Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

In the Black Tortoise Realm, at Forbidden Mountain. At around the three thousand and six hundred-meter mark on the Path to Heaven, Lin Zheyu was completely immersed in comprehending the formation before him.

There was not much time left before the Path to Heaven closed, so he pushed his spiritual Heavenly Eye to its limit. This was only the second-tier formation region. Given Lin Zheyu’s current realm, second-tier formations were relatively low-level and therefore easier for him to comprehend.

Within Lin Zheyu’s vision, the trajectories of energy circulating through the formation before him were exceptionally clear. The movement of the various energies within the formation, along with the role each restriction rune played, was laid completely bare before his spiritual Heavenly Eye.

Suddenly, Lin Zheyu felt his spirit blur. The surrounding space and time abruptly shifted, while countless streams of radiant energy flashed through his vision. Within a few breaths, his senses returned to normal. He looked around at the familiar surroundings, surprised. Without the slightest sound or warning, he had been teleported from the Path to Heaven to the foot of the mountain.

The entire process had been unbelievably seamless. His vision had blurred for only an instant, and he was already at the foot of the mountain. Such terrifying mastery over space and time left Lin Zheyu deeply shaken. This was the kind of fearsome power possessed by those who stood at the very pinnacle of this world.

”Hm? Did something happen?” Lin Zheyu frowned slightly. He could tell that the surrounding cultivators were looking at him rather strangely. Among them, he could sense faint traces of malicious intent.

You may be in trouble. A familiar spiritual sense transmission sounded in his mind, and Lin Zheyu turned to look to his left.

Ji Haozhong emerged from among the cultivators with a somewhat grave expression.

”What happened?” Lin Zheyu asked.

Ji Haozhong’s grave expression made him wonder whether some major upheaval had occurred during the months he had spent on the Path to Heaven.

Ji Haozhong did not explain further, instead telling Lin Zheyu to see for himself. ”Take a look at the messages within the Martial Alliance, and you’ll understand.”

Hearing this, Lin Zheyu took out his Spirit Resonance Sphere and began checking the recent messages. The moment he opened it, he saw many unread messages from Zong Linjing, Bai Lin, and the others. Most were reminders for him to check the rumors circulating outside and to be cautious.

After looking through them carefully, Lin Zheyu also found the message that had been spreading through the outside world.

Lin Zheyu shook his head speechlessly. ”They actually resorted to a method like this...”

For other cultivators, such a tactic might indeed pose considerable trouble. But to Lin Zheyu, it was nothing more than that. He was not particularly worried. He was no longer the weak cultivator he had once been, forced to tread carefully and act with constant caution. At full strength, aside from lacking the short-range teleportation ability possessed by Nascent Soul realm cultivators...

His strength was fully comparable to that of an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Coupled with his formidable life-preserving abilities and the Primordial Chaos Pool, a powerful defensive dharma treasure, even if he encountered a late-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator, as long as they were not some monstrously powerful genius far beyond the norm, Lin Zheyu was confident he could escape from them. He might even have a chance to turn the tables and kill them instead.

”This was probably the work of those ancient, esteemed martial families. If that’s the case, they probably won’t keep targeting the other martial artists of the Martial Alliance, right?” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

”That should be the case, but you absolutely must be careful,” Ji Haozhong warned.

”Don’t worry. I have endured countless life-and-death trials over the course of my cultivation. Why should I fear a little danger like this?” Lin Zheyu replied with an unconcerned smile.

Seeing Lin Zheyu’s unconcerned demeanor, Ji Haozhong also relaxed slightly. He was just about to congratulate Lin Zheyu on climbing more than three thousand meters up the Path to Heaven and praise his exceptional aptitude in the Formation Dao when two fragrant breezes drifted toward them. The Pan sisters emerged from the crowd of cultivators and walked up to Lin Zheyu.

”Congratulations, Fellow Xiao! I never expected your aptitude in the Formation Dao to be so astonishing. Even if you are unwilling to switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao, you are probably still qualified to join the Directorate of Celestial Observation,” Pan Xinwen congratulated him with a smile.

There was both curiosity and surprise in her eyes as she looked at Lin Zheyu. She had never expected this talented martial artist whom they had met by chance to possess such formidable natural talent in the Formation Dao as well.

Lin Zheyu shook his head slightly and said modestly, ”I only reached a little over three thousand meters. This is merely the second-tier formation region, while I possess the strength of the Shackles realm. There is nothing worth boasting about.”

”Fellow friend is far too modest. If you are willing to switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao, your future potential in the Formation Dao would be no less than ours,” Pan Xinyu said.

As they conversed, Wan Xiaofei and Xu Yiru stepped out from Forbidden Mountain and appeared in the air before the crowd. As the surroundings gradually fell silent, Lin Zheyu and the others stopped talking and looked toward the two of them.

Those two seniors are in charge of this Path to Heaven trial. Given your performance and the Formation Dao natural talent you have displayed, even if you are unwilling to switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao, there is a high chance the Directorate of Celestial Observation will still accept you. However, the treatment cultivators receive within the Directorate differs according to their evaluation. Whether or not you switch to the Immortal Dao will make a world of difference in the treatment you receive. Please consider it carefully... Pan Xinwen secretly transmitted.

At times, her view of martial artists was much the same as Wan Xiaofei’s. These people were all stubborn to the core. Still, perhaps only someone that stubborn could achieve so much in martial cultivation. It was just like the two sisters themselves. Because they loved the Formation Dao and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to it, their attainments in the Formation Dao far surpassed those of cultivators of the same age and realm.

”Thank you. I will consider it carefully,” Lin Zheyu replied through transmission.

***

Wan Xiaofei and Xu Yiru hovered in the air, looking down at the crowd with indifferent, expressionless faces.

”Three people have passed the Path to Heaven trial this time. Those whose names are called and who are willing to join the Directorate of Celestial Observation, gather here. Peng Ge, Yao Yuqin, and Xiao Yu,” Xu Yiru said calmly.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Zheyu felt countless gazes fall upon him.

”Congratulations!” Ji Haozhong, Pan Xinwen, Pan Xinyu, and the others all congratulated him.

Lin Zheyu smiled and cupped his hands toward them. As for the gazes of the other cultivators, he acted as though he did not notice them and walked forward calmly.

Before attending the Ascension Assembly, Lin Zheyu had wondered whether he should join the Directorate of Celestial Observation if he truly passed the trial. But now, after witnessing the power of Forbidden Mountain and the wonders of the Path to Heaven, he had cast those concerns completely aside.

Compared with waiting several decades for the Heavenly Derivation Sect’s Formation Dao exchange gathering, joining the Directorate of Celestial Observation now and using its resources to increase his strength might well be the better choice. Under the gazes of the many cultivators, each harboring their own thoughts, Lin Zheyu calmly walked to the front and stopped beside Peng Ge and Yao Yuqin. He cupped his hands, and the three exchanged greetings. Peng Ge was a handsome young man with refined manners and a scholarly air. His cultivation was at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. Yao Yuqin was a mature, striking woman with a commanding presence and a fiery, passionate air. Her cultivation was likewise at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Facing Lin Zheyu, a cultivator at the Shackles realm, the two gave him the courtesy due from juniors to a senior. However, their faces showed little reverence. As immortal cultivators who also possessed exceptional natural talent in the Formation Dao, they had their own pride.

”You three, follow me,” Xu Yiru said calmly.

With a wave of her right hand, a stream of radiance flowed out from Forbidden Mountain and condensed into a bridge of light. Xu Yiru and Wan Xiaofei stepped onto the bridge and walked toward Forbidden Mountain.

Seeing this, Lin Zheyu followed them. Outsiders could not ascend Forbidden Mountain on their own. This bridge of light was a passage specifically created to allow other cultivators to enter.