Ice Breathing

After Lang Beiwei's systematic training, Han Zhiqi gained a deeper understanding of Breathing Styles. Using his spare rest time, he sorted out his martial skills a little and developed a total of seven forms.

Ice Breathing: First Form: Cold Tide.

As its name implied, Cold Tide released a large amount of frigid air from the body, expanding his awareness of the enemy's attack directions.

Furthermore, the mist and ice crystals it created could interfere with the enemy's vision. The low-temperature environment could also lower the enemy's body temperature and blood flow, thereby affecting the speed and force of their attacks.

Ice Breathing: Second Form: Falling Snow.

He condensed frigid air onto the blade and paired it with ordinary martial sword techniques, freezing the enemy's wounds as he inflicted them.

This move was especially effective against demons. Not only could it prevent wounds from healing quickly, but the frigid air could also enter through the wounds and cause localized frostbite. If the wound was near a joint, it could further reduce mobility and lock down movement.

Ice Breathing: Third Form: Shattering Timed Rain.

By condensing ice cones in the air and pairing them with ordinary martial sword techniques, the ice cones would shoot toward the enemy as he swung his sword. It was a long-range attack.

It had the same effect as Second Form: Falling Snow. So long as it wounded the enemy, the ice cone would instantly freeze together with the wound.

Ice Breathing: Fourth Form: Icefall.

He plunged down rapidly from above, condensing frigid air onto the blade. Borrowing the momentum of his fall, he created a crushing force. At the same time, if the enemy blocked the attack, the blade would release a large amount of frigid air and freeze their body.

If they managed to evade it, then the instant the blade struck the ground, several rings of ice cones would form across the earth. They could extend the attack while also forcing the enemy back.

Ice Breathing: fifth form: Swift Ice Thorn.

Han Zhiqi had secretly learned this form while sparring with Aoi Kanzaki. It was the fastest and sharpest of all his techniques.

By twisting his waist and driving his entire body, he concentrated all his strength and frigid air onto a single point at the sword tip before thrusting forward at high speed. It was exceptionally effective in critical moments.

When he had encountered the demon in the mountains before, he had used this move to drive a wooden stick into its throat. It not only forced the demon to scream in agony, but also bought him time to escape afterward.

Ice Breathing: sixth form: Phantom.

Breathing Styles could fill the gaps between the muscles with air, making the body lighter.

This form condensed a layer of ice beneath his feet to reduce friction with the ground. Combined with his lightened body, it could raise his movement speed to another level, making him seem like a phantom.

This form itself was not particularly offensive and was mainly used in conjunction with other techniques. The derivative skill he had used when fighting the demon, "Phantom: Falling Snow," was a fusion of "sixth form: Phantom" and "Second Form: Falling Snow."

It was this skill that had helped Han Zhiqi drive seven or eight wooden ice spikes into the demon's joints in an instant.

Ice Breathing: seventh form: Ice Dragon Coil.

By rapidly twisting his body and repeatedly spinning as he swung the Nichirin Blade, each rotation increased the power of the technique. The path traced by the blade would transform into an Ice Dragon. This was Han Zhiqi's strongest move so far.

Ice Breathing was derived from Water Breathing, so many of its martial techniques bore traces of Water Breathing.

For instance, "Fourth Form: Icefall" closely resembled Water Breathing's "Eighth Form: Stagnant Water," while "seventh form: Ice Dragon Coil" was similar to "tenth form: Flowing Life."

In fact, Han Zhiqi also had an eighth form: "Ice Breathing: Eighth Form: Thousand Mile Ice Seal: True Gale."

This move released an enormous amount of frigid air in an instant, freezing everything around him, before using "sixth form: Phantom" to close the distance in a flash and swiftly sever the enemy's head.

It was highly effective whether facing one enemy alone or fighting many at once. However, with his current strength, he could not release such a massive amount of frigid air in a single instant. For now, it could only remain an unfinished concept in his mind. Perhaps after gaining new insights into Breathing Styles someday, "Thousand Mile Ice Seal: True Gale" could truly descend upon the world.

There were still two days until the Mount Fujikasane selection. Near dusk that day, Shinobu Kocho, dressed in a butterfly haori, passed through the woods and followed a remote path to White Dragon Pool on the back mountain.

A snow-white waterfall plunged from more than ten meters above, truly resembling a white dragon crashing into the pool with a rumbling roar.

Shinobu Kocho saw a neatly folded set of coarse linen clothes resting on a bluestone slab by the shore and guessed that this was where Han Zhiqi usually got out after entering the water.

According to the information Lang Beiwei had provided, he should be coming out of the water around this time and heading back up the mountain to eat.

Shinobu Kocho stepped across the round stones along the shore, carefully approached the stone slab, crouched down, and smiled as she watched the water.

She wanted to see what expression Han Zhiqi would make when he emerged from the water and suddenly saw her.

Before long, a dark figure swam over from beneath the water.

Shinobu Kocho thought, He's finally here.

As usual, Han Zhiqi surfaced from beneath the water. But the moment he raised his head, he saw a blurry figure crouching on the shore.

The pool water blocked his senses, and he had never imagined anyone would come here at this hour. Startled, he instinctively treaded backward toward the center of the pool. At the same time, frigid air burst from his body, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of ice formed across the water and spread toward Shinobu Kocho's feet.

"My, my. After two months, you're still so rude. You haven't improved at all. How unlovable."

Once he saw that it was Shinobu Kocho, Han Zhiqi gradually relaxed his guard, and the ice on the water receded into his body like a retreating tide.

Shinobu Kocho's sudden appearance annoyed him, yet it also brought him an inexplicable hint of joy. There was even a touch of embarrassment, since he was naked at the moment—though only from the waist up.

Han Zhiqi dove back underwater and returned to the shore. He had originally thought that, seeing him naked, Shinobu Kocho might avoid looking.

But to his surprise, Shinobu Kocho remained crouched on the shore, smiling as she stared at him, with no intention of looking away.

Left with no choice, Han Zhiqi could only force himself out of the water. Though he was delighted inside, he still put on a cold and aloof expression and said indifferently, "Why are you here?"

Shinobu Kocho clasped her hands behind her back, bent forward toward Han Zhiqi, and boldly examined his handsome face, still beaded with water droplets.

"Do you have to be so cold? Didn't we get along quite well before? Or are you blaming me for not personally seeing you up the mountain that day, which nearly got you killed?"

Compared to the sickly despair he had shown at the Butterfly Mansion before, Han Zhiqi now had a rosy complexion, resolute eyes, and a vigorous vitality radiating from his entire body.

Paired with that handsome face and his snow-white hair, he looked as though he had stepped straight out of a painting.