Ripple Breathing Method

Ten pulls.

Nothing.

Twenty pulls.

Nothing.

Thirty pulls.

Nothing.

Forty pulls.

Nothing.

The corner of Lin Qing's eye twitched slightly, a surge of irritation rising within him.

What kind of garbage system is this? It doesn't even have a pity system.

Isn't it supposed to be a guaranteed four-star Stand every ten pulls and a five-star Stand every eighty pulls?!

Even getting an off-banner pull would be fine!

After forty pulls, he had only obtained some Stand experience books, all of which he poured into Star Platinum, only raising it from level 2 at 7% to level 2 at 13%.

A drop in the bucket.

Lin Qing invested another 100 Soul Shards.

"Fifty pulls!"

Ten streaks of starlight descended from the sky once more.

The crisp sound of chiming finally rang out!

Lin Qing counted.

One, two, three, four... four stars?

He consoled himself, four stars would do.

Four-star Stands usually have average combat power, possessing one or two standout abilities, primarily serving as support. Their tactical status is equivalent to a support, off-tank, or sub-DPS role in a game.

Five-star Stands have relatively outstanding combat power, more comprehensive abilities, and possess multiple combined capabilities, holding a significant advantage in at least one aspect of combat, defense, or support.

If it were a four-star Stand with long-range attack power or rapid assault capabilities, it could certainly resolve Lin Qing's urgent needs.

As he pondered, the starlight faded away.

A book hovered before Lin Qing's eyes.

"...Ripple Breathing Method?"

Lin Qing had been on the run and hadn't had the chance to read the JOJO series manga yet.

Fortunately, the Ripple Breathing Method was mentioned in the first part of JOJO, Phantom Blood.

He specifically sought out the parts mentioning the Ripple to read carefully, and Lin Qing roughly understood what kind of power "Ripple" was:

Ripple, originally derived from Tibetan monks, was a breathing cultivation method created for the pursuit of longevity.

Just as throwing a stone into water creates ripples, using a special breathing method to generate ripples within the body produces many miraculous effects—

Strength, heat, physical enhancement, resistance to aging, and so on.

Lin Qing looked it over from every angle and couldn't help but feel that the Ripple had the vibe of an entry-level immortal cultivation technique.

The Ripple Breathing Method was indeed very useful to Lin Qing, perhaps even more useful than having an extra five-star Stand.

No matter how many Stands he had, the frailty of his own body would always be a major flaw.

With many Stands at his side, Lin Qing could defend against attacks from any angle.

But he couldn't withstand poisoned wine handed to him with a smile, nor could he withstand the exhaustion of continuous combat.

A strong body and a thick health bar would give Lin Qing more room for error.

A negative example of this was Itachi Uchiha.

No matter how many ninjutsu he had or how well he developed his Sharingan, what was the point?

He was just a glass cannon.

However, why would the system draw a Ripple technique?

This doesn't count as a Stand; it's a type of skill book, right?

Lin Qing searched through the system instructions:

"Standard Gacha Pool: Can produce 4-5 star Stands, Stand upgrade materials, special items, etc."

Skill books were a type of special item.

Besides the Ripple Breathing Method, other special items included the Stone Mask, the Stand Arrow, firearms, the Super Aja, and so on.

Fifty pulls for a Ripple Technique—not a loss.

Although it was only a four-star skill, when applied to Lin Qing's own body, it was a genuine life-saving trump card.

From this perspective, it was even more precious than a six-star Stand.

With fifteen draws remaining, Lin Qing did not intend to continue.

His intuition told him that his luck for the day had been exhausted after drawing the Ripple Breathing Method; continuing to draw would be nothing more than a waste of soul fragments.

He closed the system interface and enjoyed a brief moment of rest.

Lin Qing and Sasuke traveled at a leisurely pace, drinking river water when thirsty, eating wild game and wild vegetables when hungry, and when tired, they would find a clean spot to sleep, using the earth as a bed and the sky as a blanket.

Over half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and they had nearly left the jurisdiction of Konoha.

The two found a small town to sell the furs of the animals they had hunted along the way, and with the money earned, they checked into a hot spring inn. After a comfortable soak and a hearty meal, they finally managed to relax.

Afterward, they hitched a ride with a merchant caravan, slowly making their way toward the Land of Water.

The Land of Fire was no longer a place they could stay.

The Land of Lightning had overly strict management; outsiders like them would likely be discovered the moment they entered.

The Land of Earth was too far away.

The Land of Wind was primarily desert, with harsh living conditions.

The management of the Land of Water could be described as "relaxed" if one were being tactful, or "chaotic" if one were being blunt.

Regarding his path forward, Lin Qing had a clear goal:

Continuously hunt fugitives, accumulate draw counts, pull Stands that could compensate for his weaknesses, and then upgrade those Stands.

Due to Kirigakure's "Bloody Mist Policy," internal strife was rampant.

On one hand, this made it easy for Lin Qing to remain hidden.

On the other hand, the land was filled with fugitives and rogue ninjas, providing Lin Qing with a rich supply of targets to hunt for soul fragments and bounties.

For Lin Qing, there was no country more suitable than the Land of Water.

Throughout their journey, Lin Qing had been gathering intelligence on various countries and ninja villages.

When he learned that Konoha could already be considered well-governed, Lin Qing understood just how dire the state of this world truly was.

He needed power.

To protect himself, and even more so, to protect the principles he held dear.

After another ten-plus days of travel, they arrived in the Land of Waves with the caravan.

The Land of Waves was the caravan's destination; from here on, Lin Qing would have to continue on his own.

"Young man, once you pass the Land of Waves and travel a bit further, you'll reach the Land of Water. We shall part ways here."

As the caravan leader spoke, he handed over a letter.

Recently, the Land of Water had closed its ports, allowing only a few merchant fleets to pass. The caravan leader was well-versed in the local ways and understood the ins and outs of the situation.

With this letter of recommendation, they could board an official ship from the Land of Waves to travel to the Land of Water.

Lin Qing did not decline; he thanked the man and accepted the letter.

Sasuke watched the caravan leader's retreating back and remarked, "He really is a good man."

"A good man, indeed..."

Lin Qing thought of the stack of money he had slipped to the caravan leader the previous night, smiled, and offered no explanation.

Having obtained the letter of recommendation, Lin Qing sought out the official from the Land of Waves at the port.

The official was a samurai with a shaved pate, wearing a kimono with hakama and straw sandals, his toes exposed and emitting a sour, foul odor. He had two swords tucked into his waist: a katana and a wakizashi.

The bald samurai looked Lin Qing and Sasuke up and down before jerking his chin toward a cargo ship bobbing on the water.

"You lot are lucky. The ship is departing soon; if you miss it, you'll have to wait half a month."

They followed the bald samurai onto the ship.

He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Lin Qing felt that the way the crew looked at them was off—there was welcome, there was joy, and there was also a hint of...

Desire.

Lin Qing frowned slightly.

What was wrong with these crew members?

Could it be that they had transmigrated from Chengdu?

But Lin Qing didn't have a thick beard, black-rimmed glasses, or white socks.

Clatter—

The bald samurai opened the sealed cargo hold, and a faint, putrid, moldy stench immediately wafted out.

Inside the dim cargo bay sat a dozen or so people, both men and women. They seemed not to have seen light for a while, as they all shielded their eyes with their hands.

Seeing the state of the people in the cargo hold, Lin Qing realized:

"Smuggling?"

Having a letter of introduction and being on official business for the Land of Waves, Lin Qing had assumed they would be sailing over in broad daylight.

A crewman shoved Lin Qing and shot him a glare. "Are you coming or not? If not, get the hell off!"

Lin Qing chuckled.

"Of course we're coming."

He pulled Sasuke, who was already reaching for his blade, into the cargo hold.

The hold sealed shut again. A single dim light hung from the ceiling, and a fan whirred overhead, drawing in just enough thin air to keep the "passengers" from suffocating inside.

They found a corner and sat down.

Sasuke whispered, "Why didn't you let me beat him up? Brother Qing, with your strength, you could have floored him with a single punch."

"I'm not some kind of demon. I can't just go around chopping people up because they glared at me, shouting that they 'have a path to death'."

Lin Qing leaned back against a crate and pulled an orange from his pack, handing it to Sasuke.

"As long as he gets us safely to the Land of Water, that's enough."

Sasuke waved his small fist. "Then when do we get to beat someone up?"

"Whenever you feel it's necessary."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and took the orange from Lin Qing's hand, suddenly feeling a gaze upon him.

It was a little girl sitting opposite them.

Her name was Xiaotao. She was about the same age as Sasuke, with pink shoulder-length hair styled into a bun, and her large eyes were fixed intently on the orange in Sasuke's hand.

There were no ulterior motives in Xiaotao's eyes, only a pure longing for the orange.

Sasuke looked at Xiaotao, then back at the orange in his hand, and let out a cold huff before turning his head away.

Smack!

Lin Qing gently patted Sasuke on his little head.

"Go socialize a bit. Don't always keep such a cold face toward people."

If anyone else had said that, Sasuke wouldn't have even bothered to acknowledge them.

But he couldn't ignore the words of Lin Qing.

Sasuke walked over, looking reluctant.

"Here!"

Sasuke turned his head away and held out half of the orange he had split.

Xiaotao's eyes lit up instantly. She looked back at her mother, and seeing her mother nod, she beamed.

"Thank you, big brother!"

She took the orange, leaned in, and planted a light peck on Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke's little face turned bright red.

"Ha—"

It was hard to tell who started it, but laughter soon filled the dim, musty, and stifling cargo hold.

Just then, the hull shuddered slightly.

The ship had set sail.