Breathing Through the Ears

Following the instructions of the cultivation method, he sat cross-legged. His upper body was upright and his entire body relaxed naturally. Clasping his hands in a midnight-noon clasp, he held them together before his lower abdomen. Vibrating his nasal cavity, he breathed according to the requirements of the Turtle Breathing Art. His chest and abdomen rose and fell, his breathing drawing out exceptionally long and even. Over two hours passed. Lin Zheyu gradually entered the state; his heartbeat began to slow, and his body temperature dropped by several degrees. Another thirty-odd minutes went by, and he opened his eyes, unable to maintain the state any longer. The Turtle Breathing Art required a martial artist to possess an exceptionally high degree of control over their body in order to govern the flow of qi and blood and regulate heart rate, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing metabolism. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 7 Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 4%) Golden Goose Skill (First Layer 39%) Turtle Breathing Art (Uninitiated 2%) "After practicing for so long, there's only this much progress. Even getting started is brutally difficult," Lin Zheyu remarked to himself. He wanted to sit cross-legged once more and continue cultivating the Turtle Breathing Art, but felt an agonizing discomfort in his heart and lungs—a clear sign that his internal organs were not yet robust enough to endure the art. After several hours of simmering, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted through the courtyard. Lin Zheyu drew a deep breath, feeling his spirits somewhat restored. This time, he had put in fifteen doses of qi-supplementing and blood-nourishing medicinal herbs altogether, dividing them among five medicine pots to brew at once. "I'll have to ask Master Liang if he has any formulas with more potent medicinal strength. As my strength increases, the herbs I need are multiplying. I can't be simmering a hundred packets of medicine at once in the future," Lin Zheyu thought to himself. He poured out the brewed medicinal decoction, let it cool, and drank it down. Sitting cross-legged, he assumed the posture of the Turtle Breathing Art and projected his thought: 'Use two units of Origin Power to upgrade the Turtle Breathing Art.' The Turtle Breathing Art primarily cultivated control over the body's sinews, flesh, skin, membranes, internal organs, and qi and blood. It offered little enhancement or physical restructuring to the body, and provided negligible increases in raw strength. Consequently, the energy required to remodel the body was not very great. Origin Power decreased by two units, and Lin Zheyu's spirit entered that special state. He forgot everything, casting aside all worldly thoughts, and immersed his whole being in cultivating the Turtle Breathing Art. In this unique mental state, it felt as though several years had passed, and his comprehension of the Turtle Breathing Art deepened continuously. The progress of the Turtle Breathing Art surged rapidly, leaping in an instant from uninitiated straight to the first layer, and moments later reaching the second layer. It came to a halt at 26%. At the same time, mysterious energy surged into his body, mobilizing the medicinal power to strengthen and transform his physique. Unlike the sensation when upgrading the Wild Bull Fist, the Turtle Breathing Art's increase to strength and toughness was negligible; it primarily enhanced control over his own body. Guided by the mysterious energy, the decoction's medicinal potency seeped into the muscles, bones, cells, and blood throughout his body, carrying out deep, meticulous nourishment and restructuring. What was elevated were all minute nuances—subtle areas exceedingly difficult to reach through ordinary martial training. As his mastery grew, the aura radiating from Lin Zheyu showed no sign of strengthening; instead, it grew even fainter. The sharp, aggressive edge honed by practicing the Wild Bull Fist also steadily softened alongside the advancement of the Turtle Breathing Art, until it vanished altogether. Several breaths later, Lin Zheyu opened his eyes, a flicker of marvel flashing across them. "The Turtle Breathing Art truly is marvelous." This was an extraordinary art. The purpose of cultivating the Turtle Breathing Art was not to enhance martial strength, but to prolong life and preserve vitality. To regulate metabolism and qi and blood, and to lower cellular activity in order to achieve longevity, one's understanding of the body had to reach a staggering level. Moreover, cultivating it was exceptionally arduous. One had to strengthen the subtle nuances of muscle and viscera step by step through rigorous discipline to deepen physical control. After the Turtle Breathing Art stepped into the second layer, Lin Zheyu felt his control over his body climb to a whole new level. Although he was currently still far from the Qi and Blood Realm, through the Turtle Breathing Art he had gained a much greater understanding of qi and blood. "Phew..." Lin Zheyu employed the breathing technique of the Turtle Breathing Art. As he circulated the art, the aura about him diminished rapidly. Between breaths, his aura dropped precipitously until he appeared just like an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts, merely possessing a somewhat sturdier build. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 5 Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Proficient 4%) Golden Goose Skill (First Layer 39%) Turtle Breathing Art (Second Layer 13%) "The second layer. All the medicinal power I drank down has been exhausted, along with a sliver of my bodily energy—fortunately, not much," Lin Zheyu murmured inwardly after taking stock of his condition. Using two units of Origin Power at once just now had consumed a bit more than expected; the medicinal potency of roughly seventeen doses of decoction would have been enough to meet the demand. "It's a pity there weren't enough medicinal herbs left in the house, or else I could have advanced directly to the third layer," Lin Zheyu thought to himself. The second layer of the Turtle Breathing Art was of limited use to him. The Turtle Breathing Art had three layers in total. Cultivating it to the perfection of the first layer allowed one to conceal their strength among peers of the same realm. Cultivating it to the perfection of the second layer meant that even martial artists two realms higher would be unable to see through one's strength. If cultivated to the perfection of the third layer, the body became flawless and leakless, returning to simplicity and the origin. One's control over qi and blood, as well as essence, qi, and spirit, would reach an unprecedented realm. At that point, not even a martial arts Grandmaster could necessarily see through one's strength. "Tomorrow I'll ask Master Liang if he has any formulas with greater medicinal potency. Otherwise, having to brew so many herbs every time is far too troublesome," Lin Zheyu said to himself. Based on his calculations from this latest upgrade, advancing to the third layer would require roughly three units of Origin Power, coupled with approximately twenty-five doses of qi-supplementing and blood-nourishing medicinal decoctions. ...