Inside the room.
Xiao Emei hugged her body tightly.
"Commander Jiang, could you show some mercy?"
Xiao Emei bit her lip, her tone pleading.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning gave no response, instead calmly observing the woman before him.
After their brief clash, he had gained a clear understanding of the strength of Xiao Emei, ranked third on the Human Leaderboard.
She wasn't as formidable as he had initially imagined.
Not only had he completely overpowered her in terms of physical strength, but she also fell short in internal energy.
Although Xiao Emei had reached the "Inner Breath Like the Sea" level, possessing thirty years of cultivated energy, her total reserves were noticeably inferior to his.
Moreover, her efficiency in unleashing internal energy paled in comparison.
If Xiao Emei's explosive internal energy efficiency was rated as one, his was at least two or higher more than double the difference.
This was why, when his internal energy surged into Xiao Emei's body, it crushed her defenses like a tidal wave, tearing through her meridians and leaving her temporarily unable to muster her strength.
The disparity in physical prowess was even greater, which Jiang Ning attributed in part to his innate "Bear-Tiger Physique."
This congenital advantage meant that even if Xiao Emei's martial arts skills were on par with his, her physical resilience was far inferior.
Not to mention, his foundation was far more solid than hers.
Meanwhile, under Jiang Ning's oppressive gaze, Xiao Emei grew increasingly tense.
Half-exposed, she felt utterly vulnerable.
She was acutely aware of the allure her delicate figure held for men in the prime of their vigor.
Had it not been for this, she wouldn't have had countless suitors lining up for her favor.
Now, faced with the myriad possibilities running through her mind, anxiety and unease gripped her heart.
"Commander Jiang, I admit defeat! Whether you kill me or spare me, I'm at your mercy."
Jiang Ning studied her for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "I won't kill you."
These four words instantly sparked a glimmer of hope in Xiao Emei's eyes.
Even the lowliest ant clings to life how much more so someone like her, who had lived such a dazzling existence? The thought of death was unbearable.
"Since Commander Jiang has no intention of killing me, how do you plan to deal with me?" Xiao Emei asked.
Jiang Ning replied, "You will obey my orders and relay any information about me from the Moonwater Sword Palace promptly."
"No problem!" Xiao Emei agreed without hesitation.
"But I don't trust you," Jiang Ning stated flatly.
"Then how can I earn your trust?"
"Simple." Jiang Ning rose to his feet, looking down at her. "Swallow my blood."
"Blood?" Xiao Emei stared at him in shock.
The next moment, she saw a long blade gleaming with a cold light appear in Jiang Ning's hand.
The blade slid across his palm, and bright red blood welled up.
"Open your mouth," Jiang Ning commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
At this moment, an idea formed in his mind to use Xiao Emei as an experiment.
He wanted to test the extent of his control over the Divine's Scion.
If the degree of control proved sufficient, he would no longer have to worry about future complications.
Moreover, with Xiao Emei under his command, he could monitor every move of Xiao Qiushui, the master of the Moonwater Sword Palace the so-called "Strongest Below the Grandmaster Realm" in Dongling County.
No amount of caution was excessive when dealing with such a figure.
Meanwhile, though baffled by Jiang Ning's order, Xiao Emei had no choice but to comply given her current predicament.
She obediently opened her mouth.
Under Jiang Ning's control, the blood dripped from his palm like beads of water falling from eaves.
Drop after drop landed on her tongue.
In the blink of an eye, over twenty drops of blood had entered Xiao Emei's mouth.
Only then did Jiang Ning release his grip on the wound.
It healed instantly.
At the same time, Xiao Emei felt her blood surge, her entire body growing feverish.
Her expression changed dramatically. "Your blood contains an aphrodisiac?!"
"Endure it," Jiang Ning said coolly. "You'll soon understand its true effects."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Moving to a nearby table, he lit a candle and picked up a book to read.
[Literacy EXP +1]
[Literacy EXP +1]
[Literacy EXP +1]
[...]
As time passed, the experience points for his literacy skills steadily increased.
Compared to when he first started, his reading speed had improved significantly, and the efficiency of his skill growth had risen as well.
Meanwhile, Xiao Emei clenched her teeth, not daring to make a sound.
With her blood boiling and her body temperature soaring, a trace of desire inevitably stirred within her.
She could only do her utmost to control her mouth, ensuring no sound escaped.
Time passed quietly.
In the blink of an eye,
several hours had gone by.
Xiao Emei slowly unclenched her jaw.
She felt the turbulent energy and blood within her body gradually calming, her body temperature also returning to normal.
At the same time,
her heart was roiling with shock.
As Jiang Ning's blood had merged into her body and been absorbed, she sensed her physique undergoing a certain transformation.
Her skin, flesh, bones, and sinews grew stronger, her energy and blood swelled, and her power increased.
This intense enhancement and metamorphosis was something she had never experienced before.
As a woman, even if her martial arts realm was the same as that of male warriors, her physical body was inherently weaker an unavoidable reality.
This was precisely why, among martial artists in the world, women accounted for only thirty percent, while the remaining seventy percent were men.
But now, after several hours of internal upheaval, she felt her energy and blood had surged by at least twenty to thirty percent.
Her strength had also significantly increased compared to before.
She even sensed that her bones, tendons, and membranes had grown far more resilient than they had been.
Xiao Emei could tell
compared to her former self, her current physique had strengthened by at least twenty to thirty percent, perhaps even more.
Such a transformation left her utterly astounded.
It could be said that after these hours of evolution,
she felt her body had surpassed that of ordinary warriors at the same level.
And what had brought about this change was the blood that had flowed from Jiang Ning's body.
Just a few dozen drops of his blood, entering her system, had produced such an effect.
"Who is he?" The thought flashed through Xiao Emei's mind as she glanced at Jiang Ning, who sat by the candle in the room.
She couldn't help but recall their earlier confrontation.
In just one exchange, she had been utterly crushed by Jiang Ning's strength.
Faced with the power he had unleashed, she had found herself completely helpless.
And then there was the overwhelming pressure of his fist intent it had left her stunned.
Third-level fist intent, manifesting in reality, turning illusion into truth.
Such a miraculous realm was something she had witnessed today in this remote county town, embodied by Jiang Ning, a man years younger than her.
It had left her momentarily dazed. If she hadn't mustered her inner energy at the last moment to weave a seamless protective barrier around herself,
just the burst of flames alone would have inflicted serious injuries, let alone the terrifying impact.
But what truly shattered her understanding was Jiang Ning's final eruption of inner energy.
The moment their energies collided, she realized Jiang Ning wasn't at the sixth rank of martial arts he was at the fifth rank, the Inner Strengthening realm.
And within that realm, he had progressed further than she had, surpassing her by a significant margin.
Even with both of them having reached "inner energy like the sea," possessing over thirty years of cultivated power, Jiang Ning's inner energy was purer than hers, and its explosive force far outstripped her own.
This defied all logic.
When she received the task from her master, Xiao Qiushui, she investigated Jiang Ning's background.
He was young nearly a full cycle of the zodiac younger than her, not even twenty yet.
And yet, she had sensed over thirty years of cultivated power within him. It shattered her understanding entirely.
How long had he been training?
How much time did it take to reach the fifth rank?
How could he possibly possess over thirty years of cultivated power?
As these chaotic thoughts swirled in Xiao Emei's mind,
Jiang Ning turned the last page of the book in his hands.
He closed it, set it on the table, and looked up at Xiao Emei.
"Has the transformation ended?"
Hearing this, Xiao Emei stared at Jiang Ning, then nodded slowly. "It's over."
Then she added, "Why did Commander Jiang give me such a... benefit?"
"Benefit?" Jiang Ning chuckled.
He immediately understood what she meant.
In the next moment,
he focused on the imprint that had merged into Xiao Emei's body along with his blood.
With a single thought,
Xiao Emei's expression changed drastically.
Her fists clenched tightly as she collapsed to the ground.
She felt as though her internal organs, limbs, and every part of her body were being torn apart, piece by piece, layer by layer.
The agony was instant and overwhelming.
In less than two breaths,
"Stop... spare me..." The pain wracking her body had already reduced her to trembling.
Then, just as suddenly,
the torment receded like the tide.
Hah
Hah
Xiao Emei gasped for breath, overwhelmed with relief, suddenly grateful for everything even the simple act of breathing felt blissful.
She couldn't help but gasp heavily for breath.
It took a full dozen breaths before Xiao Emei's heaving chest finally began to calm.
She looked at Jiang Ning, her heart still trembling with lingering fear, her eyes filled with dread.
The changes in her body just now were all too clear to her it had felt like her flesh, blood, and sinews were being torn apart.
In that state, not only was she overwhelmed by agony, but she could have been severely injured or even killed.
Such a miraculous yet terrifying transformation, coupled with Jiang Ning's earlier words, made it impossible for her not to realize that this was his doing.
"Commander Jiang, there's something wrong with your blood?" Xiao Emei's voice carried a tone of certainty.
"You're not wrong," Jiang Ning nodded slightly.
"Just who are you?" Xiao Emei asked.
"Does it matter?" Jiang Ning countered.
"I understand now!" Xiao Emei took a deep breath and said, "I've heard that gods have the ability to control their followers."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at her.
Seeing his reaction, Xiao Emei grew even more convinced of her speculation.
As the head disciple of the Moonwater Sword Palace and the most likely successor to the position of Palace Master, she was far from ignorant of the world's affairs.
She had heard of the many changes, anomalies, and strange phenomena in this world.
Naturally, she knew of the existence of sects like the Black Lotus Sect and the Worship Sect, as well as the fact that behind many of these sects stood gods in the process of awakening.
The chaos spreading across the Great Xia Empire was also closely tied to these developments.
With gods awakening and various forces stirring unrest for their interests, the world had naturally fallen into turmoil.
She had also heard rumors about the abilities gods used to control their followers.
Now, based on her knowledge and what she had just witnessed, combined with Jiang Ning's earlier display, she realized she had stumbled upon a great secret concerning Jiang Ning himself!
It also suddenly made sense to her why such a small, remote county could produce a prodigy who could completely overpower her.
Divine Humans those who were gods reincarnated into mortal form, the rebirths of deities.
She had heard rumors before that in other provinces, there were such reincarnations of gods.
Now she discovered that it wasn't just other provinces even in Zeshan Province, there was a reincarnated god.
After uncovering Jiang Ning's secret, all the puzzles in her mind suddenly became clear.
The blow to her confidence earlier also eased somewhat.
From what she knew, the reincarnations of gods were all true deities from ancient times.
Those great deities needed to reincarnate to shed their divine forms and break free from certain constraints.
Such beings could never be measured by ordinary standards.
How could a mere human compare to a god?
Thinking this, Xiao Emei's heart grew calm.
She looked at Jiang Ning and said, "Commander Jiang, from now on, I, Xiao Emei, will follow your orders without hesitation."
"Good." Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction.
Xiao Emei if he were to kill her, the trouble it would bring would be no less than that caused by He Jinyun.
And this trouble would be out in the open.
After all, Xiao Emei's current status was that of the head disciple of the Moonwater Sword Palace, the foremost candidate to succeed as the next Palace Master.
This meant that Xiao Emei represented not just herself, but also the face of the Moonwater Sword Palace and the dignity of its master, Xiao Qiushui, the strongest below the Grandmaster level in Dongling County.
If Jiang Ning were to publicly kill Xiao Emei, it would be a direct slap to the face of the Moonwater Sword Palace and Xiao Qiushui herself.
The consequences would be severe.
But by keeping her alive and controlling her like this, the price he paid was merely those twenty-some drops of blood, while potentially gaining an insider and informant within the Moonwater Sword Palace.
With Xiao Emei as his inside source, he could handle any potential threats from Xiao Qiushui with far greater ease.
A moment later, he stood and walked toward a wardrobe nearby.
Opening it, he pulled out a white robe and tossed it to Xiao Emei.
"Take it and cover yourself."
"Yes!" Xiao Emei caught the robe and draped it over herself, half-concealing her slender shoulders as she nodded meekly.
Jiang Ning glanced at her briefly before looking away.
"Commander Jiang, I'd like to get dressed..." Xiao Emei said softly.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning turned and walked out of the room.
He pushed open the door and stepped over the threshold.
Earlier, when his fist technique erupted, he had held back his strength since they were indoors.
The flames that materialized from nothingness were also contained within a radius of one zhang, leaving most of the room intact only the floor where they had fought was damaged.
The burst of flames had also been focused solely around Xiao Emei, with none leaking outward.
After all, this was his room, and he still had to live here.
If he hadn't restrained himself, that single strike alone would have been enough to collapse the entire building, reducing it to rubble.
Once outside, Jiang Ning headed toward the side courtyard where Lü Yi resided.
"Young Master!" Seeing Jiang Ning at the door, Lü Yi's eyes instantly lit up with joy.
Jiang Ning said, "Come with me."
"Yes, Young Master!" Lü Yi nodded repeatedly.
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