---

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[#~System Notification~#]

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[A new task has been found!]

[#~Task-4~#]

[• Objective – Pass Tianlong Bai's test.]

└ [Get familiar with the breathing technique of Tianlong Bai and perform it perfectly before him.]

[• Time Limit – 1 hour]

[• Difficulty – Medium]

[•Rewards] :-

└ [Tianlong Bai's trust and interest: ↑]

└ [Official cultivation techniques of the Tianlong lineage.]

[• Failure to complete the task within the given time will result in immediate failure.]

[• Failure] :-

└ [Tianlong Bai's trust and interest: ↓]

└ [You will not be able to learn the official techniques for 5 years.]

---

The system screen chimed in a bright cerulean glow right before the old man's face. Reading through its texts, Lucian's eyes moved at lightning-fast speed.

Even with just this much information, Lucian had understood the old man's task. He wanted to test the aptitude of his disciple—Lucian... or rather, Feng Tian.

Whether he could learn even in the face of grave danger—that is what the old man wanted to know.

However, such a task was easy for Lucian. After all, he had already broken through such a realm before. Even if it was done by mere rough attempts, the experience he gained was more than enough.

Barely reaching the ends of words, the old man's voice jolted him awake from his thoughts. In response, his eyes widened and quickly shrank. He closed his eyes shut and merely waited for further instructions.

"Now, focus and learn!" The old man called out, his voice calm and steady. Even though he finished speaking, a faint hum still lingered in the air. His voice—which should've calmed down already—only seemed to grow more prominent with time.

Getting louder yet melodious with each passing second, his voice spread out far and wide. Reaching the very ends of the forest, it invoked the very essence of nature.

The living beings, who focused on their survival, and the flora that bloomed delightfully in the morning sun—everyone was visibly surprised.

Even the rulers who claimed different parts of the forest as their territory quickly rushed towards the sound. Surprised by this sudden voice, they naturally thought some unknown being was trying to usurp their rule.

On the other side, as the old man's voice continued to grow louder, it soon reached a point of breaking. The air around him began to ripple into vibrations.

These vibrations weren't strong but evocative. Within seconds, as the ripples travelled far and wide, they attracted the forces of nature.

The faint rustling of the wind grew stronger in the vicinity as a soothing gust of breeze brushed off Lucian's face. Chiming through his ears, this sound mixed with the old man's hum perfectly.

Lucian wanted to open his eyes and witness the surroundings once. He knew that something extraordinary was taking place, but he couldn't open his eyes.

'When cultivating, one must always focus on oneself. Even if they are doing so in someone impeccable's guidance, even the slightest hiccup could cause one to spend the rest of their lives as cripples.' Lucian thought silently as he remembered the unspoken rule of this world.

At the same time, the old man's body began to glow in a soft white glow. This glow did not affect Lucian's eyes. In fact, it wasn't even visible to him.

However, under the influence of this slowly accumulating light, the old man's hair began to react. The ends of his long silver hair bent upwards.

They unnaturally flowed with the wind's direction, waving dramatically. Then, at the tip of his extended finger, the light grew the strongest. Even within the bright daylight, its imminent glow struck brighter than anything.

The old man slightly opened his eyes, his gaze stuck on his fingers. Pressing against Lucian's small body, he slowly pushed this bright light into his body.

Although it looked as if the light was passing from one body to another, Lucian felt something completely different.

All of a sudden, a strange warmth filled his chest. Almost immediately, this warmth spread throughout his body, carving out familiar but completely new patterns.

These patterns were exactly what made one cultivation technique differ from the other. Creating unique pathways for the qi to flow through one's body in complete balance—that is the foundation for cultivation.

What Lucian had experienced previously was just the natural flow of Qi. Since he had never learned how to control Qi precisely, he merely let it flow chaotically.

Although it almost killed him, in the end, it successfully allowed him to create new pathways and break through the first realm.

Of course, those pathways were far from perfect. Using those pathways for a prolonged duration would've only made Lucian's condition worse.

At worst, his talent might be sealed, and he'd be stuck in a realm with no way to advance any further.

But this... This was clearly different. This energy, although the same, was controlled. Guided. Precise.

It didn't hurt him but energized him.

'These are similar to the ones I created... Just more polished and perfected.' Lucian thought, focusing his mind on remembering this feeling and the pathways.

About three breaths later, the warmth disappeared. The slight pressure inflicted upon his chest by the old man's finger was gone. He understood that the old man was done. And that now, it was the time to show him the results.

Without waiting any further, he deepened his breathing. As each breath reached the very core of his body, he recalled the warm feeling from a moment ago.

Imagining as if a thread of fine silver extended from his abdomen, he slowly pushed it forward through the tiny pathways he learned.

Then, once he was done, he shifted his focus to the abdomen of his body. Imagining it was a bright star of warmth like the sun, he slowly stretched its heat along the fine thread he shaped just before.

The process was difficult and delicate, yet Lucian made it seem awfully easy. Even when he was done warming these pathways, he simply continued to do so repeatedly.

What the old man had taught him wasn't a set of breathing techniques but a way of sensing one's natural pathways.

And what Lucian truly needed to do wasn't something grand like breaking through on the first day. But to show that he had understood these pathways.

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