Breaking Through to the Breath-Connecting Realm

Thinking back to how Lin Jie had ordered the garrison troops around while he slacked off, Lin Xuan could understand why so many officers only gave orders and never lifted a finger.

"When I wasn't an officer, I had to do backbreaking labor. Now that I'm an officer, I still have to do backbreaking labor. What's the point of being an officer, then?"

Though pitching in would help them repair the city walls faster, he saw that the other officers weren't lifting a finger either, so he followed their lead and slacked off.

This official has a mountain of pressing affairs to attend to. Labor is for you rank-and-file soldiers! he thought to himself.

As Lin Xuan watched his subordinates repair the garrison walls, he secretly practiced the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength. The true qi he gained through breathing exercises had now increased sevenfold. He didn't even need to drink medicinal decoctions or consume rare treasures to make rapid progress.

Once he got home, assuming he had enough beast meat, he estimated he'd reach the peak of the Bone Binding Realm within a month and could try to break through to the Breath-Connecting Realm.

With the added boost from his Martial Dao Holy Fetus talent, he figured that the day he reached the Breath-Connecting Realm, he'd be able to take on three opponents of the same level at once!

Three days later, the local garrison had finished repairing the walls, and the defeated remnants who had fled to the Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office were sent back as well.

Though they were all still alive, the local garrison was short on manpower. They might need to transfer over some of the people who had earned military merit in this battle from the Wuqu Guard.

They might also bring in a batch of people from the Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office.

Once the arrangements had been made, Thousand-Household Commander Su led part of the Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office's forces back. Lin Xuan was among them. As for Commander-in-Chief Li's great battle against King Cui Zhao Chengde in the west, there was no need for Lin Xuan to go.

Lin Xuan hurried over to Thousand-Household Commander Su and asked, "Sir, I wanted to ask whether there are any requirements for buying the Body-Strengthening Decoction from our army."

"Other than having enough money, there are no requirements. But officers can only buy two doses a month," Thousand-Household Commander Su replied.

Lin Xuan thought, Two doses are still good. They'll already speed up my breakthrough to the Breath-Connecting Realm.

"But in your case, I can sell you five doses a month.

"Remember, even medicine has its drawbacks. You shouldn't take too much." Thousand-Household Commander Su kindly warned him.

"Thank you for the reminder, sir." Lin Xuan cupped his hands in a salute.

"Do you want to become Commander-in-Chief Li's disciple?" Thousand-Household Commander Su asked, having just answered Lin Xuan's previous question.

"Me? Is that possible?" Lin Xuan asked curiously.

Commander-in-Chief Li was one of the few Martial Saints in the country. He followed the same path of Grand Ancestor Internal Strength as Lin Xuan, and had once gone from an ordinary person to the Breath-Connecting Realm in just two months. He was the most dazzling martial arts prodigy in nearly a century.

Thousand-Household Commander Su smiled. "With your talent, you certainly have a chance. The bandits aren't much of a threat these days. Our true enemy is the Qiangqu People beyond the passes. To defend against them, the court has been searching for martial arts prodigies and training them to fight back."

"Yes. I want to," Lin Xuan said with a nod.

"Hahaha, truth is, whether you want to or not, I'll be reporting your talent to Commander-in-Chief Li," Thousand-Household Commander Su teased.

"Your talent is simply too rare. You're probably only a little behind Commander-in-Chief Li when he was young. Give you a dozen years, and you might well become the next Martial Saint. When that day comes, don't forget that there was a Thousand-Household Commander surnamed Su at the Liangcheng Thousand-Household Office who recommended you."

Lin Xuan replied, "I've always had a good memory. I never forget who's treated me well and who's treated me badly."

"Little brother, you're back!" Seeing Lin Xuan standing before her, safe and sound, Lin An rushed over and hugged him tightly.

She'd been worried these past few days. After all, there had been so many bandits. If it had come to a real fight, Lin Xuan would have been in considerable danger.

As the girl in his arms pressed against him, Lin Xuan felt her soft body against his chest, and his breathing couldn't help but quicken.

"Yes, I came back safe and sound. I even killed several bandits—Righteous Army, I mean—and earned thirty taels of silver in reward. It's just a pity that my military merits weren't enough this time to get promoted to Probationary Hundred-Household Commander."

Lin An immediately replied, "You've only been practicing martial arts for two months, and you've already earned the position of Flag Commander. You're a rare talent, a young hero. Don't get greedy."

Hearing her praise, Lin Xuan laughed. "Hahaha, if you know how to flatter me, keep it coming. I like hearing it."

No man could resist the sincere admiration and praise of his wife.

Chen Fang wasn't as openly enthusiastic as Lin An. She simply smiled behind them and murmured, "You're home safe, that's what matters. What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."

"Just fry some pork. Sister An, help me boil the medicine. I'm going to give it everything I've got and break through to the Breath-Connecting Realm."

"Mm, don't worry."

"I'm exhausted. I'll lie down for a bit."

Lin Xuan was fond of pretending to be tired, and this time was no exception. But he didn't actually sleep. Instead, he sat on the bed and quietly circulated the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength.

Lin An deftly took out the Body-Strengthening Decoction they'd received a few days earlier and carefully simmered it in an earthenware pot, using the same heat as before.

She crouched by the stove, the firelight reflecting on her pretty face.

Chen Fang had already turned and gone into the kitchen. She busily lit the fire and cut up cured meat, and the aroma of frying meat soon spread through the air.

The cured meat's smoky fragrance mingled with the medicinal herbs' bitter scent, filling the whole courtyard.

Half a month later, the astonishing benefits of the Martial Dao Holy Fetus were on full display. Without any rare treasures, five doses of Body-Strengthening Decoction a month had given his martial foundation a rock-solid solidity, without a trace of instability.

The amount of true qi in Lin Xuan's body had already reached the peak of the Bone Binding Realm, and its quality was exceptional. His blood and qi surged like a rainbow, now reaching an astonishing level.

His strength had climbed to a terrifying thousand jin or more, far beyond even the minimum required for the Breath-Connecting Realm.

He was only one step away from breaking through to the Breath-Connecting Realm.

Bone Binding originally meant binding true qi to the bones: storing it within the body, keeping it contained and preventing it from leaking out.

The Breath-Connecting Realm, on the other hand, meant letting true qi seep into the meridians. With every breath and heartbeat, the true qi circulated through the whole body, carrying the blood and qi along with it.

At this stage, the body grew much stronger. A person could still be wounded by blades and swords, but their ability to heal improved greatly. Some injuries that would kill an ordinary person could be survived by someone in the Breath-Connecting Realm. And as true qi continued to circulate through the meridians, internal injuries might even heal completely. They also became far less susceptible to illness.

At this stage, no natural disease could affect one's lifespan.

Lin Xuan quieted his mind and focused, silently following the method in the Grand Ancestor Internal Classic and directing all the natural true qi within his body into his meridians.

The process took time. It was basically impossible to break through during battle; the best conditions were in a quiet room where he wouldn't be disturbed.

What was more, Lin Xuan's true qi was exceptionally high in quality, making it even harder to break through to the Breath-Connecting Realm.

At midnight, Lin Xuan finally gathered all his true qi in his meridians, making it circulate in rhythm with his breathing and heartbeat.

That meant he had broken through to the Breath-Connecting Realm.