Star Gate

“Will my five auras strengthen exponentially once I learn teacher’s new version of the Breathing Method of Five Styles?” Li Hao asked with some excitement.

“What are you talking about?!” Yuan Shuo thundered. “It will only help you fuse the five auras more easily. The method is the root, alright, but it’s not a treasure to help you suddenly leap forward. This is the foundation for your methodical rise! Heavenly and earthly treasures are eventually exhausted as well. The method is the only foundational system that persists!”

Li Hao nodded—a new thought had struck him.

Yuan Shuo made use of transmission to impart the new breathing method. Not only that, but he also applied the secret encryption of the Five Styles discipline. He clearly placed a great importance on this knowledge and didn’t want the latest version of the breathing method to leak to anyone else.

Panther’s ears were sticking straight up, but it couldn’t hear a thing. The dog grew frantic!

Yuan Shuo saw its reaction, but didn’t bother interacting with it. The dog could have the sword energy, but the breathing method could not be taught to outsiders. Besides, the dog was a monster spirit. Trouble would easily develop if it ran off one day. All treasures were external belongings. Only a martial method was the source of one’s strength.

Li Hao listened silently, quietly perceiving and comprehending. The new breathing method seemed much more complicated and involved many more concepts than before. The previous method only touched upon internal force, breathing frequency, flow of blood qi, and some other simple factors.

This iteration included the operation of the aura, which greatly increased its difficulty. One had to say, his teacher was truly a brilliant academic who advanced with the times. He didn’t rest on his laurels after creating one method, but continued to improve on it and enhance his skills as his strength increased.

Being more than seventy years old, Yuan Shuo counted among the more senior of the Silver Moon martial masters. Many martial masters were in their early fifties. His age was higher and his potential quite good, but his circumstances were the worst among his peers. This was also partially due to him expending a large amount of time on various interests—his knowledge was too scattered.

Just fusing five auras together had taken him many years to complete. Prior to him dominating the martial world, some of those in his generation had already set foot into Dominator of Thousands. When it came down to it, he could only count as invincible among his peers in that age.

But it was due to his stubborn persistence from those years that he improved so rapidly after setting foot into Dominator and breaking through his bottlenecks. Someone like Li Hao who consumed sword energy like drinking water could not catch up to him. Such were the benefits of melding five auras as one.

Master and disciple discussed the new breathing method before Li Hao sat down to practice it. The different sensations were apparent after a short while as sword energy surged in faster than before. This was just the rudimentary effect. The crux was that his organs seemed to be enclosed by a peculiar energy as he operated the breathing method. It directed the auras in his organs and seemed to connect his entire body, consolidating all of the strength inside him.

“Teacher,” Li Hao asked with surprise. “Why does it feel like there’s the Incantation of the Blade of Blood in this?”

“Have you sensed it?” Yuan Shuo threw his head back with laughter. “That’s right, the new version does indeed draw inspiration from the Incantation! The Incantation of the Blade of Blood combines blood qi and mental strength, but extracts all of it in a momentary eruption that harms the self!

“I modified it to include it in the breathing method. The effects are diminished, but they don’t harm the self anymore. In fact, they further nurture the body.”

Li Hao was highly impressed. His teacher was incredible to incorporate these ancient arts however he would! The Incantation of the Blade of Blood was definitely too much of a strain on the body. He wouldn’t dare use it if not for sword energy at the ready. No wonder the Breathing Method of the Five Styles could now call upon all of the force within a body—the Incantation had been incorporated! It was a very impressive characteristic that even the aura could be directed.

The young man committed these details to memory and continued trying out the new breathing method.

“I’ve offended too many people and so am not at liberty to say too much sometimes,” Yuan Shuo said after some thought. “You’re on good terms with those old guys, you can observe their secret arts if you have the opportunity to. The secret arts of Silver Moon are all amazing. If you have sufficient patience, you can also try incorporating them into the breathing method.

“You know the Nine Forged Force, at the very least. You can try including that into the Breathing Method of Five Styles. You know, any accidents are possible in life,” Yuan Shuo suddenly sighed. “I’ve spent all this time modifying the breathing method and might not render another version within a short period of time. While you… you might walk further down your path.

“However, ancient martial dao is not a good fit for us, so you have to walk this path yourself. Learn some more, accumulate some more. After that, try revising cultivation methods by yourself.

“Supernatural locks, auras, blood qi, and the physical body are the general directions that you should look at. The explosive force and strength of the Nine Forged Force does not come out of thin air. It is contained within as that method is a way to stimulate the potential. It is a way to draw on strength. I’ve always felt that it’s very suitable to be incorporated into the Five Styles.”

Li Hao started to say something, then stopped. He nodded moments later, suddenly feeling the pressure. I’m just an amateur martial master. How am I supposed to combine a new method into what I know?

It felt so very difficult. This required a large accumulation of knowledge and experience. He lacked all of that. However, he understood what his teacher meant. He was improving at a good pace, at a rapid clip even faster than his teacher.

If this rate continued, then Yuan Shuo would not be able to perceive the same understandings as his disciple since he would not be at the same level. Creating a method out of nothing would not result in one suitable for Li Hao. At that point in time, the young man would have to rely on himself.

“Don’t stress over this.” Yuan Shuo clapped his student’s shoulder. “Some things look to be hard, but sometimes they’re as easy as going with the flow. The more you know, the easier it is to understand, comprehend, and blend harmoniously. You might not have to enter seclusion and commit reams of information to memory. Reading ten thousand books and walking ten thousand kilometers is also dao.”

“I understand!” Li Hao nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry, teacher. I know what to do. I’ll imitate first, then catch up, and finally surpass my studies. Therefore, I’ll copy teacher first, catch up to your level of accomplishment, and then set forth on my own!”

“Well said!” Yuan Shuo nodded, despite his frozen smile. Impossible! I’m never giving you that opportunity! I’ll always be one step ahead of you! As thrilling as Li Hao’s conclusion was, he would never permit it to actually come to pass since he was the teacher!”

“Additionally, I’m leaving after I absorb some more sword energy…” Yuan Shuo changed the topic.

“Eh?” Li Hao blinked. “You’re leaving, teacher?”

Why?

“Of course!” Yuan Shuo laughed. “All good things come to an end and powerhouses work alone as lone wolves. Do you see Sky Sword and the rest spending time together? Huang Yu and his crowd do gather together, but they won’t always do so. Those who wish to break through or walk further should have their own worlds!

“This world is a fascinating one!” the old man chuckled. “You can vie against the heavens, earth, people, or ancients. These are all fascinating propositions! Would you have made it to your current heights if you’d followed me all this time? In the same vein, I might have lost my soul if I stayed with you.

“As good as sword energy is, it is not the be all and end all!” He looked at Li Hao. “Remember that well! Sword energy is wonderful, but you can’t keep relying on it. Will your cultivation stop one day if you have no more sword energy?”

“I will remember everything that teacher says!” Li Hao breathed out, then hesitated. “Teacher, Martial Uncle Hong says that this age is deformed. He says he wants to change it, but he doesn’t have enough strength to. Although he wants to do something, he’s hemmed in on all sides. Does teacher think… he makes sense?”

Yuan Shuo furrowed his brows for a while. “He does, but remember that everyone’s path is different! Whether it is that of a tyrant or king, that of slaughter or demonic, you don’t have to copy everything entirely.

“Hong Yitang walks the flow of the earth, a path that is eminently suited to him. It would be inappropriate for me as I am matched to my own. And you? What is your dao? You are young, so you should walk around more and see more. Don’t be affected by them. They want to instill their comprehensions into you, which is inappropriate!

“After you travel the world and observe life in its various forms, after you experience rises and falls, glories and slumps, then you might be able to determine what you are most suited for.” Yuan Shuo clapped him on the shoulder again. “You must stick to your own thoughts and at present, they are that of revenge!

“They think you’ll be blinded by revenge, but I think not! Revenge is the faith of your current state. You do not need to shatter this faith. When you left Silver Moon and traveled to the east, I already knew then that you were considering certain things. You did not wish to cause trouble for others by staying in Silver Moon. That is the proper way of thinking.

“We need to resolve our own matters! Just as I could’ve escaped from Silver City, but that would’ve caused overwhelming trouble and disturbance for certain people had I done so—Hou Xiaochen, for example. I could not leave, but you had to leave!”

Yuan Shuo laughed when he spoke of his past and shook his head. “I could’ve run away all those years ago, but do you know why I chose to stay?”

Li Hao shook his head.

“The price for me running away would’ve been enormous—and not for me, but for Silver Moon. Having been around for so many years, do you think I really didn’t have some contingencies?” he sighed. “I could’ve unearthed some old fossils and incited a battle to overturn the heavens! But that would create unbelievable trouble. We shouldn’t think too much sometimes, but at others we must consider certain things and consequences.”

“Teacher, do you mean…” Li Hao’s eyes widened.

etvolare’s Thoughts

Hoo, the world’s going to pieces when Yuan Shuo decides to go to war.