Free Web NovelChapter 419: Chapter 406: Breathing Technique
Elder Huo was speechless. He couldn’t see the Innate Qi.
To identify that stuff, you had to get extremely close and have your Pet Beast absorb it into its Dantian to feel it out. Only then could you be sure if it was Innate Qi.
"With your Divine Sense, you shouldn’t be able to enter that storm cloud, right?" Elder Huo asked.
"I can’t, but Mianmian can see it. I’m currently perceiving through its perspective."
Gu Ming turned to face Lu You’s Mianmian.
Mianmian was already at the Two-star level and could form a chrysalis at any moment. Its Spiritual Power and Perception were exceptionally potent.
Within this storm, it extended its Perception far out and, under Gu Ming’s guidance, sensed the Innate Qi flowing in the fierce winds.
This was mainly because the flock of Wind-Speaking Sparrows was enormous. With so much Innate Qi being manipulated, it was only natural for Mianmian to observe it.
Elder Huo used his Divine Sense to connect with Mianmian’s. His mind immediately shifted, and he felt a subtle fluctuation.
Although the sensation wasn’t entirely clear, it felt like a form of nature’s protection, a special kind of "Spiritual Qi." The probability of it being Innate Qi was already seventy to eighty percent.
’This little Mianmian... its Star Level clearly isn’t high, yet its Perception Talent is so incredible. It can even capture such a faint fluctuation.’
Elder Huo realized that Mianmian’s awareness of Innate Qi surpassed his own. Otherwise, if both of them could probe that cloud, why was it that he, whose Spiritual Power crushed Mianmian’s, couldn’t sense it? This was the gap in Talent.
Suddenly, the world lit up.
It wasn’t lightning. Instead, a thundercloud in the center of the valley had condensed into a liquid mercury-like substance and was slowly sinking into a pool of water.
The water’s surface immediately began to boil as streaks of electric snakes shot out. A translucent, flood-dragon-shaped creature leaped from the bottom of the pool, opened its mouth, and swallowed the entire mercury-like thundercloud.
"A Five-star Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon!"
This time, Elder Huo dedicated half his attention to observing it.
"It’s devouring a meteorological phenomenon. Gu Ming, the Weather Pet Beast you’re looking for is right there."
"However, the Wind-Speaking Sparrow flock is more valuable for research. They aren’t Pet Beasts with weather abilities; they’ve evolved a survival Talent native to this place. It’s your choice."
Gu Ming nodded, glanced at the system, and then focused on the Wind-Speaking Sparrow for a while longer.
He watched until the Wind-Speaking Sparrow disappeared into the storm cloud before shifting his target of observation.
During this observation, Gu Ming’s proficiency experience for the Qi Refining Evolution Method was constantly increasing.
The scales on the Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon’s body opened and closed, and its every breath stirred the Qi of heaven and earth.
The most striking feature was a crystal on its forehead, which seemed to contain a wisp of swirling purple Qi, constantly changing.
「You have observed a wisp of extremely pure Innate Qi...」
「This is a local Six-star Spirit Beast. Living amidst storms and lightning year-round has allowed it to evolve an extremely powerful Talent Ability, enabling it to absorb Innate Qi for Cultivation.」
Gu Ming seemed to have an epiphany and explained to Elder Huo and the others:
"Qi Refining Evolution doesn’t necessarily have to start from a Scattered Pill."
"Perhaps we can have our Pet Beasts emulate the Spirit Pets here—guiding, absorbing, or even devouring the ’Qi’ between heaven and earth, making that sliver of Innate Qi their own."
His words grew clearer as he spoke, his gaze sweeping over the ever-changing rose-colored storm cloud above and the Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon on the ground.
"Each of them is contacting the source in a different way."
"The Wood Spirit uses lightning strikes to stimulate the Spiritual Qi in its body, transforming it into Innate Qi."
"The Wind-Speaking Sparrows command the Innate Qi of nature."
"The Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon actively absorbs it using a Breathing Technique..."
「You have entered a state of epiphany.」
「With Elder Huo’s guidance, you realize the Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon’s Breathing Technique is an example worth studying.」
「This might be the path for the Green Treasure Breathing Technique to break through Perfection and advance toward the Quasi-Path.」
’Qi Refining, Qi Refining... isn’t it all about refining that one breath of Qi?’
A Breathing Technique is also about refining a breath of Spiritual Qi. In truth, the two are interconnected.
It’s just that an ordinary Breathing Technique absorbs Spiritual Qi, not that breath of Innate Qi.
Elder Huo didn’t need to think too hard. Just by listening to Gu Ming’s monologue, he naturally understood the key point.
He nodded slowly. "In that case, this Qi Refining Method isn’t entirely baseless."
"It’s just..."
His tone shifted. "How do you plan to learn the Innate Qi Breathing Technique from that Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon? It’s no Little Cyan Snake."
"The Visualization Class is a sophomore-level course. Even if you’re self-studying, your understanding won’t be as deep as what our school’s professors teach. Observing the Cultivation Technique of a High-star Level Spirit Beast isn’t that easy."
Seeing the way the Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon was breathing, Elder Huo already knew how they should go about learning from it.
But that was a learning method for upperclassmen.
A freshman like Gu Ming, who had been in university for less than a quarter, wouldn’t have reached that stage even with self-study.
"Teacher Huo, my Pet Beast can learn it on the spot... Seniors, I’ll have to ask for your help."
Gu Ming turned to the other students on the team.
There were only a few upperclassmen, and among them, the seniors from his society nodded.
He had saved their lives, so what was the harm in teaching him some advanced knowledge about Visualization?
Elder Huo had originally intended to leverage the situation, dangling the knowledge like a carrot to make Gu Ming join the Array Society.
But Gu Ming didn’t take the bait at all, instead turning to his fellow students for help. This made Elder Huo shake his head inwardly.
"Fine, fine. I came here to see this Qi Refining Evolution anyway. I have the Visualization Class textbook with me. Take it and review it on the spot."
The underclassmen hadn’t even learned it yet; the word "review" was directed at the few upperclassmen.
The latter quickly accepted the book, which smelled of old pages, and nodded in agreement.
The research group learned quickly.
The students participating in the project were all brilliant minds from a top-tier institution.
In less than two days, they had grasped the basics of advanced Visualization.
Furthermore, Elder Huo was on-site to offer casual guidance.
It didn’t take much. Sometimes, a single sentence from him was enough to keep them from going astray and help them quickly master advanced Visualization.
Besides, just surviving in the Valley of Meteorology was dangerous enough. The top priority was for everyone to learn quickly so they could push forward with the research.
On Gu Ming’s end, once the Visualization was on the right track, Cyan Treasure gained a new understanding of the breathing it observed each day.
...
The downpour in the Valley of Meteorology was relentless, a vast curtain of water merging heaven and earth into a gray Chaos.
Cyan Treasure stood with its head held high on a rock wall, its jade-green scales flickering in the lightning.
It stared at the distant silhouette of the flood dragon bathing in the thunderstorm. Within the depths of its serpentine eyes, seas of clouds seemed to form and dissipate.
The wind carried raindrops that smashed against its scales, creating a crisp tapping sound.
This sound gradually fell into sync with a certain rhythm.
’Is it the tempo set by the Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon as it breathes in and out the essence of the world?’
’No, it’s the rhythm of nature itself.’
The Thunder Marsh Flood Dragon was simply aligning with nature, and in doing so, had invisibly grasped the natural rhythm for absorbing Innate Qi.
This was the core principle of its Breathing Technique.
Cyan Treasure didn’t need to change the spirit of its own Breathing Technique; it only needed to adjust its Perception. Its abdomen rose and fell faintly.
It felt an unprecedented pulse, not from its blood, but from the world around it.
With every inhalation, a cool, electric sensation slid down its nasal passages and into its Dantian.
With every exhalation, a faint cyan mist escaped from between its scales, merging with the curtain of rain.
Suddenly, the rain around its body began to flow around it.
It wasn’t being blocked; rather, the water parted naturally as if greeting an old friend, forming a transparent corridor of water.
In the cracks of the green rock beneath its feet, a few tender shoots broke through the earth. They grew branches and unfurled leaves at a visible rate, stretching out with an incredible viridescence amidst the downpour.
