Art of Hidden Breath

The candlelight flickered, casting Ye Yun's shadow long. He gazed at the open jade box on the table, two fruits as red as blood, Vermilion Essence Fruit, shimmering under the candlelight as if alive and trembling slightly.

A rich surge of vital energy emanated from the fruits, making the air in the entire room feel thicker.

"Uncle Fu..." Ye Yun called softly, his gaze turning to the old man standing beside him. "Thank you for these years."

Uncle Fu's hunched figure appeared exceptionally aged in the candlelight, his face a roadmap of wrinkles etched by time. Hearing Ye Yun's call, his cloudy eyes trembled slightly, his gaze falling upon the two priceless Vermilion Essence Fruit.

"This... this is..." Uncle Fu's voice trembled. His withered fingers cautiously approached the jade box, only to stop just before touching it. "Vermilion Essence Fruit? This old servant has never seen one in his life..."

A slight smile touched Ye Yun's lips as he gently picked up one of the fruits. " Uncle Fu, this one is for you."

Uncle Fu's body jolted as if struck by lightning, and he stumbled back half a step. Disbelief washed over his aged face, quickly transforming into deep emotion, but then hardening into firm refusal.

"Absolutely not! Absolutely not, young master!" Uncle Fu waved his hands repeatedly, his voice choked. "How could this old servant possibly accept such a treasure..."

"Uncle Fu!" Ye Yun's voice was firm yet gentle. "If not for you all these years, I would have starved to death on the streets. You taught me to read, taught me martial arts. This kindness..."

Uncle Fu's eyes welled up. He tremblingly raised his sleeve to wipe away the corners of his eyes. "Young master, you don't know... " The old man's voice lowered, carrying the weight of years and the weariness of time. "This old servant's life... has been without martial arts."

Ye Yun froze. In his memory, although Uncle Fu had never displayed profound martial arts, his fundamentals were exceptionally solid, each move exuding an air of mastery.

Uncle Fu slowly sat on a nearby chair, his gaze distant. "Sixty years ago, this old servant was a beggar wandering the streets, skin and bones, about to die that winter..." The old man's voice carried a deep nostalgia.

"It was Master... your grandfather, who found this old servant in the snow, brought me back to the military camp, gave me food, and taught me to read and practice martial arts."

The candlelight crackled, illuminating the old man's reminiscent face.

"This old servant's aptitude was dull. After ten years of hard practice, I still couldn't sense vital energy." Uncle Fu gave a wry smile, extending his calloused hands. "But Master never disliked me and kept me by his side."

"Later, I followed the army into battle, made some minor contributions, and with all my savings, I finally managed to exchange for a Vermilion Essence Fruit..."

Ye Yun held his breath. He could imagine the anticipation with which the young Uncle Fu had consumed that precious fruit.

"Alas..." Uncle Fu shook his head, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "The Vermilion Essence Fruit couldn't help this old servant open the Heaven and Earth bridges. Since then, my martial heart... has faded."

A brief silence filled the room. Ye Yun could feel the deep regret hidden within the old man's words—a persistent obsession that a martial artist could never let go of in a lifetime.

"A Vermilion Essence Fruit can only be consumed once in a lifetime." Uncle Fu looked up, gazing at Ye Yun with affection. "The effect of the second one will be greatly reduced. I appreciate your kindness, young master, but you should keep this treasure."

Ye Yun opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. He recalled the feeling of consuming the Vermilion Essence Fruit—the pain and exhilaration of the surging vital energy washing through his meridians. He couldn't imagine Uncle Fu enduring the same torment, only to fall short of his goal.

"Uncle Fu..." Ye Yun finally just gently held the old man's withered hand.

Uncle Fu suddenly smiled, his smile filled with relief. "Young master, there's no need. Today... today is the happiest day for this old servant in ten years."

His voice choked slightly. "Seeing you become a ranked martial artist, this old servant can finally... finally give Master, who is in the netherworld, an explanation..."

In the candlelight, Ye Yun saw tears shimmering in the old man's cloudy eyes. At that moment, he suddenly understood Uncle Fu's persistence all these years—it wasn't mere loyalty, but a repayment bordering on obsession, a return for the life-saving grace and the recognition he had received.

"I'll go make you a bowl of hot soup." Uncle Fu suddenly stood up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "You've just broken through, you need to replenish your body." Without waiting for Ye Yun's reply, he quickly walked out of the room.

Ye Yun watched Uncle Fu's retreating back, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He looked down at the two remaining Vermilion Essence Fruit in the jade box, his brow furrowed. "Does the effect really diminish so much with the second one?"

This question lingered in his mind. He knew the preciousness of the Vermilion Essence Fruit—one was enough to transform an ordinary martial artist.

But the Vermilion Essence Fruit was even more special; it grew on ancient thousand-year-old trees, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, so its effect should be stronger than ordinary Vermilion Essence Fruit. Perhaps... perhaps the second one wasn't entirely ineffective?

After a moment of thought, Ye Yun carefully put away the jade box. Now was not the time to dwell on this. The priority was to consolidate his realm and improve his strength. He then picked up the True Martial Secret Manual on the table, its heavy texture filling him with reverence.

Opening the pages, the ancient characters reappeared before his eyes. This time, Ye Yun found his understanding to be much deeper. After breaking through to the 8th Rank, his senses had become much sharper, allowing him to vaguely grasp the martial dao truths contained within the text.

"Basic cultivation method... body tempering technique... breathing method..." Ye Yun flipped through the pages, each section broadening his horizons. These techniques, while seemingly simple, contained extremely profound martial dao principles, far superior to the common goods circulating in the market.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a technique called Turtle Breath Stillness. This was a method for concealing one's aura, said to originate from the natural state of ancient spirit turtles hibernating, capable of suppressing a martial artist's aura to near nothingness.

"This is exactly what I need!" Ye Yun's eyes lit up. Although his strength had reached the peak of the 8th Rank, if he encountered an enemy of a higher realm, they could see through him at a glance. Before uncovering the truth behind the Ye Family's annihilation, concealing his strength was paramount.

Ye Yun eagerly began to study this technique. Unlike ordinary concealment arts, Turtle Breath Stillness did not simply suppress the aura; it mimicked the life state of a hibernating spirit turtle, drawing all the vital energy, essence, and spirit into a single point in the Dantian, making one appear no different from an ordinary person, capable of deceiving even powerful experts several realms higher.

"Breath like silk, energy sinks to the Dantian, spirit light retracts, form like dead wood..." Ye Yun silently recited the incantation, adjusting his breathing according to the technique's description.

Initially, his aura became chaotic, his chest felt tight, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. But as time passed, his breathing gradually became long and faint, eventually becoming almost imperceptible.

Simultaneously, the vital energy within his body began to circulate in a peculiar manner—no longer surging through his meridians as usual, but like a hibernating spirit turtle, slowly gathering in the depths of his Dantian, forming a nearly stationary vortex.

Three hours passed, and the sky outside the window had begun to turn white. Ye Yun slowly opened his eyes, a flash of divine light disappearing instantly, returning to normal.

He stood up and walked to the bronze mirror, examining himself—the youth in the mirror had a normal complexion, a calm gaze, and none of the sharp aura characteristic of a martial artist. At first glance, he looked no different from an ordinary person.

"Success?" Ye Yun found it hard to believe. He tried to circulate his vital energy and found that as long as he controlled it properly, no aura leaked out during its flow. This state of being able to control it at will was the mark of achieving the first stage of Turtle Breath Stillness.

According to the secret manual, this technique had three stages: the first stage allowed one to conceal their aura, making it difficult for martial artists of the same realm to detect;

The second stage could deceive experts a major realm higher;

The third stage reached the pinnacle of perfection, able to deceive even the vital energy of heaven and earth, truly returning to simplicity.

Ye Yun reaching the first stage overnight was an astonishing feat that would shock countless people if it were to spread.

However, he understood that this was likely due to the Vermilion Essence Fruit's transformation of his physique and the profound nature of the True Martial Secret Manual itself.

"Martial artists of the Sixth Rank should no longer be able to see through my true strength..." Ye Yun nodded with satisfaction.

With this technique, he could finally walk among people with peace of mind, without worrying about exposing his strength.

Morning light streamed through the papered window into the room, and Ye Yun realized he had been cultivating all night. He stretched his limbs, and his joints made faint cracking sounds.

Despite not sleeping, he felt exceptionally energetic. The physique of an 8th Rank martial artist was indeed extraordinary.

Familiar footsteps sounded outside the door. Uncle Fu entered, carrying steaming hot breakfast. Seeing Ye Yun already up, the old man's face broke into a kind smile. "Young Master Yun, why are you up so early? This old servant brewed some ginseng chicken soup, hurry and have it while it's hot..."

Before he could finish, Uncle Fu froze. His cloudy eyes widened slightly as he looked Ye Yun up and down. "Young Master Yun, you... what happened to your aura?"

Ye Yun's heart leaped. It seemed Turtle Breath Stillness was indeed effective. He deliberately asked, "What about my aura?"

Uncle Fu put down the food tray and shook his head in confusion. "Strange... Yesterday, I clearly felt your aura was strong, but this morning... it's like you're just an ordinary person..." The old man suddenly grew nervous. Could the breakthrough have gone wrong?

Ye Yun couldn't help but chuckle. "Uncle Fu, don't worry. This is a new concealment technique I learned." As he spoke, he released a trace of his aura, and the air in the entire room instantly condensed.

Only then did Uncle Fu relax, his face then showing a relieved smile. "Young Master Yun truly has extraordinary talent. This kind of profound concealment technique, this old servant has never seen before."

As they were talking, a rapid knocking sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard, interrupting this warm moment. Uncle Fu frowned. "So early, who could it be?"

Ye Yun quickly retracted his aura, returning to his ordinary state. "I'll go see."

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he heard Yan Xiao Liu's anxious voice from outside the door. "Brother Ye! Brother Ye, are you there? Something big has happened!"