Inner Breath Realm

Fang Xuan's aura surged forth. The previously tranquil wilderness was swept by a hurricane, and the power of heaven and earth from all around gathered behind Fang Xuan under a peculiar pull.

Buzz~

Suddenly, a huge humanoid phantom appeared behind Fang Xuan. It stood dozens of meters tall, its entire body a deep azure. Unlike Baili Qu'e's Buddhist Sect Jialan, the phantom behind Fang Xuan resembled an armored giant. Its features were blurred and its appearance indistinct, yet it exuded awe-inspiring majesty and overwhelming dominance.

At that instant, Fang Xuan felt his mind extend outward and merge with the surrounding world. Boundless currents of wind swirled through his palm; with the slightest wave of his hand, he could command them to attack.

He stretched out his hand and struck at the distant blue stone. The azure giant phantom behind him made the same motion.

Boom~

A violent roar rang out. The blue stone was instantly smashed to pieces, and dust flew wildly from the ground. When the dust settled, a palm print the size of a millstone had appeared in the clearing, its lines clearly visible. Even the earth and rocks around it had been shredded apart by the hurricane surrounding that giant palm.

The azure giant vanished after only a few breaths.

Feeling the inner power in his dantian completely drained, Fang Xuan was speechless. It really was a big move—the mana cost was enormous.

His expression changed as he sensed a sudden, unfamiliar force within his body. Without hesitation, Fang Xuan began performing the Pine Crane Longevity Fist in the clearing.

Crane Claw Imprints Sand.

White Crane Spreads Wings.

White Crane in the Clouds.

Immortal Crane Shakes Feathers.

As he performed the Pine Crane Longevity Fist, the lingering foreign force within his body spread into his sinews and bones, where it was rapidly absorbed and circulated throughout his body.

In only a short while, Fang Xuan's body became more resilient, his muscles more densely arranged. His blood and qi churned, and his strength increased.

Fang Xuan abruptly opened his eyes, delight filling them. He said excitedly, "Good, good, good! I've taken Essence Pills before. Although the power of heaven and earth retained by the Heaven's Will Four Symbols Art is not as vast as the medicinal power of an Essence Pill, it still has thirty percent of its effect. More importantly, it is inexhaustible and contains no impurities whatsoever. If this were the Eternal Life world, even with the Fang Family's wealth, it would be impossible to take Essence Pills every day."

Having found such a shortcut, Fang Xuan truly could not bear to waste it. He sat cross-legged on the ground and rapidly restored his inner power. The Heaven's Will Four Symbols Art required inner power to activate; that last move, Wrath of the Wind God, had drained him completely.

Half an hour later, the inner power in his dantian had recovered. Fang Xuan once again unleashed Wrath of the Wind God from the Heaven's Will Four Symbols Art. This time, however, the retained power of heaven and earth was divided into two portions. One was used to cultivate the Pine Crane Longevity Fist, while the other remained within his meridians to strengthen his inner power.

There was no helping it. The Heaven's Will Four Symbols Art required inner power as a catalyst, and the fire, thunder, and lightning techniques that followed consumed even more inner power.

Still, even with the power of heaven and earth divided in two, Fang Xuan was overjoyed. It was equivalent to having an endless supply of Essence Pills for his cultivation.

At this rate, he would be able to enter the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm, the Inner Breath Realm, within half a year at most. If he comprehended the final three forms of the Heaven's Will Four Symbols Art, it might take even less time.

Feeling himself improve every day left Fang Xuan too delighted to think of anything else. As for matters in the martial world... what did they have to do with him?

His purpose in coming to this Small World was to increase his cultivation. As for everything else, what did it have to do with him?

"Still, there are some treasures I cannot pass up. No rush. I'll wait until I enter the Inner Breath Realm. The Divine Strength Realm is still somewhat weak," Fang Xuan muttered.

Three months later.

"Wrath of the Thunder God."

The clear sky was instantly covered by dark clouds. Silver light burst from Fang Xuan's eyes, lightning flickering behind him as endless power of heaven and earth condensed from nothing into a massive silver-white figure.

The figure stood dozens of meters tall, like the giant spirit gods of legend. A violent aura filled its entire body, and every living creature in the surrounding forests fled in terror at that moment.

As the lightning figure formed, countless tiny electric currents splashed outward, striking the ground and leaving sizable craters.

The lightning figure lasted only a few breaths before dispersing. Fang Xuan immediately began performing the Pine Crane Longevity Fist in the clearing.

Yet compared to the fist technique's former ferocity, the Pine Crane Longevity Fist now carried an entirely different aura.

Suddenly, Fang Xuan seemed to sense something. He immediately stopped practicing and hurriedly stood still where he was.

His breathing grew rapid.

With every inhalation and exhalation, he held a breath in his mouth, continuously drawing it in and forcing it out, as though he were "washing rice and vegetables."

This was a method for cultivating breath called Qi Cleansing. It did not mean being naughty, but referred to washing rice, panning gold, and sifting through waves of sand—washing away a mouthful of stale air to bring in fresh air.

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

A stream of breath seemed to bubble through his throat as his lungs inhaled and exhaled. It washed back and forth, while his breath continuously churned within his body. His breathing drove his blood, his blood pressed against his heart, and the strength of his entire body was stirred by each breath.

At that instant, Fang Xuan entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings. He swayed amid heaven and earth, yet his feet rooted deeply into the ground like a great tree.

A stream of breath rose from his heart and spread throughout his body along with his blood and qi. The impurities in his blood seemed to be washed away by this Qi Cleansing.

When the great waves had washed everything away, gold revealed itself.

As Fang Xuan expelled the final breath, his entire body underwent an obvious transformation. A crane's cry rang from his mouth, as though an immortal crane were truly raising its head and calling toward the heavens.

The sinews, bones, and internal organs throughout his body seemed to have become much denser and sturdier. At the same time, his hearing became incomparably sharp. Any slightest movement of wind or grass would immediately put him on guard, as alert as a mouse setting out from its nest.

Fang Xuan was ecstatic. This was the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm, the Inner Breath Realm. His entire body had become exceedingly sensitive, his reactions more agile, his internal organs beginning to harden and condense, while the impurities in his flesh and blood were gradually refined away.

"Good, good, good! I've finally caught up to Fang Qingxue. If I returned now, the Fang Family would also nurture me as a core disciple. At this age, only Fang Qingxue and I in the entire Fang Family have reached the Inner Breath Realm. We would certainly be recommended to the Yuhua Sect for the outer disciple examination and step onto the path of immortality," Fang Xuan said excitedly.

Feeling the strength within his body, Fang Xuan found that compared with Divine Power, the Inner Breath Realm had not increased his strength by much. However, that "not much" was only relative to Fang Xuan himself.

After killing two clones, Fang Xuan, whose foundation was exceptionally deep, gained another Profound Yellow Steed Strength.

His current body possessed the strength of six steeds in full, enough that no one could withstand a single punch from him.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Fang Xuan rubbed his stomach. He was a little hungry.

With the impurities in his body expelled, he needed more food to replenish his energy. The power of heaven and earth was good, but Fang Xuan had not yet reached the level where he could go without food. It would be best if he could consume some pills.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to endure it. Once I enter the Immortal Feather Sect, I won't have to worry about pills anymore."