117: Chapter 117 Su Wan's Breakthrough, Time for the Monthly Duel!

In the afternoon, Lu Cheng arrived at Shen Guhong's training room on time.

The metal doors slid open to both sides, and cold white light flooded the floor; the training room had already initiated combat test mode.

Over a dozen mobile targets hovered in mid-air, their red dots blinking. Protective sensor gear was laid out against the wall, and several newly raised force field markers lined the floor.

Shen Guhong stood by the console, holding a sheet of training data.

He had originally prepared to test Lu Cheng's combat awareness.

But as soon as Lu Cheng walked in, Shen Guhong's gaze fixed on him.

"Don't move yet."

Lu Cheng, who was just about to loosen his wrists, froze in mid-motion.

"Mentor, what's wrong?"

Shen Guhong did not answer immediately.

He took two steps closer, his gaze falling on Lu Cheng's chest and abdomen before sweeping over his limbs.

In his perception, the vital energy within Lu Cheng was excessively dense.

That vital energy weighed heavily between his internal organs, and as it flowed along the heart meridians, every pulse carried a strong sense of impact.

For an ordinary cultivator in the Body Refining Realm, reaching this level of vital energy would have meant it was long past time to attempt a breakthrough to the Source Gathering Realm.

Yet, Lu Cheng was deliberately suppressing it. And it was still continuing to rise.

Shen Guhong slowly frowned.

"Have you broken the three-times threshold?"

Lu Cheng nodded. "Yeah, I'm preparing to aim for a higher multiplier."

Shen Guhong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he raised his hand to shut down the combat test program.

All the target positions stopped with a snap, and the red lights went out.

"We won't test your combat awareness today." Shen Guhong pointed to the practice mat in the center of the training room. "Sit down first."

Lu Cheng obediently sat down cross-legged. He could hear the seriousness in Shen Guhong's tone. Being able to make him pause the scheduled training meant that the issue with his own body was indeed troublesome.

Shen Guhong walked in front of him, crouched down, and extended two fingers to tap near Lu Cheng's heart. A wisp of Source Power probed gently inside.

Lu Cheng felt a heat in his chest, and the vital energy within him immediately reacted, surging along his heart meridians, while a heavy sense of bloating came from his internal organs.

Shen Guhong quickly withdrew his hand. "If you continue to compress it, it will be very troublesome."

Lu Cheng blinked. "How troublesome?"

"Failure to condense the Source Core." Shen Guhong's voice was steady.

"In the Body Refining Realm, most of the vital energy is stored in the internal organs. The heart meridians are responsible for transportation, allowing the vital energy to flow throughout the body. Under normal circumstances, this cycle is sufficient to support a breakthrough to the Source Gathering Realm."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to draw a diagram of human Source Power in mid-air. Pale blue lines outlined the meridians, internal organs, and the location of the Dantian.

"The Source Gathering Realm requires the condensation of a nascent Source Core at the Dantian. When this prototype is first formed, it is very fragile and cannot withstand too strong an impact."

Shen Guhong pointed to the internal organ region. "Your vital energy is too dense, putting excessive pressure on your internal organs and heart meridians. During the breakthrough, Source Qi will be drawn to the Dantian, and the vital energy will also be pushed over there."

On the light diagram, the red vital energy surged from the internal organs towards the Dantian, and the newly condensed nascent Source Core was squeezed by the red light, its edges beginning to flicker. "At that point, the Source Core will be crushed and dispersed."

Lu Cheng watched the swaying light and shadow, his mouth twitching. "No wonder you all told me to just settle for good enough before, but I do have my reasons for this..."

Shen Guhong nodded; it was normal for everyone to have secrets they were unwilling to share. He stood up and walked to the console to call up another cultivation auxiliary program.

Circles of intricate patterns lit up on the floor of the training room, and the concentration of Source Qi began to rise. The air became slightly heavier, and a faint chill could be felt in his nostrils when breathing.

"The first thing you need to do now is to disperse your vital energy." Lu Cheng looked up. "Disperse it where?" "Throughout your entire body."

Shen Guhong raised his hand, and the red vital energy on the light diagram dispersed from the internal organs, spreading bit by bit towards the Tendon & Bone Stage, skin and membranes, and flesh and blood.

"Previously, most of your vital energy was piled up near your internal organs and heart meridians; the efficiency was high, the explosive power was strong, and the cultivation speed was fast. The problem is that it was too concentrated."

"Next, you must let the vital energy fill your entire body. Store it in your skin and membranes. Store it in your Tendon & Bone Stage. Store it in every inch of your flesh and blood."

Lu Cheng listened carefully. Shen Guhong continued: "Also, do not keep piling excess vital energy into your internal organs. Compress them into blocks and seal them in different areas."

"Compress them into blocks?" "Yes."

Shen Guhong tapped his finger, and the red vital energy on the light diagram was divided into small clusters, settling in the shoulders, back, legs, arms, and chest and abdomen.

"This requires very strong control. Your vital energy recovers quickly, and your physical body has high carrying capacity, making you suitable for this path."

Lu Cheng rubbed his chin. "Sounds like stuffing spare batteries into my body." Shen Guhong glanced at him. "A crude understanding, but the direction is correct."

After a moment of silence, Shen Guhong suddenly mentioned a name. "This method was actually proposed by Lu Changfeng back in the day."

Shen Guhong tapped his fingertips lightly on the console. "However, it differs somewhat from the current method. Back then, Lu Changfeng hoarded a large amount of vital energy near his heart and used special means to reduce the impact on his Dantian, minimizing the influence during the condensation of his Source Core as much as possible."

"But he was very low-key throughout his entire Source Gathering Realm phase." "At that time, his Source Core was not yet stable, and his vital energy was too strong; any slight recklessness would have led to a backlash."

Lu Cheng felt a slight tightness in his chest as he listened. "What happened later?"

"It got better after the Meridian Opening Realm." Shen Guhong said, "The Meridian Opening Realm opens up the Source meridians within the body and constructs a circulation system. Once the Source Core solidifies and the Source Power has a complete channel, the powerful vital energy is no longer a burden."

"By that stage, the foundation laid by previously compressing the vital energy becomes an absolute advantage; the capacity of his Source Qi and vital energy when he reached the Meridian Opening Realm had already reached the level of an ordinary Hua Hai Realm cultivator!"

Shen Guhong said quietly. "You can try it too."

Lu Cheng did not answer immediately; by increasing his maximum vital energy every day, he had the opportunity to push his vital energy to an exaggerated level. But Shen Guhong had made it very clear that the stronger the vital energy, the easier it was for the Source Core to be crushed. This thing was like walking a tightrope; the returns were high, and so was the risk.

Lu Cheng exhaled. "Mentor, is there a more systematic method? If I rely solely on my own figuring out, I'm afraid I'll turn myself into popcorn one day."

Shen Guhong tapped his terminal. "Yes." A document on a breathing technique was projected in mid-air. [A-Grade Breathing Technique: Hundred Rivers Returning to Body Breathing Technique]

Lu Cheng's eyes lit up. "A-Grade?"

Shen Guhong's tone was flat. "It can be taught within the authority of academy mentors. Your situation is special now, so I'm giving it to you in advance."

The projection expanded, and lines of breathing rhythms, vital energy guidance routes, and body bearing area markers appeared.

Shen Guhong began to explain. "The core of this breathing technique lies in no longer simply letting vital energy flow into the internal organs."

"During cultivation, use your breathing to guide the vital energy, slowly spreading it along the Tendon & Bone Stage, skin and membranes, and flesh and blood." "When inhaling, guide the vital energy away from the main flow of the heart meridians." "When holding your breath, let the vital energy sink into the fine details of the body." "When exhaling, stabilize the vital energy and do not let it flow back into the internal organs."

As he spoke, he demonstrated it himself. Shen Guhong's breathing became very slow. The Source Qi in the training room was drawn, and subtle air currents swirled around his body.

Lu Cheng could even see a faint blood-colored luster flowing under his skin, spreading from his chest to his shoulders and back, and then all the way down his spine to his legs. That kind of control was very fine. Frighteningly fine. Lu Cheng's eyelids twitched as he watched.

"Mentor, the difficulty to master this thing must be quite high, right?" "It is very difficult." Shen Guhong answered bluntly.

"When the Hundred Rivers Returning to Body Breathing Technique is cultivated to a high level, every inch of the martial artist's flesh and blood can become a container for vital energy." "The body will be widened little by little, and the vital energy originally pressing on the heart meridians and internal organs will be evenly dispersed." "When breaking through to the Source Gathering Realm, the impact on the Dantian will be significantly reduced."

Lu Cheng stared at the routes in the projection. He tried to take a breath. Just as the vital energy was about to disperse from the internal organs, a heavy resistance came. It was too dense. The vital energy after three-fold compression was excessively viscous; trying to pull them out of their original channels was like dragging a cart of iron blocks. Sweat soon appeared on Lu Cheng's forehead. [Hundred Rivers Returning to Body Breathing Technique operation failed, EXP + 2]

Shen Guhong stood by and casually tapped his shoulder. "Don't use brute force." "The breathing must be fine." "Start with the skin and membranes; don't rush to charge the Tendon & Bone Stage right away."

Lu Cheng gritted his teeth and adjusted his rhythm. Inhale. Hold. The vital energy spread towards the skin and membranes of his right arm. At first, it was just a stinging sensation, then it turned into a dense, bloated pain. The skin of his right arm flushed red, and a warm current slowly sank beneath the pores. [Hundred Rivers Returning to Body Breathing Technique operation failed, EXP + 2]

Lu Cheng frowned. "It hurts a bit." "Pain is correct; it means you are opening containers." Shen Guhong's tone was calm. "Hold on."

For the next few hours, Lu Cheng stayed in the training room. Shen Guhong did not let him practice martial arts techniques, only repeatedly correcting his breathing rhythm and the routes of vital energy expansion. This thing required a lot of experience, and it took Lu Cheng a full three hours to officially master the basics.

After successfully operating it, Lu Cheng could clearly feel that changes were happening inside his body. His originally bloated internal organs felt a little lighter. A sense of solidity began to appear in his limbs, back, shoulders, and neck. That vital energy was no longer all piled up in his chest and abdomen, but dispersed to all parts of his body.

As the sky gradually darkened, the lights outside the training room windows lit up one by one. Lu Cheng sat on the practice mat, his training clothes soaked with sweat, but his breathing was much steadier than when he first arrived. He opened his eyes and moved his fingers. A faint cracking sound came from his joints. "It's effective." Lu Cheng whispered.

Shen Guhong listened to the broadcasted data and felt Lu Cheng's breathing, looking at Lu Cheng with some surprise. "You... have you mastered the basics?" "Just luck... just luck..."

Shen Guhong nodded; this was a true genius... mastering an A-Grade breathing technique in one day... even he had taken a week to master it back then, and he had already been called a genius at that time.

Shen Guhong put away the light screen. "Keep practicing. Before the breakthrough, do at least three hours of Hundred Rivers Returning to Body every day." "Understood."

Lu Cheng's legs were a bit numb when he stood up; the gains from this trip were too great, and a ten-fold breakthrough... was also just around the corner @

... At night. Girls' dormitory area. The main light in Su Wan's room was not turned on, and only a cold white wall lamp was lit. The curtains were drawn tightly, and a thin layer of frost was stuck to the door crack.

The room temperature had dropped very low, the water cup on the table had formed an ice shell, and the cup wall made a slight clicking sound. Su Wan sat cross-legged on the bed. Her hands formed seals, and her breathing was extremely light.

The Nine Cold Heavenly Breath Art was operated to the limit, and ice-blue Source Power gathered from all around, entering her body along with her breathing. The vital energy and Source Power within her body constantly intersected, and deep within her Dantian, an ice-blue nascent Source Core slowly condensed.

At first, it was just a point of light. Then it stabilized bit by bit, and circles of chill spread outwards. Small ice crystals hung on Su Wan's eyelashes, her face was very pale, and her lip color was also faint. But her body was terrifyingly steady.

The experience from her previous life made her clear on how to do every step. When to draw in Source Power. When to suppress vital energy. And... when to let Holy Soul · Ice intervene.

When the last breath was inhaled, the chill in the room suddenly contracted. The next second. Boom!

A silent, icy, cold aura spread out from her dormitory. The lights in the entire building flickered slightly. White frost quickly climbed the walls of the corridor, the edges of the dormitory door plates froze, and the hot air blown out from the vents turned into cold mist as soon as it came out.

Many students upstairs and downstairs shuddered at the same time. Someone had just finished taking a shower, came out of the bathroom with their hair draped, and immediately curled into a ball. "Hiss... is the air conditioner broken?" "Damn, so cold!" "Who is cultivating an ice-type talent? This intensity is just too outrageous!"

In the corridor, a girl poked her head out, and when her feet stepped on the floor, the soles of her shoes made a slight slipping sound. She looked down and saw a thin layer of ice on the surface of the floor tiles. "Where is the dormitory manager? Will this deduct credits?" Lights turned on one after another in several rooms.

That chill came quickly and receded just as quickly. A few seconds later, the cold aura all rolled back into Su Wan's room.

Inside the room, Su Wan slowly opened her eyes. A flash of ice blue streaked through the depths of her pupils. The nascent Source Core in her Dantian hovered stably, and Source Power flowed along the meridians, bringing a brand-new sense of control. Source Gathering Realm. Success.

... Deep within the academy. Inside an independent high tower. Principal Xue Zhenting was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the night view of the entire academy.

When that icy cold fluctuation rose in the distant dormitory area, his eyes lit up instantly. "A student has broken through."

He reached out and tapped, the light screen in front of him expanded, and data jumped rapidly. [Source Power Fluctuation: Ice Attribute] [Intensity Assessment: Above Excellent] [Realm: Source Gathering Realm Initial Success]

Principal Xue Zhenting's mouth curled up slightly. "The aura is not weak." He looked towards the B dormitory area, his scarred face appearing even fiercer under the cold light, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "This batch really has quite a few monsters..."

In Su Wan's room, the cold air gradually dissipated. She stood up and landed barefoot on the floor. The frost automatically retreated under her feet, the floor was so clean that there was not a drop of water, and she raised her hand, a wisp of ice-blue Source Power appearing in her palm.

This wisp of Source Power was much more solid than in the Body Refining Realm. The cold air no longer stayed only on the surface, but could drill into finer places according to her control. Sword techniques, movement techniques, and pulse locking. Arriving at the Source Gathering Realm, the means she could employ suddenly increased.

Su Wan clenched her fingers, the ice-blue Source Power shattered in her palm, turning into fine cold mist, and that Holy Dragon Roar from Lu Cheng on the arena emerged in her mind. That strike was very strong. Strong to the point that even now she found it difficult to take that move, but in tomorrow's comparison, she would not lose...

Su Wan walked to the table and picked up the terminal to look at the time. There was still plenty of time before dawn. She did not sleep. She directly started to consolidate the Source Core.

The next day. Su Wan stayed in the practice room almost all day. She did not join the fun at the Shengwu Society, nor did she participate in the selection of freshman tasks.

In the room, ice-blue sword shadows formed again and again, and dissipated again and again. Not enough. Continue. She squeezed the Source Power control after just breaking through again and again, until the nascent Source Core in her Dantian completely stabilized.

Night fell. The dormitory area gradually became quiet. Su Wan sat by the bed, the time on the terminal screen jumping minute by minute. 23:51. 23:56. 23:59.

She placed her long sword on her knees, her fingertips gently pressing on the scabbard. For this comparison, she was ready. The time jumped to the next day. The next second, a familiar prompt sounded in her mind. [Ding~ It's time for the monthly comparison again!] [Are you ready?!]