Success

Breathing.

Such a strange and wondrous sensation—to finally become the absolute master of one’s body, aware of every part with crystal clarity.

Su Xuan lingered in that dreamlike state, carefully savoring the feeling.

“Looks like it’s time to up the dosage. This kid… really has talent!”

Zhang Heng munched on watermelon, then pulled a remote control out of his lab coat pocket.

Su Xuan could never have guessed—that ghostly electric shock earlier had been triggered by Zhang Heng’s control.

“Heh~”

Zhang Heng grinned wickedly, twisted a certain spiral switch toward the Max setting, and pressed the red button.

“Zzzzt—”

The black lever lit up with a flicker of azure, lightning like a venomous serpent lunging viciously into Su Xuan’s body.

“Ugh—”

The sudden surge of electricity threw his breathing rhythm into chaos.

Cells that had been working in perfect order now scrambled in confusion.

On the outside, Su Xuan’s body gave a sudden shudder.

‘Don’t panic. Stay in control!’

He quickly forced down the trembling.

Riding that strange new sensation, he could distinctly feel the rippling electrical current under his feet.

The cells in his soles began frantically breaking down the nengzi stored within them, converting it into a special energy that shielded the cells,
effectively blocking the lightning’s intrusion.

But to resist the shocks, Su Xuan had to halt his steps.

In the haze, a voice came.

“Remember this feeling!”

It was Coach Zhang Heng’s voice.

If the electric shock couldn’t shake Su Xuan’s body, a mere sound was nothing.

Remember this feeling… this feeling…

Breath… breakdown… energy… control…

It was as if they had become a single whole— yet it was not something Su Xuan could easily grasp.

It had formed only under these extreme conditions, and he knew he had to seize this rare chance to truly understand what it meant to control energy.

The current rose gradually, creeping up from the soles toward the rest of him.

His consciousness directed the cells along the way to break down nengzi in turn.

Meridians began to circulate, energy chambers throbbed, countless nengzi transformed into energy, neutralizing the electric shock, shielding the cells.

In the process, vast amounts of soul matter seeped into the tightly operating system, binding with the nengzi to strengthen the cells even further.

His skin became more delicate.

The abs on his stomach faded away, replaced by a graceful waistline and tight, shapely lines of muscle—natural beauty in perfect form.

The cells in his chest, as if obeying a command they had never before received, began their work.

Head to toe, his body grew stronger, evolving—hidden injuries, bacteria… all wiped away.

Su Xuan had taken another major step toward his original form.

But he knew—he still hadn’t truly mastered energy control.

He was just a fraction short.

The lightning’s power was now faint, almost intangible, meaning its effect on him had nearly vanished.

“Can’t it be just a bit stronger?”

A tinge of disappointment crept in.

If the voltage were higher, maybe—just maybe—he could master it outright.

Still, it was already an incredible gain.

Within this mystical sensation, Su Xuan felt he had learned much.

Under the lightning’s strike, his reflexes had forged an adaptive countermeasure.

But once the lightning ceased, it was like hydrogen peroxide without manganese dioxide—no vigorous reaction.

That meant he still lacked true energy control, which was the ability to break down nengzi into energy no matter the environment.

At least he was now firmly on the path of breathing mastery.

The beginning was the hardest part—but now that he’d found the path, everything ahead was negotiable.

Step by step, he moved forward.

Lungs and heart throbbed.

Blood and nengzi currents flowed in unison.

“Good man… truly a genius.”

The watermelon was gone.

But compared to that flawless figure, it was Su Xuan’s talent and composure that most impressed Zhang Heng.

Play was play, jokes were jokes—a student’s body mustn’t be harmed.

But when it came to combat, he would teach and train without holding back.

As a retired frontline soldier, he had suffered irreparable wounds in one battle.

After returning to the city, he accepted an invitation to the Jun Cheng training facility.

He had seen many students—some gifted but lacking discipline, others steadfast but with only average talent.

Rarely did he meet one worthy of his full effort.

Could this boy be that one?

On the steel wire, Su Xuan walked as though on a broad avenue, turning corners with ease.

In less than a minute, he had completed the entire course.

“Not bad!”

Zhang Heng clapped with a smile.

“Now, try clearing it in one go. It’s already eleven-thirty. Finish before twelve, and I’ll take you out for something delicious~”

A sly smile flickered across his face.

Inwardly, he was giddy—

It really is delicious~

“Half an hour, huh?”

Even after walking one round, that didn’t mean he could sprint fifty meters in under ten seconds with the inflatable vest on.

The vest would fully inflate in five seconds, its massive pressure restricting his breathing.

Ten seconds to finish meant he would have to run like the wind while maintaining absolute stability.

Every breath had to be used to the fullest—not a wisp of air wasted.

Every cell had to work in perfect harmony to unleash explosive speed without losing balance.

“Huff… huff…”

Su Xuan closed his eyes, seeking again that mystical state from earlier, sensing every tissue, every organ, every cell.

With each breath—energy leapt, muscle cells contracted and stretched…

“Let’s begin.”

He strapped on the inflatable vest, that bewitching face now set with steely resolve.

From the side, the charm in his profile made the seasoned Zhang Heng’s heart skip a beat.

Zhang Heng touched his nose, silently calling him a little demon.

Thinking of his wife at home, he realized tonight would likely be another busy night.

Damn…maybe after training Su Xuan, I’ll be adding another mouth to feed at home.

“Shhh—”

The vest inflated rapidly, air hissing in.

Pressure mounted against his chest, less and less air reaching his lungs.

Thud—

He fell.

“Again!”

Zhang Heng’s voice shook, urging him to get up quickly.

Thud—

“Keep going!”

Thud, thud—

“Harder!!”

Thud, thud, thud—

“Move! Don’t stop!!!”

Each attempt was faster—and harder.

Control of breath, regulation of nengzi breakdown—failure after failure, but each time his experience grew, his mind sharper.

“Breath… energy… distribution…”

Su Xuan murmured, exhaling invisible air, his consciousness diving into every key point in his body.

His eyes opened, a bright gleam flashing within.

In the still room, a small breeze suddenly rose, fluttering the hem of Zhang Heng’s coat…

Su Xuan moved like the wind, flying across the impossibly narrow wire.