Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 222: Hairs Breadth Away (II)

Lin Zheyu found a spot to sit cross-legged and rest. His mental exhaustion was already severe, and after traveling through the entire night, his head throbbed even more, his vision slightly spinning. Liang Yuhan took a few sips of medicinal broth, leaned against a nearby tree with her blade in hand, and kept watch around them to prevent any wild beasts from disturbing Lin Zheyu's recovery.

After resting for half a day and regaining some strength, they set off once again. Against such powerful noble families, they dared not let their guard down. For several days straight, they pushed forward relentlessly. Only after seven days did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"After this meal, we'll part ways," Lin Zheyu said suddenly after finishing the roasted meat, turning to Liang Yuhan.

As long as he kept Little Black by his side, others' greed would follow. An innocent man becomes guilty for the treasure he carries.[1] Lin Zheyu glanced at Little Black, happily grilling meat by the fire, and still found it hard to believe that this fat beast actually had such a remarkable origin. He resolved to train Little Black properly; he couldn't let it go on living such a lazy, gluttonous life. It needed to toughen up.

"Ah!" Liang Yunhui couldn't help asking, "Uncle Zhao, aren't you going to Wuling City?"

The little girl had grown attached to Little Black, and the thought of parting made her reluctant to leave.

"No. And if you stay with me, it might bring you trouble," Lin Zheyu said, shaking his head.

He still intended to go, just not with them. Wuling City, one of the ten great cities of the Guanghua Region, was surrounded by many powerful sects. He planned to go there to see if he could find one suitable to join.

"Oh..." Liang Yunhui murmured softly, her mood sinking.

Though reluctant, she understood the gravity of the situation. She didn't know what kind of beast the Ink Fox was, but for the prestigious Pei Family of Ruyang City to value it so highly, it must be extraordinary. She and her mother were far too weak. Staying with Uncle Zhao would only drag him down. If he hadn't slowed down to accommodate them during their escape, the Pei Family might never have caught up in the first place.

"Thank you for everything along the way," Liang Yuhan said gratefully.

"No need," Lin Zheyu replied.

He rolled a pill between his fingers, the one he had taken from the Pei Family martial artist. It was a small orange-red pellet with a strong medicinal scent. When used alongside a secret art, its amplification effect was astonishing. Aside from that unknown pill, he had also found medicinal powder, poison powder, several dozen taels of gold, and a few concealed weapons.

Unlike Lai Mao, who carried his entire fortune with him during his travels, this man was likely stationed at the market. Upon discovering the disturbance, he had immediately pursued them. To find over 40 taels of gold on him was already a considerable haul.

All gatherings must end eventually. After finishing their meal and resting for a while, Liang Yuhan and her daughter took their leave.

Chirp, chirp.

Little Black stood upright, watching Liang Yunhui's departing figure with a trace of reluctance. Still, it only watched and did not follow. It had been with Lin Zheyu far longer and would not be so easily won over by the little girl's treats.

"Move. Don't just eat and sleep," Lin Zheyu scolded, slapping Little Black, who had flopped on its back, squinting lazily as it prepared to nap.

Before, he hadn't known the creature's potential and hadn't minded its lazy, indulgent habits. But now that he did, he couldn't let it waste such an incredible gift. It was time to put Little Black to work.

Hiss.

Little Black bared its teeth in protest, then darted away, climbing up a distant tree. Finding a thick branch, it sprawled out again on its back and went right back to sleep.

Lin Zheyu was speechless.

"Forget it. Once we find a place to settle, I'll train it properly," Lin Zheyu muttered to himself.

He had painstakingly cultivated his essence, qi, and spirit to their peak, only to be forced into using the Boiling Blood Secret Art because of Little Black and the trouble with the Pei Family. As a result, not only had he failed to break through and gain Origin Force, but he had also overdrawn his spirit, which still hadn't fully recovered. He began contemplating ways to train Little Black, determined to push it to its limits; at the very least, it needed to burn off all that fat.

Up in the distant tree, Little Black stirred and opened its sleepy eyes. It could feel a strong wave of malice directed straight at it.

***

After parting ways with Liang Yunhui and her mother, Lin Zheyu's traveling speed increased significantly. Twenty-three days later, he arrived near Wuling City with Little Black. This time, he didn't bring the beast into the market inns with him, worried it might attract unwanted attention again.

Night fell. In the forest, within a spacious cave that Lin Zheyu had found by chance, he settled down.

Chirp, chirp.

Inside the cave, Little Black stood upright, waving its claws as it imitated Lin Zheyu's movements. While Lin Zheyu practiced the Barbaric Ox Fist, Little Black practiced its own version, the Barbaric Ox Claw. It mimicked his form surprisingly well, even showing greater natural talent than many human martial artists.

After an hour, Little Black stopped, sprawled out on its back in a star shape. It no longer wanted to try. It hated effort. All it wanted was to eat, sleep, and live an easy, idle life.

Thud!

Suddenly, a dark blur flew in, and a massive fist slammed down on its head with a dull thud.

"Get up and keep training," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

Little Black rubbed its head with a paw, baring its teeth in anger. But when it met Lin Zheyu's cold, unfriendly gaze, it quickly forced a fawning grin and unwillingly resumed practice. It felt utterly pitiful. The two-legged beast before it was too strong, and it couldn't win.

As it practiced, Little Black kept its eyes fixed on Lin Zheyu, thoughts swirling in its mind. It secretly vowed that once it grew stronger, it would beat this two-legged beast senseless. No, once a day wouldn't be enough to vent its anger.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of fists cutting through the air echoed throughout the cave.

Lin Zheyu's physique was now comparable to a Marrow Refining Realm beast. Without the aid of his heavy armor, the process of breaking through his limits took far longer, nearly eight hours each time. From dusk until dawn, he trained continuously, only collapsing weakly onto the ground once his body finally broke through its limits.

Little Black, on the other hand, practiced for barely four hours before refusing to continue. It was cunning, and it could tell Lin Zheyu was exhausted and unable to beat it now. No matter what he said, he pretended not to hear, completely ignoring him.

I need to forge a new set of heavy armor. Otherwise, breaking through my limits each time will take too long. It's a waste of effort, Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

His chest heaved as he panted for breath. Thin wisps of blood qi slowly emanated from his flesh. Breaking through his limits was unlike using the Boiling Blood Secret Art; after a breakthrough, he could still squeeze out blood qi from his body. But once the Boiling Blood Secret Art was used, every trace of energy would be burned away, leaving nothing to draw upon, no matter how hard he tried.

After regaining some strength, Lin Zheyu sat up, took out a waterskin, and drank it all in one go. He looked at the data in his consciousness and found that his Origin Force had increased by 1 unit. Because of his previous use of the Boiling Blood Secret Art, he had been unable to break through for over ten days, unable to gain more Origin Force. Now, at last, his total had reached 48 units.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 48]

[Skills: Boiling Blood Secret Art (Perfection), Forbidden Reversal Method (Perfection), Spirit-Wondrous Movement Technique (Fifth Stage: 11%), Golden Goose Technique (Tenth Stage: 100%)]

Over the past twenty days, he had also trained the Forbidden Reversal Method to Perfection. Having prior experience with the Boiling Blood Secret Art and an exceptional mastery over his blood qi, his progress in such techniques was rapid. In addition, he had advanced the Spirit-Wondrous Movement Technique to the fifth stage. However, progress had slowed considerably since then. This movement art possessed unique qualities, and even with Lin Zheyu's current level of mastery, it would still take significant time to fully comprehend.

Strange... by applying the principles of the Forbidden Reversal Method, I should've been able to modify the Boiling Blood Secret Art to stop midway. Why can't I get data for the first stage of the Boiling Blood Secret Art to appear?

Lin Zheyu glanced at the data within his consciousness, and the Boiling Blood Secret Art was still being displayed as being in the Perfection state. He was convinced the method he had devised, based on the Forbidden Reversal Method, was theoretically sound, capable of interrupting the Boiling Blood Secret Art. Yet, the data refused to register a first-stage form of the technique. Clearly, his approach was incomplete; it was feasible in theory, but flawed in execution.

Lin Zheyu could sense the method was viable; he simply didn't know what was missing. If he could pinpoint the flaw and correct it, he would gain full control over the circulation and cessation of the Boiling Blood Secret Art. He was only a hair's breadth away from success, but that last step felt impossibly difficult.

As for modifying the Forbidden Reversal Method itself to allow free circulation and stoppage, Lin Zheyu had no such thoughts. The Forbidden Reversal Method was far more complex and dangerous than the Boiling Blood Secret Art. Achieving full control over it would be extraordinarily difficult, well beyond what his current martial realm and knowledge could accomplish.

"If only I had another secret art to study, maybe then I could find inspiration from it," Lin Zheyu mused.

He sat cross-legged and began circulating the Tortoise Breath Grand Method to recover. This life-preserving technique was excellent for replenishing essence, qi, and spirit. It was two to three times more effective than normal rest. He remained in meditation until the sun rose and approached noon before finally opening his eyes. Little Black, meanwhile, still lay sprawled on its back, paws rubbing its belly in blissful slumber.

"Little Black, get up," Lin Zheyu said, patting it awake. When it blinked sleepily at him, he continued, "I'm leaving. Don't follow me. Be careful while I'm gone, and don't go stirring up trouble. I'll come back to check on you once in a while."

As Lin Zheyu spoke, he gestured with his hands to help convey meaning. Little Black, though intelligent, couldn't fully understand his words, but it caught most of the message through his motions. Upon realizing Lin Zheyu was leaving and that it could finally roam the mountains freely, its mouth split into an almost human grin of joy. It was finally free from the demon. There would be no more daily training, just food and sleep!

Seeing that smug expression, Lin Zheyu was speechless and smacked it flat with one slap.

"I'm off. Be careful and don't get yourself killed before I return," Lin Zheyu said, giving one last reminder before leaving the cave and heading toward Wuling City.

He didn't want to repeat the mistakes of last time by bringing Little Black along and drawing covetous eyes again. Without any backing, he couldn't afford to provoke powerful factions as they acted without restraint. Once he joined a faction, he could officially register Little Black and bring it safely into the city.

1. 匹夫无罪，怀璧其罪 (pǐ fū wú zuì, huái bì qí zuì): An idiom meaning that having something valuable can bring harm or envy from others. ☜