Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Lin Zheyu let out a quiet chuckle.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the golden Heavenly Eye erupted with brilliant light. The trajectories of the rule energies within the void were laid bare before his eyes without the slightest concealment.

The entire world seemed to have slowed down dozens of times over. In Lin Zheyu's eyes, Ning Shiyi's movements had become unbearably slow. His figure shifted slightly, yet his speed did not diminish in the slightest as he charged straight toward Ning Shiyi.

The powerful rule carried by the blade grazed his shoulder, carving away a large chunk of flesh, yet Lin Zheyu paid it no mind. Vast life force surged from within his body, and the wound healed in an instant.

Shock filled Ning Shiyi's eyes. "How is that possible?"

He could not understand how Lin Zheyu had avoided that strike. His original plan had been to force Lin Zheyu back with that slash, but he had failed completely.

A golden blade of light flashed through the air. Before Ning Shiyi's unwilling gaze, the razor-sharp saber descended from above his head and cleaved him in two as easily as slicing through tofu.

"Uh... that was a mistake..."

Lin Zheyu looked at the Graywood Space-Stabilizing Umbrella, now split into two halves as it emerged from the void. A trace of pain flashed across his face.

That thing had to be worth a fortune. He was certain that his strike had originally avoided the Graywood Space-Stabilizing Umbrella completely. Unfortunately, just before dying, Ning Shiyi had forcibly used his bloodline powers to maneuver the umbrella into the path of the attack in an attempt to block it.

He had failed. Both Ning Shiyi and the Graywood Space-Stabilizing Umbrella had been split in half by the same strike.

"This bastard really had to disgust me one last time before dying." Lin Zheyu was rendered speechless.

He threw out a fierce punch. A terrifying force exploded into the void, unleashing a thunderous roar.

A shrill scream echoed through the air. "AAAAHHH!"

Ning Shiyi's remnant soul was completely obliterated by that punch, scattering into ashes and vanishing from existence. At the Shackles realm, even martial artists possessed extraordinarily powerful souls. Some cultivators who practiced special secret arts could even survive by escaping as soul fragments and continue clinging to life.

Lin Zheyu rummaged through Ning Shiyi's storage pouch while muttering to himself, "What a pauper. Aside from some spirit stones and Divine Power Crystals, there isn't much of value. Hmm, this saber isn't bad, though. It's actually a grade above mine. And this dharma treasure is passable as well..."

His gaze drifted toward the Graywood Space-Stabilizing Umbrella lying on the ground in two pieces, and he could not help feeling a pang of regret. A powerful dharma treasure capable of suppressing space itself and sealing the power of the spatial laws had to be incredibly valuable. What a waste.

Lin Zheyu put away the spoils he had taken from Ning Shiyi. The corners of his lips curled upward into a cold smile. "That's one taken care of. After losing a Shackles realm martial artist, even the Ning Family will have to think carefully before making another move. And as for the Woo Family, Fan Hongwei, and Sun Zhenzhi... your turn will be coming soon."

The golden scales covering his body dissolved like bubbles, and Lin Zheyu returned to his human form. The Heaven-Deceiving Art circulated quietly. Within his sea of consciousness, the golden Heavenly Eye slowly opened, while the Earth Shrinking Technique began to operate.

Stepping forward, he crossed a great distance in a single stride and headed toward the horizon. His speed was astonishing. Spatial law power lingered around his body, causing his figure to flicker in and out of existence. It looked almost as though a signal was cutting in and out, making his presence appear extremely unstable.

Lin Zheyu was attempting to incorporate the ability Ning Shiyi had just displayed into the Earth Shrinking Technique. The difficulty, however, was immense and could not be overcome in a short period of time. However, he wasn't expecting immediate success.

For now, he was merely conducting preliminary experiments, gathering more data, and accumulating experience and insights. Once he had collected enough, he would be able to use that foundation to create the second stage of the Earth Shrinking Technique.

***

In the Martial Realm, at the residence of the Ning Family.

A young man rushed into the reception hall in a panic, fear written all over his face. "Terrible news! Terrible news!"

Ning Wenyuan snorted coldly. A terrifying pressure spread from his body and crashed down upon the young man. "Hmph! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this?"

The young man crashed to his knees. His entire body trembled violently as beads of sweat rolled down his face.

Only after the young man had calmed down slightly did Ning Wenyuan ask in an indifferent tone, "Speak. What happened?"

The young man spoke tremblingly, his face filled with terror. "My lord, Lord Ning Shiyi's... his soul lamp has gone out!"

"What?" Ning Wenyuan's expression changed drastically. His palm slammed onto the table beside him, instantly reducing it to a pile of dust.

"It happened just moments ago..."

As the young man prepared to give a more detailed report, he suddenly realized that Ning Wenyuan had already disappeared. The absence of Ning Wenyuan made him breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

The young man thought anxiously, Lord Ning Shiyi actually died. That's a powerhouse who has broken two shackles! Just who could have killed him?

At the same time, within the Ning Family Ancestral Shrine, where the soul lamps of every family member were kept, Ning Wenyuan's figure flashed into existence inside the great hall.

Ning Wenyuan stared at Ning Shiyi's extinguished soul lamp with a dark expression. His eyes were filled with gloom. "He's really dead."

A burly figure slowly approached and said calmly while looking at Ning Wenyuan, "Shiyi was the one you sent out on that mission, wasn't he? What exactly was he sent to do, and why did he die outside? A Shackles realm martial artist has died. If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation for this matter, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the clan."

Even within an esteemed family, factions were numerous and internal struggles were fierce. The death of a Shackles realm expert because of Ning Wenyuan was no trivial matter. If he could not provide a satisfactory explanation, the incident would become a weapon his rivals could use against him.

Ning Wenyuan's expression remained dark as he replied coldly, "Hmph. I have my reasons. There's no need for your concern."

His fists clenched tightly as information regarding the genius martial artist known as Xiao Yu flashed through his mind.

Even Shiyi fell to him... this fellow... Ning Wenyuan murmured inwardly as an indescribable look flashed through his eyes.

***

"Golden silkworm beans! Crispy and fragrant! One bite and your mouth will be filled with aroma!"

"Leather boots repaired! Fifteen coins a pair! Fine craftsmanship, no trace left behind!"

The bustling marketplace teemed with people as peddlers carrying shoulder poles wandered through the streets, calling out their wares. This was a bustling city somewhere within the Chaotic Star Sea.

Lin Zheyu strolled through the streets like an ordinary man, immersing himself in the sights and sounds of mortal life. Around him lingered a faint aura of rules, flickering in and out of existence.

Lin Zheyu's thoughts stirred.

Earth Shrinking Technique, second stage!

The data within his consciousness blurred for a moment before becoming clear once more. A smile appeared on Lin Zheyu's face as he looked at the updated information.

Success!

After more than half a month of continuous experimentation, consuming some Origin Force and repeatedly utilizing the golden Heavenly Eye, he had finally developed a technique similar to the one Ning Shiyi had used to merge himself with the void.

Ning Shiyi had achieved that effect through the power of his bloodline. Lin Zheyu, however, had accomplished something similar entirely through the use of rules. The two approaches differed greatly in essence, but that hardly mattered. Success was success.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 10]

[Techniques: Heaven-Deceiving Art (Perfection), Seven Absolute Sabers (Fifth Stage: 3%), Earth Shrinking Technique (Second Stage: 0%), Primordial Golden Body (Fourth Stage: 31%)]

I need some time to consolidate my gains, Lin Zheyu silently remarked as he looked at the data.

The Origin Force he had accumulated previously was nearly exhausted. Once this mission was over, he planned to enter seclusion for another year or two. While gathering more Origin Force, he also needed to carefully plan the future direction of his martial cultivation.

"It is said that the experts of the ancient Shamanic Clan are born with incomparably powerful bodies. They devour heaven and earth, control wind, water, thunder, and lightning, and possess the power to fill seas, move mountains, and reshape the world.

"Shamanic patterns and divine patterns can also be studied and adapted from one another. My breakthrough into the Shackles realm, and perhaps even the path that follows, may very well depend upon the inheritance of the Shamanic Clan," Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

Many martial cultivation experts shared similar thoughts. That was precisely why the Martial Alliance had so many martial artists researching Shamanic cultivators. Alongside the Shamanic Clan, the Ancient Yao, the Barbarians, and the Immortal Dao formed the major cultivation systems that martial cultivators drew inspiration from.

Lin Zheyu wandered leisurely through the busy streets, occasionally purchasing snacks and enjoying the simple pleasures of mortal life. Suddenly, the azure-glazed bracelet on his wrist flashed once again.

"Again? Just who keeps trying to divine my location from behind the scenes?" Lin Zheyu looked at the azure bracelet speechlessly.

Over the past half month, the bracelet had issued no fewer than three warnings. Including this one, it had happened four times.

At first, Lin Zheyu had prepared ambushes just as he had before, intending to kill whoever came after him. But after waiting for long periods without anyone appearing, he gradually lost interest in setting traps. It simply wasted too much time and energy.

Lin Zheyu's figure flickered and vanished from the spot. He had no intention of setting another trap here. Who knew whether the other party would even show up? If they did not, it would be a complete waste of time. Before long, he relocated to a different place and waited for Lin Xian to send the latest information regarding Feng Xuanji's whereabouts.

***

Beneath a waterfall somewhere, Lin Zheyu had just completed another limit-breaking session. Vast amounts of blood qi and life energy poured out from his divine repositories. His body, weakened from breaking through his limits, instantly returned to peak condition.

Feeling the immense strength flowing through his body once more, Lin Zheyu let out a satisfied sigh. "Comfortable."

Ever since opening his divine repositories and gaining access to the void space behind them to store essence, qi, spirit, and energy, many things had become far more convenient. After breaking his limits, he no longer needed Origin Force to rapidly recover to his peak state.

Lin Zheyu leisurely leaned against a tree trunk and sat down. With a flick of his right hand, the exquisite little black box appeared in his palm.

Lin Zheyu turned the little black box over in his hand, curiosity filling his mind.

Feng Xuanji... Who exactly is this person? And what secrets does this little black box contain? Why would its owner entrust it to someone unfamiliar?

If things had already reached the point where heavenly calculations were required to locate Feng Xuanji, then it was obvious that the owner of the little black box was not particularly familiar with her.