Ten-Step Divine Fist, Universe Breathing Technique

The sudden Artistic Conception resonance caught Li Changqing completely off guard.

He hadn't expected the Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian to resonate with this Artistic Conception Scroll.

Why was that?

No answer appeared in his mind.

The impact of the Artistic Conception came and went as quickly as it arrived.

Li Changqing's body swayed violently. He reached out to steady himself against the wall. The next moment, a cool, invisible stream of energy flowed from the crown of his head directly into his Spiritual Platform, leaving his Mud Pill Palace clear and bright.

A rare improvement in willpower.

Aside from his first breakthrough and the two times he improved his Tai Chi cultivation technique, Li Changqing had found no other opportunities to temper his willpower, and thus no way to add points.

Outside the window, the greenery in the residential complex swayed in the wind. In the cluster of locust trees on the far left, he could still see the one he had brutally attacked that night.

Even from a dozen meters away, the cracks on the trunk were clearly visible.

Within his Dantian, his Blood Essence, which evolved into Tai Chi's Yin-Yang Qi, had condensed into an inner core.

Li Changqing's gaze fixed on the ironwood tree about ten meters away outside the window.

His Blood Essence surged, and he threw a punch across the distance.

Li Changqing raised his right arm. His strength formed a two-form spiral, Yin-Yang Qi churning, manifesting as a thunderous technique.

Tai Chi, Thunder Department.

His Blood Essence permeated his body, simulating the force of thunder. A faint crackling sound echoed in the room.

The Blood Essence that permeated his body traveled a continuous five meters through the air. Beyond that, the power of the rootless water continuously dissipated, along with the first wisp of Blood Essence as it scattered.

Instantly, the entire mass of Blood Essence reacted in a chain. The final two to three meters felt like an insurmountable chasm. It struck the ironwood tree, but not even a branch swayed.

Five meters was Li Changqing's current maximum effective range for a long-distance punch. Beyond five meters, the Blood Essence that permeated his body, without replenishment, would dissipate due to insufficient momentum, causing a drastic drop in power.

At ten meters, it posed no threat.

"Five meters?"

Li Changqing's lips parted slightly, his breathing long and deep, as if he were trying to swallow all the air in the room.

He closed his eyes, and in his mind, he quickly sketched the image of that invincible man who looked down on the world.

His horse's hooves struck like thunder.

An aura of invincible might surged from Li Changqing's heart. He adopted a boxing stance, and the invincible aura merged with him from the Artistic Conception.

Tai Chi, Thunder Department.

BOOM!

The Yin-Yang Qi clashed, stirring up the force of thunder.

The Overlord Artistic Conception was unleashed, effortlessly tearing through the limits of Li Changqing's physique.

Powerful Blood Essence surged out of his body.

The five-meter distance was instantly pierced, yet this mass of Blood Essence continued its momentum unabated, showing no signs of dissipation whatsoever.

Ten meters!

BANG!

The long-distance punch struck the ironwood tree. The wood, as hard as iron, yielded like tofu. The punch's force passed straight through the entire tree before finally dissipating, leaving a transparent hole that went all the way through.

Ten-Step Divine Fist!

Ten meters away, the fist's power was immense.

Even a six-star Martial Artist would absolutely not be able to achieve this.

Li Changqing's hands felt weak. The Overlord Artistic Conception placed a heavy burden on him; even now, he could only use it once in a short period.

He took deep breaths to calm his rhythm, but his pupils were incredibly excited.

It wasn't just because he had executed the Ten-Step Divine Fist. The most crucial point was that this time, the preparatory phase for his Artistic Conception had been significantly shortened.

Three seconds!

It only took him three seconds to conjure the Artistic Conception in his mind and gain the Overlord's invincible aura.

This preparation time had reached the threshold for practical use in combat!

Compared to the increase in the Artistic Conception's power, the shortening of the preparation time delighted Li Changqing even more.

No matter how great the power, if there's no opportunity to use it, it's meaningless even if it can defeat the enemy in one move.

On a real arena or even a battlefield, no one gives you time to prepare a finishing move.

Unless, of course, your opponent is an idiot.

Ten-Step Divine Fist versus Drawing a Knife to Cut Water.

Which one is stronger?

There isn't a single, unified answer, but Li Changqing could be certain that with the Artistic Conception he was using, he had reached a level nearly on par with Sun Sheng.

"When I can achieve this level of strength in my normal state, without relying on Artistic Conception, then when I do use it, Sun Sheng will be no match for me."

His goal was now within sight.

His gaze swept over the calendar on the wall.

There were twenty-three days left until the Youth Cup.

There was still time!

Slinging his backpack over his shoulders, Li Changqing no longer hesitated. He leaped directly from the third floor.

His leg muscles surged, and he transformed into a bolt of lightning, flying over the outer wall and heading straight for the Qingshan Nature Reserve.

His goal was no longer distant; he could already see the day he and Sun Sheng would stand side by side.

The path of martial arts was like rowing against the current, and the great mountain that once stood before him was still there.

How could he suppress the urge to climb?

Qingshan Nature Reserve.

The mountain forest, which had only recently come alive, once again fell into a state of cautious quiet.

Whether it was insects, birds, rabbits, wolves, clouded leopards, or even brown bears.

Whether they were humble herbivores or the overlords of the food chain who surveyed the mountains.

On this day, they all returned to bowing their heads, living cautiously.

The king of the forest had returned.

Li Changqing was intimately familiar with everything here. He leaped over the waterfall where he had first achieved enlightenment and sped along the riverbed.

The forest was peaceful.

This time, upon his return, Li Changqing clearly felt a difference.

If, before, he had merely been a passerby in the mountains, with no connection to the surrounding nature, clearly separated from it.

Then now, he had merged with nature.

As soon as Li Changqing set foot in the forest, he felt the breathing of the trees, the playful murmur of the flowing water, the whistling of the passing clouds, and the cheerful rustling of the wind.

Everything in nature was whispering secrets, as if trying to offer him martial arts guidance in its own way.

He heard them.

Li Changqing stopped. His body's energy flowed, and in a daze, he entered the state of Heaven-Man Resonance once more.

The sound of the wind, the water, and all the creatures in the forest.

It flowed naturally, with a rhythmic cadence like the ebb and flow of the tide.

This was the breath of nature!

Li Changqing's chest expanded, and he inhaled, the breath long and sustained.

The profoundness and slowness of the Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique were subtly transforming. As Li Changqing's spirit continued to merge with nature, his body gradually began to disappear.

"Squeak?"

A squirrel, clutching a pine nut, cautiously peeked out from a treetop, tilting its head.

Where did the big guy go?

Li Changqing had moved too fast earlier, maintaining a speed of 80 miles per hour even on the rugged terrain.

The squirrel hadn't even had time to escape and could only hide in the tree, praying the forest overlord would leave quickly.

It cautiously climbed down the tree step by step, sniffing the air.

The air was fresh, and even the scent of the big guy who had passed by had vanished.

The squirrel gradually became more agile, leaping onto a low-lying tree.

Huh?

It suddenly realized why the tree beneath its paws felt so soft and a little warm?

"Little guy, what are you doing?"

A large hand grabbed the tiny squirrel. The sudden movement almost made the little creature play dead.

But being held by the large hand, the slightly warm touch felt like its cozy home inside the banyan tree.

That was nature, the smell of home.

"Squeak?"

Li Changqing placed the squirrel on his shoulder, where it stood steadily. It looked at the big guy in front of it.

After a moment's thought, it offered the pine nut, rubbed smooth and shiny, from its tiny, furry paw.

Li Changqing smiled. He took out a few peanuts from his pocket and offered them.

The squirrel's eyes instantly sparkled like jewels as it stuffed peanuts into its mouth one after another.

The next second, its entire face swelled up like a frog.

"Hahaha—"

Li Changqing was amused. He waved his hand, using precise, gentle force to propel his Blood Essence and send the little squirrel directly onto the tree trunk above his head.

"Little guy, goodbye."

Li Changqing stood tall and proud. With just a single step, he appeared a dozen meters ahead, vanishing into the mountain forest after a few leaps.

His footsteps were light and quick, leaving no trace as he landed on the mud of the riverbed.

Treading Snow Without a Trace.

Li Changqing shifted his body, and birds occasionally landed on his head, perching on his shoulder.

He seemed completely unaware that he was right beside the terrifying overlord of the mountain forest.

By the riverbed, several antelopes were drinking water, their lowered heads always keeping one eye alertly scanning their surroundings.

Li Changqing passed behind them. These prey, so alert that even tigers found it hard to catch them, showed no reaction to Li Changqing's passing.

A faint sound of wind mixed with the flow of water, the rhythm of nature emanating from Li Changqing.

Upon closer inspection, one could discover that this rhythm, which blended with nature, was actually his breathing.

[Universe Breathing Technique (Heaven-Man Resonance), Proficiency: 50%]

Li Changqing hadn't even deliberately raised the proficiency of the Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique to 100%.

After entering the state of Heaven-Man Resonance and sensing heaven and earth, he naturally comprehended a more profound breathing technique.

Universe, after all, is heaven and earth.

The birth of this breathing technique was a convergence of opportune timing, favorable location, and human harmony.

The breakthrough in the breathing technique not only strengthened Li Changqing's Physique but also granted him greater assistance in obtaining the power of nature.

When used in conjunction with the Unity of Heaven and Man Tai Chi cultivation method, his cultivation progress became twice as effective with half the effort.

The roaring sound of the water surged into his ears.

Soon, Li Changqing arrived once again at the place where he had cultivated last time.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, he gazed down at the deep pool below.

He hesitated no longer.

His powerful Physique and his meticulous control gave him absolute confidence.

His feet on the cliff, Li Changqing leaped.

His feet on the rock face, he began to sprint up the nearly ninety-degree cliff.

It was nothing short of climbing walls and scaling cliffs.

As his Blood Essence surged, he continuously struck the air, slowing his descent. His soles seemed to have suction cups, clinging tightly to the rock face.

A height of over thirty meters.

No longer an insurmountable barrier.

The waterfall roared. Below the cliff was a vast lake.

On the other side, it transformed into a rushing river, flowing gently. This was the Tuo River that flowed through Rong City.

The last five meters.

Li Changqing exerted force with his legs, leaping into the air. He unhooked his backpack with his backhand and threw it by the lake.

Then, he shed his clothes in mid-air, clad only in a pair of swim trunks he had prepared.

With a splash, he entered the water.

The deepest part of this lake was over thirty meters, and some areas of the water surface even appeared black.

The mountain wall broke here, transforming into a boundless plain ahead.

The opposite side of the lake was hazy.

"This is it."

Li Changqing took a deep breath. This breath lasted for a full two minutes.

As his Blood Essence surged within him, he stored a large amount of oxygen in his body.

Under natural conditions, what place could exert greater pressure than the depths of the water?

After exhaling the breath, Li Changqing hesitated no longer.

He plunged into the lake.

He intended to use the all-encompassing pressure of the deep water, combined with the extreme anaerobic environment, to temper his physical body.

Vast Waves Cleanse Dust, Azure Waves Temper the Heart.