Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

The sounds of an intense battle echoed through the area as a massive yao clashed repeatedly with a burly figure radiating a faint purple glow. This was a powerful yao that was close to the peak of the six-pattern level. Even with Woo Yiyan’s strength, dealing with a yao of this caliber was extremely troublesome. The vitality of these creatures was simply monstrous. To kill them, one either needed overwhelming strength capable of crushing them outright, or special dharma treasures designed to counter yao.

Roar! Roooaaar!

A resonant Tiger’s Roar Dragon’s Cry rang out as the yao’s enormous body, more than a dozen zhang tall, was blasted backward. It crashed into the ground and gouged out a massive crater. A huge wound had opened across its chest, exposing the disgusting viscous fluid inside its body cavity. Yet the injury was healing at an astonishing speed, nearly closing completely in the span of a blink. Such was the terrifying vitality of the yao. The stronger a yao became, the more horrifying its regenerative powers grew.

Sensing that the situation was unfavorable, Woo Yiyan made his decision without hesitation. ”Retreat!”

After fighting for so long, his energy expenditure had become significant. Trying to compete with these yao in terms of endurance and vitality was the most foolish choice possible.

Terrifying power erupted beneath his feet as he shot into the distance and vanished into the darkness. About fifteen minutes later, Woo Yiyan arrived at the nearest outpost, breathing heavily. The consecutive battles had left him exhausted, yet the sensation of constantly walking the line between life and death while engaging powerful yao in extreme combat filled him with exhilaration.

Woo Yiyan looked at the increasingly solid phantom of the fifth shackle within his body. A faint smile appeared on his weary face. He had only just sat down cross-legged to rest when his eyes suddenly snapped open and his brow furrowed.

An emergency message. Did something major happen within the family?

His spiritual sense entered his storage pouch to examine the newly arrived message. In an instant, Woo Yiyan’s expression changed drastically. He sprang to his feet, and terrifying fury ignited within his eyes.

”Little Xuan... is dead!” Woo Yiyan ground his teeth together, a savage look appearing in his eyes.

Their parents had died during an expedition when the brothers were still very young. Since then, Woo Yixuan had been raised by his elder brother, Woo Yiyan. However, because Woo Yiyan had devoted himself entirely to cultivation and neglected his brother’s upbringing, Woo Yixuan had developed into a spoiled and arrogant young master. Over the past two years, however, the incident involving Xiao Yu had tempered his temperament considerably, and he had finally broken through into the Shackles realm.

”Don’t worry. Big Brother will avenge you,” Woo Yiyan said in a low voice while suppressing the raging fury in his heart.

His figure flashed away from the outpost and sped toward the outside of the demon cave. Woo Yiyan intended to investigate the matter personally and uncover exactly who had killed Woo Yixuan.

***

Within the demon cave, the roars of yao rose and fell without end. Battles between cultivators and yao erupted constantly. Lin Zheyu strolled leisurely through the demon cave, looking completely at ease. His pace was unhurried, as though he were taking a casual walk through a scenic destination, admiring the unique sights of the demon cave rather than traversing a deadly battlefield.

”The variety of yao species here is truly impressive. I’ve found another interesting one.” Lin Zheyu’s expression shifted slightly.

He stepped forward with his right foot, and his body instantly appeared a thousand meters away. The yao lurking silently in the darkness with its aura completely concealed remained utterly unaware of Lin Zheyu’s arrival. It was currently sniffing the air, searching for the spiritual qi aura of powerful living beings.

Suddenly, a fair hand emerged from the void and slapped the yao on the head. With a wet pfft, its skull exploded on the spot. This was merely a four-pattern yao. It could not even detect Lin Zheyu’s aura, much less resist him. Although the demon cave was filled with danger, it had not reached the absurd point where six-pattern yao roamed everywhere and seven-pattern yao were as common as stray dogs.

The majority of yao here were below the four-pattern level, while five-pattern yao were already considered elites. Six-pattern yao, on the other hand, were comparable to Golden Core realm cultivators of the Immortal Dao and could be regarded as minor commanders among the yao.

”A Shadow Dragon Turtle Yao. It excels at defense and stealth and can blend perfectly into darkness. That’s quite a useful ability.” Holding the headless corpse, Lin Zheyu shook his head regretfully and said, ”Unfortunately, it’s a bit too weak. If it were stronger, it would be perfect.”

Vast golden energy flowed into the yao’s body under his control, sealing its vitality through a secret technique. He then tossed the headless corpse into a special storage pouch specifically used for storing yao bodies.

”Hm?” Lin Zheyu’s expression shifted slightly as curiosity appeared on his face. ”A message from Wu Di. Is he seeking protection after running into trouble, or has he found information about the Heavenly Derivation Sect?”

More than two years had passed since he first learned about the Heavenly Derivation Sect from Wu Di. During that time, Lin Zheyu had also used the Martial Alliance’s information network to investigate the sect, gaining a deeper understanding of it. It was a terrifying sect that had existed since ancient times and endured to the present day. In terms of overall strength, the Heavenly Derivation Sect ranked among the top ten powers in the entire world.

With a thought, his spiritual sense entered his storage pouch and began examining the message Wu Di had sent.

Senior, there is finally news regarding the Heavenly Derivation Sect. I’ve learned how one can join the sect. There are two paths. The first is to pass the successive selection trials before the age of twelve and be chosen by the Heavenly Derivation Sect.

The second is to become known in the field of formations and receive a recommendation from a recognized formation alliance in your region, allowing you to attend the formation exchange conference hosted by the Heavenly Derivation Sect. As long as one distinguishes oneself at the conference and solves the Ten Great Formation Problems set by the Heavenly Derivation Sect, one will gain an opportunity to join the sect...

After reading the message, Lin Zheyu felt a surge of delight. He had also gathered similar information, but obtaining a recommendation from a formation alliance qualified to nominate candidates was no easy matter.

He simply lacked the necessary connections. The formation exchange conference held by the Heavenly Derivation Sect was considered a grand event for formation cultivators, and every attendance slot was highly sought after. Lin Zheyu had spent a long time searching for someone willing to transfer such a qualification, but to no avail. Unexpectedly, Wu Di had brought him exactly the news he needed.

”Set the schedule. I’m free these days,” Lin Zheyu replied.

Through a friend in the formation community, Wu Di had learned that someone was willing to sell a qualification for the Heavenly Derivation Sect’s formation exchange conference. Held once every fifty years, the conference was considered a grand celebration for all formation cultivators. If Lin Zheyu could obtain a place, he would finally have the chance to see whether he could solve the Ten Great Formation Problems left by the Heavenly Derivation Sect.

”As for those formation problems... My foundation in formations is still somewhat weak. I wonder whether the golden Heavenly Eye alone will be enough to pass the assessment...” Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

Regardless, he had to try. No matter which cultivation system one followed, once they reached the higher realms, it became nearly impossible to purchase advanced cultivation techniques from the open market. Without joining a powerful sect, one could only rely on their own research and experimentation.

The improvement of divine patterns required drawing inspiration from the formation arts of the Immortal Dao. Only by studying those systems could he continue deducing and refining n divine patterns. If he attempted to develop everything entirely on his own, the difficulty would be unimaginably great. Only by standing upon the shoulders of the Immortal Dao’s giants and absorbing their knowledge and insights could he significantly reduce the time required to perfect his divine patterns and increase his chances of success.

”It’s time to head back,” Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

He had been away for quite some time. After returning and resting for a few days, it would be time to head to the Shamanic Clan Ruin together with Tu Mingzhen.

”Tu Mingzhen is probably running out of patience by now...” Lin Zheyu said with a smile. Because of his own affairs, he had repeatedly delayed the trip, leaving her waiting far longer than expected.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 863]

[Skills: Heaven-Deceiving Art (Perfection), Seven Absolute Sabers (Seventh Stage: 100%), Earth Shrinking Technique (Third Stage: 100%), Primordial Golden Body (Fourth Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness. ”There’s still more than 800 Origin Force left. That should be enough to use inside the Shamanic Clan Ruin.”

During this period of cultivation, he had reworked and optimized the Earth Shrinking Technique, bringing its third stage to Perfection. At the same time, the Seven Absolute Sabers had also reached complete perfection at the seventh stage, allowing him to master its ultimate strike, Gods and Demons Extinguished.

He now possessed the power to challenge opponents beyond his own realm. The knowledge and foundation he had accumulated over the past several years had been almost completely transformed into tangible strength. Without sufficient new accumulation, even with the aid of Origin Force, it would be difficult for Lin Zheyu to achieve any major breakthroughs in the short term.

A gentle breeze swept past. Lin Zheyu’s figure dissolved into the wind and merged with the void, becoming like an invisible specter as he sped toward the exit of the demon cave.

***

Five days later. Above the Chaotic Star Sea in the Eastern Sea, Lin Zheyu walked through the void, covering a thousand meters with every step as he headed toward the island where Wu Di was staying. Wu Di had already contacted a cultivator willing to sell a qualification for the formation exchange conference, and the meeting was scheduled for today.

At the center of the island.

”Senior Xu, please wait a moment longer. That senior will be arriving shortly,” Wu Di said respectfully to the middle-aged cultivator in green robes seated at the head of the hall.

Beside Wu Di sat a seductive woman with an eerie charm. She was none other than the Evilheart Sect member whom Lin Zheyu had encountered once before.

”That fellow is definitely a demonic cultivator?” the middle-aged cultivator in green robes asked.

”Yes, Senior. I was formerly a member of the Evilheart Sect and have exchanged blows with that senior before. The purity and terrifying nature of his demonic qi surpass even that of the Evilheart Sect’s sect master. If that senior doesn’t qualify as a demonic cultivator, then there are no demonic cultivators left in this world.” The woman smiled alluringly, her beauty carrying an unsettling, almost sinister charm.

The middle-aged cultivator nodded calmly. ”Good.”

The hall fell silent once more. Since the cultivator in green robes remained silent, neither Wu Di nor the woman dared speak. They simply sat quietly and waited for Lin Zheyu’s arrival.

Time slowly passed. Upon arriving outside the island, Lin Zheyu’s figure flickered slightly and passed directly through the island-protecting formation surrounding it. He had stayed here for some time before, and after studying the formation with his golden Heavenly Eye, Wu Di’s island formation no longer held any secrets from him.

Combined with the powerful concealment effect of the Heaven-Deceiving Art, Lin Zheyu entered the island without making the slightest sound.

Lin Zheyu glanced at the seductive woman and felt somewhat surprised. ”Hm? Why is she here as well?”

Although the woman had been somewhat offensive back then, she had never actually attacked him, so Lin Zheyu had magnanimously spared her life. He had not expected her to end up associated with Wu Di.

”Interesting...” Lin Zheyu chuckled softly. His figure gradually emerged from the void as he adjusted the Heaven-Deceiving Art, allowing the others to finally sense his presence.

”Who’s there?”

The moment he sensed an unfamiliar aura in the hall, the middle-aged cultivator in green robes’ expression changed dramatically.

A small jade ruler only a few centimeters long suddenly appeared in his hand. A streak of dim light shot out from it and descended toward Lin Zheyu’s head. The attack was unbelievably fast and completely silent.