Comprehension

The expressions on everyone's faces turned strange, including Yu Feng.

He seemed not to have expected Chen Chong to be worried about such a thing, and after a long pause, he said:

"You'll be fed until you're full. That goes for you too."

Chen Chong nodded.

"I'll learn."

"Good."

Yu Feng gave him a deep look, then began to explain the key points to the five of them.

"Remember, you must use abdominal breathing every time, ensuring the breath reaches deep into your body..."

"Three short, three long, three short, followed by five long and four short. But don't think of it as having intervals; it must be treated as a single whole. Watch..."

"Keep your chest and abdomen relaxed, don't stiffen your back. This is a Breathing Method, not a horse stance. Do you usually strike a pose before you breathe?"

"Idiots."

All four were coming into contact with a Breathing Method for the first time, and each found it difficult to get started. But before long, a gap in progress began to emerge among them.

The fastest was Chen Chong. His comprehension was excellent; he basically mastered it after hearing it once. When he tried to imitate it, he picked it up quickly, and as long as Yu Feng corrected him once, he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Next was Li Xiaoguang. As a student preparing for the Wu Yuan, his foundation in this area was solid, so he wasn't slow to start.

Wang Li struggled much more. With a furrowed brow and a flushed face, he panted like an ox but couldn't find the knack; he was the one scolded the most.

As for Liu Hetao, he seemed unable to understand it at all, let alone practice it. He wore a blank expression, yet surprisingly, Yu Feng did not scold him.

This Breathing Method was quite long; a complete cycle took five to ten minutes, and it could not be interrupted midway.

But Chen Chong quickly discovered the pattern.

"Every change in rhythm uses nine breaths or a multiple of nine as a node, with corresponding parts before and after, like the verse and chorus of a song..."

Thus, in less than an hour, he had memorized the entire process and was silently attempting to practice it in full.

His progress was extremely fast. Although he didn't make a sound, Yu Feng, who had been watching him silently, soon noticed.

Yu Feng waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop, then pointed at Chen Chong:

"You, give it a try."

Several thoughts flashed through Chen Chong's mind, but in the end, he had no intention of hiding his ability. Following the technique he had just learned, he performed it with a slightly awkward, hesitant rhythm. Thin, snake-like white vapors began to swirl around his cheeks.

Li Xiaoguang and the others didn't understand what Coach Yu meant at first, but as Chen Chong hit his stride and the white vapor took on a certain rhythm, they all wore expressions of astonishment in unison.

Nearly ten minutes passed, and Chen Chong finished. The surprise of the other three turned into shock.

Even the fastest, Li Xiaoguang, had barely learned half of it, yet Chen Chong was already able to perform the whole thing?

Liu Hetao looked at him with admiration and stammered:

"So amazing."

Li Xiaoguang's expression was much the same, though with a bit more fighting spirit than Liu Hetao. Wang Li clicked his tongue, not entirely convinced.

But they now understood why Yu Feng had called Chen Chong over as well.

A ripple of emotion appeared deep in Yu Feng's eyes, but it quickly subsided. He nodded:

"How does it feel?"

Chen Chong knit his brows and said slowly:

"It feels... like my blood is flowing very fast, like I just finished a hundred-meter dash, but it's more tiring—much more tiring."

Yu Feng stared at him:

"Anything else?"

Chen Chong was already sweating. He continued to recall, and after a moment, he said hesitantly:

"I vaguely feel that the breath I'm inhaling and exhaling, and my blood, seem to be seeping into my body."

He immediately shook his head; if his blood were actually seeping into his body, that would be a huge problem.

Yu Feng nodded slowly, the ripple in his eyes even greater than before.

Aptitude, is it...

His throat bobbed, but no one heard his voice.

After a while, Yu Feng interrupted Li Xiaoguang and the others, who had already begun enthusiastically asking Chen Chong for advice, and said:

"Once you master the Breathing Method and drive your breath and blood, you can strengthen your physical fitness. Seeping into the body—this is the key. It is an illusion, yet it isn't. You wouldn't understand if I said too much right now."

"But this is a process that consumes a lot of energy and places a heavy burden on you. For a mature practitioner, it is best not to persist for more than an hour at the start. As for you—"

He looked at Chen Chong:

"Your physical condition is better than I imagined, but if you keep practicing like this, how many times can you keep it up?"

Chen Chong did indeed feel very tired, drenched in sweat. If he didn't eat, he feared that after two or three more times, he would be sweating cold, exhausted sweat.

He did indeed feel his strength increase by a tiny margin. Thanks to observing the increase in the numbers before his eyes and their correlation with his body over the past few days, his grasp of his own condition had grown stronger.

"One more time at most."

Chen Chong replied.

Yu Feng glanced at him, told them to discuss it among themselves, and then walked to the side to pick up a walkie-talkie and say something.

Half an hour later, an employee arrived carrying an insulated bucket and handed it to Yu Feng.

Yu Feng opened the bucket, revealing a black meat broth inside. A foul, fishy stench instantly permeated the entire Training Room, refusing to dissipate for a moment even with the ventilation on all sides.

He ladled out the soup, filling exactly four bowls, and said:

"The Breathing Method must be paired with dietary supplements. First, to compensate for the expenditure and repair the body; second, to strengthen the blood and qi and enhance the results. Even if you haven't mastered it yet, drinking this will cause your blood and qi to surge, which helps in grasping the technique. Come on."

None of them moved.

"The taste is a bit lacking, but if you want to train, you shouldn't care about such things."

Yu Feng said indifferently.

Wang Li's expression shifted, and he said gloomily:

"There isn't anything like yesterday's stuff in here, is there?"

Yu Feng shot him a look:

"No, but this is soup made from Red Earth Dragon from the Wasteland. The recipe is the General Manager's exclusive, and its blood-activating effect is better than anything in the average martial arts academy. It has side effects, too—a bit of addictiveness."

Wang Li sneered:

"See? A bit of addictiveness? Why don't I believe that? Is it cough syrup?"

"You used to sell Heaven Powder, didn't you? It's a bit stronger than that."

Wang Li's expression changed drastically, and he cursed:

"Fuck! Stronger than T-Powder? You motherf..."

Seeing Yu Feng's expressionless face, he fell silent and spat on the ground:

"Anyway, I'm not drinking it! Whoever wants to drink it can drink it."

Chen Chong had also heard of the reputation of Heaven Powder, a drug that was popular for a time, though he didn't understand its nature.

However, judging by Wang Li's attitude, he understood that this was likely something not to be touched.

Yu Feng said:

"Everyone in Thunder Dragon who trains drinks this Earth Dragon Soup. Aside from needing to take it regularly, there's no harm in it. Are you sure you won't drink?"

His voice dropped at the end, and his eyes swept over the group like cold electricity.

All four of them shivered in unison, realizing that this was likely not up to them.

If they drank, they would be completely controlled by these people in the future;

But if they didn't, Long Zhibin's words, "We don't keep idlers here," echoed inexplicably in their minds.

Their faces shifted constantly, unable to make a decision. Yu Feng's expression grew increasingly dark, and his massive fists gradually clenched.

The wind in the Training Room seemed to stop, yet the air grew colder.

At this moment, Chen Chong stepped forward, picked up a bowl of soup, and wrinkled his nose.

Then, he tilted his head back and downed the meat broth in one gulp.

64%...66%.

In an instant, the numbers before his eyes rose by two points.

Chen Chong wiped his mouth with his hand and nodded slightly:

"The taste isn't bad."

He walked to the side and, utilizing the heat settling in his stomach, began to practice the Breathing Method directly.

Li Xiaoguang and the others stared at him in a daze, watching as white steam puffed from his nose, thicker than it had been just moments before.