Slap! Slap! Slap!
Off to the side, Zhou Xing clapped his hands together.
"Brother Zhou!" Jiang Ning revealed a smile.
Zhou Xing also wore a full smile, "Brother Jiang, your learning ability is strong. You've just started today and your Five Animals Fist already has the proper form."
Jiang Ning smiled lightly, "Brother Zhou overpraises me. I was simply born with a strong memory, unforgettable. I'm just copying what I see, that's all!"
"So that's it. Otherwise, it would be a bit too discouraging for me!" Zhou Xing nodded and smiled gently, Jiang Ning's answer didn't come as a surprise to him.
To be able to perform such standard boxing techniques upon initiation required critical memory and learning imitation abilities.
This had nothing to do with martial arts talent.
No matter how high the martial arts talent or how strong the comprehension, one must first remember the techniques, movements, and the key points of breathing to display their gift and comprehension.
Therefore, in his view, today's performance from Jiang Ning only proved that his memory and learning abilities were extremely high, far above the average person, and didn't prove anything else.
Soon after, Zhou Xing spoke again, "However, even so, Brother Jiang's talent is quite remarkable! At the very least, Brother Jiang's starting point is much higher than most people!"
Zhou Xing's expression suddenly became a bit wistful, "I remember back when I started, I spent three whole days and nights just memorizing the essentials of the Five Animals Fist's boxing manual. I'm truly a bit envious of Brother Jiang's talent!"
Jiang Ning just smiled.
Zhou Xing continued, "The sky is getting late; I should be going now! Brother Jiang, don't rush your boxing practice, take care not to neglect your body."
Jiang Ning nodded, "Thank you, Brother Zhou, for your concern. I understand!"
Before leaving, Zhou Xing mentioned one more thing, "Brother Jiang, are you satisfied with the effects of the Wild Ginseng?"
"Satisfied!" Jiang Ning nodded.
"Good to hear!" Zhou Xing smiled and then walked towards the exit of the Martial Arts Hall.
...
Outside the Martial Arts Hall, a carriage had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time.
"Young master, why did you spend so long in the Martial Arts Hall today?" a man dressed in black, with a long sword at his waist, spoke.
Zhou Xing revealed his usual smile, "I saw a Disciple who recently joined the Martial Arts Hall and possesses remarkable talent, so I stayed a bit longer."
"Does the young master intend to recruit him then?" the man in black asked.
Zhou Xing shook his head, "While my family's business does need skilled individuals, we also believe in quality over quantity. He can become a real disciple of the Martial Arts Hall first. It's not so simple for one of common birth to reach the Martial Arts Entry level!"
"Didn't you say he has remarkable talent? Can't he pass the test?" the man in black inquired.
"Hard to say. Watching him practice just now, it was clear he relied on his exceptional memory, wanting to practice all five types of boxing simultaneously. If he does not realize the difficulty soon, there's an over ninety-five percent chance that he'll fail!"
"In that case, why doesn't the young master give him some guidance?"
Zhou Xing shook his head, "Everyone has their own fate; there's no need to interfere forcibly! That often leads to unnecessary troubles and resentment."
...
In the Martial Arts Hall.
Jiang Ning imitated the Resting Deer from the boxing manual, breathing in three short and one long breaths, quietly recovering his strength.
After a moment, as the medicinal power of the Wild Ginseng continued to take effect, he felt his vitality and strength replenishing once again.
He then resumed his boxing practice.
With the panel, each complete round of boxing practice increased his Experience Value by one.
And with ten Experience Points, the Five Animals Fist could reach initiation.
This goal was laid out before him, and imminently achievable, filling Jiang Ning with motivation.
[Five Animals Fist Experience Value +1]
After practicing another round, Jiang Ning rested briefly again, letting the remaining Medicinal Power gradually dissipate within his body.
Once his strength and energy were restored, he began the next round of practice.
[Five Animals Fist Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Pre-initiation 6/10)
"Only four more rounds!" Seeing the Experience Value increasing on the panel, Jiang Ning grew more and more exhilarated.
Jiang Ning then rested for an hour, and by now, the setting sun was gradually sinking.
Under the afterglow of the sunset, he performed the entire Five Animals Fist sequence from beginning to end once more.
Based on the memory in his mind, he kept adjusting his postures to align with Wang Jin's demonstration as closely as possible.
Gradually, Jiang Ning's Boxing became faster, the fists he swung caused his sleeves to whip through the air, making a fierce, rustling sound.
His Boxing grew smoother and more fluid as well.
Until he retracted his fists.
He let out a satisfying shout.
In that instant.
At the limit of exertion, he felt as if a surge of Qi Blood erupted in his chest; though on the verge of exhaustion, it was like being nourished by rain, regaining some strength instantly.
```
[Five Animals Fist Experience Value +4]
```
Four points of experience value?
Jiang Ning was secretly astonished in his heart.
Then, his attention was captured by the changes within his own body; at this moment, he felt a barely perceptible warm current emerging from his blood.
"This is!!"
He widened his eyes.
Bathed in the last remnants of the sunset's afterglow, Jiang Ning's eyes shone brightly. He could distinctly feel the warm current meandering through his body, each area it passed feeling as comfortable as bathing in a hot spring.
"Could this be the Qi Blood Power mentioned in the boxing manual?" he questioned inwardly.
"According to the records in the boxing manual, producing the first strand of Qi Blood Power signifies touching the foundation of Martial Arts. Strengthening Qi-Blood and enabling it to reinforce the whole body is an essential requirement for entering the realm of Martial Arts."
He closed his eyes and quietly savored the warm current flowing continuously throughout his body, invigorating him where it traveled.
"This feeling! This sensation is too thrilling!"
He couldn't help but become somewhat obsessed.
At this moment, he also began to understand why so many people in his previous life were addicted to fitness; the pleasure of bodily enhancement was truly captivating and intoxicating.
This was the first time he truly felt the pleasure of practicing Martial Arts; this sensation of physical enhancement was far more noticeable than any fitness routine he had experienced in his previous life.
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Beginner 0/100)
Looking at his status panel, Jiang Ning wished he could practice the Boxing technique again to release the exhilaration in his heart, but he understood that his body couldn't sustain another round of practice.
Practice boxing, but with moderation!
His body had already reached its limit. If not for the mouthful of blood that burst forth from his chest, he would already be facing a state of collapse.
Jiang Ning took out a brocade box from his bosom and opened it for a glance.
"I need to use it sparingly!"
He immediately closed the brocade box again and placed it back at his waist.
"Wealth for the literati and weapons for the brutes, ah!"
At this moment, Jiang Ning deeply acknowledged this saying.
Throughout the entire afternoon, he managed to practice the Five Animals Fist a total of seven times, all relying on that Wild Ginseng.
He knew that if he ate another piece of Wild Ginseng, his physical and mental energies would be restored to their original state, allowing him to practice the Five Animals Fist one last time, bringing it to the beginner level.
But he couldn't bear to do it.
Such consumption in a single afternoon meant that a whole piece of Wild Ginseng wouldn't last him many days.
After recovering a bit of his strength, Jiang Ning thought for a moment and then once again assumed the stance.
This time, he was prepared to conduct an experiment.
To see if practicing lazily could still increase his experience in the Five Animals Fist.
The very next moment.
He casually executed each move, breathing as usual without employing the breathing technique that complemented the Five Animals Fist.
After a short while.
A figure in blue sportswear emerged from the backyard.
She spoke lightly, and her voice clearly reached the ears of everyone in the front yard.
"The herbal medicine is ready, you can go to the backyard to collect it!!"
Upon these words, everyone ceased their training activities.
"Let's go, let's go!! Time to get the herbal medicine from the kitchen!!" someone excitedly said.
After saying this, Li Qing looked towards Jiang Ning, who was still practicing.
Seeing Jiang Ning's loose stance and his erratic breathing rhythm, she couldn't help but frown.
"Brother Jiang, you should go to the kitchen to collect your medicine as well."
"No rush, let me finish this set of Boxing!" Jiang Ning replied while continuing his practice.
As he spoke, Jiang Ning's punching speed increased, and his breathing became even more rapid.
Seeing this, Li Qing's brow furrowed even tighter.
Weak movements, no discipline in breathing, it seemed no different from child's play in her eyes.
Watching a little longer, she shook her head lightly and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ning sped up and finished practicing the Boxing technique.
After finishing, he stood still and quietly waited for a few breaths, but no prompt to gain experience values appeared.
"As expected, it doesn't work!"
He confirmed his suspicion.
The next moment, Jiang Ning rushed towards the direction of the Martial Arts Hall's kitchen at high speed.
Having tasted the potent effects of the Wild Ginseng given to him by Zhou Xing, he prioritized the herbal medicine that Wang Jin had previously mentioned even more.