Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

The sky gradually brightened as morning came. Ever since winter began, the days had grown noticeably shorter. Lin Zheyu had been standing for nearly two hours. His face was flushed, his breath slightly uneven, but he still looked capable of continuing.

”That’s enough,” Liang Song said, beckoning him over for some tea.

Lin Zheyu straightened up, shaking out his slightly sore legs and arms, a look of excitement spreading across his face. He had done it—he could finally begin martial training.

”Even with such a poor foundation, your perseverance and perception aren’t bad. For you to reach this level in a month is commendable,” remarked Liang Song, his tone carrying clear satisfaction with Lin Zheyu.

Taking a sip of tea, he said, ”Let me first explain what martial cultivation truly is.”

Lin Zheyu sat quietly, listening with utmost attentiveness.

”Martial cultivation is split into two categories: external cultivation and internal cultivation. External cultivation means tempering the skin, flesh, and tendons; internal cultivation means cultivating qi. To master martial arts, one must first complete external cultivation. By tempering the body, muscles become full and solid, tendons grow powerful and gain elasticity. One will yield explosive force and high impact resistance. This is the Muscle Forging Realm.

”Once the skin, flesh, and tendons are trained, you then move on to the Bone Forging Realm. Bone forging progresses from outer to inner, strengthening every part of the skeleton until it grows denser, gains piercing strength, and can withstand intense explosive force.

”At its peak, the bones become like iron—nearly indestructible! However, bone forging will be especially difficult for you. Without undergoing childhood tempering, reaching the ’bones like iron’ stage will be an uphill battle.

”That covers external cultivation.”

Liang Song paused before continuing, ”Now let’s talk about cultivating internal qi. Qi refers to regulated breathing. After external cultivation, you gain better control over your body and can begin practicing specialized breathing techniques.

”Through these breathing methods, your internal organs are strengthened, your breath becomes deep and enduring, and your strength, stamina, and resilience reach fearsome levels. This is the Organ Forging Realm.

”These are the first three realms of martial cultivation: the Muscle Forging Realm, the Bone Forging Realm, and the Organ Forging Realm. For now, just knowing these is enough. The latter realms are still far from your reach, so I won’t tell you yet—lest you aim too high too soon,” Liang Song said plainly.

He stood up and removed his outer robe, revealing the vest underneath and the smooth lines of his muscles. Seeing this, Lin Zheyu quickly got up and followed.

”We can’t use blades in the inner city, so I’ll teach you the Barbaric Ox Fist instead. It’s a widely spread technique, suitable for someone starting martial arts later in life, like you. Its power is solid, and while it’s easy to learn, it’s difficult to master. When trained to a high level, it fortifies both the inside and outside of the body. The bones grow sturdy, and you can reach the peak of the Organ Forging Realm. The Barbaric Ox Fist has eight basic moves and 128 variations. I’ll go through it once, so you can get familiar with it.” As he spoke, Liang Song changed the way he stood.

Lin Zheyu noticed that when Liang Song got serious, his limp seemed to vanish completely.

”The Barbaric Ox Fist is true to its name. It is a fist technique derived from the movements of an ox. The essence lies in the word ’barbaric.’ While training, you must imagine yourself as an ox, charging forward without hesitation and fearless in every strike,” explained Liang Song.

He spread his legs, lowered his body, and assumed the stance. As he formed the stance, an invisible aura radiated from him.

”This is the first move, the Barbaric Ox Charge!” said Liang Song loudly.

With a sudden stomp of his right foot, power rippled through his legs, coursed into his waist, and surged into his arms. His torso leaned forward slightly as his fists burst forth with overwhelming force, like a pair of ox horns striking out. His muscles erupted in unison, channeling force into his arms, which struck the wooden post in the courtyard with terrifying impact.

The post cracked with a sharp sound, faint lines appearing on its surface.

”So powerful!” exclaimed Lin Zheyu. Seeing the might in Liang Song’s punches, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in awe.

”This is the Barbaric Ox Fist; it’s the ‘barbaric’ that defines it from start to finish. There must not be a shred of hesitation when throwing a punch!” Liang Song’s voice rang out as he continued demonstrating for Lin Zheyu.

”This strike is the Ox Horn Thrust. The power pivots at the waist, and the strength lies in the abdomen. This one is the Ox Tail Whip...”

***

Watching Master Liang demonstrate, Lin Zheyu’s eyes lit up with intensity. This is real martial arts!

Every punch and every move carried explosive power, and that filled him with longing. Soon, the routine was complete.

Liang Song stopped and asked, ”How do you feel?”

”It’s incredible!” Heart pounding with excitement, Lin Zheyu cupped his fists and said with a bow, ”Master, please teach me!”

”No need for all the formalities. Scholars really do love their rituals and etiquette, huh? Start by practicing the full routine with me. Let me see how sharp your comprehension is,” said Liang Song.

Liang Song broke the Barbaric Ox Fist down move by move, explaining each part carefully to Lin Zheyu. Under Liang Song’s guidance, Lin Zheyu trained with great focus.

Martial arts were far more difficult than he had imagined. He had to master how to exert strength from different muscle groups, understand their training methods, and grow stronger through constant repetition.

Immersed in the Barbaric Ox Fist, time flew by for Lin Zheyu.

”Good. Your comprehension’s not bad,” said Liang Song, nodding in approval.

Lin Zheyu proved to be a quick learner; just a few hints were enough for him to grasp the essence, making him an easy student to teach. Moreover, his perseverance was remarkable. After over four hours of training, with several short breaks in between, he had completely exhausted his stamina, yet he kept grinding through with clenched teeth.

”Now go through the entire Barbaric Ox Fist routine. I’ll point out where you’re lacking,” said Liang Song.

”Yes, sir!” Lin Zheyu responded firmly.

After more than four hours of training, his entire body was drenched in sweat. The intense exertion, coupled with lactic acid buildup, left him sore all over. Yet Lin Zheyu didn’t hesitate in the slightest and began training again.

Almost there! he thought.

Lin Zheyu could feel himself nearing his physical limit! If he could endure for just one more minute after hitting his limit, he felt that he would be able to break through and gain 1 unit of Origin Force.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 2]

[Skills: Barbaric Ox Fist (Dormancy: 3%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his mind and was filled with excitement. Just as he had imagined, martial arts technique could indeed be added to the skill panel.

Filled with intense anticipation, Lin Zheyu assumed the stance for the Barbaric Ox Fist. He stomped hard with his foot, his leg muscles flexing sharply as the power linked through his waist and shot into his arms. His upper body tilted forward slightly, fists lashing out like twin ox horns brimming with raw power.

First move, Barbaric Ox Charge!

As his fists struck forward, Lin Zheyu immediately felt sharp pain in his waist, legs, and arms.

Ahh, cramp!

Just moments ago, he had looked heroic, but now he was sprawled on the ground in a sorry state. His body twisted awkwardly as he tried to ease the cramping pain.

”Haha...” Seeing this, Liang Song couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

This kid is nearly out of stamina, yet he’s still trying to act tough. Using the explosive Barbaric Ox Fist while already overtrained is a sure way to cramp up, thought Liang Song.

”Rest for a bit. Your body’s nearly at its limit,” Liang Song said.

He stepped forward and knelt beside Lin Zheyu, kneading and massaging the cramped areas. The pain quickly subsided.

”Thank you, Master,” said Lin Zheyu.

He stood up and stretched, loosening his whole body as he planned to continue soon. He was extremely close to his physical limit, so he couldn’t afford to quit now. Once he pushed past the limit, he would gain another unit of Origin Force.

While listening to Liang Song explain some foundational martial principles, Lin Zheyu continued to gently loosen his muscles. Soon, he felt his muscles had relaxed enough.