It will be Foolish to attack now.
After finishing his duties, John returned to his cell and sat down, a satisfied smile on his face. At the door of his cell, he saw a food plate and a water mug.
"At least they didn't cut off our food and water," he sighed, eating the meal.
Next, he began meditating, waiting for nightfall to practice the Slow Toad Breathing Skill and make it appear on his panel.
When night fell, John checked outside his cell to ensure no one was spying, then sighed and began practicing the Slow Toad Breathing Method as described in the scroll from Fatmaster's room.
The technique involved five distinct leg movements and a strange breathing pattern: four consecutive inhales, a one-minute pause, then a long exhale. One had to repeat this continuously to master the technique.
John started, his legs hopping around the cell like a toad, his breathing erratic. Anyone watching might think he was performing a bizarre dance.
After one full practice round, he stood still and opened his panel:
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None (4/100)
Upgrade Slot: Spatial Awareness (Level 1) (2/200) (Upgrading at one point per 9.5 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 2), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 0)]
He saw that the Slow Toad Breathing Skill had appeared on his panel after just one practice. He was pleased.
"Now, I just have to wait a few days for Spatial Awareness to reach level five, then I can upgrade Slow Toad Breathing Skill." He resumed practicing and soon noticed his Qi collection had increased significantly.
Days passed.
John mined during the day and practiced cultivation at night, sleeping only an hour. Thanks to his high-level Breathing and Meditation, he needed little sleep, and the Slow Toad Breathing Skill reduced his hunger to nearly zero.
He felt more energetic than ever.
But other prisoners weren't faring as well. The extra work left most in worse shape, looking haggard. Many fainted during mining, earning beatings from Fatmaster.
They secretly wished the killer would reveal himself to end their daily torment.
A week later, John sat on his straw mat, his panel open:
[Spatial Awareness has reached Level Five - Increased Radius to twenty meters.]
Now he could sense everything within a twenty-meter radius if he focused, a powerful tool in his arsenal.
"Place Slow Toad Breathing Skill in the upgrade slot and set the level cap to five," he said, watching his panel excitedly.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None (8/100)
Upgrade Slot: Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 0) (1/100) (Upgrading at one point per 10 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 0)]
A satisfied smile spread across his face. For days, he had eagerly awaited Spatial Awareness reaching level five to slot in the Slow Toad Breathing Skill. His priority was to boost his power quickly, and this skill was key.
He stood and resumed practicing.
Two more weeks passed.
Several events unfolded: two prisoners died from overwork, prompting Fatmaster to reduce mining hours from twelve to eight. He had given up on finding the killer.
Fatmaster also resumed harassing the girl, taking her to his room again.
But the biggest change was John's Slow Toad Breathing Skill reaching level five. He smiled at the prompt:
[Slow Toad Breathing Skill has reached Level Five - Improved Cultivation Speed, Enhanced Agility.]
He opened his panel:
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None (29/100)
Upgrade Slot: Empty
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 5)]
His cultivation, previously slow, had reached a quarter of the way in just one and a half months since arriving in this world.
"At this rate, I'll reach Skin Refining in two months." With Slow Toad Breathing Skill at level five, he could gain one cultivation point per night. If he cultivated during the day, he could earn two points daily, reaching Skin Refining in one month and five days.
But daytime cultivation was impossible. Mining took eight hours, and he couldn't risk being seen by prisoners or Fatmaster, so he stuck to nights.
"Place Slow Toad Breathing Skill in the upgrade slot and set the level cap to ten," he said.
[Slow Toad Breathing Skill has been placed in auto-upgrade slot.]
A wide smile formed. He had feared the skill, like Breathing and Meditation, would cap at level five, but it continued upgrading. He was thrilled—the higher the level, the faster his cultivation.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None (29/100)
Upgrade Slot: Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 5) (0/3200) (Upgrading at 1 point per 7.5 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 5)]
"It'll take at least seventeen days to upgrade Slow Toad Breathing Skill to level six. Time to grind!" John said, resuming cultivation.
After cultivating, he slept for an hour before Fatmaster's daily wake-up call, then headed to mining.
Prison life grew monotonous. Since killing the blackmailer, no major incidents occurred, as prisoners knew trouble brought harsh punishment.
John was grateful no one else had seen him that day, and Fatmaster had restored the eight-hour routine. He almost enjoyed the rhythm, if not for Fatmaster's harassment and his desire to explore the cultivation world. Otherwise, he might not mind staying.
Seventeen days later, Slow Toad Breathing Skill upgraded to level six, but that day, a prisoner from a nearby cell attacked Fatmaster with a pickaxe. Fatmaster brutally beat him to death.
John realized Fatmaster's strength: despite his bulk, he reacted with lightning speed, stopping the pickaxe mid-air with his bare hands and sending the man flying five meters with a single kick.
This shocked John. He imagined wielding such power in his previous world, surpassing any Olympic medalist. His desire to explore the martial world intensified, yearning to witness its wonders firsthand.
Returning to his cell, he checked his panel. With Slow Toad Breathing Skill at level six, his cultivation speed doubled, earning two points per night. He felt ecstatic, cultivating with a wide smile, though he resisted daytime practice to avoid detection.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None (46/100)
Upgrade Slot: Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 6) (0/6400) (Upgrading at 1 point per 7 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 6)]
"I'll need one more month to reach Skin Refining Realm," John thought, nodding.
Two months into his journey, he was close to becoming a true martial artist. Just one more month, and he'd achieve his goal.
Upgrading his Slow Toad Breathing Skill to level seven would take another month. John was pleased, as he could advance his cultivation and cultivation skill realms almost simultaneously.
His monotonous routine resumed. On day fifteen, the girl spoke to him again, reminding him of his promise. John felt he'd taken on trouble by promising her, but there was no backing out now.
He also learned her name: Ferothia, a former servant of the Blue Rain Clan, captured by the Blue Sapphire Clan. John had no memories of her from the Blue Rain Clan. She must have been a private servant for a young miss, he concluded.
Soon, the month ended. John stood in his cell, excitement on his face as he examined his arms and body. They looked healthier now, unlike his previously frail self. Even his skin had improved significantly.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: Skin Refining Realm (0/200)
Upgrade Slot: Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 6) (5556/6400) (Upgrading at 1 point per 7 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 6)]
He had finally reached the Skin Refining Realm, though his Slow Toad Breathing Skill needed four more days to upgrade.
"It's been three months. I have three more to fulfill my promise, so attacking Fatmaster now would be foolish," he thought. "I'll cultivate for two more months. By then, I'll be stronger and can escape easily." Nodding, he agreed this was the wisest approach. Attacking now, without an attack skill, was risky—Fatmaster might have one. If John surpassed Fatmaster's realm, he could defeat him without needing an attack technique.
Two and a half months later, John stood in the mines, his eyes glowing with vigor, his presence more intimidating than Fatmaster's. He deliberately hid it by controlling the Qi in his body.
He could now mine spirit stones effortlessly, and with Spatial Awareness, he easily located large spirit stone veins. But his greatest change was his strength.
He opened his panel with a satisfied smile:
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: Bone Refining Realm (60/400)
Upgrade Slot: Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 7) (3101/12800) (Upgrading at 1 point per 6.5 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 6 - Max), Breathing (Level 5 - Max), Spatial Awareness (Level 5), Slow Toad Breathing Skill (Level 7)]