*Exhale... inhale...*
With his Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique having reached the Third Realm of Refinement, Zhong Ming could now unsheathe his sword and execute the technique from any stance.
He could also maintain the sword-drawing stance for an extended period, putting immense pressure on his enemies.
The reason he maintained the standard sword-drawing stance during training was that it allowed for the fastest draw and the most powerful strike.
But at this moment, since his main goal was to practice the Longxi Breathing Technique rather than to fight, Zhong Ming assumed the sword-drawing stance while cradling his longsword.
WMMMM...
The moment he entered this state, Zhong Ming's Mental Realm calmed.
At the same time, Zhong Ming activated the Longxi Breathing Method and, through his breathing, began absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Qi, circulating it within his body.
*Exhale... inhale...*
He absorbed Spiritual Qi and used visualization to imagine a Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream inside him. He would then circulate this Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream through his body. After a full circulation and complete Refinement, he would direct it to surge into his Qi Sea Acupoint, nourishing the crucial Dantian. On the surface, this cultivation process seemed no different from before.
But in reality, it was not. While the process remained the same, the details were vastly different.
Previously, the Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream that Zhong Ming condensed through breathing and visualization had no Spirituality. It moved through his body like a clumsy dump truck, ramming its way forward recklessly.
This kind of circulation not only failed to constrain the Spiritual Qi but also placed immense pressure on Zhong Ming's meridians.
Now, however, Zhong Ming had comprehended the True Intent of the Flow of Water and understood the principle that "water has no shape, therefore it can take any shape."
Knowing this and entering the sword-drawing stance, Zhong Ming could now exert some control over the Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream inside him.
SWISH...
Under Zhong Ming's subtle control, the Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream circulated even faster, yet it had become much more docile.
And when it encountered obstructions, it no longer rammed through them crudely.
WMMMM...
Guided by Zhong Ming's Thought, the Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream would become thin and elongated, smoothly passing through his partially blocked meridians.
Furthermore, the human body's meridians are not straight lines; they are winding and convoluted, arguably the most complex pathways in the world.
Circulating Spiritual Qi through such meridians naturally involves bumps and friction. This was why newly initiated disciples like Zhong Ming could only practice a few times before their meridians would start to ache and swell.
But after comprehending the True Intent of Flowing, the situation was completely different for Zhong Ming.
SWISH...
Like a master driver, under Zhong Ming's guidance, the Spiritual Qi he circulated no longer crashed straight into the winding parts of his meridians.
Instead, it flowed like water, smoothly following the curves of his meridians.
Because it was flowing downstream rather than crashing, the pressure the Dragon of the Spirit Qi Stream exerted on Zhong Ming's meridians was naturally minimal.
Before, the limit on Zhong Ming's daily training time was his meridians' inability to withstand the strain.
Now that his meridians weren't being worn down, the amount of time Zhong Ming could cultivate would naturally be extended by a great deal.
'This extension... it's at least threefold.'
'As expected, leveling up my Basic Technique will increase my cultivation speed.'
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +93]
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +87]
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +105]
[You have completed one full...]
Although he had comprehended the True Intent of the Flow of Water, and both the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique and the Longxi Breathing Method shared the same root...
...the two were ultimately different. One was a Swordsmanship, the other a Breathing Skill. Therefore, Zhong Ming still needed to experiment and make adjustments.
This was reflected on his status panel: his Longxi Breathing Method did not immediately advance to the Second Realm of Insight.
However, since they stemmed from the same lineage, the two were connected in too many ways. This allowed Zhong Ming to massively increase the Skill Level of his Longxi Breathing Method with just one session.
'The reverse should also be possible. In most cases, it's the Basic Technique that advances, driving improvements in Magic Techniques and Swordsmanship.'
*Exhale... inhale...*
Zhong Ming paid no attention to the changes on his data panel.
But even though it was driven by his Swordsmanship, the progress in his Cultivation Technique still caused new insights to constantly well up in Zhong Ming's mind.
'Speaking of which, this flow of water also matches the characteristics of a dragon.'
'Dragons aren't just majestic; they can grow large or small, ascend or hide. When large, they summon clouds and exhale mist; when small, they conceal their form... Right now, the way Spiritual Qi flows and transforms freely within my body, isn't that a perfect demonstration of a dragon's ability to change its size?'
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +95]
'Huh, this is... the scouring intent of the water's flow. People with mediocre Spiritual Roots have somewhat blocked meridians. Normal cultivation requires forcing these blockages open to widen the meridians...'
'But breaking them open by force causes great damage to the meridians. The intent of flowing water, however, is just right...'
'Water in a riverbed gradually widens its channel by scouring it, like water dripping through stone. I can also have the Spiritual Qi become a stream and use the intent of flowing to slowly wear away the blockages in my meridians...'
'This wearing-down process might be slow, but it's silent and won't cause any damage to my meridians...'
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +73]
WMMMM...
Empowered by the very essence of the Flow of Water, Zhong Ming's circulation of the Longxi Breathing Method became increasingly smooth, and his Skill Level for the First Realm of Initiation climbed higher and higher.
In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhong Ming's Basic Technique, the Longxi Breathing Technique, reached First Realm Perfection.
And when Zhong Ming circulated it once more, it broke through the bottleneck and entered the Second Realm of Insight.
At this point, even after circulating the technique several times, Zhong Ming's meridians had yet to reach their limit. He could still continue cultivating.
'An A-level Rating within seven days... I have a chance!'
The hope of being awarded an A-level Rating was almost within reach, filling Zhong Ming with excitement.
Overcome with excitement, for the first time, Zhong Ming stopped cultivating and instead paced back and forth several times by the stream.
'I never thought... I never thought I'd actually get this close to an A-level.'
It took the time to drink a cup of tea for Zhong Ming to calm down and examine the trait he gained when his Longxi Breathing Technique advanced to the Second Realm.
But as he looked, Zhong Ming let out a small sigh. The trait he had gained when his Basic Technique, the Longxi Breathing Technique, advanced to the Second Realm was also Flow of Water.
[Longxi Breathing Technique: Second Realm Insight (3/8100)]
[Trait: Flow of Water]
...
'Haaa... Sure enough, you can't have all the good things in the world. Being from the same root means a breakthrough in one of my Longxi Daoist Skills can trigger a chain reaction, causing the levels of my other skills to soar as well.'
'But, as they say, fortune leans on misfortune, and misfortune hides in fortune... Because they share the same root, the traits and Dao Rhymes of the Longxi Lineage are fundamentally interconnected. They are simply different applications of the same characteristic.'
At this moment, Zhong Ming could already predict that if he were to turn around and learn the Longxi Swordsmanship, the trait he would gain at the Second or even Third Realm would most likely be Flow of Water as well.
'Whatever. Flow of Water it is. Since I'm basically studying with the answer key, learning the Longxi Swordsmanship won't take me much time.'
'Besides, even though they both have Flow of Water, the two techniques have subtle differences. When stacked, they will deepen my understanding of the True Intent of the Flow of Water.'
This was exactly the case now. When the Longxi Breathing Technique advanced to the Second Realm, the newly added Flow of Water made his Magical Power flow even more smoothly through his meridians.
Now, he couldn't even feel the pressure of the Spiritual Qi circulation on his meridians.
...
*Hooo...*
Like a stream, yet also like a Flood Dragon, the Spiritual Qi Zhong Ming absorbed through his breath circulated rapidly within his meridians.
Because he felt no significant pressure, Zhong Ming, still cradling his sword, cultivated for the entire morning.
And that wasn't the end of it.
During lunch, after taking some Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid to alleviate the fatigue in his meridians, Zhong Ming cultivated for the better part of the afternoon.
'With the help of the Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid, my cultivation time is now five times longer than before...'
Being able to cultivate to his heart's content left Zhong Ming feeling utterly refreshed.
Moreover, the True Intent of the Flow of Water didn't just relieve the pressure of Spiritual Qi on his meridians during practice.
Just as a fast-moving current carries 'silt' along with it due to its momentum, this supremely gentle intent of flowing could also constrain most of the Spiritual Qi within the 'stream,' carrying it forward instead of letting most of it dissipate during circulation as it had before.
'More cultivation time and better Spiritual Qi control... my current cultivation efficiency is ten times what it was on the first day.'
'An A-level Rating... this time, it's in the bag.'
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +1]
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +1]
[You have completed one full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Skill Level +1]
[You...]
His cultivation base was steadily rising, and the progress of his Longxi Breathing Technique was not slow either.
Granted, the further one progressed in a Cultivation Technique, the harder it was to improve, especially with a Basic Technique. This meant that each time Zhong Ming circulated his technique, he only received the single guaranteed point from Heaven Rewards Diligence.
But because he had practiced enough times that day, between the morning and the afternoon, Zhong Ming's Skill Level for the technique still increased by 49 points.
Everything was looking up. Knowing that he only needed to follow his routine to achieve an A-level rating, Zhong Ming couldn't hide the smile and relaxed expression on his face during dinner that evening.
This, of course, was noticed by Jiang Yue and Liu Wanyu, who were eating with him, and it filled them with curiosity.