Turtle Breath Technique Generates Inner Energy

Heaven had finally taken pity on him!

How much hardship had Lin Pingzhi endured in order to learn martial arts? Yet not a single person had been willing to sincerely teach him!

Even his own maternal grandfather had been the same.

And now, Ji Shu had actually agreed.

He found it a little unbelievable. His heart pounded wildly, and he was so joyful and excited that he felt as though he might burst apart.

"If you want me to teach you martial arts, Martial Mother and the Sect Leader must agree first."

Ji Shu looked toward Ning Zhongze and Yue Buqun.

Yue Buqun looked at Lin Pingzhi. "You are Lin Zhennan's son?"

"Yes."

Lin Pingzhi suppressed his surging thoughts and looked pleadingly at Yue Buqun. "Please permit me to study martial arts under Ji Shu."

"Ji Shu's identity is extraordinary, and his standing is lofty. If you wish to study under him, you must join the Mount Hua Sect."

"I am willing to join the Mount Hua Sect."

Lin Pingzhi did not hesitate in the slightest. Being able to join the Mount Hua Sect was a tremendous blessing for him.

"Joining the Mount Hua Sect's Outer Sect is simple. But if you wish to study martial arts under Ji Shu, you must become an Inner Sect disciple. If you wish to enter the Inner Sect, I will need to observe and assess you carefully for some time."

"That is only proper!"

Lin Pingzhi's spirits lifted. Rather than becoming dejected, he grew even more invigorated. "Whatever you need me to do, just say the word. I, Lin Pingzhi, am not afraid of hardship!"

"Mm."

Yue Buqun knew the affairs of the Fuwei Escort Agency very well.

Earlier, he had even intended to send Yue Lingshan and Lao De Nuo to Fuzhou to investigate the situation. But he had later abandoned the idea because of the Players' various abnormal circumstances.

By the time he heard news of the Fuwei Escort Agency again, Lin Zhennan and his wife were already dead, while Lin Pingzhi had drifted into the martial world, his whereabouts unknown.

He had not expected to encounter Lin Pingzhi here today.

The group spurred their horses onward at full gallop, heading for Mount Song.

Lin Pingzhi had no horse.

Yue Buqun even took out money to buy him a horse in Luoyang.

As he watched Lin Pingzhi race away with Ji Shu and the others, Wang Zhongqiang and his group emerged from a corner, their teeth grinding with hatred.

"That little bastard's heart has truly gone wild. He left Luoyang without even informing us. Truly hateful!"

"Let us return."

Wang Yuanba's expression shifted uncertainly. "Strengthen the guards, lest someone launches another surprise attack and we remain none the wiser."

That night.

In a small town not far from Mount Song.

The group chose an inn to rest in.

Ji Shu lit an oil lamp and read a secret manual.

Yue Lingshan sat on the other side of the table, facing Ji Shu. She propped her chin on both hands, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly upon him.

When she saw Ji Shu merely flip through the book, draw his sword, and perform the Golden Saber Secret Art nine times before saber qi arose on its own, the admiration and envy in her eyes deepened.

"Ji Shu."

"What is it?"

"Are you hungry? Shall I make you a late-night snack?"

"No need."

Ji Shu took out a Thousand-Year Ginseng from his robes and waved it at Yue Lingshan. "I have this."

He took a bite, circulated his inner force, and used Sword Qi to digest and absorb the ginseng's essence, replenishing the qi and blood he had just expended in training.

"I had forgotten. You can chew Thousand-Year Ginseng raw."

Yue Lingshan became even more envious and admiring.

Ji Shu smiled.

Sitting to one side, he picked up the second secret manual, the Turtle Breath Technique, and began reading.

His Peak Comprehension Talent was unmatched. By now, he had learned a great deal of foundational knowledge from Ning Zhongze and the others, and could understand many martial arts secret manuals. Otherwise, if this had been when he had first crossed over, even if an unrivaled divine martial art manual had been placed before him, it would have been useless no matter how heaven-defying his comprehension was if he could not understand it.

It was like handing a university textbook to an unparalleled genius who had never attended school and could not read, then asking him to decipher its essence. Was that not simply making things difficult for him?

But now that Ji Shu's foundations were solid and he could understand secret manuals, he needed no one beside him to demonstrate or explain. A single reading was enough for him to immediately penetrate their essence and achieve the stage of Self-Generating Inner Energy.

The Turtle Breath Technique was no exception.

Just once.

He completely grasped it. A stream of qi rose from his Dantian and reached his mouth and nose.

Ji Shu circulated the Turtle Breath Technique nine times in succession.

That stream of qi continued to grow stronger. After nine cycles, it was already as thick and robust as a dragon.

Ji Shu slightly held his breath.

He discovered that with this qi supporting his body, there was no problem at all even if he went without breathing for a long time.

"Is this Inner Breathing?"

Ji Shu observed it closely and came to a realization.

The qi generated after mastering the Turtle Breath Technique was a kind of qi that could support Inner Breathing.

There was no need to breathe the outside air. So long as one used Inner Breathing to consume this qi, it could sustain a person's basic needs.

Moreover, its baseline consumption was not high. Ji Shu estimated that this stream of qi would be enough to let him go without breathing for an entire day and night!

"Excellent."

Ji Shu rejoiced inwardly.

With this qi, if he encountered poisonous gas or toxic mist in the future, he could simply circulate the Turtle Breath Technique and use Inner Breathing! His ability to preserve his life had greatly increased.

Even if he fell into the sea, with this Turtle Breath Technique, he could hold his breath for an entire day and night!

A divine technique!

Ji Shu sighed in amazement. In a sense, this Turtle Breath Technique was no different from a Lesser Deity's power! Who could fall into the sea or sink to the bottom of a lake and survive for a day without breathing?

He closed the Turtle Breath Technique and touched its pages. They were made of very old leather. This should also be a divine technique passed down through the ages. He wondered how Wang Yuanba had obtained it.

He handed the Turtle Breath Technique to Yue Lingshan.

Yue Lingshan accepted it with great interest and read for a while, then tried to cultivate it. After a long time, she said dejectedly, "I can understand it, but I cannot learn it. The first step of this Turtle Breath Technique requires one to hold one's breath for half a shichen, using inner qi to shake the five viscera and six bowels, cleanse the qi in the mouth and nose, and open this meridian passage. How could anyone possibly do that? Even my father and mother cannot accomplish this step! This simply isn't something a human can cultivate!"

She was rather displeased. "Ji Shu, you saved the entire Wang Family. And they gave you a martial art that cannot be cultivated? They are far too stingy and shameless!"

Ji Shu smiled. "I learned it."

Yue Lingshan froze, then cried out in delight. "Really?"

"Really."

"But why are the steps you used different from what is written here? You did not seem to hold your breath for half a shichen."

"Once you penetrate its essence and Self-Generating Inner Energy arises, you can naturally cleanse the qi in your mouth and nose and shake the five viscera and six bowels with ease. There is no need to take that long."

"..."

Yue Lingshan looked enviously at Ji Shu, then at the Turtle Breath Technique in her hands. In the end, she could only sigh that she was mediocre. Even with a divine technique before her, she could not learn it! Seeing Ji Shu chewing on Thousand-Year Ginseng again, she could not help saying, "Ji Shu, if you keep eating that ginseng like this, it probably will not last much longer. Tomorrow, I will speak to my father and mother and have them see whether there is any Treasure Medicine for sale nearby. Then we can buy more for you."

Ji Shu did not put on airs or act coy. He thanked her directly.

Yue Lingshan, Ning Zhongze, and the others treated him sincerely, and he would certainly treat them with equal sincerity!

Yue Lingshan practiced swordsmanship in Ji Shu's room for a while longer. Only after tiring herself out did she yawn, bid Ji Shu good night, and go to sleep.

Ji Shu lay on the bed, slightly closed his eyes, and examined his Dantian inwardly.

The Righteous Qi Sword, having absorbed the Golden Saber Qi, had grown stronger again.