Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

The flying shuttle was extremely fast. Before long, Lin Zheyu caught sight of the enormous Forbidden Mountain towering into the clouds like a pillar holding up the heavens.

"Is this entire Forbidden Mountain constructed from formations and restrictions?"

Lin Zheyu stared at the distant Forbidden Mountain in disbelief. Despite how far away it was, the sheer immensity of the mountain was still deeply awe-inspiring even from such a distance.

"Mm. This Forbidden Mountain is a dharma treasure refined by an ancestor of the Wei Family who specializes in the Formation Dao. That ancestor walks the path of the Formation Dao, and this Forbidden Mountain was transformed from his natal treasure," Pan Xinyu explained.

"Incredible! To be able to refine such a formidable natal treasure, just how terrifying must the strength of this Wei Family ancestor be?" Lin Zheyu exclaimed.

He could not help thinking of the Primordial Chaos Pool that Senior Qiong Yun had left him. There was a good chance that the Primordial Chaos Pool had also been something akin to Senior Qiong Yun's natal treasure. He simply did not know which was stronger, the Primordial Chaos Pool or this Forbidden Mountain. Nor did he know how Senior Qiong Yun at his peak compared to the owner of the Forbidden Mountain, that Wei Family ancestor.

"That, I don't know. But I heard that several thousand years ago, before Great Wei was formally established, the Wei Family ancestor had already reached the Void Cavern realm. Even among those in the Void Cavern realm, he was an exceptionally formidable existence. Otherwise, he could never have subdued the Four Symbols Sects and the eight great esteemed families and established an order with the Wei Family at its head," Pan Xinwen said.

The three chatted casually as they sped toward the Forbidden Mountain. From the sisters, Pan Xinwen and Pan Xinyu, Lin Zheyu gained an even deeper understanding of just how powerful the Wei Family was. The ancestor who specialized in the Formation Dao was not even the strongest member of the Wei Family. There was another terrifying expert above him. It had taken the combined strength of these two Wei Family ancestors to thoroughly subdue the Four Symbols Sects and the eight great esteemed families.

"The Forbidden Mountain is just ahead. Flight is prohibited within its boundaries, so we won't be able to use the flying shuttle for the rest of the way," Pan Xinwen said, pointing ahead.

The three had already arrived at the foot of the Forbidden Mountain. The entire mountain was unimaginably vast, and when they looked up, it seemed to stretch endlessly beyond sight. Although this was far from the first visit for the sisters Pan Xinwen and Pan Xinyu, they were still deeply awed every time they saw the Forbidden Mountain.

"Path to Heaven climbing guides for sale! Ten low-grade spirit stones a copy! Insider information, guaranteed to be the latest..."

"Free Path to Heaven gift packages! All you need to do is..."

As they entered the Forbidden Mountain's territory, they found the place bustling with activity. All manner of stalls lined the area in dazzling variety.

"What's that Path to Heaven gift package? Are they really giving it away for free?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

"Those are just tricks meant to fool young cultivators who are visiting for the first time and haven't traveled much. They're basically useless. Those so-called gift packages don't contain anything valuable at all. If you go over and ask for one, they'll immediately start trying to sell you other things and lure you into buying them. In any case, it's fine to browse the stalls here, but that's all. There are all sorts of people mixed together, and it's very easy to get swindled," Pan Xinwen warned.

Lin Zheyu found it rather amusing. He had not expected that even at the foot of the Forbidden Mountain in the Black Tortoise Realm, there would be cultivators engaging in such underhanded schemes. Still, he figured these cultivators either belonged to the Wei Family or had some vested connection to them. Otherwise, they probably would not dare conduct such business here.

"There are several special trial zones within the Forbidden Mountain, along with many unique environments designed for cultivators of the Formation Dao to train in. However, none of them are open to outsiders. You must first join the Directorate of Celestial Observation, then spend contribution points to gain access to them.

"Throughout the Forbidden Mountain, you can move freely around the foot of the mountain, but the Path to Heaven is the only route you are allowed to climb farther up. If you're interested in the Formation Dao, you can visit the trial grounds established by other sects at the foot of the mountain.

"Besides the Directorate of Celestial Observation, which recruits disciples through the trials of the Path to Heaven, other sects are recruiting disciples as well. Their requirements are somewhat lower, so many who fail to meet the Directorate's standards choose to join those factions instead," Pan Xinwen said.

She did not think very highly of Lin Zheyu's chances. Compared to immortal cultivators, martial artists were naturally at a tremendous disadvantage when it came to the Formation Dao.

"Thanks for the reminder. Are you planning to head straight to the Path to Heaven?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile.

He had no interest in the other sects or factions. As for the Directorate of Celestial Observation, he would first have to see whether joining it came with too many restrictions. If the constraints were excessive, Lin Zheyu had no intention of joining either.

"Mm," Pan Xinyu replied.

"Then let's go together," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

"It's not far. It's right up ahead," Pan Xinyu said with a smile, pointing toward the broad, winding mountain path in front of them.

Quite a few cultivators were already climbing the Path to Heaven. None of them moved very quickly, however. Most kept their heads lowered, and brows furrowed in deep contemplation, often taking a long time before advancing another step. The sisters, Pan Xinyu and Pan Xinwen, had climbed the Path to Heaven more than once before. After explaining the relevant details about the Path to Heaven and the things he should keep in mind while climbing it, they sped upward at an astonishing pace. They did not stop until they passed four thousand meters and neared the five-thousand-meter mark.

Lin Zheyu looked upward. The Forbidden Mountain was said to stand fifty thousand kilometers tall, its summit far beyond sight. The Path to Heaven itself was not nearly so long, extending only ten thousand meters in total. The first two thousand meters contained first-tier formations, the section up to four thousand meters contained second-tier formations, and so on. The Pan sisters had only recently advanced to the Golden Core realm, yet they had already mastered third-tier formations. Their natural talent in the Formation Dao was indeed exceptional.

"A mountain forged entirely from formations and restrictions... I want to see just how extraordinary it really is," Lin Zheyu murmured.

The Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness abruptly opened. Lin Zheyu narrowed his eyes and gazed toward the Forbidden Mountain. In his vision, the Forbidden Mountain, which appeared no different from an ordinary mountain, was suddenly covered in densely packed formation and restriction runes. These runes rapidly decomposed into the fundamental patterns of the Great Dao.

Incredible. This is simply incredible... Everything is fake, all of it simulated and manifested through formations and restrictions! The rocks, the plants and trees, the breeze, even the earth itself... Could it be that even the living creatures inside are fake as well?

Lin Zheyu is utterly stunned.

Under the gaze of his spiritual Heavenly Eye, the Forbidden Mountain gradually revealed its true nature. However, because his spiritual Heavenly Eye was not yet powerful enough and his cultivation realm was still too low, Lin Zheyu could only vaguely perceive that everything before him was an illusion. He still could not see through that illusion completely.

It's hard to imagine just how powerful this Wei Family ancestor who specializes in the Formation Dao must be. Could his goal be to use the Formation Dao to directly recreate heaven and earth and give rise to all living things? Lin Zheyu murmured inwardly, truly shaken by what he had discovered.

He had imagined before that once one's strength reached a certain level, it might become possible to wield inconceivable powers akin to those of a creator god. What he had not expected was to encounter something resembling such an achievement so soon. Still, this creation was far from complete, and its manifestation was not yet perfect, leaving behind many flaws. Otherwise, with his current strength, even possessing the powerful spiritual Heavenly Eye would not have allowed him to glimpse the Forbidden Mountain's true nature.