Standing in front of the wooden stake.
Jiang Ning's right hand gripped the axe tightly, aiming at the log in front of him and striking it with force.
Crack—
The sound of splintering wood echoed through the air.
Involuntarily, Jiang Ning released the axe, shaking out his numb right hand.
"Aunt Sun, can you handle it?" Aunt Sun poked her head out from the kitchen window.
"Sister Sun, I'm fine!!" Jiang Ning smiled back at Aunt Sun.
He rubbed his palms together and as blood circulation returned, the numbness in his hand greatly diminished.
Immediately, he gripped the axe again, stepped on the log with one foot, and as his Qi-Blood circulated, his right hand forcefully pulled out the axe that was stuck in the log.
The next moment,
Jiang Ning, holding the axe, circulated his Qi-Blood into his right arm once again, then struck down ferociously at the log, which was already half-split.
The axe fell.
Crack—
The log split into two in an instant.
"Not bad!" A calm voice came from behind without warning.
Jiang Ning turned to look, then promptly put down the axe in his hand and bowed respectfully.
"Master!!"
"Don't worry about me! Keep chopping the wood, chopping is also a form of training! The phrase 'Chopping Wood' is actually a type of blade skill!" Wang Jin spoke slowly.
When Jiang Ning heard these words, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he instantly understood why Wang Jin had given him the task of chopping wood.
"It seems my performance this morning caught the eye of Wang Jin!" Jiang Ning suddenly understood the rationale.
His enthusiasm was immediately rekindled.
Having caught the eye of Wang Jin meant he temporarily didn't need to worry about his personal safety.
Especially now that he could stay at the Martial Arts Hall, he was even less worried.
Afterward,
Jiang Ning once again propped up a thick log, his Qi-Blood surging into his right arm.
As the axe came down,
Crack—
The log split into two once again.
"The power of Qi-Blood is indeed mystical!" Jiang Ning marveled at the result of his strike.
The very first chop had only managed to split the log halfway, as he had not unleashed his Qi-Blood.
Now, with the explosion of Qi-Blood, he could cleanly split the log in two.
This demonstrated the profound mystery of the power of Qi-Blood.
Wang Jin stood watching for a moment and then, satisfied, he nodded and walked toward the back kitchen where Aunt Sun was.
...
Arriving in the back kitchen,
Wang Jin's nose twitched slightly.
"You're quite kind to this lad, even adding earth ginseng to tonight's meat soup."
"Master Wang!" Aunt Sun immediately became a bit nervous as she spoke, then hesitantly continued, "Looking at this boy, I'm reminded of my own child. Had nothing happened, he would be about his age now!"
Wang Jin fell silent upon hearing this.
The kitchen was quiet for a few breaths, filled only with the crackling sound of burning wood.
Then, Wang Jin broke the silence.
"No harm, add more meat to the soup! I'm also quite fond of this lad!"
Aunt Sun's eyes lit up, "Does Master Wang mean this boy has the potential to inherit your mantle?"
Wang Jin shook his head, "It's too early to say that! Whether he can seize this opportunity depends on his perception. Without sufficient perception, even with my inheritance he won't go far. However, for now, we can start his training!"
"Understood!!" Aunt Sun appeared pleased, "The lad is very polite, I quite like him!"
Wang Jin seemed to reflect on something, his expression softening, revealing a hint of a smile, "Indeed, he is very polite!"
Meanwhile,
As the two conversed,
Jiang Ning stood in front of the chopping block, eyes wide open and filled with shock.
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Entry 1/100)
"To gain a blade skill from chopping wood?" Jiang Ning was filled with astonishment.
Immediately, his face showed a trace of joy.
"Let's try again!"
With that thought, he positioned another log under the chopping block.
As the Qi-Blood surged forth.
Crack—
The log was split in two.
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Beginner 2/100)
"Indeed effective!"
He couldn't help feeling delighted, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Immediately after, another log was placed upon the stump.
Crack—
As the chopping blade fell, the log was divided again.
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Beginner 3/100)
"Not bad! Really not bad!"
Looking at the changes on the panel, he was very satisfied.
"With such a rapid increase in experience value, it's much faster than the Five Animals Fist! It might even be simpler than gaining experience in Reading and Writing!"
After finishing the trials, Jiang Ning's motivation surged even more.
"Log after log was continuously split open by his hands!"
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[...]
When Wang Jin came out of the kitchen, his attention was immediately captured by Jiang Ning.
"Has this kid gone mad?" Wang Jin watched Jiang Ning with his mouth slightly open.
At that moment, catching a glimpse of Wang Jin, Jiang Ning quickly put down the chopping blade and, still panting heavily, gave Wang Jin a respectful salute.
"Master!!"
Wang Jin waved his hand, "What's all this about? Why are you chopping wood with such fervor?"
With a serious expression, Jiang Ning replied, "Master has allowed me to stay at the Martial Arts Hall, protecting my safety! I have no way to repay you, except to work hard, to show my gratitude."
Hearing this, Wang Jin showed a helpless expression, "There's no need for this. You should work within limits! If you exhaust yourself too much, how will you be able to practice your fist techniques?"
Jiang Ning shook his head, "Master, don't worry. I have the wild ginseng from Brother Zhou to sustain me."
"Eating wild ginseng to recover strength for chopping wood, you're missing the point, lad!" Wang Jin laughed and cried at the same time as he looked at Jiang Ning.
"Master has given me the gift of teaching as well as the protection of my well-being! I am so grateful that I can only express it this way! If I were to accept it without a second thought, I wouldn't be at peace," said Jiang Ning earnestly.
Wang Jin, wearing an expression of resignation, shook his head, "Alright then, have it your way! Chopping wood can also train your strength and familiarize you with the feel of the blade, eye to hand coordination, the basic skills of blade techniques! If your comprehension meets the standards, becoming my True Disciple, the basic skills of blade techniques are essential!"
"Understood!" Jiang Ning's face lit up with excitement.
Seeing this, Wang Jin couldn't help but smile.
"Young people are straightforward, whatever is on their mind shows on their face! Not as composed and steady as this old man!"
Then, Wang Jin secretly watched Jiang Ning for the duration of a cup of tea.
"This kid values loyalty and duty!" Wang Jin nodded slightly, looking at Jiang Ning with a gradually softening gaze.
"Now I just hope that this kid's comprehension meets the mark! With his character, he could indeed look after me in my old age, and wouldn't betray or dishonor his lineage! Thinking about it, he really is an impressive seedling! However, as to how he turns out, it's up to him to strive for it! Without striving in Martial Arts, one's achievements will be limited."
...
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Beginner, 99/100)
"Just a little more experience value and I can make a breakthrough!"
Looking at his panel, Jiang Ning's somewhat tired body suddenly vibrated, and he found some new strength.
He straightened the log, his hand wielding the blade.
Crack—
With a clear sound, the log split in two.
[Chopping Wood Blade Skill Experience Value +1]
[Skill]: Chopping Wood Blade Skill (Master, 0/200)
In an instant, the last bit of added experience value triggered a qualitative change from the quantitative shift, as the Chopping Wood Blade Skill broke through from Beginner to Master.
Jiang Ning, holding the chopping blade, instantly felt a sense of familiarity.
Instinctively, he knew how to exert force to maximize chopping power, as well as how to conserve energy most efficiently.
His arm muscles also became tighter from the continuously growing experience value, and now with the breakthrough of the Chopping Wood Blade Skill, his arm muscles felt slightly warm and tensed even more.
Jiang Ning put down the chopping blade and clenched his fist, feeling the change in his arm's strength, and he nodded in satisfaction.
"The breakthrough of the Chopping Wood Blade Skill is indeed cost-effective!"
"The breakthrough to Master has an initial effect on me, and the upcoming breakthroughs to small success, Great Success, and Perfection will have even stronger effects!"
"Moreover, there's Break Limit!!!" His eyes sparkled with anticipation, thinking about the changes after breaking the limit, "The first Break Limit in Reading and Writing gave me the trait of 'unforgettable', I wonder what trait the first Break Limit in Chopping Wood Blade Skill will give me?"
"With my current efficiency, getting to Break Limit in Chopping Wood Blade Skill should not take too many days!"