147: Chapter 147 Divine Turtle Breathing Technique

When the captain of Team 6 returned, Lin Tian was sitting on the steps of the bamboo house, cleaning his bow.

The body of the cold moon bow shimmered with a faint, deep blue hue under the moonlight. He dipped a soft cloth into some tung oil and wiped it along the arc of the bow, bit by bit.

The bowstring had also been removed and inspected; the string, tanned from the tendons of a fierce ox, remained taut without a single trace of wear.

There were twenty-three fewer arrows in the quiver. He wiped the arrows he had pulled from the corpses of the Vicious Beasts one by one and replaced them in the quiver.

Footsteps approached from the gravel path. Lin Tian looked up and saw Captain Ma walking toward him with long strides.

The captain hadn't changed his clothes yet. The tear on his shoulder, ripped open by the Vicious Beast, was still gaping, revealing the sturdy muscle underneath and a bloodstain that had already scabbed over.

But his gait was steady, and there was a smile on his face—the kind of gratification that seeps from the marrow of one's bones after winning a battle.

"Junior Brother Lin." Captain Ma stopped in front of the steps, looked down at him, and his voice was half an octave higher than usual. "The Fishery Master said, rewards will be distributed according to merit. You have performed a great service this time, so I am here to reward you properly."

Lin Tian rested the cold moon bow on his knees and looked up.

A reward. The first thought that popped into his mind wasn't silver or Medicinal Pills.

He still had silver, and he wasn't lacking in Medicinal Pills either.

But there was one thing that had been weighing on his mind since his first day at the Yunhai Fishery, like a tiny thorn—it didn't hurt, but it was always there.

The question Senior Brother Sun had asked him, "How is your swimming?", the sigh Captain Ma couldn't hold back when he saw him sway on the bamboo raft and nearly fall into the water, and the helplessness he felt earlier during the battle when he could only stand on the shore shooting arrows and couldn't pursue the enemy into the water—these images circled in his mind, then settled into a clear idea.

"Captain, my swimming isn't very good." He stood up, leaned the cold moon bow against the edge of the steps, and spoke earnestly. "Is there any relevant martial art? I want to Cultivate it."

Captain Ma was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. It wasn't a polite laugh, but the kind that said, "You kid, you certainly know how to pick your moment." He reached up to stroke the stubble on his chin, thought for a moment, and nodded.

"There is. There is a Cultivation Technique called the Divine Turtle Breathing Technique." He sat down on the steps next to Lin Tian, resting his hands on his knees. "It's not some profound martial art, just a Yellow Rank Medium Grade. The rank isn't high, but it's practical. Once you master it, you can hold your breath underwater for a long time. Holding it for the duration of an incense stick is no problem. If you reach a high level, staying under for half an hour is nothing."

He turned his head to look at Lin Tian. "If you want to learn it, I will go ask the Fishery Master for permission. Once the Fishery Master nods, I will teach you."

"I want to learn." Lin Tian didn't hesitate.

It wasn't just for the convenience of working at the Yunhai Fishery. Treasure Fish lived in the water. The Yunhai Fishery had Treasure Fish, but surely other large rivers and lakes had them too?

If he went to other places in the future and encountered wild Treasure Fish, he couldn't just stand on the shore and stare blankly.

People who could swim well could dive down and catch the Treasure Fish, while those who couldn't could only watch others make a fortune. Lin Tian didn't want to be that kind of person.

Captain Ma slapped his thigh, stood up, said "Wait here," and turned to walk toward the bamboo building. His back disappeared into the night, and his footsteps grew fainter.

Lin Tian sat on the steps and waited. The night breeze blew from the lake, carrying the faint scent of water weeds and mud.

Occasionally, fish leaped out of the water in the distance, sending up a spray before falling back down, sending ripples spreading out in circles until they broke against the stones on the shore.

Before long, the sound of footsteps rang out again. Captain Ma walked out of the darkness, his smile even wider than before.

He walked up to Lin Tian, pulled a thin booklet from his bosom, and handed it over. The booklet wasn't thick, and the cover was dark blue with five characters written on it—Divine Turtle Breathing Technique. The handwriting was neat, with every stroke conveying steadiness.

"The Fishery Master agreed." Captain Ma dusted off his hands. "This isn't some secret technique that cannot be passed on; every old guard at the fishery has a copy. You performed a meritorious service, so the Fishery Master said it was only right."

He sat cross-legged opposite Lin Tian, opened the booklet, pointed to the meridian circulation diagram on the first page, and began to explain it move by move.

The core of the Divine Turtle Breathing Technique lay in the word "Mian"—the inhalation must be continuous, as fine and long as a thin thread, drawn slowly through the throat, passing through the chest cavity, sinking into the Dantian, then slowly rotating in the Dantian for a circle, before being exhaled slowly along the same route.

Throughout the process, the heartbeat would slow down, the blood flow would decelerate, and the body's consumption of Qi would be reduced to a minimum.

Following Captain Ma's guidance, Lin Tian sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing.

The first time he ran the Mind-Cultivation Technique, the Qi dissipated as soon as it reached his chest.

The second time, it sank to the Dantian, but leaked out after one rotation.

The third time, the Qi rotated three times in the Dantian, but broke into two when he exhaled.

The fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time.

On the seventh time, the Qi finally succeeded.

He inhaled, and the Qi was drawn through his throat like a long, continuous thread, passing through his chest, sinking into his Dantian, and rotating slowly within it.

He could clearly feel his heartbeat slowing, his blood flow decelerating, and his body's need for external Qi decreasing bit by bit.

Then he exhaled, and the Qi rose from the Dantian, traveling slowly out along the path it had come, continuous and even, like a silkworm spinning silk, like a spring welling up water—fine but not broken, long and unending.

He opened his eyes.

Moonlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, spilling onto the clearing in front of the bamboo house.

Captain Ma was still sitting opposite him, holding the dark blue booklet, looking at him with an expression that was hard to tell whether it was surprise or gratification.

"You've mastered the basics?" Captain Ma's voice was a bit dry.

Lin Tian nodded.

Captain Ma was silent for a moment, then let out a laugh. The laugh was short, like a breath puffed out from his nose, carrying a hint of something that was unexpected yet reasonable.

He had seen people who learned quickly; some old guards at the fishery could master the Divine Turtle Breathing Technique in a day or half a day after receiving it—it wasn't rare.

But from the moment Lin Tian received the booklet to mastering the basics, it had only been a few hours.

This person learned everything quickly. His swordsmanship was fast, his archery was fast, and even a set of breathing and meditation techniques was fast.

He had been at the fishery for almost ten years and had seen at least dozens of new guards; the fastest one to learn the Divine Turtle Breathing Technique took two days. Lin Tian had taken less than half a day.

He closed the booklet, stood up, and patted Lin Tian on the shoulder. This time the force was lighter, but when his palm landed, it carried a sense of heartfelt recognition. "Mastering the basics is only the first step. The rest depends on your own diligent practice. If there is anything you don't understand, come and ask me at any time."

Lin Tian took the booklet and cupped his hands in a salute. Captain Ma waved his hand and turned into the night.

His footsteps fell on the gravel path, growing more and more distant, until they were eventually drowned out by the lake breeze and the rustling of leaves.

Lin Tian returned to the bamboo house, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

The Divine Turtle Breathing Technique booklet lay open on his knees, its dark blue cover gleaming faintly under the oil lamp.

He didn't rush to read the content that followed, but closed his eyes and went over the feeling of mastering the basics once more in his heart. Inhale, continuous as silk.

Sink into the Dantian, rotate slowly. Exhale, fine and unbroken. Once, twice, three times.

With every cycle, he could feel his breath becoming slightly more continuous than before.

It wasn't an increase in Internal Energy, but an improvement in the control of his breathing. Ordinary people's breathing was unconscious; their chests rose and fell, air went in and out, and they couldn't control it at all.

But the Divine Turtle Breathing Technique was different—it turned breathing into a behavior that could be precisely controlled.

How much to inhale, how much to exhale, how many times to rotate in the Dantian, when to be fast and when to be slow—it was all under his control. This absolute control over Qi was the fundamental basis for survival underwater.

He practiced it ten times, stopped, and brought up the proficiency panel. Divine Turtle Breathing Technique, Basic, 10/100.

Ten practice sessions increased his proficiency by nine points; this speed was faster than he had expected. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he reached the proficient Realm.

He opened his eyes and was just about to continue practicing when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

The footsteps were very light, making a soft rustling sound on the gravel path, and stopped at the door of the bamboo house. Then there was a silence; the person seemed to be hesitating whether to knock.

Lin Tian stood up, walked over, and pulled the door open.

A person was standing outside.

He was in his early twenties, lean and fit, his skin tanned dark by the lake wind, with a shallow scar on his cheekbone—left behind when a Vicious Beast's claw grazed him last time.

He was wearing a green martial outfit, with a long sword hanging at his waist, standing at the door with one hand raised in mid-air, looking like he was just about to knock.

Chen Lang. A member of Team 6, the person who had been ambushed by a Black Wolf from behind and whose life Lin Tian had saved with two arrows.

"Senior Brother Chen." Lin Tian smiled. "What is it?"

Chen Lang put his hand down, rubbed it, and the expression on his face was a bit awkward. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if he were deliberating his words.

It took several breaths before he spoke, his voice not loud, but every word was earnest: "Junior Brother Lin, thank you for saving me earlier. If it weren't for those few arrows of yours, I would probably be seriously injured by now, or perhaps even dead. I..." He paused, his Adam's apple bobbed, "I must thank you properly."

Lin Tian waved his hand.

He hadn't saved Chen Lang because he wanted any thanks; in that situation, he would have fired arrows if any team member had been ambushed by a Vicious Beast.

This was determined by his position in Team 6—he stood at the rear, and the bow and arrow in his hand were meant to protect the backs of his teammates.

Chen Lang, however, shook his head, his tone even firmer than before: "No, I must thank you."

He stood at the door, the moonlight shining on his face, his eyes, reddened by the lake wind, full of earnestness. Lin Tian looked at him, and his heart suddenly stirred.

"Senior Brother Chen, you also know my swimming isn't very good." He thought for a moment, his tone sincere, "If you really want to thank me, could you teach me a trick or two for underwater combat?"

Chen Lang was taken aback. He clearly hadn't expected Lin Tian to make this request; he stood there, his brows slightly furrowed, as if thinking about something.

After a good while, he spoke, his tone carrying a hint of apology.

"I cannot teach you the Sect's martial arts. The School has rules; privately teaching Sect martial arts is taboo." After saying this, he was silent for a moment, then, as if having made up his mind, he looked up. "However, I can teach you a martial art passed down in my Family."

Family-passed-down martial arts. Lin Tian's eyebrows twitched slightly. It was indeed against the rules for Sect Disciples to privately teach Sect martial arts; the punishment could be light, or as severe as being expelled from the Sect.

But Family-passed-down martial arts were different—those were Chen Lang's own things; he could teach them to whomever he wanted, and the Sect couldn't interfere.

"What kind of martial art is it?" Lin Tian asked.

A hint of imperceptible pride appeared on Chen Lang's face. It was a sense of pride rooted in his bones regarding his Family's Legacy, usually hidden in his heart and not easily shown, but once spoken, his entire demeanor changed.

"Our Family has made a living by fishing for generations. There is a Bailong River north of Yunzhou Prefecture, and my ancestors have lived by the river for generations." His voice was a bit higher than before, and his speaking speed was faster.

"For fishermen, you can't survive if your swimming isn't good. So, my Family passed down a movement technique for use in the water, called White Dragon in the Waves. Once you master it, it's like a White Dragon in the Waves underwater—churning rivers and seas, coming and going freely."

His gaze fell on Lin Tian's face, carrying a hint of solemnity: "Junior Brother Lin, if you want to learn, I will teach you. White Dragon in the Waves."

White Dragon in the Waves.

Underwater movement technique.

Lin Tian's eyes lit up. His current weakness was his mobility underwater.

The Divine Turtle Breathing Technique could solve the problem of holding his breath underwater, but holding his breath only allowed him to stay underwater; it didn't mean he could move quickly or fight underwater.

An underwater movement technique would perfectly fill this gap—the Breathing Technique combined with the movement technique, one solving the problem of staying, and the other solving the problem of moving.

With both combined, his combat effectiveness underwater wouldn't be much worse than on land.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen." Lin Tian cupped his hands, his tone solemn.

Chen Lang grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth slightly yellowed by the lake wind.

He looked up at the sky; the moon was hanging slightly east of the zenith, and there was still some time before dawn.

"I have to go on patrol in a moment." He pointed towards the lake. "When I finish my patrol and have some free time, I'll come find you. We'll go into the water to practice. This technique can't be learned on land; it must be practiced in the water."

Lin Tian nodded.

Chen Lang waved his hand and turned to walk toward the lake.