Based on Chen Chuan’s decision, the three of them didn’t linger at the test site. They drove away and returned to the area outside the wire fence.

Chen Chuan got out of the car and decided to intensify his training, starting from here.

To increase the difficulty, he didn’t choose the route he had taken before, instead picking an unfamiliar area.

He even asked He Xiaoxing about some of the more dangerous areas. However, their danger was only relative; no matter what, they couldn’t compare to the waters beneath the test site.

After preparing himself, he entered the water. But he didn’t immediately start swimming underwater; instead, he first sat at the bottom of the pit for two Hours.

’Honestly, if it were just a matter of sitting still here,’ he thought, ’as long as I can overcome the psychological pressure of the confinement and my Mutated Organization can hold out, I’d have no problem lasting for the better part of a day.’

So, this wasn’t just sitting. It was an exercise in unleashing his emotions and then bringing them back under control. He chose this training spot specifically to increase the difficulty and strengthen his self-control.

After that, he finally began his underwater swim.

He no longer stuck to the one-Hour time limit, instead extending the duration and only getting out right when he felt he was about to reach his limit.

He ate something on the shore, took a short ten-minute break, and then plunged right back in.

Chang Ba, who was reading a comic book nearby, had barely even processed what happened.

Chen Chuan repeated this underwater swimming throughout the day, using this method to stimulate his Mutated Organization. He continued this routine every day that followed.

The shortened rest periods, coupled with a full day of training, meant the intensity was on a completely different level than before. He was quite exhausted for the first few days. Every day after returning, he would wash up quickly, crash into bed, and then wake up in the early morning to do it all over again.

Perhaps because he had a goal driving him, his Mutated Organization understood his desperate need and actively responded, cooperating with his efforts. Thus, after a mere five or six days, he gradually adapted to this pace.

By now, it was mid-July. He could feel that the ethereal aftereffects from killing the Mountain Ghost had completely vanished, which meant it was time to start using the medicine he had brought.

In fact, he had no intention of bringing any of the medicine he brought back with him; he was prepared to use it all before returning. He roughly calculated that at his current rate of consumption, it should last him for over half a month with no problem.

After ten consecutive days of training, he could clearly feel that he had made progress. He told He Xiaoxing he intended to try again, and so they came to the test site for a second time.

Chang Ba also watched with anticipation, eager to see if Chen Chuan could actually succeed this time.

Chen Chuan fixed his gaze on the pit not far ahead. As was his custom, he chose a different entrance this time. He still had no idea what he would encounter inside.

’But none of that matters,’ he thought. ’I only know I will do everything in my power to achieve the goal I’ve set for myself. If I fail, I’ll just train harder and try again.’

He stretched his body, then leaped into the water. His form was graceful and natural; just from that one motion, a discerning eye could tell he was far more confident and powerful than before.

Chang Ba rested his hands on his knees and craned his neck to look into the pit. Since most of the tags would be bitten through, it was impossible to gauge his progress by watching for shaking ropes. They would only know how many he’d hit after Chen Chuan surfaced and called out the tag numbers he had touched. All he could do now was wait.

Then he suddenly remembered that Chen Chuan hadn’t eaten any grilled fish before diving in this time. ’This means he can’t use the toxins to ward off the schools of fish,’ he realized. ’That’s bound to make it much harder.’

After waiting for a little while, he pulled out a comic book and started flipping through it to pass the time. But soon after, he noticed He Xiaoxing pacing quickly around the edge of the pit, tossing in a new tag every few moments.

His spirits lifted at the sight. After all, if Chen Chuan wasn’t reaching the tags, there would be no reason for He Xiaoxing to throw them in one by one.

’The standard is twelve tags in one Hour,’ he calculated. ’That averages out to one tag every five minutes. But the complex terrain and dangerous environment down there will slow him down. Plus, Chen Chuan can’t cut it too close to the deadline; he has to leave a safety margin and surface early. That means his actual working time is even shorter.’

’Is that really possible?’

The seconds and minutes ticked by. Chang Ba checked the time—fifty-six minutes had already passed. If Chen Chuan didn’t surface soon, he would exceed the time limit. Even if he got enough tags, it would still count as a failure.

Another two minutes passed. Just as the one-Hour mark was about to arrive, a loud SPLASH erupted. Several large fish suddenly flew out of one of the pits, flopping wildly on the ground. Then, Chen Chuan burst from the water’s surface. With a single hand on the edge for leverage, he propelled his entire body upward and out.

Chang Ba shot to his feet, hurried over, and asked, "Brother Chen, how was it?"

Chen Chuan regulated his breathing, then listed the numbers of the tags he had touched one by one. In total, it came to exactly twelve.

Chang Ba’s eyes widened, and he turned to look at He Xiaoxing.

He Xiaoxing looked at Chen Chuan and said slowly, "If the goal you set for yourself was twelve tags, then you have passed."

Chang Ba couldn’t help but turn his gaze back to Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "You aim for the best to get something good, and aim for something good to get something mediocre. My initial goal was fifteen tags. It seems I still fell short."

The main reason he was so fast this time was that he had used different techniques to handle the various fish, saving him a lot of time moving between points.

For example, once he understood the movement patterns of the hard-headed green fish, he could quickly avoid them. And for those entangling aquatic plants, the instant he detected them, he would use the water currents or Soft Power to push them away.

Then there were the clams that hid sneakily in the corners. They were the most difficult to guard against, but knowing about them beforehand made them much easier to handle. Now, the moment he found one, he would act before it could fully snap shut, first finding a way to brace one side of the shell, and then in an instant, erupt with all his strength to shatter the other side with a punch or a kick.

As long as he wasn’t facing a school of hundreds or thousands of fish, everything else was quite manageable.

He had gotten exactly twelve tags, but he wasn’t actually satisfied with this result. He felt he still had room to improve and could do even better.

Chang Ba, however, couldn’t contain his excitement. "That’s more than enough! Twelve tags! Brother Chen, do you know? No Fighter at your stage has ever accomplished something like this before." He thumped his chest, making it ring. THUMP! THUMP! "I, Chang Ba, am a man of my word. From now on, your stays at Chang’s Inn are completely free of charge!"

Chen Chuan laughed. "In that case, I’ll take you up on that."

Just then, He Xiaoxing said in a deep voice, "Chen Chuan, follow me." With that, he began walking in a specific direction.

Chen Chuan’s expression flickered. ’It seems He Xiaoxing has something to say to me.’ He called out a farewell to Chang Ba and strode to catch up.

The two walked for over a mile until they reached a high point in the terrain. No one else was around, only the great wind gusting endlessly across the desert. In the distance, the long shadow of a mountain range lay on the horizon. Behind them was Dan Lake, its waters like scattered droplets of blood.

He Xiaoxing stood there watching for a moment before speaking to Chen Chuan, who had come up behind him. "I’ve told you before that at your current stage, there’s no need to focus too much on combat techniques. Strength and speed are the priorities."

Chen Chuan said, "Yes, Teacher He. I believe so as well."

He Xiaoxing turned to face him and said in a grave voice, "Strength and speed are both driven by the body’s foundation. The stronger the body, the more of both you can unleash. Today, I will teach you the ’Furnace Breathing Method.’ It is an achievement of our Pure Sect, one of our secret Breathing Techniques used to combat the methods of other factions."

"This Breathing Technique delves deep to meticulously draw out the power of the Mutated Organization. It can store your excess daily Energy within your Mutated Organization and then, when necessary, release it like burning firewood, providing a Fighter with immense combat power."

"The Furnace Breathing Method has very high physical requirements for a Fighter. If an ordinary Fighter tries to practice it forcibly, they will only injure themselves. But since you have reached the standard I set for you, it proves your physique has met the minimum threshold to handle this Breathing Technique."

Chen Chuan had vaguely sensed it before. Although he seemed to have entered the final stage of his training, He Xiaoxing was perhaps holding something back. This wasn’t because his teacher was being selfish with his knowledge, but most likely because Chen Chuan himself hadn’t yet met the necessary requirements.

Now, after this explanation, he realized that retrieving twelve tags in those waters really did represent a certain benchmark.

He Xiaoxing then reached out and placed a hand on Chen Chuan’s shoulder. In a deep voice, he said, "Feel my breathing carefully and memorize the rhythm of its every cycle. I will only teach this once."

Chen Chuan immediately focused his mind and nodded earnestly.

He then felt an immense heat suddenly rise from He Xiaoxing’s body, like a roaring furnace. At the same time, the Mutated Organization within his own body seemed to resonate, stirring to life in time with a specific rhythm. He could even feel his own physical breathing being pulled along with it.

’This is a secret Breathing Technique that integrates both external and internal respiration,’ he realized.

He didn’t dare allow his concentration to waver in the slightest. He carefully memorized the breathing rhythms, immersing himself mind and body, completely oblivious to the world around him.

After a long time, He Xiaoxing released his hand, and the heat from his body subsided.

Chen Chuan took a moment to process what he’d learned. This Breathing Technique was more complex than any he had ever encountered before. Most of its functions were internal, operating within his tissues, and the required control was incredibly intricate.

However, after all the training he’d been through, his Mutated Organization seemed to have developed an ability to automatically memorize things it desperately needed. And so, he had committed the entire thing to memory after just one demonstration. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He Xiaoxing said, "When you return, I will give you a manual that will explain some of the finer details you need to be aware of. But remember, learning something is just that—learning. To transform it into true combat power, you will need more battles, and more opponents to help you fully internalize it."

Chen Chuan smiled, his eyes clear and bright, as if glowing. "Teacher He, I think when I go back this time, opponents are the one thing I won’t be lacking."

He Xiaoxing gazed at him for a moment before saying slowly, "Chen, this concludes the training I have arranged for you. You can go back now. If you’d rather stay, that is also your choice."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then looked up at him. "Teacher He, about those waters... before I decide to leave, I want to try one more time!"

He Xiaoxing considered this, then nodded. "Alright."

...

...