Breathing

Three weeks passed and Bai continued with his training regime, stabilizing his new comprehension and realm. The morning was divided between meditating and teaching Chenxiang and the evenings he trained sword arts, usually with his uncle Sword, but sometimes with her mother. And some nights, he made some night 'training' with Chenxiang, since their special night they started sleeping together, causing all sorts of teasing from his family and friends.

Today, he was training with his mother. Both exchanged blows, each sword shining red and fire running amok as they clashed. Today, they focused on the fire intent that was one that they have in common. Even when they didn't use spirit skills and spirit energy, Xiangxie was far superior, her fire comprehension having achieved the human limit. So like usual, the training was more a beating, Bai trying to keep up while learning to increase his comprehension.

Nevertheless, it was good training for Bai. One can't grow without facing stronger opponents. And even when the intent was something personal and couldn't be copied, there were a lot of things to learn about each other.

Finishing the training, Bai was all sweat and exhausted. Xiangxie had closely analyzed Bai while fighting and she had a frown in her face "Bai, do you have some problem with your spirit energy?"

Bai looked at her with a dubious face "No that I know. What's the matter, something abnormal?"

"It's not abnormal per se. But your spirit energy is too neutral." Stated Xiangxie.

"Neutral?" asked confused.

"Yeah. The spirit energy of low-level spirit master is usually similar, but as they grow it started gaining specific characteristics following their own spirits, making it easier to use spirit skills with less wasted energy." Xiangxie explained "This is especially true when attaining the spirit sage realm that is when the spirit energy usually transforms. Even when you have a lot of intents and elements mixed together making it more difficult to change, you should have already transformed by using my breathing technique."

Bai made a little shy look rubbing his head "I stopped long ago using your breathing technique. As my own comprehension and realm grew, I could sense becoming more inefficient, even becoming counterproductive as it didn't follow my own path."

Xiangxie opened her mouth, her face reflected a mix of shock, sadness, and anger. Xiangxie approached Bai "I know that I don't usually say this, but..." Xiangxie's full pressure was released, even her 9 rings appeared shining brightly "YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

Bai sensed as his own bones were going to turn into a pulp, her pressure stopping when someone touched her shoulder, it was Chen Xin "If you continue, you are going to cause some important injure. Calm down." Xin calmed Xiangxie and looked around "What had happened? It is strange for you to be angry when training."

Xiangxie signaled at Bai "This son of mine completely discarded my breathing technique. I expended 5 years!" she shouted "5 years creating since his birth wasted changing my own technique to being compatible with him. Even Rongrong had already almost mastered, greatly improving herself."

Xin looked at Bai disappointed, putting his hand over his face as he shook his head.

"What wrong with it. Not all cultivation techniques are fit to everyone, what's so important?" asked Bai disconcerted.

"We may have some fault at it, he was so talented always that we did not need to directly teach him, learning him instinctively," said Xin "I thought that it was very simple to see its effects."

"Only with a little training, he quickly learned it" Xiangxie nodded "For him to ignore this."

"Someone can tell me what's all this about?" asked Bai a little pissed.

"Okay, I will explain" Xin stated "Of all the technique taught you, that breathing was considered the most important. Is a technique created by your own mother, it permits to refine your body, soul, and energy, increasing the talent overall."

"Maybe it is, but what can I do if it not fit me" Bai excused.

"Transform it!" Xiangxie shouted angry "Of course, it won't follow you without changing it as you grew. I spent 5 years changing my own technique to make it neutral as it could be only be used by me. I even changed accordingly to you to make it perfect. And you!" She signaled Bai "You ignored! You should have understood its importance and slowly adapt to you. I also did the same for Rongrong, she worked hard to it, changing to her own technique. Now she would have far easier to absorb spirit energy and to breakthrough to titled douluo."

"It's so magnificent?" asked Bai shily.

Xin nodded "Completing it for you, the creating of a soul core, meaning the breakthrough to titled douluo became very simple as you are spirit energy is already prepared to it. It's important in the first level, but in titled douluos it became an even greater boost." Xin explained "The main reason your mother is considered a genius is for it. You know what is your mother spirit?"

"The Fire Volcano Sword." Bai said with certainty.

"It might be now. However, when she awakened her spirit was a simple wood sword, almost a trash spirit. It's only for her technique and effort that she achieved to awakening her spirit two more times, becoming what is now, considered one of the best attack power of the continent. She put much effort to adapt this technique to you, so understand her feelings."

Bai opened his eyes shocked realizing the importance of it. He kneeled in front of her mother "Sorry!"

Xiangxie seeing him like that, she couldn't help to light smile and forgive him "I would like you to make use of it and creating your own, but it's not like you really needed. You've always been a genius."

Xin nodded seeing the scene "Bai, people don't usually cultivate the sword, due to the time needed for it, lagging your own spirit cultivation. That's true even for sword spirit users who have it a lot easier. Xiangxie's method fuses them. Do you know what is the usual relation with sword cultivation and spirit rank?"

Bai thought that it was strange this question "Spirit Master to One with the Sword. Spirit Elder with Sword Intent. Spirit King with Sword Domain. Spirit Sage with Sword Heart. And Titled Douluo with All Sword."

"Yeah, this is what we explained" said Xin "But the truth is that this is only for the most genius. I was considered a prodigy and I was only able to follow it. For people that cultivate the sword, it usually laggs two realms, achieving One with the Sword at Spirit Elder and following it. You are a monster to achieve them so early. Even so, you have too many intents. This could become counterproductive, making very difficult your future path as your forces will crash between each. You didn't have much problems due to your personalities, but now that you have merged..."

"So, later on, there will be problems" Bai said for himself.

"It would make difficult to breakthrough titled douluo, as it would be very difficult to create a soul core with so crashing intents and energy. Breaking to limit douluo almost impossible." Explained Xin.

"What can I do?" asked Bai.

"There's three ways" Xiangxie lifted three fingers "The worst but secure, destroy your own path and start again. If I'm not wrong the clan of my daughter-in-law is their specialty, you can ask her."

"This would dismiss a lot my power and I doubt that I will be able to achieve great height with it."

"Of course, it completely useless. It's only that I thought of it so I want it to tell" Xiangxie stated. She lowered one finger "Two, rely in the Sword God. Gods had truly incredible powers, I experimented some of his might and I can say that following his path, he would take care of it. Of course, it won't be by your own true strength, if it would affect, later on, I don't have any idea."

'This would be the reason for the Sword God to not explain anything, the stabilize of elements in the future could easily be one of his rewards' Bai thought. "And the third?" Asked curious.

"The third is to do it yourself" Xiangxie lowered another finger "I recommend you to start using the breathing technique again. It's almost useless to try to use it in high ranks, but you might be an exemption. Thank your personalities, your spirit had completely transformed like resetting, this followed by your high mental energy, could make it possible for you to make the technique evolve with your spirit, completing it before attaining titled douluo. Of course, this one will need you to spend time in it and work harder."

Bai silently thought for 5 minutes his option, the first was discarded, so it was mostly the other two. The third would be better, but if his mother spent 5 years to make it able to him to use, he might spent something similar, and there wasn't much time until gods started appearing.

Not deciding her opted to ask "Mother, you think that I am able to follow the third option?"

Xiangxie smiled "Of course. You're more talented than me. Obtain power by your own strength"

Bai nodded "I don't know why I doubt. You prepared all this act when you already know what I will choose. I don't have much of a choice, truly."

"So we were discovered" Xiangxie rubbed her head "You can achieve whatever you propose. I trust you, fight for it."

"Thanks, mum." Bai smiled "Thank you also, uncle"

"Let's start now!" Xiangxie said stretching her muscles "We won't stop until we adapted again to you"

Bai looked at his mother full of terror "Don't be afraid, I would let you sleep 4 hours and 10 minutes to eat and even I will let you continue teaching my daughte-in-law until she leaves with the others of Shrek" Xiangxie grinned approaching Bai while he started nervously sweating.