Luo River Lake.
The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
Splash
Waves surged, and foam flew.
At this moment, the surface of the Luo River Lake was shrouded in a thin mist.
The vast expanse of the lake was covered in waves and fog, with nothing else in sight.
Only the distant shore flickered with scattered lights.
Suddenly.
Splash
A splash erupted on the lake's surface.
A head emerged from the water.
It was Jiang Ning.
He shook the water from his hair and wiped the droplets from his face.
[Skill]: Canglang Blade Technique (Proficient 195/200)
"Just five more points to break through!"
He murmured to himself.
Then he took a deep breath, slowly exhaling the stale air from his lungs.
As he repeated this process, he felt the Essence of Plants in his stomach releasing its medicinal power, continuously restoring his stamina.
"I'm a bit tired," he sighed, speaking to himself. "One more round of practice, and once the blade technique breaks through to Small Success, I'll go back to sleep. I haven't even had dinner yet!"
In the next moment, he plunged back into the water.
He began practicing his blade techniques in the lake.
As he practiced, the experience points for the Canglang Blade Technique continued to increase.
[Canglang Blade Technique experience +1]
[Canglang Blade Technique experience +2]
[Canglang Blade Technique experience +1]
[Canglang Blade Technique experience +1]
When the final notification appeared, the Canglang Blade Technique had accumulated enough experience points, smoothly breaking through.
[Skill]: Canglang Blade Technique (Small Success 0/500)
At this moment, Jiang Ning closed his eyes and stopped practicing.
Countless images flashed through his mind scenes of him practicing his blade techniques throughout the day.
One strike after another, the blade's momentum was unending, and the undercurrents were dispersed by his blade.
As he watched these images, countless insights about the blade technique flooded his mind.
In his closed-eyed state, the scenes replayed over and over, as if he were practicing the blade techniques repeatedly.
Time seemed to stand still, both fleeting and eternal.
When he opened his eyes underwater, a sharp gleam, like a flash of blade light, shone in his eyes.
He gripped the longsword in his right hand, energy flowing through his arm.
Vast and powerful, ready to burst forth at any moment.
"Triple Force Burst!"
Jiang Ning felt the changes in his body and smiled with delight.
In the next moment, he channeled his energy.
"Break"
Underwater, he let out a shout.
The water in front of his mouth exploded instantly.
His blade slashed down.
Boom
A deafening roar echoed ahead.
With this strike, the waves were split apart.
The undercurrents rushing toward him were shattered.
The water in front of him was cleaved open, creating a vacuum.
The water spread outward from the point of his blade's impact as if he had carved out a void in the lake.
A moment later, the water rushed back in, quickly filling the void.
Feeling the needle-like pain in his right arm, Jiang Ning grinned.
In the next moment, he pushed off the water and shot upward.
Soon, he surfaced.
Whoosh
Breathing in the fresh air, he let out a long sigh.
[Skill]: Canglang Blade Technique (Small Success 0/500)
Looking at his panel again, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
In less than a day, the Canglang Blade Technique had broken through from Proficient to Small Success. This progress was monumental.
And his current physique, having reached the Stone Skin level, was truly remarkable.
After a quick test, he realized that his body could now barely withstand the break out of triple force.
This was much easier than when he had first entered the ninth grade of martial arts and could only handle double-force bursts.
At this moment, he trod water, half of his body above the surface.
He switched the longsword to his left hand and clenched his right fist, still feeling the fine, needle-like pain in his muscles.
"Although overlay triple force bursts put a significant strain on me, I can still manage it."
"In my current state, I can break out about ten times without a problem."
Jiang Ning thought to himself, nodding in satisfaction.
"Ten bursts are enough to end a fight."
"If I can't kill my opponent with triple force bursts, then there's no point in fighting. They're simply too strong for me."
Then, he dove back into the water and swam swiftly toward the shore.
Even though the lake was still turbulent, with waves and wind, his current strength, stamina, and exceptional swimming skills made the conditions irrelevant.
He moved through the water like a fish.
[Water Affinity experience +1]
[Skill]: Water Affinity (Small Success 46/500)
"With Small Success in Water Affinity, I feel like a fisherman who's lived by the water for over a decade."
"If I reach Great Success, Perfection, or even a breakthrough, how incredible will my swimming skills become?"
"In the future, if I'm pursued by a powerful enemy, once I enter the water, I'll be like a dragon returning to the sea. Who could catch me?"
Jiang Ning thought to himself, feeling extremely pleased.
Today's unexpected acquisition of the Water Affinity skill had brought him immense joy.
After experiencing the changes in his swimming abilities, he made a decision.
Tomorrow, he will continue practicing his blade techniques in the water.
He aimed to break through to Great Success in the blade technique as soon as possible and master the overlay of five layers of force.
After testing the triple force burst earlier, he had a rough idea of his physical limits.
The overlay of five layers of force might cause irreversible damage to his right arm.
However, in a life-or-death situation, the choice between losing an arm and losing his life was obvious.
He might not use the five-layer force burst, but he had to master it.
This was the difference between having the option and not having it.
Moreover, practicing the Canglang Blade Technique in the water would also allow his Water Affinity skill to improve rapidly.
In just a few hours today, the skill had gone from Beginner to Small Success.
At this rate, he could reach Perfection in a day or two.
Even breaking through wouldn't take long.
In Jiang Ning's eyes, both the Canglang Blade Technique and Water Affinity were crucial for increasing his chances of survival.
With his system, he knew that nothing was more important than staying alive.
As long as he lived long enough, he would eventually become invincible.
So, while he might not use the five-layer force burst, he had to master it.
As the saying goes, "It's one thing to have a sword and not use it, and another to not have a sword at all."
Furthermore, if his Water Affinity continued to improve, being by the Luo River, he would have a significant advantage in the water.
He believed that once his Water Affinity skill broke through, no one in the world would surpass his swimming abilities.
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