Translator: CinderTL
Could a single burst of perfectly integrated Knight's Breathing Technique and sword technique really unleash such devastating power?
Roland stepped forward to examine the shattered wooden stake, his tongue clicking in astonishment.
"This force... it's almost comparable to the combat technique 'Momentum Slash'! What if I were to combine the breathing technique with 'Momentum Slash'?"
The thought sent a surge of excitement through Roland.
Moreover, during the breathing technique's activation, he had sensed something unusual.
Any action performed while the breathing technique was active didn't just enhance his strength—it also boosted his agility!
This meant that once he mastered the technique and seamlessly integrated it into combat, his overall strength would skyrocket.
But after a moment, Roland was forced to face reality, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Just standing still and trying to apply the breathing technique while swinging my sword nearly exhausted my mental energy. Even then, the success rate was abysmal. If I were to try this in a real battle..."
He pictured the relentless attacks of an enemy.
"The enemy won't give me a moment's respite, let alone allow me to simultaneously circulate the breathing technique and execute combat techniques..."
Though he understood the difficulty, Roland felt little frustration or disappointment. After all, he had only obtained the breathing technique a few days ago. To have integrated it into his daily training so quickly was already a significant achievement. He firmly believed that with enough time, mastering the breathing technique in combat would come naturally.
With this thought, Roland exhaled deeply, rested briefly to recover some stamina and spirit, and moved to another training post.
Just as he was about to lift his iron sword to resume practice, heavy footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a gruff voice.
"Whoa! Not bad, kid!"
Roland turned to see a mountain-like figure slowly approaching. Leather boots thudded heavily against the ground. As the figure drew closer, Roland squinted, finally making out the face.
"Dean Graham?"
The newcomer was none other than the Knight Academy Dean, Graham.
Compared to Roland's first encounter with him, the formidable Dean seemed to have changed.
His physique remained as massive as a mountain, but his back was slightly hunched.
His already somewhat disheveled hair was now a tangled mess, and the heavy stench of alcohol filled the air. Even his thick beard bore a few lingering droplets of liquor.
An aura of decay and despondency enveloped his entire being.
"Gulp... gulp..."
With each swallow of liquor, Graham casually wiped the alcohol from his chin and walked over to the wooden stump Roland had just cleaved. He bent down to examine it closely.
After a moment, he turned back, a flicker of surprise in his cloudy eyes.
"Kid... you've already mastered the Knight's Breathing Technique?"
Roland nodded lightly. The renowned Knight Academy Dean of the River Domain Nations then lumbered towards him, his massive frame completely blocking out the sunlight.
He scrutinized Roland from head to toe, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Old Nielsen only taught you the Knight's Breathing Technique a few days ago? Not only have you mastered it..."
His thick fingers pointed to a solid wooden post snapped in two.
"You can use Battle Qi, even if only in a rudimentary way?"
As he looked at Roland's youthful face, a hint of barely perceptible melancholy flickered in Graham's eyes.
"Who would have thought... that Colin would actually unearth such a gem for the Academy..."
However, Roland didn't bask in Graham's praise. Instead, he keenly seized upon a key term in the Dean's words: Battle Qi.
"Dean Graham..."
Seeing that the Dean was no longer as aggressive as when they first met, Roland relaxed slightly, bowed his head, and asked, "The 'Battle Qi' you mentioned earlier..."
"It's the strange flow of energy you felt while practicing the breathing technique..."
Seemingly moved by Roland's talent, Graham didn't brush him off. Instead, he patiently explained, a rare display of patience.
"Different regions have different names for this power—Qi Sensation, Battle Qi, War Qi, and so on—but they're all fundamentally the same thing."
Roland nodded in understanding, then pressed further, "So, Dean, how exactly is this... energy flow created?"
While practicing the Knight's Breathing Technique, Roland had harbored doubts about the "Qi Sensation" described in the parchment scroll.
He knew he was in a different world, where many natural laws from his previous life might no longer apply.
Yet, based on his observations, even performing supernatural tricks required drawing upon free-floating Magic Elements from the air and converting them.
This at least suggested that some form of energy conservation likely still held true in this world.
However...
Recalling the details of his breathing technique practice, Roland frowned deeply.
He could clearly sense that the energy flow known as "Qi Sensation" overwhelmingly originated from within his own body, spontaneously surging forth as the breathing technique cycled.
Only a tiny fraction seemed to derive from some external, indescribable force.
This contradictory phenomenon left him utterly perplexed.
Hearing Roland's question, Graham tilted his head back and took a long swig of wine.
As an unusually pungent aroma filled the air, the Knight Academy Dean clapped Roland heavily on the shoulder with his thick palm.
"Boy, the Battle Qi generated by the breathing technique comes from within you."
Seeing the confusion in Roland's eyes, Graham elaborated further.
"The process of cultivating the Knight's Breathing Technique is essentially about tapping into your body's potential. Therefore, those with stronger physical constitutions find it easier to succeed and can unleash greater power."
Tapping into your body's potential...
Roland chewed on the words, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. He snapped his head up and slowly said, "Dean Graham, are you suggesting that cultivating the Knight's Breathing Technique is actually... draining one's body?"
"Precisely!"
Seeing Roland grasp the core concept instantly, Graham nodded approvingly, a hint of gravity in his eyes.
"That's why a standard knight typically reaches their peak around forty to fifty years old. After that, their strength declines rapidly. The more powerful the knight, the more abrupt the decline tends to be. Their lifespans... are often shorter as well."
Trading life for power...
Is this the price of extraordinary power?
Roland pondered Graham's words, but a sudden thought made him shake his head almost imperceptibly.
No!
If what Graham says is true, then... how do we explain Monen's case?
As far as he knew, the King of the Golden Valley Empire was nearly a century old, yet both his spirit and physique remained remarkably robust.
Even after the Blood Moon Rebellion had ended, when he held a military parade to reassure the populace, his age had long surpassed the generally accepted peak period for knights.
Yet according to Bronson's account, Monen's casual strike during the parade still possessed the power of a fourth-circle spell cast by a wizard.
Thinking of this, Roland immediately blurted out the question that had been on his mind.
Dean Graham fell silent for a moment, a flicker of barely perceptible envy flashing in his cloudy eyes. Then, he spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a complex emotion.
"That... is an exception. As far as I know, there are a few others like that, but..."
The Knight Academy Dean shook his head slowly, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"My Knight's Breathing Technique is far from reaching that level, so I can't give you a definitive answer to your question."
He paused, his cloudy eyes gazing into the distance, as if lost in thought or recalling a memory.
"But my guess is that this extraordinary phenomenon isn't related to the type of breathing technique practiced. It's more like... a manifestation of a certain... transformation that occurs when a breathing technique is honed to its absolute limit."
(End of the Chapter)
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