Like the sea, which was initially very turbulent and chaotic, suddenly the water became still and silent without a single ripple.
This was much like Xiang after regulating his breathing rhythm. What was once noisy and chaotic was now so calm.
Perhaps this wasn't the first time Xiang had applied his breathing technique, for long before today, he was a professional in his field.
(For a more detailed story about Xiang, I will write a separate novel, as it would take hundreds of chapters to tell his story. However, as a good author, I will give a brief outline about him: Xiang was once a hitman. He is now in self-imposed exile, hiding from his dark past.)
That is why Xiang knows very well and is highly skilled in manipulating his emotions.
•••••
After calming himself, Xiang continued his dialogue with the mysterious person.
First, Xiang asked the man's name, "What is your name, sir, who holds dominion over this region?" Xiang asked with utmost respect.
With a slight smile and a face that seemed to understand everything Xiang had been through in his life, he answered, "Let me introduce myself, I am Mr. X from the Titanium Galaxy, a place very far from the Earth you inhabit," with a relaxed and authoritative tone.
Xiang, with his limited understanding, could not grasp what Mr. X was talking about.
"Alright, Mr. X, is it true that you are the father of Yinxing? If so, why did you abandon him on Earth?" Xiang asked, his tone full of curiosity.
Mr. X paused for a moment, making the atmosphere there silent, as he prepared an answer that might be easily accepted by Xiang.
Then Mr. X turned and asked Xiang, "Before I answer your question, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead, but what do you wish to ask, Mr. X?" Xiang replied.
"Do you believe in magic?" Mr. X asked.
"Of course, such things do not exist in my world. In my entire life, such things have been mere tricks made up by magicians, tricks used to deceive many people and extort money from them," Xiang replied, his face full of conviction.
"Alright, if you don't believe in it now, perhaps you will in a moment," said Mr. X with a calm expression.
"If such things exist in a distant world, maybe I would call it magic," Xiang replied, with doubt evident on his face.
"Alright, if you want to call it magic, so be it. But it is not really magic, and at this moment, you won't be able to understand it," answered Mr. X.
"If you can, prove it. Just give me one piece of evidence that such a thing exists," Xiang said, challenging Mr. X.
"Alright, I will prove it to you," Mr. X replied calmly, with a slight smile directed at Xiang.
After agreeing to Xiang's request, Mr. X regulated his breathing rhythm, and after a few moments, his face grew serious, his mouth whispering some kind of prayer or incantation.
For a moment, Xiang doubted Mr. X, but then everything changed.
Suddenly, after Mr. X completed his ritual, a circle of fire blazed brightly.
Before the miracle happened, Xiang remembered the pain he had experienced before arriving in this dimension.
But before Xiang could speak again, the blazing circle of fire engulfed him in an instant.
"Ahhh..." Xiang screamed as the fire suddenly consumed him.
But suddenly, Xiang was thrown far into the vast, infinite space, hurtling like a missile traveling at five hundred kilometers per hour.
Miraculously, at that incredible speed, Xiang did not collide with a single piece of the abundant space debris.
He saw so many sights he had never witnessed during his time on Earth.
Everything seemed like the hallucinations of a madman, yet Xiang consciously felt that his life had no meaning at that moment.
And then suddenly, wuuuushhhhhh....
As quickly as lightning and as gently as a breeze, Xiang returned to his original position, in the cave with Mr. X.
Xiang's breathing became erratic again, like someone who had just run a marathon.
His face looked extremely shocked and very confused by what had just happened.
With a slight smile and a face full of calm, Mr. X repeated the same words, "Regulate your breathing rhythm again, Xiang."
Xiang then regulated his breathing rhythm, and his state returned to normal, as calm as the sea without waves.
"What did you do to me just now, Mr. X? Was that your magic? How did you do it?" Xiang asked, bewildered.
"Hahaha... So, now do you believe in magic, Xiang?" Mr. X replied with a laugh and a calm demeanor.
"I cannot answer that," Xiang replied, his tone full of doubt.
"Did you not learn anything just now? There are so many things you do not yet know in your life. The knowledge you possess is just a tiny drop in the vast ocean of your Earth," Mr. X said with a slight smile, as if trying to make Xiang realize the abundance of knowledge in the universe.
"But do such things exist on the Earth where I live? If they do, why have I never seen or encountered them in my entire life?" Xiang asked again.
"From what I see, the Earth you inhabit is not the same as the world I came from. Your Earth has abundant energy that its inhabitants do not fully understand how to harness, whereas in my former world, many of its inhabitants utilized their energy, until it was eventually depleted," Mr. X replied with certainty.
"So you mean to say that no one on Earth is capable of properly harnessing energy? Is that what you mean?" Xiang responded, feeling defensive.
Mr. X smiled again and said, "It seems you misunderstood what I said, Mr. Xiang."
"If that's the case, what exactly did you mean?" Xiang asked again.
"I said that not everyone on Earth knows how to harness the abundant energy there. This means that there should still be people who can use it correctly, but I cannot specify how many there are or where they are," Mr. X answered.
"Why won't you specify? Is it because you can't, or is there another reason?" Xiang asked.
"It seems I was right and wise in choosing adoptive parents for my child," Mr. X replied with a broad smile.