Breathing Made Him Stronger

Pingyin County.

"Externally temper the sinews, bones, and skin; internally cultivate a single breath. At our Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, everyone is treated equally. Even precious internal cultivation methods will be taught to you. So long as you work hard enough, better and stronger techniques will be waiting for you!"

Bi Hong, the senior disciple of Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, shouted loudly while everyone in the gym listened attentively. In a corner stood a dark, skinny man. Though he too held his head high, a closer look revealed dull, wooden eyes.

With one blink and another, Chen Fei had somehow arrived in this world more than ten days ago. After absorbing the original owner's memories, he learned that this was a world resembling ancient Blue Star.

But here, martial artists could leap high and travel far. Killing an ordinary person was as easy as squeezing a chick to death.

Chen Fei was now a menial at a Medical Hall, not even qualified to be an apprentice. His daily work consisted of miscellaneous chores.

Learn medicine? That was utterly impossible. They would never give him the chance.

Secretly learn it? If he was caught, he would be crippled on the spot and left to fend for himself.

The original owner had refused to resign himself to such a life. He had been obedient and diligent in the Medical Hall, bearing burdens without complaint in hopes of earning some favor and learning a little skill.

Unfortunately, every menial had the same idea. The competition had been so fierce that the original owner had begun doubting his very existence.

Left with no other choice, the original owner had taken the silver he had saved and gone to Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym to become a disciple, hoping to change his fate.

Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym was straightforward. Once he became a disciple, they taught him a breathing technique and a matching fist art. The original owner treasured them like priceless jewels and studied desperately whenever he had spare time.

After practicing martial arts for three months, before either the fist art or the breathing technique could even get him through the door, he had overtrained, succumbed to accumulated exhaustion and illness, and died!

After receiving the original owner's memories, Chen Fei naturally coveted martial arts as well and had practiced for some time.

But the facts proved that there was a reason the original owner had practiced for three months without entering the gate.

His talent was simply terrible. Having inherited this body, Chen Fei found that his own talent was no better.

Could he rely on modern thinking to earn some money and live as a wealthy man?

Chen Fei had once considered that, but as a menial at the Medical Hall, the original owner had signed a contract. For a full twenty years, he had to remain there.

Leaving was not impossible, but he had to pay an exorbitant amount of silver to terminate the contract.

And all additional income he earned belonged to the Medical Hall. If he hid any of it and was discovered, he would be crippled.

It was outrageously inhumane and brutally vicious.

To enter such a terrifying Medical Hall, the original owner had even spent everything he possessed.

At least the Medical Hall merely made you slave away for the rest of your life. Other places would not even give you the chance to be cattle or horses.

Until just now, when an illusory panel had appeared before Chen Fei's eyes.

Name: Chen Fei

Occupation: None

Technique: Extreme Mountain Fist, Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique

Realm: None

"Technique detected. Spend one tael of silver to simplify Extreme Mountain Fist?"

"Technique detected. Spend one tael of silver to simplify Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique?"

The panel displayed some of Chen Fei's information, while the two notifications kept flashing beneath it. The reason Chen Fei had been spacing out earlier was that he had been staring at this suddenly appearing panel.

"What are you standing around for? Start practicing your fist art!"

At some point, Bi Hong had come before Chen Fei and roared, "If your Extreme Mountain Fist still hasn't entered the gate, you'll have to keep paying next month to come to the gym. You know that, don't you?"

Chen Fei came back to his senses. Not daring to say much, he hurriedly began practicing.

After watching for a few moments, Bi Hong could not help shaking his head. He knew Chen Fei's background. Chen Fei had come to Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym to gamble on a slim chance. Now it seemed that he was ultimately fated to be ordinary; that could not be changed.

An hour later, Chen Fei left the boxing gym drenched in sweat. Other than hunger, he had gained nothing.

He hurried back to the Medical Hall in a few strides, greeted several menials he knew, then slipped back into his room.

This was a communal sleeping room, usually packed with nearly ten people. All kinds of sour and pungent smells kept drilling into Chen Fei's nose. Fortunately, he had gotten used to it. When he had first awakened here, the stench had nearly knocked him out.

"One tael of silver. I don't have that much money."

Chen Fei sat on the communal bed, his brows tightly furrowed. He still did not understand what the panel did, because no matter how he questioned it, concentrated his mind, or silently recited every kind of "open sesame," the panel did not change in the slightest or give any response.

Only those two lines of notification continued flashing, urging Chen Fei to hurry up and pay.

But to enter Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, Chen Fei had spent all the silver the original owner had saved. In only a few short months, there was no way he could have accumulated another tael of silver.

I have to find a way to gather the money. All kinds of thoughts flashed through Chen Fei's mind, until he recalled that the original owner had hidden a medicinal herb outside.

Four months ago, the Medical Hall had been short on medicinal herbs and had sent a group of menials up the mountain with herb gatherers. The original owner had secretly hidden that herb then. It was also during that herb-gathering trip that they had encountered something strange on the mountain and three people had died, prompting the original owner to finally decide to practice martial arts.

The original owner had heard that once martial arts cultivation reached a certain level, one could contend against the strange. Even if one could not fight it, if others traveling with them had weaker vitality and blood, the strange would seek them out first.

Things had not been peaceful outside the county recently. The Medical Hall occasionally ran short of medicinal herbs, so going up the mountain every few months to gather herbs would likely become the norm.

Chen Fei left the room. He considered borrowing money from the other menials, but one tael of silver was far too much for them. No one would lend it to him.

If he borrowed from several people separately, it might arouse suspicion. Chen Fei hesitated for a moment before leaving the Medical Hall.

Half an hour later, Chen Fei retrieved that medicinal herb. It had not been lost. Wearing a bamboo hat to hide his face, he secretly sold it at a marketplace for one tael of silver and fifty copper coins.

Chen Fei did not dare return to the Medical Hall. Instead, he climbed into an abandoned courtyard within the county.

"Simplify Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique."

Chen Fei silently recited the words in his heart. The next moment, the one tael of silver in his sleeve vanished, and the panel in his vision flickered faintly.

"Simplifying Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique... Simplification successful... Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique → Breathing!"

Breathing?

Before Chen Fei's thoughts could catch up, he suddenly saw the information representing him on the panel change.

Name: Chen Fei

Occupation: Martial Artist

Technique: Extreme Mountain Fist, Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Beginner 1/100)

Realm: None

As Chen Fei continued breathing naturally, a warmth spread through his body. At the same time, the number after Beginner for the breathing technique kept rising. In just a short while, it had become Beginner 10/100.

All sorts of insights regarding the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique naturally surfaced in his mind.

"Just breathing can cultivate it?"

Chen Fei was so shocked that his entire body went numb. Wasn't this simplification function a little too outrageous? The Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique used a special breathing method to stimulate the five viscera and six bowels, strengthening the body.

Yet after simplification, merely breathing could increase the technique's proficiency.

Something this absurdly overpowered—Chen Fei had to say, he loved it!

Bang!

Just as Chen Fei was about to continue studying the breathing technique, someone kicked open the courtyard gate. A group of people charged inside menacingly.

"Manager Cui, that's him." Sha Daxin pointed at Chen Fei and said, "I saw him selling a medicinal herb for money just now, then he ran in here."

Chen Fei frowned slightly. Sha Daxin had previously had a conflict with the original owner. He had not expected to be seen selling the herb. Or perhaps this man had been watching Chen Fei all along and had finally found an opportunity.

"Search him!"

Cui Sanjie waved a hand, and several menials immediately pounced on Chen Fei. Chen Fei did not resist and allowed them to search him.

A moment later, the menials had thrown all the money on Chen Fei's person onto the ground. There were only fifty copper coins.

"Didn't you say he sold it for one tael of silver?" Cui Sanjie frowned and turned to Sha Daxin.

"He must have hidden it in the courtyard."

Sha Daxin panicked slightly, but immediately thought of a reason. He strode to Chen Fei, seized his collar, and shouted, "Chen Fei, your crime has been exposed. Hand over the money now, or this won't stay so simple!"

"I didn't sell any medicinal herb. Don't falsely accuse me." Chen Fei pried Sha Daxin's hand away, wearing an innocent expression.

"Manager Cui, the money must be in this courtyard. As long as we search carefully, we'll definitely find it." Sha Daxin glared viciously at Chen Fei, then turned to Cui Sanjie.

Cui Sanjie said nothing. Instead, he glanced over the dilapidated courtyard. The ground was covered in dust, and the only footprints were those they had made. There was nothing unusual anywhere else.

"What did you come here for?" Cui Sanjie looked at Chen Fei.

"I failed at martial arts, so I came here to calm down." Chen Fei lowered his voice.

Cui Sanjie grinned. He had heard that this menial before him had gone to Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym to become a disciple, yet after more than three months, he had achieved nothing.

"Sha Daxin, come here," Cui Sanjie said.

"Yes, Manager Cui." Sha Daxin did not dare delay and hurried before Cui Sanjie.

Slap!

With a muffled crack, Sha Daxin collapsed to the side in a daze. He instinctively clutched his cheek, which had already swollen red. His mouth moved, and several teeth fell out.

"Next time, don't come looking for me over something without evidence. Understand?" Cui Sanjie looked at Sha Daxin indifferently.

"Y-yes, I understand!" Sha Daxin saw Cui Sanjie's expression and nodded in fright.

Cui Sanjie shook his head, finding it all rather boring. He turned and left the courtyard, while the other menials hurried after him. Sha Daxin rose to his feet and stared at Chen Fei venomously. He did not dare resent Cui Sanjie and could only vent all his anger on Chen Fei.

"This time, you got lucky like a dog!"

Sha Daxin glared at Chen Fei, but Chen Fei gave no response. That one tael of silver had long since vanished and could not be found. As for confronting the shopkeeper?

How could the Medical Hall make such a huge fuss over one tael of silver?

Hmph!

Receiving no response only made Sha Daxin angrier. He gave Chen Fei a cold glance, then turned and left the courtyard.

Half an hour later, Chen Fei returned to the communal sleeping room at the Medical Hall and looked at his panel.

Name: Chen Fei

Occupation: Martial Artist

Technique: Extreme Mountain Fist, Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Proficient 930/1000)

Realm: Martial Artist (1/100)

The Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique had become Proficient. The sensation each breath brought to his body had become more distinct. At the same time, his realm had changed, becoming Martial Artist.

Chen Fei had heard the senior disciple at the boxing gym say that a Martial Artist was merely an ordinary person who had just entered the gate of martial arts. To truly achieve something, one had to reach the Skin Tempering Realm.

Upon reaching that realm, one would truly pull away from ordinary people. At the same time, Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym would completely accept you as one of its own.

As Chen Fei silently studied the panel, it changed again.

Technique: Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Mastery 1/10000)

Realm: Martial Artist (2/100)

The warmth in his body seemed to grow more distinct, and his realm rose by another point. At the same time, Chen Fei's stomach began rumbling. As his body slowly grew stronger, it naturally began consuming energy.

The Medical Hall only provided two meals a day. Fish and meat were out of the question, but there was no problem eating until full. In this regard, the Medical Hall did not cut corners.

Chen Fei deliberately ate quite a bit more, but in the middle of the night, hunger still woke him. Looking at the panel, the breathing technique was still at Mastery, but its progress had already reached several thousand. He estimated that by tomorrow, it would break through Mastery.

He just did not know whether there would be another realm after Mastery.

At the same time, his cultivation had risen by several points. By his estimate, Chen Fei might reach the Skin Tempering Realm in less than twenty days and become a true martial artist.

Then, whether he remained at the Medical Hall or went to Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, Chen Fei would have bargaining chips to choose.

After eating his fill during the day, Chen Fei worked with boundless energy. It was not only because his strengthening body had improved his stamina, but also because life finally held a little hope.

Every breath could bring strength. What a marvelous thing that was. And watching the numbers on the panel jump from time to time gave him an immense sense of accomplishment.

Before noon arrived, the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique reached its peak.

Technique: Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique (Great Perfection)

There was no more room to rise. All kinds of insights regarding the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique swirled ceaselessly through Chen Fei's mind. Having cultivated it to this level, Chen Fei had nearly reached the realm of the person who had created this technique back then.

In Extreme Mountain Boxing Gym, probably no one had cultivated this breathing technique to Great Perfection.

After all, this was merely an entry-level breathing technique. There was no need to stubbornly gnaw at it to the bitter end. Chen Fei had not stubbornly gnawed at it either; he had simply cultivated it naturally all the way to the peak.

The Great Perfection breathing technique gave Chen Fei an increasingly distinct sensation, while the panel's display also confirmed his guess. It might originally have taken twenty days to reach the Skin Tempering Realm, but now ten days would be entirely enough. The time had been cut in half.

Chen Fei's appetite gradually began increasing, but he was not scolded for it. In fact, two days earlier, one of the managers had specifically praised him.

Compared with the other lifeless menials, Chen Fei's attitude had clearly become more positive lately. The difference in his spirit and vigor satisfied that manager greatly, which indirectly brought Chen Fei to his attention.

The other menials felt envious and became much friendlier toward Chen Fei. Only Sha Daxin in the corner watched Chen Fei with cold, sinister eyes.