Whale Breathing Method

Maple Hill County belonged to Count Hardy's territory. Its domain was vast, the largest of the fifteen counties in all of Jade Province.

Count Hardy himself was also a noble with deep foundations. He commanded nearly two thousand personal guards, while the local militias were even more numerous.

Maple Hill City was the county seat of Maple Hill County and the place where Count Hardy resided year-round. Tall walls surrounded it, and Count Hardy's personal guards watched over the city at all times.

Habs Manor lay outside Maple Hill City. It was the largest manor in all of Maple Hill County, with horse grounds and forests, and served as Count Hardy's private estate.

To the north of the manor stretched the boundless Moonlight Forest.

The recruitment and selection of personal guards took place here, gathering talented young people from across Maple Hill County.

Duke and the others assembled on an open grassy field within the manor. By his estimate, around two hundred people had come for the personal guard selection.

A woman clad in full armor stood atop a platform before the crowd. Everyone fell silent and waited for her to speak.

Duke recognized her at once. She was the female knight he had seen that night.

He had later asked Wood about her and learned that she was Count Hardy's youngest daughter, Vivian.

Vivian was somewhat famous throughout Jade Province. Beyond her beauty, what mattered more was her strength.

Count Hardy had only five Official Knights under his command, and Vivian was one of them. She was only sixteen years old.

A gifted young woman possessing both beauty and strength, as well as Count Hardy's most favored youngest daughter, she had long since become renowned throughout Jade Province.

"For the next month, I will be responsible for teaching you the basics of breathing methods. Those who can gain an initial grasp of a breathing method may join the Nightingale Corps and serve directly under my command." Vivian's voice remained as cold and clear as ever.

Breathing methods were only part of the training. Anyone who mastered one would no longer need to take the personal guard examination a month later and could directly join the unit led by Vivian.

The Nightingale Corps was one of Count Hardy's elite forces. Its one hundred and fifty members had all mastered breathing methods.

"Knight ranks are divided into two stages: Knight Apprentice and Official Knight. Next, I will teach you the Whale Breathing Method. Gaining an initial grasp of a breathing method makes one a Low-Tier Knight Squire..." Vivian then began explaining the basic knowledge of knight training.

The Knight Apprentice stage was divided into Low-Tier Knight Squire, Mid-Tier Knight Squire, and High-Level Knight Apprentice. Beyond that came Official Knight.

Beyond knights were Great Knights, but that had nothing to do with the vast majority of people. There were not even many Great Knights in the entire Vira Kingdom.

"The Whale Breathing Method has nine levels. Reaching the ninth level gives one a chance to touch the threshold of a Great Knight. But that is still far too distant for you. To cultivate a breathing method, you must first master Stance Training..." Vivian continued.

Everyone listened intently. To them, this was a rare opportunity, and they did not want to miss a single detail.

The foundation of the Whale Breathing Method was Stance Training. It consisted of twelve sets of movements, each paired with a corresponding method of breathing and circulation.

If one could master this set of stances and successfully condense a Life Seed through stance training, then the first level would be complete. That meant one had entered the method.

After condensing a Life Seed, continued cultivation of the breathing method would allow one to develop Battle Qi.

Battle Qi was the greatest difference between knights and ordinary people.

Battle Qi could multiply a person's strength. As long as it was circulated to any part of the body, it could enhance that area's defense and power.

As Vivian spoke, she demonstrated. With an unprotected hand, she forcibly twisted a longsword into a spiral, while her palm remained completely unharmed.

She had circulated Battle Qi into her palm, making it as hard as iron.

Only then did Duke truly realize that, in theory, an ordinary person had no chance of defeating a knight who had mastered Battle Qi, not even a Knight Apprentice.

"Now, you may officially begin Stance Training for the breathing method." Vivian spoke after teaching them the method.

She wore a thick helmet throughout, making her features impossible to see clearly.

It was said that Vivian's silver-white full-body armor had been forged from special Starlight Ore. The entire set weighed two hundred pounds.

She wore this armor for long periods to temper her body, all in pursuit of greater strength and a higher realm.

She was completely unlike other noble ladies. Vivian was someone who placed strength above all else and could endure any hardship to become stronger.

With nearly two hundred people present, Vivian naturally could not guide them one by one herself. The specific instruction was left to members of the Nightingale Corps.

Everyone received a booklet that recorded the contents of the Whale Breathing Method in detail, including the stances and the methods of breathing and circulation.

These things were strictly forbidden from being leaked. Otherwise, it would not be as simple as a death sentence.

Everyone present had been recommended from different places and had already passed layers of selection. None of them would do anything so foolish.

After Duke received his booklet, he read through all its contents and reviewed them in his mind before beginning the first movement of Stance Training.

The movement looked extremely strange, even twisting the body in ways that made one wonder whether a human could truly perform it.

Fortunately, Duke's physical attributes were high, and he had decent control over his body. He barely managed to make the movement look eighty percent correct.

A member of the Nightingale Corps happened to be nearby. When he saw Duke's movement, he gave a surprised sound, not expecting anyone to reach this level so quickly.

"Press your right arm down a little more. Yes, and tighten the muscles in your left calf as well..." He immediately began instructing Duke, pointing out several problems.

Duke quickly adjusted. Once the movement was in place, tearing pain spread throughout his body.

The muscles all over his body had already been somewhat uncomfortable, but after correcting the movement, the pain became even more intense.

The man guiding Duke was named George. He was a squadron leader in the Nightingale Corps and possessed the strength of a High-Level Knight Apprentice.

He said, "Try to hold on. You have to endure Stance Training. Immediately regulate your breathing according to the method described in the breathing technique. Only then will it have any effect."

Suppressing the tearing pain in his body, Duke began adjusting his breathing and inhaling and exhaling according to the breathing method.

Maintaining a steady breathing rhythm in this state was indeed difficult.

But the effect was obvious as well. Duke soon felt several major muscle groups in his body heating up, and a warm current began to emerge.

According to the records of the Whale Breathing Method, this meant he had gained an initial grasp of the first stance movement.

Once he completed all twelve sets of Stance Training movements, he would have a chance to condense a Life Seed and enter the method.

What Duke needed to do next was hold on for as long as possible. The longer he persisted, the better the training effect would be.