Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Two days later, two figures walked out from the Wuji Sect and headed toward the outskirts of Wuling City.

”Senior Sister, may I ask you a question?” Lin Zheyu asked.

Beside him was a woman with short hair, brimming with masculine vigor, her body packed with knotted muscles, yet her face looked unexpectedly cute. When Lin Zheyu first saw her, he could not help but take a few extra glances. She was the very image of a Vajra Barbie[1].

”Mm, go ahead and ask,” Gu Ye said softly.

Although she was more burly than many men, her voice was as sweet as her face, creating a striking sense of contrast. Gu Ye was a disciple of Lin Zheyu’s martial aunt, Wu Xuan, and also a true disciple of the Wuji Sect. Lin Zheyu had heard Huang Youwei mention that Senior Sister Gu Ye had been raised like a boy since childhood, and that her parents had deliberately given her a male name. Also, apparently, her personality was tougher than that of many men and when it came to fighting, she was comparable to Wildman Luo.

”Senior Sister, it is said that martial artists who cultivate to the Dragon Transformation can release their blood qi outward, and true strength can also be released. Can blood qi be used in the same way as true strength?” Lin Zheyu asked.

After returning to the Wuji Sect, he studied the matter for a long time but could not find an answer. He wanted to ask Senior Sister Wenzi, Senior Brother Chen Ding, or Senior Brother Hai Hong, but none of them were around. His master and the others had also gone out, leaving him with no one to consult.

”Of course not. Blood qi and true strength are two completely different kinds of energy. The greatest function of blood qi energy is its ability to act as energy that drives the physique, allowing the release of powerful attack strength. True strength, however, is entirely different. True strength is a brand new form of energy that emerges after essence, qi, and spirit merge with true intent, and it is far more powerful than blood qi.

”Martial artists can directly unleash true strength energy against their enemies. When attached to the surface of the body, it can act as a protective barrier. When attached to weapons, it can increase their power. True strength has endless applications, while blood qi only works on the fleshly body,” Gu Ye said softly.

She was not very familiar with Lin Zheyu, but she had heard of his deeds. This youngster had been taken a liking to by Elder Yang at this year’s martial cultivation exchange and was exceptionally recruited into the Wuji Sect as Sect Master Huang Baizhong’s disciple. Not long after entering the sect, he climbed onto the Hidden Dragon List and was now an expert ranked seventy-eighth.

If Lin Zheyu continued to challenge martial artists ranked above him, he might even enter the top sixty. Gu Ye understood very well the importance of resources in martial cultivation, so she was extremely curious about how Lin Zheyu had cultivated such formidable strength. She had joined the Wuji Sect since childhood, cultivated with full focus, and possessed ample resources, yet she had never managed to make it onto the Hidden Dragon List.

”So that is how it is.” Lin Zheyu nodded, confirming his conjecture through Senior Sister Gu Ye.

Over the past few days, while he used externally released blood qi to simulate true strength, he had also sensed the shortcomings of blood qi. It seemed he could only abandon the idea of using golden blood qi as a substitute for true strength.

”Why would you have such an idea, Junior Brother?” Gu Ye asked curiously.

”Previously, I crossed hands with Yunfeng from the War God Sect and became very interested in the blood-colored long dragon surrounding him. I suddenly thought of it just now, so I asked you about it,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

After leaving the sect, the two headed toward the outskirts of Wuling City. This trip involved only the two of them. Soaring Serpent Mountain already had experts guarding it, but the situation was currently chaotic, with people lurking in the shadows and ready to stir trouble, which was why Gu Ye and Lin Zheyu were sent to provide additional support.

”Speaking of Yunfeng, he also entered the Hidden Dragon List two months ago and is now ranked eighty-ninth. Did he challenge you?” Gu Ye said with a smile.

”Nope,” Lin Zheyu replied.

Ever since Shu Jingfeng, who had previously failed in challenging him, challenged Wen Ji, ranked sixty-first on the Hidden Dragon List, and succeeded, very few people had dared to challenge Lin Zheyu. Now, rumors outside all claimed that he possessed strength within the top sixty of the Hidden Dragon List.

”Does junior brother not plan to move up a few ranks? It is said that within the top fifty, the top thirty, and the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List, the effects of the Hidden Dragon Tokens increase dramatically. If you can enter the top fifty of the Hidden Dragon List, it will be of great help to your cultivation,” Gu Ye said with a smile.

Back then, she simply lacked the strength and had no way to enter the Hidden Dragon List. Yet the youngster before her clearly possessed formidable power, but seemed oddly uninterested in rankings on the Hidden Dragon List.

”That is exactly my plan. Previously, I was fully focused on cultivating the Azure Tide Boundless True Technique and had no spare time to worry about the Hidden Dragon List. Now I am close to completing the Boundless Azure Sea Body. What remains is just steady refinement, so I finally have time to challenge martial artists on the Hidden Dragon List,” Lin Zheyu said.

Hidden Dragon Tokens indeed provided excellent assistance for martial artist cultivation. After defeating Fan Qingxue and rising to rank seventy-eight, every time he cultivated while holding the Hidden Dragon Tokens, his mind felt exceptionally clear, with noticeably sharper comprehension and faster logical responses.

The two chatted casually and soon left the city. Once outside, they began to speed up, vanishing from the city gates in the blink of an eye.

At the city gate, a figure gazed in the direction Lin Zheyu disappeared, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he whispered, ”He’s finally come out. This brat really made us wait. We watched him for months. He did not take a single step out of Wuling City, and barely even left the sect.”

His figure shifted, vanishing from the spot as he chased after Lin Zheyu and the others. He was Duan Ping. Months ago, acting on Pei Xuan’s orders, he had led people to keep watch on Lin Zheyu, but never found a chance to act. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.

***

Amid towering mountains and steep ridges, earth shaking beast roars echoed from time to time. This place lay deep within the mountains, fraught with danger and unreachable by ordinary people. Yet such desolate regions often held abundant, rare resources, such as precious ores, treasure herbs, and exotic ferocious beasts. Soaring Serpent Mountain was one such place.

Located over a thousand kilometers east of Wuling City and deep within the mountain ranges, its fertile soil contained large amounts of special material energy, aiding the growth and cultivation of rare medicinal herbs. It was one of the Wuji Sect’s most important medicinal fields.

Many powerful experts from the Azure Tide Pavilion were stationed on Soaring Serpent Mountain, including formidable peak Force Transformation realm experts. Two figures, moving at incredible speed, appeared one after the other in the mountain forest. After more than four hours of travel, Gu Ye and Lin Zheyu entered the deep mountains where human presence was scarce.

”Do you need to rest for a bit?” Gu Ye asked.

”No need. Let’s keep moving,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

Several hours of travel posed no pressure for him. He did not even expend blood qi, relying entirely on the strength of his physique the whole way.

”Are you really a Marrow Refining realm cultivator who broke through at the eighth transformation of blood qi? Even Yunfeng would struggle after traveling for over four hours at that speed,” asked Gu Ye, who looked at Lin Zheyu with suspicion.

Lin Zheyu was neither flushed nor out of breath, as if nothing had happened. It was truly unbelievable.

”Perhaps it is because I have cultivated many body-refining techniques, making my physique exceptionally strong,” Lin Zheyu explained.

”Really?” Gu Ye looked at Lin Zheyu with a strange expression.

Mastering movement techniques to an extraordinary level, while still finding time to cultivate multiple body-refining techniques to such an abnormal degree, truly made Lin Zheyu a monster.

”Of course it is true, I... Hm. Careful!”

”Careful!”

Lin Zheyu’s expression abruptly tightened as he spoke at the same time as Gu Ye.

Gu Ye glanced at Lin Zheyu in surprise. She was a Force Transformation realm expert, her perception far surpassing that of Marrow Refining realm martial artists, yet this junior brother of hers sensed the ominous aura almost at the same moment as she did.

”Hehe. Truly worthy of being true disciples of the Wuji Sect. Even from this distance, you could sense my aura.” A sinister voice drifted out from the forest.

Immediately after, a burly man towering at over two point three meters tall, built like a ferocious beast, slowly emerged from the dense forest. A sinister, evil, and murder-filled aura erupted from his body.

”It’s a yao martial artist! I didn’t expect to encounter a yao martial artist on the way here!” Lin Zheyu frowned slightly. He lowered his stance as blood qi surged rapidly within him, powerful golden blood qi gathering, ready to be unleashed.

”You go first. Follow the guidance of the Azure Scale Insect and head straight for Soaring Serpent Mountain,” Gu Ye said gravely. Her eyes were fixed tightly on the man. The terrifying aura erupting from his body made even her feel troubled.

”Alright.” Lin Zheyu nodded solemnly.

With a flicker of movement, he vanished into the mountain forest with a whoosh, sprinting toward the distance. The newcomer was extremely powerful, at least a Force Transformation realm expert. Staying behind would only distract his senior sister.

”Where do you think you are going?” the burly man shouted. His body transformed in an instant. His 2.3-meter frame rapidly expanded, muscles bulging as black red patterns surfaced across his skin.

The markings spread over his entire body. In the blink of an eye, the burly man underwent a drastic change, transforming directly into a terrifying humanoid monster over three meters tall.

”A half-yao! Has this man gone mad, actually transforming his body into a half-yao?” Gu Ye was utterly shocked by the sight.

A half-yao was a far more thorough transformation than that of a yao martial artist. A yao martial artist merely absorbed Baleful Yin force to strengthen themselves, while a half-yao directly transformed their body toward that of a yao, becoming a terrifying half-human half-yao existence. Such beings usually lacked reason. Even if they retained it, their minds were filled with slaughter and chaos, living in a muddled state no different from true yao. Yet the person before her still retained clear consciousness, which left Gu Ye deeply astonished.

Boom!

In the instant Gu Ye was distracted, the ground beneath the half-yao exploded as his massive body shot toward Lin Zheyu’s direction. Gu Ye snapped back to her senses. A vast surge of pale blue true strength poured out from her body, enveloping her completely.

Boom!

The soil beneath Gu Ye’s feet also exploded. Her muscles bulged and swelled instantly, her momentum astonishing as she swung her fist down toward the half-yao’s head.

Boom, boom, boom.

Bang, bang, bang!

The two figures collided, unleashing continuous explosive sounds in an instant. Rubble and soil sprayed through the forest as countless trees were caught in the impact and shattered. Force Transformation realm experts possessed terrifying strength, and the battlefield center became a scene of utter devastation in moments.

Bang, bang, bang!

Blue and black clashed together. Though much smaller than the half-yao, Gu Ye seemed like a valkyrie incarnate, her momentum domineering and fierce. Her fighting style was bold and expansive, and in sheer momentum, even the half-yao fell slightly short. Hearing the tremendous commotion behind him, Lin Zheyu continued to increase his speed.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a black-red figure burst explosively out of the dense forest.

Bang!

Lin Zheyu lightly tapped his toes and abruptly halted in place. Blood qi roared through his body as the Great Strength Vajra Fist blasted out in an instant.

1. Vajra Barbie or 金刚芭比 (Jīngāng Bābǐ) is a colloquial Chinese term meaning a woman with an extremely muscular, powerful physique paired with a cute or traditionally feminine face. It emphasizes the strong visual contrast between brute physical strength and outward cuteness, similar to a heavily built female bodybuilder with a doll-like appearance. ☜