Chapter 140: At Forty, Breaths Grow Faint

An energy vortex in his Dantian the size of a wine jar—even Chu Feng himself found it hard to believe!

Chu Feng only knew that after absorbing the internal energy from the Dantian qi-sac of the Snowy Mountain Ghost Ape, his internal energy was far more abundant than that of ordinary martial artists, but he had never expected it to reach such an extreme degree.

The more abundant a martial artist's internal energy, the larger the qi vortex would form when breaking through to the Breath-Resting realm.

Similarly, the larger the outer shape of the qi vortex, the stronger its capacity to continuously release internal energy. It was just like a spring—the larger the spring's eye, the more spring water would naturally gush forth.

How many times larger was a Dantian qi vortex the size of a wine jar compared to a large rice bowl? How many times larger than a tea bowl?

And how many times larger was it than the hallmark size of the Breath-Resting realm—a tiny wine cup?

It was hard to calculate how many wine cups could equal one large wine jar; dozens? Or perhaps hundreds?

At least one point was unquestionable: the Dantian qi vortices of a hundred ordinary martial artists combined could not match the size of Chu Feng's.

Chu Feng slowly exhaled a breath, then stood up. He felt as though a ceaselessly gushing spring had opened within his Dantian, with internal energy rolling like a tide, seemingly inexhaustible and boundless.

Chu Feng had attained the Breath-Resting realm, the seventh stage of Body Tempering!

Once martial cultivation reaches the Breath-Resting realm, the internal energy in the Dantian can strengthen the functions of the five viscera and six bowels, vastly enhancing the body's physical resistance. One's stamina becomes enduring, immune to all poisons and impervious to any illness; it can even heal flesh and blood autonomously, rendering one fearless against severe trauma such as snapped tendons and broken bones, and greatly extending one's lifespan.

A martial artist in the Breath-Resting realm not only boasts a lifespan ranging from three hundred to three hundred and fifty years and a daily travel capacity of five to seven thousand miles, but their physical body also possesses the strength of fifty Vajra Battle Rhinos.

Calculating based on one Vajra Battle Rhino possessing a strength of fifteen thousand catties, Chu Feng possessed at least seven hundred and fifty thousand catties of force!

With the martial might of Chu Feng's current seventh stage of Body Tempering—the Breath-Resting realm—walking among the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Veins without deliberately showing off or revealing his prowess would naturally cause the multitudes of martial artists to look at him with newfound respect.

For apart from the core figures of the four major factions, such as Mu Kaishan, Mu Kaihe, Xiong Wei, and Xiong Wu, martial artists who reached the Breath-Resting realm were basically all over forty years of age.

There was a saying in the martial world: "A youth in the Breath-Resting realm at forty," which meant that a martial artist achieving the Breath-Resting realm by age forty was still considered young and promising, looking not old at all.

Yet Chu Feng was only seventeen.

With his martial might elevated to the seventh stage of Body Tempering, Chu Feng was naturally greatly invigorated. He immediately strode outside his tent, brandishing the Thunder-Breaking Wind-Splitting Spear. Then, with his feet stepping, striding, and pivoting, *whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Four massive pillars of wind roared forth!

Compared to his internal energy stage when he could only kick out two wind pillars, not only were there two more now, but the size and power of these four wind pillars had also drastically increased.

However, Chu Feng could tell at a glance that although he could now kick out four wind pillars, because the cultivation level of the Gale Step had not increased, these four wind pillars possessed mere empty momentum without any major qualitative transformation.

"Right now, my internal energy is abundant and my spirit is robust; this is the optimal timing to elevate my martial arts mastery!"

Chu Feng thought to himself.

Having recently slain Dong Zhuo and the enforcers under his command, Dong Zhe would soon become aware of this matter. To secure an extra margin of winning odds when facing Dong Zhe, striking while the iron was hot and elevating his martial arts proficiency was truly imperative.

The faction-鎮派-foundational manual gifted to him by the Wind-Thunder Martial House, *Wind-Gang Thunder-Motion Scripture*, was undoubtedly a peerless martial classic, but one's martial might had to reach the eighth stage of Body Tempering—the Internal Energy realm—before it could be practiced, and Chu Feng was still falling a bit short.

Chu Feng took out Xiao Li's *Military-Suppressing Flying Dragon Dance Manual* to see if there was anything suitable for him to learn within its pages.

"Aside from the Gale Step, I can now practice the Sound-Swift Step and the Light-Swift Step! Hmm, and there is also a Shadow-Swift Step?"

Flipping through the *Military-Suppressing Flying Dragon Dance Manual*, Chu Feng discovered three or four movement techniques available for study. The one that tempted him the most, the Shadow-Swift Step, required reaching the eighth stage of Body Tempering—the Internal Energy realm—before it could be learned.

Without wasting words, Chu Feng immediately concentrated on studying the footwork diagrams and explanatory text depicted within.

A martial artist in the Breath-Resting realm possessed a robust spirit and formidable memory. After reading through just once, Chu Feng began practicing these sets of footwork right on the spot.

Through repeated practice and comprehension, half an hour later, Chu Feng had essentially mastered these movement techniques.

"Gale Step!"

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The level-two Gale Step was unleashed, sending four massive pillars of wind roaring out: one funnel-shaped, one pyramid-shaped, one cylindrical, and yet another horizontal cylinder, rolling forward majestically like a tumbling log.

The level-two Gale Step not only possessed greater might and varied forms of wind pillars, but the footwork beneath Chu Feng's feet had also grown intricate. At times stepping, at times stomping, interspersed with frequent turns, the profound nature of the footwork truly resembled a dance.

As soon as these four wind pillars were released, the sheet of ice before him was instantly thrown into utter chaos. Vast expanses of solid ice were stirred up by the wind's force, and the shattered ice was further ground into a mist of water by the wind pillars.

*Splash, splash!*

An icy rain began to fall before his eyes.

"Exhilarating!"

Witnessing this scene, Chu Feng was overjoyed and immediately deployed the Light-Swift Step!

As Chu Feng's footwork shifted continuously, flashes of light flickered beneath his feet, and dazzling rays of light burst forth.

The rays of light shooting outward were all imbued with deeply blinding colors.

Black light like the night!

Red light like blood!

Blue light like lightning!

White light like a sword!

Although these colored rays of light made no sound, when projected toward an enemy, it was as if a massive colored cloth had been thrown over them, instantly blinding the opponent, blurring their vision, or even causing dizziness and vertigo.

Although the level-one Light-Swift Step could only interfere with enemies without directly inflicting physical harm, an auxiliary martial skill with such an effect was already formidable!

"This Light-Swift Step is truly formidable. Let's see how the Sound-Swift Step performs!"

Chu Feng deployed the movement technique once more, spinning his body and pacing across the slick ice surface like an ice skater. Within two or three steps, a booming sound of wind and thunder erupted beneath his feet.

With a flick of Chu Feng's toe, a wave of sonic energy rapidly diffused outward like water ripples, rumbling all the way forward.

Crossing his feet alternately, much like a musician strumming a zither, his internal energy transformed into arrowhead-shaped sonic waves, piercing forward with a *shisshisshis* sound!

*Crack!*

The sheet of ice before him suddenly split open.

*Swish!*

Following a surge of churning water, a dozen swimming fish abruptly burst out of the ice surface, slamming heavily onto the ice layer, and died stiffly right before Chu Feng.

"This sonic wave attack is fiercely powerful! It actually caused the fish beneath the ice layer to be unable to withstand it, smashing open the ice in their agony and leaving their corpses before my eyes!"

Chu Feng was inwardly shocked; the might of the Sound-Swift Step had reached such a degree.

"Oh no! In my preoccupation with practicing movement techniques, I almost forgot to check the condition of the storage pouch!"

At this thought, Chu Feng felt a pang of inward shame and immediately inspected the condition of the ice-shell golden pearls inside the storage pouch.

One glance into the storage pouch, and Chu Feng could not help but be deeply startled, nearly crying out in shock.