Chapter 245: Good Luck

What is Qi? It seems it's just a breathing method. "Among thousands of internal skills and myriad systems, ultimately the power that controls the body is still one thing—breathing method." The same breathing method moves the Qi within the body. As one of the masters of external martial arts, Bai Lang is, of course, very proficient in the breathing method. This breathing method also draws a little bit of power from one's own blood, Qi, and muscles and continuously strengthens it.

One breath after another strengthens blood and Qi, then mainly relies on eating—since the world's primordial Qi is not that dense and is rather twisted, this skill focuses more on extracting the minute forces within one's own flesh, eventually forging a body as strong as a golden body. "In that sense, it's not unlike the external sect divine skills of various paths." Bai Lang follows the breathing method, inhaling and exhaling—his flesh is already robust, so for now he does not need weight training.

Many of the formidable techniques in Bai Lang's memory resurfaced; after all, isn't the key to the breathing method the ripple effect generated by invoking solar energy within the cells through breathing? Thinking of that, Bai Lang felt the breathing method indeed had that aspect. Between breaths it also spontaneously guides the flow of Internal Force, "Could it really be a matter of constitution that people over there cannot cultivate Internal Force?"

Bai Lang can be sure that the golden‑skinned man in the trousers certainly has no Internal Force, and that by practicing this secret manual he can cultivate Internal Force from the outside in through the breathing method, so perhaps it truly is a constitutional issue? "Qi… in the end it's still Internal Force." Bai Lang breathed for a long time, feeling no so‑called Qi, but the true Internal Force was rather lively and agile. Internal Force spread throughout his limbs and pores, seeping thread by thread into muscle, bone, and blood—but if this is called strengthening, his external martial arts had already achieved this long ago.

Back then, when practicing fist techniques and breath control, one even had to apply oil and ointment to the body—wasn't that a similar strengthening? "It's just that this breathing method is more formidable, especially when combined with weight and special movement postures… the effect is really good." Bai Lang performed a few moves, then sighed, "I'll think of a way to integrate them. This breathing method must not end up being out of place. After all, my current cultivation already has a decent path."

The Golden Bell Shield and Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist are integrated, each with its own cultivation method; adding a breathing method indeed warrants thorough study. At this point, Bai Lang is a genuine Innate Expert, possessing some self‑preservation power… "What did I say? When a person reaches a certain level, they will encounter people of that level." Bai Lang naturally knows that in the future he will interact more with peers or even stronger individuals—and besides, hasn't he already killed one?

The clothes and weapons he brought back didn't fit, so Bai Lang took them off and tossed them aside; as for the blunderbuss, he tried firing a few shots. He didn't understand why, since it was supposedly high‑quality granular black powder, yet after firing it made a puff sound and sprayed fire, and the projectile fell to the ground within three meters of the muzzle. Bai Lang felt no recoil. It seems explosive materials behave differently here—perhaps there are higher‑grade explosives, but at least the black powder is mostly ineffective.

As for that battle axe, it can only be described as scrap metal in this world. Bai Lang tossed it aside, changed his clothes, dusted himself off, and prepared to go into the city for a good meal, also to buy some items, and most importantly to visit the Guard Commander's Residence to check the rankings and gather information.

Strolling into the city, Bai Lang is extremely sensitive to killing intent—he now perceives a faint killing aura. Such an aura cannot be simply gathered and contained; even if one could seal every trace of killing aura, the murderous intent is unavoidable. Even if the intent is hidden in the heart or treated as mere work without malice, the pre‑combat slaughter connection will still be sensed by the white tiger of the chief.

The western white tiger is exactly like that; Bai Lang sensed the murderous intent, but it wasn't aimed at him. The hulking Big Man's bones trembled, and he shrank a few inches, unnoticed by others, becoming a six‑foot ordinary man. Bai Lang's martial skill has reached the point where disguising his "invincible" aura is trivial—so at this moment he tucked his face into his chest, adopting a lecherous demeanor.

If one doesn't shrink his body, that aura can't manifest; a towering Big Man can't be lecherous, only vulgar—just like Lei Da Guanren.

Bai Lang observed, watching the source and direction of the killing aura, "They all seem ordinary, not at the level of an Innate Expert." he thought to himself. Before him lay a perfectly ordinary street scene, people coming and going, merchants and laborers all normal. The culture of Greater Yan is fairly open, so many wives and young girls were strolling or working, which gave Bai Lang a few more looks—among the killing aura, the sharpest strands were within them.

Bai Lang folded both hands into his sleeves, lowered his head slightly, his thief‑like eyes darting, yet he still could not identify the target. It couldn't be him, but as he surveyed the surroundings, his aura sensed a person—a guy he had long wanted to kill. "Yo, the one looking down from the second‑floor window of the inn isn't Lord Guan Ba of the 'Sacrifice for Righteousness' sect? Today's really a good day; I said some unlucky… naturally good luck."

Since he saw Guan Ba, Bai Lang had no interest in what turf‑war or vendetta was happening there; he let his bones clank, a chilling and fierce aura burst forth, materializing a snarling armored white tiger that then vanished. At that moment Bai Lang's form returned to its original shape, and although his head still bore little hair, a shaggy beard had sprouted about an inch. His appearance was excellent, truly a bold, battle‑ready man of his generation.

"Guan Ba, where are you going!" With a thunderclap‑like roar, Bai Lang summoned a gust of wind and, with a whoosh, smashed the second‑floor window completely and charged in. By the time the sound arrived, Guan Ba had already reacted extremely quickly, stunned for less than a second, then immediately used Lightness Skill to flee—while the elite guards in the six‑and‑a‑half hall where he sat hadn't even reacted yet. Bai Lang's fierce aura also intimidated that group; as long as they didn't block his path, he had no intention of killing them deliberately.

However, the person sitting on the line between Bai Lang and Guan Ba was particularly unlucky—their fate turned sour. Bai Lang didn't lunge like a ferocious tiger; as an Innate Expert who also mastered Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist, he didn't deem it necessary to engage Guan Ba in close combat. So Bai Lang simply raised his right hand, and instantly a Tornado materialized out of thin air, even more than one. Whoosh, the swirling storm shredded everything in its path, and those caught were as if sliced by countless knives—fortunately none died.

Guan Ba naturally reacted the same way......