Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

While Lin Zheyu immersed himself in studying demonic patterns, the cultivators who had entered the demon realm to hunt yaos or gather rare herbs were having a far worse time.

Upon hearing the endless roars echoing across the realm, one cultivator urgently transmitted his voice. "Move! These yaos have gone mad!"

"Damn it, who provoked these yaos? How did things suddenly turn out like this?"

"Shit! There are too many of them!"

"We can't get out now. Hide first. We'll wait for them to leave and look for a chance to return later!"

The sudden upheaval thoroughly shook the cultivators who had infiltrated the demon realm.

Those who could still retreat immediately rushed toward the space-time nodes. Once inside, the yaos would be unable to follow them. As for those who could not make it back in time, they could only activate the formations they had prepared beforehand, find hidden locations, conceal themselves, and pray that the frenzied yaos would not discover them.

Within the demon cave, at a space-time node guarded by the Demon-Suppressing Army, several figures stumbled out in a bedraggled state.

"What happened? Did something go wrong inside?" a cultivator preparing to enter asked in confusion.

The man, whose robes had been reduced to tatters, cursed as he spoke. "Damn it, the yaos inside have gone crazy. A yao tide has broken out. Nobody's getting in for a while."

As soon as he returned, he hurriedly pulled a Divine Power Crystal from his storage pouch and used the energy within to purge and purify the yao will and demonic qi contaminating his body.

"A yao tide?"

"No way."

"Could there have been a battle between yaos above the seven-pattern level?"

Several cultivators voiced their doubts.

To advance to the seven-pattern level, a yao had to nurture a Yao Demon Nest. These nests were extremely powerful and resembled the brood nests of insect races, serving as specialized breeding grounds for yaos. The mindless cannon-fodder yaos were all born from such nests. In the demon realm, a yao tide usually occurred only when two yaos above the seven-pattern level went to war against each other.

"No idea. The moment we noticed the yaos acting strangely, we ran."

"Who knows?"

The cultivators who had escaped could only shake their heads.

"Looks like this place is off-limits for the time being. I'll have to find an alternative." A woman in a flowing pink dress shook her head slightly and turned to leave.

She had come here specifically to hunt Purple Flame Qilin. These creatures, which lived within crimson-purple magma, were highly valuable to cultivators who practiced fire-attributed techniques. They could not only aid cultivation but also serve as materials for crafting formations and dharma treasures. Not far away, several cultivators hidden among the ranks of the Demon-Suppressing Army noticed the disturbance and hurried over to inquire about the situation.

A burly man turned to his companion and said, "With such a massive upheaval taking place and no sign of him emerging, Xiao Yu is probably dead in there. I'll report this to the young master. You stay here and keep watch."

The two of them had been sent by Woo Yixuan to watch this location and wait for news of Xiao Yu, who was expected to die inside. Meanwhile, after returning to Soaring Cloud Pavilion and gathering several fellow cultivators for an expedition to a relic site, Fan Hongwei received the same news through his puppet.

A trace of surprise appeared on Fan Hongwei's face. "A yao uprising?"

However, he did not immediately recall the puppet. Instead, he left it stationed outside the space-time node. It was merely an early Golden Core realm puppet. Given Fan Hongwei's current strength, it was of little use to him. It was better to leave it there and see whether it might stumble upon some unexpected opportunity.

"Old man, has something happened?" a blue-robed elder seated across from Fan Hongwei asked curiously. He was Ling Feng, Fan Hongwei's closest friend and one of his companions for the upcoming expedition into the secret realm.

Fan Hongwei smiled and replied, "Nothing major. Remember that martial artist who awakened a spirit divine ability? The space-time node he entered has experienced a yao uprising."

Ling Feng chuckled. "Oh? You still haven't given up on him?"

"I cast a divination for the kid. He's not someone destined to die young," Fan Hongwei replied calmly.

Ling Feng was briefly taken aback before understanding what Fan Hongwei meant. As Fan Hongwei's close friend, he was well aware of the man's formidable divination abilities. In Ling Feng's view, Fan Hongwei had likely set his sights on whatever opportunity that young martial artist might possess.

Ling Feng took a sip of spirit tea and clicked his tongue as he said, "If you walk too many dark roads, trouble will eventually find you. A martial artist who reached the Divine Repository realm and awakened a spirit divine ability must have powerful backing. Be careful not to provoke someone you shouldn't."

"He's just a crude martial artist." Fan Hongwei dismissed the concern and said, "I've already performed a divination. Any expert standing behind him isn't particularly powerful. I sensed no danger whatsoever. He's probably just a genius cultivated by some minor faction."

"Oh." Ling Feng nodded and let the matter drop. Pouring himself another cup of spirit tea, he asked leisurely, "Have you found a suitable martial artist yet?"

"Yes. I found a Shackles realm martial artist from the Kong Family."

Ling Feng raised an eyebrow. "The Kong Family? Their bloodline's divine ability is fairly decent. It can't compare to a spirit divine ability, but it will do."

Since they had recruited a Shackles realm martial artist, it seemed that any treasures found within the secret realm would have to be shared with him.

***

Time passed unnoticed in cultivation. Lin Zheyu immersed himself in comprehending the demonic patterns of the six-pattern Purple Flame Qilin. The yaos guarding the space-time node showed no intention of leaving. He secretly returned several times to investigate and, spreading out his powerful senses, discovered multiple six-pattern yaos lurking in the shadows.

Countless other yaos surrounded the space-time node so densely that not even a drop of water could pass through. It was clear that the yaos were determined to seal off the node completely. As a result, Lin Zheyu had no choice but to stop relying on the golden Heavenly Eye for his research.

The Heavenly Eye consumed far too much golden energy. Once the reserves within his sea of consciousness were exhausted, he would no longer be able to remain in this realm. Fortunately, even without the golden Heavenly Eye, he could still use his powerful senses to observe, study, and comprehend yao demonic patterns.

He had already spent more than a month studying the demonic patterns of the Purple Flame Qilin and had become intimately familiar with those of the five-pattern variety. By comparing them individually with the patterns of this intelligent six-pattern specimen, Lin Zheyu identified numerous patterns that posed potential risks. He then attempted to remove them while in his yao form, and succeeded.

Throughout the demon realm, roars rose and fell without end. Lin Zheyu paid them no heed. Sitting with his eyes closed, he rested his right hand upon the headless body of the Purple Flame Qilin, its surface still covered in scales. His powerful senses spread outward, enveloping the corpse. The fleshy tumors that had once covered his arm had disappeared, replaced by scales nearly identical to those of the Purple Flame Qilin.

"It worked." Lin Zheyu opened his eyes and looked at the elegant, streamlined scales covering his arm, a faint smile appearing on his face.

After so many experiments, he had finally succeeded. However, this success was limited to his yao form. Reversing the process and optimizing the golden runes of his human form would still require significant effort.

It's time to head back... I'll check whether those powerful yaos have finally left, Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

Nearly two months had passed since the yaos surrounded the space-time node. The golden energy within his sea of consciousness was running low and would last less than a month. His objective in entering this space-time node had essentially been completed. The only regret was that he had yet to comprehend the mysterious formation fully.

Even so, Lin Zheyu felt only a measure of regret. He had originally planned to leave two months earlier, but stayed behind after successfully luring out a six-pattern Purple Flame Qilin. The mysterious formation was extraordinarily profound. Hidden within a strange layer of space and time, its deeper mysteries were far from easy to comprehend.

He had already comprehended most of the simpler principles contained within the outer layers of the formation. What remained lay within its core regions, where the difficulty increased dramatically. Even with the aid of the golden Heavenly Eye, it would likely take years to uncover its deeper secrets.

Lin Zheyu abruptly tore off the arm covered in scales. Forming his left hand into a claw, he ripped away the sections of flesh on his chest that had been affected as well. After confirming that nothing was wrong, the flesh across his body writhed and regenerated, producing a brand-new torso. The next moment, his figure blurred and vanished from the spot.