Having done all that, Su Changkong sat on the bed, quieting his mind, entering meditation, and practicing his breathing.
Hoo!
Inside Su Changkong's Dantian, the Turtle Breathing True Qi began to circulate, and the medicinal power of the Vital Qi Spread gradually took effect, increasing the circulation speed of the Turtle Breathing True Qi in his body by many times over!
"The effect of this Vital Qi Spread is surprisingly good! My Turtle Breath Technique should be able to break through within half a year!"
Su Changkong was also overjoyed in his heart.
Now, with a potential value as high as 11 points, and with the addition of the Vital Qi Spread, the efficiency of cultivating the Turtle Breath Technique had improved by more than one notch.
And the medicinal materials purchased by the White Jade Gang, costing a hundred taels of silver, were enough for twenty doses of Vital Qi Spread. Once used up, he could simply have the White Jade Gang help procure more!
"Good! Once the Turtle Breath Technique breaks through again, the True Qi within me will surely undergo a qualitative change, and will no longer be as thin as it is now!"
Su Changkong's spirits were lifted.
Having trained the Turtle Breath Technique to the 4th realm, he had only recently generated True Qi. However, the quality of this True Qi was very average. If he fully unleashed it, it would be exhausted in a few strikes. A breakthrough in the Turtle Breath Technique would definitely improve this!
With the night passing, Su Changkong felt refreshed and clear-headed. As dawn was just breaking, he got up to practice the Five Animal Frolics.
The Five Animal Frolics, now at the 6th realm, required unwavering persistence to break through!
During the day, as usual, he forged armor in the White Jade Gang's workshop. Previously, he had always forged weapons, and his forging skills were rapidly improving.
Every day, a sufficient amount of food allowed Su Changkong, who had reached the Divine Strength Realm, to see a slow improvement in his physical condition, though not as terrifying as the enhancements during the first month!
Aside from not being able to leave the White Jade Gang, everything else was going well. When he ran out of medicinal materials, Su Changkong would get Cai Tong to help procure them, and his days became calm.
In the blink of an eye, three to four months flew by, and the season had reached the sweltering summer.
"It's so hot..."
Inside the White Jade Gang, many were drenched in sweat. The sun hung high in the sky, and due to the proximity to the furnace in the workshop, Su Changkong and others suffered doubly, as if they were in a steaming basket. Many Forging Masters often stopped to rest and rehydrate.
When evening arrived, the day's ordeal was finally over.
"Let's go take a bath first, I'm drenched in sweat!"
"Haha, just bear with it a little longer. Four months are almost up, and we can rest well when we get home!"
Off work, everyone went to bathe, dine, and chatted eagerly. It was their fourth month at the White Jade Gang. Although they had no worries about food and clothing, most of them longed for home.
However, Su Changkong was content with whatever came his way. Being able to quietly practice martial arts and strengthen himself, he found no difference in where he was.
"I'll work hard today and strive for a breakthrough in the Turtle Breath Technique!"
There was a faint joy in Su Changkong's eyes. With the assistance of Vital Qi Spread over three to four months, coupled with his high potential value of 11 points, the progress of his Turtle Breath Technique was quite rapid. His cultivation progress had reached 99% of the 4th realm, and he was close to making a breakthrough!
After practicing the Five Animal Frolics, as dusk fell, the White Jade Gang's base gradually quieted down.
The sultry night left many sleeping naked, tossing and turning in their sleep due to the heat and occasional mosquito bites.
Su Changkong lay quietly on the bed, unaffected by the hot weather, like a turtle soaking in water, face up, his breathing long and smooth, at ease with himself.
The True Qi inside Su Changkong was circulating rapidly, becoming faster and faster. As he breathed in and out, faint blue ripples diffused.
"Rumble, rumble!"
And when the circulation speed reached its peak, resembling the roaring and surging of waves, reverberating in the room, Su Changkong's True Qi suddenly compressed then expanded, as if breaking through a bottleneck, filled with an exhilarating sense of release.
"I've successfully broken through!"
Su Changkong let out a breath, after several months of arduous cultivation, his Turtle Breath Technique had finally made another breakthrough, stepping into the Fifth Realm!
The True Qi that had previously been as thin as transparent mist in Su Changkong's body now flowed like a trickle of water, tinged with a faint blue color, and had become at least several times stronger than before the breakthrough!
Name: Su Changkong (16 years old)
Lifespan: 80 years
Potential Value: 12 points
Martial Arts Mastery: Five Animal Frolics (6th realm, pinnacle reached at 30%), Iron Cutting Blade Technique (5th realm, stands out at 71%), Turtle Breath Technique (5th realm, stands out at 1%)
Skill Mastery: Forging (5th realm, stands out at 80%)
Upon opening the attribute panel, Su Changkong saw that his lifespan had increased by a full 5 years, and his potential value had reached as many as 12 points!
"The Turtle Breath Technique has reached the 5th realm, which is several times stronger than it was at the beginning. The quality of True Qi is higher! I have greater control over my body!"
Su Changkong examined the changes in himself.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
With a slight intention, Su Changkong activated the Turtle Breath Shrinkage, and he saw his face twitching in waves, becoming thinner, his eyes narrowing, and his bone structure changing subtly. From his original handsome and resolute appearance, he now looked somewhat more delicate and gentle!
Having reached the 5th realm of the Turtle Breath Technique, he was not only able to change his stature but also to a certain extent alter even the bones of his face. Even those who were familiar with Su Changkong might not be able to recognize him.
"Good! My Inner Strength has grown more profound. With the integration of internal and external abilities, the training of the Five Animal Frolics will also speed up accordingly!"
Su Changkong was extremely satisfied.
The cultivation of Inner Strength uncovers the body's potential and improves one's physique, which makes the training of External Strength easier.
Su Changkong got familiar with the new power, feeling relieved in his heart.
"With my current strength, I should be considered a master even in the Divine Strength Realm, right?"
Su Changkong secretly thought.
Among martial artists of the same level, some are stronger than others. Su Changkong had combined internal and external cultivation and had a robust physique; he felt he could also be counted as an elite in the Divine Strength Realm!
And a martial artist in the Divine Strength Realm was a rare master around Gentle Wind City!
"In just a few more days, the four-month deadline will be up. I wonder if I'll be able to leave smoothly."
Su Changkong reined in his thoughts, while he was also a bit worried.
Having helped White Jade Gang forge prohibited armor, would the White Jade Gang honor the agreement to let them leave? Or, even more cruelly, would they silence them by killing them? It wouldn't be the first time such things have happened.
Dispose of the donkey once it outlives its usefulness—this was not an uncommon scenario.
Su Changkong harbored such worries, and naturally, others like Yang Chao shared similar concerns. However, to avoid causing panic, no one spoke of it.
"I just have to be more careful," Su Changkong muttered to himself, he could only stay more alert, hoping the White Jade Gang wouldn't take such extreme measures!
Several more days passed, and the four months at the White Jade Gang flew by in a flash.
In a grand hall of the White Jade Gang, Bai Shao sat on a chair while Cai Tong stood below him, reporting the affairs of the gang to Bai Shao.
"Young Master Bai, the group from Black Iron Manor has forged a total of 50 sets of high-quality armor for our White Jade Gang in four months, which have already been distributed to 50 of the gang's elite disciples to familiarize themselves with wearing and fighting in the armor," Cai Tong said.
The twenty or so Forging Masters from Black Iron Manor were very efficient. As they became more familiar with forging armor, their pace was quite fast. Creating fifty sets of armor in four months was incredibly swift!
"Hmm, not bad," Bai Shao nodded in approval. Fifty martial artists donned in armor and practicing Strength Refinement and Internal Strength would certainly be a killing machine. Facing powerful enemies, this was like having a strong trump card.
Then Cai Tong's expression took on a peculiar shade as he said, "What about those blacksmiths... how should we deal with them?"
When Cai Tong asked this, Bai Shao understood his implication. The White Jade Gang had forged a batch of prohibited armor and, of course, could not let word spread. The group from Black Iron Manor who had created the armor was undoubtedly a security risk!
How to deal with them was an issue!