Fictile Breathing Technique

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A week later, Li Ming was doing push-ups inside his residence. He had not gone out of the cave for a whole week.

Even Li Ming himself was surprised that he can be so diligent. There were no muscles forming in his body because he was saving all his energy inside the seed or nourishing the soil.

-Spiritual roots: Low-grade spiritual root (10/1000)

-Cultivation: First Phase Earthen seed realm (0/100)

Li Ming's whole body felt rejuvenated after breaking through to the first face of Earthen Seed Realm. The Chi that was inside his dantian was also steady inside the seed. If one looked closely they would be able to see that there were some changes in the appearance of the seed in his lower abdomen. Like, the shape and the outer membrane of the metaphorical seed had developed a strange shine and lustre.

Knock, knock!

"Wait."

Li Ming wiped his sweat and changed into his outer sect disciple robe.

Creak-

As soon as the boulder moved away from the cave entrance, Li Ming was blinded by the light coming from the entrance. Li Ming hurriedly covered his eyes with his arm.

"Sir, your food." A servant entered wearing plain clothes, with "servant" written on top-left corner of dress. Li Ming did not like to wear robes that the sect had provided to them; if he had enough power he might have already abolished the robe-system. It wastes to much time in dressing up. Instead, Li Ming preferred the servant clothes with plain dress pants and a simple shirt.

"What is todays news?" Li Ming had been using the servants as a source of information. The best part was, he did not even needed to pay them.

Some of the individuals who were able to become disciples of the Mist Sect were proud and arrogant, they treated servants like they were not human but insects. Anyone dissatisfied by his enemy, rival or just not in a good mood would beat up these servants openly in-front of everyone. Xiao Chen being the angel of justice could not unsee such injustice and he reported it to the sect elders but still no action was taken.

Elders themselves treated the servants like this but not openly, they had a fame and reputation in the sect that needed to be maintained.

Li Ming was also one of the disciples who used to vent his frustration on these servants. He still remembered the time when the system had deemed him 'Trash Disciple' he had thought he would be beaten as soon as he went out. But soon he understood that everyone was doing the same so no one cared what Li Ming did to these servants.

He decided to improve his reputation, who knows there might be some unexpected gains.

"Sir, recently the sect has been in a state of rare peace. Even Xiao Chen has not come out from his cave for some time now. He has also banned the entry of servant disciples to deliver food. No one knows what he is up-to."

Li Ming was about to say that he can go back but saw that the servant was hesitating like he was confused whether to share something or not.

"You can share it first. I will decide whether its useful or not."

"I apologize Sir!!" Immediately the servant was about to bang his skull on the ground but Li Ming's quick reaction saved the servant's skull from bursting.

"I was not scolding you. Haa~... Just say what is it?" Li Ming rubbed his hand on his forehead.

"This news is not confirm, I got it from a fellow servant who works inside the inner sect and he has told me that..."

...

Li Ming was on his way towards the scripture pavilion, from time to time he touched the pouch hanging on his waist belt. Right now he was carrying with him all his wealth.

It was his first time moving around with money, although there would be no thieves in broad day light but who knows. Some senior disciple could be waiting to pounce on any disciple that looked weaker than him and steal their money.

Huu~ those good old times.

He reminiscent about the time when payment could be done through internet, and there was no need to carry around currency with him all the time.

The Scripture Pavilion of the Mist Sect was a two-story stone and dark-wood structure, its weathered exterior adorned with carvings of swirling mist and cascading waterfalls. The first floor, open to outer disciples, housed shelves of aged scrolls and bamboo slats detailing basic cultivation techniques, their scent mingling with faint incense. A spiralling stone staircase led to the second floor, barred by glowing runes, rumoured to hold the sect's greatest secrets and advanced techniques. Shrouded in an aura of mystery, the pavilion stood as both a source of guidance and a symbol of untapped potential.

Li Ming continued walking and soon he reached the entrance where an elder was busy reading a book, with outer disciples disturbing him from time to time. What was surprising was that the elder dealt with all of them calmly. There was no frown on his aged face.

A little different from what I had read?

What Li Ming was talking about was that usual practice of the elder who were stationed to guard the most important place in the sect, where all the information was stored, tend to get angry frequently or were not in their senses, busy in drowning away whatever sorrows they had accumulated from their past.

Li Ming got close the table and ringed the bell, Although there was a distance of only a few inches but Li Ming had seen others doing the same so he followed in their footsteps.

"Elder I am here to borrow a breathing technique." Li Ming stated his purpose. but his heart was beating wildly.

Tch- old problems never go away.

Li Ming clicked his tongue in annoyance. Li Ming was not powerful enough to control the blood flow in his body. Even before he had suffered from this condition. Getting anxious over nothing or entering a new place. He always got nervous.

"Have you reached the First Phase of Earthen Seed Realm?" the elder took a quick glance at his shivering arm then turned his attention to him.

"Yes." Li Ming put forward his left-arm, because from what he knew from reading, the elders usually checked the realm by touching the veins.

"Hmm... I see you are not lying." the elder dismissed Li Ming's odd behaviour and turned his eyes towards his lower-abdomen, Where Li Ming had created the seed.

Shiver-

Li Ming was once again bewildered. Nothing was going according to the script.

"You can only enter the first floor. And the borrowed book needs to be returned within one week. If any pages are missing or torn from the book than you would be punished after checking the degree of damage done to it. Go. "

The elder turned his attention back to reading. Li Ming also saved the instructions given by the elder in his heart.

He still had a loan that had to be repaid as soon as possible.

The elder gazed at the back of Li Ming, seemingly lost in thought.

...

Meanwhile, Li Ming roamed around the first floor, It was bigger then he thought, both in width and length.

"Breathing Technique, Breathing Technique, Breathing Technique."

He muttered under his breath, browsing through the book shelves. His glance landed on the very end of the of the shelves.

"There it is." Li Ming walked briskly past the wooden shelves.

Li Ming looked at some names that immediately attracted his attention.

His eyes scanned the dusty tomes lined up on the last shelf. He had been hoping for something grand--an ancient breathing technique that could shake mountains and part seas. Instead, what he found left him... confused.

His fingers traced over the titles, reading them aloud in a whisper.

"Heaven-Defying Celestial Dragon Breath..." he murmured, eyes widening. "That sounds amazing!" He eagerly pulled the book from the shelf, flipping through the first few pages.

Step one: Take a deep breath and imagine yourself becoming one with the cosmos.

Li Ming frowned. "What does that even mean?!" He skimmed further.

Step two: Breathe out with the intent of summoning the power of an ancient dragon. Results may vary.

He let out a slow sigh and shoved the book back onto the shelf. "Trash."

Still determined, he picked up another book.

"Abyssal Void Emperor's Forbidden Breath?"

Yang Kai?!

He arched an eyebrow. "Sounds ridiculous, but... maybe?"

Take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can. When you feel the abyss staring back at you, exhale with conviction. Congratulations, you have mastered the technique.

Li Ming groaned. "So basically... holding my breath until I pass out? Who writes this nonsense?"

Undeterred, he grabbed the next book.

"Supreme Nine Suns Divine Breathing Art." His heart skipped a beat.

"Nine Suns? That's gotta be powerful!"

This technique allows you to absorb the warmth of the sun into your body. Step one: Stand under direct sunlight for five hours. Step two: Breathe deeply and absorb the heat. Step three: Hope you don't get sunburned.

Li Ming nearly threw the book. "That's not cultivation, that's dehydration!"

Frustration mounting, he snatched one last book, barely glancing at the title. "Unparalleled God-King's Cosmic Breath."

He flipped to the first page.

Step one: Breathe in. Step two: Breathe out. Step three: Repeat until you achieve enlightenment.

Li Ming slammed the book shut. "So basically, just... normal breathing?!"

His shoulders sagged as he slumped onto the wooden floor, rubbing his temples. "Why do all these techniques sound like something an old conman wrote after drinking too much?"

Just as Li Ming was about to give up on this ridiculous pile of books, his eyes landed on a thin, unassuming manual wedged between two absurdly titled tomes.

"Fictile Breathing Technique," he read out loud, his tone skeptical.

Well, at least it's honest.

Unlike the others, this book had no extravagant cover design, no golden lettering proclaiming divine secrets, and--most importantly--no exaggerated claims about summoning celestial dragons or bending reality. It was plain, simple and almost pitifully modest.

Curious, Li Ming opened the first page and began reading.

The body is the vessel, the Earth is the source. One breathe in, one breathe out. Root yourself like a tree, let the chi flow like water, and become steady like stone. No more, no less.

Li Ming frowned. "That's it? No secret mantra? No mystical hand seals?"

He flipped through the rest of the pages. The technique had no flashy movements, just a rooted stance, controlled breathing, and a method to naturally draw in Chi through slow refinement rather than force.

For a moment, he hesitated. Wasn't cultivation supposed to be about grand techniques and explosive power? But then he remembered his struggle--how unstable his Chi had been, how his spiritual root wasn't strong enough to force rapid breakthroughs.

Perhaps...simplicity was exactly what he needed.

Without another thought, Li Ming tucked the book under his arm, a small smile forming on his lips.

...

In an unknown location within the Mist Sect, a youth with short-wild black hair, with a defiance look in his eyes like he was ready to completely obliterate anything that came in his path.

Xiao Chen, put his hand on his chest.

Why does it feel like I have lost something?

Xiao Chen shook his head and continued what he was doing.

...

Li Ming showed the book he had chosen to the elder at the entrance of scripture pavilion.

Hmm?!

The elder showed a surprised expression and took another glance at Li Ming.

"Disciple what is your name?"

"Li... Ming," Our protagonist was a little shocked by the elder's sudden interest. He replayed the memories and he had not done anything that could have made the elder interested in him.

"One week, remember." with that the elder went back to his reading.

[A/N: Read Two weeks worth of advance chapters on patreon.]

patreon.com/mystic_ink