Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

”By the way, there hasn’t been any news of Woo Yixuan for quite some time. I heard he entered the Woo Family’s Martial Legacy Secret Ground for closed-door cultivation and still hasn’t come out.”

”When he finally emerges, he might already have advanced to the Shackles realm,” Qiu Kun suddenly said.

Bai Lin said in surprise, ”Woo Yixuan? If you hadn’t brought him up, I would’ve nearly forgotten about him. Who would’ve thought that Fellow Xiao’s beating back then would actually help him and strengthen his resolve to become more powerful?”

He looked at Lin Zheyu and warned, ”Still, you’d better be careful. That guy holds grudges over the smallest slight. Once he comes out of seclusion, he may very well come looking for trouble.”

”Let him come. I’ll be waiting,” Lin Zheyu replied indifferently.

He had already beaten up Woo Yiyan, Woo Yixuan’s elder brother. What threat could Woo Yixuan possibly pose?

”Now that’s confidence!” Qiu Kun grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

Zong Linjing’s gentle voice carried a sincerity that showed plainly in her eyes. ”If any trouble does arise, Fellow Xiao, don’t hesitate to ask for help. After all, that incident began because of me.”

”It’s fine. It’s nothing worth worrying about. In fact, I’m more concerned that he won’t come,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

It had been a long time since he had encountered a fat sheep. His storage pouch was starting to feel rather empty. If Woo Yixuan came knocking on his door, that would be another windfall delivered straight to him. Murder and arson filled one’s purse, as the saying went. Robbing people was far faster than painstakingly completing missions for spirit stones. Especially when it came to second-generation cultivators like Woo Yixuan. Those people were always wealthy.

***

In the Martial Realm, at the residence of the Woo Family. Deep within a dense mountain forest, under heavy guard, lay one of the Woo Family’s most important sites: the Martial Legacy Secret Ground.

A stone gate weighing over a dozen tons slowly rumbled open, revealing a deep and mysterious tunnel beyond. A powerful and enigmatic aura flowed out from within.

A loud, arrogant, and unrestrained laugh echoed from the depths of the tunnel. ”Hahaha! I’m back!”

A young man radiating terrifying pressure shot forth from the tunnel as a streak of purple light. Like a ferocious tiger roaring from its lair, he charged out at incredible speed.

Bang!

A tremendous crash shook the earth. The impact kicked up clouds of dust that spread across the ground. As the dust gradually settled, it revealed the figure of a wild and arrogant young man. Purple energy enveloped his body, condensing into the phantom image of a roaring tiger with its head thrown toward the heavens. Its imposing presence was astonishing.

Woo Yixuan shook his head slightly, his face filled with regret. ”What a shame. If I’d known my talent was this extraordinary and that I’d advance to the Shackles realm so quickly, I wouldn’t have asked my big brother to step in for me.”

Nothing was more satisfying than taking revenge personally. Watching an enemy kneel before him, begging for mercy with tears streaming down their face, was an indescribable pleasure. The feeling was simply exhilarating.

”Since my big brother made his move, Xiao Yu is definitely dead. But that girl Zong Linjing is still around. With her talent, she’s probably broken into the Shackles realm by now, hasn’t she? A beauty in the Shackles realm... I’ve never had the chance to enjoy one before. Just thinking about it...” A lewd grin spread across his face. He clicked his tongue and strode toward the city.

He had been cooped up in this place for so long that he was practically going crazy. He wanted good food. He wanted to go out and enjoy himself. More than anything, he wanted to indulge himself to the fullest. Why become stronger in the first place? Wasn’t it precisely to gain the freedom to do whatever one pleased?

After returning to the family estate, he enjoyed a long, hot bath and feasted on a lavish spread of delicious dishes. Once he had thoroughly indulged himself, a long-forgotten sense of satisfaction finally returned.

”Oh, right. Where’s my big brother?” Woo Yixuan asked the companion beside him.

”Your brother went to the Bloody Trial Grounds. I haven’t seen him for half a year now,” the man beside him replied.

”My brother really hasn’t changed. He’s still that ruthless with himself.” Woo Yixuan snorted. ”Tell me what’s been happening over at the Martial Alliance. How strong is Zong Linjing now? Oh, and there’s also that guy, Bai Lin. He was there back then, too.”

”I heard Zong Linjing has already broken free of one shackle, and Bai Lin isn’t far behind. Oh, and there’s also Xiao Yu. He’s been keeping a very low profile lately, but the rumors say he’s already broken free of two shackles. As expected of the man once known as the strongest beneath the Shackles realm. His talent really is...” The man paused suddenly when he noticed that Woo Yixuan’s expression had changed.

”Who did you just say?” Woo Yixuan asked through gritted teeth.

”Xiao Yu, of course. Didn’t you have a grudge against him back then?” the man replied, completely baffled by Woo Yixuan’s reaction.

”That bastard isn’t dead?” Woo Yixuan suddenly burst into laughter as he said, ”Hahaha! Wonderful! He’s still alive! That’s wonderful!”

His companion could only stare at him in confusion.

First, I should find out what happened with my brother. How did that guy manage to escape from his hands? Woo Yixuan thought to himself as he gradually suppressed his laughter.

The current him was no longer quite as reckless as before. He had learned a measure of caution over the years, though admittedly not very much.

***

Yanwu City. The courtyard where Lin Zheyu had lived for more than three years.

The leaves of the great tree in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, producing a soft rustling sound.

In the center of the courtyard, Lin Zheyu wielded a long saber as he practiced the Seven Absolute Sabers technique. The blade cut through the air, and the fierce gusts generated by each strike produced piercing shrieks.

”Huff, huff, huff...”

Before long, heavy breathing filled the courtyard. Leaning on his saber for support, Lin Zheyu swayed unsteadily as he struggled to remain standing. No matter how powerful he had become, breaking through his limits remained an arduous process. And after every breakthrough, he inevitably fell into a weakened state. Otherwise, it would not truly be called surpassing one’s limits.

Within his sea of consciousness, the golden Heavenly Eye radiated brilliant light. Countless Dao resonance patterns flashed across its utterly emotionless pupil. The entire process of essence, qi, and spirit merging into one, and of his soul undergoing instantaneous sublimation after breaking through his limits, was perfectly reflected in that golden eye.

A few breaths later, the aftereffects of the soul’s sublimation quickly faded. Lin Zheyu let out a long breath of stale air. With a thought, vast amounts of essence, qi, and spirit energy surged from the three great divine repositories. In an instant, his weakened body returned to its peak condition.

Limit-Breaking Art, Version 19,863... Lin Zheyu murmured inwardly.

Drawing upon the new insights he had just gained from breaking through his limits, he once again refined the Limit-Breaking Art. This was a technique he had developed from the insights gained during those moments of transcendence. Its purpose was to allow him to merge his essence, qi, and spirit into a single whole, elevate his soul, and enter that unique state of spiritual resonance without repeatedly pushing himself through the grueling process of breaking his limits.

Unfortunately, more than two years had passed, and he still had not uncovered the deeper mysteries hidden within that state. He had not even succeeded in creating a technique that would allow him to gradually cultivate and ultimately master the ability.

Lin Zheyu showed no sign of discouragement. He made further adjustments and improvements before sending out another thought. Failed again. Limit-Breaking Art, Version 19,864...

The data within his consciousness flickered briefly, yet no information regarding the Limit-Breaking Art appeared. Lin Zheyu tried again and again. He refined and optimized it repeatedly. He failed time after time. Even after exhausting every bit of inspiration gained from this latest breakthrough, he still failed to create the technique.

”This is still not enough.” Lin Zheyu let out a soft sigh and rose to his feet.

He looked at the data within his consciousness. When his gaze fell upon the figure behind Origin Force, a smile appeared on his face once more.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 1105]

[Techniques: Heaven-Deceiving Art (Perfection), Seven Absolute Sabers (Fifth Stage: 73%), Earth Shrinking Technique (Second Stage: 100%), Primordial Golden Body (Fourth Stage: 100%)]

”More than 1000 units of Origin Force. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this well-funded.” Lin Zheyu smiled faintly and said, ”Two years have passed. It’s about time I figured out a way to break the shackles on my body.”

Over the past two years, he had not only accumulated a vast amount of Origin Force but had also gained extensive insights into formations and martial cultivation.

Lin Zheyu murmured softly, ”A new space-time node has appeared within the demon cave. I’ve heard that once it’s fully opened, it’ll be powerful enough to support terrifying yao at the eight-pattern Deity Transformation realm.

”I’ll give it one more try and see if I can obtain stronger rule fragments. If that still doesn’t work, then the opportunities offered by these rule fragments have probably reached their limit.”

Over the past two years, he had participated in two more opportunities to compete for rule fragments. Unfortunately, the gains had been rather limited. Otherwise, the Seven Absolute Sabers would not still be stuck at the fifth stage. After all, these opportunities were intended for cultivators below the Golden Core realm.

Previously, Lin Zheyu had used Origin Force to comprehend the rule fragments and had nearly exhausted all the Dao resonance contained within them. The three opportunities that followed brought little improvement in his understanding of spatial laws, as the Dao resonance within those fragments was no greater than before. Most of the content was simply repetitive.

Lin Zheyu wanted to determine whether the amount of Dao resonance contained within rule fragments would increase alongside the strength of the space-time node that produced them. That was why he intended to participate in this upcoming competition for rule fragments before making any further decisions.

Regardless of the outcome, it was finally time for him and Tu Mingzhen to journey to that Shamanic Clan Ruin together. They had already delayed long enough. If he continued to put it off, Tu Mingzhen might lose patience and find someone else to accompany her instead.