The Turtle Breath Technique doesn't require much in terms of natural aptitude; children can practice it, and so can the elderly. However, truly effective practice requires years of arduous cultivation!
As time passed and night deepened, a natural drowsiness crept in, and so Su Changkong lay down on his bed.
"Although turtles have nostrils, they breathe through their ears while sleeping. The breath exits through the ears, hence it's called the Turtle Breath, which ensures a turtle's long life!"
Almost instinctively, Su Changkong breathed, but what was odd was that he breathed in through his nose and out through his ears!
This true Turtle Breath is not something ordinary people can achieve. That Su Changkong could enter this state during his first attempt at cultivation was not just because his potential value had reached a high of 8 points, but also because he had a strong foundation to begin with.
The first realm in Martial Arts is the Body Refinement Realm, which is further divided into four stages: Strength Refinement, Internal Strength, Divine Power, and Divine Bravery.
Through arduous practice of the Five Animal Frolics, Su Changkong had already reached the stage where his internal organs were fortified. This organ strengthening made his cultivation of Inner Strength twice as effective!
In this Turtle Breathing state, as dawn approached, Su Changkong opened his eyes. A night of cultivation had left him feeling refreshed and invigorated!
Turtle Breath Technique (Beginner's Path 35%)
Su Changkong opened his attribute panel to find that just one day's practice had increased his proficiency with the Turtle Breath Technique to 35% at the Beginner's Path. At this rate, in only three to four days, Su Changkong would be able to advance it to the first realm.
This rate of progress was utterly astonishing!
After getting up, Su Changkong practiced the Five Animal Frolics as usual.
"Clang clang clang!"
He practiced until his body began to sweat lightly. When the bell sounds resounded within Black Iron Manor, signaling the start of a new busy day, Su Changkong stopped his practice, had breakfast, and then began his work in the forge.
Blacksmithing and forging, though work, were also for Su Changkong a form of cultivation!
"Clang clang clang!"
Wielding a hammer that weighed several taels, he struck the steel in front of him with each blow, making sparks fly from the glowing hot steel as impurities were removed. The hammer in his hand was like a blade, forging steel with precision!
With his torso exposed, Su Changkong's muscles gleamed faintly as they rippled with each breath, making him seem tireless as he continued to forge.
"This Su Changkong lad... is truly a prodigy!"
Yang Chao, who was working nearby, wiped the sweat from his brow, stopped his current task, and gulped water from a flask. Observing Su Changkong still focused intently on forging, he couldn't help but exclaim.
He himself had taken several breaks already, but Su Changkong showed no signs of fatigue, the difference in physical stamina was just too great!
After a busy day, in the evening, Su Changkong practiced the Five Animal Frolics for a while, showered, had dinner, and then began practicing the Turtle Breath Technique.
A major advantage of the Turtle Breath Technique was that it could be practiced even while sleeping, just like a turtle's slumber, breathing in through the nose and out through the ears. It didn't consume the time Su Changkong allocated to practicing the Five Animal Frolics or the Blade Technique!
Name: Su Changkong (15 years old)
Lifespan: 61 years
Potential Points: 8 points
Martial Arts Mastered: Five Animal Frolics (5th Realm Stand Out 13%), Iron Cutting Blade Technique (4th Realm Mastering Stage 39%), Turtle Breath Technique (1st Realm Beginner's Path 1%)
Skills Mastered: Forging (4th Realm Mastering Stage 33%)
In just four days, Su Changkong had advanced his Turtle Breath Technique to the first realm of the Beginner's Path. Su Changkong felt no significant changes in his physique except for his breathing, which had become longer and more continuous.
"My lifespan has increased by one year!" What delighted Su Changkong was that through the attributes panel, he could clearly see that his lifespan had increased by one year, after just a few days of practice!
Practicing the Turtle Breath Technique not only began to increase Su Changkong's lifespan, but he also found that the speed at which he practiced the Five Animal Frolics increased slightly from before.
Su Changkong knew that the direction he had chosen was not wrong, practicing inner strength could further develop the body's potential!
"Practice! First, cultivate internal strength!"
This gave Su Changkong full motivation and he plunged into a new round of arduous cultivation, the combination of inner and outer training is the true path!
With the progress of the Turtle Breath Technique and Five Animal Frolics, Su Changkong's appetite further increased, which led to the growth of his physique.
Originally, Su Changkong's physique had already surpassed the limits of ordinary people, and now his strength and speed began to grow slightly, with continuous increase in stamina and endurance!
The days passed peacefully and with satisfaction, autumn left and winter arrived, another winter had come.
In the early morning hours, in the room where Su Changkong resided, he lay on the bed like an old turtle lying on its back, breathing long and deep.
What was strange was the faint white stream of air swirling between Su Changkong's ears and nose, circulating with his breath, and even Su Changkong's muscles fluctuated with his breath.
"Huala!"
Su Changkong felt as if he was soaking in a warm stream of water, and when his breathing reached a critical juncture, the circulating air around his ears and nose began to cycle within his body like a bubbling brook, finally converging in his dantian, misty like fog!
At that moment, Su Changkong opened his eyes, and there was a fleeting glint in his eyes that was captivating.
"True Qi... I have finally cultivated True Qi!"
The joy on Su Changkong's face was undeniable.
Inner strength is about refining a pure form of energy from the body and organs, creating a sensation of Qi, then cultivating this sensation until it grows stronger, turning into True Qi!
Su Changkong had started feeling the sensation of Qi in the second month of practicing the Turtle Breath Technique, and after spending more than half a year, he had made this sensation robust enough to undergo a qualitative change, transforming into True Qi!
Turtle Breath Technique (4th Realm Mastering Stage 1%)
Nearly a year of daily, relentless cultivation, Su Changkong brought the Turtle Breath Technique from the beginner's path to the 4th realm Mastering Stage and successfully cultivated True Qi!
If an ordinary person without any foundation were to cultivate the Turtle Breath Technique, it would probably take them at least a decade or two to reach this level!
"Pop!"
Su Changkong tried to mobilize the True Qi within his body, threw a punch, and the fist broke through the air, making a sound like firecrackers!
Su Changkong's ears twitched slightly, able to hear the faint rustling sound produced by the trees outside the house as they were brushed by the wind.
"Is this True Qi? Mobilizing True Qi can increase my strength and speed by ten to twenty percent, and make my senses sharper—and this is just from having just cultivated True Qi."
Su Changkong couldn't help but marvel at the mystery of True Qi.
A ten to twenty percent increase in strength and speed may not seem major, but in reality, it's an enormous enhancement!
For an amateur athlete, if their speed and strength were to increase by ten to twenty percent, they would have the potential to challenge for a world championship!
Not to mention that Su Changkong's physique already exceeds the limit of ordinary people, a ten to twenty percent increase on that basis is quite exaggerated.
"Moreover, my Five Animal Frolics has reached the 5th realm at 99%, and in a few days, I will be able to achieve a breakthrough!"
Apart from the Turtle Breath Technique, Su Changkong's progress in the Five Animal Frolics was equally rapid.
Originally, Su Changkong estimated that it would take about three years for his Five Animal Frolics to advance further, but the cultivation of the Turtle Breath Technique, and the further unlocking of his body's potential, had made the progress of the Five Animal Frolics suddenly clear, and within just a year, he was on the verge of another breakthrough!