Thunder Breathing Method

"Thank you for Elder Huang's guidance, but I still want to choose this One Blade Style and give it a try!"

Li Qiming said, having made up his mind.

He had no idea whether he could master it.

But what if he could?

If he did, at the very least, he'd have a way to defend himself and save his life!

"You..." Elder Huang glared at him, looking rather displeased. Why had he run into another kid with a screw loose?

Still, he could understand. Young people always had a bit of conceited confidence in themselves.

"This is your own choice. If you fail to master it and waste your time, don't come blaming me..." Elder Huang said.

Li Qiming nodded.

"The original manual can't be taken away. Go to the counter by the entrance. There's paper and a brush there; you can copy it down."

Seeing how determined he was, Elder Huang shook his head and walked away. He lay back down in his chair, and soon his snores began to rumble softly.

Li Qiming sat beside him and began copying the One Blade Style.

The One Blade Style was thick, and heavy in his hands.

As he copied, Li Qiming realized that the One Blade Style truly was a second-rate martial art. It was on an entirely different level from the Tiger Roar Fist.

The Tiger Roar Fist simply involved circulating Blood Qi and tempering the body, and included stance training and fist techniques.

But the One Blade Style contained an additional breathing method.

This breathing method was called the "Thunder Breathing Method."

Its creator was none other than the Founder, Long Yingtian. One night, while watching the heavens, he saw thunder roar across the sky during a rainstorm. Inspired by the sight, he created this unique Thunder Breathing Method.

Li Qiming realized that mastering this breathing method was the key to learning the One Blade Style!

Suddenly, Li Qiming noticed a group of people entering.

He looked up and saw familiar faces: Wang Liang, the white-robed young master Mo Su, a square-faced young master, and a wealthy young lady with fair skin, stunning looks, and a generous figure.

These four were the ones with average Root Bones whom Li Qiming had outperformed and eliminated yesterday.

But now they were all wearing the same gray robes as Li Qiming, marking them as Registered Disciples.

Their eyes met. Mo Su and the others looked a little awkward. After all, they had been defeated by Li Qiming. Their acceptance as disciples of the Dragon Roar Martial Hall this time hadn't exactly been aboveboard, either.

"Brother! We meet again!"

When Wang Liang saw Li Qiming, his eyes lit up. Among the three wealthy young masters and ladies, he had felt out of place and uncomfortable. Seeing Li Qiming, who had also been a servant, made him feel especially close to him.

He was just about to go over and get to know him better.

Suddenly, a tremendous pressure enveloped the four of them!

It was like an invisible hand pressing down on them. Even breathing became difficult, let alone moving a muscle!

The four of them darkened in the face, as if they'd returned to yesterday's second examination, when an elder's Blood Qi had pinned them down!

Seeing Wang Liang and the others' reaction, Li Qiming immediately understood. This was Elder Huang's doing!

After waiting a while, Elder Huang's expected reminder still didn't come.

Li Qiming couldn't help turning to look.

Hooo—

Elder Huang was still snoring.

What...was going on? Had he really fallen asleep? Had he acted without even waking up?

The four of them were sweating profusely.

"Ahem..." Li Qiming thought for a moment, then spoke in Elder Huang's place. "New disciples? Remember, you only have half an hour. Don't take too long... And remember, you can only choose martial arts from the first floor."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pressure on the four of them vanished.

Mo Su and the others looked at him in surprise, feeling genuinely shaken.

Wasn't this guy a newcomer just like them? Why did he sound like he was in charge here?

But they weren't fools. They quickly realized that the one who had acted was the old man sleeping in the chair beside them.

He was a mysterious expert!

"Brother, my name's Wang Liang. I'm a year younger than you. Um, can I treat you to dinner tonight?" Wang Liang asked nervously. He seemed eager to befriend Li Qiming, and even looked up to him a little.

"Sure." Li Qiming smiled faintly and nodded.

He had a good impression of Wang Liang. Besides, they came from the same background and were both new disciples. In this unfamiliar place, having another friend could only be a good thing.

It was like how knowing Zhang Mingshun had made Ah Kun and the others dare not charge him interest on the loan.

Sometimes, simply knowing certain people could make problems solve themselves. That was the benefit of connections.

"Li Qiming, I'll work hard and surpass you!" Mo Su said solemnly, with a hint of arrogance. Then he turned and went to choose a martial art.

The square-faced young master and the wealthy young lady clasped their fists toward Li Qiming. They said nothing more, then turned to follow Mo Su. The three seemed to regard Mo Su as their leader and had formed a little group.

"Brother, I'll go choose mine first," Wang Liang said.

"Mm."

Li Qiming looked at Elder Huang. The old man was still snoring, so Li Qiming shook his head and continued copying.

The One Blade Style was too thick.

So thick that he couldn't possibly finish copying it anytime soon.

The "Thunder Breathing Method" seemed impossible to put into words; it could only be grasped, and it was profoundly mysterious.

Even the first-generation Founder, Long Yingtian, hadn't been able to explain it clearly in just a few words.

Before long, Mo Su, Wang Liang, and the others finished choosing their manuals. They sat down beside him and started copying, too.

In the end, Li Qiming was the last of the five to finish copying.

"Brother, what martial art did you choose? It's so thick! It must be amazing!"

Wang Liang asked curiously.

Mo Su and the others also glanced over, naturally curious.

"One Blade Style." Li Qiming didn't hide it. He showed them the cover of the manual.

Mo Su and the others exchanged looks.

"What?" Li Qiming asked, noticing their strange expressions.

The next moment, all four showed him the covers of their own manuals.

Tyrant Blade, Life-Taking Thirteen Blades, Shadowless Blade, Complex Blade...

All five of them had chosen blade techniques without coordinating at all!

"Heh, things are getting interesting..." Mo Su suddenly gave a cold laugh. He stared intently at Li Qiming and said,

"Then let's see whose blade technique is strongest, whose is the most powerful!"

Li Qiming stood up, tidied the tabletop, then looked at Mo Su and said flatly,

"I admit defeat."

Never mind that he might not be able to master the One Blade Style...

Even if he did, his nature was to keep something in reserve. This was a way to save his life, so naturally, the fewer people who knew about it, the better!

If everyone knew he had mastered the One Blade Style, they'd be on guard against him, and its life-saving value would be greatly diminished.

There was no need.

Li Qiming returned the original One Blade Style manual to the shelf.

Watching Li Qiming's back, Mo Su's face flushed red. He felt as though he'd been humiliated!

It was as if this guy didn't consider him a rival at all!

He hadn't even been worth taking seriously!

This was simply a most bitter disgrace!