Chapter 30: The Reverse Application of the Breathing Method

E Hu.

Surrounded by railings and willow trees, the place exuded an otherworldly aura.

Xu Xiao Shou wasn't wandering aimlessly this time; he carried his sword and carefully scanned his surroundings, hoping to spot that old man with the straw hat and dark circles under his eyes again.

If he did, he intended to make good on the oath from their last encounter right then and there.

But unfortunately, even as the full moon rose high, he still hadn't seen the old man.

E Hu was a serene spot, perfect for cultivation. During his wait, Xu Xiao Shou quickly integrated the insights he'd gained from his afternoon sword practice.

After "Jian Shu Jing Tong" appeared, his talent for perceiving sword dao seemed to be forcibly elevated to several higher levels. At this advanced stage, his sword dao aptitude appeared to improve continuously as the passive skill's level rose.

Once he calmed his mind, he grasped many things.

For instance, in his fight with Di Xin Er that day, her sword techniques had seemed full of flaws to him. He had thought it was because her sword dao was unrefined, but now he realized it was likely because his own skill had surpassed the ordinary.

Only Zhou Tian Shen, who had comprehended the acquired blade dao and was as stubborn as they come, could pressure him in these realms of intent.

Without a guide, Xu Xiao Shou could only explore on his own, studying his sword intent. The more he delved into it, the more he felt that fighting with sword intent alone seemed more natural and reasonable than using ling techniques.

He scratched his head, lost in deep thought.

"Um... it must be an illusion. After all, I only know one move of 'Bai Yun Jian Fa'—what right do I have to debate which is stronger?"

He quickly abandoned this promising idea. If a sword dao master had come to clarify things, he might have pursued it further.

But clearly, he had no such opportunity.

Above his dantian, the "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong" blazed like a scorching sun in the sky, baking his qi sea until it glowed red. In just one day, his own spiritual energy had been eroded beyond recognition.

Every time he circulated it, the searing spiritual energy tore through his meridians once more.

Even his innate physical body struggled with this; if it were an ordinary person, their body would probably disintegrate in seconds.

Of course, his attack power had increased significantly as a result, but it was a case of harming the enemy at a cost of eight hundred to one's own one thousand.

"I have to fully refine this thing, or even with 'Sheng Sheng Bu Xi', my cultivation will be ruined in a few days, even if my body holds up."

He glanced at his mind interface: passive points: 27,899.

Originally, after his fight with Zhou Tian Shen in the afternoon, he'd used five thousand passive points to upgrade "Jian Shu Jing Tong", leaving him with just over five thousand.

But after being scorched for more than three shichen, his passive points had surged by over twenty thousand, with some coming from enthusiastic spectators.

While gaining passive points was great, the burning pain from inside out was excruciating. Xu Xiao Shou would rather get beaten by a hundred people on the arena platform for half a day than endure this any longer.

Besides, he had no idea what hidden dangers this thing hovering over his qi sea might bring.

"Damn old man..."

He made up his mind to refine it completely that night.

Xu Xiao Shou took out two Chi Jin Dan pills and held them in his hand. After thinking it over, he exchanged them for five skill points and added them to "Hu Xi Zhi Fa".

"Hu Xi Zhi Fa (Acquired Lv.6)."

Leveling it up five times, Xu Xiao Shou didn't feel any changes.

This was probably the only passive skill that showed no reaction after upgrading.

But seeing that message, he instinctively tensed up. In terms of sheer terror, he feared "Hu Xi Zhi Fa" the most.

He had originally planned not to upgrade it until he reached the innate realm, but now he had no choice. If he tried to refine "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong" later and the Chi Jin Dan's medicinal power couldn't keep up, he'd be in real trouble.

Moreover, his body had built up a lot of resistance from constantly absorbing pills lately, so the pleasurable effects had noticeably diminished. That was why he dared to upgrade it all at once.

With these preparations, Xu Xiao Shou tried for the first time to mobilize his spiritual energy and actively touch "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong".

Sizzle—

The spiritual energy surged forward but scorched intensely upon contact with "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong", leaving only faint traces. Seizing the moment, Xu Xiao Shou used that sliver to draw out the fire seed's energy.

A wave of heat rushed through him like a lightning strike, making his whole body shudder. Just pulling out a bit of the fire seed's power instantly ravaged his meridians.

"Sheng Sheng Bu Xi" activated powerfully again, restoring everything in an instant. The Chi Jin Dan he had ready beforehand wasn't even needed yet.

Blood streamed from Xu Xiao Shou's seven orifices as he endured the agony.

In exchange for the pain of his flesh being destroyed and rebuilt, he refined the drawn-out fire seed energy, fully integrating it into his qi sea. He could feel his spiritual energy undergoing a qualitative change.

What was once ordinary spiritual energy now carried a hint of fire attribute.

The attribute power unique to innate experts—he had actually mastered a trace of it in the acquired realm. If he refined it all, could he challenge innate experts with acquired cultivation?

Xu Xiao Shou pondered this.

It seemed the old man's intention in making him swallow this was genuinely good. If he could fully refine "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong", his strength would skyrocket.

Xu Xiao Shou steadied himself, realizing this refining speed was too slow!

Refining it bit by bit like this would take at least half a month to wear down the fire seed.

He had been tormented by it all morning, nearly to death, but now that he knew he could refine it, despite the pain, Xu Xiao Shou was already complaining about how slow it was.

He really was incredibly bold.

The agony that most people couldn't endure, he bore silently, gritting his teeth.

"How can I speed this up..."

Xu Xiao Shou wiped the blood from his face and watched the fat geese playing in the water, pondering for a while.

The only way he knew to refine "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong" was through standard cultivation methods—painful and sluggish.

Normally, he used "Hu Xi Zhi Fa" for cultivation, treating it like a heart method.

So, could he use "Hu Xi Zhi Fa" to refine it?

"Hu Xi Zhi Fa..."

Xu Xiao Shou murmured softly, and suddenly a flash of insight hit him.

In the past, this basic passive skill had only been used for cultivation and healing, but the skill description never said it was just a heart method—it was a foundational passive skill.

Maybe it had other uses?

"Hu Xi Zhi Fa..."

"Inhale, exhale..."

"Inhale..."

Xu Xiao Shou slapped his forehead. If he took it literally, his previous cultivation and healing had only used the "inhale" part of "Hu Xi Zhi Fa", but he'd never used the "exhale" part at all.

"Since I can use the inhaling force to draw in energy from pills into my qi sea, can I use the exhaling force to expel the energy from 'Jin Zhao Huo Zhong'?"

Xu Xiao Shou was startled by his own idea, but he thought it was highly feasible.

Better to act than dwell on it!

He immediately regulated his breathing, took a deep inhale of air, then focused entirely on "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong". Imagining a normal breath but with the intent to expel the fire seed, he gently exhaled.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

A surge of scorching energy was drawn from "Jin Zhao Huo Zhong", rushing along his airways and straight out of his mouth. Everywhere it passed, it felt like lava flowing, melting his tissues.

Xu Xiao Shou choked and coughed up blood as the burning energy burst from his mouth and nose. In that instant, he felt half his throat melt away, nearly dying on the spot.

Yet "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi" kept him alive by a thread. He quickly grabbed the Chi Jin Dan in his hand and took a deep inhale.

"Damn!"

The next second after absorbing the pill, Xu Xiao Shou panicked.

He watched in horror as the Chi Jin Dan in his fingers turned to gas and vanished, and the massive burst of pure, scorching energy he had just expelled was sucked right back in through his mouth and nose.

Under the clear moonlight at E Hu, on the opposite bank, an old man in a straw hat perched on a willow branch suddenly trembled, nearly falling off.

"This kid is out of his mind?"