Chapter 7: Jade Void Breathing Technique
“Our Cai Yutong has always been cold and icy, not good at expressing herself, so I’ll say it for her.”
“Li Xiaoshuai, three days ago we all fell onto this massive Bronze Ship where you can’t even find direction. You had severe blood loss and were in critical condition, desperately needing a transfusion. Only your senior disciple brother and I, your good senior sister, were willing to donate blood to you.”
“But your senior disciple brother’s blood type didn’t match, so it all fell on her!” Qi Shanshan’s lips were rosy and glistening, her face always wearing a smile, full of captivating charm.
Such a radiant doctor was a healing medicine in herself.
Only then did Li Weiyi realize he had been in a coma for three days.
“Thanks, senior student. Thanks, Doctor Qi.”
Li Weiyi tried to prop himself up, but his left arm felt only burning pain and no other sensation. His right arm, still receiving blood, also had little strength.
His injuries were more serious than he had estimated.
Qi Shanshan said, “Just lie still! Your left arm wound nearly tore the muscle completely, deep to the bone with cracks in the bone. Though cleaned and stitched, almost all the medicine in the medical tent is destroyed, and we couldn’t find much suitable to use. That you’ve held on so far doesn’t mean there won’t be complications later.”
“Heal your injuries properly. Drink some water.”
Cai Yutong spoke little, handed over a bottle of opened water, then left the medical tent with Qi Shanshan.
The deck of the Bronze Ship was too vast, the ship’s width alone reaching five hundred meters. Due to the thick fog, you couldn’t see from one end to the other.
Outside the medical tent was a gloomy foggy stele forest of grave mounds, all shrouded in yin energy and nether mist, giving off a chilling, terrifying ghost domain atmosphere.
Like a winter morning in thick fog.
The nearby grave mounds were visible, seven or eight meters high, like small dirt hills, unknown what living beings were buried there.
Some graves had tattered old ghost flags in front, fluttering in the wind with strange patterns.
Those steles were enormous, weighing tens of thousands of pounds, with severely flaking stone skin, the ancient script carved on them blurred. Several old professors were below studying and arguing.
On the other side.
The over one-hundred-meter-long research vessel lay sideways on the empty deck like a steel giant beast, broken in two. Various protruding or bent steel structures were exposed at the break, forming passages into the cabin inside.
A large group of strong young scientific expedition team members were inside salvaging supplies, moving out everything usable.
Shouts, clanging supplies, footsteps… intertwined in the mist.
Cai Yutong wasn’t wearing her usual thick thermal suit, but a leather trench coat over a knitted half-skirt, her chest and waist curves very smooth, tight jeans highlighting her long straight legs.
Without deliberate adornment, she already drew frequent stolen glances from passing scientific expedition team members, or distant stares.
Some gazes were toward Qi Shanshan. Her pair of jade-like long legs under her physician outfit were extremely eye-catching, her looks only a notch below Cai Yutong’s.
“Feel the change?” Qi Shanshan gazed at the nether mist and dark clouds beyond the gunwale, smiling subtly and whispering.
Cai Yutong said, “What change?”
“You, all your smarts and wisdom go into academics!” Qi Shanshan’s expression grew serious, her voice lower: “Haven’t you noticed, the way they look at us is bolder and more aggressive than before?”
“Really?”
Cai Yutong looked toward the busy scientific expedition team members, deck workers, and Security Team members.
Qi Shanshan felt a bit dejected: “Do you think we can still go back?”
“To Earth… the macroscopic Earth?”
Cai Yutong thought: “We don’t even know how we fell onto this Bronze Ship. Going back will be harder than climbing to heaven. Microscopic and macroscopic are two worlds. Tell me, where exactly is this Bronze Ship heading? What kind of other shore will it take us to?”
The nether mist was too thick to see the sea surface below the ship hull, but you could feel the Bronze Ship racing ahead.
Qi Shanshan had no interest in discussing things she couldn’t control, saying, “If we can’t go back, do you think everyone will still be bound by law and morality like before?”
Cai Yutong wasn’t stupid, quite the opposite—peak intelligence—just focused on tasks, not as deep-thinking as Qi Shanshan.
Since she raised the question, Cai Yutong pondered it too, saying, “When human nature loses restraint, civilization and morality collapse, past social identities lose meaning, replaced by barbarism, or rather… power, absolute power.”
“Whoever has stronger power won’t be content to be led or ordered, but will choose resistance and seizure of power, accompanied by bloodshed and violence.”
“This Bronze Ship has now become an independent little world.”
Qi Shanshan added, “And a materially scarce one. If the Bronze Ship keeps sailing like this without stop, it won’t take long for power struggles and the dark side of human nature to bloody reveal themselves. You and I have no strength to bind a chicken, and we have the beauty and figures least wanted in chaotic times. Without planning ahead, our fate will be miserable.”
Cai Yutong said, “How scared are you of being coveted?”
“It’s not fear of being coveted, but clearly knowing that stripping away knowledge and status, I’m just a weak woman. How do you lack this crisis awareness?”
Qi Shanshan corrected irritably, then said, “The strongest martial force on the ship is undoubtedly First Mate Zhao Meng.”
Cai Yutong’s eyes held amusement: “You have ideas? Don’t tell me you want to…”
Qi Shanshan shook her head before she finished: “Zhao Meng is very strong personally, upright, with leader qualities, but too low alertness to changing situations. He’s still busy salvaging supplies from the research vessel.
“On the other hand, Second Mate Xie Tianshu, I’ve observed secretly—these three days he’s been bonding with Security Team members and getting close to the scientific expedition team’s young members. This high-born young master understands power and human nature better, and has more ambition.”
Then, Qi Shanshan half-jokingly: “I see Xie Tianshu’s cousin Xie Jin is quite taken with you. How about we each take one, use our means, fair share, no fighting, take down these two brothers early?”
Cai Yutong knew Qi Shanshan wasn’t alarmist, but had zero interest in her “planning ahead,” saying, “If civilization and morality truly collapse that day, why should I cling to life in this mortal hell? Jumping from this gunwale isn’t hard.”
Qi Shanshan rolled her eyes: “I know you too well. Aren’t you smitten with that muscular junior inside? I must solemnly remind you, no more daydreaming—our current situation means handsome guys are useless.”
“Besides… his condition is very bad. Even if the left arm wound heals, he definitely won’t lift heavy things in future, equivalent to half-crippled.”
“Also, animal claws usually carry viruses, and that bear-like creature’s claws likely have even more potent ones, posing great potential threat.”
“So you’re really set on choosing such a burden in a future of supply shortages where turmoil could explode anytime?”
Cai Yutong extended her snow-onion-like fingers, extremely seriously: “First, I haven’t chosen anyone. Second, on the research vessel, if he hadn’t stepped up to lure away the bear-like creature, I’d probably be dead! One thing at a time—the debt I’ll repay. And you’d better not say ‘burden’ aloud; if he hears, what huge psychological pressure?”
Qi Shanshan laughed: “You say you don’t care, but I’ve never seen you this concerned about any man. Remember that popular school saying: senior student affectionate, junior handsome, first teach studies then teach love… Fine, I won’t say it anymore… Really not considering planning ahead? Don’t regret it!”
Cai Yutong ignored her, heading straight to the open-air kitchen sheds below the capsized broken research vessel.
…
Li Weiyi didn’t find the Yellow Dragon Sword, nor the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish that should be around his neck; his body was extremely weak. After drinking half a bottle of water, he recovered some.
But intense hunger followed.
Cai Yutong came in holding a bowl of steaming fish soup.
The aroma instantly filled the tin medical tent.
Helping Li Weiyi sit up, she said, “Knew you were hungry, grabbed a bowl for you early. Cherish this delicacy—the freezer room is broken, refrigeration failed, meat and fish probably only edible these few days. Vegetables and fruits won’t last much longer either.”
Her saying the latter was clearly influenced by Qi Shanshan’s earlier words, worried about their future situation.
Li Weiyi’s right arm was still receiving blood, unable to feed himself.
Cai Yutong had to spoon-feed him.
It must be said, Cai Yutong without the thermal suit covering her beauty and figure was absolutely a top beauty—cool bright eyes, delicate fair skin, pale elegant lips. Viewed through the faint white mist of the fish soup, she gained extra hazy charm.
No matter how dire the situation, having such a senior student caring for him was certainly blissful.
Li Weiyi knew Cai Yutong’s coldly aloof personality, so he was deeply touched.
Thus he thanked her again.
Just then, Qi Shanshan and two students entered with fish soup, visiting Professor Xu with broken legs.
“It was your senior disciple brother who asked me to take good care of you. With some injured, some dead, manpower short, I can’t be idle, right?” Cai Yutong said this, wanting to just leave the fish soup for Li Weiyi to drink himself—felt the three passing behind staring at her oddly.
At this moment, she and Li Weiyi seemed somewhat intimate, easy to misunderstand.
Professor Xu lay on the bed next to Li Weiyi, his eyes no longer bright as before, emotions unstable: “We definitely can’t go back. With the freezer room destroyed, food can last at most half a month. No, ten days from now, big chaos—when frozen foods all spoil, definite big chaos… survival of the fittest… I already see that day… animals will revert to instinct…”
Hearing the worries from Cai Yutong and Professor Xu, the tasty fish soup in Li Weiyi’s mouth gradually lost flavor. He wanted to go out immediately to see what the outside scene was.
Ten days.
His arm injury definitely couldn’t recover.
Li Weiyi drank all the fish soup amid doubts and confusion, his body gradually warming, gaining strength.
After Cai Yutong, Qi Shanshan, and the two graduate students left, he asked Professor Xu about the “Buddha’s Sarira” and “microscopic world.”
After learning the truth, he pondered darkly: “The Buddha’s Sarira must be that fish eye lost then regained on the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish! Could it be the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish activated the Bronze Ship, causing the entire scientific expedition team to fall into the microscopic world, embarking on this unknown journey?”
“Microscopic? Really the microscopic from textbooks?”
Li Weiyi found it all too incredulous, completely beyond cognition. Plus heavy injuries, extreme lack of security, his emotions like Professor Xu’s beside him—unstable, gradually anxious.
“No, can’t be like this.”
“Even women like senior student and Doctor Qi remain calm amid massive change—surely my state of mind isn’t inferior? That would shame Master’s years of teaching.”
“Heart disturbed, spirit shifts; intent chaotic, soul lost.”
Li Weiyi’s mind echoed Master’s oft-repeated words. Then, he took a deep breath, following the Jade Void Breathing Technique, inhaling heaven and earth qi.
On Earth, he practiced Jade Void Breathing Technique at least three hours daily for over a decade.
Though no inner strength or true qi cultivated.
But in breathing and exhalation, mind quickly calmed, distracting thoughts gone.
This was why he could face danger calmly, not dominated by inner fear. Against the bear-like creature, he actively used Jade Void Breathing Technique to seek that serene, thoughtless state.
Lying on the bed, after half an hour of breathing, Li Weiyi fully calmed, entering a profound empty bright state.
His right sole suddenly scalding hot, like burning.
Never happened before.
…
（Thanks to Alliance Leaders: Facing the Future_Spring Flowers Bloom South One North One Taiyi Flies Xiao Lin River Reader160605201642819）
Today Monday, rushing new book list, begging monthly tickets.
