Turtle Breathing Technique

"Good, good, good."

Guo Qianming suppressed the excitement in his heart, his expression unchanged, but he still walked over quickly. From a distance, he could already feel the potent sword energy emanating from the sword box.

They were definitely top-quality.

So.

Guo Qianming took out one of the LV5 Iron Swords and examined it carefully.

"Not bad, not bad, not bad,"

Guo Qianming couldn't help but praise it. "This sword is already excellent. Although it's not a rare treasure, it's considered a fine piece."

"How about this?"

"Three thousand taels. I'll give you three thousand taels for each."

"Deal."

Xu Qing nodded, not haggling.

"Good, straightforward."

Guo Qianming laughed heartily.

Next.

The two parties completed the transaction.

Nine LV5 Iron Swords sold for a total of twenty-seven thousand taels, with the cost being just nine ordinary Iron Swords.

"Shop owner."

Xu Qing put away the banknotes and looked at Guo Qianming, asking, "Do you know where I can buy martial arts in the Black Market?"

"Martial arts?"

Guo Qianming was taken aback and asked, "What specific type of martial arts are you looking for?"

"Martial arts that can hide one's strength."

Xu Qing said.

"Hiding strength."

Guo Qianming pondered for a moment. "To be honest, most of the martial arts sold in the Black Market are fake, or only partially real."

"Although it's called the Black Market, it's still under jurisdiction. Some things cannot be freely circulated in the Black Market, though the rules are slightly more relaxed."

"If someone dares to openly sell martial arts in the Black Market, especially those from major martial arts schools, they'll be caught quickly. They won't be able to escape."

"So?"

Xu Qing's tone was calm.

"Cough, cough..."

Guo Qianming coughed lightly and said, "Actually, I have a martial art myself. This martial art is called the Turtle Breathing Technique. Not only can it hide your strength, but it can also conceal your aura."

"How much?"

Xu Qing asked.

"Ten thousand taels."

Guo Qianming held up one finger. "This is a special martial art, and I obtained it by chance. This martial art has only one drawback: it's very difficult to master. It requires practicing while holding your breath underwater."

"So what I'm saying is."

"With even the slightest carelessness, this martial art might not only be unlearnable but could also damage your internal organs. If your internal organs are damaged, practicing martial arts in the future will be difficult."

"But even so."

"It's still ten thousand taels of silver."

"Too much."

Xu Qing shook his head. "My final offer is five thousand taels, and the Turtle Breathing Technique is mine."

"You've cut the price in half!"

Guo Qianming said, "This is at least a special martial art, and the entry price for a special martial art starts at ten thousand taels."

"Five thousand taels it is."

Xu Qing shook his head. "If not, I'll look elsewhere."

"This..."

Guo Qianming lowered his head, gritting his teeth as if he had suffered a great loss. "Fine, seeing as you're my partner, five thousand taels it is."

"Heh heh."

Xu Qing just smiled.

Then.

The two reached a deal.

The Turtle Breathing Technique was acquired.

Xu Qing took a careful look and found it was only a handwritten copy. The original must still be on Guo Qianming, and with the original in hand, Guo Qianming had definitely sold this Turtle Breathing Technique to more than one person.

Of course.

If Xu Qing managed to master the Turtle Breathing Technique, he could also copy it and sell it to others in the Black Market, provided he could find a buyer.

Besides that.

Xu Qing's Eight Extremities Fist could also be copied and sold in the Black Market.

However.

Ordinary combat styles and martial arts weren't expensive, costing only one to two hundred taels of silver. But if it involved body refinement methods, the price would be completely different, increasing tenfold.

Afterward.

Xu Qing left the weapon shop and went to the Black Tiger Spirit Food Shop. He met the owner, Black Tiger, and presented a banknote for twenty-two thousand taels.

"I'm here to buy meat," Xu Qing said.

"Coming right up." Black Tiger recognized Xu Qing immediately. This was already their several-time transaction, and he was very familiar with the process. He took Xu Qing's banknote and headed to the warehouse to get the meat.

Soon.

Xu Qing received 105 jin of Black Mountain Tiger Meat.

"Good."

Xu Qing confirmed there were no issues and left with the Black Market tiger meat.

"Take care, guest," Black Tiger said with a fawning smile.

"Hoo..."

Black Tiger took a deep breath and pondered, "This guest is truly extraordinary, buying so much Black Mountain Tiger Meat these days."

"If he's eating it all himself, at this consumption rate, he's at least a Transforming Force expert, possibly even a Pill Force expert."

Xu Qing had returned to his residence. Ever since his ruthless actions in the Black Market a few times before, no one foolish enough had dared to cause him trouble.

"Spirit Food."

In the evening.

Xu Qing took out a piece of Black Mountain Tiger Meat and ate it raw. It tasted good, was very chewy, and had a sweet flavor, with no bloody or nauseating sensation.

"Honestly, I'm very curious about how 'Spirit Food' is cultivated and what 'Meat Fields' are. The secrets behind them are quite well-hidden."

Xu Qing mused internally.

You must know.

In Qingbei Town.

Not to mention the inner city, but in the outer city, among the merchants, gangs, escort agencies, and martial arts schools, only the three major martial arts schools—the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, the Crushing Stone Martial Arts School, and the Crimson Eagle Martial Arts School—possessed 'Meat Fields.' Other forces didn't have the qualifications to access them.

'Meat Fields' were the foundation of martial artists.

Without 'Meat Fields,' one couldn't cultivate 'Spirit Food.' Without 'Spirit Food,' the higher a martial artist's cultivation realm, the more they needed to eat. If they ate ordinary food, a Transforming Force martial artist would need to eat an entire ox for one meal, and even that might not be enough.

They needed to eat 'Spirit Food' to maintain their daily lives.

"Turtle Breathing Technique."

Xu Qing took out the handwritten copy of the Turtle Breathing Technique and began to read it carefully. "Good heavens, it requires holding one's breath underwater for over an hour."

"Tsk tsk..."

"This means that to cultivate the Turtle Breathing Technique, one must at least reach the Transforming Force realm. Only then can one temper their internal organs with Force to extend their breath-holding time."

"Or possess exceptional talent."

"Furthermore," Xu Qing pondered, "this martial art also has a drawback: it's easy to injure the internal organs during practice. No wonder Guo Qianming was willing to sell it to me for five thousand taels."

"Never mind."

Xu Qing shook his head. "For me, there are no martial arts I cannot cultivate. These drawbacks won't affect me. Buying it for five thousand taels isn't a loss."

"Record."

Xu Qing said.

Buzz!

The next moment.

With a thought from Xu Qing, the Omni-Codex flashed with a soft glow. The Turtle Breathing Technique in his hand also emitted a white light, as if countless tiny figures were pouring into Xu Qing's mind.

[Collection Complete!]

[Turtle Breathing Technique LV1: 0/50 (This is a special martial art, created by imitating an ancient thousand-year-old turtle from the Second Realm's Transcendent Martial Path. Once mastered, it allows one to conceal their strength and mask their aura.)]

Boom!

Xu Qing's mind trembled.

Vaguely.

Xu Qing's consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within this mysterious space, he was continuously practicing the Turtle Breathing Technique, holding his breath underwater as if he had transformed into an old turtle.

Buzz!

Finally.

Xu Qing opened his eyes. He had mastered the Turtle Breathing Technique. The rhythm of his breathing had changed, becoming slow and continuous, and his aura seemed to have vanished.

Like hibernation.

Then.

Xu Qing felt his own state. The Blood Essence within his body was now hidden, and his physical strength was difficult to detect. It was as if he had suddenly dropped from Pill Force to Transforming Force.

"I can only hide one realm."

Xu Qing mused, somewhat dissatisfied. "This won't do. Furthermore, with Du Cangying's strength at the second step of the Martial Path, he could very likely see through the disguise of the Turtle Breathing Technique."

"It seems I still need to upgrade the Turtle Breathing Technique."

Xu Qing said.

Additionally.

To upgrade the Turtle Breathing Technique, one must enter the water while using it and hold their breath for an hour to gain one experience point.

Also.

The Turtle Breathing Technique is a special martial art. Upgrading from LV1 to LV2 requires fifty experience points, which is a much higher threshold than other martial arts.

"There are less than ten days left until the month is up. I'll stay home and practice the Turtle Breathing Technique during these days,"

Xu Qing pondered. "It's best if I can raise the Turtle Breathing Technique by a few more levels."

The next day.

Xu Qing bought a large vat and filled it with water. He then circulated the Turtle Breathing Technique, submerging his entire body in the vat.

In a blink.

An hour later.

[Experience +1]

Swish swish...

The sound of flowing water could be heard.

Xu Qing emerged from the vat, his entire body already soaked.

"Continue."

After a short rest.

Xu Qing continued to circulate the Turtle Breathing Technique, holding his breath in the water.

Time passed, one hour after another.

[Experience +1]

[Experience +1]

Firstly.

Xu Qing only slept for three hours a day, dedicating the remaining time to the Turtle Breathing Technique, which meant practicing it for twenty-one hours daily.

He was basically soaking in the water.

One day... two days... three days...

Time flew by.

Eight days later.

Morning.

"Today is almost the final deadline."

Xu Qing ate a piece of Black Mountain Tiger Meat to replenish his energy and stamina. "I've practiced the Turtle Breathing Technique for eight days, practicing twenty-one hours each day."

"Today is the day to reap the rewards."

[Turtle Breathing Technique LV1: 168/50 (Can be upgraded!)]

"Upgrade."

Xu Qing said.

[Turtle Breathing Technique LV2: 118/100 (Can Upgrade!)]

[Turtle Breathing Technique LV3: 18/200 (Can Upgrade!)]

Two upgrades.

Xu Qing experienced two instances of enlightenment, fully mastering the LV3 Turtle Breathing Technique in a short time. After the two upgrades, the LV3 Turtle Breathing Technique underwent a significant transformation.

Firstly, when Xu Qing fully activated the Turtle Breathing Technique, he could directly conceal his cultivation to appear as an ordinary person, completely hiding his aura.

Also, unless someone had reached the Second Realm, they absolutely wouldn't be able to discern Xu Qing's cultivation.

"Good, good, good."

Xu Qing smiled. "It's time to go to the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."