Azrael sat cross-legged on his meditation mat, surrounded by jade slips containing the twenty-three breathing techniques he'd memorized. In his mind, the Myriad Spiritual Library displayed them all simultaneously, their principles laid out like equations waiting to be solved.
"Let's see what we can make," he muttered.
He dove into comprehension.
The techniques varied wildly. Some focused on rapid absorption. Others prioritized purity over quantity. A few specialized in elemental attunement. One even synchronized breathing with planetary rotation cycles.
But they all shared fundamental flaws.
They were linear. Inhale qi, circulate it, exhale waste. Simple. Effective. But limited.
Azrael's Heaven-Defying Comprehension tore through each technique, extracting core principles and discarding inefficiencies. His mind worked like a forge, melting down twenty-three different methods and recasting them into something new.
Hours blurred together.
What is breathing, really? he thought. It's exchange. Taking in, processing, releasing. But in cultivation terms, it's more than that. It's transformation. Creation and destruction. A cycle.
His thoughts drifted to his previous life. To physics. To the universe itself.
Stars were born from collapsing gas clouds. They burned for millions of years. Then they died—some quietly, some explosively. And from their deaths, new elements were forged. New stars were born.
Creation. Collapse. Rebirth.
A cycle.
"That's it," Azrael breathed.
He began weaving the concepts together. Not just breathing techniques, but cosmic principles. The birth of stars. The crushing gravity of black holes. The explosive rebirth of supernovas. The endless circulation of matter and energy through the universe.
And he didn't stop at qi refinement. Why limit it to energy cultivation when the body and soul needed tempering too? Why separate them when they were all part of the same system?
Body, soul, and qi. Three aspects of one existence. They should be refined together, not in isolation.
His comprehension accelerated. The technique took shape in his mind, elegant and terrifying in its complexity.
By the time dawn light crept through his cave entrance, Azrael opened his eyes and smiled.
"I'll call it the Celestial Reincarnation Breathing Technique," he said. "The Cycle of the Cosmic Abyss."
He pulled up the complete technique in his Myriad Spiritual Library and reviewed it.
CELESTIAL REINCARNATION BREATHING TECHNIQUE
Cycle of the Cosmic Abyss
Concept: Each breath mirrors the birth and death of stars—an endless cycle of creation, collapse, and rebirth that governs the cosmos itself. Gradually forms a miniature universe within the body.
Note: Must pass through all four stages in a single cultivation session.
Stage 1 — Cosmic Inhalation (Creation Cycle)
Each inhale draws not just air, but the subtle essence of the heavens—the background energy flowing between stars in the void. The lungs become twin galaxies, swirling with luminescent qi. At the cellular level, cells spiral and stretch, forming proto-galaxies around meridian cores.
Energy flows through meridians like starlight orbiting a sun. Impurities burn away as internal energy mimics the heat of stellar birth. The heartbeat synchronizes with this rhythm, forming a stellar pulse.
Effects:
Rapid qi refinement Cleanses meridians and nourishes cells with high-energy essence Begins tempering of body and soul—cellular structure toughens, spirit gains stability Grants calm, timeless awareness—existing in sync with the universe
Stage 2 — Event Horizon Hold (Collapse Cycle)
When holding breath, the internal star collapses inward. Qi compresses at unimaginable density, mimicking a black hole forming at the core. The gravitational pull drags in external energy—ambient qi, spiritual residue, even emotional eddies from surroundings. The body becomes a silent void that absorbs power without releasing any wisp. Presence seems to vanish into quiet gravity.
Qi and essence compress toward the dantian until meridian walls feel like bedrock. Compression amplifies training effects by forcing impurities into purging pressure points.
Effects:
Massive energy absorption efficiency Temporary suppression of external detection Deep body-and-soul tempering through compression—flaws are crushed and reorganized: tendon and bone density increase, cellular bonds realign, spirit core hardens against corruption Strengthens dantian and central spirit nucleus
Stage 3 — Stellar Exhalation (Rebirth Cycle)
On exhale, compressed energy erupts like a supernova. The internal black hole releases hoarded essence in a radiant surge that restores and refines the inner cosmos. Compressed energy becomes reborn—qi cycles back denser, purer, more luminous.
The release rebuilds meridians with finer structure and reweaves spirit threads with higher resonance. Wounds knit completely. Latent potential crystallizes.
Effects:
Rapid regeneration and repair Deep purification of energy and stabilization of cultivation realms Sublime tempering of body and soul—muscle fiber reorders for efficiency, spirit resonance rises to subtler planes, psyche gains resilience and composure Body radiates like a living star with soft luminescence of pure qi
Stage 4 — Celestial Circulation (Complete Cycle of Worlds)
After mastering the rhythm—creation, collapse, rebirth—every breath sets the inner universe turning. The dantian evolves into a true miniature cosmos: stars, planets, and at its center a potent black hole. Cells become mini galaxies—organelles and cell clusters orbit micro-cores of refined qi, each cell a tiny system contributing to greater circulation.
The internal universe moves with each breath. Physiology literally mirrors cosmic structure. The stronger the cultivator grows, the slower and more profound the cycle—one full cycle may span minutes to hours.
Effects:
Near-endless internal energy circulation—effectively perpetual cultivation Automatic absorption and refinement of ambient energy types Permanent body and soul tempering: long-term structural upgrades (greater lifespan, resistance, adaptability) and permanent spirit quality uplift (clarity, resistance to mental corruption, deeper comprehension of cosmic laws) Aura of cosmic equilibrium—serene, inexorable, infinite
Mantra: "One breath births a star; one silence becomes the abyss; one exhale reborns the world."
Azrael stared at the technique floating in his mental library and felt two emotions warring inside him.
Elation. And dread.
"This is perfect," he whispered. "This is exactly what I need. Body, soul, and qi refinement all in one technique. Automated cultivation. Permanent enhancement. This will..."
He trailed off as reality set in.
"This will drain an entire planet's worth of qi."
His smile faded.
The Celestial Reincarnation Breathing Technique was incredibly efficient, yes. But the sheer volume of energy required for the initial cultivation session—especially Stage 2's black hole compression—was astronomical.
If he tried to cultivate this technique here, in his cave, he would create a massive qi vacuum. The spiritual energy would rush toward him like water down a drain, pulled by the gravitational force of his Event Horizon Hold stage.
Every cultivator on the planet would feel it. The sect elders would notice immediately. And when they traced the disturbance back to a Qi Condensation outer disciple who was somehow draining the world's spiritual energy...
"They'll kill me," Azrael said flatly. "The Void Integration experts will assume I'm some kind of demonic cultivator or ancient monster possessing a disciple's body. They'll obliterate me before I can explain."
He couldn't blame them. This planet's qi was already depleted. The spiritual energy here was the lifeline for every cultivator. If someone started draining it, they'd have no choice but to eliminate the threat.
"So my options are..."
He began listing them mentally:
Option 1: Go to space and absorb stellar essence, void essence, and qi from the cosmos instead of the planet.
Pros: Unlimited energy source. No one would notice.
Cons: He was at Qi Condensation Layer 5. He couldn't survive in space. He couldn't fly. He'd die within seconds.
Option 2: Drain the planet anyway and deal with the consequences.
Pros: Simple. Direct.
Cons: Death. Immediate, violent death at the hands of angry Void Integration cultivators.
Option 3: Steal the sect's collection of dao stones to fuel cultivation.
Pros: Concentrated energy source that wouldn't drain the environment.
Cons: The sect treasury was guarded by Formation arrays and Soul Transformation elders. He'd be caught, executed, and his corpse would be displayed as a warning.
Option 4: Use formations and runes.
Azrael paused. This one had potential.
"Formations," he murmured. "I could set up a barrier around my cave so no qi leaks out. No one would detect the disturbance. And if I could create a spatial formation—a portal connecting my cave to outer space—I could draw stellar essence directly without leaving the planet."
It was theoretically possible. He'd copied dozens of formation manuals during the week-long assignment. Spatial formations were rare, but the principles were documented.
The problem was materials.
Formations required spirit stones to power them. He had seventy-five thousand of those, so that was covered.
But spatial formations specifically required space stones—rare crystallized fragments of spatial law. Incredibly expensive and almost impossible to acquire for a core disciple talkless of an outer disciple like him.
"Unless..." Azrael's eyes narrowed. "Unless I can emulate space stones using runes."
Runes were a subset of formations—symbols that could replicate law effects when properly inscribed. If he could master the Space Law and translate its principles into runic script, he could theoretically bypass the need for space stones entirely.
It would be incredibly difficult. Most Formation Masters spent lifetimes mastering a single element. Space was one of the hardest.
But Azrael had Heaven-Defying Comprehension. And he had time.
"Okay," he said, standing up and pacing his small cave. "New plan. But first, I need to strengthen my soul."
Formations required heavy soul manipulation. The more complex the formation, the more strain it placed on the consciousness. His soul was already stronger than most Qi Condensation cultivators thanks to the dual-soul merger and Fire Law integration, but it wouldn't be enough for what he was planning.
He needed to comprehend more laws. Integrate them into his cultivation layers. Each law integration would temper his body, refine his qi, and most importantly, strengthen his soul.
"And I have over three thousand techniques in my library," Azrael said, grinning. "Time to put them to use."
He pulled up the Myriad Spiritual Library in his mind and began organizing his approach.
THE PLAN:
Phase 1: Comprehend and integrate fundamental laws into his first six cultivation layers.
Layer 1: Fire Law (already at 24%, push to completion) Layer 2: Water Law Layer 3: Earth Law Layer 4: Wind Law Layer 5: Wood Law Layer 6: Space Law
Each law integration would provide massive body, soul, and qi tempering. By the time he finished, his soul would be strong enough to handle complex formation work.
Phase 2: Master formation theory and rune crafting.
Study all formation manuals in his library. Learn to inscribe runes. Understand spatial principles well enough to create his own spatial portal formation.
Phase 3: Acquire formation materials.
Use his seventy-five thousand spirit stones to buy what he couldn't make himself.
Phase 4: Install formations around his cave.
Concealment barrier to hide qi fluctuations Spatial portal to outer space for energy absorption Reinforcement formations to prevent cave collapse
Phase 5: Cultivate the Celestial Reincarnation Breathing Technique.
Once everything was in place, he could finally begin proper cultivation without fear of detection or planetary qi depletion.
"It's a solid plan," Azrael said. "It'll take time, but I have nothing but time."
He sat back down on his meditation mat and pulled up the first technique from his library—a fire-element soul attack called Inferno Consciousness Strike.
"Let's start with what I know. Time to finish comprehending the Fire Law."
He closed his eyes and dove into meditation.
The work had begun.
[END CHAPTER 5]