Ordinarily, a cup of dan water was meant to be sipped in small mouthfuls and taken in stages. This both prevented the toxicity from becoming overwhelming and allowed time for gradual adjustments.
However, that method was suited to those born with natural talent. With the slightest stimulation, their mutated tissue would grow upward.
Chen Chuan knew very well that he was not someone gifted with such innate talent. The dan water Cheng Zitong had given him had likely had its toxicity moderated somewhat as well. Fearing the stimulation would fall short, he had simply downed the entire cup in a single gulp.
As the cool, thick liquid slid into his stomach, a heavy sensation settled over him first. A moment later, a searing heat flared up, which soon turned into a prickling pain spreading through his entire body, followed by a numb sensation everywhere.
To fully harness the effects of the dan water, he did not use his Second Self to ward it off. Only in a moment of genuine danger would he redirect the harm, so he bore the brunt of everything the dan water brought upon him.
After a while, when his limbs felt as though they had vanished and even breathing grew somewhat difficult, he knew the medicinal potency had pervaded his entire body. He immediately began circulating the "Shoucang breathing technique" to stimulate the mutated tissue of his internal organs.
He had reviewed this breathing technique many times before. Though he had never practiced it beforehand, with his prior foundation, he mastered it with great ease even on his first attempt.
After channeling it for more than an hour, his vital qi and blood circulated unimpeded, and he regained control of his body. Rising to his feet, he began channeling the stance jin of Zhouyuan Jin again and again, unleashing various forms of jin in rapid succession. Accompanying these movements, he let out resonant vocalizations attuned to the different internal organs, deepening the medicine's penetration into his viscera.
Under normal circumstances, stance jin was a method of conditioning—a milder approach that, while lacking intense stimulation, could be sustained for long periods.
Unleashing jin, however, was quite different. The stimulation was sufficient, but the amount of jin a person at the First Limit could expend was limited. Thus, when attempting a breakthrough, the typical method was to drink the dan water in small sips across intervals, rely on nutrients to replenish what was spent, and wait until some recovery was made before resuming, stretching out the intervals between each exertion of jin as much as possible.
Yet he cared nothing for such constraints. He released his jin almost incessantly, using it to continuously squeeze and stimulate his internal organs while his Second Self diverted the physical damage away without pause.
Under his efforts, the mutated tissue nestled in his viscera—like seeds slumbering in deep soil—began to awaken and gradually permeate outward, slowly spreading according to his intent and guidance.
If an ordinary fighter were attempting such a breakthrough, they would have had to take the dan water in increments, test the waters cautiously, probe the bottom line of their endurance, and carefully balance it with other medicines. There would likely be setbacks and hesitations along the way; even if everything went smoothly, it typically took two to three days.
Yet such stop-and-go stimulation also left the growth pathways of the mutated tissue fragmented and disorderly. Although it could be smoothed out later, flaws would always linger at the root.
For him, however, it took only a few hours. From awakening from dormancy to active growth, the mutated tissue developed almost in a single uninterrupted breath without any gaps, rendering its network exceptionally clear and orderly.
This was not without its drawbacks. Prompting growth too quickly left the tissue somewhat frail and limited in strength. But that, too, could be remedied afterward—and it was by far the easiest flaw to fix. All it took was ample nutrition and stimulation to nourish it, and it would soon swell with vigor.
Chen Chuan kept at it until the daylight soon slipped away. Naturally, he was not expending jin at every single second; after the initial channeling, that was no longer necessary. From then on, after releasing jin a dozen or so times at most, he would pause, transitioning into a jin stance or sitting quietly to regulate himself with the Shoucang breathing technique.
One method was hard and the other soft. Grinding against each other like yin and yang, they blended and complemented one another, echoing and transmitting between themselves to continuously spur the mutated tissue.
By the end, he felt sticky all over and could even smell a bitter scent. This was the toxic matter of the dan water being expelled from his body; only once it was completely purged could the medicine be considered fully utilized.
At that moment, he slowly guided his breath, calming and gathering everything inward.
That was as far as he could go for today.
Within a single day, the growth of mutated tissue still had its natural limits. Now that it had been successfully awakened and stirred, he only needed to continue the process over the next two or three days to consolidate it.
Moreover, having constantly absorbed the damage caused by the jin throughout the day, the Second Self was also nearing the upper limit of what it could endure. It would have to wait until tomorrow.
He turned and left, took a hot bath first, and changed into clean clothes before returning to sit quietly on the couch, sipping tea and admiring the night scenery outside while slowly exhaling.
This place truly aided in soothing the mind. According to the records, as the mutated tissue of the internal organs grew stronger and more complete, a fighter's emotions would be magnified accordingly, and some might find themselves unable to maintain self-control.
Young fighters in particular could easily be driven by emotion into all sorts of reckless acts if they were not careful.
The usual countermeasure was medication to suppress the burgeoning emotions. This was indeed necessary and had proven an effective method summarized over time.
It prevented elite students from acting on sudden impulses and committing extreme acts, while for those with darker minds, the destructiveness brought by magnified emotions would be even greater.
Naturally, there was another approach: utilizing the environment and various wholesome activities, combined with regulating breathing techniques, to foster a positive mindset and consciously overcome the impulses. That was precisely what he was doing now, as it proved more beneficial than merely relying on drugs, and restraining oneself was a form of cultivation in its own right.
It was merely that one addressed the body while the other addressed the mind. Only when both were disciplined could one truly be said to have mastered oneself rather than remaining a slave to instinct.
From the materials Cheng Zitong had given him, fighters in the old era had already recognized this. At times, they would light an incense burner and chant scriptures to calm their minds.
Certain cults, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to use their doctrines to warp people's minds and alter their subconscious, possibly aiming to stimulate aberrant mutated tissue. Thus, calling them "demons" was not without reason.
After meditating for a spell, Chen Chuan felt much relieved in both body and mind. Swallowing a pill meant to aid in recovery and nourishment, he went to rest.
The next day, waking at five in the morning, he made his preparations and drank another cup of dan water to continue the unfinished channeling from the day before.
This time went much more smoothly than yesterday. The beginning was always the hardest, after all; today, he only needed to maintain yesterday's achievements and expand outward from there.
Having channeled the Shoucang breathing technique for a full day, he was far more practiced with it. Nor did he try to forge a novel path with the jin techniques he employed, faithfully adhering to the knacks recorded in the Zhouyuan Jin technique instead. Until he had completely mastered this power for himself, the experience of predecessors was worthy of respect.
If yesterday had merely been about drawing forth the mutated tissue in the various parts of his viscera, then today's goal was to link those parts together into a cohesive whole.
This step required deeper coordination between the jin technique and the breathing technique and demanded extreme care, so he was exceedingly cautious. Fortunately, the solid foundation laid on the first day had left the pathways of the mutated tissue clear, allowing the process to proceed relatively smoothly.
As the day drew to a close, he felt that with just one more push, he could completely unite the mutated tissues and attain the Second Limit.
Yet he did not act on impulse. Seeing that the physical load on his body was nearing its limit, he naturally stopped, took a bath, and returned to enjoy the scenery, sip tea, and cultivate his mind.
That night, he also went to sleep right on schedule without overthinking things.
When the third day arrived, he drank the third cup of dan water and continued yesterday's guidance.
His execution today was even more effortless. Almost naturally, the mutated tissue across his internal organs coalesced into a single whole, forming a fragile circuit. From here, he only needed to carefully nourish and regulate it for the mutated tissue to settle firmly and permanently within his viscera.
Reaching this step meant he had formally stepped into the Second Limit of martial cultivation.
From this moment onward, whenever the mutated tissue inside his body received external stimulation, the vast majority of it would focus on mutating the internal organs.
The mutated tissue in his muscles and bones would not halt its progression either; once the internal organs grew stronger, it would be reinforced in turn, opening up an even higher ceiling.
He cautiously tested the release of jin. Even without a clear point of comparison for now, he could distinctly feel that every physical attribute had improved substantially.
And this was merely the beginning. As his gains consolidated and the organ mutation continued, further changes would manifest, steadily pushing his combat capability higher.
Just as when he had first entered the First Limit, mutated tissue always experienced a rapid growth phase at this stage. With the aid of medicinal potency and proper training, a fighter could feel themselves improving day by day.
Breaking through the limit brought genuine joy. Based on past experience, he felt that his overlap time with the Second Self would surely increase as well—and by no small amount.
Estimating it with his watch, he found it had not disappointed: it had increased by roughly forty minutes this time, bringing his total overlap time close to three hours. For him, on the verge of testing for the unlimited defense license, this was unquestionably good news—it meant his chances of survival had once again grown.
After sitting for a moment, he stood up, poured a cup of tea, sat back down, and opened a notebook.
Cheng Zitong had delivered this earlier. Inside were He Xiaoxing's supplementary notes on fighting styles and the application of jin after entering the Second Limit.
Although the Zhouyuan Jin technique included jin stances for the Second Limit, it lacked all combat applications and jin techniques. During the First Limit, pairing it with Orthodox Sanshou and mimicking the jin of other disciplines had been enough.
At the Second Limit, however, the layers of jin application grew far more complex. Every piece of mutated tissue could be brought into play, and the techniques and jin that could be unleashed were beyond anything the First Limit could match.
Other fighting departments had records left by predecessors for reference, but he had none at all; he could only rely on guidance from experienced figures and feel his own way forward.
Still, looking over the key records of other departments was an option, though doing so was no simple matter. After reaching the Second Limit, students either graduated or became instructors, so such materials were restricted to teachers or elite students authorized by the academy.
If he submitted a report, the academy certainly would not hesitate to grant him access, but he did not wish to reveal his progress just yet.
He Xiaoxing had not only been an instructor at the academy in the past, but had also interacted extensively with all manner of fighters and reached a sufficiently high level himself. One could obtain very apt pointers from him.
The advice in the notes suggested that he not concern himself with overly complex matters for now; at this stage, bringing his power and speed to bear was enough. Possessing those two attributes was sufficient to handle the vast majority of battles. It laid out methods of application and several key knacks without delving into excessive technical nuances.
At the end, it noted that there were things He Xiaoxing did not need to spell out—once Chen Chuan ascended to an even higher limit, he would naturally understand them.
Chen Chuan pondered this and found the advice aligned closely with his own thinking. Now that he had successfully broken through to the Second Limit, once he overlapped with his Second Self, it should be more than enough to handle almost any situation.
Chapter 144