Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

As soon as Lin Zheyu finished speaking, the drop of soul blood belonging to Pan Qiang burst apart with a soft pop, turning into a cloud of blood mist that spread through the great hall. Excruciating pain engulfed Pan Qiang, and his face twisted instantly. As his soul blood burst, the soul within his sea of consciousness began to distort and tear apart. Yet he seemed unable to feel the pain at all. Terrifying killing intent surged across his savage features.

”I’m already about to die, so you can shove your damned respect!” Pan Qiang snarled with a vicious grin.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Pan Qiang completely released his suppression of the yao will and demonic qi within him. His shattered soul was instantly devoured by the yao will.

”Grrr!”

Having transformed into a yao, Pan Qiang let out a terrifying roar as his aura surged wildly. It was somewhat easier for demonic cultivators to advance to the Golden Core realm than it was for ordinary immortal cultivators.

Pan Qiang had long since reached the absolute limit of the Foundation Establishment realm, but to suppress the yao will and prevent himself from losing his sanity, he had forcibly restrained his cultivation and dared not advance. The moment he released all restraint and transformed into a yao, he began evolving into a Golden Core realm yao.

Unfortunately, this was not the demon realm, and there was not enough demonic qi for the transformation. Otherwise, Pan Qiang would likely have reached the Golden Core realm in no time. Yet to Lin Zheyu, what difference would it make even if he did? His expression remained indifferent as he thrust out his right hand, which rapidly expanded to an enormous size. Before anyone could react, the massive palm was already upon Pan Qiang.

A fierce wind howled through the hall, and the roar of the yao Pan Qiang had become abruptly ceased. The enormous hand closed tightly around him. Trapped within its grasp, the yao could not release even the slightest trace of its aura. Lin Zheyu squeezed hard, and with a muffled pop, the yao burst apart and was compressed into a sphere of flesh and blood.

The entire process unfolded at an inconceivable speed. Before anyone could recover from their shock, Pan Qiang’s aura had vanished, and he had been reduced to a highly concentrated mass of yao flesh and blood essence in Lin Zheyu’s hand.

”So powerful!” Wu Di was deeply shaken. Kong Yujing’s beautiful eyes trembled slightly, profound awe flashing through them.

”Would the two of you like to try as well?” Lin Zheyu casually asked, toying with the mass of yao flesh and blood essence in his hand as he glanced sidelong at the remaining two.

”We would not dare! If you can resolve my condition, I am willing to sincerely acknowledge you as my master and follow you unto death,” the demonic cultivator on the left said, his eyes flickering.

The other man spoke with equal respect. ”I feel the same.”

They were not lunatics like Pan Qiang. They had come here precisely because they wanted to survive and grasp the slightest chance of salvation.

”Very good.” Lin Zheyu nodded slightly and put away Pan Qiang’s flesh and blood essence.

He opened his left palm, revealing two drops of soul blood that emanated an evil aura. Immediately afterward, powerful golden energy surged forth and enveloped them. Concealed by the Heaven-Deceiving Art, the others saw only a flash of golden light and could not sense even the slightest aura escaping from within.

After roughly fifteen minutes, the golden light faded, revealing two crimson drops of soul blood. The yao will and evil aura within them had completely vanished. The two demonic cultivators exchanged glances, immense joy surging in their eyes.

***

Outside the island, not long after Kong Yujing and the others entered, a man wreathed in dense demonic qi silently appeared in the sky nearby. Narrowing his eyes, he studied the great formation surrounding the island.

”A mid-grade third-tier protective formation. Hehe, it seems this person is nothing remarkable after all. He is probably just a cultivator who encountered a few fortunate opportunities and obtained some kind of unusual secret technique.” A sinister smile spread across the demonic cultivator’s face as a vicious gleam entered his eyes.

A mid-grade third-tier protective formation was only effective against cultivators below the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. The man did not take it seriously in the slightest.

This person is fairly accomplished in formations. If he devotes himself entirely to escaping, dealing with him could prove troublesome. I cannot alert him. I will lie in wait outside the protective formation and let him walk straight into my trap! With that thought, the demonic cultivator concealed himself within the void once more and vanished from sight.

***

Inside the great hall.

”Which of you will go first?” Lin Zheyu asked calmly after displaying a glimpse of his strength.

”I will go first!” The demonic cultivator on the left stepped forward and spoke calmly. When he raised his head, however, he saw Lin Zheyu gazing distractedly beyond the great hall.

The corners of Lin Zheyu’s lips curved upward as he sneered inwardly. Interesting. It seems they even drew another demonic cultivator here...

A late-stage Golden Core realm demonic cultivator actually dared to hide in the shadows and plot against him. He truly had no sense of his own limitations.

With a thought, ripples spread through the void inside the great hall. Lin Zheyu’s figure slipped into the void and abruptly vanished.

”Hm?”

”My lord!”

”Master!”

”Senior!”

Caught completely off guard by this sudden development, Wu Di and the others could not help crying out. As the master of the island, however, Wu Di quickly sensed the disturbance outside.

”My lord is outside. A powerful demonic cultivator followed you here,” Wu Di said with a slight frown as he looked at Kong Yujing.

”How is that possible!”

Kong Yujing’s heart trembled, and her body began shaking uncontrollably with fear.

After witnessing Lin Zheyu’s strength, she regarded him with profound awe and fear. If her master were to hold her responsible, then...

***

The waves surged and crashed with a continuous roar. Lin Zheyu silently stepped beyond the island’s protective formation, concealed himself within the void, and circulated the Heaven-Deceiving Art to its utmost. He had comprehended this technique from the remnants of the Heaven-Deceiving Formation, and it possessed formidable concealment capabilities. The demonic cultivator lying in wait near the island remained completely unaware of Lin Zheyu’s arrival.

”As long as I can capture him and force him to reveal the secret technique for eliminating the hidden dangers of demonic arts, I may be able to reach not only the Nascent Soul realm, but even the Deity Transformation realm!”

The demonic cultivator’s eyes flickered as boundless ambition surged within him. Demonic arts were renowned for their rapid cultivation speed and formidable power. If cultivating them to profound levels did not expose one to the corrosion of the yao will and the loss of one’s sanity, he would have shattered his Golden Core and formed a Nascent Soul long ago.

”Hm? Danger!”

Just as the man was indulging in his fantasies, a sudden flash of intuition made every hair on his body stand on end. He sensed a terrifying danger descending upon him. He hurriedly activated his escape light and shot forward, only to feel a sudden chill across his neck. The world spun around him in the next instant.

”You!” The demonic cultivator stared wide-eyed at the man emerging from the void, never understanding even at the moment of his death how he had been killed.

A fierce gale erupted as Lin Zheyu threw a punch. The severed head flying through the air exploded like a crimson firework. With a wave of his right hand, Lin Zheyu condensed the headless corpse into a mass of flesh and blood essence that fell into his palm.

Like yao, demonic cultivators stored vast quantities of demonic qi within their bodies, so he collected the essence for future use. After disposing of the hidden enemy, Lin Zheyu’s figure flickered and vanished. Back inside the great hall, he silently reappeared upon the main seat.

Lin Zheyu looked at the demonic cultivator who had volunteered earlier and said calmly, ”I dealt with a minor nuisance. Come, relax your mind and open your sea of consciousness. Do not resist in any way.”

The demonic cultivator trembled slightly before replying respectfully, ”Yes, Sen... Master!”

When Wu Di activated the island’s protective formation earlier, the man detected a fleeting aura outside. He recognized the individual who had been secretly following them and lurking in the shadows with malicious intent. That aura was clearly the same as the Evilheart Sect’s vice sect master. However, in front of the mysterious expert, the late-stage Golden Core Realm vice sect master was completely helpless and was killed instantly.

The man stepped forward, opened his sea of consciousness, and completely relaxed his mind. Lin Zheyu pressed his right hand against the man’s forehead, but when he sensed that the man’s condition was far worse than Kong Yujing’s had been, he could not help frowning.

Even if I save him, he only has a few years left to live. Still, he is better than nothing. A peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivator is fairly useful, Lin Zheyu thought.

Within his sea of consciousness, the golden Heavenly Eye opened. Golden energy flowed through his palm and poured into the man’s sea of consciousness...