body, much like the membrane beneath the skin of an ox, connecting all the muscles. 

Only by achieving this could one be considered a ninth-rank martial artist, a skin-refining warrior. 

At the initial stage of the ninth rank, the transformation in strength wasn't particularly noticeable. It only slightly increased the intensity of qi and blood, added a bit of strength, and marginally improved resistance to blows. This level of resistance still offered little protection against weapons. 

However, once one progressed to the minor achievement stage in skin refinement, where the membrane became as hard as stone the so-called "stone skin" stage the difference was stark. 

At this level, ordinary weapons could hardly harm such a warrior, and their resistance to blows increased significantly. 

More importantly, their qi, blood, and strength would further improve. 

If such warriors were armed and armored, they would become nightmares on the battlefield ten of them could break through a thousand ordinary soldiers, and a hundred could rout ten thousand. 

If one reached the major achievement stage in skin refinement, the transformation would be even greater. 

The membrane would connect fully with the muscles, becoming as tough as bronze, making it difficult for ordinary swords and knives to cause harm. 

At the major achievement stage, even wearing simple clothing would be akin to donning armor. 

This was the power of a ranked martial artist. 

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