Departure

Chen Chuan did not attempt a dive right away. He had only just received the Furnace Breathing Technique, and at best, he had committed it to memory; before he actually began practicing, he could hardly claim to have mastered it. Even if he pushed himself harder today, without tapping into— So once they finished speaking, he and He Xiaoxing walked back. Chang Ba knew that He Xiaoxing must have taught Chen Chuan something, and he could not help letting out a sigh. He wanted to learn too, but there was nothing he could do if he didn't meet the standard. He glanced at the sinkhole not far away, and at the thought of that environment, a shiver ran through his whole body. Forget it; others could handle the hard work, while he was only responsible for eating and drinking his fill. On that point, he remained very confident. Once the two returned, they got into the vehicle with him and drove all the way back to the town. Since his formal training had ended, Chen Chuan planned to give himself a break. Besides, in all the time he had spent in town, he had gone nowhere except Dan Lake. According to Chang Ba, there were plenty of fun places around here. For example, over a hundred kilometers to the south, there was sandboarding among the dunes. Or to the north, there were the Myriad Image Caverns, about a day's journey away. If he didn't care to travel that far, barely sixty li away lay Sweetwater Oasis, where the luscious fruits and mouthwatering roast meat were second to none. Chang Ba had pointed out, however, that he could just eat roast meat right here. His craft was in no way inferior to theirs; his entire family was skilled at it, and they had a stellar reputation. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't flock to his inn year after year, many of them returning guests. Then, of course, there was the famous Luoya Ancient City, which drew well over half of the visitors here. But Chen Chuan did not intend to go. From what he had gathered these past few days, the place was hemmed in by wind-eroded rock spires; anyone unfamiliar with the terrain needed a guide to enter and exit, or they would never find their way. Just exploring the surface structures of the ancient city would take several days, to say nothing of the labyrinth beneath. In a short stay, one could hardly see anything at all. He simply didn't have the time and was better off just wandering nearby. If he truly wanted to go, he would see if an opportunity arose in the future. In the end, he decided to follow Chang Ba to the dunes for sandboarding. For him, a sport centered on finding balance posed virtually no challenge; it felt even simpler than skiing. Yet it wasn't without its charms. If one picked out the right line between the dunes, it was possible to keep sliding almost without stopping. Doing so demanded keen judgment and consummate control, along with a touch of luck—because at times, a passing gust of wind might disrupt everything, or it might just give an extra push. After relaxing there for a day, he and Chang Ba returned to town only as night fell. As soon as they entered the inn, a staff member handed him a booklet, explaining that He Xiaoxing had asked for it to be given to him. This had to be the booklet He Xiaoxing had mentioned. Since it contained no concrete breathing secrets, it was useless to anyone else and incomprehensible to an outsider, so there was no harm even if someone saw it. After voicing his thanks, Chen Chuan returned to his room, washed up, changed into comfortable clothes, brewed a cup of the local specialty grape tea, and slowly flipped it open. Inside, the pages were filled entirely with handwritten script. He had seen He Xiaoxing's handwriting, and this was not it; the strokes here were seasoned and archaic, resembling the hand of an elderly man. That had nothing to do with him, however. He perused the contents, which mainly reminded the practitioner of several crucial points requiring extra caution. For instance, once the breathing technique was put into use, one had to remain vigilant at all times. If the normally accumulated energy was exhausted and one did not consciously stop, the technique would not cease on its own; instead, it would consume one's own mutated tissue as fuel, ultimately burning the practitioner to cinders. So what this secret art required learning was— Reading up to this point, Chen Chuan thought to himself that no wonder Teacher He demanded he be capable of controlling his emotions, able to both unleash them and rein them back in. If he failed at that, then the moment hot blood rushed to his head, he might well end up dragging his opponent down to mutual destruction. As for the section on storing energy, it also stated that accumulating more was not always better. Exceeding a certain threshold imposed an equal burden upon the body. Yet this limit could be expanded through training. The more mutated tissue one possessed and the sturdier it grew, the higher the ceiling of stored energy became. Over time, as the body gradually adapted, its holding capacity would rise accordingly. Furthermore, there were numerous ways to apply it. Even without unleashing it in a single burst, it could be used to sustain prolonged combat, though the methods of control required the practitioner to gradually grow familiar and master them. After thumbing through the entire booklet, Chen Chuan had a clear picture in mind. Stowing the booklet beneath his luggage, he returned to sit upright and began breathing slowly according to memory. This breathing technique was rather intricate. Being unaccustomed to it, he took nearly an hour to complete a single cycle. Toward the end, though he sat motionless, he still felt his entire body growing hot, while sensing a sliver of strength being stored away within his mutated tissue. It was merely so faint as to seem nonexistent. There was nothing strange about that, as energy required prolonged accumulation, and he had only just begun training in the breathing technique—he was still far from proficient. There was still over a month left until September. He resolved to strive to master the Furnace Breathing Technique during these coming days and store up as much energy as possible, for there was no telling when he might need it. In the days that followed, in addition to his daily training as before, he incorporated the practice of the Furnace Breathing Technique. Under his relentless efforts, his consumption of medicine proved faster than ever before. In less than half a month, he had nearly exhausted the remaining supply. When July thirtieth arrived, Chen Chuan went to the testing ground once more. This time, he would cast aside all trickery and rely purely on speed to meet everything below. Through the previous two excursions, he had realized that as long as his speed was fast enough and his reflexes keen enough, he could evade the vast majority of hazards down there. He Xiaoxing and Chang Ba stood in the distance, waiting to see his performance today. Chen Chuan drew a slow breath, pushed off with his toes, and leaped into the sinkhole. After a soft splash, followed by a surge of displaced water behind him, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. With the fruits of over ten days of training combined with the aid of the Furnace Breathing Technique, his reactions were sharper and his speed far greater than before. He continually darted and swam between the sinkholes, touching one target marker after another. By the time an hour drew to a close, though he had not kept count, he knew he had already surpassed the limit of twelve. Yet he did not stop there. Closing his eyes, he crossed his arms inward and drew a deep breath through his internal breathing technique. As more oxygen coursed deep into his frame, driven by the Furnace Breathing Technique, his body gradually grew scorchingly hot. The rapid exchange of gases produced countless tiny bubbles all around him, which floated upward through the water. At the same time, he kicked with both feet, leaving behind a lingering wake as he dove toward the deeper reaches of the sinkhole, plunging ever further within. Earlier, he had relied purely on speed and reflexes to skirt past hazards along the way, but now, as he traversed the passage, he did not alter his course in the slightest. When confronted with turbulent currents, his fingers plunged into and wrenched out of the cave walls in rapid succession while his feet kicked steadily, braving the force to surge upstream. Once that impeding strength dissipated, he shot forward at high speed once again. As for the schools of fish he encountered, he made no attempt to dodge, plowing straight through. Those in his path instantly ruptured and scattered into paste, leaving only panic-stricken schools fleeing in all directions. Throughout the entire process, he felt an exhilarating sense of liberation. The sensation of throwing caution to the wind, casting everything aside, and simply charging forward was immensely wonderful. The mutated tissue within his body grew fully active as well, transforming into the very force that propelled him, driving him faster and faster. Yet even amid such an intoxicating sensation, he did not indulge himself or become a slave to emotion. An hour later, he reined himself in at the proper moment and headed toward the surface. After a long while, when light appeared above, he stroked with hands and feet, suddenly accelerating. Nearing the water's surface, his muscles surged with power; with a loud crash, he broke through the surface and leaped out. Extending his body, he flipped in midair and landed firmly on both feet, his knees bending slightly before he straightened up. Then he looked toward He Xiaoxing. This dive was his final report for the training period, as well as a gift he presented to He Xiaoxing. He Xiaoxing looked at Chen Chuan's body, which was still radiating heat, and gave a slow nod. Chang Ba looked between the two. He didn't ask how many markers Chen Chuan had touched this time, for he had a feeling that it no longer mattered. After changing into fresh clothes, Chen Chuan came before He Xiaoxing once more and said, "Teacher He, I've been away for nearly a month. I plan to head back tomorrow." He Xiaoxing said, "Go on back. Old Cheng ought to be very glad to have a student like you. You should go much further." Chen Chuan said solemnly, "This student will." Leaving the testing ground, Chen Chuan returned to the inn. He bought a few local items and stopped by to say goodbye to the people he had met over the past days, letting them know he was about to leave, before heading back to his room to pack his bags. When the two of them stepped out of the building, an off-road vehicle drove up. Chang Ba hopped down excitedly holding a camera and called to them, "Just in time, just in time!" He raised a hand. "Brother Chen, Uncle He, let's take a picture together!" Neither of them refused. Chang Ba handed the camera to the photographer in the vehicle, then trotted back over. He Xiaoxing was far taller than both Chen Chuan and him, so he stood slightly behind in the center, while the other two flanked him. With the press of the shutter button, a click captured and froze the scene in time. Chang Ba clapped Chen Chuan on the shoulder. "Brother Chen, I'll drive you to the station." Chen Chuan did not decline. He turned to He Xiaoxing, bowed deeply to him, and said, "Teacher He, thank you for your guidance these past days. This student takes his leave." With that, he straightened up, tightened the case strapped to his back, and stepped into the vehicle. He Xiaoxing remained standing on the hillside, watching the vehicle slowly descend the slope and drive off into the distance. After driving out of town, Chang Ba pulled out a hardcover notebook and handed it to Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, here's a little something for you." Chen Chuan took it and looked inside, discovering that it was filled with drawings by Chang Ba, all depicting their training over the past days. Among them were the moment he entered the water, as well as the scene of the three of them eating roast meat together. With just a few strokes, the figures' movements had been captured with vivid life. Although Chang Ba had drawn himself looking not the least bit inferior to the others—and even like some pivotal figure—it was art, after all; a little creative license was only natural and understandable. Looking ahead at the road, Chang Ba said, "When I was a kid, I wanted to practice fighting arts, but my father wouldn't let me, saying the time wasn't right. Back then, all I could do was sketch them based on how they fought. Who knew I actually had some talent for it? I never managed to learn how to fight, but I sure learned how to draw this stuff. Heh, it's pretty crude, so don't hold it against me." Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I think it's wonderful. Thank you, Brother Chang. I really like this gift; it's a great keepsake." Chang Ba burst out laughing. Hardly anyone ever looked at the things he drew, and keeping such fine drawing skills to himself without anyone to appreciate them had left him feeling smothered. Now, just for those words from Chen Chuan, giving him that free stay had been well worth it. Meanwhile, in the town's martial arts hall, He Xiaoxing received the developed photograph a few hours later. The studio staff had even made a frame for him. He took it, looked at it, and walked into his room, placing the frame on the desk. At that moment, his gaze drifted to the corner of the table nearby, where another framed photo stood propped open—a picture of him together with a young man. The young man was tall and handsome, barely any shorter than he was, beaming with a sunny smile. The background was the South Hill training hall of Wuyi, where light shone down from the side, and the leaves before the doorway seemed to still be fluttering in the breeze. After gazing at it for a quiet moment, he turned and walked away.