Chapter 5: Learning The Breathing Technique
Night, the forest behind the village.
Xilutiya closed her eyes and stood quietly in the forest clearing under the moonlight, silver moonlight falling on her body, making her hair and dress glow faintly, serene and slightly sacred.
She first slowly adjusted her breathing, gradually seeking the obscure blood rhythm within her body, then gradually immersed herself in it, synchronizing her breathing, heartbeat, and consciousness, a strange feeling spreading throughout her body.
The states of various parts of her body gradually surfaced in her mind, from the sensation of her skin, the presence of her muscles, the activity of her organs, to finally the subtle flow of her blood, all becoming clearer bit by bit.
She had never felt her body so vividly, as if controlling it for the second time, fresh and delicate sensations coming from every part, initially somewhat strange, but she quickly adapted, making her perception sharper and her control over her limbs improved.
At this moment, Xilutiya opened her light blue eyes, looked up at the nearby branches and leaves overhead, her fingers deftly reaching into the gaps between the leaves, picking a youthful flower fruit from the dense leaves without touching any leaf, this feeling quite wondrous.
Just like in a ping-pong match, when the opponent hits the ball over, even if you know how to counter, your wrist may not sync with your vision, sometimes missing or unable to pinpoint exactly where the ball lands on the paddle.
Brain: I think that ball can be caught.
Hand: No, you can’t.
And after improving perception and control of the body, she could precisely make the ball land on the right spot on the paddle in an instant reaction, and better control the force, producing unexpected effects, whether topspin, reversal, or more special moves.
Breathing… adjust frequency… sense blood rhythm… synchronize immersion
In the sea of consciousness, the dense fine blood-colored network completed another cycle, and the nature power in the blood also subtly strengthened during this process.
（Breathing Technique completion +6）
After completing this cycle, Xilutiya eased her breathing and detached from that strange state, at which point slight soreness came from various parts of her body.
She could only practice this much today, otherwise it would accumulate hidden injuries; she checked her progress.
『Breathing Technique Lv.0』(Blood Law): An ability not yet formed, current progress （24/100）
Today she completed three cycles of training in total, with practice progress increasing by 12, 6, 6 respectively; at this rate, it would probably take about a week to fully master it.
Finishing the breathing technique training, she picked up the wooden sword placed under the tree, recalled the basic techniques taught by Frien during the day, and practiced swinging the sword.
Initially, her movements were very slow, constantly adjusting them to make the exertion smoother; at this point, the benefits of the breathing technique became apparent, because her control and perception of her body were stronger, she could detect subtle differences between movements, and thus continuously correct them based on the differences.
If an ordinary person learns sword technique without a qualified mentor, they can at most learn the rough form of the movements, possessing only the shape without entering the essence, ultimately turning it into some performative swordplay.
With a qualified mentor’s guidance combined with actual combat for continuous correction, after years of hard work, one can slowly find the most suitable exertion method and techniques for oneself, then familiarize with them and engrave them into muscle memory, and only then become a sword technique expert; this process takes as little as five years, as long as over a decade.
‘Basic Sword Technique’ proficiency +12
Basic Sword Technique Lv.0: A skill still being learned, current progress （36/100）
After a complete practice run, Xilutiya felt somewhat tired; her eyes blinked as she checked her progress, thinking that if she worked harder, she could probably reach Basic Sword Technique Lv.1 tomorrow.
Right, her 【Discernment Eyes】 couldn’t see others’ achievements in skills and techniques, only used to observe her own progress; perhaps raising her own nature tier could further enhance this ability.
Today’s gains were not small; she contentedly sheathed her sword and walked with light footsteps toward the small house where she lived.
Pushing open the door with faint lamplight visible, Xilutiya entered the room and found Talil not yet asleep, sprawled bored at the table watching the candle; only when Xilutiya entered did she suddenly look up, her eyes instantly filling with joy.
“Tiya is back.” After these two days of interaction, their relationship had become much closer; at the maiden’s request, her form of address had become casual, no longer using honorifics.
“Mm.”
The maiden nodded, sat on the chair opposite Talil, stretched out her legs, and let out a small yawn, her slender waist curve fully displayed; this lazy posture unintentionally exuded an inexplicable charm, leaving Talil stunned for a moment.
“Hm? What’s wrong.” Seeing Talil motionless, Xilutiya waved her hand in front of her and tilted her head curiously, her silver hair and blue eyes particularly captivating.
“Nothing.” Talil bit her lip lightly to clear her mind.
“Did Tiya just finish practicing sword?” Earlier after dinner together, Tiya had told her she was going to practice sword.
“Yes, since I’m wandering outside now, it’s better to learn some self-defense means.” Xilutiya placed her hands overlapped on the table, then lightly rested her head on one arm, gazing at the candle quietly burning before her.
“Tiya is so diligent.”
Talil wasn’t so diligent herself, doing things with only three minutes of enthusiasm; if something was dull and boring, she found it hard to persist, so she admired people who could endure the boredom of learning, like her sister Winnie and Tiya.
Inspired by Tiya, Talil felt she should properly learn the breathing technique tomorrow too; if she really mastered it, that would be amazing, and even the big guys in the village wouldn’t be able to beat her.
Imagining that scene, Talil almost giggled secretly, but in Xilutiya’s eyes, she looked a bit silly.
This child, what is she thinking again; Xilutiya shook her head, leaned on the table to relax and rest; right now she didn’t feel like moving much, but she still had to take a bath later, sigh.
……
Fourth afternoon, forest clearing.
Xilutiya and Talil sparred with wooden swords, bursts of crisp clashing sounds spreading.
Bang, bang, bang…
The two wooden swords collided from time to time with their swings.
Another clash; Xilutiya flexibly adjusted her footwork, lightly dodged Talil’s attack, then flipped the sword blade to knock the wooden sword from Talil’s hand.
The thrown wooden sword arced through the air, then slanted into the grassland.
“Wah, what was that technique just now? Suddenly my sword flew away.” Talil was curious and excited.
“That… I did it on a whim.” Actually, Xilutiya couldn’t explain why she did it that way either; it was just a sudden inspiration, feeling that it could disarm, and she could easily do it, so the movement happened naturally.
“Tiya is so amazing~” Talil praised sincerely.
In these short few days of interaction, Talil clearly felt that Xilutiya was very smart with exceptionally high talent, learning anything very quickly.
“Can you teach me, Tiya~”
She had started learning to act coquettish in front of this maiden; if the other boys in the village saw this, they’d be shocked, because usually Talil was just like a boy and occasionally fought with peers her age.
“I can try.” The maiden thought for a moment and decided to give it a shot.
“Great!~”
Talil picked up the wooden sword again, then slowly practiced in the way Frien taught.
“No, the exertion in this movement isn’t like that.” The maiden shook her head; though it looked similar, Talil’s execution was far off in details.
“Don’t move first, I’ll adjust you.” She walked over, supporting Talil’s arm and hand, adjusting from one subtle movement to another.
“Like this…”
……（Talil ‘Basic Sword Technique’ proficiency +1）
“Yes, straighten the legs, use force from the waist…”
……（Talil ‘Basic Sword Technique’ proficiency +1）
“It’s like this, watch my movements…”
……（Talil ‘Basic Sword Technique’ proficiency +2）
About two hours later, Talil sat tired under the tree, wooden sword tossed aside.
“Huff, huff, so tiring…” Though her mouth said tired, her eyes were full of excitement and thrill.
“I think I found some knack; Tiya is too amazing, even better than Lord Frien’s teaching!” She meant this sincerely.
In response, the maiden nearby was also slightly pleased, gathering her skirt and sitting down lightly.
“Practice like this for another five or six days, and you should be able to learn Basic Sword Technique.” Today Talil’s sword technique proficiency increased by 17 points total, current progress （24/100）.
“Mm mm(^o^)/~” If she weren’t out of energy, Talil would have cheered loudly.
“I’m going to tell Grandfather; from now on, I can be an amazing adventurer too!”
When she was little, she listened to many exciting stories from Grandfather, which she could recite by heart: ‘helping nobles deal with corrosive slugs in the city underground sewers’, ‘climbing Windwhistle Mountain to burn the gray-feathered vulture’s lair’, ‘battling poison lizards in the forest’; even now, Grandfather’s cabinet still had a few deep green poison lizard scales.
“Tiya, listen to me; my grandfather went to so many places back then…” Talil was now excitedly introducing the old village chief’s past glorious exploits to the maiden.
……
“It really is enviable.” Looking up at the bright sunlight filtering through the leaves, Xilutiya also fantasized about that exciting adventurer life, just like the countless games she played before, with various monsters, mazes, and battles, always so captivating.
If she had the chance, she also wanted to travel around, using tasks as opportunities to properly see this vast and wondrous world.
;
Seventh day
Xilutiya was already a familiar face in Fir Village; almost every villager knew this unique, exceptionally beautiful, gentle, and kind maiden, and liked her; if not for the huge gap in status, plenty of young men would probably pursue her and compete.
“Alright, you’ve all trained enough.” Carrying a wooden spear, Frien slowly walked in front of everyone.
“Basic Sword Technique and Basic Spear Technique; the two among you who practiced best have already mastered them, others who haven’t can ask them for guidance later.” He turned his steps, his gaze sweeping over everyone again.
“As for learning the ‘Breathing Technique’, don’t force it; if you really can’t, just eat more and train strength and agility to enhance your strength.” Among the young people he taught this time, only Xilutiya learned the ‘Breathing Technique’.
“Tomorrow I’m leaving; if you advance your strength later, come find me in ‘Three Towers Town’; after my assessment, qualified people can join the patrol team, and if your strength is even greater, there will be places for you in Baron Holin’s cavalry team.”
Compared to ordinary village work, the patrol team’s pay was much better, with some gray income, and the cavalry team was the backbone under Baron Holin, responsible for handling various emergencies in the territory, occasionally even receiving rewards from the baron.
“Is Lord Frien leaving?” one student asked.
“Yes, departing tomorrow.” He nodded, planting the bottom of the wooden spear into the ground.
“I’ve rested here a week, my fracture is mostly healed, it’s time to report back to Lord Baron; as for that ‘Red Wolf’, I know you’re worried it might return.”
“But I can’t stay guarding the village forever; after all, I still have to ensure road safety for all villages and towns in the baron’s territory.”
“With the village’s barrier in place, it shouldn’t attack rashly again; if you’re still uneasy, go to the Adventurer’s Guild in Jiaoshi City and post a bounty notice there; I think someone will come handle it.”
“Alright, training ends here today, dismissed!”
After everyone dispersed, Frien found the silver-haired maiden in the back row; the two talked under the tree.
“Miss Tiya is going to Jiaoshi City, right.”
“Yes, Mister Frien.” The maiden’s voice was soft and pleasing.
“This time returning to ‘Three Towers Town’, I’ll travel with you for a stretch, but we’ll part ways at River Stone Town; from there you can go with a merchant caravan continuing to Jiaoshi City, where the marketplace is prosperous with plenty of travelers, so you should find some clues.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Mister Frien.”
“No need to be so polite; that day you saved quite a few of my team members, I should be the one thanking you; take this sword.” He took a prepared short sword from behind the tree and handed it to Xilutiya.
“Take it for self-defense on the road; the village blacksmith can’t forge such a good sword.”
Taking the sheathed short sword, Xilutiya expressed thanks again.
【Refined Iron Sword】（Quality: Good）: Forged iron, skilled craftsmanship, currently well-maintained.
Drawing the short sword from the wooden scabbard, Xilutiya tried swinging it; somewhat heavy, but usable without issue.
“Your strength isn’t enough yet for too heavy a sword; good thing you’ve learned the ‘Breathing Technique’; train with it, and your stamina will gradually catch up, not inferior to robust young men your age.” Frien was quite satisfied with this temporary student.
“If you advance further to Breathing Technique second stage, many sturdy soldiers won’t match your explosive power and speed.”
“As for Breathing Technique third stage, I’m not clear on specifics, but I’ve seen those knight lords; their strength can easily lift wild boars and lions bigger than themselves, casually crushing human bones.”
“I see.” Xilutiya nodded, indicating she would train hard afterward.
“You probably know no one in Jiaoshi City; here’s a letter of introduction from me, you can give it to Miss Mailin at the Adventurer’s Guild; she’s a distant niece of mine, on good terms with me, should be able to help.”
“Alright, no need to say thanks again; if there’s a chance later, you can come find me in ‘Three Towers Town’; that’s where Baron Holin’s castle is, and I’ll be stationed there often.”
Though Frien told Xilutiya not to thank him, warmth and gratitude welled up in the maiden’s heart; what he gave might not be precious, but for her, they were urgently needed, solving many problems.
“I’ll definitely visit Three Towers Town when I have time.”
……
The day of parting was approaching; that night Xilutiya couldn’t sleep much; she’d grown familiar with village life, and now had to go to another unfamiliar place, but as Frien said, staying in the village forever wouldn’t allow growth, nor provide enough resources; to seek opportunities, she had to go to bigger places.
Turning slightly on the bed, the maiden gathered a bit of her hair to avoid it bending under her; these past few days she’d also learned how to manage this beautiful but troublesome long hair.
On the other side of the room, Talil lay on the wooden board snoring away, occasionally mumbling incoherent dream talk, seemingly fighting monsters and eating good food; Xilutiya was used to it.
Tomorrow, tomorrow she’d set off; she raised her hand, looking at her slender delicate fingers, some information surfacing in her mind.
First was the intangible threads winding around, the glowing fate plate; at the center was the 【Sleeping Girl】 framed in silver vines, and among the three empty slots below, one was filled, now showing a pale red-bordered card with fine deep red veins on the border, like blood silently flowing.
In the card was a hazy indistinct black humanoid, outline similar to the maiden, and inside the humanoid a pale red heart beat to an odd rhythm, with several blood vessels spreading from it into the black humanoid, strands of bright red flowing out and in from time to time.
【Breathing Technique Lv.1】（Blood Law）: Regulates blood flow rate via breathing, driving and enhancing whole-body power and reaction speed. This ability burdens the heart and body, cannot be used long-term （recommended no more than 1 minute/day）; （completion 56/300）
Even after learning the Breathing Technique, her daily completion steadily rose; in another dozen days or so, she could enter 【Breathing Technique Lv.2】 stage; this puzzled Xilutiya somewhat, because as Frien said, the later stages had greater difficulty, possibly training cycles daily with no progress.
This was why Frien’s Breathing Technique had been stuck at the second stage for nearly ten years.
Whatever, she didn’t think about it; her understanding of nature power was limited now, probably couldn’t figure it out, would have to explore later.
As for the taught sword and spear techniques, she had mastered them quite well.
Basic Sword Technique Lv.3: Basic sword skills, foundation of combat, current progress （125/900）
Basic Spear Technique Lv.2: Basic spear skills, foundation of combat, current progress （246/300）
She learned these two especially quickly, and gained some growth while teaching Talil; just unknown if there was a so-called limit, after all, even the most advanced Basic Sword Technique was still just basic.
With these, Xilutiya touched the sword scabbard by the bed, finally feeling a bit of security.
Huff, should be able to sleep well now; tomorrow head to Jiaoshi City.
Her side-lying body curled slightly, silver-snow tresses sliding over neck and shoulder; before long, she entered peaceful slumber…
New book seeking monthly tickets and recommendations~
