Breathing Methods (1)
The continent is full of not just debates over the strongest, but also age-old vs. games. Elves vs. demons, dogs vs. cats, summer vs. winter, west vs. east—there are tons more. Most of these get toned down in daily life to avoid stirring up actual conflicts between groups. But the Gallery? No mercy. People spend their time bickering at every opportunity about how this one's better or that one's superior. If things heat up too much and hatred toward the subject starts spilling out, the head mod steps in personally to shut it down.
And among all these trends, the most controversial field by far is Mana Circulation Method vs. Internal Power Method.
What's better, Mana Circulation or Internal Power? Poll time!
1. Mana Circulation Method: 50%
2. Internal Power Method: 50%
└How the hell are they both at 50%?
└Y'all don't know shit. Mana Circulation is better...
└Bullshit, no way lol
└You're from Jungwon, right?
└Nah? Messia Empire here.
└Must be a noble then.
└Not a noble, a knight lol
That's right—the Mana Circulation Method and Internal Power Method. A controversy that's raged nonstop since ancient times and is still going strong today.
Origins of Mana Circulation and Internal Power Methods
The prevailing theory is that they stem from disciples of Aris, goddess of war and younger sister of the magic god Aragon. One disciple took charge of the west, the other the east. The west splintered into multiple nations over time, but the east still holds the name Jungwon. Ironically, Aris herself analyzed and researched her brother Aragon's breathing technique, making it basically his method anyway.
End of mythology lesson!
└Aris hot?
└You madman lololol blasphemy, wanna get arrested?
└It's the Gallery anyway lol so hot?
└Sadly, no mention of her being pretty. Always wore a helmet in war.
└Olfather From my research, "beautiful" is the accepted truth.
└Why's that?
└Olfather The magic god Aragon said so himself. Called his silly sister pretty, even if she was a pain.
└Just real-life siblings, huh? lolololol
└If real-life bros call her pretty, that says it all?
└Trust level just skyrocketed lololol
└Olfather They fought a lot, actually. Mountains flew and seas flipped when they clashed.
└Whoa whoa whoa
└Gods gonna god
└Olfather And the gods would smack them on the back each time.
└Just sibling fights on a massive scale lolol
└Why so human lolol
As in the myths, the west favors Mana Circulation, while Jungwon sticks to Internal Power. But as time passed, some interesting research emerged. Geography flipped the fate of these methods. The west is surrounded top and bottom by threats (demons, elves, and more), so they mass-produce powerhouses by spreading the easy-to-learn Mana Circulation far and wide to bolster forces. The downside? Even shady folks pick it up easily, leading to frequent cases of peasants beating knights during rebellions;; That's a big reason nations splintered into today's mess.
The east—Jungwon—has clans hoarding Internal Power Methods. Super conservative culture, great terrain, no external or internal threats. So only insiders get taught, and most peasants are like "What's that?" Geography splitting the methods is the academic consensus.
└Ooh, knowledge thanks
└Lately seeing more Mana Circulation in the east—trade?
└Kinda, plus it's easy to learn. But shallower depth.
└West nobles do Internal Power to pull ahead.
└Internal Power's for the elite only.
└Yeah basically.
└Not always. Knights get it too.
"Mana Circulation is easy to learn but shallow. Internal Power is hard but deep." A deeply ingrained stereotype for each method. Half-true, but plenty wrong too. The best method is the one that fits you. Look at Messia's Ash. Reached the top with just Mana Circulation.
└That's 'cause she's a freak, right?
└Yeah, total freak. But strong is strong, process doesn't matter?
└Hero use Mana Circulation?
└Heard she has the Holy Kingdom's unique Internal Power.
└Strong guys are just strong, duh.
No matter what, the strong stay strong. That's a universal truth. Still, with faction pride and history on the line, no one backs down easy. That's why it always devolves into vs. games. Especially for mana users—it's a matter of pride. Got tips on either? Upvote~ me first lololol
└Fr, all the good tips drop lololol
└Broke through my block thanks to it lolol
└Whale fights fatten the shrimp lol
└Keep fighting pls lolol
That's why these fights accidentally spill tons of tips. Sure, some users spew nonsense, but folks filter it. Nothing beats breathing methods for exposing trade secrets.
'Oh. Time for Internal Power lessons?'
Messia's strongest and current house-sitter, Ash, perked up with curiosity. She was rolling around browsing the Gallery as usual when Cheonma started teaching Grills Internal Power. At first, she shrugged it off. The Cheonma she knew wouldn't half-ass it. Even if she was a total fraud, no biggie—if Grills posted "Cheonma's a scammer!", truth would out. Could be Grills lacks talent, or Cheonma sucks at teaching. Either way, Ash figured she'd just watch.
That was her initial take.
└YasaengGrill Lady Cheonma. Got a nosebleed doing as you said.
└Cheonma What?!
"What?!"
Cheonma sounded shocked, and Ash jumped too. Nosebleeds from dantian breathing? Rare as hell. After prying details, Ash caught on.
'No way, Grills too?'
Grills's symptoms? She'd had them. Her body piles mana just from breathing—several times others' during practice. Like him, she'd bled from the nose. Back then, no one knew, so she muddled through. Unheard-of stuff. Thought she had no talent at first since it was basics. But crossing that hurdle led to massive growth. She'd lived it, so she knew.
'For real? Actually?'
Ash fired questions at Grills. The more answers, the more it matched her constitution. Not identical—his mana was elixir-boosted. But massive influx per breath? Same deal.
'Four Seasons Forest effect?'
High chance. Mana density there is multiples—tens of times—thicker than elsewhere. Scholarly hypothesis, but credible.
'Adult mandrakes prove it.'
Similar conditions despite environment. Ash resolved: raise him somehow. His track record showed solid talent. And he had every reason to get strong—survival meant grasping any straw.
'If he surpasses me... heh heh.'
Ash grinned wickedly. Rare thrill. Her past trainees? Unsatisfying or bolted. Not Grills. Stuck in Four Seasons Forest—no escape. Only path out: get strong himself. Perfect.
'Teach him how to break through next.'
His body's oversaturated. More mana triggered instinctual defense. She planned tips to fix it, but an unexpected roadblock appeared.
"This guy's so damn frustrating."
Ash scrunched her pretty face—annoyed, exasperated.
'Gotta be this stubborn?'
The roadblock? Cheonma. As soon as Ash offered breathing tips, Cheonma tackled every step. Vibe: I already marked my territory, back off.
'Jungwon folks get it...'
Jungwon obsesses over master-disciple bonds. Masters are parents; disciples, kids. Internal Power manuals stay secret without deep trust.
'Means she trusts him that much.'
If it was dumb stubbornness, Ash would've pushed back. But Cheonma countered with solid logic, point by point. Ash yielded a step—no help fighting here. But breakthrough was non-negotiable. Final proposal:
└SwordTasteStar Then I'll share my know-how till Grills can do mana circulation. Called yun-gi jo-sik in Jungwon?
└Cheonma Fine if you help to yun-gi jo-sik. But this lady handles the following incantations.
└SwordTasteStar No greed beyond that.
No lie. But hidden agenda. Internal Power's tough. Very. Both methods match to circulation. Big split at 'incantations' after. Unlike Mana Circulation's "send mana here," Internal Power gets philosophical.
'Water rising from valley to sea... ugh, frustrating.'
Not all cons, though. River carp vs. lake carp—size differs. Mana Circulation's "enlightenments" are flawed; Internal Power packs them in incantations for smoother next steps.
└YasaengGrill Yun-gi jo-sik or whatever same for both?
└Cheonma Indeed. But didn't you already send internal power to middle and upper dantian? Heard so earlier.
└YasaengGrill Not sure, but weird energy pierced heart and brain, spread everywhere, then back to lower belly.
└Cheonma Fascinating. Maybe a blessing in disguise—already opened. You might have potential rivaling this lady.
└YasaengGrill Can I shoot typhoon-level palm winds from my hands too?
└Cheonma Sigh.
"Pfft!"
Ash burst laughing. Cheonma pitying him like that? Grills was a riot. Positive attitude was nice, though.
└Cheonma Start with yun-gi jo-sik. Heed this lady and that stubborn rock's advice.
└YasaengGrill Got it.
└SwordTasteStar That "stubborn rock" isn't me, right?
└Cheonma Got a conscience, eh. Speechless.
Ash nodded inwardly. No quitting, though. Grills would seek Mana Circulation soon.
'Definitely complain Internal Power's too hard.'
Grills was ordinary. Polite ordinary. To Ash, commoners barely read. His backstory? Orphans, solo survival—not scholarly.
'Other world? Common Gallery trope. Who buys "one bomb levels a city"?'
└Cheonma Yun-gi jo-sik is simple. Repeat what you just did.
└SwordTasteStar Same symptoms possible, so space breaths longer.
Ash and Cheonma dropped tips in private replies. Grills went silent post-advice—breathing. Long silence. Over 10 minutes, no reply. Ash got anxious, about to comment—
└YasaengGrill Ah. Sorry, stomach suddenly killing me;; Continuing.
└Always stomach issues lolol
└Poop guy lolol
False alarm. Frequent gut problems—weak or overactive?
└Cheonma Best to hold it if possible. Could lead to qi deviation.
└YasaengGrill Bodily function causes qi deviation?
└Cheonma Obviously. Idiot asked breathing tips and deviated once.
└YasaengGrill What the;; Famous story despite sounding dumb. Mana circulation needs mega focus—one word breaks it.
└YasaengGrill Keep going. How long?
└Cheonma Till internal power circulates fully.
└SwordTasteStar As Cheonma said.
└YasaengGrill Thanks.
Silence again. Less urgent this time. Circulation takes ages per go. Wait patiently, reply would come. Till she saw a post.
Mana Circulation Normal Like This?
Just casual, but by YasaengGrill. Ash checked—what now?
Mana Circulation Normal Like This?
YasaengGrill Doing mana circulation as advised, but every cycle gotta poop. Normal?
"......"
Ash faced her first-ever conundrum.
"......What nonsense is this?"
Cheonma felt the same.