Breath Harmonizes Heaven and Earth Creek

Because of the Hundred Day Assessment, most of the Dragon Creek Daoist Academy disciples looked anxious and uneasy.

Under such circumstances, Zhong Ming's relaxation and delight were especially eye-catching.

In particular, Zhong Ming had once gained some insight, and he could even share that insight with others to speed up their cultivation progress. That made Liu Wanyu pay even more attention to him.

After exchanging a glance with Jiang Yue, Liu Wanyu gave Zhong Ming a gentle smile. "You seem so happy, Young Master Zhong. Did something good happen?"

"Something like that." As he spoke, Zhong Ming pointed at the books before him and said to Liu Wanyu, "My good mood is partly thanks to Miss Liu as well. The cultivation insights you brought helped me immensely."

Those were not mere polite words.

Likewise, once his meridians reached their limit of endurance, he could no longer cultivate the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique.

That night, Zhong Ming found himself with no cultivation method left to practice.

At that moment, the several cultivation journals Liu Wanyu had brought him gave Zhong Ming something to do.

Liu Wanyu said, "You needn't be so courteous, Young Master. This is a transaction. The insights you gained have also helped me greatly. If anything, I'm the one who benefited."

Talking with someone so refined always lifted one's spirits.

Still, he did not remain there long.

After dinner, he took that large stack of cultivation journals and quickly left.

Yet after he was gone, Jiang Yue and Liu Wanyu did not leave. They remained silent for a long while.

After quite some time, Liu Wanyu spoke first. Her voice was a little dry, and she sounded hesitant, envious, and jealous. "So relaxed... Could Zhong Ming be certain that he'll receive a Class A rating?"

Neither Jiang Yue nor Liu Wanyu was stupid. After spending so many days with Zhong Ming, they had long noticed that he harbored ambitions for a Class A rating at Dragon Stream Peak.

Moreover, they could clearly sense that yesterday, and even this morning, Zhong Ming had been just like the two of them—holding onto a sliver of hope, yet lacking the certainty of success. That had left them all restless and worried.

But now, Zhong Ming's mood had changed so drastically that the two could not help making some guesses.

Hearing Liu Wanyu's doubtful words, Jiang Yue was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly laughed. "Wanyu, perhaps you're overthinking it. There's another possibility for Zhong Ming... He realized that a Class A rating was too difficult, knew there was no hope, and simply gave up."

"Take a step back and the sea and sky stretch wide. With Brother Zhong's talent, a Class B rating is certain. Without the pressure of a Class A rating, he would naturally feel relaxed."

"..."

Liu Wanyu did not respond to that speculation. Jiang Xiaoyu, however, nodded sharply. "That must be it. How could a Class A rating be so easily attained? Brother, Sister Wanyu, neither of you can manage it. Zhong Ming only has a Third-grade Spiritual Root, so it'll be even harder for him."

Jiang Xiaoyu's feelings toward Zhong Ming were the most complicated. Having rejected a marriage alliance once, she somewhat did not want Zhong Ming to improve. Otherwise, it would make her look terribly lacking in judgment.

Yet Jiang Xiaoyu, who was echoing her brother's words, did not notice that Jiang Yue's expression froze upon hearing her. His fists also clenched slightly.

It took him a full two or three breaths to calm himself down.

"It's getting late, Miss Liu. We should leave as well."

Not long after Zhong Ming departed, Jiang Yue also left with his younger sister.

Then, halfway there, Jiang Xiaoyu discovered that they were not heading toward their stone houses, but toward the Scripture Pavilion.

"Brother, what are we doing at the Scripture Pavilion?"

"Buying some cultivation journals for Zhong Ming. And later, you'll personally deliver them to him."

"Huh? Why..." Before she could finish, Jiang Xiaoyu understood.

"Brother, didn't you say Zhong Ming gave up?"

"Ah." Rubbing his aching forehead, Jiang Yue said helplessly, "Xiao Yu, do you think someone with Zhong Ming's temperament gives up that easily?"

"And if he had truly given up, he might have felt relieved, but no matter what, he would not be this delighted."

"There is only one explanation for such emotions: he is completely certain he can receive a Class A rating."

Jiang Xiaoyu said, "How... How is that possible? His Spiritual Root is only third-grade."

Jiang Xiaoyu found it hard to believe, and Jiang Yue was equally unable to make sense of it.

"Yes. Just how did he do it?"

Still, although he did not understand, that did not stop Jiang Yue from making the right decision.

"With a Class B rating, Zhong Ming can only become my most important right-hand man. But with a Class A rating, he will have the qualifications to stand on equal footing with us, or even... surpass us."

"And he would also be your best choice of husband."

Jiang Xiaoyu said, "..."

"Flow around obstacles rather than crashing through them; follow the creek, and the meridians will open on their own... The essence of the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique is 'taking shape with the creek.' Meridians are like mountain valleys, Spiritual Energy like creek water. However the valley bends, the creek flows. If the water insists on striking the valley walls, it will only splash itself into dissipation..."

Being confident of receiving a Class A rating did not make Zhong Ming relax in the slightest.

He knew very clearly that the Hundred Day Assessment was merely the beginning of the Dao. Many hardships and dangers still lay ahead.

Still, a Class A rating is not useless. It gives someone like me, born into a poor family, a good start.

To make his future cultivation path smoother, Zhong Ming came to the creek beneath the moon after dinner and studied the cultivation insights left behind by his predecessors in the moonlight.

"Taking shape with the creek—isn't that the same as the formless water I comprehended, and thus its myriad forms? As expected, no matter who cultivates the Dragon Creek Breathing Art, there are many similarities in the early stages."

Because Zhong Ming's Dragon Creek Art had already reached Stage 2: Proficient, he found many familiar impressions as he studied the insights of others.

Fortunately, observing the realizations of others and verifying them against his own could still increase his cultivation method experience.

You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique and gained understanding. Cultivation method progress +1
You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique and gained understanding. Cultivation method progress +3
You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique and gained understanding. Cultivation method progress +1

At the same time, Zhong Ming saw things familiar to him in the cultivation insights of his predecessors, as well as many things he had never noticed before.

"Breath Harmonizes Heaven and Earth Creek... Inhale when the tide rises, drawing in all the spiritual dew between heaven and earth; exhale when the tide falls, releasing the turbid qi within your body... Breathe thus, and you will match the rhythm of heaven and earth. Then, it will no longer be you laboring to absorb Spiritual Energy; the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth will follow your breath to seek you out..."

You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique and gained understanding. Cultivation method progress +17

"Using breath to make the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth actively merge into the body... This senior's idea is quite good."

Beyond those minor insights, Zhong Ming also discovered some secrets of higher realms through the cultivation insights of his predecessors.

"...The Dragon Creek Breathing Technique cultivates speed, but also endurance; fierceness, but also gentleness. Once you comprehend the harmony of hardness and softness, what you seek will be life."

"The qi sea is like a spring, magical power like a creek. Only a living spring and a living creek can keep flowing water from becoming rotten, and allow it to continue without end..."

Reading this, Zhong Ming fell into thought.

"A living spring, a living creek; flowing water does not rot, life continues without end... When the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique reaches Stage 3, could it require me to keep my magical power constantly circulating, with Qi Circulating Through the Heavens?"

After pondering it carefully, Zhong Ming found that this was very possible.

You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique and gained understanding. Cultivation method progress +21

"That said, if Stage 3 of the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique is Qi Circulating Through the Heavens, allowing magical power to circulate endlessly within the body, then what is Stage 4?"

As he continued turning the pages, Zhong Ming truly found some descriptions of Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment in the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique.

"Clarity? What does that mean?"

You studied cultivation insights on the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique. Cultivation method progress +1

Zhong Ming had only just entered Stage 2, and Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment was still far beyond his reach.

Therefore, although Zhong Ming now knew the word "clarity," he did not know what use it had.

Because he did not understand its deeper meaning, he gained little cultivation method experience from this section.

Still, though he had not gained much experience here, the earlier cross-verification had benefited Zhong Ming greatly.

When he finished the book, Zhong Ming discovered that the progress of his Fundamental Cultivation Method, the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique, had increased by a full seventy-nine points.

"..."

"So much? Even more than when I cultivate the method myself. Is reading other people's cultivation insights really this useful?"

The increase in proficiency far exceeded Zhong Ming's expectations, leaving him stunned for quite a while.

But after thinking carefully, Zhong Ming felt that it was reasonable.

When three walk together, one must be my teacher. The experiences and insights of predecessors could indeed help those who came later avoid many detours.

Of course, if that were all, Zhong Ming's cultivation method experience would increase, but not by so much in such a short time.

There was another crucial reason for his gains—his Reading Skill, which had reached Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment.

"Reading another person's cultivation insights is not merely a matter of reading them once. More importantly, one must understand them, master them, and distill and refine the principles within."

"Only then can another person's knowledge become your own."

"For ordinary people, this step is quite difficult and requires a great deal of time."

"But I'm different. With Intent Reading, I only need to read a book once to quickly comprehend its true inner essence."

At that thought, Zhong Ming's eyes lit up. He realized that Reading seemed ordinary, but it was actually a Divine Skill with enormous potential for growth.

"Come to think of it, all human civilization is built upon the inheritance of knowledge—or rather... upon knowledge and learning."

Having understood this, Zhong Ming immediately made a decision.

"To raise Reading from Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment to mastery, I need to read Ten Thousand Scrolls. In that case, starting today, I'll set aside some time every day to read several books."

After making that decision, Zhong Ming continued reading the system log. Then he discovered another thing that delighted him—while reading the cultivation insights of others, not only had his Fundamental Cultivation Method, the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique, improved.

The proficiency of his Reading Skill could also increase.

You silently read a complete book and comprehended its true meaning. Reading proficiency +3