Whale Breathing Method Breakthrough

Based on the information he had gathered earlier, Duke arrived before a five-story building. This was the headquarters of the Soaring Eagle Merchant Guild.

The Soaring Eagle Merchant Guild was fairly well-known throughout the Vira Kingdom, with business spanning the entire country and trade in all kinds of goods.

The first-floor hall displayed all sorts of merchandise—weapons, armor, potions, food, cotton cloth, and more.

Duke walked up to a counter and stated his request. "Do you sell magical beast meat?"

Behind the counter sat a fat middle-aged man named Earl. Nearly two meters tall, he looked like a mountain of flesh as he sat there.

Earl lowered his head to look at him and smiled. The fat on his face and body began to jiggle. "You're one of Nightingale's people? We do have magical beast meat. Five Gold Coins per pound."

Duke was wearing Nightingale's leather armor precisely to avoid some trouble.

Within Maple Hill City, Count Hardy was the greatest power. Wearing this outfit alone was enough to dispel many people's ideas.

"So expensive," Duke could not help complaining.

Earl smiled. "Judging by your aura, you've only just started, right? You should know that not all magical beast meat can assist cultivation."

He continued, "Generally, only the meat of at least a Mid-Tier Magical Beast is valuable. That corresponds to the strength of a Mid-Tier Knight Squire. Besides, from a two-hundred-pound magical beast, only around twenty pounds of meat can be used. Only the most refined flesh and blood are valuable."

Hunting magical beasts was already extremely difficult and dangerous, which made all materials related to magical beasts very expensive.

Magical beasts generally lived deep within the forests, where they held the home-field advantage and humans were naturally at a disadvantage.

Moreover, magical beasts often possessed powerful physiques and were somewhat stronger than Knight Squires of the same tier.

Generally speaking, hunting a Mid-Tier Magical Beast required the cooperation of at least two or three Mid-Tier Knight Squires to kill it reliably.

Therefore, magical beast meat at five Gold Coins per pound was not actually expensive at all. It fully matched its value.

"Then I'll buy a pound to try first," Duke said after thinking it over.

After all, his budget was limited. He had to test it first before deciding whether to keep buying it.

Earl immediately reached beneath the table, pulled out a chunk of dark meat, and tossed it onto the counter, making the whole table shake.

"This is meat from a Mid-Tier Magical Beast, a Gale Wolf. It's already been cured, so it can be stored for a long time."

Duke picked up the meat and caught the scent of spices. Judging from the outer skin, it had been cured for quite some time.

When it came time to eat it, the outer layer would probably need to be cut away. It could not be eaten.

"Not bad, but this should be more than a pound, shouldn't it?" Duke asked.

Earl said, "This stuff can't be cut. Once it's cut, it can't be stored long and must be eaten within a month. This piece weighs a little over two pounds. Since it's your first time here, brother, I'll count it as two pounds. Take it if you want it."

Duke did not hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he took out ten Gold Coins and bought the Gale Wolf meat.

He was not worried that Earl would deceive him. After all, he had worn Nightingale's leather armor from the start, making his identity clear.

If Earl deliberately tried to cheat Duke under those circumstances, he would only be making trouble for himself.

Earl took an oil-paper bag, packed the meat inside, and handed it to Duke.

Holding the meat, Duke left the Soaring Eagle Merchant Guild. Instead of hurrying back to the manor, he went somewhere else: the Adventurers Association.

The Adventurers Association was an organization with a history even longer than the Vira Kingdom's. No one could say when it had first come into existence.

This organization existed in many kingdoms and was recognized by the royal families of every one of them.

Registration records with the Adventurers Association could be used across many kingdoms.

The Adventurers Association mainly accepted all kinds of commissions and issued them to adventurers to complete.

The Adventurers Association in Maple Hill City was actually a tavern, which was also one of the Adventurers Association's characteristics.

The Adventurers Tavern was very spacious, with many people drinking and chatting inside.

The moment Duke entered the tavern, he sensed that something was wrong. The tavern fell silent for a moment, and many people turned to look at him.

Only then did he realize that walking in here wearing Nightingale's leather armor really was inappropriate.

Many of the people inside were far from decent. They often operated in gray areas.

Count Hardy's subordinates were usually on opposing sides from these adventurers.

After realizing this, Duke quietly backed out.

He had originally wanted to try registering as an adventurer and taking on commissions to earn money, but he had overlooked the matter of his identity.

Even if he came again next time, he would have to disguise himself. At the very least, he could not wear Nightingale's leather armor so openly, or he would attract too much attention.

After familiarizing himself with Maple Hill City's surroundings and taking a distant look at Count Hardy's castle, Duke left.

Habs Manor.

Duke took out the wrapped meat, sliced off a small piece with his dagger, and swallowed it. Then he began cultivating the Whale Breathing Method, attempting to refine and absorb the essence of blood and qi within the meat.

After the magical beast meat entered his stomach, the immense vitality contained within it was released and surged through his body. Under the effect of the Breathing Method, it was continuously refined, absorbed, and integrated into his body.

[You completed one session of Whale Breathing Method cultivation. Proficiency +3]

[You completed one session of Whale Breathing Method cultivation. Proficiency +5]

Duke looked at the Skill Tree in his mind and discovered that the Whale Breathing Method's growth speed was extremely fast—three to five times faster than before.

He estimated that he would only need half a month to cultivate it to the second level.

The two pounds of Gale Wolf meat would be almost completely used up by then, and he would have to buy more.

Duke only had a little over twenty Gold Coins left on him. At most, that was enough to buy four pounds of meat, which would only last two months.

Once he spent all that money, his cultivation speed would return to its previous snail's pace.

Half a month later.

[Whale Breathing Method level increased. Constitution +0.6, Strength +0.4, Agility +0.5]

[Whale Breathing Method: LV2 (1/1300)]

[Constitution: 7.7]

[Strength: 8.1]

[Agility: 7.7]

[Spirit: 8.1]

Duke glanced over his attributes. After so long, other attributes had finally caught up to his Spirit.

His Strength had surpassed eight points. He could clearly feel that every muscle in his body was undergoing changes.

Duke clenched his hand into a fist. He could feel that, if he wished, he could seemingly gather the strength of every muscle in his body into a single point and unleash explosive power.

Not only that, the amount of Battle Qi within his body had also become considerable.

With his own strength enhanced by Battle Qi, the power he could unleash now far surpassed the past. He had completely crossed into another level of strength.

Duke vaguely felt that even Mr. Wood and George might not be able to last three exchanges against him.

Both of them were Mid-Tier Knight Squires, yet they could no longer pose much threat to him.