Above The Sky
Chapter 1060: 139: The Power of the Arcane, Third Stage! (2/2, 4200)

Chapter 1060: Chapter 139: The Power of the Arcane, Third Stage! (2/2, 4200)

Terra Year 774, May 17th, dawn.

The Setar Empire, Nanling Province, west of the Agate Stone Plains, Xiawei Territory, Land Favored by the Dragon God.

[Beyond the towering mountains of the west, deep in the secluded valley lakes, the long winds rise, the mountain breaths swirl, and the shadow of a giant dragon sweeps across the sky. Thousands of leaves roll in the emerald dense forest…]

The ballad poets wandering through the South Ridge, besides their sentimental tunes in the taverns at night, always carry a few ancient, elegant long songs. Among them, the “Land Favored by the Dragon” is a sacrificial hymn widely sung by the Mountain People. Its popularity was such that not long ago, when the Mountain People forged an independent union, some even proposed adopting it as the national anthem.

Two hundred years have passed, and apart from a few within the Mountain People who still remember, most of the South Ridge People are unaware that the “Land Favored by the Dragon” actually describes Xiawei Territory.

And in the “secluded valley lakes” mentioned in the ballad, a flatland north of Dazzling Lake, the students of the Xiawei Territory Experimental Training Camp are undergoing training.

The training camp is located by the riverbank, where the river offers a glimpse of the four or five agricultural towers gradually rising around Dazzling Lake. It is said that by the end of the year, all twelve towers will be completed, and at several “Natural Essence Convergence Points” around Xiahui City, over twenty additional agricultural towers are planned to be constructed.

Of course, not every Natural Essence Convergence Point is destined for agricultural development. Some are earmarked for alchemy workshops; others have already become new weapon development centers and forging factories in Xiawei Territory.

And then, there are some… like the training camp here.

Established as a facility to train all suitable young individuals and talented adults within the territory.

Tap-tap-tap-tap…

Sixty-five students are divided into three groups, conducting three different types of training: “ten-kilometer morning run,” “hundred-meter freestyle swimming rounds,” and “introductory breathing technique” on the grounds and by the riverside pools.

Thanks to the Terra People’s superior physical qualities and life essence, after just one month of scientific dietary adjustments and proper training, all students now move with agility, exude vitality, and radiate energy. Their actions reflect a robust spirit.

Even the previously frail and undernourished students have been nurtured back to health. They now shout slogans with full breath during runs and manage a dozen swimming laps with endurance.

Ironically, the theoretically simplest task—the “introductory breathing technique”—proved challenging for many students. Despite patient and meticulous guidance from the trainers, some still struggled to grasp its essence.

“The breathing technique does not boost your power; its purpose is to unlock the strength already within you, making it easier for you to control and sense.”

A steady voice resounded throughout the grounds. The blue-haired Descendant of the Sea instructor, long sword strapped at his waist, addressed the twenty-two students seated cross-legged on grass mats, eyes closed in meditation: “Breathing techniques vary greatly. Some require deep meditation, while others rely on the surge of energy after physical exertion. By mastering the subtle ‘rhythm’ between muscle contractions and vascular pulsations, you gradually perceive the flowing particles within—the ‘grains of light’.”

“The ‘Tide Rising Breathing Technique’ you are practicing is widely taught in Whale Song Cliff, the warrior’s haven. To practice this technique, one must endure the battering of the ocean tides and sense the blood’s internal waves amidst the resistance against the rushing waters. From there, one can master the initial sensation of Origin Quality.”

“Clearly, none of you students are competent enough—throw you chicks into the sea, and you’ll all drown within three hours!”

“However, our great Lord optimized this breathing technique, allowing you to enter the ‘Tide Rising’ state with just one hour of high-intensity training and begin your practice of the breathing technique!”

The voice of the Descendant of the Sea instructor was like the toll of a mighty bell. It was not impassioned, yet it carried the overwhelming, surging force of the tides, flowing into the ears of every student.

His gaze was as sharp as a sword. When his eyes swept over the students, even though all had their eyes closed, their bodies involuntarily trembled slightly as though a blade hovered above their foreheads. Some inexplicable sensation spurred them to instinctively concentrate.

As the territory’s second Second Level Sublimator, Qing Tide came here as the lead trainer for one reason: the importance Lord Ian placed on the training camp.

These sixty-five students certainly did not take the privilege for granted. Each understood they had been granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the Sublimation Path that was nearly priceless outside. Everyone exerted their utmost effort, soaking in Qing Tide’s teachings like a sponge wrung dry, eager to absorb every drop of knowledge.

The training camp’s first cohort consisted of sixty-six students. Of these, one student was absent—not out of laziness but because this student had an equally significant task: assisting the Xiawei Territory Biological Research Institute with their studies.

Among the remaining sixty-five students, nearly half were White Folks, while the rest were locals of Xiawei Territory.

This allocation was rather remarkable—in fact, it was shockingly generous for the Lord to give half the slots to non-family outsiders.

The Tide Rising Breathing Technique also proved to be highly efficient. Its survival for hundreds of years in Whale Song Cliff was testament to its universal design, which had since been refined and optimized by countless successors, enhancing its practicality and detail.