Within the shimmering golden arcs of light, Luochuan took a deep breath, attempting to steadily accept the new energy about to flood his body. In an instant, his consciousness felt as though it had sunk into a world of thunder and lightning. He could clearly feel the blood and qi within him surging violently, as if struck by a lightning bolt.
The once calmly flowing blood became jumpy, dancing in his veins like lively flames. Luochuan's body began to vibrate slightly and uncontrollably, like a tightened lute string being plucked, creating a subtle resonance. Each vibration gathered energy, weaving scattered sparks into a net of lightning that covered his skin. Golden light leaked from his eyes, mouth, and even his pores, illuminating the surrounding air.
Once the fusion ended, Luochuan's muscles became tougher and his bones felt as if they had been refined by lightning. Exhaling a long-held breath, he looked up.
"Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rice Spirit!"
The lightning energy within him rushed along his meridians like triggered explosives, converging on the long sword in his hand. Golden arcs spread across the blade like living things, and the air around the edge began to warp under the intense energy. With a slight shift of his feet, Luochuan turned into an afterimage, reaching the old man in the blink of an eye.
He swung the lightning-shrouded blade. As the sword descended with a thunderous roar toward the astonished old man, it seemed as if time itself had frozen. The old man calmly dodged the first strike, but the remaining four consecutive hits of Rice Spirit followed immediately. The old man's figure flickered through the sparks; none of the four strikes could touch him.
Finishing the form, Luochuan stood panting. Using two forms in succession was still somewhat taxing at his current strength level.
"Luochuan, this epiphany of yours..." the old man's voice trembled. He had thought Luochuan only mastered the First Form, but the proficiency of the Second Form truly shocked him. Luochuan's mastery was no less than his own—and he had practiced for decades. Glancing at a scorched mark on his sleeve, the old man felt his throat go dry; he had nearly been struck by a mere Mizunoto.
Ding!
[Detected: Intimacy between Jigoro Kuwajima and Host has increased to "Close Friend."]
[One random reward obtained.]
[Skill: Total Concentration: Constant (Proficient)]
[Would you like to fuse the skill?]
No. Luochuan looked at the old man in surprise. Could fighting the old man actually increase intimacy? Then he definitely had to show off the Fifth Form.
"Are you... as proficient in the other forms as you are in the Second?" the old man asked after a silence.
Luochuan scratched his head. "I've only felt a bottleneck with the Second and Fifth forms; I haven't reached that with the others yet". Hearing this, the old man actually felt relieved; it would have been too terrifying if Luochuan had mastered the entire system in one epiphany.
"Rest first. Training starts this afternoon," the old man said, hobbling out with his cane. As soon as he exited, he vanished—his prosthetic leg didn't seem to hinder him at all. Luochuan knew the old man was going to catch Zenitsu again. He took this chance to fuse the Fifth Form and Total Concentration: Constant.
[Fusing Skill: Thunder Breathing, Fifth Form—Heat Lightning]
Compared to the Second Form, the fusion of the Fifth Form involved more significant changes to the body's meridians and the usage of lightning. Once finished, Luochuan pointed his sword toward the distance.
"Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!"
A visible heatwave formed around him, and the ground began to crack from the high temperature. The sword became like a red-hot iron bar wrapped in suffocating lightning energy. With a low shout, a mass of golden electricity erupted from the tip. It wasn't a single line, but a sphere of lightning that swallowed the air and grew larger, turning the courtyard into a scorched landscape.
[Fusing Skill: Total Concentration: Constant]
This fusion was more of a conceptual infusion. Afterward, Luochuan instinctively began practicing the breathing method in his mind. Each breath was deep and rhythmic, like the tides. He felt his blood surging like a river, carrying oxygen and nutrients to every corner of his body. An invisible fire seemed to ignite within him, and his temperature rose steadily. He focused on the rhythm, allowing the power to grow without losing control.
After an unknown amount of time, Luochuan slowly opened his eyes.