Chapter 250: Breathing Technique, E Zhou, The Path Ahead

"Senior Brother," the black-haired, black-bearded elder said, his voice tinged with reluctance, "does this mean we have no chance at all in the first opportunity brought by the transformation of Heaven and Earth?"

"Yes," the graceful, immortal-like elder replied with a sigh. "This is now the chance of the young ones. Go now—gather ten outstanding disciples from within the sect, five from the Xian Tian Jing realm and five from the Hou Tian Jing. I have words I must speak to them."

"Yes, Senior Brother. I shall go at once." The black-haired elder turned to leave, but then paused mid-step. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Should we also inform the other families sealed within the Hidden Realm?"

The elder pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, inform them. Otherwise, we might face trouble later when they find out on their own."

Once his disciple departed, the grace-filled elder resumed gazing toward the distant drifting clouds, his expression distant and thoughtful.

"We of this lineage have endured in this hidden realm for tens of thousands of years. Now, at last, the transformation of Heaven and Earth has come again—our long-awaited chance to escape. But I wonder… did the main lineage of our sect, and the other great immortal sects, truly find a way beyond the veil when they boarded the Celestial Vessel and broke through the boundary? Will they ever return? I can sense the shift in the outside world; the other hidden realms must be aware as well. I wonder… who among them will send their disciples into the mortal realm to seize this opportunity?"

…

"Xiao Yan, come here. From today onward, I’ll formally begin teaching you cultivation. Whether you’ll ever fly depends entirely on how hard you work."

In the early morning light, Lu Qing stood solemnly atop a flat stone, facing Xiao Yan, who sat cross-legged, cradling Xiao Li in her arms.

"Yes, Brother! I’ll work very hard!" Xiao Yan replied with earnest determination.

"Then today, I’ll teach you a Breathing Technique. Once you’ve mastered it and can sense the Qi in the air, I’ll teach you the deeper cultivation methods."

"Great!" Xiao Yan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Lu Qing smiled gently, then gently tapped the tip of one finger against Xiao Yan’s forehead.

"Now close your eyes. Breathe as I guide you."

As Xiao Yan obeyed, a warm, gentle flow of Spirit Soul Power enveloped her body. A soft, soothing voice echoed within her mind, guiding her to adjust her breath into a rhythmic, harmonious pattern. Soon, she slipped into a state of profound stillness—empty, yet alert.

Lu Qing withdrew his finger, watching the girl in meditation. A quiet admiration filled him.

The child’s talent was truly exceptional. So quickly, she’d grasped the essence and entered deep meditation.

No wonder she was certified by the Abilities to possess a trace of Primordial Dao Body Essence and the rare Ice Skin and Jade Bones innate talent.

With Xiao Yan now fully immersed, Lu Qing settled into a cross-legged position beside her, quietly waiting.

Xiao Li curled up into his lap, resting peacefully.

As he stroked the little beast’s head, a thought struck him.

"Ah, Xiao Li, yesterday I acquired something that might be useful to you. Want to see?"

He focused his mind, and from the Qiankun Yiqi Dai, he withdrew an object.

It was a white fruit, about the size of a thumb.

At first, Xiao Li seemed puzzled. But as the scent wafted toward it, its eyes widened instantly.

"This is called a Beast Spirit Fruit," Lu Qing said, holding it before its face. "It helps purify and strengthen a spirit beast’s bloodline. Want it?"

Xiao Li’s eyes followed the fruit’s movement like a magnet. When Lu Qing spoke, it nodded vigorously, its head bobbing like a chicken pecking grain, then stared up at him with eager anticipation.

It sensed, through its innate spiritual intuition, that this fruit was a gift beyond measure.

"Alright, then it’s yours," Lu Qing chuckled. He handed it over.

Xiao Li’s eyes lit up with delight. Without hesitation, it grabbed the fruit with both paws and swallowed it whole.

"Xiao Li, you—"

Lu Qing blinked in surprise, then shook his head with a wry smile.

He hadn’t expected such eagerness. Though the Beast Spirit Fruit was beneficial to spirit beasts and could be consumed directly, swallowing it whole would likely send Xiao Li into a deep slumber.

Sure enough, within moments, the little beast’s eyelids began to droop. Then, leaning against Lu Qing’s chest, it fell fast asleep.

Well, now Lu Qing was watching over two little ones.

He sat quietly, cradling Xiao Li, waiting. After about half an hour, Xiao Yan stirred and opened her eyes—bright, alert, full of energy.

"Awake, how do you feel?" Lu Qing asked softly.

"Brother, I feel amazing! My body is light, and I’ve got endless energy!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, marveling.

"That’s just your imagination," Lu Qing said, "but still, you did remarkably well. First time practicing the Breathing Technique, and you entered meditation for half an hour. You’re even better than I was when I started."

He praised her openly, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

"Really?" Xiao Yan’s eyes sparkled instantly.

"Of course. Have I ever lied to you?" Lu Qing smiled.

"Ha-ha!" She giggled, utterly delighted.

Then, after a moment, she noticed Xiao Li in his arms. "Brother, what’s wrong with Xiao Li?"

"Nothing at all," Lu Qing explained. "I gave it a special treat. It’s resting now, but this is good for it. When it wakes up, it’ll be stronger than before."

Xiao Yan nodded, relieved. Then she grinned. "Xiao Li’s so lazy—just eats and sleeps. Even more so than me!"

Lu Qing couldn’t help but smile.

"Alright, let’s head back. We’ve spent enough time today teaching you the technique. After breakfast, we’ll be on our way."

With Xiao Yan and Xiao Li in tow, they returned to the village where they’d spent the night. The house they’d rented was still theirs, and breakfast had already been prepared.

After eating, Lu Qing handed a small amount of money to the farmer’s family as thanks, then loaded the carriage and set off once more.

"A Qing," Old Doctor said from the carriage, eyeing Xiao Yan with interest, "you took her out early this morning—were you teaching her cultivation?"

"Yes, Chen Ye Ye!" Xiao Yan chirped proudly. "Brother taught me a Breathing Technique! It’s so fun! After practicing, I felt full of energy. He even said I’ll learn to fly one day!"

"Breathing Technique?" Old Doctor glanced at Lu Qing, surprised.

"It’s the preliminary step before Qi Ingestion Method," Lu Qing explained. "Its purpose is to regulate breath, harmonize the inner energy, visualize the body’s flow, and cleanse the physical form of impurities. The ultimate goal is to achieve a state where Qi flows throughout the body, unimpeded and pure—clearing all channels, reaching the Jingjie of complete circulation."

"Qi flowing through the body, unimpeded and pure, all channels open…" Old Doctor’s eyes widened. "So that means…?"

"Exactly," Lu Qing confirmed. "In the martial path, one must reach Xian Tian Jing, receive the Heavenly Dao’s blessing, and forge a Xian Tian body before the body can achieve this state. Once Xiao Yan masters this Breathing Technique and clears her meridians, she’ll have already attained the physical Jingjie. In essence, she’ll be at the Xian Tian Jing level."

"But since she hasn’t undergone the trials of blood and qi forging, in actual combat, she might not even match a Jin Gu Jing martial cultivator."

"Why, then…" Old Doctor frowned. "Why teach her this?"

"Master," Lu Qing said, "I’m not teaching her for combat strength. I want her to reach the state of Qi circulation as quickly as possible. Only then will I teach her the Qi Ingestion Method—the true core of cultivation."

"Qi Ingestion Method?" Old Doctor’s expression changed. "So you’re planning to—"

He suddenly understood. His eyes widened in realization.

"Yes," Lu Qing nodded. "Xiao Yan’s talent is extraordinary. With the world changing, I want her to take the ancient Lianqi Practitioner path straight away."

The martial path had low barriers, yes—but progress was slow and grueling. Xiao Yan possessed Ice Skin and Jade Bones, and a trace of Primordial Dao Body Essence. She was a rare, natural-born seed for cultivation.

Lu Qing wouldn’t let her waste her life on the martial path. He would guide her directly onto the immortal path.

"Since you’ve already made your plans, I have no worries," Old Doctor said, relieved. "I know you carry a mysterious cultivation heritage. If you’ve thought this through, you’ve already prepared the best path."

Only Wei Zian sat beside them, utterly lost.

Lu Qing and Old Doctor’s words—Breathing Technique, Qi Ingestion Method, Lianqi Practitioner—meant nothing to him. He’d never heard of such terms before.

He could only sigh inwardly: Cultivation truly is vast and profound. There are still so many mysteries I don’t understand.

The carriage rolled forward, and by noon, they stopped to let the horses rest. Then they resumed.

But by late afternoon, the carriage slowed, then began to jolt violently.

Lu Qing frowned and lifted Xiao Li slightly, cradling her to prevent her from being jolted awake.

"Master," Wei Zian asked, feeling the uneven motion, "why is the carriage so bumpy?"

Then—thud—the carriage lurched to a sudden halt.

"Lu Qing, Old Doctor," Ma Gu’s voice called from outside, "we’ve hit a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Lu Qing pulled back the curtain and peered out.

Bandits? But he sensed no other presence nearby.

Yet when he saw the scene, he froze.

They were now on a treacherous mountain path—rocky, uneven, the road so narrow that the carriage could barely pass.

One wheel was stuck fast in a deep stone pit.

"We’re… where exactly?" Lu Qing set Xiao Li into Xiao Yan’s arms and stepped down, scanning the surroundings.

They were on a narrow path halfway up the mountain. On one side loomed a sheer cliff, the drop terrifying.

Old Doctor stepped down and studied the terrain.

"We’re nearing E Zhou," he said. "Legend says it’s the most dangerous of all the nine provinces. Most of its land is rugged mountains—extremely difficult to traverse."

"E Zhou?" Lu Qing nodded. He wasn’t just training these past two years. He’d gathered information on the world. He knew E Zhou was not only full of mountains, but also rivers and ravines—essentially a land of barren, dangerous terrain.

"This is… a real problem," Lu Qing muttered, rubbing his temple.

If it were just a short stretch, he and Ma Gu could carry the carriage over. But if the entire province was like this?

Could they even continue?

He began to worry. He didn’t mind walking, but Xiao Yan and the Master couldn’t endure such hardship. Even Wei Zian might not survive a long journey on foot.

And after all this time, they’d grown fond of their carriage—the shelter it had offered, the comfort it provided.

He didn’t want to abandon it unless absolutely necessary.

"Should’ve taken the other route," he regretted. "We did discuss it before. Master, you never visited E Zhou. You didn’t know the roads. But that path would’ve added the distance of an entire province."

They’d chosen this route to reach Zhong Zhou faster. They’d thought, Even if E Zhou is tough, it’s still better than adding an extra province.

Now, reality struck: E Zhou was far more treacherous than they’d imagined. The carriage simply couldn’t pass.

"Master," Lu Qing turned to Old Doctor, "what do we do?"

Old Doctor understood the situation. After a long pause, he sighed.

"There are only two choices now: turn back, or abandon the carriage and walk."

Neither was ideal. Turning back meant wasted time. Abandoning the carriage meant losing everything inside.

Lu Qing could store all their belongings in the Qiankun Yiqi Dai. But he hadn’t decided whether to reveal that ability yet. And he wasn’t sure if Xiao Yan could endure such a hardship.

Just as he was caught in thought…

Wei Zian sighed. "So all our travel these past two days was wasted. I never thought E Zhou’s roads would be this hard. What a shame… if only our carriage could fly."

"Talking nonsense," Ma Gu laughed. "It’s just a regular carriage. You think it’s one of those immortal artifacts from the stories? Flying? You’ve been sneaking into Xiao Yan and Xiao Li’s storybooks again, haven’t you?"

But Lu Qing—frozen in place—stiffened.

His mind raced.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end