Chapter 5 - The will of the heavens

Having successfully gained the alliance of the Merchants, he found himself granted a much-needed respite of relief. With their support secured, he could now focus on forging ahead with his plans.

After a brief introduction and exchanging pleasantries, Li Wei gracefully took his seat, crossing his legs in a poised manner, preparing himself for meditation.

He circulated his cultivation technique, the Stellar Wind Breathing. Through rigorous breathing training, this technique gradually transformed his body, making it more agile and lanky. As a result, his martial arts skills would undergo a transformation, becoming faster and more fluid. The skewered physical attributes would lead him to a direction of extreme speed which would be hard to surpass in the same realm.

Thus, he was able to manoeuvre around enemies like the wind and escape at a moment's notice while dealing a swift blow at enemies' weak points. It had an average amount of qi but was exceptional in combat, especially in lower realms where martial artists did not have the means to unleash wide-ranged attacks. In Li Wei's understanding, before being able to unleash an attack that covered a great area, delivering a swift killing blow was more advantageous than having a strong but slow strike.

Li Wei circulated his Qi as he absorbed the Stellar Wind Qi, completing a full circulation. The Qi flowed through his meridians in a peculiar path before reaching his dantian. The Stellar Wind Qi coursed through his meridians, providing an invigorating surge of energy that made him feel light and refreshed. His Qi was overdrawn and had barely recovered during his short-lived recuperation coma. It felt like experiencing the first rain after 5 months of drought; his dried-up lips seemed to recover, and his complexion became lighter.

Li Way was glad he had found temporary protection; otherwise, he wasn't sure if he could survive with his Qi drained. After all, there were numerous dangers around. A pack of unfriendly goblins or even a pack of wolves could easily defeat him when he was out of Qi.

As the dried-up Diantian was replenishing, he felt that he was nearing a breakthrough. In the next couple of days, he would be able to achieve the 4th level of foundation building. Each level was like a great ravine that one must pass, involving not only Qi gathering but also physical tempering and comprehension of breathing techniques.

Currently, he has reached the 3rd level of foundation building, also known as the forging of the body. This level focuses on perfecting one's exoskeleton structure, as well as improving the muscles, skin, and bones.

Li Wei continued to cultivate, absorbing the Qi from heaven and earth, combining and strengthening his Vital Qi. The Stellar Wind technique allowed his Vital Qi to change according to the properties he desired.

Li Wei sighed, 'No matter what, this technique does not suit me anymore,' he thought.

Li Wei had come to a realization after he tried to supply the book with his Qi. The book required an immense amount of Qi, and he wasn't sure if he could use anything else to power it.

Li Wei precipitated the decision as he sat there quietly cultivating. Changing his breathing technique would have a great impact and it was by no means easy.

Li Wei's face was a mask of uncertainty, as he found himself at crossroads. On one hand, he held onto the Stellar Wind technique, a method that had served him well in the past helping him get out of life and death situations. Unfortunately, he found it useless when it came to containing Qi, as required by the demands posed by the book. On the other hand, he was thinking if he encountered a situation where he needed to escape.

No no no I must find a way to go back as fast as possible. This world is dangerous, not to mention where will I find cultivation resources?

Throughout his cultivation journey, his breathing technique had been pivotal. Changing cultivation techniques was dangerous too, It wasn't merely a matter of in and out, but a complex weaving of internal energy, synchronizing the body's internal rhythm with the pulse of the universe. The Stellar Wind technique, with its unique Qi modulation ability, had been his steadfast companion and it was also highly compatible with it.

The potential benefits of a different technique would potentially allow him to return home faster. A more powerful technique could provide the Qi required by the book. But, a slight misstep could lead to catastrophic consequences, a derailment of Li Wei's cultivation, or worse, a complete collapse of his Qi pathways.

Li Wei had overcome a number of obstacles, so he was rather confident that he would be able to change his cultivation technique.

As Li Wei sat there, silently cultivating, a melange of thoughts swirled within his mind. Fear, doubt, anticipation, and a spark of excitement all intermingled, painting a vivid picture of his inner turmoil. Where he saw an opportunity, he also saw risk. Where he saw growth, he also saw the potential for irreparable damage. Each thought added a layer to his trepidation, making the decision all the more complex.

As Li Wei sighed once again. A sense of resolve began to crystallize within him. He understood the magnitude of his decision and the potential risks. He knew that the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty.

In the silence of his cultivation, Li Wei made his decision. Whether it was the right choice only time would tell.

As the disciple of the great elder who was the brother of Patriarch Li Wei, he had numerous great fortunes. His number one fortune was, of course, working as a librarian in the sect's library. Usually, one would only have access to it when they had to choose three techniques to cultivate: a breathing technique, a movement technique, and a fighting technique. Fortunately for Li Wei, that wasn't a problem, and he was able to read countless manuals. Of course, he was not allowed to see the most exceptional legendary techniques, as they could only be learned by disciples with great contributions or winners of various competitions, or even only by the sect master.

Although he couldn't see those techniques he had still read countless manuals.

The problem with the Stellar Wind Breathing Technique was simply because it was too mediocre in terms of the amount of Qi one could possess. What he needed was a technique that possessed an immense amount of Qi.

Most techniques that possessed a large amount of Qi were techniques most often used in wars of attrition. They had unparalleled endurance and could battle 2-10 times longer than normal cultivators.

The problem with these techniques is that they are mediocre in terms of everything else.

After all, what was the point of having a lot of Qi if a cultivator who was able to exert great power could just punch you to death.

Li Wei sighed; he had no other choice. He remembered a technique that he had read about once: the Ten Thousand Wars Breathing technique.

This was an exceptional technique where one is said to be able to fight ten thousand wars before running out of Qi. Of course, dying before then was another matter.

Li Wei started a peculiar rhythmic breathing. Mist collected around his nostrils as he sat cross-legged, palms resting on the sides of his knees.

The three ladies noticed this, surprised. They had already assumed that he was a monk and was meditating for a long rest to recover. However, seeing the mist at his nostrils, they were not sure what was happening as they had not seen anything like that before.

Li Wei didn't notice this as he concentrated on changing his cultivation technique. It was a gruelling process, but now was the perfect opportunity when he was low on Qi and still only at the third level of the foundation building. This level changed the body massively depending on the cultivation technique one cultivated. Now he would have to reverse some of these changes and develop them in a new, different direction.

Fortunately, his cultivation base would not drop.

Li Wei breathed in the most pure of energies the Primordial Qi.

It is said that Primordial Qi originated even before the creation of the universe. It is the most basic unit of energy and the purest form in the universe. Primordial Qi is often associated with Yuan Qi, which comes from parents and is also known as Ancestral Qi. Some Demonic Cultivators might use every relative of theirs to cook them into a pill for cultivation, giving everyone a reason to kill any Demonic Cultivator they encounter.

Unfortunately, this Primordial Qi did not have any characteristics, to say the least, that made it very unimpressive, besides providing longevity.

Ten Thousand Wars breathing technique worked on multiple principles. The first one was that it cultivated the purest form of energy, which was much easier to control, enabling one to contain more of it.

Second, it relied on meridian thinning.

'If someone said they were thinning their meridians in some lower martial worlds, they would call that person an idiot and a cripple. People born with naturally thin meridians in those worlds were considered cripples and would not be able to join any sect. The only cultivators with thin meridians were Demonic cultivators in those worlds. Only the ten major worlds in my universe know that thin meridians have their own advantages. First is energy compression! Once meridians are thinned to the limit, any energy entering would be compressed and purified even further. At the same time, It would increase the pressure within the meridians, drastically enhancing the cultivator's control over the energy.'

While control and the amount of Qi were advantages, the amount of Qi he was able to exert at the same time was limited due to obvious reasons. Naturally, because the Qi was pressurized, the amount of power he could exert was still great, but it wasn't quite as much as if he had wide meridians. It was also not extremely fast like when he was cultivating the Stellar Wind Technique.

Li Wei winced in pain as he narrowed down his meridians, attempting to make them as narrow as possible. Simultaneously, his skin, bones, and muscles underwent changes to accommodate this breathing technique. His entire body had to maintain balance.

The new Primordial Qi he absorbed from Heaven and Earth entered and nourished his Vital Qi, making it stronger. At the same time, it transformed the properties of his Vital Qi, combining with the Primordial Qi and settling down in his Dantian, which was also slowly changing and transforming.

As the night fell, Li Wei continued his cultivation in silence. Beds of sweat could be seen on his forehead as he reddened. The energy around him swirled and ebbed, like a living entity responding to his will. He could feel the Primordial Qi from the heavens and earth entering his body, filling his meridians with a powerful, vibrant energy. Each breath he took, each beat of his heart, was in sync with the rhythm of the universe. It was a slow and arduous process, a test of iron will that each cultivator must possess.

His body felt as if it was being remoulded, each cell vibrating with newfound vitality. The narrow meridians, once a source of pain and struggle, were now pathways of concentrated power, guiding the Qi effortlessly and efficiently through his body.

His body no longer looked as lanky and rather seemed to become more bulky and muscular. This was a sign that he was cultivating the Ten Thousand Wars breathing technique.