Chapter 168: Copper Skin Body, One Of The Four Great Ultimate Forms!
In the spacious quiet room, Shangshan Che did not immediately choose to learn the Miura Breathing Technique.
Instead, he tried to open and flip through each breathing technique manual, then saw identical prompts pop up before his eyes.
Nine breathing techniques naturally produced nine prompts.
“However, these prompts are completely identical except for the different names of the breathing techniques.”
Shangshan Che carefully browsed through all nine prompts and confirmed one thing.
—They could only complete the Palace of Flesh stage of the Corona Breathing Technique.
Additionally, these breathing techniques were not named after their own characteristics, but rather vaguely named after the families that possessed them.
It seemed the breathing techniques of the Sengoku Period differed somewhat from those of the current Mortal Realm.
But that was normal, after all, the two eras were separated by five or six hundred years.
Moreover, these breathing techniques were obtained with almost no effort, so what was the point of demanding more?
Rather than worrying about these trivial matters, it was more practical to quickly learn them all.
“Learn!”
Shangshan Che said silently in his heart.
In the next instant, a barrage of prompts flooded out before his eyes like a screen.
Following that, a vast sea of obscure and complex breathing technique knowledge violently poured into his mind.
【You are learning “Miura Breathing Technique”……】
【You are learning “Udono Breathing Technique”……】
【You are learning “Sena Breathing Technique”……】
【You are learning……】
Shangshan Che’s face twitched, he gritted his teeth and sharply inhaled cool air, feeling as if his skull was about to be squeezed to burst by the frantically surging new knowledge in that instant.
He immediately opened his Storage Bag, and upon seeing the faintly glowing 【Soul Incense Ash（ small）】, he unhesitatingly clicked to use it.
In an instant, the thoughts roiling like molten lava in his skull were forcibly calmed down,
The vast amount of new knowledge seemed to “quiet” in that moment, methodically browsed and absorbed by Shangshan Che.
He withdrew his gaze from the remaining few portions of Soul Incense Ash, thinking that both his Soul Incense Ash and Soul Ash reserves needed replenishing.
Even after previously slaying the Red Ogre, Shangshan Che had less than a mere 700 points of Soul Ash in hand.
And how many weeks could this amount of Soul Ash support his cultivation in the Sengoku Period?
Although demons and monsters were rare in the Sengoku Period, and Demons and Monsters were hard to encounter, there was that Great Demon in Mikawa Province……perfect to replenish his Soul Ash reserves.
But these were matters for later.
For now, focus on absorbing the breathing techniques at hand.
Shangshan Che held his breath and concentrated, his thoughts racing at high speed as if cooled by liquid nitrogen, comprehending and absorbing the key essences of the nine breathing techniques at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, without missing a single word.
Thus, prompts popped up again.
【Your Corona Breathing Technique is being completed……】
It was unknown how much time passed, until even a while after the Soul Incense Ash’s duration ended.
Only when he no longer felt new knowledge surging into his mind did Shangshan Che heavily exhale.
He sat somewhat fatigued on the specially laid bamboo mat floor, rested for a moment, wiped away the hot sweat from his forehead caused by thinking, then looked up.
【Completion finished this time!】
【Your Corona Breathing Technique has manifested the new “Mastery Level” stage “Muscle Casting”!】
【Because you learned the “Miura Breathing Technique” and other nine breathing techniques, the proficiency required for your Corona Breathing Technique at Mastery Level has decreased by 10%!】
Shangshan Che breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
After the Skin Tempering, Bone Forging, and Muscle Refining stages, the “Muscle Casting” that Lili Zi had sought but could not obtain finally appeared.
Now, he could return to reality and properly teach it to Lili Zi.
Not only that, browsing and learning these nine breathing techniques had additionally reduced his Palace of Flesh Cultivation proficiency requirement by 10%.
He looked at the proficiency panel before him—
【Corona Breathing Technique（Copper Skin311/450）】
But before Shangshan Che could look for two seconds, a bright prompt suddenly popped out from it.
【Because you learned numerous breathing techniques, your understanding of breathing techniques has greatly improved! Your Corona Breathing Technique proficiency is rapidly increasing……】
Just by looking at other breathing techniques, it could actually increase the progress of body tempering?
There was such a good thing?
Shangshan Che was stunned for a moment, momentarily unable to react.
Until the churning mass of knowledge in his mind and the hot, stinging sensation on his skin membrane transmitted from deep within together, Shangshan Che immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and immersed his mind into his own skin.
As before, he threaded strands of Qi Barrier deep into the skin that had become Tough Skin, then mercilessly subjected it to intense tempering.
The tearing pain that had become routine emerged all over his body, scalding steam slowly rose from his head, yet Shangshan Che remained as still as an old monk in meditation.
Because at this time, even the slightest movement would shift the current position of the Qi Barrier, greatly reducing the efficiency of Skin Tempering, and thus wasting this hard-won opportunity.
Pain, scorching heat, endless darkness.
Over an hour later, with his entire skin temperature so high that the surrounding air slightly distorted, yet not a drop of sweat flowed anymore, Shangshan Che slowly opened his eyes.
“Finally, it’s over.”
He whispered softly.
The Qi Barrier like millions of fine needles carefully withdrew from the tough skin membrane……no, now it should be called the copper skin that gleamed with a metallic sheen and was as hard as iron.
That’s right, Shangshan Che had nearly perfectly seized this sudden opportunity.
Thus, he obtained rich rewards!
【Because your understanding of breathing techniques has greatly improved, and after arduous Qi Barrier tempering, your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +339!】
【You have completed Palace of Flesh Cultivation·Copper Skin stage!】
【Your skin strength has slightly increased!】
【Your Physique +2!】
“Copper Skin, huh.”
Shangshan Che spread his still-scalding five fingers, staring at the star-like sheen at his fingertips, feeling the fuller power gradually “enveloping” his entire body.
He casually reached out and, without using Qi Barrier, easily crushed off a rounded corner of the wooden platform.
Shangshan Che rubbed his fingertips, watching the fine wood chips fall from between his fingers, unable to stop himself from grinning,
“This effect……is truly impressive.”
If the Tough Skin stage could resist ordinary slashes, then the Copper Skin stage made the cultivator’s skin strength comparable to, or even surpassing, ordinary swords.
Just the skin alone could be as hard as metal!
Not to mention if infused with Qi Barrier—shattering high-quality weapons and armor barehanded was not impossible!
“Also, after achieving Copper Skin, my Physique attribute has reached 48 points.”
Shangshan Che casually glanced at his attribute panel and nodded in satisfaction.
This was without wearing the Hannya Mask.
If he wore the mask, his Physique attribute could even soar to 68 points, nearly matching his 78-point Spiritual Arts attribute in Four-Tailed Fox Incarnation state.
Shangshan Che looked again at the Corona Breathing Technique, which was about to complete the entire Skin Tempering stage, and revealed a harvest-like joyful smile.
【Corona Breathing Technique（Skin Tempering200/360）】
【Effect: Like tough membrane, like refined copper, like Qi Barrier.】
【—Tough Skin, Copper Skin, Skin Tempering!】
Just 160 proficiency points short, and he could enter the Bone Forging stage, catching up to or even surpassing Lili Zi!
“Not bad, really not bad.”
Shangshan Che was about to stand up and check if there was anything he missed in these nine breathing techniques.
But the next prompt that popped up before his eyes made his movements involuntarily pause.
【Because you learned numerous breathing techniques! Your Corona Breathing Technique has manifested one of the Four Great Ultimate Forms after “Muscle Refining”, “Palace of Flesh”!】
Palace of Flesh?
Wasn’t this the term for breathing techniques at the “Mastery Level” rank?
Also, what were the Four Great Ultimate Forms……
Shangshan Che wordlessly continued reading downward.
【Palace of Flesh（0/4500）】
【Palace of Flesh: The ultimate form of Muscle Refining. Absolute perfect muscle control power, absolute tyrannical physical power. Upon completion, the body will be as magnificent and splendid as a palace.】
【Note: Unable to cultivate until completing “Skin Tempering”, “Bone Forging”, “Muscle Refining” stages.】
After reading, Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes and fell silent.
How powerful would this “ultimate form” be, requiring a full 4500 proficiency points to cultivate?
Moreover, this Palace of Flesh was only one-fourth of the ultimate forms.
In other words, there were three other extremely powerful ultimate forms corresponding to Skin Tempering, Bone Forging, and Muscle Casting stages, which he simply had not unlocked yet.
In other words, these nine breathing techniques, like his current Corona Breathing Technique, were all incomplete.
They had only helped him fill part of the gaps.
Being able to unlock one of the Four Great Ultimate Forms, “Palace of Flesh”, was already the combined effect of the nine.
It seemed that a mere nine breathing techniques were still not enough.
And not advanced enough either.
“The path of breathing techniques is truly vast as the sea……”
Shangshan Che sighed inwardly, but did not worry too much about the Corona Breathing Technique still being incomplete.
After all, just the four major stages of skin, bone, flesh, and muscle, plus this ultimate form of Muscle Refining·Palace of Flesh, would keep him cultivating for who knows how long.
By the time he grinded out these full tens of thousands of proficiency points, this incompleteness issue should resolve itself.
But just as Shangshan Che thought this, the final prompt wobbled into view.
【Because you learned numerous breathing techniques, your Corona Breathing Technique has completed the important “stage categorization”! Please check!】
“Stage categorization……”
Shangshan Che roughly scanned it and quickly understood what it meant.
Simply put, the Corona Breathing Technique’s “Beginner, Proficient, Expert” three levels corresponded to the breathing technique stage·Sea of Qi.
Mastery, the level he was currently at, corresponded to the breathing technique stage·Palace of Flesh.
And after Mastery—the Expert Level corresponding breathing technique stage was.
——”Five Viscera Immortal”!
Originally, merely corresponding proficiency levels to the breathing technique stages of general cultivation was nothing much.
But the key point was……
Shangshan Che silently stared at the two red and one yellow completeness prompts.
【Sea of Qi（Incomplete 60%）】
【Palace of Flesh（Incomplete 10%）】
【Five Viscera Immortal（Incomplete 50%）】
Incomplete, incomplete, all incomplete!
He could understand the later advanced realms being incomplete.
But the Qi Circulation he had cultivated from zero actually being incomplete too, and by 60%?
He had cultivated day and night until now without noticing……no.
Shangshan Che stared at the three words “Sea of Qi”, recalled once, and realized he had never heard these three words before.
The cultivation of Internal Qi and Qi Barrier ended at “Circulation of Qi, Qi Circulation”, with no mention of any Sea of Qi issue.
Turns out, the breathing technique he had been cultivating from start to finish was severely incomplete.
This way, it should not be an isolated case, but an extremely common phenomenon.
Because Okabe Motonobu had not expressed any doubt about his Qi Circulation either, and the previous Onmyo Major Official Kondo Yuya had also cultivated this Corona Breathing Technique……
Shangshan Che murmured: “So, completely intact breathing techniques……perhaps only the Three Great Families’ ‘Four Extremes Breathing Technique’?”
This explained many things.
For example, why the young talents of the Three Great Families were much stronger than geniuses from small places and small dojos.
Because they cultivated complete breathing techniques, while you cultivated incomplete ones!
Even with identical talent, the latter would definitely lag behind.
“Three Great Families……”
At this moment, Matsudaira Motoyasu’s voice came from outside the quiet room, neither light nor heavy,
“Che Adult, the allotted time is up, please tidy up slowly and come out……”
Shangshan Che immediately turned his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Right, the ancestor of the Tokugawa family was standing right outside now, was there an easier way to access the Four Extremes Breathing Technique?
Of course, he also had to consider that the Four Extremes Breathing Technique was not currently in Matsudaira Motoyasu’s possession.
Thinking of this, Shangshan Che calmed his mood, pushed open the door, and walked out.
At the door, Matsudaira Motoyasu, who had just called out thinking Shangshan Che would deliberately delay, was stunned for a moment, his face showing astonishment.
Shangshan Che shook his head as if regretful: “Unfortunately, only a short hour, I haven’t had time to look at most of the content.”
Matsudaira Motoyasu respectfully said: “Che Adult is already impressive enough. As an Onmyoji capable of summoning powerful shikigami, yet willing to look at, and able to understand, the breathing techniques that only samurai cultivate.”
Just as he finished speaking, Hanzō’s extremely faint voice rang in his ear,
“—Motoyasu Adult, in this hour inside the quiet room, Che’s breathing technique broke through.”
Onmyoji Che actually knew breathing techniques!?
Matsudaira Motoyasu’s pupils contracted sharply, but he maintained his facial smile, walking ahead to lead Shangshan Che back to the previous room.
In his ear, Hanzō continued whispering: “Moreover, Che has at least completed Qi Circulation. In terms of breathing technique attainment, he surpasses me and is at the same stage as Okabe Excellency.”
Qi Circulation!?
Wasn’t this his goal to achieve before age twenty!
Matsudaira Motoyasu, who had just touched the “Qi through the Four Extremes” stage, stiffened slightly, his steps faltering, nearly tripping flat.
Fortunately, Shangshan Che behind him grabbed his collar and concernedly said: “Matsudaira Excellency, be careful walking.”
“Ah……thank you.”
Matsudaira Motoyasu forced a smile, walking somewhat absent-mindedly.
—What was Onmyoji Che hiding his breathing technique proficiency for?
—In truth, Shangshan Che simply held the mindset of “why say if no one asks”, not specially announcing to the world “how do you know my breathing technique cultivation reached Qi Circulation”.
But Matsudaira Motoyasu, who had been displaced since childhood, experienced countless events large and small, and at only twelve or thirteen already had a meticulous mind, immediately reacted and made a decision.
He must befriend this Onmyoji Che!
Definitely befriend him!
Originally, just wielding Heavenly Thunder and summoning shikigami was shocking enough, let alone Che being top-tier in breathing techniques too!
This meant he was not only powerful, but had almost no weaknesses!
If such a person became his enemy, even Hanzō might……
Matsudaira Motoyasu shuddered, not daring to think further.
The boy’s mind turned quickly, already pondering in this short walk how to face Shangshan Che in the future with what attitude and method.
But his current attitude showed no difference from usual.
Building rapport required gradual steps.
Matsudaira Motoyasu knew this best.
Moreover, Onmyoji Che spent all day with Imagawa Yoshimoto, so it wasn’t easy to approach him directly……
If so, better to get familiar with Che’s little follower first?
—Shiraishi trailed far behind the two, cautiously peeking out his topknot and eyes from behind a thick pillar.
He silently watched the figures of Shangshan Che and Matsudaira Motoyasu leave his sight.
Finally, he took out a small dried fish from his bosom and bit into it viciously twice.
……
After returning to the room next to where Imagawa Yoshimoto had been reviewing documents earlier, Shangshan Che did not see her or Okabe Motonobu’s figures.
They had probably left temporarily for something.
But since he had no urgent matters to report anyway, he greeted Matsudaira Motoyasu and returned to his own courtyard.
Though deep autumn was cold, the afternoon sun warming his body felt cozy.
Shangshan Che took out the tea set Imagawa Yoshimoto had left him, poured tea powder into hot water, stirred casually, and downed it in one gulp.
“Hm, the taste is about the same.”
The one chewing peonies like cows evaluated thus, basking in the warm sunlight as he began planning ahead, treating it as a rest between cultivation.
—The closest to him should be Matsudaira Motoyasu’s, and the Imagawa Clan’s breathing technique.
These two breathing techniques should be much stronger than the nine “great officer family” breathing techniques he had just seen.
Especially the one held by the Imagawa Clan.
Shangshan Che had very reasonable grounds to suspect that the Four Extremes Breathing Technique passed down by future Tokugawa Ieyasu was not the one he started cultivating.
But one he later obtained from the Imagawa Clan, Oda Clan, or Toyotomi Family breathing techniques.
After all, the Matsudaira Clan wasn’t that strong now—if they already had the complete Four Extremes Breathing Technique, why submit to Imagawa rule?
However, obtaining these two breathing techniques……no, it definitely wouldn’t be as easy as this time.
Building a good relationship with a little turtle like Matsudaira Motoyasu would surely take a long time.
As for the Imagawa Clan’s breathing technique, freeloading it with the “viewing” excuse like this time was impossible, because of Okabe Motonobu’s presence.
But it wasn’t completely without leads.
Shangshan Che drained another cup of hot tea, feeling warm currents flow from his stomach to his limbs, exhaling comfortably.
—As long as he perfectly resolved the Mikawa Uprising, given Imagawa Yoshimoto’s attitude toward him, obtaining this breathing technique would be no great difficulty.
Oh right, those elders might still be hiding some key parts without showing him.
By then, he would dig up all these little secrets clean.
Shangshan Che lightly tapped the stone table with his fingers, producing crisp sounds.
He grinned pleasantly.
Anyway, it was just a matter of convenience.
—Imagawa Yoshimoto would surely act against these clueless elders soon.
—She couldn’t leave an obviously unstable rear and go with him and Okabe Motonobu to suppress the Mikawa Province uprising.
That way, the front foot suppresses Mikawa, the back foot her old home might be stolen by these old things.
So she absolutely couldn’t let that happen.
Also, how to “deify” Imagawa Yoshimoto when slaying the Great Demon, that needed careful thought……
Shangshan Che’s tapping fingers suddenly paused, turning his gaze to the tree behind the nearby corner.
He said flatly: “Come out.”
Seeing no one appear, Shangshan Che sighed and raised his voice slightly,
“I’ve long noticed you’ve been following me from behind, Shiraishi.”
At these words, a sneaky, short, skinny figure finally emerged from behind the tree.
Even after gorging on carbs + carbs at the Imagawa Residence for over half a month, meat doesn’t grow that fast.
He walked over head down silently, as if he had done something wrong.
Only when reaching the stone table did Shiraishi notice a small bottle of konpeito held before him.
Shangshan Che’s light voice came,
“Here, I had Lord Yoshimoto buy this for you to eat. Remember to thank her next time you see her.”
“Oh……oh, got it, boss.”
Shiraishi dazedly took the small bottle.
His pupils reflected the candy he once dreamed of eating, but now he somewhat dared not open it.
Shiraishi looked up and asked: “Boss, compared to others I’m so useless, will you abandon me later?”
“Hm?” Shangshan Che shook his head and immediately replied: “Of course not.”
Staring at the stunned Shiraishi, Shangshan Che thought for two seconds and gave an apt analogy,
“Raising you now is like Okabe Excellency raising Yokai……that little rat on her shoulder, you should have seen it before.
Just that feeling, the same sentiment.”
“Is that so……”
Shiraishi oh-ed, thought for a long time, then unscrewed the cap, pinched a konpeito, and popped it into his mouth.
Konpeito melted in the mouth.
Very sweet and tasty, yet with an unexpected sourness.
Just as Shiraishi wanted to reach in and eat all the konpeito one by one, Shangshan Che’s pleasant voice came.
“Alright, questions asked, candy eaten.”
Shangshan Che took out the ninja manual specially obtained for Shiraishi from his Storage Bag and tossed it before him.
He smiled, patted his hands, and said to Shiraishi with mouth slightly agape,
“Didn’t you say you were an Iga crowd expert? So I thought of giving you this manual to practice, it’s very powerful once mastered, so……”
Shangshan Che gazed down at the skinny boy, asking earnestly word by word,
“Shiraishi, can you become a world-renowned Great Ninja?”
Though not much more, still weakly asking for monthly votes
Not in good form today, will push hard in a few days!
