Morning sunlight fell over the dilapidated courtyard of Baruch Manor, casting a faint golden sheen across the desolate grounds.
Lin Yun followed Linley out of the room and down a corridor that felt both familiar and strange. It was familiar because six years of memories told him he had walked this way countless times. It was strange because those memories belonged to "another him," and only now was he experiencing the corridor firsthand with a clear mind.
The manor was even more rundown than he had imagined.
Many of the stone bricks in the walls had cracked, and moss filled the gaps. Several of the wooden beams overhead had been eaten hollow by insects, and the corridor creaked beneath their feet. The courtyard lawn had not been trimmed in ages. Weeds had run rampant, growing almost to their ankles.
The only thing that still hinted at the manor's former glory was the Dragon Stone Sculpture in the center of the courtyard. It depicted a mighty dragon with its wings spread as if ready to take flight, its head held high. Even after a thousand years of wind and rain, it still exuded an air of authority.
A hundred or two children were already gathered on the open ground to the east of the manor.
The children ranged in age from six to their early teens. They wore all kinds of coarse clothes, some of them patched. They were divided into three groups. The northernmost group was made up of children around six to eight years old, the middle group of children around nine to twelve, and the southernmost group of teenagers around thirteen to sixteen.
They were the children of farmers, blacksmiths, and hunters who lived on Baruch Clan lands. Although the clan had fallen into decline, as descendants of the Dragonblood Warriors, they still commanded centuries of respect in the lands near Fenlai City. Every year, Hogg had the children from the territory come here for basic warrior training. It was also a bond passed down through generations between the Baruch Clan and the people who lived on its lands.
"Linley! Lin Yun! Over here!"
A dark-skinned boy waved at them. He was Hadley, the blacksmith's son and a good friend of the two brothers.
Linley tugged Lin Yun over, and they joined the middle group.
Lin Yun glanced around at the other children, quietly making comparisons. Most of the youngest children in the north looked dazed. Some were yawning, some were whispering to each other, and others were crouched on the ground playing with pebbles. To them, coming here to train was probably just a little more interesting than working at home.
No one truly understood what "cultivation" meant.
No one knew that in this world of magic and Battle Qi, strength was the foundation on which a person stood.
Lin Yun looked away and waited quietly for the training to begin.
He had no need to feel excited or curious like the other children. He understood better than anyone how long the road ahead of him would be.
"Silence!"
A deep voice rang out from the entrance to the manor's main house.
All the children fell silent at once and turned toward the sound.
A burly, middle-aged man strode out. He looked to be in his early forties and stood nearly one meter ninety tall. Broad-shouldered and broad-backed, he looked like a wall. He wore a faded sleeveless shirt and coarse trousers, with a broadsword hanging at his waist. Its scabbard was covered in scratches—the marks of countless battles.
He was Hillman, captain of the Baruch Clan's guard and a Level 6 Warrior.
On the Yulan Continent, a Level 6 Warrior had already crossed into the middle ranks. He might not have been much in a major city, but in a small place like Wushan Town, a Level 6 Warrior was among the strongest.
Several members of the Baruch Clan's guard followed behind Hillman. They were there to help maintain order and guide the children through their training.
"Stand properly!" Hillman's voice boomed through the courtyard. "You're all ordinary people. You can't cultivate powerful Battle Qi manuals like the great nobles. If you want to get ahead, if you don't want people looking down on you in the future, you have to train in the oldest, simplest, most basic way. Train your bodies and build your strength. Understood?"
"Understood!" the children shouted in unison.
"Good." Hillman nodded and let his gaze pass over each child's face, lingering on Linley and Lin Yun for an extra second. "In the morning, as the sun rises, all living things brim with vitality. This is the best time to absorb the essence of heaven and earth and improve our bodies' potential. As usual, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and bring your hands to your waist. Assume the 'Qi Cultivation Style.' When you practice it, remember to focus your attention and keep your mind calm."
At the words "Qi Cultivation Style," some of the older children looked as if they understood. Hadley leaned over and whispered to the boy beside him, "My brother said this is exhausting. You ache all over for days afterward."
"Silence!" Hillman barked. Every voice stopped at once. "Anyone who talks again will run twenty laps around the manor today."
The courtyard immediately fell quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Hillman nodded in satisfaction and walked to the open ground in the center of the courtyard. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, let his arms hang naturally, and slowly closed his eyes.
"Watch carefully."
He took a deep breath, then began to exhale slowly.
The rhythm was unusual. First came three seconds of a slow exhale, then he suddenly sped up, forcing the air through his nose with a sound like a gust of wind. After two seconds, he stopped abruptly and switched to slowly breathing out the remaining air through his mouth. The whole breathing cycle lasted about fifteen seconds, then began again.
Lin Yun watched without blinking, his mind racing.
He noticed several key details. When Hillman inhaled, his abdomen first expanded and then contracted—the exact opposite of an ordinary person's breathing. His exhalation followed a regular rhythm, as if guided by a particular pattern: three fast breaths and one slow, repeating over and over.
Was this... Resonance?
In his previous life, Lin Yun had studied physics. Although his major had been theoretical physics and spatial structure, he was very familiar with waves and the principles of resonance. If Battle Qi could be roused through breathing, then this unusual breathing rhythm was likely meant to resonate with some kind of energy within the body.
Hillman completed ten Qi Cultivation Style cycles, then finished the exercise and opened his eyes.
"Did you see clearly? Who can repeat the key points?"
The children glanced at one another. No one raised a hand.
Linley hesitated, then raised his hand.
"Linley, go ahead." A hint of approval flashed in Hillman's eyes.
"Yes." Linley stepped forward and carefully recited the instructions. "The core of the Qi Cultivation Style is the breathing rhythm. When inhaling, first breathe slowly through your nose for three seconds, then inhale sharply for two seconds, and finally breathe in quickly through your mouth for one second. During the whole process, your abdomen contracts first, then expands. When exhaling, first breathe out slowly through your nose for three seconds, then force the air out through your nose for two seconds, and finally breathe out the rest slowly through your mouth. One inhalation and one exhalation make a cycle."
Hillman gave a slight nod but did not praise him right away. Instead, he looked at the other children. "Anyone want to add something?"
Lin Yun raised his hand.
"Lin Yun?"
"One more thing," Lin Yun said unhurriedly. "When Uncle Hillman does the Qi Cultivation Style, his toes grip the ground, and his knees are slightly bent without being locked. That shows the Qi Cultivation Style isn't just a breathing method. It also requires the whole body's muscles to work in coordination. If you only control your breathing and let your body relax, it should be much less effective."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
A flicker of shock crossed Hillman's eyes. He quickly hid it, but the slight upward curve of his lips gave him away.
"Good." He nodded, his voice growing more serious. "Lin Yun is right. The Qi Cultivation Style isn't just a breathing method. It's a whole-body cultivation method. Breathing is the trigger, the state of your muscles is the support, and your intent is the core. When practicing the Qi Cultivation Style, focus your mind and feel the flow of breath within your body."
He paused and looked around at all the children. "Now, everyone start practicing the way I just showed you. I'll correct you one by one."
The children quickly spread out, found places to stand, and began clumsily imitating Hillman's breathing rhythm.
The scene quickly turned a little comical.
Some children inhaled too hard and choked, coughing. Others exhaled too quickly, blasting out all their air at once, then held their breath until their faces turned red. Still others focused so much on breathing that they forgot their posture, standing crooked like bamboo bent by the wind.
Linley and Lin Yun stood in a corner and began practicing too.
Linley truly had exceptional talent. He found the breathing rhythm on his first attempt. It was not yet Fluidity, but he was already getting close. His body cooperated as well. He stood straight, his muscles relaxed but springy, and his toes gripped the ground instinctively.
Lin Yun was more cautious.
He did not rush to imitate Hillman. Instead, he closed his eyes and used his awareness to feel his body. Although he had never systematically trained in the Swallowed Star World during the past six years, he had consciously worked on honing his perception. He could clearly sense every muscle in his body, every heartbeat, and the faint energy flowing through each meridian.
Then he began to adjust his breathing.
Slow inhale for three seconds—he breathed in slowly through his nose, feeling the air pass through his nasal cavity, throat, and windpipe before entering his lungs. At the same time, following Hillman's demonstration, his abdomen slowly expanded, then contracted sharply.
Forceful inhale for two seconds—he sped up his breathing, and the air rushed in like a torrent. At that moment, he felt a faint warmth rise from his dantian and travel slowly up his spine.
Quick inhale for one second—he rapidly drew in one final breath through his mouth until his lungs were completely full. The warm current suddenly quickened, surging to his chest before slowly falling back as he moved into the exhalation phase.
The exhalation went just as smoothly.
Lin Yun completed a full Qi Cultivation Style cycle in about fourteen seconds, a little faster than Hillman's demonstration, but with a perfectly correct rhythm.
He opened his eyes and found Hillman standing in front of him, watching him with an almost scrutinizing gaze.
"Do another one," Hillman said.
Lin Yun nodded and repeated the exercise. This time, he deliberately slowed down, lengthening the full cycle to sixteen seconds and making the transitions between each stage smoother.
Hillman remained silent for a long time.
"Have you practiced this before?" he asked.
"No." Lin Yun shook his head. It was the truth—at least in the Coiling Dragon World, this was the first time he had encountered the Qi Cultivation Style.
Hillman stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly nodded. "Keep practicing."
He turned to the other children, but after walking a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Lin Yun. A complicated expression flickered in his eyes—shock, satisfaction, and something else he could not quite put into words.
Lin Yun paid no attention to Hillman's reaction and continued focusing on his practice.
He knew where his advantage lay—not in talent, but in his mindset. The other children treated cultivation like an assigned task: once they finished, that was it. He treated every breath and every muscle contraction as a precise experiment, adjusting them again and again in pursuit of perfection.
That was a habit left over from his research in his previous life, and it was what would help him survive in both worlds.
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