Chapter 17: The Realm of Embryonic Breathing

  At this time, only the voice of Hei Lao San was heard from afar, faintly coming from outside the house: "Hao Ge Er, good morning!"

  Looking at the old man with a face as black as coal, Zhang Hao looked at his extremely funny face and his heart was suddenly cleared of its gloom.

  "Third Brother Hei, good morning!"

  Hei Lao San's heart warmed up when he heard Zhang Hao's tone.

  She looked up at Zhang Hao's silly smile and handed him a jade slip.

  Wen Yan said respectfully: "This is a basic technique that practitioners of the Qi Refining stage can learn, Hao Ge, don't decline."

  Zhang Hao took the jade slip and sensed it with his mind, inside which were all sorts of techniques that encompassed everything, probably only seven or eight kinds in total. At this moment, he was slightly surprised in his heart and was just about to express his gratitude.

  Hei Lao San saw Zhang Hao take over the jade tablet.

  He hurriedly cupped his hands and smiled, saying: "In this Cui Valley, dozens of people have already cultivated to the third layer of Qi Refining, and Old Three is one of them!" At this point, his entire spirit was lifted by several points.

  Looking at Hei Lao San's grateful gaze, Zhang Hao felt a bit embarrassed. Initially, he had his own purpose for doing so, but now he had gained the trust and respect of the entire Cui Gu Valley. This was beyond his expectations, and it also meant that he had underestimated the eagerness of these outer sect disciples to cultivate the truth.

  For a low-ranking sect like the Red Dust Sword Sect, outer sect disciples are at best just stronger and more energetic servants than ordinary people. Who would care about their lives or deaths?

  Hei Lao San had been serving Ling Tian for some years now, so he naturally understood this principle and was especially grateful to Zhang Hao.

  "This man! Many add flowers to brocade, but few send charcoal in snowy weather!"

  This is the timely rain of early spring and a ray of sunshine in autumn harvest season, making the atmosphere of this valley different.

  Zhang Hao glanced at Hei Lao San and turned his gaze to the east, where a red sun was slowly rising.

  Loudly said: "I have broken through the fifth layer of Qi cultivation and entered the sixth layer of Huì Yuán realm. I will write down my breakthrough experience on a jade slip and share it with the disciples of Cuì Gǔ. The taboos and things to note when breaking through, I'll try my best to let everyone avoid them! Come over at night to take the jade slip!"

  Hei Lao San could no longer contain his excitement and hastily bowed down to thank him.

  "Thank you!"

  As Zhang Hao walked out of the wooden house, Hei Lao San's heart was filled with gratitude - "He felt like a piece of rotten wood that had been left for a hundred years, and now a tender green sprout had emerged from it. This was his hope for cultivating the truth, didn't people live on just that little bit of hope?"

  After several more days of cultivation, Zhang Hao's profound spiritual energy in the depths of his mind gradually showed signs of dispersing. This was a sign that he was about to enter the seventh layer of the Five Elements realm. Once his spiritual energy transformed into the Five Elements, he could control the power of the Five Elements and slightly borrow: "Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth!" The spiritual energy of the Five Elements hidden in the heavens and earth could be used for attacks and refining equipment.

  Zhang Hao calmed the spiritual energy within his body, ended his meditation and stood up, holding a wooden sword to practice the True Martial Sword Technique.

  A wooden sword in hand, spiritual energy surged in and out, a visible flame appeared on the sword body, the sword tip was wrapped in a faint golden flame, the hilt had streams of spiritual power rushing towards the sword tip, the spiritual power enveloped the sword body, transforming into a bright yellow earthy power, the wooden sword seemed to be coated with a layer of golden light.

  The wooden sword danced, and it actually had a few points of majestic aura.

  The surrounding spiritual energy churned and surged, like a whirlwind blowing up.

  In coordination with the dragon step method, it is even more extraordinary and mysterious.

  Strong winds blow in gusts.

  One angry cry after another.

  Compared with half a month ago, Zhang Hao's whole demeanor is vastly different.

  The wooden sword contains the power of the five elements, making it not only more resilient but also heavier.

  With mastery of the Five Elements' power, the wooden sword can freely switch between heavy and light swords.

  Light as a dragonfly, heavy as Mount Tai.

  At this moment, Zhang Hao had a deeper understanding of the True Martial Sword Technique.

  Ever since Zhang Hao started practicing "Thousand Illusion Fingers" a few days ago, his five fingers have become even more agile and nimble, the speed of his finger techniques has increased, and even when practicing swordplay, his fingers are even more unpredictable.

  The wooden sword in hand danced freely, with five fingers moving exceptionally lively.

  Sword like giant net.

  Sharp edges like stars in the sky, scattered everywhere, gradually disappearing.

  Another half month of cultivation.

  Zhang Hao practiced sword outside the house, casually performing the most basic five-element transformation technique with his sword moves.

  When sheathing the sword, the inner power sinks majestically into the mountain.

  Only five lines have not fully returned to the internal organs and six hollows, and have not been able to strengthen each of the large organs in the viscera.

  However, he occasionally appears abnormal, and after finishing his practice today, suddenly, various strange phenomena appear around his body.

  Sometimes it bursts into wind, then immediately turns into flames rising, and in an instant it transforms into a hazy mist, only to suddenly have tender grasses and trees sprouting from around the body.

  Zhang Hao had read ancient books beforehand and understood that this was a process of breaking through the seventh layer of Qi refining, which almost every cultivator had experienced. Except for the initial surprise, he even found it somewhat interesting.

  Every step he took, the strange phenomena around him would repeat themselves. At first, he found it very interesting, but later he felt extremely distressed, because his old thatched hut had been destroyed by the strange phenomena contained in his body.

  When a practitioner reaches the seventh layer of Qi practice and transforms the five elements, they should find a place to close their doors and cultivate, calmly breaking through the foundation.

  However, Zhang Hao still lacked spirit stones. He only had a few dozen first-grade spirit stones in his Qiankun bag, and when he successfully built his foundation, his body would be transformed by the heavens and earth, probably requiring at least three third-grade spirit stones.

  According to the exchange rate of this world, I'm probably still short of 200 pieces of Spirit Stone.

  Two hundred spirit stones was a large sum for Zhang Hao, but his own Spirit Valley was almost mature. He would sell it to the sect and he should be able to get enough spirit stones. Thinking of this, Zhang Hao let out a sigh of relief.

  Zhang Haomu's wooden house was destroyed.

  Could only find a secluded place in Cuigou to cultivate with peace of mind.

  This secluded place is located beside a cliff in the depths of Cuigou, with a screen of spring water flowing down from above. The spring water does not surge, but flows gently like white silk, slowly pouring down, and a faint mist rises, as if a light gauze wraps around everything around it.

  Zhang Hao was initially cultivating in the pond water: "Thousand Illusion Finger Technique!"

  At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on a green stone beside the pool of water, cultivating the Starlight Breathing Technique.

  Every day, Hei Lao San and the others would take turns bringing food, placing it beside the bluestone. Everyone knew that Zhang Hao was about to lay his foundation, which was a big deal for outer sect disciples. They all looked forward to Zhang Hao successfully laying his foundation as soon as possible. As long as Zhang Hao succeeded in laying his foundation, everyone else would have hope too.

  Unconsciously, time flies, and another half month has passed.

  Zhang Hao successfully broke through the Five Elements Boundary and entered the Anshen Boundary. Three days later, he again broke through the Anshen Boundary and entered the Taixi Boundary.

  Hei Lao San and others have harvested Zhang Hao's Linggu, handed it over to the inner gate, and the duty Daoist has given Zhang Hao's due Ling Shi to Hei Lao San who submitted the Linggu.

  Hei Lao San placed the Ling Stone beside Zhang Hao and quietly left.

  Embryonic Breathing State

  Zhang Hao is now entering this mysterious realm.

  Heaven and earth are like a womb.

  He was born of this heaven and earth.

  However, Zhang Hao's spiritual energy and divine consciousness were not strong, his cultivation formed a fetal membrane that was only about the size of a few inches around his body.

  Like an unborn baby in its mother's womb, breathing with heaven and earth.

  Everything around him was vividly alive in his perception, yet at the same time like a chaotic mess.

  Everything seems like a dream after waking up.

  Dizzy and confused, as if a baby had just fallen to the ground.