"What a pity, this breathing technique does little to improve me."
"Breathing the energy accumulated over half a day is not as fast as me lying down and basking in the sun for two seconds." Karl shrugged.
"However, for ordinary people without exceptional means, it should be a way to gradually enhance their strength."
Since it was created based on the eternity of the sun and the characteristics of his own energy,
Karl naturally named it: "Let's call it 'Sun Breathing'."
With determination in his heart, Karl hesitated no longer. His figure moved, and he descended from a great height, returning to the Terra manor.
He directly found Dalton, who was overseeing the training of the new recruits, and Phillip, who was practicing personal swordsmanship on the side.
"Dalton, Phillip, come here." Karl called out.
Hearing the call, they immediately stopped and ran towards Karl, with a hint of doubt on their faces.
Especially Phillip; he was even more puzzled.
Generally, when Lord Karl had business orders, he would directly address the butler Hans or the combat leader Dalton.
And this was the first time the two of them had been summoned together.
Karl looked at the two subordinates before him, who had been the first to follow him and seemed to have the best minds and potential at the moment.
With a meaningful smile on his face, he reached out and affectionately patted them both on the shoulder.
"You two are lucky. Among all of them, I have high hopes for you two." Karl said with a smile.
He paused, looked into their eyes, which instantly lit up, and continued: "Now, an opportunity lies before you."
"A method that can make you stronger, even... the potential to surpass mortals. Do you want it?"
"Yes! Definitely!"
"My lord! We want it!"
Dalton and Phillip answered excitedly in unison, almost without thinking, their eyes blazing with fire.
For them, this opportunity was nothing short of a dream.
A few days ago, they had witnessed with their own eyes Lord Karl freely soaring through the sky like a god.
Earlier on the Ellander border, the heroic posture of the lord single-handedly deciding the course of battle and crushing an army with his bare hands had long been deeply imprinted in their hearts.
Almost every Holy Blood Angel knight dreamed of whether he would ever have such great power.
And now this opportunity had fallen upon them so suddenly and directly—how could they not be overjoyed?
Karl was very satisfied with their reaction and nodded: "Very well."
"Then you must listen carefully and remember every word I say."
"What I want to teach you is called 'Sun Breathing'."
"The essence of this breathing technique lies in combining visualization with breathing, as well as constructing energy pathways."
"First, you need to clearly visualize the sun in your imagination, feel its light, warmth, eternity, and majesty..."
A few minutes later, Dalton and Phillip looked dazed and listened blankly to Karl's explanation.
Visualize the sun? Construct energy pathways inside the body? A special breathing rhythm of three short and one long?
These concepts were both new and difficult for them to understand, yet still made their hearts flutter.
Following Karl's instructions, they sat down on the spot, facing the sun in the sky.
They closed their eyes and began to concentrate diligently, trying to create an illusory but vivid sun in their minds, following the method Karl taught.
Karl stood quietly to the side, looking at the two of them thoughtfully, slightly frowning, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
His mind moved slightly, and his invisible bio-field unfolded, isolating the space around Dalton and Phillip from external noise.
This created a quieter, less distracting environment for visualization.
"Sun Breathing... I have tested it on myself, so there's certainly no problem. But they are just ordinary people in this world, and their physiques are different from mine," Karl muttered quietly to himself.
"Whether they will succeed, and how effective it will be, is still unknown."
Karl's gaze deepened. If this breathing technique could actually work,
even if it was just preliminary mastery, it would mean that in the future, the warriors under his command would surely grow into exceptional beings, far stronger and more controllable than Witchers.
Dalton and Phillip were the first explorers on this path, and their success was crucial.
...
Dalton and Phillip attempted for several hours—from noon under the scorching sun until sunset, when the sun was setting and the sky was darkening.
They sat on the ground, eyes closed, dedicating all their energy to the mysterious visualization, trying to clearly delineate the outline of the sun in their imagination and feel its radiance and majesty.
However, the result was frustrating. No matter how hard they concentrated, the sun in their minds remained blurry.
Their thoughts were like unruly wild horses, occasionally wandering elsewhere.
It might be fatigue from training, longing for the future, or even wondering what was for dinner.
As for Karl's words about creating a strange energy pathway inside their bodies, they felt even more confused and hadn't even touched the shadow of so-called energy.
The only thing they felt was that their bodies seemed warmer than usual.
But they couldn't tell if this was a natural reaction to the sun shining on their bodies for a long time,
or if the breathing method had actually worked, or if it was an illusion caused by psychological suggestion.
When the afterglow of the setting sun stretched their shadows long, they finally opened their eyes helplessly, with fatigue and slight frustration on their faces.
They sincerely reported their difficulties to Karl, who was standing nearby.
"Lord Karl, I really tried to visualize the sun in my imagination according to the method you said." Phillip spoke first, his tone very confused.
"But it's always blurry, and it's hard to stay focused for long. I keep thinking about other things."
"As for constructing the energy pathway in my body... I didn't feel any energy at all and didn't know where to start."
Dalton sat to the side and nodded heavily, adding: "Me neither, Lord Karl. I have... no guidance to feel."
Hearing this, Karl slightly raised his brows, crossed his arms, and rhythmically tapped his fingers on his arms, lost in thought.
"It seems... Dalton and the others are probably ordinary people who don't even have the talent to sense and channel magic." Karl thought to himself.
This is not rare in our world; the vast majority of people are not qualified to step onto this threshold.
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