Jiang Chen returned home after dark, changed his shoes at the entrance, and then went upstairs.
The light in the hallway was dim and flickering, as if it could go out at any moment, giving him an inexplicable sense of unease.
He walked into his room, turned on the light, and the familiar room layout came into view, but for some reason, tonight felt a little different. He casually threw his backpack on the desk, and just as he was about to sit down, his peripheral vision caught sight of something by the wardrobe. Instantly, boundless fear engulfed him like a tide, making him unable to even utter a sound.
By the wardrobe, a fellow with a face that shattered one's perception of beauty was squatting. Twisted wisps of smoke emanated around it, yet it exuded a chilling sense of physicality. Jiang Chen's heart pounded violently, as if it would burst from his chest.
He stared at the eerie being, his feet seemingly nailed to the floor, unable to move an inch. The eerie being slowly twisted, as if it had noticed Jiang Chen's gaze, and began to float slowly towards him. With each step closer, Jiang Chen felt the surrounding air grow colder, the chill creeping up his spine.
When it came beside him, Jiang Chen felt as if he could smell a distorted, putrid stench emanating from it, almost making him vomit.
“Can you see me?” The terrifying head of the eerie being asked him.
“Host, ignore it,” the system's urgent voice suddenly echoed in Jiang Yang's mind.
Upon hearing the system's voice, Jiang Yang immediately reacted, adjusted his mindset, rubbed his eyes with both hands, and muttered to himself, “I'm so tired. After a day of classes, my eyes are almost fatigued. I'll change my clothes first.” With that, Jiang Yang walked to the wardrobe, took out the clothes he wore at home, changed them in front of the eerie being, and sat on the bed, tapping away on his phone.
Seeing that Jiang Chen did not answer its question, the eerie being returned to squatting by the wardrobe, muttering, “Cannot see… cannot see.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was conversing with the system in his mind. “System, what's going on? Why can I see these things again? Do I have yin-yang eyes now too?”
System: “That's not it, Host. It should be that your cultivation made some progress yesterday, and the energy in your body is transforming your physical body, which is why you can see these things again today. You might not see them later.”
“Oh, I almost screamed just now. It was too terrifying.”
After a long while, when Jiang Chen finally mustered the courage to glance cautiously at the wardrobe, he found that the eerie being squatting beside it had vanished without a trace. He gasped for breath, his back already soaked with sweat.
In Jiang Chen's opinion, before gaining power, he had no desire to encounter these “eerie beings.” The feeling of not having control over his own life was truly terrible. The fear of being devoured by unknown forces at any moment was like a shadow, keeping every nerve taut.
It took a while for Jiang Chen to slowly recover from the fright. He knew that he couldn't continue like this. If he wanted to survive in this crisis-ridden world, he had to work hard to improve his strength.
“After the skills are upgraded, I'll go conquer the secret realm, and then when I come back, I must grind that Female Ghoul to dust. Otherwise, I won't forgive today's fright.” Jiang Chen gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, his eyes filled with resentment. The experience in the room just now was truly horrifying. That Female Ghoul seemed to have emerged from endless darkness, carrying a chilling, eerie aura that almost took his life.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The most urgent task now was to quickly improve his skills. Jiang Yang knew that in this dangerous and unknown world, without strong enough power, he would not be able to protect himself.
Jiang Chen got up from the bed, almost falling to his knees. “Damn it, my legs are weak.”
Jiang Chen steadied himself, gritted his teeth, and cursed his own unpromising appearance. He slowly moved his legs, trying to restore some strength to his weak muscles.
After a while, he adjusted and then went downstairs to prepare dinner.
Jiang Chen walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and his gaze swept over the ingredients inside. There wasn't much in the refrigerator; a few withered green vegetables lay in the corner, and a piece of meat was frozen solid. He sighed helplessly, it seemed he would have to make do with something simple today.
He took out the green vegetables, washed them carefully, and then painstakingly put the frozen meat in warm water to thaw. While waiting, Jiang Yang turned on the stove, and a blue flame “poof” shot out, illuminating his slightly tired face.
He sliced the thawed meat thinly. The oil in the pan heated up, and with a “sizzle,” the meat slices went into the pan, instantly releasing an aroma. Jiang Chen skillfully stir-fried, added seasonings, and then added the green vegetables to stir-fry together. Soon, a simple stir-fried meat over rice was ready.
Carrying the steaming hot meal, Jiang Chen came to the dining table and sat down. He picked up his chopsticks, said, “I'm starting,” and quickly finished his dinner.
After washing up, Jiang Chen returned to his room and began his Sun Moon Breathing Method practice for the day.
“Open the system panel, and first retrieve today's AFK experience, System,” Jiang Chen said to the system in his mind.
【Elementary System Panel】 (0 / 10000)
AFK Slot: □ □
Host: Jiang Chen
Source Power: 0
Skills:
1. High School Knowledge (5721 / 10000 Elementary)
2. Cooking (2475 / 10000 Elementary)
3. Network Technology (3129 / 10000 Elementary)
4. Sun Moon Breathing Method (524 / 1000 Beginner)
5. Asura Body Tempering Art (451 / 1000 Beginner)
..............
In three more days, according to the current AFK experience growth rate, his Sun Moon Breathing Method would break through to Elementary.
By then, he would be able to release the energy in his body, and he would definitely punch that Female Ghoul to death.
Now, begin today's breathing method practice.
Jiang Chen slowly sat down cross-legged. He closed his eyes, cast aside all distracting thoughts, and fully immersed his mind in the practice of the Sun Moon Breathing Method.
As his breathing became even and steady, the surrounding air seemed to pulsate with rhythm. Wisps of subtle energy, almost imperceptible, gathered from all directions, slowly seeping into his body through the pores all over him, flowing along the predetermined meridian pathways.
Each breath was like a dialogue with the energy between heaven and earth. When inhaling, energy condensed and settled within his body; when exhaling, impurities were slowly expelled, making his body increasingly light and clear. In this state of deep cultivation, time seemed to lose its importance; he only focused on every subtle change in the energy within his body.
After an unknown amount of time, his forehead gradually became covered with fine beads of sweat, but his expression was incredibly resolute, the burning desire for power supporting his continuous perseverance. Suddenly, his body trembled slightly. The energy that had been flowing smoothly through his meridians seemed to encounter an obstruction and began to become somewhat chaotic.
His heart tightened, knowing this was a bottleneck encountered during cultivation. If he couldn't break through, not only might today's cultivation be in vain, but there was even a possibility of damage to his meridians. But at this moment, he had no intention of retreating; instead, he gritted his teeth, increased his control over his breathing rhythm, and tried to guide the chaotic energy back onto the right track.
In this stalemate with the energy, his consciousness became even clearer. He recalled his previous understanding of the Sun Moon Breathing Method, and those insights that had once flashed through his mind now constantly revolved. Finally, at a certain moment, he seemed to grasp a key. With a thought, the chaotic energy seemed to find its guidance, slowly surging towards the correct direction.
When the last trace of energy smoothly integrated into his power system, he slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with excitement and joy. Although he had not yet reached the level of breaking through to the Elementary Sun Moon Breathing Method, successfully overcoming this bottleneck undoubtedly brought him a step closer to his goal.
He stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff body, and opened the panel. Seeing the breathing method increase from 52 to 574 on the panel, he knew that he had entered a state of breathing method today to have improved so much.
Jiang Chen looked out the window, thinking to himself: Two more days, just two days. Once the Sun Moon Breathing Method breaks through to Elementary, that Female Ghoul in the room will no longer be a threat to him. And in these two days, he must not only continue to solidify the results of today's cultivation but also find ways to improve his strength in other areas to ensure that he is fully prepared when facing the Female Ghoul.
“So, after the breakthrough, I'll first conquer the secret realm, and then eliminate that Female Ghoul,” Jiang Chen planned in his mind.