Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

”By comparing the differences between the Primordial Origin Technique, the Boiling Blood Secret Art, and the Forbidden Reversal Method, perhaps I can find a pattern and uncover a breakthrough,” Lin Zheyu murmured to himself.

He mentally reviewed the three techniques, then began analyzing and breaking them down. He tried to deconstruct these acupoint-related techniques, once mysterious as black boxes, into separate functional components.

”No, that won’t work... If I do it like this instead...” Lin Zheyu muttered under his breath, manipulating the flow of his blood qi through various acupoints, sensing carefully the subtle differences as it passed through each one.

***

Time passed slowly. After using 5 units of Origin Force to strengthen himself, the strain on Lin Zheyu’s mind was immense, so he stopped there. Overdrawing his spirit by accident would be troublesome, after all. He decided to instead use about 5 units of Origin Force a day to raise his strength steadily over several days.

Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged in the courtyard. Dense blood qi coursed through his body as his chest rose and fell in rhythm.

Under the pure moonlight, everything was still. The night deepened, yet even after finishing his Origin Force enhancement, he continued studying the techniques.

”Huff...”

He exhaled a long, turbid breath and opened his tired eyes. The intense mental exertion had taken its toll.

Still not quite right... But I’m close. If all goes well, I might figure it out by tomorrow morning.

Though he hadn’t solved it yet, he had a general direction. In the process of researching a way to freely start and stop the Boiling Blood Secret Art, he had already gained a strong understanding of the technique and also the Forbidden Reversal Method. Now, with the addition of the Primordial Origin Technique, he could see many hidden patterns when comparing the three.

The key advantage was that Lin Zheyu, unlike ordinary people, didn’t have to worry about consequences when studying or modifying cultivation techniques. As long as the technique was trainable and wouldn’t outright kill him, it was acceptable. Bodily damage or severe side effects didn’t matter to him. This reduced the difficulty of improving techniques by several orders of magnitude, and he could take the most direct and brutal approach possible.

***

The night was deep. Lin Zheyu stopped his research, washed up briefly, then returned indoors. Sitting cross-legged, he activated the Tortoise Breath Grand Method and sank into deep-level sleep. In this state, both his body and spirit recovered much faster. Hidden mechanisms were set up throughout the courtyard, so if anyone intruded, poison would be released and alarm devices would be triggered. There was no risk of being ambushed in his sleep.

***

At dawn, as the sky lightened, the residents of Wuling City were already awake and beginning their daily routines. When the first golden rays of sunlight touched the ground, two women walked out of the city together.

Liang Yunhui gazed at the bustling morning streets with a bright, innocent smile. She had already cast aside the sadness of not finding her father. After all, she had never met him before, so her grief was only the result of a decade-long hope crumbling in a moment of disappointment.

Having failed to find Su Xinlin, Liang Yuhan let go of her longing completely. She now planned to take her daughter to Pingyang City’s Water Cloud Palace so she could participate in the entry exam and become a disciple there. With Liang Yunhui’s natural talent and aptitude, there should be no problem. However, the journey from Wuling City to Water Cloud Palace was long, so Liang Yuhan had arranged to travel with a merchant caravan. Their departure was still some days away—more than ten, to be exact.

”Mother, once we’re done here, can we go for a walk in the mountains? Maybe we’ll run into Little Black. Look, this is the bamboo whistle Uncle Zhao gave me. If Little Black hears it, he’ll come out!” Liang Yunhui said excitedly, playing with the whistle in her hands.

”No. This isn’t like Bafang City. The mountains here are dangerous,” Liang Yuhan replied calmly, refusing her daughter’s request. After several brushes with danger, she had grown much more cautious.

”Oh...” Liang Yunhui’s face fell with disappointment as she tucked the bamboo whistle into her chest pocket.

She followed her mother gloomily as they made their way to the nearby market. Before setting off with the merchant caravan, they needed to buy ox carts, horses, and supplies, which were all usually found outside the city. This trip was mainly to familiarize themselves with Wuling City’s markets and scout out purchase points in advance.

After walking around and noting the locations, the two of them stopped at a restaurant to rest. By then, it was already noon, and the place was bustling with noise.

”There’s an Ink Fox on Heavenly Saber Peak! The young masters from the Lu, Tang, and Ji Families went up the mountain with a bunch of men to hunt it down. I heard they even made a wager: whoever catches it first wins. It’s quite a spectacle! Want to go watch later?” one martial artist said with a grin.

”What’s so interesting about that commotion? What’s more important is that the saber intent on Heavenly Saber Peak is about to appear. It only shows itself for a few days each year, you know. If you can comprehend even a trace of it, your strength will soar. I’m heading there now to claim a good spot before it’s too crowded,” his companion replied.

”I’m not going. What use is that saber intent to the likes of us? No one’s ever gained anything from it all these years. It’s a waste of time; it’s better to enjoy the excitement. Someone set up a betting pool there. I’m putting my money on Tang Ziqiu from the Tang Family,” the bald man on the left said, curling his lip.

The restaurant was crowded with martial artists, many of whom were discussing Heavenly Saber Peak. Every year in mid-June, an overwhelming saber intent appeared above the peak, radiating a terrifying pressure like heavenly might itself, hence the mountain’s name. Each June, it became a hot topic of discussion. The appearance of Little Black was merely a side story, though with so many martial artists gathered, plenty of conversations drifted to it as well.

As Liang Yunhui and her mother passed by, they overheard fragments of these discussions.

”Excuse me, are you talking about an Ink Fox that’s chubby, part pig, and part civet?” Liang Yunhui asked the men curiously when she heard them mention something that sounded like Little Black.

She had first learned about Little Black’s species from members of the Pei Family. The men she spoke to turned toward her and her mother; judging by their clothes, they were local hunters.

”Not sure, I’ve never seen it myself,” said the man on the left, glancing at his companion. ”Didn’t you ask around about it? Tell the young lady what you heard.”

”They say it’s quite fat, almost like a pig. Why, have you seen it yourself?” another man asked with a grin.

”Yes, I have. But I didn’t realize it back then. I thought it was just a common beast,” Liang Yunhui said innocently. Having traveled far and wide with her mother, she understood enough of the martial world’s dangers to know there were things better left unsaid.

”Haha! That’s what I’ve heard too. Many hunters saw it and thought it was just a regular beast. It wasn’t until an old hunter came across it that they realized it was an Ink Fox,” the man laughed heartily.

”Thank you for explaining, seniors,” Liang Yunhui said politely before following her mother to an empty table nearby. Once they were away, her expression turned grim, showing clear distress and worry.

”Mother, it sounds like Little Black’s being hunted! Let’s go help it!” Liang Yunhui whispered anxiously.

”Sigh...” Liang Yuhan looked at her anxious daughter and let out a helpless sigh. Yunhui was simply too kind-hearted. She truly feared that once her daughter entered Water Cloud Palace, her kindness would lead to her being tricked or bullied.

”We can’t save it ourselves. Let’s go back and see if we can find Senior Zhao,” Liang Yuhan said softly.

She knew her limits and had no desire to get involved. It wasn’t worth risking their lives for a beast they’d merely met on the road. At most, she would inform Senior Zhao; what happened afterward would depend entirely on him.

”Mm-hm. Then let’s hurry and go! Senior Zhao might be living nearby,” Liang Yunhui said anxiously.

”Don’t rush. Eat first. Those people were watching us just now, so don’t make it obvious. Otherwise, they’ll suspect we know where Little Black is,” Liang Yuhan said quietly. She calmly called over the waiter and began ordering dishes as if nothing had happened.

***

Night fell, and lights shimmered across every household in Wuling City.

”Haha! It’s done!”

From a courtyard at the corner of Nanming Street came a sudden burst of laughter.

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his consciousness, satisfaction spreading across his face. The progress had been slower than expected, but after working until nightfall, he finally developed a method to stimulate bodily potential without burning essence, qi, and spirit. This was only possible thanks to his golden finger. Without the ability to verify a modified technique’s feasibility by checking whether corresponding data appeared in his consciousness, it would have taken him far longer to succeed.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 61]

[Skills: Boiling Blood Secret Art (Perfection), Forbidden Reversal Method (Perfection), Primordial Origin Technique {Modified} (Dormant: 0%), Golden Goose Technique (Tenth Stage: 100%), Spirit-Wondrous Movement Technique (Fifth Stage: 100%)]

In his consciousness, the original Primordial Origin Technique entry had vanished, replaced by Primordial Origin Technique {Modified}. The changes to the technique were minimal, primarily involving the addition of a section on triggering bodily potential at the start. However, without the energy produced from burning essence, qi, and spirit, Lin Zheyu estimated that it could not fully unleash one’s potential in a short time. The effect would be considerably weaker.

”Let’s see how it performs.”

Unable to wait, Lin Zheyu immediately began testing it. He placed his hand into the wooden basin he had prepared earlier, with most of the medicinal strength from yesterday’s concoction still remaining.

Use one unit of Origin Force to enhance Primordial Origin Technique {Modified}.

As the thought rippled outward, Lin Zheyu’s mind wavered slightly, and his consciousness drifted into that familiar inner space.