All three of them had only just begun learning the breathing technique, and each faced their own difficulties.
An hour passed, and slight differences in their progress began to show.
Rayson and Hal were still struggling at the very first hurdle.
Rayson, in his eagerness for quick success, had a chaotic breathing rhythm. The air swirled in his chest, turning his face red as he gasped like a wild bull.
Hal was overly rigid and stiff. His breathing possessed only the form but failed to reach deep within his body; beneath his calm expression lay the bewilderment of zero progress.
The fastest was Matthew. He had already attempted it last night, and although he hadn't successfully completed the entire process in the end, it hadn't been without reward.
Furthermore, following Instructor Calm's explanation just now, he had made another sliver of progress.
Quieting his mind and casting aside distracting thoughts, he focused his intent deep into his abdomen first, breathing in a clumsy, unpracticed manner.
Once, twice... As the breathing cycled repeatedly, the coordination between his intent and his breath became more and more harmonious.
He felt that familiar warm sensation emerge in his abdomen once more. This time, it was even more stable and distinct than last night, rising and falling gently with the rhythm of his breathing.
Right at that moment, white vapor like a slender snake curled around him, and a wave of heat radiated from Matthew's body!
Matthew's breathing rhythm faltered slightly due to this sudden “success,” and his focus wavered for a split second.
The newly formed “slender snake” of white vapor shook violently, on the verge of dispersing.
But he immediately steadied his mind, suppressing his excitement and distracting thoughts. Far from interrupting his breathing rhythm, he threw himself even more intently into the “three long and two short” cycle.
His intent, like a thread of silk, tightly wrapped around the warm core in his abdomen, guiding the flow of his breath.
With one deep, long inhalation, the “slender snake” slightly withdrew.
With one short, sharp exhalation, the “slender snake” swayed in response, seemingly solidifying by an imperceptible fraction, though it remained incredibly thin.
The cycle continued.
Matthew was completely immersed in this novel experience.
At this moment, the two beside him felt the wave of heat. Opening their eyes one after another, they saw the white mist before them, their jaws dropping in shock!
Matthew could actually produce the “white vapor” already?
Even if it was just a tiny bit, it was still white vapor! The exact same white vapor Instructor Calm had demonstrated!
As Matthew got into his groove, the white vapor grew increasingly solid, faintly taking on the form of a white snake. However, for some unknown reason, it ultimately failed to solidify into a physical state.
Twenty minutes passed.
Matthew finished his practice and slowly opened his eyes. A line of small text appeared before him:
【You have mastered the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】. Current 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 is at the Mastered rank. Your Strength and Constitution have slightly increased.】
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Mastered (1/100)】
Hal took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and complex emotions in his eyes.
Squeezing out a somewhat strained smile, he was the first to break the silence, saying, “Incredible. You can already summon the white vapor so quickly.”
“We haven't even found our footing yet.”
Rayson clicked his tongue and said nothing.
Just then, Instructor Calm's steady voice rang out, “Matthew, how do you feel?”
Matthew frowned and said slowly, “My whole body feels a bit warm, especially my abdomen—that warm sensation is still persisting. Also, I'm very tired. More tired than after completing a full session of village training.”
Instructor Calm nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
What Matthew described was precisely the normal reaction after successfully establishing a breathing cycle and allowing the breath to initially flow stably within the body. As for the exhaustion, it was because the White Snake Breathing Technique mobilized the blood of the entire body for cultivation.
“Very good,” Calm said in a deep voice. “A warm body is a sign of active blood and qi, and warmth in the abdomen means the ‘qi’ has found a place to settle. This shows you have successfully reached the Novice level and initially mastered the cycle of the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】. Remember this feeling, practice diligently in the future, and make this cycle more stable and the breath more refined.”
“However, this is highly demanding on the body. Matthew, you can pace yourself. If you feel any discomfort, stop.”
“As for you two, do not exceed half an hour a day.” Calm turned to look at Rayson and Hal, who had varied expressions on their faces. “When first entering the Novice level of a breathing technique...”
...
Matthew felt the exhaustion from deep within his body intermingled with that peculiar warm sensation, and he knew he indeed needed to rest and replenish his energy.
He walked to the side, untied the small cloth pouch at his waist, and took out some jerky and black bread. He chewed slowly, feeling the energy drained by the breathing technique gradually being replenished as the food entered his stomach.
Taking advantage of this brief break, Matthew's mind stirred slightly, quietly bringing up the attribute panel that only he could see.
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 6.3 (+0.2), Agility: 5.2 (+0.2), Constitution: 6.3 (+0.2), Perception: 5, Spirit: 6
Equipment Slots: Finely Forged One-Handed Sword (Green), Old Wooden Shortbow (White), Filthy Bone Chain (White)
Skills:
【Basic Archery: Basic (Proficiency 2/200)】
【Basic Swordsmanship: Basic (Proficiency 50/200)】
【Vine Trap: Practiced (Proficiency 12/300)】
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Mastered (Proficiency 1/100)】
...
Matthew focused his gaze on the line for the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】.
Just for the initial level, it required a hundred proficiency?
However, Matthew was not discouraged.
After all, Instructor Calm had said that persisting with it could comprehensively improve one's constitution.
Our concern was not the numerical values provided by the skill upgrades anyway.
After resting for about fifteen minutes, most of his physical fatigue had faded, and the warmth in his abdomen became even more pronounced thanks to the replenishment of food.
He set about preparing for his second practice.
After all, Instructor Calm had told him he could pace himself, and his current state was certainly nowhere near his limit.
He sat cross-legged once more and closed his eyes.
This time, he did not rush to establish that intense “three long and two short” cycle to summon the white vapor. Instead, he mobilized his intent throughout his entire body.
His pores slowly opened.
Inhaling naturally, cool air flowed in, causing his abdomen to swell slightly. It was as if a gentle breeze had been breathed into a glowing ember, making its light shine slightly brighter.
Exhaling slowly, the turbid air inside his body was expelled, and his abdomen contracted. The glow of the ember dimmed inward, but the heat at its core seemed to be compressed, becoming even more solid.
Before long—perhaps only a few minutes—Matthew felt the “activity” of that warm core reach a steady peak.
“Is this the limit?”
He faintly sensed that this was his limit for the current stage; pushing too hard would yield no benefit.
Subsequently, he began attempting finer control at the peak of the breathing cycle.
He deliberately prolonged and deepened this exhalation. With this carefully controlled deep exhalation, the white vapor around him, which was originally thin and almost invisible, began to undergo a subtle change.
The white vapor no longer merely dissipated naturally. Instead, as if drawn by some pulling force, it contracted slightly inward, its density seemingly increasing by an imperceptible margin.
Although he was still far from achieving the “white snake form,” the originally loose, mist-like state showed a faint sign of condensing, like morning mist beginning to coalesce into tiny water droplets under low temperatures.
In its slow process of permeation, the guided heat current seemed to interact at a deeper level with his muscles and bones, bringing a tingling yet vibrant warmth, as if quietly nourishing and strengthening the foundation of his body.
Time passed slowly.
Black text slowly popped up before his eyes.
【White Snake Breathing Technique proficiency +1】
【White Snake Breathing Technique proficiency +1】
【White Snake Breathing Technique proficiency +1】
Rate on N.U.
