Chapter 2: [Black Serpent of the Candle] and [Knight Maniac]
The basement of the ancient castle.
A basement chamber that Li Wei had never visited before.
A mechanism stone table slowly emerged from underground.
On it lay an old and aged sheepskin scroll, painted with various crude and casual little figures in crimson paint, with strange postures and varied movements, forming a circle.
Around these little figures was a black-scaled serpent that seemed capable of encircling the entire castle. The serpent had an abstract appearance, spewing venom, and its lower jaw held an ancient candle. The candle's light dispelled the darkness and illuminated all directions.
"This is the ancestral breathing technique of the Snike family: the Black Serpent Breathing Technique. It is the foundation of the Snike family's strength, and the Snike bloodline flowing within you is the key to unlocking all of this."
"This excellent-quality breathing technique is even more precious than the Blackwater Valley itself."
Knight Fredrick spoke with great seriousness.
Li Wei's breathing grew heavy, and he could finally embark on the true path of knight training!
As he knew it, knights categorized breathing techniques into four levels based on their intricacy and growth potential: Shallow, Excellent, Perfect, and Legendary!
Among them, ninety percent of breathing techniques were of shallow quality. Practicing this level of breathing technique, many people spent their entire lives, only being squires without ever stepping into the realm of knights. Entering the ranks of official knights by condensing the "seed of life" was already considered fortunate, and becoming a grand knight was almost impossible, just like the "Serpent Eagle Breathing Technique" that Knight Fredrick practiced.
Of course, breathing techniques of excellent quality were just the stepping stones to becoming a grand knight. To become a grand knight, one needed ninety percent talent, nine percent opportunity, and one percent sweat.
Breathing techniques of perfect quality were probably only possessed by ducal families, and there weren't many of them in the entire kingdom.
As for breathing techniques of legendary quality, they were almost only found in legends and were rarely mentioned.
An important characteristic of breathing techniques above excellent quality was that most family-inherited breathing techniques required the family bloodline to practice them. The specific reasons were not clear even to knights, and these types of breathing techniques were also known as "bloodline breathing techniques" or "secret cultivation methods."
The Black Serpent Breathing Technique was one such bloodline breathing technique, unique to the Snike family!
In history, there had been cases of knights seizing other noble family's inherited breathing techniques for cultivation. The end result was either a lifetime of unremarkable practice or going mad, with blood vessels bursting throughout their body.
Some said that this was a curse from their noble ancestors on those who defiled their family. However, Li Wei wasn't worried about this at all. He was a noble from the start, with pure Snike family blood flowing within him, a "Son of the Black Serpent"!
The Black Serpent Breathing Technique was too precious. Li Wei didn't take it out of the secret chamber but began practicing it with Knight Fredrick's guidance. This lasted for half a month.
During this period, Knight Fredrick accompanied him closely. While he didn't know the Black Serpent Breathing Technique himself, he had a broad knowledge base and was more than capable of guiding Li Wei through the basics.
One day, Li Wei woke up from his unusual posture. Although it seemed like he hadn't engaged in any vigorous exercise, his body was drenched in sweat, his veins were bulging, his face was bright red, and his breathing was rapid.
He felt like his entire blood was boiling, circulating at an extraordinary speed. The energy stored in his body was burning frantically, and an extreme hunger washed over him, making him feel like devouring an entire snow hare.
"Hungry!"
Li Wei uttered like a wild beast, in a low, hoarse voice.
Seeing this, Knight Fredrick was well-prepared and brought him a plate of roasted meat, a bowl of goat milk, a large serving of white bread rolls stuffed with fragrant jam, and some boiled cabbage.
This kind of food combination covers carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins. In fact, in this world, nobles rarely eat vegetables. They consider vegetables grown in the ground to be inferior and food for the poor. However, Li Wei knew the importance of a balanced diet, so he always had his servants prepare meals with both meat and vegetables.
He devoured the food voraciously, and the feeling of hunger disappeared, and his expression relaxed.
This meal he had just eaten was twice the normal amount for an average man, yet he was only eighty percent full.
On his proficiency panel in his mind, new skills had appeared:
Li Wei Snike—————
Black Serpent Breathing Technique: First Stage (1/1000)
…
Based on Li Wei's previous experience, once a skill appeared on the proficiency panel, it meant that he had already reached an introductory level.
The next step was to systematically cultivate it to improve proficiency.
Simultaneously, mastering the breathing technique was also a sign of becoming a knight squire.
"Squire with a Shield, Squire with a Sword, Aspiring Knight."
These were the three apprentice stages before becoming an official knight, collectively referred to as "Knight Squires."
In the Squire with a Shield stage, besides practicing the breathing technique, one also needed to learn the basic use of a shield. Whether you would need a shield later or not, learning to use it effectively was a required skill for a knight.
In the Squire with a Sword stage, one would start learning real sword techniques, not the kind of basic swordsmanship for children.
In this world, what could be called "techniques" were extremely advanced combat skills, requiring years or even decades of consistent practice. They were the most crucial means for knights to enhance their abilities besides the breathing technique. In simple terms, while the breathing technique was an internal martial art technique, advanced weapon usage techniques like swordsmanship were external martial arts.
When one made some progress in the breathing technique, they became an Aspiring Knight. This was a crucial step because the next step was to condense the "Seed of Life."
If successful, one could reach great heights and become a fully-fledged knight who would be invincible on the battlefield. If one failed, trying to condense it again would be exceedingly difficult.
"It seems, young master, that you've already grasped the basics of the Black Serpent Breathing Technique. Although you're a bit slower than your father, who grasped it within three days, you've still reached an above-average level in the history of the Snike family."
"Furthermore, you must have felt that once you truly learn the breathing technique, it consumes a large amount of food every day. So, in the future, before your practice sessions, you must prepare enough food in advance. Otherwise, that exaggerated sense of hunger will dominate your mind, like a gluttony demon, and it will destroy your will. Under the urge of hunger instinct, you might do some crazy and decadent things. Many of those notorious 'knight lunatics' burned at the stake were like this."
"These unfortunate souls were mostly commoners who deluded themselves into thinking they could practice knight breathing techniques. They wanted to become stronger to protect their families and provide them with food and clothing, to let them live a superior life. They walked on the edge of madness time and time again, thinking they were different and that there would be many lucky breaks and miracles in the world. In the end, some ate their own fathers, and some ate their wives and children..."
Knight Fredrick's expression became complex.
As a knight who came from a commoner background, he understood that feeling. That's why he was grateful to Li Wei's father for saving him at a critical moment.
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