Pursuing a Crossing of the Sea

Inside the airship's main cabin, Chen Chuan set his feet slightly apart, one before the other, and spread his arms, slowly taking up the stance of the Great Azure Void Style. At the same time, he guided himself with the Heaven and Earth Furnace Breathing Method. Within just a few breaths, thick clouds of vapor rose from his body.

Soon, he felt a grinding resistance. As he held the stance and guided his Mutated Tissue, it was as though a tremendous force had seized and pinned him down, fighting him without pause. If he relaxed even slightly, the stance would collapse.

That forced him to push back harder, but whenever he did, the pressure grew with it.

Yet this was precisely the tempering he needed.

After holding on for some time, he felt his strength ebb. Only then did he release the stance and breathe out a stream of scorching air.

He adjusted himself for a moment, then tried again. He repeated the process many times.

Throughout it, he could feel the energy in his body being consumed at a staggering rate, much as it was when he practiced the Great Bright Light Style.

The Great Azure Void Style tempered the body, while the Great Bright Light Style trained the mind. The two could work together; practicing only one would yield only its own benefits. Mister Zhuan had taught him both sets of moves, undoubtedly hoping he would combine them to wield greater power.

Both styles were undoubtedly difficult to practice. The difficulty itself was secondary, though. The real problem was how much they consumed. By his estimate, practicing both at once might more than double the cost.

A fight currently cost him roughly the energy of one meal, but cultivation demanded far more. If he could not cut open