Chapter 65 - Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Stage Two

Chapter 65 - Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Stage Two

Let's begin.

Cassius adjusted himself until he was in his optimal condition. Without hesitation, he grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

A pungent smell wafted out from the bottle. The smell was similar to something in his past life, a diesel truck's exhaust. The smell wasn't very awful, but it wasn't pleasant either. He paused for a brief moment and took a huge gulp. He didn't finish the entire bottle, only downing about half of it.

Cassius clicked his tongue; the pungent liquid had a surprisingly sweet taste. That and the smooth texture made it a relatively easy drink to go down.

He exhaled an exhaust-smelling breath and inhaled slightly. Instantly, a spicy sensation surged from his mouth, rapidly spreading down his esophagus and to his stomach.

While Cassius's face turned slightly red, his entire body heated up. His back and forehead were beaded with sweat and it wasn't long before his tight-fitting combat pants were drenched.

At that moment, he looked like he had been exercising intently all afternoon, his skin as red as a boiled lobster. Sweat poured down in rivulets, gradually wetting the floor around him. Scorching heat radiated from his body, causing dense white steam to slowly rise up. The steam was particularly noticeable in the winter sunlight.

Thump, thump, thump...

Pounding like a drum, his heart pumped blood throughout his entire body faster than usual. Cassius recalled what Instructor Lisa told him.

Calm your mind and focus. Cycle through the ten stances of Elephant Soul: Prickling.

He immediately began the movements. In the sunlit room, a tall, bare-chested young man sweated profusely, striking various peculiar poses in silence.

Cassius trained from dawn until noon, meticulously following Instructor Lisa's teachings. He only took three breaks through the entire process, each lasting only five minutes, which he used to hydrate and recover his stamina.

The room was sealed shut, with only a small crack in the window allowing some air flow in so it stunk of sweat.The gray floorboards in the corner dried and dampened over and over again, almost as though salt crystals were forming in the gaps.

It was noon on the fourth day. Cassius had entered a meditative state since the morning. He sat there with his eyes shut and his head bowed, and his breathing was even and steady. He hadn't touched the lunch box or the salted water in the corner.

Lisa had come in once while this was happening but immediately left upon noticing the situation. She placed her items aside and waited outside the door. She knew that Cassius was on the verge of a breakthrough. No one could be allowed to disturb him!

Thump, thump, thump...

Huff, huff, huff...

The only audible sounds were his heartbeat and breathing. The frequencies of the two were different. A normal adult at rest breathes twelve to twenty times per minute, with a breath-to-pulse ratio of one to four. But right now, Cassius was breathing faster, while his heartbeat was slowing down. Until they fully synchronized.

Ffft...

Cassius's nose emitted a sound like a leaking bellows. Inexplicably, a pressure came out of nowhere and engulfed him. His skin tightened and it was getting difficult to breathe. His cheeks swelled and turned a purplish-red.

He felt an increasingly painful sensation on his left chest. Cassius's heart felt like it was about to explode. His muscles and veins pulsed violently, his blood pumping frantically. Though his heartbeats had slowed, each contraction was only getting stronger and faster, causing his blood vessels to feel like they were about to burst. Overwhelmed, his chest made a noise.

"Pfft!" Cassius spat a mouthful of blood. A faint creak came from the door, as if someone had opened it slightly.

He spat another mouthful, staining his clothes and splattering the floor with blood in the process. After spitting out that blood, Cassius felt somewhat relieved. As he relaxed, a sound of muffled thunder suddenly exploded in his ears.

Boom!!!

His heart contracted violently, sending thick, viscous blood shooting throughout his body like bullets, forcing it into every vessel.

Cassius looked horrifying as droplets of blood the color of red grapes seeped out and hung from his pores. The blood slid along the contours of his muscles and dripped to the ground.