Volume One - The Frontier of Chen, The Rebellious Marquis on the Immortal Path Chapter 45: Manifesting a Breath

In the end, Xue Han couldn't resist the persuasion of the other two and was forced to creep toward the site where the two giant pythons had been fighting.

Truth be told, Xue Han was quite tempted himself; after all, he possessed a powerful desire for strength, and to say he felt nothing in the face of such an opportunity would be a lie.

The three of them dared not even breathe too loudly, advancing with utmost caution. Soon, they came upon a patch of bloodstained ground and a tract of leveled earth, but the two giant pythons were nowhere to be seen.

“Could they have run off?” Jing Zhe asked in disappointment.

“That’s unlikely, isn’t it? They seemed to be fighting over something. There’s no way they’d just go far off,” someone replied.

“Could one of them have already been defeated?”

“Perhaps. I’ll go have a look,” Jing Zhe said cautiously, moving forward.

“Be careful!” Chen Yu and Xue Han both warned, tense and anxious.

Sticking close to cover, Jing Zhe edged toward the center of the battle. There, he found nothing but a basin-sized pool of blood. As for the two pythons, they were still nowhere in sight.

Jing Zhe waved the others over, signaling that it was safe.

“Did they really leave?” the three wondered aloud.

“It’s possible, but we should follow and check,” Jing Zhe suggested boldly.

“I don’t think we need to,” Xue Han was the first to object.

“I agree,” Chen Yu chimed in. “Even if there are treasures of heaven and earth out there, they're not something we could ever hope to claim. Besides, there’s still this pool of snake blood here; we can use it for our cultivation.”

Jing Zhe shrugged, not insisting further. “Fine, but what do we do with this snake blood? Should we cook it and eat it?”

The three fell silent for a moment, then Chen Yu spoke up: “I think our current method of cultivation is to draw the surrounding energies into ourselves. There’s no need to cook the snake blood.”

“So you’re saying we should just drink it?” Jing Zhe asked, clearly disgusted.

“What are you talking about?” Chen Yu replied helplessly. “I mean, why not smear the snake blood on ourselves and use the Nine Breaths Internalization Method to see if we can absorb its power?”

“I’ve tried it and it works!” Xue Han, who had already tested it, cried out in delight.

“Really? Ha! Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!” Jing Zhe was practically jumping with impatience.

“What are you doing? Hurry and pack up the snake blood to take with us! Aren’t you afraid the pythons will come back?” Xue Han scolded.

Although there were no proper containers in the forest, there were plenty of enormous leaves. The three of them bundled up the snake blood, even scooping up the blood-soaked earth, leaving nothing behind.

Like thieves who had stolen a melon, they made off joyfully.

Once they were a safe distance away, they finally stopped.

“Phew, we’re safe now,” they said, exchanging grins. Wasting no time, they stripped off their clothes and smeared the snake blood all over themselves.

The blood was chillingly cold, like a thousand needles pricking their skin.

“What potent energy!” they exclaimed, startled, and immediately began practicing the Nine Breaths Internalization Method to neutralize the force. A refreshing sensation surged straight to their minds, their faces unconsciously breaking into smiles of deep satisfaction.

After about half an hour, the feeling faded away, signaling that the snake blood’s energy had been entirely absorbed—though much of it had dissipated into the air.

The power was gone, but the three were still lost in their cultivation.

Each of them frowned; within, there was a force surging through their dantian and meridians.

Another hour passed. Suddenly, a wave of energy burst out from each of their bodies.

They gasped with delight, exclaiming in unison, “Did you two break through as well?”

Their laughter rang out.

They could now clearly sense a current of vital energy flowing within, vibrant and alive, radiating from their bodies.

At this moment, they had truly succeeded in mastering the Nine Breaths Internalization Method, finally breaking through the first breath and stepping onto the path of cultivation. Their newfound strength was incomparable to before.

Feeling the abundance of power within their bodies, their confidence swelled. Only now did they truly understand how terrifying Elder Jiang Qing was, and how fortunate they were.

Had time not worn down Elder Jiang’s power, the three of them would never have stood a chance.

“So this is the power the master spoke of? I feel more than twice as strong as before!” Jing Zhe exclaimed in delight.

“Yes!” Chen Yu nodded enthusiastically, eyes full of longing. “And this is only the beginning—we can become even stronger.”

“That’s right, even stronger,” they cried, clenching their fists in excitement.

Elated by their breakthrough, Xue Han suddenly suggested, “Why don’t we go check on the two pythons again?”

“Oh? Second Brother, you’ve tasted success and now you’re not afraid anymore?” Jing Zhe teased.

“I call it caution,” Xue Han retorted.

“All right, I agree. Maybe we still can’t defeat those pythons, but it won’t be so easy for them to kill us either.”

“In that case, let’s go.”

Before long, they crept back, but still saw no trace of the pythons. Examining the area carefully, they finally spotted tracks showing where the creatures had left.

The three quickly gave chase. Before long, they spied, from a distance, the massive shapes of the pythons. To their shock, the red-crested python was in the process of swallowing the other, half its length already devoured.

“This is how it ended?” All three were taken aback.

“Well? Should we get closer?” Even the bold Jing Zhe felt a pang of anxiety.

“I think we should leave,” Chen Yu shook his head. “Honestly, I’m afraid it might swallow us in a single gulp.”

Jing Zhe nodded vigorously in agreement and turned to go.

Only Xue Han remained unmoving.

“Second Brother, let’s go!” Chen Yu urged. This was a dangerous place; who knew when the red-crested python might notice them?

“Look there—do you see that?” Xue Han pointed to the center of the red-crested python’s coiled body.

“Hm? Is that a plant?” Jing Zhe asked.

“Given how carefully the python is guarding it, that plant must be extraordinary. I bet that’s what they were fighting over.”

“Very possible. But so what? Are you thinking of snatching it from the python?” Chen Yu said helplessly.

“Why not?” Xue Han replied with a grin.

“Second Brother, you’re acting crazier than me! Have you no regard for your life?” Jing Zhe said with resignation.