Chapter 208: Breathing Technique Completion · Dragon's Sinew

Uesugi Toru was stunned by this pile of booklets for a good while before he picked up the topmost one and began flipping through it.

"Miura Breathing Technique?"

Hm?

Isn't this the breathing technique those Elders gave him after admitting defeat, which he saw at the Imagawa Residence before?

Wait, not quite right.

After flipping two more pages, Uesugi Toru's pupils finally contracted heavily.

——Inside these booklets were the "essential parts" that did not exist in the versions the Elders showed him before!

——But these essential parts were the very foundation upon which those vassal families of the Imagawa Clan established themselves!

Uesugi Toru pinched the edge of a rough paper page, looking toward Imagawa Yoshimoto beside him, who was already kneeling with an unusually calm complexion.

He asked: "Lord Imagawa, you..."

"Hm."

A single simple word confirmed Uesugi Toru's thoughts.

Imagawa Yoshimoto smoothed the wrinkles on her clothing with her fingertips, saying casually: "For this kind of matter, it's still best to finish it as quickly as possible, isn't it?"

How much time has passed, and Imagawa Yoshimoto actually settled the old guard at home clean sweep behind his back?

These methods and efficiency...

His brow twitched.

Just hearing this sentence, Uesugi Toru could imagine how miserable the scene at the Imagawa Residence must have been not long ago.

But fair is fair, what Imagawa Yoshimoto did was indeed no problem.

Because if they dragged it out longer, those cunning old foxes would definitely stir up more trouble again.

Uesugi Toru moved the stack of booklets piled twenty to thirty centimeters high to before him, placing the Miura Breathing Technique in his hand on top.

Then, he put both hands on his legs and lowered his head slightly toward Imagawa Yoshimoto to express gratitude,

"Lord Imagawa, many thanks."

——Imagawa Yoshimoto is different from others.

Seeing him politely accept this "gift," her mood certainly wouldn't be bad.

As expected, when Uesugi Toru raised his head again, he saw the corner of the girl's lips hook upward a fraction.

Kaga Kiyomitsu floated silently behind the two, obediently playing a non-glowing, zero-presence light bulb.

Imagawa Yoshimoto hummed, saying softly: "I'll just sit here a bit, no need to mind me."

Uesugi Toru didn't say anything extra either; after stuffing two energy bars into his mouth, he directly picked up that Miura Breathing Technique and started reading.

Because his attributes hadn't recovered yet, Uesugi Toru also temporarily didn't use the String Hun Xiang Hui to increase viewing speed.

Although the speed was slightly slower, there was no viewing time limit anyway.

He could watch until whenever he wanted to watch.

The moonlight was warm and cool, the courtyard quiet.

The Imagawa Clan's young Head of Family brought a small table at some unknown time, brewed two cups of steaming tea, one of which was even too hot to drink.

One person drinking tea admiring the moon, one person immersed in a sea of books.

Just that people would appear at the courtyard doorway from time to time, then ask Imagawa Yoshimoto what they should do next.

So Imagawa Yoshimoto used a peaceful but utterly indifferent voice to issue orders.

Until the moon walked to directly above the two's heads, and Uesugi Toru, whose neck was a bit tired from reading, closed the sixth booklet and asked rather strangely,

"Lord Imagawa, you don't need to go out?"

Hearing this, Imagawa Yoshimoto snorted.

She countered:

"Now that the overall situation has stabilized, if this Head of Family still has to go out running around at night, what are the Retainers below for?"

Seems so too.

Uesugi Toru looked at the moon's position and discovered the time was already very late.

If not for accompanying him, Imagawa Yoshimoto would probably already be asleep by now.

Then he had to read faster too.

Uesugi Toru thought, then casually grabbed the teacup beside his right hand and drank the tea inside in one gulp.

He smacked his lips twice.

Hm, still warm.

Because Uesugi Toru sped up his progress, the last three booklets were finished by him in under an hour.

Then, a series of fine crackling sounds came from within Uesugi Toru's body.

"In this situation, reading books can actually increase 【Jade Bone】 proficiency... looks like learning more really has no downside."

Uesugi Toru put down the last booklet quite wearily, yawned, and accepted the pain transmitted from deep within his bones in full.

His gaze lowered——

【You are learning "Miura Breathing Technique"...】

【You are learning "Udono Breathing Technique"...】

【You are learning "Sena Breathing Technique"...】

【You are learning...】

【Because you learned many Breathing Techniques, your understanding of Breathing Techniques significantly increased! Your Corona Breathing Technique proficiency is rapidly growing...】

【Because your understanding of Breathing Techniques significantly increased, your Skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +141!】

【Corona Breathing Technique (Jade Bone 141/400)】

The progress bar, originally empty, had increased by more than a quarter in just half a night.

This saved Uesugi Toru at least a week of grueling cultivation.

"Books contain houses of gold" — that saying is true.

Of course, Uesugi Toru had not forgotten his true purpose.

【Your Corona Breathing Technique is being completed...】

【Completion finished!】

【68】【Because you learned many breathing techniques! Your Corona Breathing Technique revealed one of the four Ultimate Forms after "Tendon Casting": "Dragon Tendon"!】

【Because you have learned many Breathing Techniques! Your Corona Breathing Technique has manifested one of the four Ultimate Forms after "Tendon Casting" — "Dragon Tendon"!】

【Dragon Tendon (0/4500)】

【Dragon Tendon: The Ultimate Form of Tendon Casting. Transmission, toughness, unification. Upon completion, all power will be connected as one line.】

【Note: Before completing "Skin Tempering", "Bone Forging", "Flesh Refining", and "Tendon Casting" stages, cultivation cannot be performed temporarily.】

"Dragon Tendon, sounds incredibly strong."

Uesugi Toru let out a slight exclamation of amazement.

The remaining essence of the Nine Breathing Methods helped him complete another piece of the Palace of Flesh Stage puzzle.

Now, only the Ultimate Forms of "Skin" and "Bone" had not appeared.

"But just cultivating one requires 4500 proficiency points..."

Uesugi Toru pondered in his heart, wouldn't maxing out all four Ultimate Forms require exactly 18000 proficiency points?

He was speechless for a moment.

Even if he cultivated until heaven and earth darkened, when would this cultivation end?

Forget it.

He was currently only at the "Bone Forging" stage, and even maxing out Tendon Casting was still far away.

This kind of thing, he would think about it later.

When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally go straight; there will always be a solution in the future.

—Uesugi Toru did not know that even most owners of Four Extremities Breathing Technique would not choose to max out all four Ultimate Forms at the Palace of Flesh Stage.

Usually choosing just one of the four was about enough.

The reason was very simple.

Too difficult! And too slow!

The effort and reward were not proportional at all!

Spending time dawdling at the Palace of Flesh was not as good as advancing to Ghost God Level early and discussing other things later.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, sitting beside him, naturally heard this commotion.

She had once personally seen Uesugi Toru forge bones, and as a fellow practitioner of breathing techniques who had completed Qi Circulation — just completed yesterday — a Samurai.

She naturally understood what this commotion represented.

Imagawa Yoshimoto blinked slightly in surprise: "Tetsu-kun, you can break through while sitting and reading a book?"

"Just a small improvement."

Uesugi Toru was not too modest.

He touched his chin and said: "Maybe, I'm just more talented?"

But who would have thought, Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded in agreement: "Yes, after all, it's Tetsu-kun."

After speaking, Imagawa Yoshimoto found a handkerchief from somewhere and directly reached out to wipe away all the fine sweat on Uesugi Toru's forehead caused by mental exertion,

"Since the important matters are all done, let's sleep."

Uesugi Toru did not refuse.

He got up and returned to his original position in the room, while Imagawa Yoshimoto lay not far from him.

"Xiao Jia, aren't you sleeping?"

Hum~

Kaga Kiyomitsu indicated he was full of energy.

Uesugi Toru did not force him; young people's energy was always vigorous, let alone a child like Kaga Kiyomitsu.

A silent night, peaceful sleep without dreams.

Early the next day.

When Uesugi Toru opened his eyes and saw the sunlight, Imagawa Yoshimoto's sleeping face was already gone.

—He liked to sleep on his side, while Imagawa Yoshimoto liked to place both hands on her chest, lying straight and proper without the slightest deviation.

The room was empty, with only a neatly folded thin quilt beside him.

"Why does it feel like after waking up, the person has disappeared without a trace..."

Uesugi Toru looked to the side, and Kaga Kiyomitsu hummed at him.

Yes, my Xiao Jia is the best, never leaving or abandoning me.

He rubbed Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword hilt, then looked at the steadily rising task progress bar.

At this rate, probably within three days, the entire Mikawa Province could be purged.

Uesugi Toru, just out of bed, twisted his waist weakly again — after a few hours, once his attributes recovered, he would no longer have this "getting-up syndrome".

By then, no matter what happened, he could handle it easily.

He should take care of Xiao Jia first.

As soon as Uesugi Toru opened his palm, Kaga Kiyomitsu tacitly landed steadily in the center of his palm.

After a night of left-brain and right-brain struggle, he had also more or less made a decision.

Currently, obtaining large amounts of Soul Spirit Points is difficult, and there aren't any powerful rivals at the moment.

Therefore...

Just as Uesugi Toru opened Kaga Kiyomitsu's Panel, the upgrade Prompt for the new effect 【Epidemic】 popped into his view.

The next Strengthening of Epidemic requires 2000 Soul Spirit Points.

Much lower than Separation Sorrow Domain, but it still doesn't change Uesugi Toru's mind — just like the reasoning for not Strengthening "Slash Mastery" above.

"Xiao Jia, Prepared."

Uesugi Toru said slowly to Kaga Kiyomitsu: "Time to Strengthen your IQ."

Hum!

Kaga Kiyomitsu gave a violent Shock, its sword cry firm like the most unyielding warrior.

【Whether Choose to Consume Soul Spirit Points ×1500, Strengthen "Spirit"?】

"Yes."

Uesugi Toru's intent descended.

The originally over Two Thousand Soul Spirit Points were Consumed like water, causing Kaga Kiyomitsu's surroundings to burst forth with specks of shining silver light.

Hum hum!

As if sensing something big was coming, Kaga Kiyomitsu became very Excited, and immediately performed a full set of radio calisthenics in the air inside the room towards Uesugi Toru.

But not long after, it abruptly went silent.

Then with a clatter it fell to the Ground, completely motionless.

Just like those Patients already lying on the operating table, anesthetized, yet still trying to hold on and not sleep, wanting to prove their will is Powerful.

Uesugi Toru walked over and weighed Kaga Kiyomitsu, and after Discovering there was also no movement in his Heartstring, he stuffed it back into the Sword Sheath.

"Sleeping very deeply, this Spirit's Strengthening might be even more time-consuming than I imagined."

But Uesugi Toru isn't anxious.

Right now, staying in the Sengoku Period, there's a Fifteen to One Time Flow difference.

He has the most time of all!

Leaning Kaga Kiyomitsu to the side, Uesugi Toru took out some small snacks from the Storage Backpack and ate them, slacking off extremely comfortably.

In no more than Two Hours, Uesugi Toru, eating barbecue-flavored Lay's Potato Chips, felt the Gang Qi and Spirit Power inside his body return like a tide.

Power, once again filled every Corner of his body.

"Huu—"

Pouring the remaining Potato Chips into his mouth and Creak eating them all, Uesugi Toru casually tossed the Packaging bag back into the Storage Backpack.

Before, he was afraid of choking to death just eating Potato Chips, now it's refreshing.

He stood up, spreading his arms towards this Heaven Earth that objectively had no difference, but subjectively felt completely changed,

"Come, let me see what changes have occurred these Several Days!"

Spirit Control Technique·Qi, boomed into Qi Circulation!

Thus in just Two Seconds, Uesugi Toru very easily obtained an absolutely clear answer.

— Heaven and Earth Revival will arrive in five days.

A full five days left.

This is quite a bit more than his initial estimated days.

But Uesugi Toru felt no regret in his heart.

Because he isn't a Gambler.

Being able to Securely Welcome the Sengoku Period's Heaven and Earth Revival is pretty good.

Uesugi Toru smiled, didn't Cultivate, just sat with eyes Closed feeling every trace of change in the surrounding Heaven Earth.

After all, it's five hundred years ago, a Heaven and Earth Revival and great change completely different from now.

A rare opportunity.

In the quiet Nishio Castle, countless strands of Qi flowed past Uesugi Toru's heart.

Opening his eyes again, it was sunset.

The sky was pitch black.

【Because you comprehended Heaven Earth changes, Spirit Control Technique·Qi Proficiency +500!】

"So easy."

Uesugi Toru happily exhaled, once again experiencing the concrete traces of the era's tide on himself.

Just sitting here carefree for half a day yields Expert Level Proficiency that can be called massive.

In just a few days, the Spirit Control Technique·Qi that reached Expert Level has already completed a quarter of its progress.

Where else would such a Good Thing appear at other times?

Before Uesugi Toru could lament for long, a Prompt Suddenly popped up before his eyes.

【Your Kaga Kiyomitsu: Blade of Parting's effect seven has been Strengthened!】

Accompanying it was a slight vibration sound transmitted from the Sword Sheath to the side.

【Your Kaga Kiyomitsu gained a new effect — Spirit!】

【Effect Seven: Spirit. The perfectly awakened spirituality, after another round of meticulous polishing, has become even more dazzling.】

"Huh? The effect name didn't change? Then this counts as a new effect too..."

Uesugi Toru's half-finished thought hadn't completed when he saw the "Spirit" character slowly turn into sparkling, very three-dimensional silver character elements under his gaze.

Forming a stark contrast with the hundreds of other Translucent white character elements on the Panel.

So the change was here.

That was indeed quite conspicuous.

Uesugi Toru checked the requirements for the next Strengthening again and found he only needed 2000 Soul Spirit Points.

From 1500 to 2000 points, that increase really wasn't big.

That could be considered good news.

Withdrawing his gaze from the Riddle effect description, Uesugi Toru spoke directly: "Xiao Jia, is there a change? Where is the change?"

—If it can't be seen from the appearance and introduction, then he had to ask the "person" himself.

After a brief silence, a short section of silver-white sword blade quietly popped out from the sword sheath.

Following it came the muttering sound in the Heartstring that was like an illusion,

"Yes, yes!"

Uesugi Toru froze in place.

After a good while, he finally reacted that what came from the Heartstring was not "humming Jia language," but a normal speaking voice just like a normal person!

—Damn, the child can talk!

Although the pronunciation was still very unclear, and stiff and mechanical without much emotion, Xiao Jia could actually talk!

This was a super invincible huge progress!

Being able to speak represented from the side that a person's understanding and learning ability were normal.

Applied to Xiao Jia, it meant his IQ had greatly, hugely increased!

From now on, perhaps letting Xiao Jia also learn Tennen Rishin-ryu and make moves together with him, achieving an effect of one plus one greater than two, was not a fantasy!

Simply, infinite potential!

In that case, wasn't Xiao Jia ten times, a hundred times smarter than those demon swords?

—In the legends, there were no talking demon swords.

Uesugi Toru clapped his hands: "These few days, Xiao Jia, just follow behind me and observe everyone talking, no need to return to the sheath."

Kaga Kiyomitsu immediately happily twisted wildly in the air.

But it stammered in the Heartstring: "Okay, okay... ya?"

Uesugi Toru thought it probably wanted to say "yay," but because it spoke too little, it couldn't express the meaning normally.

That was fine, just learn slowly.

No one was born well-read and knowledgeable.

Uesugi Toru suppressed the excitement in his heart, coughed, and said: "Besides this, are there any other changes?"

Immediately, a wisp of Separation Sorrow Domain wrapped in black energy swept across Uesugi Toru's cheek and landed on the door frame behind him.

This was Kaga Kiyomitsu autonomously throwing it from several meters away.

Not only that.

Uesugi Toru could also clearly see that after Kaga Kiyomitsu waved in the air many times, a buff named 【Fukuzawa】 appeared before his eyes.

From a third-person perspective, it was that a wisp of faint red fortune appeared above his head.

Xiao Jia... could now control its own effects at will?

"Good good good!" Uesugi Toru immediately clapped violently, giving the child full emotional value of one hundred points, "Very impressive, Xiao Jia, you are really impressive!"

Kaga Kiyomitsu cheered along with him, spinning circle after circle in the air.

Pat pat.

Familiar footsteps and voice came together,

"Tetsu-kun..."

Kaga Kiyomitsu heard it, hurriedly floated behind Uesugi Toru and stayed motionless, putting on a well-behaved appearance.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, wearing a full set of gusoku, glanced at it thoughtfully, pretended not to see, and asked Uesugi Toru: "Is your body better?"

Uesugi Toru nodded: "Better than before."

Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled: "Congratulations."

After Imagawa Yoshimoto walked in and began to remove his armor, Uesugi Toru suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Mountain Whale King for a long time,

"By the way, Whale Three... where is Mountain Whale King?"

Imagawa Yoshimoto's movements didn't stop: "It went back directly after discovering we could crush the yokai in Mikawa Province, back to that Mount Kujira."

Uesugi Toru immediately understood.

Mountain Whale King went back to accompany the Zashiki again.

It was a pity that the Zashiki should probably finish this round of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Trial and leave in a few days.

According to Mountain Whale King's nature, no matter how the Zashiki persuaded it, it should wait there for a very long time, even until the end of its life.

That wasn't good.

I at least had been its teammate for a while, I should help if I could.

Uesugi Toru thought for a moment, and said to Imagawa Yoshimoto: "If there is a chance in the future, please Lord Imagawa give it a message for me."

He said: "Go to Chang Shi, only then can you see the Zashiki. Otherwise, you will never see it again."

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was removing his shoulder armor, paused, and a curious voice came,

"Chang Shi, what place is that?"

"—A heaven and earth where countless yokai exist. Before the Heian Period, it was connected with Genjitsu, that is, the whole Tenka."

Uesugi Toru answered briefly and directly.

Since the Heaven and Earth Revival was approaching, there was no need to hide such "common sense" from Imagawa Yoshimoto anymore.

"Because yokai are all in Chang Shi, so the yaoguai of the whole Tenka appear very few... the cause of this Mikawa Revolt was that two Great Demons originally existing over there ran over."

Speaking, Uesugi Toru remembered Damo, who was protected by the Great Dharma Master and thus escaped.

This guy, the Great Taoist Priest said he's a genius the Yo-Do Society encounters once in a hundred years...

Tsk.

In the future, he might become a great disaster.

If only Adult Ni-Shaku were here back then.

In this day and age, heaven knows where he ran off to.

He sighed in his heart, then said,

"Lord Imagawa, the Revival of Heaven and Earth is also related to the Ever-World, so afterward, many yokai will appear in various places, making governance even more troublesome..."

"No."

Imagawa Yoshimoto's unexpected answer made Uesugi Toru pause.

He heard her matter-of-fact voice: "Because, didn't you, Tetsu-kun, let me know these things in advance?"

Compared to that, the big idiot of Owari, Echigo no Ryu, and Takeda, Hojo, even the Shogun—they might not realize this Tenka order is about to change.

Seeing Imagawa Yoshimoto finish arranging the full set of gusoku, he continued: "Five days from now, the Revival of Heaven and Earth will arrive."

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who happened to look at him, was stunned.

Uesugi Toru gazed into her pupils and said: "I'm thinking, should I hand over to you, Lord Imagawa, the Yin-Yang Technique for absorbing Spirit Qi?"

Pausing, he emphasized: "I'll teach only you, and you must not spread it outside."

Imagawa Yoshimoto said nothing.

Uesugi Toru stared at her without blinking: "Will you teach it to others?"

"No."

Imagawa Yoshimoto answered without thinking, almost without any hesitation.

"Actually, I will."

Immediately after, Uesugi Toru shook his head.

He spread his hands: "Lord Imagawa, this double standard of yours isn't good; it's a bad example."

Although she didn't understand what Uesugi Toru meant by "double standard," Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't hide anything.

She generously nodded and admitted: "As expected, you've seen through me, Tetsu-kun."

Facing such an Imagawa Yoshimoto, Uesugi Toru really couldn't bring himself to feel "tricked."

He sighed softly: "Why do something so unfair..."

But on matters of principle, Uesugi Toru still couldn't concede: "So, I can't teach you, Lord Imagawa, the Yin-Yang Technique for absorbing Spirit Qi."

"—Because the two methods I know involve many people and cannot be casually spread."

Let's not even talk about Spirit Control Technique.

If this Great Yin-Yang Technique fragment were handed over and spread, who knows, some secluded Onmyoji family might come knocking the very next day.

Basic Spirit Absorption Method is even more impossible.

If this thing were taught out, Uesugi Toru truly couldn't be sure what history would become.

So, no.

"That's a bit of a pity."

Though she said that, there wasn't a shred of regret on Imagawa Yoshimoto's face.

She straightened her spine and showed a smug smile: "Even without your Yin-Yang Technique, Tetsu-kun, I can still ride the tide of the times."

"—Just yesterday, I already visited a secluded Onmyoji family in Mikawa Province and exchanged with them for a basic Yin-Yang Technique."

Under Uesugi Toru's slightly startled gaze, Imagawa Yoshimoto clenched her fist firmly and said word by word,

"—From now on, the era is the era of Onmyoji."

It must be said, Imagawa Yoshimoto's vision is indeed precise.

Heaven and Earth began to revive, yokai and Spirit Qi became common again... In the one or two hundred years thereafter, the momentum of Onmyoji will undoubtedly overwhelm the Samurai.

Then both will proceed side by side, until in modern times Breathing Technique suppresses them again.

Finally, after the First Wave arrives and the four-star shackles are shattered, they rise high once more.

Uesugi Toru thought somewhat emotionally, then suddenly noticed a highlight.

He asked somewhat strangely: "Lord Imagawa, those families must be terribly old-fashioned, right? How did you extract meat from their hands?"

Imagawa Yoshimoto raised her finger,

"Here."

Uesugi Toru looked in the direction and discovered the direction of that finger...

Was pointing at him.

He opened his mouth and couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "Lord Imagawa, you're still a top-notch shrewd merchant."

Imagawa Yoshimoto showed a bright smile and strode forward: "No need to waste it, anyway I don't need to give anything extra."

"Tea?"

She walked to the side, took out tea utensils one by one to brew tea, her movements skilled and elegant.

"Alright." Uesugi Toru nodded.

Not long after, two cups of warm tea appeared before Uesugi Toru's eyes.

"Let's have one."

Imagawa Yoshimoto gazed at her happy face in the calm water surface, suddenly said.

"Toast what?"

In the silence, after thinking for a while, both raised their teacups and said to each other: "To you..."

Their gazes collided in midair without prior agreement, and both were stunned for a moment.

Imagawa Yoshimoto shook her head,

"Let's forget about that... aside from that, is there anything else?"

Uesugi Toru thought for a moment, and clinked teacups with the girl named Imagawa Yoshimoto: "Then, here's to the era."

He raised his head, gazing at the bright moon in the sky dome, closed his eyes and listened to the tide-like sound echoing between heaven and earth as if an illusion, and said softly,

"I hear it, the arrival of the era."

(End of Chapter)