The Chaos Begins to Appear, Itching All Over Without Blessing Meat, Breathing Technique

"Evade the will of Heaven, escape the chains of karma; all manner of shackles bind the true self!"

"The shackles of the world are but a dream, formless and void, with no self to be found..."

In the slums, within the clamorous square, an ever-growing crowd queued to receive rice and scramble for Blessing Meat.

"There are more and more people."

Shi Wen, having just arrived, felt a heavy weight in his heart as he looked upon the scene of at least several thousand people.

Perhaps the young master Huang Xuanhe was right; the ripples of war from the neighboring Tiannan Prefecture had already stirred up a storm in Black Cloud County.

Over the past few days, a great number of refugees from outside had flooded into Black Cloud County.

These refugees would do any work for a bite to eat, driving down wages in the city and simultaneously sparking numerous disturbances and conflicts.

And as the Taoists of the Prosperity Society preached, they were drawing in an increasing number of these destitute souls!

These fleeing refugees cared not for who was right or wrong; as long as there was something to eat, they would rush forward with bloodshot eyes, fighting tooth and nail for a share.

Originally, when the Taoists of the Prosperity Society preached, only a few hundred people would watch the spectacle.

They would queue for rice or pick up some Blessing Meat.

But now, it was completely different!

The refugees pouring in from outside the city were fighting for their lives to grab it. Never mind that Blessing Meat looked no different from ordinary meat; even if it were rat meat, they would fight to eat it!

"Truly, fortune and misfortune are interdependent..."

Shi Wen silently recited these words.

Some days ago, the Taoists of the Prosperity Society had taken notice of him, and every time he arrived, they would prepare an extra bag of Blessing Meat for him.

Back then, he had been quite wary of it.

Yet now, he realized that if not for that extra bag of Blessing Meat every day, he would likely struggle to snatch even a few pieces amidst so many refugees.

"Salvation to the Immortal Mother; Lay Practitioner Shi has arrived quite early today." The goat-bearded Taoist Xiang Ju smiled as he sized him up, took a bag of Blessing Meat from the young Taoist beside him, and handed it to Shi Wen.

"Many thanks, Daoist, for the gift of meat."

Shi Wen bowed, poured the small bag of meat into his own carrying pouch, and returned the bag to the other man.

"Virtuous, virtuous. As long as the lay practitioner has the heart to make offerings to the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother, that is enough." Xiang Ju smiled, scanning him from head to toe, and said with some surprise, "It seems Lay Practitioner Shi truly loves eating Blessing Meat."

"It is shameful to say." Shi Wen scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know why, but ever since I ate the Blessing Meat, I feel itchy all over if I don't eat it. It's as if ants are gnawing at my bones and insects are burrowing into my heart. I crave the Blessing Meat every single day!"

"Lay Practitioner Shi, you speak too heavily."

A few black lines flashed across Xiang Ju's forehead. "This is just ordinary meat, not an addictive drug. Do not spout nonsense and affect the reputation of our Prosperity Society."

"It is I who spoke too heavily."

Shi Wen gave a sheepish smile.

He took the Blessing Meat and turned to leave, as he rarely engaged in much conversation with the Taoists of the Prosperity Society.

However, this time, Xiang Ju stopped him and handed him a thin booklet, smiling gently: "Lay Practitioner Shi, you have an affinity with the Immortal Mother. This humble one observes that you have only recently stepped onto the path of martial arts; perhaps this item can help you accelerate your cultivation."

The young Taoist Ying Kuang, standing to the side, saw this and grew anxious.

He wanted to stop it.

But he dared not face the authority of the middle-aged Taoist.

Once Shi Wen's figure disappeared into the crowd, Ying Kuang asked in confusion: "Elder, how could you pass the breathing technique of our lineage to him?"

The breathing technique was extraordinary.

A powerful breathing technique could accelerate the speed at which the body refined blood and condensed it, hastening the progress of martial arts. At the same time, it allowed all the impurities and foul qi in the body to resonate with the heaven and earth through the act of breathing, expelling them!

Breathing techniques required the unity of breath, movement, and intent!

While the grades of the breathing techniques within their lineage varied, they were all secret transmissions not to be shared outside the sect.

Accelerating martial cultivation, condensing blood qi, strengthening one's foundation, and inhaling the essence of heaven and earth—these were rare secret arts!

If the sect master found out it had been leaked, heads would roll!

"Heh, it is merely a fragmented breathing technique. What kind of waves could this boy possibly stir up?"

Xiang Ju's tone was calm as he said, "Did you not see that this boy is extremely compatible with the Blessing Meat? After consuming the Blessing Meat, which is diluted from the Treasure Blood, he actually carries a very faint aura of Treasure Blood. If we can nurture this bait to a mature stage, won't our mission be much easier to succeed?"

"But time is too short. If we let this boy eat the Blessing Meat, how long will it take for him to become a satisfactory bait?"

"It is better to pass the Breathing Technique to him, allowing him to refine the blood qi in his body to a pure and robust state. By then, accomplishing our goal should not be difficult."

"As for the loss of the secret art..." Xiang Ju laughed, "Once the bait disappears after this matter, how could the breathing technique possibly spread?"

A mere peasant—how could he ever escape the palm of his hand?

Not to mention anything else, in terms of martial arts realm alone.

He alone could slaughter every so-called martial arts expert in Black Cloud County!

Ying Kuang hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Elder, if this boy learns the breathing technique, his martial arts cultivation speed could increase several-fold, perhaps even tenfold. Are you truly not worried?"

"You possess a Grade 12 peerless root, born with steel-like sinews and iron ribs, a martial arts prodigy. How long did it take you to master this breathing technique?"

Xiang Ju did not answer, but asked a question instead.

Ying Kuang thought for a moment and said, "Two months."

"If even you required two months, how long would it take for a boy with such mediocre roots to master it?"

Xiang Ju said disdainfully, "I have the confidence to do this because no one can escape my control!"

"Elder, you are right!" Ying Kuang replied respectfully.

"You only need to watch out for the Extreme Yang Society; I suspect they have been secretly leveraging their influence during this time." Xiang Ju frowned. "These refugees and displaced persons have always been their tools."

"Elder, what exactly is the situation in Tiannan Prefecture?"

Xiang Ju asked curiously, "I heard that a group of insurgents appeared there who shaved their hair and beards, shouting about reform and overthrowing the feudal imperial system, and even forged some kind of iron weapon capable of killing martial artists? What is going on?"

"That level is beyond our reach."

Xiang Ju's expression turned grave as he said in a deep voice, "Presumably, an existence on the level of the Immortal Mother made some error while refining a certain realm in Tiannan Prefecture, causing the false and the real to overlap, which led to the total collapse of the entire region."

"I estimate that everyone in Tiannan Prefecture is as good as dead. Even if they aren't, they will eventually be suppressed and slaughtered by the imperial court."

"Such anomalous matters will be strictly suppressed and eradicated by the court; it is absolutely impossible for them to spread."

"These are not things that we martial artists can concern ourselves with."

"To put it nicely, we martial artists are high and mighty, but in reality, we are nothing more than slightly larger ants. Sigh..."

Upon hearing this, an indescribable sense of oppression flashed through Ying Kuang's heart.

He was said to have a Grade 12 peerless root, born with steel-like sinews and iron ribs, a martial arts prodigy—but within the society, who wasn't a martial arts prodigy?

He truly wondered if people like them would ever have a chance to get ahead...

"Don't think so much. Once this matter is done and the Holy Son of our lineage sees his power surge, perhaps we can pass the Rite of Edict Induction, and at that time, we too can become his subordinates."

Xiang Ju offered a word of comfort.

A look of hope appeared on Ying Kuang's face.

Meanwhile, on a street several miles away.

Shi Wen sat in a tea shop, sipping tea while observing the text and diagrams in the notebook.

An indescribable, strange expression appeared on his face.

"That Daoist passed me a breathing technique?"