Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path

"Miss..."

Xiao Xue had only just reacted.

When the assassin attacked just now, stirring up a gusty wind, flickering the candlelight, she hadn't even managed to discern the enemy's location.

Now, with her soul slightly settled, she saw that the enemy had already lost his life, while she herself teetered on the edge of residual dread.

"Check, see who exactly has leaked the news that my injuries haven't fully healed yet? Such that it drew an assassin from the Blood Garment Tower," Lin Huaiyu responded rapidly.

Logically, an assassin with a copper mask from the Blood Garment Tower would absolutely not chance an attack on a stronger adversary without any assurance.

Even if this assassin were extremely bold and skilled...

Acting in such a manner would still seem irrational.

There was only one possibility: the enemy knew clearly that her injuries had not yet recovered fully.

And they knew that striking at this time would mean she absolutely could not give her all.

Even if she managed to escape this assassination attempt, her injuries would undoubtedly be deepened, leading to endless future troubles...

"Yes."

"This time, I owe Zhou Ping'an a great debt of gratitude.

Unfortunately, I can't show my thanks to him openly... Just place a bottle of Blood Fortifying Pills by my younger sister's bedside.

Oh yes, there was also one Foundation Building Pill left from the last batch made with the Biluo fruit.

I had intended to reward it to Ziqi after he achieved some merit, to lend him a hand in breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm...

Forget it, place it by my sister's bedside as well, with no need for explicit instructions."

Merits are merits.

Mistakes are mistakes.

Lin Huaiyu had always prided on being extremely fair in her life's dealings.

She couldn't just because someone was unaware, negate his monumental contribution.

As for why not hand the medicinal pill directly to Zhou Ping'an, but instead leave it at Xiao Jiu's bedside,

it was because of the innate "great fortune" the girl possessed.

She wanted to see just how things would develop in the end.

...

Zhou Ping'an felt very good at that moment.

Extremely good.

Incredibly good.

The night passed, and the sky had already begun to brighten slightly.

Not only did he feel no desire to sleep, but he was also brimming with energy.

He had no interest in sleeping at all.

This Tidal Breathing Technique seemed so effective that Zhou Ping'an could hardly believe it.

He firstly combined it with the Stance Method, feeling the wave-like surging of his Qi-Blood within his body; later, he tried breathing under various conditions.

He then discovered that as long as he kept his intention and rhythm steady,

one could operate the Breath Control Technique without practicing the Pile Stance.

Even lying in bed without moving, as long as the rhythm was maintained, his body's cultivation didn't stop.

In this way,

he could practice whether walking, sitting, or lying down.

Of course, he had to spare a fraction of his attention to breathing.

And after mastering the Breath Control Technique, it wasn't necessary to deliberately sever external breath.

Internal breath and external breath could be operated simultaneously, appearing to be two different circulation systems working together to fulfill a certain function.

...

Zhou Ping'an felt a powerful force churning within the depths of his body,

giving him an illusion.

As if he could take the hundred-pound Strength Training Stone Lock in the room and play with it as if it were a small stool.

It was just that domineering.

"Crack..."

He pressed his hand against the carved railing of the bedhead, ready to jump out of bed,

when his hand slipped through emptiness, accompanied by a strange sound to his ears.

"Eh!"

He turned his head to see that the bedhead railing had snapped into two pieces, the break in the wood jagged and obviously torn apart by his own strength.

"This isn't an illusion."

He walked over to the hundred-pound stone lock, bent down to test it, and was amazed to find it felt light as a feather, lacking the heavy heft he experienced during previous training.

He swung it casually a couple of times.

The stone lock made whooshing sounds as it cut through the air in his hand.

"This..."

Zhou Ping'an was even hesitant to believe it.

Staring dumbfounded at the stone lock in his hands for a while, he casually tossed it up about three feet, caught it effortlessly, and performed a flourish.

"This is roughly equivalent to one hundred and thirty pounds in modern measurement, yet I swung it around as if it was as light as the twenty-pound cooking oil container."

Clutching the stone lock, he stepped outside his room and, swift as the wind, ran back and forth three times in the open space before his door.

Not a single breath was out of place.

He felt no fatigue whatsoever.

And what was more surprising, he discovered that his running speed was obviously much faster than before.

And this was while carrying a hundred-pound stone.

"My strength has doubled, perhaps even more."

His residence no longer had heavier stone locks with which to test his strength.

Going to the Martial Arts Ground to fetch the three or four hundred-pound stone locks would attract too much attention.

Zhou Ping'an could only temporarily keep his questions to himself, gently moved his limbs to get used to the sudden increase in strength and speed.

He had a feeling.

His skin had become exceedingly taut, his muscles very firm, especially his bones and tendons, which even now were still emitting a faint warmth.

A casual rub on his skin sloughed off a large amount of blackish-gray grime.

He felt a true sense of unity throughout his body; even a slight movement of his fingers could trigger a response from his toes.

Head to toe, everything felt extremely comfortable.

How to describe this feeling? It felt like being a growing adolescent back in the day, leaping out of bed every morning, filled with endless energy and vitality.

Of course, there were also downfalls.

Although the body was in excellent condition, the stomach was very hungry.

Not just the stomach, but deep within the body, there was an abnormal craving that kept reaching out to the mind.

That was.

"Hunger."

He turned his head and inadvertently caught sight of the bronze mirror by the bed.

Zhou Ping'an froze in shock.

The figure in the mirror was not only pale, but also had sunken cheeks and a withered neck.

When he stretched out his hands, he saw they were like chicken claws, with hardly any flesh on them.

"I've gotten so thin I'm almost out of shape."

"So that's it, this Breath Control Technique agitates the Qi-Blood and stimulates potential, consuming the essence and foundation of my body."

Taut skin and muscular strength, strong tendons, and bones couldn't simply be achieved without reason.

Rather, it had used up all the potential and essence I had accumulated over these twenty years.

No wonder the transformation was so great.

Knowing the reason.

Zhou Ping'an set his mind at ease.

He hurriedly washed up with water, cleaning himself from head to toe, and took advantage of the dawn when the Martial Arts Ground had not yet begun teaching the last four Stance Methods.

He hastily left the Lin Residence and went to the street.

Like a starving ghost reborn, he switched between three breakfast joints one after another, devouring three massive piles of food at a speed that left the shop owners agape, barely managing to suppress the insane hunger rising from the depths of his heart.

After that, Zhou Ping'an discovered another peculiar thing.

His digestive capabilities had also become incredibly strong; he could eat much more than before.

Initially, with so much food in his stomach, he felt a bit bloated.

But as he kept eating, his body digested it all.

When he finally stood up to leave, he noticed his stomach hadn't swollen much.

"Well, then, I owe the little guy a huge favor."

Even if he was completely lacking in common sense.

Zhou Ping'an knew.

The 'Tidal Breathing Technique' Xiao Jiu told him about was by no means ordinary; it might have an extraordinary origin.

The logic is simple.

This type of breath control technique can strengthen a person's body at an inconceivable rate and in all aspects.

If everyone knew it, there'd be experts everywhere.

Strength-Training Martial Masters wouldn't be so rare.

...

When he arrived at the Martial Arts Ground again, Wei Dazui taught the last four stances of the Gentle Water Eight Stances.

Just like the previous day.

He gave pointers to the Guardian House Servants again on their cultivation secrets.

Once more, he ignored Tang Lin'er's requests.

Of course, he didn't give Zhou Ping'an a single word of advice either.

Different from before, the other Guardian House Servants looked at these two with peculiar gazes.

Filled with pity, smugness, and mockery, their looks were a mix of emotions.

Because Wei Dazui said again.

"In four days, those who achieve a young level in Gentle Water Posture can learn the Wave-Cleaving Sword Technique, personally instructed by Protectorate Leader Lin Ziqi, and grasp the exclusive force operation method of the Lin Family's sword techniques."

"If you can comprehend the Wave-Cleaving Jin, it will be extremely beneficial for the rest of your life."

"Don't think achieving a young level in five days is so difficult. Cultivating martial arts is like sailing against the current; it always requires fighting for each step.

One step faster, and you're faster at every step. If you don't have the talent, you can't blame anyone but yourself for losing a great opportunity."

"Of course, even if you miss this chance. If you make contributions in the future, you can still receive guidance and learn the sword techniques."

Despite his unsightly appearance and bulky frame, Big Mouth Wei was far from being a crude man.

He knew how to entice with grand promises and play games...

Beating with one hand and offering sweets with the other was a trick he was very adept at.

He was also particularly vengeful and extremely stingy.

Practically born to be the lackey of a capitalist.

"Buzz..."

A murmur rose around them.

These were not newcomers; everyone knew that the Lin Family's renowned Wave Subduing Blade Technique had a formidable reputation in the Jianghu.

And the prerequisite sword technique to the Wave Subduing Blade was the Chopping Wave Knife.

With nine cleaves in Chopping Wave Knife, each move was aggressive, without any retreat, reputedly able to leave a mark on water and unmatched in combat ferocity on the battlefield.

Protectorate Leader Lin Ziqi, a son born to the Lin Family, had mastered the Chopping Wave Knife to perfection and earned the nickname "Wave-Breaking Sword."

Slicing both men and horses in two with a single strike.

His combat prowess was renowned in Qingyang City, marking him as a famed expert.

Being personally taught the sword techniques and Jin Operating Technique by him was indeed "a rare opportunity."

...

Soon enough, the Guardian House Servants formed small groups, exchanging insights with each other.

And they watched each other like they were guarding against thieves.

As expected, nobody bothered with Zhou Ping'an, even though he was a First-Rank Guardian.

Flattering the high and stepping on the low...

In any era, this is the nature of the workplace, without any exception.

Zhou Ping'an smiled and shook his head.

Of course, he had no intention of joining them and making an unwanted fuss; he was merely curious as to why Tang Lin'er wasn't continuing her pleas around Wei Dazui today or enduring more scolding.

She also wasn't demonstrating her skill at socializing, failing to mingle well with the house servants and guardians.

Passing by the Central Courtyard, he glanced unintentionally and saw the figure of Tang Lin'er beneath a large ginkgo tree.

There was someone standing next to her, someone very familiar.

It was the Protectorate Leader, Lin Ziqi.