Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Huff.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Outside the cave, a cold wind howled. The sky had cleared in the morning, but by evening, clouds had gathered again, though it didn’t seem like it would rain.

Lin Zheyu held a torch and crouched beside the coffin, leaning in for a closer look. A faint purple glow rippled across the formation’s runic lines, subtle and elusive. It was easy to miss without careful attention. Dense, sinister yin energy gathered and poured into the coffin, while the sinister yin aura seeping out was only a fraction of what was truly inside.

How strange. Where is this energy coming from? The spiritual qi of heaven and earth? wondered Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu searched the chamber thoroughly but found nothing that could be supplying the energy. When he touched the formation’s runes with his fingers, he felt a thin layer of fine purple powder.

Could it be this? What is it? A medium?

Lin Zheyu sniffed the powder, but it had no scent, and he couldn’t tell what it was made of. He circled the formation, occasionally reaching out to touch it as he studied its patterns.

By midnight, he even went out to capture a wild beast and brought it into the cave. The moment the creature entered, it sensed immense danger and its fur bristled; it trembled as it let out a forced, hollow roar of defiance.

It resembled a wolfhound, though twice as large, with two boar-like tusks jutting from its mouth. Lin Zheyu bound it tightly with vines until it couldn’t move an inch, then fastened the beast atop the coffin, forcing it to endure the corrosion of the sinister yin energy.

He was deeply curious if, after enough time passed, the beast would simply die, or if it would transform into something like a living corpse. After covering the cave entrance with branches again, Lin Zheyu returned to another cave to rest.

The next day, sunlight streamed brightly across the mountains. The clouds in the sky seemed to have been swept away by last night’s gale. As usual, Lin Zheyu went out to search for the person.

Eee—ee-ee-eee.

The clear sound of a bamboo whistle echoed through the forest.

Rustle, rustle...

A gentle breeze swept past, making the trees whisper softly.

After finishing the whistle call, Lin Zheyu found a clearing and began practicing the Mountain Shattering Leg. This technique was a variant of the Mountain Shattering Palm, channeling the same explosive blood qi force through the legs instead of the arms.

For most people, it was nearly impossible to channel such a difficult blood qi burst technique through their legs. Even mastering it through the palms required years of grueling practice, let alone through limbs less agile than arms.

However, Lin Zheyu was already a master of leg techniques. Among all his martial skills, his legwork was the strongest. His mastery of the Golden Goose Technique, enhanced further by the Ten Thousand Troop Steps, gave his legs flexibility on par with his arms. For him, learning the Mountain Shattering Leg was not too difficult.

Boom!

One-fifth of his blood qi surged into his right leg. Following the explosive technique of the Mountain Shattering Palm, power erupted through his muscles. His right leg lashed out like lightning, his trouser hem cracking the air with a sharp pop. The technique’s blood qi eruption was ferocious. Even with only a fifth of his strength unleashed, the force still tore at his muscles and skin.

Channeling this blood qi explosion through the legs feels slightly different from using the arms, but it’s not too difficult.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 0]

[Skills: Mountain Shattering Leg (Competence: 73%), Sixfold Saber (Advanced Mastery: 46%), Golden Goose Technique (Eighth Stage: 48%), Tortoise Breath Grand Method (Third Stage: 5%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness. The entry for the Mountain Shattering Palm had been concealed, replaced by the Mountain Shattering Leg.

After perfecting the Mountain Shattering Palm, Lin Zheyu had fully mastered the unique art of blood qi explosion. Yet using the legs required subtle adjustments compared to the arms, and those differences still needed refining, thus his progress had only reached the Competence stage.

If I can strengthen my legs to the point where I can unleash the Mountain Shattering Leg freely, my speed will triple! thought Lin Zheyu to himself.

After raising the Mountain Shattering Palm to Perfection, he could unleash sixteen consecutive strikes at full power, far exceeding the manual’s limit of three. This was thanks to his enhancement through Origin Force, which allowed him to act without restraint or fear of injuring himself.

When Lin Zheyu had recklessly practiced the Mountain Shattering Palm within his consciousness space, his arms had been repeatedly torn and healed. Through that endless cycle of destruction and recovery, the muscles, tendons, bones, and skin of his arms had grown tougher and more resilient.

This time, Lin Zheyu defined the Perfection stage of the Mountain Shattering Leg as being able to use it without restraint. By without restraint, he meant being able to expend all of his blood qi without suffering significant damage to his leg muscles or skin.

Once he finished setting the parameters for the technique, Lin Zheyu sent out a thought, and the data for the Mountain Shattering Leg appeared in his consciousness. That confirmed his theory was entirely feasible!

Eee—ee-ee-eee...

The sound of the bamboo whistle once again echoed through the forest. Dusk fell, and another day passed without finding anyone.

Carrying a wild boar over two meters long on his shoulder, Lin Zheyu made his way back to his cave. The weather had been clear for two days. The branches and leaves were still somewhat damp, but they would serve well enough for roasting, though it would take some extra effort.

In front of the cave, he roasted the meat over a crackling fire. The boar fat sizzled as he sprinkled chili and seasoning powder over it, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

Several days had already passed. Between searching the mountains and cultivating in solitude, Lin Zheyu found the rhythm surprisingly pleasant. After a hearty meal, he returned to the cave filled with sinister yin energy. The beast he had captured the day before was still alive, restrained within the formation. Under the heavy corruption of the yin force, its spirit had grown dull and sluggish.

Still alive, and it’s baring its teeth. Not bad! It’s still got some fight in it.

Lin Zheyu examined the creature’s condition, checked the chamber again, and, finding nothing new, returned to his dwelling.

Time passed slowly. Each day was fulfilling. He began to feel as though he hadn’t come here to find anyone at all, but to retreat into the mountains for focused cultivation. He had explored nearly the entire Daba Mountain range without encountering a single soul. Perhaps the hermit he sought had left... or perhaps he was already dead.

In the blink of an eye, another nine days passed by. Lin Zheyu still hadn’t found the hermit; the man truly seemed to be gone. He had now been in Daba Mountain for seventeen full days. The mission had long been completed, but he had lingered for two extra days, distracted by his own pursuits.

Meanwhile, in Songyi City, the Xing Family residence.

”How are the investigations on the remaining few?” asked the first elder of the Xing Family coolly, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged man before him.

After more than ten days of investigation, they had already verified some on the list, executed others, and what remained were mostly Blood Qi Realm cultivators.

”Reporting to the elder. Zhao Weikun and his group have been cleared of suspicion. According to our spies in Lion Valley, they were confirmed to be inside the valley during that period. Now, only the Xu Family’s head, Xu Yunhu, and the Ren Family’s Ren Yuhan remain unaccounted for. They weren’t in the city at that time. Their current whereabouts are unknown, so their absence may be connected to the deaths of the second and fifth elders,” said the middle-aged man respectfully.

”It seems the deaths of the second and fifth elders have much to do with the Xu and Ren Families.” After a moment of thought, he asked, ”And what of that youngster from the Feihong Gang?”

”Nothing, Elder. We’ve sent various search parties into the mountains for over ten days, but found no trace of him. His whereabouts and life or death remain unknown,” the man reported.

More than ten days ago, they had dispatched multiple groups to investigate leads concerning the deaths of the second and fifth elders. Many had been injured or killed in the process, but those who pursued Lin Zheyu were wiped out completely.

”Continue the investigation. Station a few men to watch the main routes around Songyi City. The moment there’s any news of that brat, report immediately. Also, deliver this sealed letter to the family head,” said the first elder after a brief pause, taking out an envelope.

”Yes, Elder.” The middle-aged man accepted the letter respectfully.

”One more thing. What business did Zhao Weikun have in Lion Valley? Did he also form ties with the Nine Nether Sect?” asked the first elder thoughtfully.

”The Nine Nether Sect members are tight-lipped and refuse to disclose anything. However, our spies reported that Zhao Weikun and his men stayed in Lion Valley for two days. It’s highly likely they reached an agreement with the Nine Nether Sect,” replied the man.

”Good. You may go.”

After the man left, the first elder summoned another subordinate.

”Deliver this sealed letter to the Zhao Family’s head, Zhao Guanhua,” said the first elder calmly, handing over the freshly written message.

”Yes, Elder!” The man accepted the letter and hurried off. After making his final arrangements, the first elder stepped into his chambers.

He turned a hidden switch on a vase, and the bookshelf slowly shifted aside, revealing a secret chamber behind it. The room was silent, with only Xing Rui inside. The two young disciples who had been there before were gone.

Xing Rui sat cross-legged on the floor, forming seals with his hands in a peculiar posture. His eyes were tightly shut, and his chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm that carried a faint, mystical cadence. Invisible strands of ghostly light drifted through the air, gradually merging into Xing Rui’s body and gathering along his meridians.

The first elder glanced at Xing Rui, then took a seat in a corner of the chamber, drawing out the Origin Returning Art manual to study it. He had no intention of cultivating it yet. Only after his grandfather had practiced it safely and confirmed it was harmless would he begin cultivation himself.

Time flowed quietly. After more than four hours, Xing Rui emerged from his meditative state and slowly opened his eyes. For a brief instant, a faint ghostly light flickered within them before fading away.

”Grandfather, how do you feel?” The first elder put down the manual and approached him.

”I feel better than I have in decades! The Origin Returning Art truly deserves to be called an immortal cultivation secret technique. I feel as though I’ve turned back the years and my strength is rising once more!” said Xing Rui with a smile, his spirits lifted. Although he had once used potent elixirs to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm and extend his lifespan, his power had gradually waned with age. Now, after cultivating the Origin Returning Art, his strength was once again climbing swiftly.

”That’s good to hear. But grandfather, you must not let your guard down. Whether from the ancestral records or the Nine Nether Sect priest’s warnings, all suggest this cultivation method is dangerous and unorthodox. If you notice anything abnormal, stop immediately and disperse all the spirit power generated by the Origin Returning Art,” the first elder said with a grave expression.

”Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. How are the plans progressing?” asked Xing Rui evenly.

”Everything is going smoothly, though it seems the Xu Family has sensed something. They’ve begun making secret preparations,” replied the first elder.

”No matter. With the strength of our Xing Family, whatever they prepare is like an ant trying to stop a chariot. If it weren’t for the City Lord suppressing us from above, there would be no Xu Family or Zhao Family to speak of. In Songyi City, only our Xing Family would reign supreme!” Xing Rui spoke in a calm tone, but it carried an unmistakable weight of confidence and dominance.