Chapter 60: Meditation Technique
Outside the building, Victor walked with Nova sitting on his shoulder.
"Let us visit those ruins first." Victor said.
Victor continued, "And teach me the eight breathing methods. I need to examine them personally." His eyes remained calm.
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Examine them?"
Victor nodded. "I may need to modify them."
Nova looked at him with visible skepticism. "Those breathing methods have been refined for thousands of years. They represent the accumulated wisdom of countless generations." She studied him carefully. "Do you really believe you can improve them?"
Victor’s expression never changed. "I can." The certainty in his voice contained no arrogance. It sounded like a simple statement of fact.
Nova stared at him for several seconds. Then she slowly nodded. "I see." A faint smile appeared on her face. "Then let us visit one of the ruins. I would like to see just how extraordinary your comprehension truly is."
Victor smirked. "You will see soon."
The journey toward the ruins took several hours. Victor traveled through mountain ranges, dense forests, and vast stretches of wilderness that remained untouched by humanity. The deeper they traveled, the fewer traces of civilization appeared. Even powerful monsters became increasingly scarce. The region itself seemed unusually quiet.
"We are almost there," Nova said.
Victor looked toward the distant mountain range. "I still do not sense anything unusual."
Nova smiled. "That is because the ruins are hidden beneath multiple layers of concealment." Her tiny hand pointed toward a cliffside several kilometers away. "It is underneath that mountain."
Victor nodded. Several minutes later, they arrived before an ordinary looking stone wall. Nothing about it appeared special. There were no gates, no symbols, no visible structures. It simply looked like a natural part of the mountain. Victor examined it carefully. Even with his enhanced perception, he could not discover anything unusual.
Nova floated forward. "You are not supposed to find it."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because these ruins were designed to survive civilization-ending wars." Nova placed her small palm against the stone wall. Immediately, golden light spread across the mountain surface. The entire cliff began shaking. Ancient runes emerged from the stone one after another. The ground trembled violently.
Several seconds later, a massive metallic gate slowly appeared from within the mountain itself. Victor quietly watched everything. The technology was far beyond modern humanity.
Rumble. The enormous gate slowly opened. A cold stream of air escaped from the darkness within.
Nova turned toward him. "Welcome to one of the storage facilities of the Second Civilization."
Victor stepped inside. The tunnel stretched for hundreds of meters. Ancient lights illuminated the walls, yet there was no visible energy source. Even after thousands of years, the systems continued operating flawlessly. The deeper they walked, the more impressed Victor became.
Eventually, they entered a gigantic underground chamber. Victor stopped. Even he could not completely hide his surprise. Ten enormous humanoid machines stood before him. Each one was over thirty meters tall. Despite their age, they appeared completely intact. An overwhelming pressure radiated from them.
Victor immediately understood why Nova had called them Sage Rank mechs. These machines possessed power comparable to Sage Rank awakeners. If deployed properly, they could significantly increase humanity’s military strength.
Nova floated beside him. "What do you think?"
Victor slowly nodded. "They are far more advanced than I expected."
Nova smiled proudly. "The Second Civilization specialized in technology."
Without wasting further time, Victor walked toward the nearest mech. His space ring flashed. A moment later, the massive machine disappeared. Then another. And another. One by one, all ten Sage Rank mechs vanished.
Several minutes later, the enormous chamber stood completely empty. Nova looked satisfied. "Arthur and the others should be happy when they see those."
Victor nodded. "Ten Sage Rank combat units will help considerably." The situation facing humanity was becoming increasingly dangerous. Every additional source of strength mattered.
After collecting the final mech, Victor turned toward Nova. "You mentioned the breathing methods."
Nova nodded. "Right." She flew upward and sat cross-legged in the air. Her expression became serious. "The eight breathing methods correspond to the eight primary elemental affinities."
Victor listened carefully. Nova began explaining each technique. The first breathing method belonged to the fire element. The second belonged to water. The third belonged to wind. The fourth belonged to earth. The fifth belonged to metal. The sixth belonged to lightning. The seventh belonged to light. The eighth belonged to darkness.
Each method manipulated qi differently. Each possessed unique circulation pathways. Each contained thousands of years of refinement. As Nova explained them, Victor quietly memorized every detail. His comprehension speed was terrifying. Many sections that would require ordinary people years to understand became clear to him within minutes.
Nova gradually became surprised. By the time she explained the fifth method, Victor had already begun identifying flaws and inefficiencies. By the seventh method, he had completely understood the underlying principles.
When she finally finished explaining the eighth method, Victor closed his eyes. Several minutes passed. Nova waited patiently. Eventually, Victor opened his eyes. "I understand."
Nova stared at him. "You understand all eight?"
"Yes."
Nova remained silent. Victor continued thinking. "The fundamental structures are excellent."
Nova looked pleased. "Of course."
"However, there are still areas that can be improved." Her expression immediately froze.
"What?"
Victor began listing several inefficiencies. Then several more. Then several dozen. Nova’s mouth slowly opened. By the time he finished, nearly every breathing method had received modifications. Some were minor. Others were substantial.
Nova stared at him for several seconds. "You really are a monster."
Victor ignored the comment. His attention had shifted elsewhere. "The breathing methods are useful."
Nova nodded. "Naturally."
Victor shook his head. "Not yet."
Nova frowned. "What do you mean?"
Victor looked toward her. "I will need blood essence first. The breathing methods require a catalyst. The stronger the blood essence, the stronger the foundation."
Nova immediately understood. Without blood essence, the methods could not be used. Fortunately, Victor would soon obtain large quantities from the monsters being collected by the sages.
After a brief moment of silence, Victor suddenly asked another question. "How about you teach me some spells from the other magical civilizations?"
Nova blinked. "Spells?"
Victor nodded. "You have knowledge from countless civilizations. There should be useful techniques among them."
Nova thought for several moments. Then she shook her head. "Honestly, spells are not that important."
Victor looked surprised. "Not important?"
Nova nodded. "Most people overestimate spells." She floated through the air while speaking. "A spell is merely a tool. A sword is useful. A spear is useful. But neither determines the strength of the warrior."
Victor quietly listened. Nova continued. "The same principle applies to magic. Powerful spells are meaningless if the user lacks the foundation to support them. Many civilizations became obsessed with collecting stronger spells while neglecting their minds." Her expression became unusually serious. "And most of them paid a heavy price."
Victor became interested. "What would you recommend instead?"
Nova remained silent for a moment. Then she spoke. "There is something more valuable."
Victor waited. "A meditation method." His eyes narrowed slightly.
Nova continued. "It originates from a very ancient magical civilization. The civilization itself disappeared long ago. However, this technique survived."
Victor immediately understood that it was important. Nova rarely praised anything. If she considered something valuable, then it almost certainly was. "Tell me about it."
Nova nodded. "The technique contains three levels. The first level strengthens mental focus. The second level strengthens mental control. The third level transforms the mind completely."
Victor listened attentively. Nova’s voice became serious. "If you reach the third level, illusions will become completely ineffective against you."
Victor’s eyes brightened slightly. That was an extraordinary ability. Mental attacks remained one of the most dangerous forms of combat.
Nova continued. "You will also gain complete emotional control."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Complete?"
Nova nodded. "Fear. Anger. Greed. Despair. None of them will be capable of influencing your judgment."
The underground chamber became quiet. Victor thought about her words carefully. The more he considered them, the more valuable the technique appeared.
Nova slowly descended until she floated directly before him. "A mage requires a calm mind."
