Chapter 59: Breathing Method, Qualitative Change

Over ten bottles of Scarlet Gold Pills were lined up on the ground, a truly extravagant sight.

Xu Xiaoshou was prepared, but he found himself in a dilemma.

Using the "Breathing Technique," he could forcibly reduce the refining time from approximately one month to merely two or three hours.

He had cultivated this way before, but at that time, his "Breathing Technique" was only Lv.6.

After various subsequent attempts, he had largely deduced that every passive skill undergoes a qualitative change upon reaching the Innate level.

He wondered if the "Breathing Technique" would also become controllable once it reached the Innate level.

For instance, could he control the amount of scorching energy absorbed and released in a single breath?

If so, it would significantly reduce both pain and risk.

But what if, instead of controllability, its qualitative change led to intense pleasure?

Xu Xiaoshou's body suddenly trembled; the thought was terrifying.

He glanced back at the red interface. Of the six passive skills across the three main skill sections, five had already reached the Innate level.

The sole Post-Natal level skill stood out glaringly.

Xu Xiaoshou suffered from mild obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I'll risk it! I can't let fear paralyze me. Besides, I'll still need it to upgrade itself in the future!"

Gritting his teeth, Xu Xiaoshou decisively redeemed five skill points and invested them directly into the "Breathing Technique."

"Breathing Technique (Post-Natal Lv.7)."

"Breathing Technique (Post-Natal Lv.8)."

"Breathing Technique (Post-Natal Lv.9)."

"Breathing Technique (Post-Natal Lv.10)."

"Breathing Technique (Innate Lv.1)."

The information bar updated rapidly. As the first few messages flashed past, Xu Xiaoshou felt fine, noting little change.

However, the moment the final message appeared, Xu Xiaoshou's body jolted violently.

He felt as if his body had transformed into a spirit-gathering array, drawing in spiritual energy that coalesced into a mist around his skin.

The next instant, all his pores dilated, and every inch of his skin began to automatically inhale and exhale the spiritual mist on his body.

His nose was even more remarkable; a casual inhale created two small whirlwinds of spiritual mist.

The amount of spiritual energy absorbed in that single instant was equivalent to what he previously absorbed over an entire night's sleep!

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly discomposed. His hands, previously relaxed on his knees, clenched abruptly, and his expression contorted as if he were trying desperately to endure something.

"Mmm!"

His body subtly trembled.

"Oh!"

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his jaw.

"Ah~... *Gah!*"

Xu Xiaoshou struggled desperately. As a man, he had to hold back!

He abruptly leaped up and threw a punch, the force of his spiritual energy blowing the room door wide open.

After exhaling deeply, his pores closed, and Xu Xiaoshou wore an expression of someone who had just escaped a catastrophe.

"That's good, that's good. It's not a major issue. I can continue cultivating on my own from now on."

He personally confirmed that the pleasure was several times more intense, but thanks to his prior training, he had developed considerable immunity, and the situation remained controllable.

Xu Xiaoshou pulled out a spirit crystal.

He paused, then put it back and retrieved a Spirit Refining Pill instead.

"Let's get this over with! The sooner the better!"

He extended his arm as far as it could reach, tilted his head back, flared his nostrils, and took a slight inhale.

"Whoosh!"

The Spirit Refining Pill vanished.

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded.

He staggered, his head spinning. He had held it so far away, yet...

There was no time to think. The terrifying spiritual energy had already surged from his nose into his Qi Sea, and then pleasure rapidly spread throughout his entire body.

"Oh~"

Xu Xiaoshou's solemn expression lasted barely a second before melting away. His legs clamped together, wrists splayed outwards, and he collapsed onto the ground like a fallen fairy.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm..."

As his body convulsed, waves of pleasure washed over him, utterly irresistible.

Xu Xiaoshou writhed on the ground like a beached fish, his body becoming extraordinarily sensitive with every contact.

"Ugh!"

"This feels amazing!"

"H-help me!"

...

A short while later,

Xu Xiaoshou finally returned to normal, gazing at the pill bottles on the ground with lingering trepidation.

He confirmed that the pleasure from absorbing the Spirit Refining Pill was still enhanced by about three to four times. He didn't test further, assuming the Scarlet Gold Pills would yield similar results.

Xu Xiaoshou finally understood.

For Grade 10 pills like the Spirit Refining Pill and Scarlet Gold Pill, even if the pleasure intensified due to the higher level of the "Breathing Technique," its extent was limited.

The spiritual energy contained in a single pill was finite. Xu Xiaoshou had already reached the Eighth Realm of cultivation and was no longer at a stage where he could break through by casually absorbing one or two Spirit Refining Pills.

He'd need at least a dozen pills, he figured.

But that wasn't the main point. His cultivation breakthroughs were already quite rapid, so there was no immediate urgency.

The crucial discovery was that pills of comparable grades provided a limited amount of pleasure.

For instance, while the Spirit Refining Pill's pleasure was three or four times stronger, Xu Xiaoshou could sense that this was its maximum potency.

Even if it could get stronger, it likely wouldn't exceed five times its original intensity.

Within this range, Xu Xiaoshou could now fully endure the sensation.

Of course, the necessary vocal release of emotions was unavoidable.

After all, even a true man sometimes needs to let loose.

This was a significant piece of information, one that could serve as a reference for consuming other pills in the future.

Moreover, he discovered that the qualitative change in the Innate-level "Breathing Technique" meant it was no longer limited to nasal breathing.

Now, every pore on his body could absorb and release the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This was astonishing; his cultivation speed had increased by more than tenfold!

His earlier idea of freely controlling the intake and output amount was also partially realized.

Specifically, Xu Xiaoshou could now manipulate his pores, freely deciding whether to open or close them.

When cultivating at full capacity, he could even generate a spiritual mist around his body; conversely, if he only used his nose to breathe, his cultivation speed merely increased by two or three times.

"Excellent!"

Xu Xiaoshou smiled contentedly as he surveyed the six Innate-level passive skills in his mind.

If these were considered spirit skills, he was now a master wielding six Innate spirit skills, with infinite potential for future growth!

"Everything is ready; all that's missing is the final push."

"Now, it's time to get rid of this thing!"

Xu Xiaoshou focused on the "Burning Ember Fire Seed" floating above his Qi Sea. He had put up with this nuisance for too long, to the point where he couldn't even sleep in his bed and was forced to sleep on the floor.

Forget a mere fire seed; even if it were a flaming walnut, he'd smash it!

Casually picking up a Scarlet Gold Pill, Xu Xiaoshou held his breath.

The next second, veins bulged on his forehead, and his neck muscles tensed rigidly.

Along with intense pain, a faint red mist, tinged with a bloody yet predominantly scorching smell, erupted from his skin.

This was the new "Breathing Technique"—using his entire body to expel... qi!

Joy flashed in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. By distributing the exhalation through his body instead of solely through his nose, the pain was significantly reduced!

The Scarlet Gold Pill became unnecessary; the distributed damage was instantly mended by the ubiquitous "Endless Life."

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and commanded, "Come back to me!"

With his body's suction fully activated, the red mist that was about to dissipate was re-absorbed. This time, it was completely suppressed by the "Breathing Technique" and swiftly merged into his Qi Sea.

This efficiency...

It was more than twice as fast!

Xu Xiaoshou recalled that when he previously re-absorbed this scorching energy, it would circulate through his internal meridians, causing damage for another full cycle. Now, that entire painful process was completely bypassed!

Truly, an Innate-level "Breathing Technique" where the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks!