Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chapter 782 Jiang Ning arrives at Zhuge Manor!
in the courtyard.

After some trial and error...

Jiang Ning then opened his eyes again.

Although it is dark now, it is only because winter has arrived; in reality, it is still early.

"It's still early!" He glanced at the light on in the room ahead and the woman's graceful figure reflected in the window. As the candlelight flickered, the figure seemed to dance within the room.

Jiang Ning slowly withdrew, then closed his eyes.

"The Winter Manual has reached perfection, but it is still some distance from breaking through its limits. If the Four Seasons Manuals are to be further integrated and master higher-level mysteries, the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Manuals must all reach the same level."

"Now that spring and summer have both reached their limits, we still need to wait until autumn and winter."

"Now is the perfect time to appreciate the cold of winter and further promote this classic."

A thought flashed through my mind in an instant, and then my mind wandered.

In an instant, his mind encompassed the entire city of Guangning.

Every snowflake, every wisp of cold wind, was vividly perceived by him.

He sensed the stillness of all things, the hibernation of plants and trees, and the burying of life in ice and snow.

Then, his mind continued to expand, not only covering Guangning City, but also reaching the wilderness and the mountains and forests.

He saw squirrels hibernating in the tree hollow, and he saw the winter food stored in the tree hollow.

I saw a python curled up deep underground, and grass and tree seeds frozen in the soil.

Everything in the world seems to fall into a long, lifeless silence during this season.

But at the same time, he also sensed that within the silence lay the seeds of life.

All things are sealing themselves away, not waiting for death to approach, but waiting for spring to arrive so that they may be reborn.

At that time, the plants will grow back, the squirrels will awaken from hibernation, and the pythons will become active again and lay their eggs.

"Winter hibernation is not death; life arises from stillness!"

Thoughts arose in his mind, and images began to form in his head.

The Beginning of Winter marks the time when all things hibernate and life is buried.

Minor Snow, the first snow falls, a desolate scene of life.

(I.e.
winter solstice
Small cold
Cold
In the midst of a snowy winter, with snow covering thousands of mountains outside, my mind is filled with images of the six solar terms of winter.

The artistic conception he was cultivating was also constantly growing.

[Winter Handbook Experience Points +266]

[Winter Handbook Experience Points +266]

[Visualization Experience Points +9]

【.】

On the panel, with each jump, the experience points increase significantly.

However, the required 10,000 experience points for a breakthrough will take a considerable amount of time to accumulate.

As time went by, the night grew deeper and the weather grew colder, and the snow and wind surrounding Jiangning became more and more pronounced.

The wind and snow swirled around him, eventually engulfing his figure.

I don't know how much time passed.

Snowflakes suddenly rose up from the snow-free sky, shooting straight into the heavens.

It disappeared into the vast night sky.

Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.

[Skill]: Winter Treasure Trove (Perfect 5677/10000)

In just one night, less than two hours, the Winter Treasure Book, which required 10,000 experience points to break through, had increased by more than half in his hands.

"In a few more hours, I will be able to break through the limit for the first time."

He looked at his panel and muttered to himself.

Then, close the panel.

He glanced again at the room where Ji Mingyue was.

The candlelight has gone out.

In the stillness of the night, he could hear Ji Mingyue's soft breathing inside the house, as well as the crane's calm and long breaths.

Clearly, both Ji Mingyue and the crane had fallen asleep.

Seeing this, he went back to his room to sleep.

The next day.

call--

Jiang Ning exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes.

[Skill]: Winter Treasure Trove (Perfect 7388/10000)

"Almost there!" He closed the panel.

I looked towards a corner of the courtyard.

At this moment, Ji Mingyue was dressed in a large fox fur coat, which covered her body completely, making her appear even more petite.

Beside her stood a crane, standing on one leg, preening its feathers with its red beak.

"Little Seventeen, let's go!" Jiang Ning said.

"Is it Lord Shen who came to see us?" Ji Mingyue asked.

"Almost!" Jiang Ning nodded. "We won't go now; the maids in the manor will come to fetch us later."

“Then let’s go over there!” Ji Mingyue said.

Jiang Ning nodded: "Judging by the time, we should have breakfast first, then go see the Dragon of Jiujiang—Wang Wenzong! I'd also like to meet this legendary figure from a hundred years ago!"

As he spoke, Jiang Ning's gaze narrowed slightly.

He had heard of Jiujiang Long—Wang Wenzong.

I already had some basic understanding of it.

He was once a notorious villain, ranking third among the eighteen dragon heads, and his hands were stained with countless blood.

The front hall of the Marquis's residence.

"Lord Wenyuan!" Jiang Ning greeted Shen Wenyuan with a cupped hand.

"I was just about to go find you two to have breakfast together, but I didn't expect you to show up here." Shen Wenyuan said with a smile as he walked towards the two of them.

“My lord, there’s no need for such formalities! Just send a servant to fetch us if you need anything,” Jiang Ning said.

“Then there’s no need for such formalities, Marquis of Dongling. How about we address each other as brothers?” Shen Wenyuan said.

“That won’t do!” Jiang Ning immediately shook his head: “The Marquis is much older than me, so it is inappropriate to address him like that.”

Shen Wenyuan said, "We have come this far, how can we be viewed with worldly eyes? A Grandmaster can live for at least three cycles of sixty years, so being born a few decades earlier is nothing! Moreover, in the path of martial arts, Brother Jiang is the forerunner, above me, so it is perfectly acceptable for him to address me as brother!"

When he spoke, Shen Wenyuan's tone was resolute.

At this moment, Ji Mingyue listened to the conversation between the two, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"You two really did change your way of addressing each other. Calling him 'Lord Marquis' all the time gets tiresome!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenyuan laughed heartily.

"Since Princess Mingyue has said so, then it's settled!"

"Well then... I've met Brother Shen!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands in greeting, no longer bothering with the formalities of address.

“Alright!” Shen Wenyuan nodded emphatically, then said, “Brother Jiang, Princess Mingyue, please take a seat and have some breakfast. The three of us will then visit Wang Wenzong and ask him to come out of seclusion!”

"Okay!" Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue both nodded.

……

Breakfast is over.

The heavy snowfall had stopped last night.

Although the sky wasn't perfectly clear at the moment, the air was crisp and clear.

Shen Wenyuan, along with Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue, once again arrived at the three-courtyard house.

dong dong dong-

Shen Wenyuan then stepped forward and knocked on the door. A moment later...

With the sound of the bolt falling, the door slowly opened.

Appearing before the three was a child who looked to be about ten years old.

The child had a rosy complexion and wore few clothes, yet steam still rose from his head in the dead of winter.

Jiang Ning looked slightly surprised when he saw the child appear.

"Such vigorous yang energy!"

Shen Wenyuan nodded, only uttering words that Jiang Ning could hear: "Born a virgin, his yang energy accumulated too early, and has already formed the Three Yang Meridians!"

"The three of you, please come with me. Grandpa has been waiting inside for quite some time!" When the child saw Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue appear, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at the two unfamiliar faces before stepping aside.

The three nodded and stepped over the threshold of the house.

After passing through another door, you will see a square courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard.

An elderly man with silver hair sat upright on a bench, wearing a short jacket. His exposed arms were thin and bony, showing only skin and bones.

Despite the frigid weather, with water freezing solid, the old man wore only a short jacket and showed no signs of cold.

Jiang Ning's gaze then fell on the large spear in the old man's hand.

The old man held an oilcloth and kept wiping the shiny gun tip.

The gun barrel in his hand was polished to the point that it resembled a mirror, reflecting human figures and hair in perfect detail.

At this moment, with the arrival of Jiang Ning and the other two, the old man seemed not to notice, and continued to wipe the tip of the large spear in his hand.

Looking at the old man in the courtyard, Jiang Ning knew that this person was none other than Jiujiang Dragon—Wang Wenzong.

He was also the third-ranked figure among the eighteen dragon heads.

He used to be surnamed Longwen, but after some unforeseen events, he chose to retire from public life, changed his surname from Long to Wang, and returned to his ancestral roots.

In the vast land of Kyushu and its thirty-six prefectures, this person was a figure of considerable stature.

At first glance, seeing Wang Wenzong's emaciated figure, he thought that this Jiujiang Dragon King Wenzong was no longer as brave as he used to be.

But upon closer inspection, he overturned this judgment.

Because Wang Wenzong looked extremely thin, like a little old man.

However, he noticed that the snow around the spot where Wang Wenzong was sitting had already melted silently.

Even from several feet away, one could feel the fire emanating from Wang Wenzong, a raging fire.

The inner self and the outer appearance are not the same.

"Wang Wenzong's physical body must be very strong!" Jiang Ning thought to himself as he looked at the old man wiping the spearhead in front of him.

Just then.

Wang Wenzong stood up, casually placed the oilcloth in his hand aside, then gripped the middle of the spear and used the butt of the spear to strike the ground.

As the butt of the gun landed lightly on the ground, Jiang Ning felt a sudden jolt beneath his feet.

But he saw that the stone brick under Wang Wenzong's feet was intact and had not been broken by the impact of this force.

"What a masterful control of force!" he thought to himself.

On their very first meeting, Wang Wenzong repeatedly impressed him.

At this moment, in his view, this Jiujiang Dragon King Wenzong must be worthy of his reputation.

Among the second-rank grandmasters, they might truly possess the qualifications to fight against first-rank masters.

"Who are these two?" Wang Wenzong asked, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Ning.

"This is Marquis Jiang Ning of Dongling, and also the Inspector of Zeshan Prefecture!" Shen Wenyuan raised his hand to Jiang Ning and introduced him to Wang Wenzong.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wenzong's gaze immediately fell on Jiang Ning, his expression showing some surprise.

"So you are the legendary figure known as the greatest genius of the past eight hundred years!"

After he finished speaking, he shook his head again: "What a pity! Such a young age, with such a bright future, he was indeed too outstanding and fell victim to the immortals' curse!"

Jiang Ning smiled faintly.

Then, Wang Wenzong's gaze swept over Ji Mingyue, who was standing next to Jiang Ning.

“This is the seventeenth princess of the royal family!” Shen Wenyuan said again.

Wang Wenzong nodded: "I've heard that this young girl is in love with this boy, and it caused quite a stir!"

Ji Mingyue smiled faintly: "Senior is too kind!"

Wang Wenzong shook his head: "A beauty of unparalleled grace, it's a pity she'll be a widow, and she was born in a bad era, a royal princess in such turbulent times is not a good person!"

Having said that, he raised the spear in his hand.

"Let's go! It's time to head to Wolonggang, or it'll be too late!"

"Alright!!" Shen Wenyuan nodded, feeling reassured as he sensed the fighting spirit emanating from Wang Wenzong.

Although the Yingtian Alliance is strong now, it has several Grandmasters.

But his situation isn't bad either.

If Jiang Ning is included, then there are three.

Moreover, Wang Wenzong alone is equivalent to several others.

"Remember what you promised me!" Wang Wenzong said casually as he brushed past Shen Wenyuan.

……

Wolonggang.

It is located 150 li outside Guangning City.

It was the residence of Zhuge Mountain Villa.

Over the past century, through the efforts of several generations of the Zhuge family, the Zhuge family has achieved unprecedented prosperity.

The entire family consists of over 700 members, including four Rank 3 Blood Exchange Realm Grandmasters, one of whom is a top-tier Grandmaster.

The recent turmoil resulted in the loss of a grandmaster in the Zhuge family, severely damaging their strength.

However, with three Grandmaster-level experts, the Zhuge family remains a top family in Guangning Prefecture.

However, today, the once grand Zhuge family estate is shrouded in gloom, like a dark cloud hanging overhead.

Inside the main hall of Zhuge Manor, the current head of the family, Zhuge Qingsong, sat in the main seat with a solemn and iron-like expression.

He was waiting, waiting for news to arrive.

Beside him were the only two remaining third-rank Grandmaster elders of the clan, as well as other important figures in the clan.

At this moment, a gloomy atmosphere hung over everyone's face.

“Patriarch,” a gaunt elder with a long beard spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, “The Yingtian Alliance’s final ultimatum was at noon, and now there is only one hour left, yet there is still no news from Shen Wenyuan. Ji Mingzhou has been ruthless lately, and when he strikes, he leaves no one alive. If we do not have outside help, this situation may not end well.”

"Is Lie'er properly settled now?" Zhuge Qingsong said, "Although the Yingtian Alliance seems to have been provoked by Lie'er, it was actually Ji Mingzhou who took advantage of the situation. Lie'er's talent is the hope of the Zhuge family, and this spark must be preserved."

"They've all been settled!" The clan elder nodded, then added, "The collateral branches have all been dispersed, and now there are only about five hundred people left in the village."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingsong nodded: "That's good. No matter what, as long as Lie'er is here, the hope of the Zhuge family remains. The insignificant collateral branch has been dispersed, but it has also left a spark for the Zhuge family! More than a hundred years later, as long as Lie'er rises to power, the Zhuge family will be able to regain its former glory."

"Has the patriarch made up his mind?" Just then, another elder asked.

Zhuge Qingsong's gaze swept over the two clan elders at the Grandmaster level beside him. Both of them had their eyes slightly closed, as if they were resting, and they looked like it was none of their business.

Zhuge Qingsong said resolutely, "The Zhuge family can be exterminated, blood can be shed, but our integrity cannot be destroyed!"

Just then.

-

A crane's cry rang out.

Piercing through the sky.

As the sound rang out.

The two Grandmaster-level elders, who had been keeping their eyes closed, suddenly opened them, their gazes sharp as they looked out of the hall, as if trying to see through the walls to the sky.

"That's... the cry of the Royal Shadow Crane?!" An elder also immediately recognized the crane's cry.

"It seems we have help now!" Zhuge Qingsong's face immediately showed a relieved expression, and then he stood up: "Elders, come with me to greet our distinguished guests."

"Yes, Patriarch!" everyone responded in unison, and then stood up.

(End of this chapter)