Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

”Brother Mengxi, over here!”

Outside Heavenly Blade Peak, Li Wensi waved at Lin Zheyu and Li Mengxi.

Noticing her, Li Mengxi decided to set his plan into action.

”That is my younger cousin, Li Wensi. What does Brother Zhao think of Wensi? Is she pretty?” Li Mengxi asked with a playful smile.

”She is very cute,” Lin Zheyu replied.

”Haha, indeed. Wensi is simple-hearted and quite adorable. I wonder what kind of women Brother Zhao prefers?” Li Mengxi asked casually, yet with hidden intent.

He did not bother asking whether Lin Zheyu had a wife or children, and instead directly asked what kind of women he liked. In his view, it did not matter how his current household looked. For powerful martial artists, it was completely normal for men to have three or four wives and women to have several male companions, as long as their strength or status was unequal.

If both parties were of equal strength, monogamy was more common. However, many powerful male martial artists preferred partners weaker than themselves, while powerful female martial artists tended to choose partners stronger than they were.

”Young and beautiful,” Lin Zheyu replied without hesitation.

”Haha, heroes think alike. I also like them young and beautiful,” said Li Mengxi with a laugh.

As they talked, the two stepped out of the area shrouded by saber intent and headed toward Li Wensi. Yet the instant they exited the range, a surge of instinctive alertness exploded in Lin Zheyu’s mind. After perfecting the Tortoise Breath Grand Method, his perception had improved drastically and had become razor sharp.

He immediately gripped the Golden Scale Saber tightly, his blood qi roaring to life as a powerful momentum surged up from his body.

Swish!

The Golden Scale Saber swept sharply toward his left rear, the blade tearing through the air with a hiss.

Clang!

A crisp metallic ring sounded. A slender sword had silently appeared behind him, nearly piercing straight into his chest. The attacker seemed to cultivate a Wind-type true intent like Tang Zhentao, moving so quietly that not a trace of sound was produced.

Bang!

The slender sword struck his saber with immense force, sending Lin Zheyu flying backward.

Li Mengxi reacted a moment too late. His first instinct was to retreat quickly, but remembering his fourth uncle’s scolding, he forced himself to stop, only to realize the attacker had already vanished.

”Careful!” Li Wensi cried out.

An ordinary-looking man shot forward with astonishing speed, chasing directly after the falling Lin Zheyu. In the blink of an eye, he had already caught up.

What terrifying speed!

Lin Zheyu’s heart tightened. In that life-or-death moment, he prepared to activate the Boiling Blood Secret Art and burn his essence, qi, and spirit.

But he stopped almost immediately. A burly figure suddenly appeared beside him, radiating heat. With a powerful punch, that man’s blood qi erupted like an invisible red shockwave. An overwhelming fist momentum surged forth along with a wave of scorching heat. The assassin halted instantly, sensing danger, then abandoned his attempt and fled far into the distance.

”Phew...”

Lin Zheyu let out a breath of relief.

Fortunately, the Li Family expert had intervened in time. Otherwise, he would have been forced to burn his essence, qi, and spirit. Even with an Origin Stabilizing Pill, his spirit would likely have suffered severe exhaustion.

”Thank you for your assistance, Senior,” Lin Zheyu said respectfully to the burly man.

”You are welcome,” the man replied mildly before turning to leave.

”Sixth Uncle, why are you here? Brother Zhao, are you alright?” Li Mengxi hurried over, asking with concern.

”I was the one who asked Sixth Uncle to come. Hehe, wasn’t I very farsighted?” Li Wensi giggled, lifting her chin as if waiting to be praised.

”Well done, Wensi!” Li Mengxi praised her with a smile. ”Tell us, what made you think of calling Sixth Uncle over?”

”Big Brother Meng discovered that Young Master Zhao had been placed on Soulcall Tower’s kill list. Sister Mengqi told me to warn you so you would be careful. I thought that if the assassin was already nearby and suddenly attacked, something bad might happen, so I brought sixth uncle, who was practicing martial arts nearby,” Li Wensi explained happily. Seeing that her actions had truly helped, she was overjoyed.

”This time, we really have you to thank. Otherwise, things would have gotten troublesome,” Li Mengxi said.

”Thank you, Miss Wensi,” Lin Zheyu said with a respectful cupped-fist salute.

”Hehe. You saved Sister Mengqi, and Sixth Uncle saved you. So now we are even,” Li Wensi giggled.

”As it should be. Once we go back, I will return that 100,000 tael banknote,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

”Wensi, do not speak nonsense,” Li Mengxi scolded lightly, glaring at her. It had not been easy to get Brother Zhao to owe them a favor. He could not let that favor be repaid so easily.

”Brother Zhao, do not mind her. Wensi is still young and speaks without thinking. As for that 100,000 tael banknote, you should keep it. Had you not saved my sister and brought her back, the Tang Family would not have discovered anything. This trouble began because of the Li Family, so the Li Family should be the one to shoulder it,” Li Mengxi said sincerely.

After speaking, he shot Li Wensi another warning glare, telling her to stop talking nonsense. Li Wensi pursed her lips in confusion, muttering softly as she failed to understand her mistake. Lin Zheyu chuckled, accepting Li Mengxi’s explanation. Friendship was nothing more than the exchange of favors.

”That man was a Soulcall Tower assassin?” Lin Zheyu asked curiously as he watched the figure disappear.

If not for his heightened perception, he might have died to that silent sword strike. Even if he survived, it would have been with serious injuries. Just as Li Mengxi had said, the assassins of Soulcall Tower were terrifyingly strong.

”Yes, most likely. Now that a Soulcall Tower assassin has shown up, it is unsafe to remain outside. We should return immediately,” Li Mengxi said gravely.

”Alright,” Lin Zheyu nodded and said. An expert of that level was not someone he could handle yet.

***

After returning to the Li Family’s stronghold to retrieve the valuables he had left in the wooden hut, Lin Zheyu followed Li Mengxi, Li Wensi, and the powerful expert toward Wuling City. That expert was Li Mengxi’s sixth uncle, Li Guoming, whose strength was astonishing and already close to the Force Transformation realm. With Li Guoming escorting them, no further assassins dared to appear. Thus, Lin Zheyu returned safely to Wuling City.

”Home at last.”

Seeing the familiar Wuling City, Lin Zheyu could not help but feel emotional.

He had only left the city because of Little Black, yet he ended up wandering for over half a month, narrowly escaping death several times. Fortunately, the harvest was great. He saved Li Mengqi, formed connections with the Li Family, and secured a lead on acquiring proper martial arts.

Moreover, his fist momentum had made a major breakthrough. With the help of the saber intent atop Heavenly Blade Peak, he had condensed a true intent seed. Without the Dominance true intent hidden within the saber intent, he had no idea how many years of tempering it would have taken to achieve this step.

It has been a while, hasn’t it? I wonder whether Brother Wang has found a sect he likes and passed the entrance trial, Lin Zheyu thought, chuckling to himself. That rough-faced youth with the prematurely aged appearance had previously been rejected simply because he looked too old.

I will stay hidden within the Li Family for now. It likely will not even take the full six months. Once the Soulcall Tower assassin gives up the contract, I can change my appearance and slip out quietly.

His freshly forged heavy armor was still in the courtyard he rented. After being gone so long, he wondered whether it had been stolen. Besides retrieving the armor, he also needed to go buy more Blazing Flame Blood-Burning Powder for cultivation.