Chapter 9: Omen

Ning Xuan’s train of thought was completely opened up.

As long as he summoned the Heavenly Demon Record and then did some training that he was originally completely incapable of, he could become stronger.

The training for “Constitution 3.9 Ning Xuan” would also affect “Constitution 1.4 Ning Xuan.”

But what should he train?

He had already finished practicing the “Wind-Chasing Swallow Saber.”

And from Master Zhang, he knew that “martial arts techniques” had many overlapping areas.

It wasn’t that if you practiced the “Wind-Chasing Swallow Saber” and then went to practice a fist technique, a palm technique, or a sword technique, you would become several times stronger.

Although Master Zhang himself had not reached that realm, he was very clear about some of the ins and outs of the martial world.

He told Ning Xuan some principles.

“A person’s constitution is seven parts training and three parts nourishment. Too much is as bad as not enough. Every person in the martial world is actually not too different in constitution. It’s not that if you practice my ‘Wind-Chasing Swallow Saber’ and then go to practice another technique, your constitution will become stronger.

It doesn’t exist.

In that case, it’s more likely to distract you and cause you to regress instead of advance.

Therefore, in the martial world, everyone competes with moves, and victory and defeat, life and death, are decided by moves.

Even if you have mastered the Swallow’s Return Three Sabers of the ‘Wind-Chasing Swallow Saber’ and become a leader in the martial world, in the long history of the martial world, you have just entered the door, just stepped into the first realm.

This realm is the realm of having moves.”

Ning Xuan said, “Then is the next realm the realm of no moves?”

Master Zhang said, “Yes, and no.”

After a pause, he added, “To reach the realm of no moves, you must first break moves, break all the moves in the world.

All kinds of moves in the world cover various attack methods and conceal various back-up killing moves.

Only by fighting and killing with the masters of these aspects and breaking all their moves will you get closer and closer to the realm of no moves.

But different moves are also different in the hands of different people…

For those who haven’t practiced to a high level, you can break them with speed, so there has always been a saying in the martial world, ‘In all the martial arts in the world, only speed is unbreakable.’

But what if both sides are very fast?

That’s when you’ve truly entered the realm of breaking moves, and that’s when you can truly improve.”

Ning Xuan had originally wanted to ask, “What if a beast has a tough hide and thick flesh, is impervious to sabers and spears, but also knows martial arts?” But Master Zhang had actually already told him the answer.

“Impervious to sabers and spears” and “only speed is unbreakable” were actually both about a kind of top-down suppression. But how could you use someone weaker than you as a reference for your training?

That’s why there were moves.

And demonic arts… weren’t they also a different kind of move?

To make your moves stronger, learning was not enough. You had to practice, you had to break.

Only by breaking others’ moves could you gain enlightenment. After that, even if you used the same move, it would be much stronger than before.

Ning Xuan felt that he couldn’t deliberately pursue this realm of no moves.

He just understood one thing from Master Zhang: even if he went to find a new technique to practice now, it would most likely have no effect.

Therefore, he decided to return to the most primitive training method: long-distance running with weights, rock climbing, squats, weightlifting, one-finger push-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and so on…

As long as he could keep increasing the weight and make himself very tired, then… it should mean that his training was effective.

In the deep mountains and old forests…

Ning Xuan carried a small mountain-like boulder on his back, took a deep breath, and began his morning run. When he reached a cliff, he threw the boulder away, then looked up at the steep mountain wall that soared into the clouds, and suddenly leaped up. His figure appeared at a height of more than twenty feet, and his right hand’s five fingers slammed down like a claw.

Thud!!

His fingertips dug into the rock, as easily as a normal person inserting their fingers into soft mud.

His ferocious figure hung in mid-air, and with a tightening and pressing of his fingers, he rose up.

Thud!

His left hand’s five fingers dug into the cliff wall.

He climbed and bounced on the cliff like a giant gecko.

For a normal person, if they made a misstep, they would fall to the bottom of the cliff and be shattered to pieces.

But for him, it was like long-distance running on flat ground. Although it required effort, it was definitely not dangerous.

An incense stick’s time later, Ning Xuan climbed to the top of the cliff.

He stood on the protruding cliff, facing the morning sun and opening his arms.

Half a month later…

On the cliff.

Under an old pine tree, a squirrel was holding a pine cone and eating it absent-mindedly. High above, a hawk was staring at it with sharp eyes, its wings slightly folded, its body slightly hunched, ready to dive down and hunt its prey.

And suddenly, a terrifying aura came.

The squirrel dropped the pine cone and ran for its life.

The hawk no longer cared about the prey it had been staring at for a while, and spread its wings and fled in panic.

Thud!!

A hand suddenly appeared on the protruding rock of the ten-thousand-foot cliff.

A black shadow then flipped up and sat on the edge of the cliff.

In the early morning, the sea of mist was golden.

In the golden mist, Ning Xuan took a deep breath and looked into the distance.

The training these days had been very effective.

He glanced at the panel.

[Life (Constitution): 1.8]

[Mountain-Crashing Bear] (Can provide an additional 2.3 Life attribute when summoned)

“Life” had increased by a full 0.4.

This was certainly gratifying, but there was something even more interesting.

That was, as his own constitution improved, his body size was normalizing.

From the ten feet after summoning the “Heavenly Demon Record,” it had been reduced by a full two feet, and was now over eight feet tall. It was very tall, but it was already within the range of a human.

This meant that “if his own body was very weak, then after he summoned the Heavenly Demon Record, he would be infinitely close to the appearance of the demon in the Heavenly Demon Record;

But if his own body was strong enough, even if he summoned the Heavenly Demon Record, his body shape would not change too exaggeratedly;

Even if his own body surpassed the Heavenly Demon Record, his body shape would not be affected at all, but would only become denser and contain more terrifying explosive power.”

He could completely use the Heavenly Demon Record to train himself and break through the limits of the human body step by step.

Thinking of this, Ning Xuan was full of motivation.

Training was also to improve his quality of life, so that if a disaster were to strike, he would not be completely helpless.

Although he didn’t understand why it had been almost a month and the Ning family’s mountain villa had not been attacked by that Mountain-Crashing Bear demon. But Ning Xuan could never forget the pain of being eaten inch by inch by the bear demon.

That kind of suffering, once was enough.

“Continue!”

Ning Xuan rested for a while, then carried the boulder on his back again, and then, like a gecko, “swoosh,” he climbed up the straight cliff wall. His muscles were knotted, and his veins were like earthworms. He began to climb quickly with his head down and his feet up.

He… began his morning exercise.

In the evening, Ning Xuan changed into brocade clothes and appeared at the entrance of Star River County again.

Horses and the like were no longer needed.

He ran faster than a thousand-li horse.

If he were to chase someone, that person would not be able to escape even if they rode the fastest horse.

Therefore, the originally long distance from “Star River County to the desolate mountains and wild ridges” was shortened due to the significant increase in his speed.

He could run to the old mountain where the Ning family’s mountain villa was located, thirty li outside the county, in the time it took for an incense stick to burn, and the return journey was the same.

Today, in the sunset.

He had exercised for a day and felt refreshed.

His body shape was more streamlined, from the original soft and weak pretty boy to a strong and powerful young man.

His muscle lines were faintly visible, firm but not bulky, like a cheetah ready to pounce. His shoulders also seemed a little wider, his steps were steady and powerful, and even his breathing had an uplifting rhythm.

He hadn’t had a good time for a month.

In the past, he would have gone out to play long ago.

Feasting, visiting brothels, hunting, watching beast fights, horse riding, appreciating paintings, appraising jade, and looking for novelties at the Fugui Merchant Guild were all his simplest and most ordinary daily routines.

A fire ignited in his heart, but he quickly dismissed the idea and thought to himself: ‘I’ll go and play after I’ve finished training. I can still improve.’

He would not stop.

He had to improve himself as much as possible, until he reached a point where he “couldn’t improve any further,” and only then would he be at ease to be lazy.

At this moment, in the sunset, the ancient street of Star River County was like a painting, with shops lining the streets, presenting a scene of ancient prosperity.

Old Master Ning was not only famous, but also a great philanthropist known throughout the ten li and eight villages.

It could be said that Star River County, and even the neighboring city, were prosperous because of Old Master Ning.

But no one knew what Old Master Ning actually did.

All everyone knew was that after those who came to do good deeds had finished their good deeds, they all said that Old Master Ning had sent them.

Old Master Ning really had a lot of face.

Everyone who saw Young Master Ning also had a friendly smile.

Usually, it was like this.

But today was a little different.

There was wind on the street.

The wind was very cold.

Dust was swept up, and the tarpaulins rustled.

The sunset was red.

A grayish red.

In the wind, under the sunset, the people walking were in a hurry, and their faces had a strange look of panic. Even when they saw Young Master Ning appear at the county gate from a distance, they didn’t have time to show a smile.

On the side of the street, a carriage was parked quietly.

But when Ning Xuan appeared, the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted, and a petite and exquisite maid suddenly rushed out from inside. As if she had survived a disaster, she grabbed Ning Xuan’s hand and cried, “Young Master, it’s so good that you’re okay, so good, so good, wuwuwu.”

She said this sentence repeatedly.

The young master had only told her that he was going out.

And to avoid worrying the mistress of the Ning residence, she had concealed it for him.

If something had happened to the young master, she would have been finished.

Today, something had happened in the county.

She didn’t even dare to stay in the mansion, but hurriedly drove the carriage to wait at the county gate.

Ning Xuan glanced around, then looked at the extremely nervous Xiao Jie, and said, “Let’s talk in the carriage.”

Xiao Jie nodded.

Then, as soon as Ning Xuan got into the carriage, he saw a solid bundle on the carriage. He picked it up and weighed it.

Good heavens, there were a lot of clothes, and also gold and silver.

After a slight unpacking, he even saw silver notes inside.

It seemed that something had really happened in the county. Xiao Jie had already prepared for his tragic death, and was ready to run away overnight if she couldn’t wait for him.

Ning Xuan’s mood was completely calm. He pulled the bundle tight again, threw it aside casually, didn’t care, didn’t ask, and didn’t pay attention.

He knew what kind of person Xiao Jie was.

It was not strange.