Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 287: Gale (I)

Bang!

Ni Qiangkun was blasted off the arena, his face filled with disbelief. He spat out a mouthful of blood as blood poured relentlessly from the left side of his chest. A vast surge of blood qi energy flooded into the wound, his muscles writhing as they tried to close the gaping injury. A Marrow Refining realm martial artist possessed astonishing vitality. That punch had not damaged his heart, so as long as help arrived in time, he would not die.

I almost... almost... died, Ni Qiangkun thought, fear surging through him.

Tang Weizhong rushed over, took out a pill, and fed it into his mouth. The pill melted instantly, and the moment it entered his stomach, it turned into a warm current that spread through his entire body.

"I am not getting involved in this anymore. That matter ends here. Your intelligence is wrong. That guy shows not the slightest sign of being poisoned."

Ni Qiangkun looked toward the arena at the powerful man staring at him with an overwhelming aura and an indifferent expression, fear lingering in his heart. At the instant Zhao Hao's punch came crashing down, he had felt as though death itself had enveloped him. Fortunately, Ni Qiangkun's physique was different from that of ordinary people, with his heart positioned on the right side. This unusual constitution had saved his life more than once.

Hm? He did not die? How Interesting.

Lin Zheyu watched Ni Qiangkun struggle to sit up, a trace of surprise in his heart.

That punch had been aimed straight at the opponent's heart, and his fist had pierced clean through the chest. If it had been anyone else, they would have been long dead. He had not expected this fellow to be born with such a special physique.

"I need to improve next time. If I can strike the head, I should aim the head. If not, then the throat. The heart and chest should be reserved as a last resort," Lin Zheyu muttered, taking this lesson to heart.

Even though Ni Qiangkun had narrowly survived, his injuries were extremely severe. His chest had been pierced through by a fist, and within one or two months, it would be very difficult for him to recover to his peak.

"Is there anyone else who wants to come up and challenge me?" Lin Zheyu swept his gaze around. The martial artists watching below looked at one another, but no one dared to step onto the arena.

This guy was a ruthless powerhouse. Had they not just seen that powerful martial artist nearly beaten to death with a single punch? Dying in the arena left no room for argument. Fists and feet showed no mercy. When a battle reached its height and full strength was unleashed, even the martial artists themselves could not control it. Accidents happened, and deaths were common.

Seeing no one step forward, Lin Zheyu shifted his gaze to Tang Weizhong and said calmly, "Tang Weizhong, do you dare to come up and fight me? If you win, I, Zhao Hao, will submit to whatever punishment the Tang Family decides. If you lose, shall we wipe away all grudges between us?"

"Hmph." Tang Weizhong felt the eyes of others fall upon him and snorted coldly, giving no direct reply.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, if he admitted he did not dare, he would lose all face. But if he went up, Tang Weizhong feared the opponent would seize the chance to kill him. He knew his own limits well. Even Ni Qiangkun had nearly died at Zhao Hao's hands, so he stood even less of a chance. His face flushed red as he lifted his head and swept his gaze over the martial artists around him who were pointing and whispering. Seeing their mocking and sneering expressions filled him with shame and fury.

Li Yanming, just you wait!

Tang Weizhong's rage boiled over as he glared at Li Yanming, hiding in the crowd, wishing he could tear him apart alive.

Li Yanming had sworn with absolute certainty that Zhao Hao had been poisoned by Crimson Dream Orchid, and that with Calamity Wood Vine Incense as a catalyst, the toxin would erupt. Yet even after so much time had passed, Zhao Hao showed not the slightest sign of poisoning.

"You had better give me an explanation." Ni Qiangkun suppressed the pain in his chest and snorted coldly, his face pale.

In his heart, he cursed Tang Weizhong viciously. What that man had told him back then was that he wanted him to step in and kill an ordinary genius. To hell with an ordinary genius. With strength like this, he was already comparable to a martial artist who had begun condensing true strength. Possessing such terrifying combat power at the Marrow Refining realm was something no ordinary genius could achieve.

If nothing unexpected happened, Lin Zheyu would soon rise to prominence in the arena challenge matches and be noticed by top sects and powers, eventually being taken in. Offending such a martial artist carried extremely serious consequences. It would have been fine if he had succeeded in killing him earlier, but he had failed.

After resting for a while, he recovered some strength. Slowly standing up, Ni Qiangkun swayed on his feet, his clothes already soaked through with blood.

"Many thanks to you, Brother Zhao, for showing mercy. If there was any offense during the fight just now, I ask for your understanding. Tomorrow, I will personally come to present a gift in thanks for your mercy. I hope you will not refuse," Ni Qiangkun said while forcibly enduring the intense pain in his chest and cupping his hands toward Lin Zheyu.

These words were spoken very skillfully. He did not mention their life and death clash at all, instead directly thanking Zhao Hao for showing mercy. By offering compensation under the pretext of mercy, he both brushed aside their recent enmity and preserved face for both sides. The martial world was not only about killing and fighting, but it was also about human relations. Someone who had lived to his age was already well-versed in such matters.

"You are too polite, my friend." Seeing the other party take the initiative to lower his head and resolve the grudge, Lin Zheyu smiled and directly addressed him as a friend.

"My injuries are quite severe, so I will take my leave first. I will visit again tomorrow. Farewell." Ni Qiangkun cupped his hands, his expression extremely grim. After bidding Lin Zheyu farewell, he did not even look at Tang Weizhong and turned around to leave.

"Hmph." Tang Weizhong hurriedly snorted coldly as well, flicked his sleeves, and fled in disgrace. He had no face left to remain here any longer.

"No one dares to come up? What a pity. I was not even done fighting. How about you come up and try, Brother Yanming? We have known each other for so long, yet we have never crossed hands."

Lin Zheyu looked toward Li Yanming in the crowd with a half smile. He had also noticed the look Tang Weizhong had given Li Yanming earlier. Sure enough, there was something fishy between those two.

"No, no. Brother Zhao is too powerful. I am no match for you, so I will not go up there to embarrass myself," Li Yanming quickly waved his hands and said with a cheerful smile. His smile was as usual, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.

Lin Zheyu could not help feeling a bit surprised.

Is this man truly so composed, or does he have other schemes in mind?

I will go back and tell Li Mengxi about this. This is their family matter, and it is not appropriate for me to interfere as an outsider, Lin Zheyu thought to himself. Seeing that no one dared to step onto the stage to challenge him, he simply sat cross-legged on the arena and began regulating his breathing to recover.

Time slowly passed. Although no one came up to challenge him, more and more martial artists gathered around Lin Zheyu to watch the excitement. Hearing that a powerful, genius martial artist had appeared, everyone came over out of curiosity. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Who is this person? With such strength, he should not be unknown. Could he be from another city?" someone asked curiously.

"I am not sure. I heard he is with the wealthy Li Family on Nanming Street. The Li Family auction house is fairly well known in Wuling City. Have you heard of Li Lingyun? She is a famous beauty in Wuling City and is in charge of the auction," an informed person said quietly.

Lin Zheyu's identity information was not a secret. Martial artists who stepped onto the arena to challenge had to register their information. Anyone with intent could inquire at the betting stalls and learn some details.

"Not just Li Lingyun. The Li Family has excellent bloodlines, and handsome men and beautiful women often appear among their descendants. Li Mengqi even ranks sixth on the Wuling City beauty list. Tsk tsk, she is truly beautiful. It is just that the Ice true intent she cultivates gives off an unapproachable feeling, keeping others at a distance. Otherwise, if she smiled, she would look far better than Rong Siying, who ranks in the top five," a slightly lecherous-looking man said with a chuckle.

"Oh, that Li Family. As soon as you mention the Li Family that Li Lingyun comes from, I know which one it is. Tsk tsk, the Li Family has really struck it lucky this time to be able to draw in such a powerhouse," someone said enviously.

The family he came from was comparable in strength to the Li Family, yet recruiting a powerhouse with such talent and strength was by no means an easy matter.

"That is where you are wrong. I heard he was not recruited by the Li Family. It is said that Zhao Hao is Li Mengqi's lifesaving benefactor and did not accept the Li Family's recruitment," someone well informed said.

Back when Lin Zheyu caused some commotion at Heavenly Blade Peak, those who liked to pry only needed to make a few inquiries to learn a great deal.

"A lifesaving benefactor? Hurry up and tell us. How did Li Mengqi encounter danger? How could someone in the dignified Li Family put her in a life-or-death crisis?" someone nearby asked curiously.

"Hehe, you do not know about this, then. Li Mengqi's parents passed away very early. Within an esteemed family, competition is extremely fierce. Without the protection of her parents, all resources and contributions must be fought for on one's own..."

Discussions buzzed endlessly beneath the arena.

Those who could enter the martial exchange gathering were all figures of status in Wuling City. Even if some were not particularly strong, their backgrounds were excellent. Their circles were small, and with just a little inquiry, many things could be found out.