Chapter 167: Submerged Breath
Chapter 167: Submerged Breath
Chang Ba watched as Chen Chuan approached from the beach, casting a long shadow in the morning sun, his demeanor relaxed and natural. He couldn't help but mutter, "He's really mastered it."
There was indeed a gap between people.
But was the gap this big?
As the vehicle came to a stop, He Xiaoxing stepped out.
He noticed that Chen Chuan was maintaining internal breathing, not using his mouth or nose, and appeared very natural. He knew that Chen Chuan had already mastered it.
"Alright, today we'll begin the next phase of training. Pack up and let's head to another location," He Xiaoxing said.
Chen Chuan replied with a 'yes,' then returned to gather his belongings. He took his things and got into the vehicle, which slowly started and soon left the area.
Once in the car, although he no longer needed to reject foreign bodies, he did not switch to external breathing at this moment.
The day before, after finding a solution, he discovered that this internal breathing technique was also effective in guiding the transformed organs and was more targeted.
If the previous breathing method was based on the original organs to drive other transformed tissues, now whenever he used internal breathing, it was the transformed organs that took the lead.
This allowed for a deeper understanding and control of the transformed organs, and the growth of the transformed organs also accelerated.
However, this was still in the initial stage, and everyday guidance and combat were two different matters.
He still needed more time to master it.
In fact, without saying anything else, he felt that just learning this technique made the trip worthwhile.
After driving north for half an hour, they arrived at a place with a peculiar landscape. The ground was filled with pits of various sizes, some as small as one or two meters wide, and others as large as ten or twenty meters.
These pits were filled with red liquid, seemingly connected to the Crimson Lake, but the water surface bulged upwards, appearing like crimson eyes embedded in the earth from a distance.
Although not far from the Crimson Lake, the style here was completely different from what they had just seen. If the former was majestic, this place was eerie.
Chang Ba probably knew what they were going to do and was familiar with the area, so without waiting for instructions, the vehicle stopped at a chosen spot.
He Xiaoxing said, "Some of these pits are naturally formed, while others are man-made. Beneath these pits are underground tunnels of varying depths, some as shallow as ten meters, and others reaching several miles, but there could be even longer ones.
Your task is to choose one of these tunnels and enter, using the water's unique properties and the pressure below to train your endurance.
At the bottom, you can only use the internal breathing technique and must rely on other transformed tissues to counter the pressure and maintain yourself. This way, you can comprehensively train your transformed organs, making them stronger and more active, so the longer you can endure, the better."
As he spoke, he walked to the edge of a pit and stepped on it. "Start here," he said, then turned to Chang Ba, "Give him the gear."
"Okay, Uncle He."
Chang Ba ran back to the car and brought out a set of unused dive gear, placing it on the ground. He boasted, "This Carp Dive Suit is a product of Central City's technology. When swimming, you barely feel its presence, and it's very breathable. Even when moving fast and hitting hard, sharp objects, you won't get scratched. It's a good piece of equipment, and even I haven't used it myself."
Of course, he couldn't mention that he couldn't last long during his own training, so he didn't need it.
Chen Chuan walked over to the dive suit and said, "Thank you, Little Chang."
Chang Ba chuckled, no matter how powerful Chen Chuan was, he still had to call him 'brother.' He happily ran over, "Let me help you, this is how you open it, and then..."
After Chen Chuan put on the dive suit, he moved his limbs and found it surprisingly comfortable, without the tightness he had imagined. It felt like an extra layer of skin.
As he estimated that this would take some time, he drank some water and ate a NutriBar, then stood at the edge of the pit.
The pit's diameter was less than two meters, which was quite narrow for him.
He squatted down and reached into the water, feeling a viscous resistance and an immense buoyancy that seemed to lift his palm. The stoneweed was also present, and if he immersed himself, he would have to constantly fight against their parasitism.
It wasn't an easy task.
He stood up, adjusted himself, then jumped into the pit with a fish-leap motion, entering gracefully.
Underwater, he used his limbs to counter the buoyancy and slowly descended into the depths, realizing that the pit wasn't very deep, only about twenty meters or so. However, he could feel the omnipresent pressure squeezing him.
And this was just the beginning. He recalled He Xiaoxing's instruction to endure for as long as possible, so he crouched at the bottom and began to maintain internal breathing.
Above ground, Chang Ba walked to the edge of the pit. The splashing water from Chen Chuan's leap quickly subsided, and the surface returned to calmness.
Chang Ba remembered that when he had tried this training himself, he had entered a different pit, about ten meters deep, and had lasted for about twenty minutes.
He coughed, but this was just a training attempt, as his transformed tissues were not in this direction, so no amount of practice would be useful. Even if he endured for a longer time, it would only prove his physical quality.
Chen Chuan sat quietly at the bottom of the abyss pit for a while, but he felt as if he had endured an eternity.
The ever-present pressure in this place was secondary; the real challenge was the absence of external sounds and any trace of light, leaving him in complete darkness. The confined space around him felt oppressively claustrophobic.
All he could do at this moment was focus on his internal breathing.
He had no choice but to do so, as being underwater was entirely different from being on land. Capturing oxygen was extremely challenging, and he had to dedicate his entire being to this task, efficiently and reasonably utilizing every possible alienated organ for cooperation to sustain himself for an extended period.
He Xiaoxing did not leave this time but waited by the side.
Chang Ba sat for a while, then set up a folding stool and began reading a small book while waiting. After reading it over a dozen times, he glanced at the pit and muttered to himself, "It's been almost two hours, and he's still not out. I hope nothing's wrong."
But he knew he was overthinking it. Even though He Xiaoxing stood above, he was likely well-informed about the situation above and below the water. If there had been a problem, he would have found a way to pull Chen Chuan out by now.
Realizing that Chen Chuan might not resurface for a while, Chang Ba retrieved a barbecue grill from the vehicle and started grilling skewers of lamb from the car's refrigerator.
Soon, the air was filled with the aroma of grilling lamb as the meat sizzled. He skillfully turned the skewers, seasoning them as he went.
After grilling, he handed over a dozen skewers to He Xiaoxing and then savored his own, muttering, "If he doesn't come out soon, I'll finish these all by myself."
Time passed, and it was four hours before He Xiaoxing signaled to Chang Ba, who quickly stood up and lowered a rope with a weight attached to its end into the pit.
Underwater, Chen Chuan remained motionless, minimizing all necessary consumption and merely sustaining his existence while fending off foreign invaders.
Feeling the rope descend, he stirred from his stillness and grabbed it, slowly ascending.
As he emerged from the pit and stepped onto the ground, he experienced a sense of liberation, as if seeing the light of day again.
Simultaneously, a feeling of heaviness and weakness washed over him due to the significant energy expenditure. However, as he broke the water's surface, the combined effect of internal and external breathing allowed more oxygen to enter his bloodstream, rapidly restoring his strength.
Chen Chuan took out a NutriCream and consumed over ten tubes before feeling somewhat recovered.
Only this could replenish his energy expenditure; regular meals were time-consuming and lacked sufficient nutrition, serving little purpose beyond satisfying his taste buds.
This made him reflect on the vast resources consumed by fighters in the old era. Without the backing of a powerful force, sustaining such expenditure would have been impossible.
After Chen Chuan had a brief recovery, He Xiaoxing asked, "Do you feel you've reached your limit?"
Chen Chuan contemplated and replied honestly, "Yes, or at least very close to it."
With his second self, he could have endured much longer, but in his normal state, he was nearing his limits. He Xiaoxing's ability to accurately assess his condition from above and bring him up at the right moment was a skill that Chen Chuan couldn't fathom, likely requiring an even higher level of mastery.
He Xiaoxing explained, "The purpose of training isn't to squeeze out potential but to foster growth. You can continue this training and gradually adapt, but you must have a clear understanding of your limits."
"Your alienated organs will also know. With sufficient nutrients and medication, they will continually adapt and raise their limits."
Chen Chuan pondered this and asked, "Does a fighter's willpower play a role, as you mentioned, Master He?"
He Xiaoxing affirmed, "It's excellent that you've thought of this. A fighter's willpower is crucial. Believing in oneself can unlock hidden potential, often manifesting as seemingly impossible feats in combat."
"However, there's a reason behind everything. The ability to unleash power far beyond the norm is because most of the potential in alienated organs remains dormant.
Only through special means and methods can you awaken them to follow your commands, and willpower is a significant part of that. In regular states, it's often insufficient to drive them, and many are forced to emerge only in life-or-death situations."
"We don't need to go to such extremes. First, we'll stimulate and activate more alienated organs in the body through external influences and stimuli. Then, we'll consciously mobilize them step by step until they are entirely under your control."
Chen Chuan nodded, understanding. "Master He, how long do I need to persist in this training to be considered qualified?"
He Xiaoxing replied solemnly, "You've essentially met the requirements for the next stage. From now on, find time to practice, and I'll arrange the next training."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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