Chapter 129: The Astonishing Effects of Breath Regulation

A beam of pure white light erupted from the codex and vanished into the void.

"Transfer complete."

Lin Lei closed the *Codex of the Ancient Elven King* and turned to look at the royal mages outside his window. He had told them to go to sleep, but few seemed to have listened.

"Come in, all of you," Lin Lei called out. He reopened the codex; once opened and closed, the coded text within remained imprinted, provided the codex’s magic held out. Lin Lei traced his right hand across the page, and glowing, tadpole-like runes rose from the codex and surged into his body.

The "Sunny Breeze and Clear Skies" technique was complete. It was a Tier 0 spell that consumed almost no mana, perfect for Lin Lei to teach to every royal mage present.

The mages entered, queuing up one by one to receive the baptism of text from Lin Lei. As the spell entered their minds, they grasped how it functioned. It was not an offensive spell; it appeared only to accelerate the circulation of internal energy (Qi) within the body. Upon realizing this, the mages were disappointed. It was indeed merely a breathing exercise, nothing to get excited about.

After finishing the final input, Lin Lei closed the codex. "I have taught you the spell, but beyond that, I have a set of movements that can further speed up your cultivation. Sitting still to meditate is bad for the body; if you need them, come find me..."

"Yes, yes, of course." The mages brushed him off. Since it was just a breathing technique, a little extra speed wouldn't make much difference to them.

They left Lin Lei’s room. Though their interest was low, since it was a new spell, most decided to give it a try.

Once they were gone, Lin Lei sat cross-legged on his bed, hands resting flat, and began to run the Sunny Breeze and Clear Skies technique. At higher levels, this spell could convert massive amounts of mana at once. Lin Lei, however, had no mana, so he had no use for that function. He intended to use it for genuine cultivation, drastically increasing the speed at which he absorbed external Qi. This required a high degree of control and affinity, something the Lin Lei of yesterday could never have achieved, but for the current Lin Lei, it was no problem. His will and the Holy Light had fused into one; with a single thought, he could guide the light to do anything.

Lin Lei began to cultivate in silence. Golden radiance flowed from within his body, and the surrounding air gradually grew dense with golden energy.

"The scent of Holy Light!" The human paladins sensed the aura and began to gather.

At the same time, the royal mages who were practicing were already losing their composure.

"Good heavens, it’s so fast!"

The moment they activated the Sunny Breeze and Clear Skies technique, the Qi throughout their bodies began to flow with astonishing efficiency. Under this high-speed circulation, their mana began to convert into Qi at a rate several times faster than their previous cultivation speed.

"Three times... no... four times!"

"It might be more than ten times faster!"

The mages could clearly feel the tiny strands of Qi in their bodies growing stronger. The mana that once took a full day to convert could now be processed in a single hour. This wasn't just a breathing exercise—it was a true cultivation method!

Doors in the inn flew open as several excited mages ran out. Those who had been near a breakthrough threshold had already ascended.

"Damn it, I leveled up! I'm at level two!"

"I'm at level three! A real, true level three!"

Even a minor improvement in cultivation brought these mages immense joy. They used spells to probe the changes in their bodies.

"My old scars seem to have vanished!"

"Haha, my eyesight has returned to how it was half a year ago!"

They discovered subtle changes in their physiques. They had even invented specific magic to detect such improvements when they first began their cultivation journey. Every time they crossed a level, their aging bodies could recover some vitality. At this rate, if they continued long-term, it was not impossible to regain their youth. The mages trembled, feeling their bodies grow stronger.

"A cultivation method—this really is an internal martial arts technique!"

The mages were ecstatic. They couldn't wait to continue practicing, but they remembered Lin Lei mentioning that the movements would make it even faster. If the conversion rate was already ten times faster than before, adding the movements would be incredible.

"Quick, find His Highness!"

The mages rushed toward Lin Lei’s room, desperate to level up again. However, they found a group of human paladins blocking the doorway, all staring intently inside.

"What's going on?"

The mages were soon just as shocked by the scene within. Through the open door, they saw that Lin Lei’s room was filled with a brilliant golden light, so intense that they couldn't even see his silhouette.

Massive amounts of energy were flooding into the room from every direction. Endless Holy Light swirled like a rainbow, churning like clouds and mist. Everyone stood dumbfounded, speechless, staring blankly at the spectacle.

With a sudden "Boom," the golden light erupted, and a wave of mist swept out, brushing past the onlookers before dissipating into golden dust.

"Holy Light!" The human paladins dropped to one knee, basking in the baptism of the energy.

The mages rushed into the room, only to find Lin Lei coughing up blood.

"Cough, cough..." Lin Lei spat out some blood and raised a hand to stop the mages from casting healing spells. "I'm fine. It was just my first time running this technique, and the energy I drew in exceeded my limit."

The injuries within him healed rapidly under the nourishment of the Holy Light. The light granted him powerful recovery abilities; he vaguely felt that his healing speed would not lose to a Night Elf. He looked at the mages. "Why are you here?"

"We want the complete technique!" the mages said excitedly.

By evening, the royal mages were diligently practicing the Sunny Breeze and Clear Skies technique in front of the inn.

"Haha, it’s truly fast! The little Highness was right—adding the movements makes the Qi circulate even faster!"

"I am going to reach level four today!"

The mages were fired up, though one mage frowned slightly. "Why do I feel like something is a bit off..."

"What could be wrong? It exercises the body and improves cultivation; what more could you want?"

"Exactly, don't waste the little Highness's good intentions!"

The other mages scolded him. The mage thought about it and decided they were right. He had spent his life sitting still and ruined his health; why complain now that there was a healthy way to cultivate? He went back to practicing.

"Section seven, jumping jacks."

"One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four..."