Chapter 14 Cultivation Breathing Method
The central plains are vast.
Do you know which area in this wide expanse is particularly closed off?
That’s right. It’s Sichuan.
No one knows if it’s due to geographical characteristics or if it’s because of the machinations of the Tang family.
Of course, there are always people who try to uncover the secrets each year.
Strangely enough, those people generally had short lives.
Turning blue and dying horribly while gasping for breath—who would dare to question the Tang family?
Only skilled spies like me would manage it.
I successfully infiltrated Sichuan Province.
The information on the poisons and hidden weapons used by those guys is recorded separately.
I also obtained some additional information.
Normally, I’d require an advance payment, but given the circumstances, I’ll write and send this first.
You do know that poison can actually be used as medicine, right?
These Tang family members inject poison into themselves, claiming it gives them enlightenment.
Don’t try to imitate them. If someone from the Namgoong clan tries to mimic the Tang family and dies, it would be a disgrace.
I know you’re not fixated on enlightenment, though.
The reason I’m bringing this up is that a master from the Demonic Sect has infiltrated this Tang Family Fortress.
It’s a major incident. However, the rumor won’t spread outside.
They couldn’t capture the Demonic Sect intruder, and an important item was stolen from the Tang family.
Yes, the reason for the infiltration was to steal something.
The item was a spider. A spider with the potential to become a human-faced spider.
Whether it’s used as a poison ingredient or to enhance internal energy, it would be a significant loss. Losing a spiritual creature is practically the same.
While investigating the incident, I also heard stories about the spiritual creatures of Sichuan.
I believe you wouldn’t think I’m bragging about something as common as a legendary bird.
It was a name even I heard for the first time.
Dalo-p’o (狚露暴)
A dew as fierce as a wolf.
To the Tang family, dew means poison.
It means ferocious poison.
It’s a spiritual creature over two meters long, weighing around 70 kan.
It has a large flower-shaped organ on its neck that is rumored to release ten thousand kinds of poison. There’s also a rumor that the spiritual creature has reached the level of a Poison Master.
Do you understand what I mean?
The situation is not simple.
Just as Mount Hua has its dragon practitioners, the Tang family has a similar existence.
[…]
This is getting long.
I also managed to get a rare bottle of pufferfish sake, so let’s drink and chat when I return.
「Final Secret Letter of Cheongmurin (Translated)」
*
I felt excruciating pain throughout my body.
It was on a different level from ant venom.
The potency wasn’t overwhelmingly higher.
The HP loss was about the same as back then.
When I was hit by the ant venom, it was in the middle of a fierce battle.
I didn’t have time to feel pain with the adrenaline rushing.
Now I was completely sober.
Moreover, I knew the poison was coming.
The pain of flesh being torn and poison injected was beyond imagination.
I wondered if I might die like this.
At this point, cutting off my tail could solve it.
The poison hadn’t spread throughout my body yet.
I raised my hand.
I gently pressed the spider’s head to remove its fangs embedded in my tail.
“Kieeek!”
Creak.
I felt additional poison being injected from the already embedded fangs.
If I couldn’t withstand this, what could I accomplish?
It was hard to even breathe.
However, I felt my mind getting clearer.
My body heated up.
Something seemed to flow from what could be called my dantian.
This sensation, I had felt it once before.
It was the sensation I felt when I almost succeeded in the Cultivation Breathing Method but was interrupted by the turtle.
So, this was what it felt like to almost succeed in the Cultivation Breathing Method.
I detached the spider from my tail and sat cross-legged.
Was it because of the poisoning? My senses were sharper than usual.
I knew how my body as a Green Basilisk was made.
The moment I evolved, my bones restructured and flesh and skin attached to them.
I remembered how each cell was composed.
The hot energy spread throughout my body.
From the lower dantian to the middle dantian.
From the middle dantian to the upper dantian.
And back to the lower dantian.
Yes.
This was the Cultivation Breathing Method.
Like that, once.
And again.
I continued circulating it.
After a total of twelve circulations, it ended.
[You have acquired 「Small Heavenly Circuit」.]
[Your level has increased.]
Numerous messages appeared.
[You have acquired 「Poison Resistance LV1」.]
I obtained the skill I initially sought.
But that wasn’t all.
[「Paralysis Resistance LV2」 reacts with 「Poison Resistance LV1」.]
[「Acid Resistance LV4」 reacts with 「Poison Resistance LV1」.]
[「Poison Resistance LV1」 evolves into 「Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity」.]
Just as the webbed-foot steps evolved into the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step, my poison resistance also evolved.
[Your level has increased.]
This must be what it felt like to have blocked blood vessels cleared.
My levels, which hadn’t increased for a while, rose all at once.
[You have acquired 「White Orchid Heart Technique」.]
With that final message, I finished the Cultivation Breathing Method.
【Green Basilisk LV5】
HP: 70/70
MP: 32/32
【Title】
「Loved by Spiders」
The spiders were standing beside me in a strange posture.
Were they acting as my guardians? I couldn’t help but laugh.
Thank you, guys.
“Gekgek!”
Thud.
I moved my body.
My field of vision widened.
I had certainly grown larger.
There were three layers of my shed skin in the spot where I had been sitting.
I used my tail to push the shed skin away.
“Kieeek!”
The spiders ran to my shed skin, pleased.
They looked like fans receiving a player’s uniform.
Sure, take it. I can’t use it anyway.
They were chewing and tearing my shed skin.
I had a clear task to do.
One of the top three most exciting things for a Green Basilisk.
Checking out the new skills I acquired.
__________________________
【Skills】
「Tail Cutting LV9」「Cold Blood LV1」「Predation LV1」「Wild Eyes LV2」 「Tail Cutting LV1」「Paralysis Resistance LV2」「Acid Resistance LV4」「Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step」「Small Heavenly Circuit」「Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity」 「White Orchid Heart Technique」 …….
__________________________
No, I should call them martial arts rather than skills.
I read through the effects of each martial art, savoring them.
「Small Heavenly Circuit」
Circulates qi through six of the eight extraordinary meridians, excluding the Ren and Du meridians. By circulating qi, it heals internal injuries and accumulates internal energy.
Small Heavenly Circuit.
It’s a type of Cultivation Breathing Method.
To be precise, the Cultivation Breathing Method includes both the Small and Large Heavenly Circuits.
Even just mastering the Small Heavenly Circuit was enough to brag about my Cultivation Breathing skills.
Successfully mastering the Small Heavenly Circuit meant achieving minor success.
It was by no means lowly.
It was just less impressive compared to the Large Heavenly Circuit.
「Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity」
Ten kinds of poisons cannot invade your body. You have strong resistance to poison.
This would be a degraded version of the Myriad Poisons Immunity, several levels down.
Still, it was far better than something like Poison Resistance LV1.
「White Orchid Heart Technique」
A very basic internal energy technique. It has the potential to evolve into any technique.
I even obtained a heart technique.
I was no longer my old self.
A lizard that uses martial arts instead of footwork was born.
The toad and turtle.
Bring it on.
*
Before hunting the Star Turtle and Demon Toad, I moved my dwelling.
With the Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity body, I could resist the toad’s poison and somehow break the turtle’s tough shell.
However, they usually lived in groups.
I had seen at least three of each.
Moreover, their unusual camaraderie was troubling.
They seemed to fight but never reached a conclusion.
They must have developed a love-hate relationship.
Thus, hunting them head-on meant fighting six creatures equal to me.
One-on-one might be possible, but dealing with multiple opponents was tough.
So, moving my home was part of the operation to eliminate the turtle and toad.
“Geggegek!”
A dream I couldn’t achieve in my past life—getting my own place.
I accomplished it here.
A very posh modern house.
With an ocean view, no, a swamp view.
A natural fortress made by weaving spider webs and leaves around a suitably grown tree base.
Honestly, it looked a bit crude, but it was a decent nest.
First advantage.
It was green.
Green, the color of the Green Basilisk.
Since it was at a moderately high position, I could hide my presence and sleep well.
It would also be easy to hang from the leaves and target prey below.
Second advantage.
There was a puddle of water right below.
This meant the environment was favorable for me, who could use movement techniques between trees and water. The abundance of prey was also an advantage.
Third advantage.
No noisy neighbors.
This was the biggest one.
Since I moved to avoid the toad and turtle, this was the best advantage.
No one would disturb me while I practiced the Cultivation Breathing Method.
Moreover, these small spiders acted like guardians, giving me
peace of mind while I cultivated.
“Kieek…”
They lay on their backs, exposing their bellies.
…I did make them work hard.
I had them spinning webs and sent them to places I couldn’t reach.
“Gekgek!”
I threw them a water beetle I had prepared.
See, I’m providing proper welfare.
You like it too, right?
“Keeng…”
For some reason, they seemed dissatisfied.
They barely glanced at the water beetle I threw before rolling around.
“Keeeeeng…”
Had their tastes become refined?
Ugh, these guys used to be happy with just one water beetle.
Should I catch some fish for them?
I was getting a bit hungry too.
Hmm. But I’m tired of eating piranhas.
Let’s see, is there any good prey around?
“Kwaaeeek!”
Tus.
Pus.
Get ready to eat.
Dinner is here.