Chapter 182: Ki Breathing Techniques

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[You exchanged 150 Skill Points.]

[You learned the [Ki Aura Boost (E): Lv1] Skill!]

[You exchanged 200 Skill Points.]

[You learned the [Cycle of Life and Death Breathing Technique (D): Lv1] Skill!]

The moment I learned the skills, I felt strange. My breathing became almost nonexistent; it was as if I couldn’t breathe oxygen anymore. My vision became blurry, and I could see two streams of energy across my body, one dark purple and the other bright gold. Both were constantly clashing, without harmony.

“What the- Ugh?!”

And then, I felt my entire body going limp; I became completely paralyzed and fell over the floor, making a slightly loud thud. Sepa and Gram panicked, flying to my side. I was fine, I think. It was mostly the shock of the energies clashing as I breathed. It temporarily blocked me from breathing at all!

“W-What the hell is going on, Anna?! Your Energies are fluctuating so wildly!” Sepa cried.

“I-I’m fine… Uuugh, I think so.” I slowly tried to sit down, feeling tremendously exhausted. “Every breath feels exhausting. And this is a D Rank Skill?! Now I’m afraid to even upgrade it.”

[“Well, aren’t you a drama queen? You’re fine at the end.”] Gram laughed. [“Just get used to the damn breathing technique and get over it!”]

“Do you have to be so harsh, you stupid sentient metal rod?!” Sepa angrily barked. Was she upset that he made fun of me? Aw, isn’t she cute?

“I’m fine, haha. Don’t worry. I did exaggerate a bit—well, my body did.” I shrugged. “But I’ll get used to this. Let’s wait a bit before I evolve the Skill though.”

I sat down for the next two hours, doing nothing but breathing. After that, and thanks to my processing and focusing abilities, I realized what was happening. This technique makes it, so I constantly breathe Demonic Energy and Celestial Energy instead of Mana!

As a result, these two energies go through a constant spin inside of my body, cycling through and slowly, very slowly, increasing my maximum Ki. It was almost majestic, like the cycle of Yin and Yang in a way. I think I can more or less guess what the evolution name will be.

“Alright, I think I’m ready.” I took out both Skill Evolution Stones of A Rank and used them at the same time.

[You have used the [Skill Evolution Stone (A Rank)] Item to forcefully evolve your [Ki Aura Boost (E): Lv1] Skill!]

[The [Ki Aura Boost (E): Lv1] Skill has evolved into the [Emperor’s Ki Aura Boost (A): Lv1] and has gained +4 Bonus Levels.]

[You have used the [Skill Evolution Stone (A Rank)] Item to forcefully evolve your [Cycle of Life and Death Breathing Technique (D): Lv1] Skill!]

[The [Cycle of Life and Death Breathing Technique (D): Lv1] Skill has evolved into the [Yin and Yang Rotation Breathing Technique (A): Lv1] and has gained +4 Bonus Levels.]

FLAAASH!

Yep, and just like before, I felt an overwhelming surge of power coming from my body. The Aura one didn’t seem to affect me; it was an active skill. But for the latter, it worked immediately. Each breath I took felt like my Ki, Demonic Energy, and Celestial Energy condensed together into two masses of Ki.

One was pure black, and the other was pure white. Both rotated across my body constantly. Making me feel all itchy out of nowhere. Not only that, but as I breathed, this rotation process brought about changes in me.

When the Yin Ki passed through my body, I felt stronger and mightier, while the darkness shrouded me and the moonlight bathed over me. When the Yang Ki flowed across my body, I felt faster, quicker, and also like I was made of light, the sunlight bathing my body with its heat and brilliance.

“Thanks god I am not turning into a male or female repeatedly like all these other techniques.” I sighed. “Just to make sure…”

I checked down below, and… nope, I didn’t grow something out of there. I couldn’t be sure until I watched because I was rather flat-chested.

“Y-You’ve refined your Ki into Yin Ki and Yang Ki like nothing…” Sepa was amused. “You know how much those Murim bastards always cry over how hard it was for them to get to that point? And you did it like nothing.”

“Well, it was just skills! I didn’t truly learn any of this. But the skills just imbue it all into my head.” I shrugged. “What? Couldn’t they learn the skill too?”

“Anna, you’re the only anomaly I’ve ever met capable of buying skills using skill points- In fact, have I ever seen someone capable of “leveling up” at all? In the Third Awakening, the Greater Beyond’s System assimilates everyone, but that one requires Plot Points to add Stats and even then, when we are past the third awakening, it's very rare to learn Skills out of nowhere! Generally, you need to find compatible materials, and then…” Sepa was explaining everything with tons of exposition that wasn’t needed right now.

“Later, Sepa. Later.” I sighed. “I feel kind of at ease now… Like my body is becoming harmonious. This balance between Yin and Yang is glorious. All these aggressive energies inside of me are finally harmonizing with one another. It is so relieving…”

As I yawned and felt slightly sleepy, I looked at both skills.

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[Emperor’s Ki Aura Boost (A): Lv5]

[Skill EXP]: [0/25.000]

Evolved form of the [Ki Aura Boost] Skill, which has evolved to unleash a powerful presence befitting of an Emperor.

By channeling your innate Stamina combining it with your Ki flow, and then releasing it, you can summon a powerful Aura of Ki that encompasses and permeates your entire body.

This Aura of Ki can be manipulated to enchant attacks and their range up to +200% and enhance your physical strength, movement speed, and physical defense by up to +100%.

Once summoned, this Aura will further increase your Ki based on Skill Level. This extra Ki Pool can be used as long as the Aura lasts.

Additionally, as it carries the might of the Emperor within, this Aura, once unleashed, can easily intimidate foes that at least have half or less Total Stats than you, decreasing all their Movement Speed and Physical Defense by -20%.

Ki Aura Pool: 10.000/10.000

Aura Duration: 1 Hour.

Cooldown: 2 Hours.

Level Bonus (5): Increases the power of Ki Aura Techniques by +150%, Ki Regeneration Speed by +200%, and Intimidation Factor by +100% while using this Aura.

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[Yin and Yang Rotation Breathing Technique (A): Lv5]

[Skill EXP]: [0/25.000]

Evolved form of the [Cycle of Life and Death Breathing Technique] Skill, which has evolved to further refine the essences of both Yin and Yang into your Ki.

An Ancient Technique that was once discovered by the Great Heavenly Demon, Han Tzu, from the Apex Murim World: Eternal Wind Continent.

By fusing the Demonic and dark energies of your body acquired through evil deeds and slaughter and combining them with the angelic and holy essence of your body acquired through enlightenment and good deeds, you can invoke the power of Yin and Yang into your Ki.

After having experienced both being a Demon and a Saint, you can now control the primary elements of Creation and rotate them to attain Full Harmonization. Each breath you take will bring you further through your Path of Ascension Across the Nine Heavens.

The higher the Level of this Skill, the faster your assimilation of Ki of the Yin and Yang becomes, and the quicker your Cultivation becomes.

You can now permanently gain Ki without necessarily Ranking Up your Cultivation Realms.

You are now boundless and unshackled by Heaven’s Will.

How you use this power depends on you. Its Rank will increase as you progress through the enlightenment of Full Harmonization between Yin and Yang.

Level Bonus (5): Increases Ki Assimilation Speed by +100% and Ki Assimilation Quantity by +50%. Increases Enlightenment, Wisdom, and Physical Fitness by +250%.

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“This is pure insanity…”

I could only laugh. This was out of my wildest dreams! And it was still A Rank Skill too?! For some reason? I can’t even imagine it becoming S, SS, and then SSS Rank! How overpowered will this Skill become?

And the Aura is pretty nice too; I needed that extra pool of Ki. Sad, it is only for an hour and not permanent like the Mana Core. But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.

[Each breath you take further improves your entire body. The Essence of Yin and Yang is constantly rotating across your body.]

[Your state of Full Harmonization remains unblemished.]

[+0.3 KI]

[+0.6 KI]

[+0.5 KI]

[+0.2 KI]

[…]

“I’m gaining Ki constantly! Now this is wonderful!” I said happily. “With my Ki and Mana constantly increasing every single damn minute… I can overcome this weakness! After a lot of time, though, but still.”

“You definitely are set for life.” Sepa nodded. “So? What next?”

“I don’t know; I feel really sleepy and dizzy right now.” I yawned. “Maybe I’ll check more things another day. I did enough today, right? Four new evolved skills emptied all my evolution stone reserves except the fancy S-Rank one… Wait, I do have a specialization grimoire too.”

“That’s… a very precious item! Even for Constellations! We would kill one another for one!” Sepa gnashed her mandibles. “What are you going to do with that one?!”

“Hmm, I have to think about that carefully. Specialization Grimoires are as precious as you said.” I nodded.

“Of course they are! With that, you can choose a useless skill and turn it into a god-like ability! Though you could also use it on a very good skill and make it even stronger to the point it becomes the core of your entire strength.” Said Sepa. “Once you choose a specialization, it will also influence the rest of your Skills learned from there on and their evolutions, fusions, and so on. I believe it works like a potent Title, it can even influence Privileges, maybe.”

“A Specialization, huh?” I wondered. “Well, based on that, I guess mine is the Little Sister Title, no? It works like one, changing all the Privileges I can learn and even my Skills to some extent… It’s really annoying. I can’t overwrite it, but I can get a second specialization to make things more interesting. Alright, I’m using it right now. After all, what you get is random anyway, right?”

“It’s not totally random. You do get ten choices, which are calculated after overseeing everything you’ve gone through in your life: your abilities, skills, power, personality, memories, and past. Everything.” Sepa said. “I do have two Specializations myself; without them and my Traits, I would have died long ago.”

“Yet here you are, with all of that sealed!” I laughed a bit.

“Uugh, you don’t have to rub salt on the wound! Alright, just open the damn grimoire. What skill are you choosing, though?” She asked.

“It only works with Skills of A Rank and below, and it ramps them up to an S Rank Specialization…” I said, looking at my skills. “So I sadly can’t choose my most OP Abilities.”

“I guess that’s fine; getting the SSS Rank and above Specialization Grimoires is not something a mortal will ever do.” Laughed Sepa. “I am still surprised the rewards for slaying a Demon King include one. Whoever decides those rewards really hates balance.”

“Hey, as they say, balance is made to be broken.” I smiled. The grimoire, of a red and purple color, opened on my hands, its empty pages moving rapidly.

[You have opened the [Skill Specialization Grimoire (S Rank)]!]

[Please select one of the Skills below S Rank that you want to transform into your Specialization Core.]

[Once decided, the Skill won’t be able to return to normal, and it will be permanently changed and transformed into the Specialization Core Skill.]

“Alright, what should I choose?”

I took a look at all my available options. They weren’t as many as I thought. The Little Sister Skill was tempting, but its description was too dangerous. I better not risk it and leave it be.

Crafting and Creation Skills? I don’t want to lose them, so they stay with me. Mana Sense seems interesting, but I don’t think it would become anything interesting.

Curse or Holy Magic? Hmm, perhaps.

Celestial and Demonic Body? I better save them for a Skill Fusion Ticket.

That leaves me with… Demonic Beast Transformation. It is one of my trump cards, but I think I could afford to sacrifice it, as long as I transformed it into something utterly insane. It's Level 8 and A Rank, so it’s the best candidate that is almost an S Rank Skill.

“Alright, I’ve made up my mind.”

[You’ve selected the [Half-Beast Demonic Transformation (A): Lv8] Skill for the core of your Specialization!]

[Please choose one of the following Options…]

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