Chapter 129 : Lightning Breathing Technique! Black Marsh Effect!
Chapter 129: Lightning Breathing Technique! Black Marsh Effect!
Leo suppressed the excitement in his heart.
He quickly finished tending to all the horses of the Golden Knight Order.
Perhaps due to his good mood, Leo worked with crisp efficiency.
His outstanding service once again earned praise from the knight captain.
Leo took a few extra glances at the captain this time. He wanted to ask about Mia, but after thinking it over, he decided against it.
Who knew what the internal situation of the Golden Knight Order was like?
What if the captain’s relationship with Mia was similar to how he used to be with Zoro and Eddie?
Wouldn’t that just bring trouble upon himself?
So Leo simply expressed his thanks as usual and received his monetary reward from the Golden Knight Order.
His father had already returned to the fief ahead of time, as there were still many matters to handle.
Leo didn’t waste any time and rushed back to his courtyard at top speed.
He needed a completely secure place to test the effects of his new sword technique.
……
Meanwhile, in Blackstone City, inside a highly concealed secret chamber.
Anthony sat in darkness.
In the depths of the shadows opposite him, a crow-shaped silhouette flickered with a red glow on its forehead.
It seemed to be communicating with Anthony.
“They’ve already obtained the item, right?” A low and hoarse voice came from the crow shadow.
“They have.” Anthony let out a confident chuckle. “Laforin needs that Dragonblood Horse very much. I believe they’ll comply.”
“The Alchemist Association has already left, which means Manta has carried out the plan.”
“Heh heh heh… Make sure to take good care of that horse. It is the key to everything. Raise it well—fat and strong. It is our key to the legendary great world.” A glint of light flashed in Anthony’s eyes.
“Don’t worry. We have the best Stablehands. Heh heh heh…”
……
Leo returned to his courtyard.
“Welcome home, my lord.” Four servants greeted him.
Two male servants—strong and capable.
Two female servants—pleasant-looking and clearly diligent.
These four had been specially arranged for Leo by the newly appointed chief steward, Dover, to take care of his daily needs.
As a Formal Knight, he no longer had time to waste on trivial matters. Dover had even organized a selection process to choose them.
These four were the top-tier servants in the city.
Being suddenly attended by so many people still felt unfamiliar to Leo.
Only now did it truly sink in—
He was effectively a noble.
He had a fief, personal servants, and a private courtyard.
Compared to half a year ago, when he lived alone in a small room—
Now, everything in his daily life was taken care of.
Even his bed was warmed by a maid.
However, Leo did not indulge in this comfort.
Noble status simply provided convenience—freeing him from trivial matters so he could focus on cultivation.
He briefly explained his rules and upcoming plans to the servants.
First, he instructed them to prepare the largest room as a training chamber and purchase several iron cages of different sizes.
After that, he dismissed them to their duties.
“These new servants still need observation. Later, I can promote one to be my personal steward.”
Leo then entered his sword chamber.
It was a room with only two windows, both nailed shut with wooden boards as per his instructions.
The training room was now airtight and completely quiet.
Activating Hunting Moment, Leo confirmed no one was nearby.
Then he faced the ironwood training post and drew his sword.
【Dark Extinction Cross Sword】
Circulating his Breathing Technique, his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as black aura rapidly condensed in his palm.
He held his sword in his right hand, while his left hand formed a sword gesture.
By this logic… he was using dual swords.
Most people wouldn’t be able to adapt to that.
Fortunately, Leo had already mastered a green-tier sword technique, a blue-tier sword technique, and maxed out Basic Sword Techniques.
His swordsmanship had already reached the level of a master.
This was one of the reasons he could far surpass knights of the same level.
In the next moment, Leo’s left hand struck out.
With a heavy tearing sound, the black aura-coated palm slammed into the ironwood post.
Boom!
The post trembled violently, exploding into splinters.
At the point of contact—
The black aura coating his skin dispersed, forming a viscous net.
This…
The black net was about the size of a football, lingering for about a second before dissipating.
“So this is Black Marsh.”
At first, the effect wasn’t obvious.
But in the next moment, Leo’s eyes sharpened.
As sword intent gathered in his palm, two seconds later—
He used his palm as a sword, unleashing the power of Tsunami!
Slash!
A sound like cleaving metal rang out.
The ironwood post was forcibly cut apart by his palm.
Black Marsh spread instantly.
And then Leo witnessed something strange.
Within the Black Marsh’s range—
The flying wood chips slowed down noticeably.
Even the falling piece of wood dropped slower than normal.
Within this field, all movement was hindered by the viscous energy—
As if trapped in a swamp.
So that was it.
This was Black Marsh!
It turned his black aura into a weakening field.
And this was just the beginner stage.
As his mastery improved, the range and duration would grow stronger.
Moreover, once his Breathing Technique advanced and his Energy Factors were refined into Bronze Flame or even Silver Radiance—
The effect would become even more powerful.
This was a purple-tier sword technique.
Leo, experienced in combat, immediately understood its value.
In battles between evenly matched swordsmen—
Victory was often decided in an instant.
This Black Marsh could create a critical moment of slowdown—
A fatal advantage.
And his Tsunami required time to accumulate momentum.
This effect complemented it perfectly.
Leo’s mind began simulating various combat scenarios.
Just imagining them felt exhilarating.
However—
Despite its power, Leo still had a fatal flaw.
His Breathing Technique had only just entered the second stage.
He couldn’t yet attach Energy Factors to weapons.
This was a major limitation.
To solve it, he had to improve his Breathing Technique—
Refining black aura into Bronze Flame.
Which brought him back to training Breathing Techniques.
Leo began planning his next steps.
First priority: Breathing Techniques.
While continuing Furnace Breathing Technique, he would also begin Rock Breathing Technique and Lightning Breathing Technique, unlocking them on his panel.
Second: Swordsmanship.
The 【Dark Extinction Cross Sword】 had immense combat value and needed rapid improvement.
Third: Intelligence network.
He would maintain his horse-based scouting system and expand it using Beast Taming.
Although Leo had achieved financial freedom—
He was not yet free in cultivation resources.
He also wanted to continue improving his 【Alchemy】 skill.
It was currently his only way to increase Spirit Attribute.
But Alchemy required full focus and lacked Catalyst support, making it inefficient.
After consideration, Leo decided to temporarily set it aside.
Time and energy were limited—efficiency came first.
“I wonder when Lady Manta will resume Alchemy. She’s been resting for quite a while.”
Clearing his thoughts, Leo began practicing Lightning Breathing Technique.
He opened the manual he hadn’t finished reading yesterday.
After half an hour, he had read through the entire method.
Thanks to his mastery of airflow rhythm, learning this technique was smooth.
Its principle was similar to Furnace Breathing Technique—
Using specific breathing patterns to draw in Energy Factors from the environment.
With prior experience, Leo encountered almost no obstacles.
Closing the manual, he inhaled deeply and began circulating the rhythm.
His chest vibrated as Energy Factors began flowing into his body.
“I can feel it.”
He quickly applied Tier 2 Body Tempering Potion to his lower back.
As his breathing continued, a tingling sensation spread across his waist.
This technique absorbed different Energy Factors, focusing on different body parts.
“The Lightning Breathing Technique mainly stimulates the lower back, hips, and thighs.”
Different techniques had different focuses.
This one emphasized strengthening the lower body.
After completing a full cycle—
Leo’s eyes snapped open.
“It worked.”
A new entry appeared on his panel.
【Breathing Technique: Furnace Breathing Technique Second Stage 13/100 (Black Aura Coating)
Lightning Breathing Technique First Stage 1/100】
He had successfully entered the beginner stage.