Star Gate

The group had received He Yong’s communications, but Li Hao was too busy to respond. Hong Yitang outright ignored the man. Stop harassing me, you didn’t make it to the fight. Too bad you’re Southern Fist instead of Southern Leg. You ran so slowly that you missed everything, so you can just wait for next time.

Skystar City was too far away, but it was He Yong who’d wanted to return to the capital. Hong Yitang had no sympathy for him. Not to mention, the guy had run so quickly back to the royal family probably because there were benefits waiting for him. Would he have gone off so quickly if he’d known there were similar ones to be found with Li Hao?

The young man was focused on building the five bridges—connecting them with internal force and solidifying them with mind intent. The Building Five Bridges manual was a good reference, giving him some clues as to how to proceed.

Li Hao ignored the fact that the others weren’t building their bridges. Just as his teacher had said, they’d already laid their foundations. Li Hao’s foundations were poor, so he had to methodically proceed step by step. His sudden eruptions of power were too insubstantial, despite bestowing him strength. He was yet to grasp many rudimentary concepts.

It’d also only been three months since he’d entered Slayer of Tens. His rapid progress during this time had led to numerous errors. It was three short years since he first started practicing the Five Styles.

As Li Hao built his bridges, he mused over these notions and the books that he’d borrowed from Battle Heaven. He’d committed them to memory, but didn’t understand all of the concepts. Since there were two premier sword users and a grand master of martial dao in front of him, the young man made sure to ask questions as he cultivated.

……

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Three days went by in a quick blur. Many mysterious power stones were consumed and Hong Yitang opened his eyes to say, “I’m going back first. There are more people at the Sword Sect these days and I need to look in on them.”

Light Sword was astonished. You’re leaving? You’re not staying to take further advantage of this wonderful opportunity? The past couple of days had been an utter delight for her. She’d filled a third lock of her five organs. This was an incredible speed that demonstrated more effectiveness than a year or two of individual cultivation in the past. She wanted to stay here until she died, why was he leaving?

Li Hao had spent the last three days putting his cultivation system in order. He’d almost succeeded crafting his five bridges. The young man frowned to hear that Hong Yitang wanted to leave. “Will you be alright if you go back now? Most of Silver Moon’s strength is concentrated in White Moon City. The Sword Sect is decently far from the capital…”

“It’s of no matter!” Hong Yitang laughed. “They won’t do anything to me as it would be more of a loss than a gain. Killing me doesn’t result in any benefits. It means one less sixth realm expert for the province and my death would not be the guaranteed outcome. None of the sixth realm experts are in an entirely stable state at the moment.

“The Breathing Method of the Five Styles may be very useful to the sixth realm. I can sense some, the supernaturals might be able to sense some. You and your master are possibly in a great deal of trouble.” Hong Yitang paused and added hesitantly, “And not just you, but Yuan Xingwu and Chen Yuhua as well!

“Even if they didn’t learn the final version of the breathing method, other people will be tempted to move against them when the world learns more about the breathing method’s uses. You guys should consider the implications yourselves. I will not involve myself in the Five Styles discipline.”

Thus far, most hadn’t considered the breathing method; they weren’t aware of its true mysteries. Xu Qing, however, had seen many things in his last fight. Unfortunately, he was dead. Otherwise, he would surely grasp the crux of the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, whereas those who trained in it might not understand the significance of their knowledge.

Li Hao hadn’t known before either, thinking that this was what was meant to be a breathing method. He understood a little more now—the connection between mind and blood qi when he fought by his teacher’s side had been truly profound, to speak of nothing else. That it enabled them to utilize the ancient weapons was even more marvelous!

“You’ve revised some of the breathing method, but its origin is prodigious, isn’t it?” Hong Yitang looked at Yuan Shuo.

“What does it have to do with you?” Yuan Shuo flicked a glance at him.

“……”

Hong Yitang cursed to himself. The old man was just asking to be beaten up! He would be on the receiving end of a harsh lesson if he kept mouthing off. Granted, it’d been a few decades, so Hong Yitang was used to this.

“Its origins are definitely uncommon.” Yuan Shuo stroked his chin. “The Five Styles is not a secret art, it’s the combination of knowledge that I summarized from many outstanding ancient texts. The breathing method is further modified from a secret method left by an ancient emperor…

“The breathing method didn’t originally contain such marvelous properties. It’s become special after the rise of the supernatural. Perhaps it has to do with sword energy—it wouldn’t be that effective without the combination of sword energy.”

He looked at Li Hao. “The interplay between sword energy and the breathing method is extraordinary. Perhaps the secret arts that I studied contained ones from your ancestors. The effects are excellent if the breathing method is used alone, but it would never reach this level.”

The young man contemplated his teacher’s words.

“Therefore, even if the breathing method really is seized by others, the effects won’t be as magical unless they are also equipped with sword energy.” Yuan Shuo continued proudly, “What good does the breathing method do for run-of-the-mill martial masters? They just gain an additional secret art. It takes proper usage to turn it into a premier secret art. The effects are mediocre if they do not use it properly. Do you think just anyone can comprehend the Five Styles?”

“So long as you’re aware of the dangers out there!” Hong Yitang didn’t bother with further warnings. “Then I’ll be going back now.”

“As you wish.” Being in no hurry to go, Yuan Shuo ignored him.

Hong Yitang looked at Light Sword; she pretended not to see him.

“Let’s go,” he laughed. “There will be more opportunities later on. Absorbing too much in one go isn’t necessarily a good thing. It’s better to follow the proper order and proceed gradually when it comes to strength.”

Light Sword was quite resigned! Leave if you want, don’t bother me! But as a veteran martial master, she knew the truth behind his words. “Then I’ll…”

She wanted to curse again when she gave her words more thought. Why should I go back to Silver Moon for? I have no sect there. This guy’s crazy to take me with him!

However, she wasn’t that thick-skinned, so she had to say, “Let’s go together, we’ll be safer on the road this way, just in case we run into heavyweights of the sixth realm.”

“I have some more Water of Life.” Li Hao rose when he saw that the two were about to leave. “It’s typically a bit of a hassle to unseal yourself and I may not be around, so take a few drops with you.”

He originally had seven drops left and gained nine more from the battle, making for sixteen drops total. The young man took out two flasks containing three drops each. That should be enough for the two to heal themselves after a simple unsealing, so long as their wounds weren’t too severe.

Hong Yitang flicked a glance at him, then looked at Yuan Shuo. He accepted the flask with a laugh. “Come find me if anything crops up for you again!”

Light Sword promptly accepted the gift as well. Silver Moon martial masters usually didn’t stand on ceremony. Owning these resources was better than not owning it. If it came down to it, she’d just fight for Li Hao again next time he was caught in something.

After putting their flasks away, the two left under the cover of darkness and didn’t bid Yuan Shuo farewell.

“At least they can read the room,” Yuan Shuo snorted when the two were gone. “They looked like they were going to stay until the new year! It’s good that they’ve left. Some stuff can’t be talked about when they were still here.”

Li Hao started. Huh? Martial masters were generous sorts, unless it had to do with their secret arts.

“I’ve made some changes to the Breathing Method of the Five Styles,” Yuan Shuo began. “Previously, it focused on enhancing internal force and blood qi. I modified it when I set foot into Dominator and wanted to incorporate the aura into it, but haven’t had time to think about it. I did have that time when I was in the central region…

“I made a final adjustment when I was in some ruins a few days ago, then updated it again when I fused my five auras together over these past three days…” Yuan Shuo first gave an overview of his situation before turning to the topic at hand. “The breathing method is the foundation to growing stronger. I talked about a path to Hong Yitang and Light Sword, a general direction. It is up to them as to how they can walk it.

“What I’m going to tell you now is the core essence of the breathing method, the core essence of martial masters. It is why strength can be incorporated into the body and why it blooms from the body. All of this has to do with the breathing method.

“Remember, the breathing method is the foundation. Everything else is the technique! Supernatural abilities, martial arts, fighting styles, battle strategies… Those are all techniques and the method is the root!

“If an analogy is struck between martial masters and trees, then the breathing method is the sun, water, and dirt. The tree will still be a tree without them, but it will eventually wither. Only when the method is present can the tree continue to grow!”

“I understand, teacher.” Li Hao nodded. “Then the Breathing Method of the Five Styles can strengthen the aura?”

“That’s right!” Yuan Shuo smiled. “So when Hong Yitang said that people might be after your useless senior brother and sister… It doesn’t matter! The version they know is much older from a few years ago. It doesn’t even possess as many profound mysteries as the version you know.

“The times advance with progress. The old versions should be discarded. What good are they for? Having read ancient texts, you and I should both know that hoarding every scrap of knowledge for ourselves is not to the benefit of martial dao. But in these times…” Yuan Shuo sneered. “Not hoarding everything is to court death!

“Even if I am to teach others, now is not the time. I will certainly not teach others before those guys start to stabilize their cultivation realm. That’d just be creating trouble for myself. Even now, I rather regret that I didn’t think too much of some things that I was researching and let them be disseminated throughout the world…”

Li Hao nodded.