Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

The cave was shrouded in an eerie gloom. Normally, even if a cave in the forest had no beasts, it would still serve as a habitat for insects and small animals. Yet Lin Zheyu did not find even a single spider. Aside from dust, the cave was frighteningly clean and devoid of any trace of life.

Staying alert, he held his torch and slowly ventured deeper into the cave. He moved cautiously while gathering blood qi power in his legs, ready to flee at any moment.

Will a ghost appear? wondered Lin Zheyu. He was deeply intrigued by the ghosts of this world, for through them, he might glimpse a hidden aspect of the immortal Dao.

Whoosh.

After advancing about three meters, the sound of the wind echoed through the cave. It came from outside, after a violent wind swept past the entrance. Though it had not rained that evening, the wind howled fiercely, so by midnight, a heavy downpour might follow.

The deeper he went, the denser that unsettling aura of cold malice became, constantly seeping into his body. Had it been an ordinary young man untrained in martial arts, a single night in this cave would have left him gravely ill. However, with his strength, it had no effect at all. Having reached the Tiger Transformation, the power within his body was formidable enough that even the faint veil of it hidden in his flesh easily neutralized the cave’s sinister Yin aura.

Before long, he reached the deepest part of the cave but found nothing. The ghost he had imagined never appeared, leaving him slightly disappointed.

How strange. If there are no ghosts, why is the aura of evil so strong here? Could this be one of those legendary places of extreme yin? pondered Lin Zheyu.

He raised his torch, illuminating every inch of the walls, hoping to find some clue. Yet the cave was empty. Aside from a few dry bones scattered on the ground, nothing seemed out of place. Taking a deep breath, Lin Zheyu cleared his mind, closed his eyes, and carefully attuned himself to the cave’s sinister yin aura.

Tap, tap, tap.

He stepped forward, heading toward the direction where the sinister yin aura was strongest.

This evil energy seems to be emanating from here. Lin Zheyu carefully sensed the aura and walked to a section of the cave wall on his right, where the malice was at its densest.

How interesting. Could there be a living corpse hidden inside? Lin Zheyu mused inwardly.

Suppressing the urge to smash through the wall and see for himself, he stepped back a few paces and sat cross-legged near the entrance.

If there truly was a living corpse sealed within, breaking open the wall now would be a terrible idea. From the folklore he had read and from what he’d heard from Xu Qinyi and others, living corpses were at their most powerful during the night.

He decided to wait until noon the next day, when the sun was at its peak, before breaking through the wall to investigate. If it rained again tomorrow, he would wait a few more days until the sun came out before exploring further.

I hope nothing monstrous crawls out of there at midnight, Lin Zheyu thought warily as he looked toward the depths of the cave.

He did not sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began cultivating the Tortoise Breath Grand Method, suppressing his aura to the faintest trace while keeping constant vigilance over the cave’s depths.

Drip, drip.

By midnight, heavy rain began to fall outside. The wind carried droplets into the cave. Lin Zheyu rose, moved deeper inside, and resumed his seated meditation. Nothing stirred within the cave, but he did not lower his guard. With his current strength, staying awake for 5 days and nights posed no problem.

Chirp, chirp.

Squeak, squeak.

At dawn, birds began calling across the forest. After last night’s rain, mist rose among the trees. Stretching lazily, Lin Zheyu glanced toward the cave’s depths before heading out. The uneventful night left him slightly disappointed. The rain had stopped, leaving the ground muddy. With a light tap of his toes, he leapt into motion, gliding swiftly through the forest.

Eee—eee.

The sound of a bamboo whistle echoed through the forest. While waiting for the person to show up, Lin Zheyu continued to study the Mountain Shattering Palm technique. Though the rain had ceased, the sun did not appear. The sky remained dim and heavy, as if it could pour again at any moment.

He changed locations several times but found no sign of the person he was waiting for. He hardly even saw beasts. Compared to Beast Roar Mountain, the wildlife here was sparse and much weaker.

Dusk fell. The night over Daba Mountain was eerily silent, though many fierce beasts emerged to hunt.

Swish!

A flash of cold light split a leaping beast cleanly in two. Lin Zheyu glanced at the beast’s corpse but had no intention of taking it. After the rain and without sunlight, the forest trees were too damp for cooking.

After orienting himself, he headed down the mountain. He did not head toward the cave filled with the sinister yin aura, but in another direction. During his search earlier that day, Lin Zheyu had discovered a different cave. It appeared to be man-made, with faint traces of human habitation. As for the previous cave, he decided to investigate it later. Since he would remain in Daba Mountain for more than ten days, there was no rush.

“It’s time to gain more Origin Force,” murmured Lin Zheyu. He had spent the day searching for that person, leaving no time for cultivation, so he could only return to the cave at night to push his limits.

The cave was spacious, over thirty square meters. It was more than enough for his training. Planting his torch in a corner, Lin Zheyu began his exercises. His blood qi surged within him as he executed the Golden Goose Technique in tandem with the Barbaric Ox Fist, the force of his strikes whipping up gusts through the cave.

Time passed slowly. After more than six hours, Lin Zheyu braced himself against the wall, panting, his muscles trembling faintly. He rested for a short while, refining a few threads of blood qi power before finally recovering his strength.

Let’s begin the enhancement, thought Lin Zheyu.

Before him sat a crude wooden basin carved from a thick tree trunk, filled with water mixed with 6 sets of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction. The Mountain Shattering Palm did not greatly enhance the body; at most, it strengthened the arms to better endure its unique blood qi explosion technique. Thus, it required little energy.

Lin Zheyu estimated that 3 sets of the decoction would suffice, but to be safe, he prepared 6. The excess medicinal power would help replenish his blood qi. Each time he used the Origin Force to advance, he could restore his body to its peak state as long as there was enough medicinal strength. Though Daba Mountain seemed peaceful, it was wiser to remain at full strength while in the wild.

Use 1 unit of Origin Force to enhance the Mountain Shattering Palm, Lin Zheyu commanded silently, sitting cross-legged as his thought echoed outward.

In an instant, a familiar sensation swept over him. His mind blurred briefly before he entered a unique space of consciousness. There, Lin Zheyu began endless training, practicing the Mountain Shattering Palm without restraint, free from concern of physical injury.

The benefit of using Origin Force was that he no longer had to worry about injuries caused by improper training or overexertion. Within this consciousness space, his recovery was astonishingly fast, and any damage caused by unleashing the Mountain Shattering Palm at full force would heal completely within two breaths.

As he trained relentlessly without pause, Lin Zheyu’s mastery of blood qi burst techniques grew increasingly refined. The progress of his Mountain Shattering Palm advanced swiftly, from Initiation to Competence, and soon from Competence to Initial Mastery, then finally settling at 77% toward full Initial Mastery.

At the same time, a mysterious energy surged from deep within his cells, stirring the medicinal essence in the basin. While restoring his blood qi, it also refined the muscles and membranes of his arms. Under this mysterious enhancement, his arm strength did not increase, but the tissues grew far tougher, and he was able to endure even greater bursts of power.