Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Within Wuling City. Inside Azure Tide Pavilion.

”Young Master, the ferocious beast you requested has been brought,” Yu Qing said respectfully as she walked in.

”Bring it over,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile as he closed the technique manual in his hand.

Soon, a ferocious beast over two meters long, covered in bristling spines and extremely robust, was brought in.

”Martial Uncle, this is the ferocious beast you requested. I have also brought the Crimson Flame Stones you asked me to prepare. If there is anything else you need, please instruct me,” Xie Biao said respectfully.

He had almost become Lin Zheyu’s personal subordinate, handling most of the tasks assigned by him. In return, Xie Biao gained considerable benefits. Lin Zheyu’s guidance alone brought him great progress. Though they did not bear the formal title of master and disciple, Lin Zheyu’s instruction was enough to make him his teacher.

”Help me procure some herbs,” Lin Zheyu said, handing over his identity token and a list of herbs.

These herbs were needed for his daily cultivation. Although the Primordial Wuji True Technique had already reached Perfection at the second stage, appearances still had to be maintained. Moreover, the herbs he purchased could also be used for cultivating other techniques.

”Yes, Martial Uncle,” Xie Biao responded respectfully.

After Xie Biao left, Lin Zheyu grabbed the unconscious beast and entered the storage room. The demon puppet he had captured earlier had been imprisoned for so long that the Baleful Yin force within it had dropped to a very low level and no longer decreased. Through perception, he discovered that the puppet could slowly absorb Baleful Yin force from the air, just enough to sustain itself. He removed the chains binding its hands and placed the beast beside it.

Bang.

After being freed, the demon puppet lunged not at the beast but at Lin Zheyu, only to be sent flying by a single slap.

”Enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you will experience the fun of being roasted by flames,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile to the puppet as it tore into the beast.

The Crimson Flame Stones he had asked Xie Biao to prepare were meant to ignite fire and roast the puppet. Crimson Flame Stone was a special mineral that burned at temperatures far higher than ordinary flames. Lin Zheyu intended to test the puppet’s resistance to heat.

After feeding it the beast, he returned to the courtyard and continued reading a technique manual. This technique was called Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Art, a legendary dual cultivation method. Lin Zheyu had no intention of practicing it. He was simply curious about how martial cultivation achieved the replenishment of Yang through Yin.

”Truly remarkable! Blood qi guidance, Yin-Yang resonance, and replenishing Yang through Yin. Such concepts are exquisitely ingenious,” Lin Zheyu marveled.

Martial cultivation was vast and profound. There was nothing that could not be done, only things yet to be imagined. Recently, Lin Zheyu had purchased many unusual techniques, broadening his horizons, though he had not cultivated any of them. While these techniques were indeed strange, they offered little improvement in strength. He only wished to deepen his understanding of the human body and martial cultivation, exploring their limits.

That night, Lin Zheyu fed another ferocious beast to the demon puppet. After consuming flesh and blood, the Baleful Yin force within it did not increase, but it was no longer as sluggish as before.

It seems that aside from Baleful Yin force, the demon puppet also possesses a form of biological energy similar to that of the human body to sustain it, Lin Zheyu thought.

The next morning.

After completing his daily cultivation, Lin Zheyu went to the storage room and, seeing that the demon puppet had nearly digested the ferocious beast fed to it earlier, prepared to begin the experiment.

The Baleful Yin force within the demon puppet has decreased in concentration, yet its strength has recovered considerably. It seems that aside from Baleful Yin force, consuming flesh and blood is another way for it to regain power, Lin Zheyu thought.

He resolved another doubt and gained a general understanding of why demon puppets favored creatures with strong blood qi. However, it was only a rough understanding. Given the conditions of this world and his current strength, he could not study it further, which he found regrettable.

”Martial Uncle! Martial Uncle! There’s a big event this afternoon. Many outstanding geniuses and famous beauties will attend. Are you going?” Huang Youwei shouted noisily before even entering the courtyard.

”Hm? Martial Uncle, are you planning to barbecue in the courtyard? Such leisurely elegance?” Huang Youwei asked in confusion upon seeing Lin Zheyu arranging Crimson Flame Stones.

”Yes, I’m planning a barbecue. Want to join? I guarantee you’ve never tasted this before,” Lin Zheyu teased.

”I haven’t tasted it? Then I must try it. I’ve eaten everything in Wuling City since childhood. I don’t believe there’s something I haven’t tasted,” Huang Youwei said as he helped arrange the Crimson Flame Stones into a fire pile.

”Martial Uncle, you aren’t grilling a Force Transformation realm beast, are you? No, even those wouldn’t need Crimson Flame Stone. Could it be a Grandmaster realm beast? Martial Uncle, where did you get such...” Huang Youwei rambled.

Lin Zheyu ignored him and went into the storage room once the stones were lit. Curious, Huang Youwei looked over, eager to see the beast.

”What the hell! That’s what you’re grilling? What the hell!” Huang Youwei blurted out upon seeing the tightly bound demon puppet.

”Martial Uncle, don’t follow Martial Uncle Chen Ding. Demon puppet meat can’t be eaten. Something will go wrong,” Huang Youwei warned.

Lin Zheyu froze upon hearing his words.

”What? Chen Ding ate demon puppet meat?” Lin Zheyu was shocked.

He knew Chen Ding often had unusual thoughts, but never expected him to eat such flesh.

”Cough... Don’t say I told you.” Huang Youwei coughed and whispered, ”Martial Uncle Chen Ding’s thinking is... unique.

”I remember once he was sent back tightly restrained, covered in purple-black pustules. Others said he roasted and ate a demon puppet beast out of curiosity. He had only recently advanced to the Marrow Refining realm then,” Huang Youwei warned.

Lin Zheyu was speechless. He could only say that Chen Ding truly had bold ideas.

”Don’t worry. I won’t eat it. Only Chen Ding could stomach it,” Lin Zheyu said.

”Then what are you doing?” Huang Youwei asked.

”I’m studying how well they endure heat and whether their regeneration is suppressed by it,” Lin Zheyu replied.

He placed the demon puppet over the flames.

Roar! Roar!

The demon puppet began struggling violently and roaring.

Huang Youwei was speechless. Watching Lin Zheyu, he felt this martial uncle was not much saner than Chen Ding.

”Martial Uncle, I won’t disturb your research. I’m leaving,” Huang Youwei said before fleeing.

Lin Zheyu watched him leave and locked the courtyard gate.

Sizzle.

Under the intense heat, sizzling sounds came from the demon puppet as viscous fluid evaporated into black smoke.

”The regeneration is suppressed. This part of it is nearly cooked.” Lin Zheyu used a dull knife and easily pierced the roasted section at the bottom.

”The stench is mixed with the aroma of roasted meat. No wonder Senior Brother Chen Ding wanted to try it,” Lin Zheyu muttered softly.

The roasted flesh on the demon puppet gave off a faint barbecue scent. However, under its unique foul stench, the aroma was barely noticeable.

The Baleful Yin force within this demon puppet is extremely thin, and its recovery ability is closely tied to it. Let’s restore its Baleful Yin force first and observe its performance under high-temperature roasting, Lin Zheyu thought.

He took out two purplish-black spirit stones and stuffed them into the puppet’s mouth. These stones had already been drained of useful energy when he used Origin Force earlier, leaving only Baleful Yin force and miscellaneous impure energy.

The moment the spirit stones entered its mouth, its roars stopped and were replaced by crunching sounds. It chewed them easily and swallowed them. Instantly, a surge of Baleful Yin force spread through its body, enveloping the roasted areas. Lin Zheyu watched intently, observing the activity of the Baleful Yin force and its recovery under heat.

Slash.

A large chunk of flesh was cut away and fell into the fire, sizzling. Without Baleful Yin force to sustain it, it was soon roasted.

As expected, high temperature affects the activity of Baleful Yin force. The roasted areas not only fail to heal but are slowly cooked, while areas farther from the flames recover faster, Lin Zheyu analyzed in his mind.

The result satisfied him. It confirmed that heat suppressed Baleful Yin force.

”The Crimson Flame Stone’s temperature can melt steel. By previous standards, it must exceed a thousand degrees. Achieving this with true strength is not easy. Perhaps I should explore thunder power,” Lin Zheyu murmured.

Such extreme heat was needed to suppress its recovery. No wonder the third elder said true strength effects were ineffective.

At least I can see some hope. I should find out whether, besides the effects of Thunder and Fire true intents, other things can restrain Baleful Yin force.

Aside from Thunder and Fire true intents, another factor he knew that could restrain Baleful Yin force was the strength of true strength itself. The stronger the true strength, the closer it was to the nature of Baleful Yin force, and the stronger its suppressive effect.

Aside from blood qi strength and physique strength, certain special true intents can also help enhance the strength of true strength. For example, powerful true intents such as Dominance true intent, Primordial true intent, and Berserk true intent can all significantly improve the fundamental nature of true strength.