Chapter 16

In the mountain forest, Yang Ji was practicing the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" that Lu Ling had taught him.

He drew the bowstring almost to its full extent, aimed forward, and as he released the arrow, his chest vibrated, and he exhaled with a voice:

"Hmm!"

"Ha!"

...

The rumbling sound was like a thunderclap shaking the forest, causing the surrounding trees to rustle and a large number of leaves to fall, as if it were a shower of leaves.

"During this period of continuous hunting, my muscles have clearly tightened, becoming more resilient and powerful."

Yang Ji slowly relaxed the bow, moved his thumb, and a clear tendon immediately appeared on his arm, as strong as the bowstring in his hand.

Drawing the bow and shooting arrows itself does not increase strength, but it can reinforce the tendons, transmitting the strength from other parts of Yang Ji's body to his two arms.

This was the effect of Yang Ji's continuous practice of drawing the bow and shooting arrows. Even at the same level of the Sixth Stage of Breathing, Yang Ji's punch would definitely hurt more than others.

"The tendons in the human body are like the strings of a large bow, stretched to the limit, and then releasing the force. This is what is called 'releasing force.' Understanding how to release force allows one to exert their maximum strength, which should also be the foundation of martial artists..."

Yang Ji looked at the bowstring in his hand and the tendons on his arm, and nodded inwardly.

Learning is endless. During the time he spent drawing the bow and shooting arrows, Yang Ji had been secretly pondering the principles behind it. In his view, understanding the principles ensures that the path he takes is straight and clear, without confusion, and allows him to achieve twice the results with half the effort when learning martial arts.

Drawing the bow again, Yang Ji pulled the bowstring to its limit and exhaled:

"Hmm!"

"Ha!"

...

The forest shook, and Yang Ji could clearly feel that when he exhaled, something from the surrounding forest entered his body, turning into a cool sensation that spread to his chest and lungs.

After practicing Lu Ling's "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" for about eight or nine days, this feeling had become increasingly clear.

"This should be the 'essence of plants' mentioned in martial arts. In the mountains, where vegetation is lush, the essence of plants spreads into the forest after they die, accumulating over thousands or tens of thousands of years to form the essence of plants. Lu Ling's 'Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound' should be using the hum and ha breathing through the lungs to absorb the essence of plants from the surrounding forest, enhancing the practitioner's strength."

While practicing, Yang Ji pondered in his heart:

"The 'Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound' has such power, no wonder it's not found in ordinary clans. It's just a pity that my realm is too weak; otherwise, I would definitely be able to sense what the 'essence of plants' is."

Yang Ji knew that his awareness was too weak, which is why his sensations were vague, only feeling a cool sensation.

Drawing the bow again, Yang Ji continued to practice the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" while shooting arrows. He was shooting empty arrows, with a bowstring but no arrow.

Arrows were too expensive, and when practicing the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound," one often only had one chance to shoot in a particular spot, and the thunderous hum and ha sounds would often scare away other animals.

So Yang Ji decided to shoot empty arrows, allowing him to practice more frequently.

"I gave all the money earned from selling furs to Uncle Liang. I'm not short of money right now. The most urgent thing is to focus on training and try to improve my strength as much as possible before the imperial examination next year."

Yang Ji thought to himself.

"Diligence can make up for clumsiness." Yang Ji deeply understood the gap between himself and the other clan disciples. After more than eight years with no progress in cultivation and lacking the resources they had, he needed to put in more effort than others to stand out in the imperial examination and make a name for himself.

While hunting in the mountains, Yang Ji drew and shot the bow four or five hundred times a day, recently increasing to eight or nine hundred, nearly a thousand times, breaking more than ten iron-wood bows!

Although most of the time he was shooting empty arrows, Yang Ji's attitude was just as serious, with no difference in mindset from when he had an arrow.

Opening his palm, one could see that Yang Ji's ten fingers and the edges of his palms had developed thick calluses. In just eight or nine days, he had developed such thick calluses, showing the extent of his effort.

During this period, Yang Ji clearly felt his strength had improved a lot, his lung power had become stronger, and his breathing was more prolonged, with a faint sense of approaching a breakthrough.

Snap!

One arrow, two arrows, three arrows...

Yang Ji's expression was focused as he continuously drew and released the bow, each arrow pulled to its limit. He practiced non-stop until his arms ached and his strength was exhausted, then he would rest, eat some dried rabbit meat, and stand up to continue practicing.

Time passed slowly. In the deep mountains, Yang Ji would shoot a real arrow and catch prey about every half hour. Although he wasn't specifically hunting, gradually, he had several prey on his shoulders.

After five hours, Yang Ji visited the Crown King Snake again.

Plop!

A bloody fox marten drew an arc in the air and landed in front of a large rock. Under the two-thousand-pound rock, the Crown King Snake suddenly straightened up, lowered its head, and without even acknowledging Yang Ji, immediately began to swallow the fresh fox marten in large bites.

The blood of the fox marten was still warm, indicating it had just died.

Yang Ji always left the last and freshest prey for the Crown King Snake.

"It seems to be recovering a lot."

Yang Ji observed carefully and found that the Crown King Snake was much more spirited, no longer as listless as a few days ago. Perhaps the fresh prey he left each time was helping, and the snake's injuries were showing signs of improvement.

However, the arrow that Lu Ling had left in its waist and abdomen was still not removed.

Yang Ji did not foolishly try to remove the arrow. Although the Crown King Snake was less wary and hostile towards him than before, it was still far from being "friendly."

If he were bitten while removing the arrow, it would be a regret he would never recover from.

"Little snake, little snake! We are in similar situations, both suffering. Unfortunately, my strength is limited, and I can only bring you food, unable to help you much."

Yang Ji shook his head and sighed, speaking to himself, showing a hint of pity.

This was the first time he had spoken in a long time!

During this period, he had tried several times to move the two-thousand-pound rock, but it didn't budge. With his current strength, he was powerless against the rock.

Standing up, Yang Ji drew the bowstring again and practiced shooting arrows silently beside the Crown King Snake.

He didn't notice that when he finished speaking, the Crown King Snake, which was busy swallowing the prey, suddenly paused, its two black eyes staring at Yang Ji as if it understood his words, and its gaze gradually softened.

This change lasted only a moment, and then the Crown King Snake lowered its head and continued to bite and swallow the bloody fox marten.

The man and the snake were near the large rock, one eating the prey and the other practicing archery, without disturbing each other, in peace.

After a quarter of an hour, when the Crown King Snake finished eating the fox marten, Yang Ji also put away his bow and arrows.

"It's getting late; I should go home."

Yang Ji looked at the sky and left the depression. After shooting all day, Yang Ji not only didn't feel tired but felt refreshed and energetic, as if he had touched an invisible barrier.

"Swoosh!"

Suddenly, the grass in front of him trembled, and a rabbit shot out, fleeing in a panic.

Yang Ji's eyes widened, and without hesitation, he exhaled, drew the bow, and shot an arrow:

"Hmm!"

"Ha!"

...

The forest shook as if a thunderclap had exploded on the ground. The rabbit, seemingly frightened by the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound," froze in place.

"Snap!"

At the moment the arrow was released, a strange feeling surged in his heart, and time seemed to slow down. In the depths of his mind, Yang Ji felt as if he had broken through an invisible barrier. All 84,000 pores on his body opened, feeling cool and refreshed.

"Screech!—"

A scream, and the rabbit fell to the ground, its head pierced by the arrow. Hearing the sound, Yang Ji's consciousness returned, and he heard a rustling sound under his feet.

The leaves and soil under his feet trembled, and a faint squeaking sound came from the ground, as if many insects had been startled and were fleeing from around Yang Ji.

"Even mosquitoes won't land!"

Yang Ji exclaimed with excitement, his eyes filled with joy.

"Seventh Stage of Breathing, Even Mosquitoes Won't Land." At this level, the qi sensation greatly increases, intimidating small creatures. In summer, mosquitoes won't bite, and when walking in the wild, insects will avoid and not come near.

Yang Ji had diligently practiced the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" taught by Lu Ling, and finally, at this moment, he broke through to the Seventh Stage of Breathing, reaching the "Seventh Stage of Breathing, Even Mosquitoes Won't Land."

"Seventh Stage of Breathing, Seventh Stage of Breathing! I finally reached it..."

Yang Ji's eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Ha ha ha!..."

The entire forest echoed with Yang Ji's excited laughter, which lasted for a long time before subsiding.

The first six stages of the Ten Stages of Breathing are preparatory and foundational. Only after reaching the seventh stage do the effects become noticeable: "Seventh Stage of Breathing, Even Mosquitoes Won't Land"; "Eighth Stage of Breathing, Breath Condenses Frost"; "Ninth Stage of Breathing, Swift as a Fox"; "Tenth Stage of Breathing, Leaps Like an Ape"!

Although Yang Ji's cultivation had not progressed in the past eight years, his foundation in the "Breathing Technique" was solid. With the help of the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" taught by Lu Ling and his diligent training, he finally broke through to the Seventh Stage of Breathing.

The excitement of breaking through was indescribable. At this moment, Yang Ji felt that all his hard training and the ten calluses on his hands were worth it.

In the depths of his mind, Lu Ling's final instructions before leaving echoed:

"Once you reach the Seventh Stage of Breathing, you can learn this桩法 (Pile Standing Technique, Divine Dragon Bone Strengthening Pile Standing Technique), which will help you strengthen your bones and improve your strength."

"Even the 'Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound' is so powerful; the 'Divine Dragon Bone Strengthening Pile Standing Technique' must be even more powerful!..."

Yang Ji's heart raced, and in his mind, he saw a broad path ahead, filled with anticipation.

For the past eight years, Yang Ji had been in a difficult situation. Now, with this breakthrough, he had found a way out, and his excitement was understandable.

"In the cold of winter, one realizes the resilience of the pine and cypress."

In a daze, Yang Ji remembered a phrase he had read in a scripture, feeling endless emotions: "After so many years of effort, I have finally reached this day."

In a flash, many thoughts raced through Yang Ji's mind, but gradually, he calmed down.

"The journey is still long. Although I have made a breakthrough, I am still far from being able to confront the Lady. I must be cautious. As for practicing the 'Divine Dragon Bone Strengthening Pile Standing Technique,' there's no need to rush. I'll practice the 'Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound' for two more days to solidify my foundation before considering the pile standing technique."

Yang Ji nodded, picked up the rabbit he had killed, and left the forest with a light step.

"Whoosh!"

Just as he stepped out of the forest, a strong wind suddenly blew, and before Yang Ji could react, he heard a series of shouts, fierce and excited:

"Damn, we finally caught you!"

"Made my feet numb, kill him!"

"Everyone, attack together!"

"Don't let him escape!"

...

Several figures, with fierce expressions, leaped out from the disordered grass, rocks, and wooden stakes, full of killing intent.