Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 283: Dominance (I)

The battle was extremely stalemated. Lin Zheyu deliberately suppressed his strength and traded blows back and forth with his opponent. Below the arena, most people had placed their bets on Lin Weizhuo. Seeing Lin Weizhuo seemingly holding the upper hand, they could not help but cheer loudly. Only those standing by the betting tables remained relatively calm.

They needed to observe the martial artists' fights and, through several matches, judge a rough range of each martial artist's strength. Only then would they set the odds based on battle data. If they set odds casually, they would have gone bankrupt long ago.

"Lord Yang, do you think highly of this man?" the man in charge of this arena asked, unable to suppress his curiosity when he saw the elderly man beside him studying the newly arrived martial artist with interest.

The old man's strength was impossible to discern, and not the slightest aura fluctuation emanated from his body. He looked just like an ordinary, shabby old man. Holding a wine gourd in his right hand, he lay on a rocking chair, swaying leisurely as he examined Lin Zheyu in the arena.

"His strength is not bad. He's a young man with ideas, trying to fleece a bit from us. But he is still too young. His acting is not convincing enough. Holding back is not done like this. There is no tension or urgency in his eyes at all. It looks far too fake. Lower his odds in the next match. Set it at one to zero point five."

The old man surnamed Yang took a sip of wine and chuckled.

"Yes, my lord."

The man in charge of this arena nodded and instructed someone to adjust the odds.

He glanced at the spectators who were cheering excitedly, convinced that Lin Weizhuo had the upper hand, and could not help curling his lips. Since Lord Yang had ordered him to adjust the odds for the martial artist named Zhao Hao, it meant the outcome of this match was already decided. Lin Weizhuo was bound to lose. He had absolute faith in Lord Yang's judgment.

Lord Yang actually holds this man in such high regard, setting the odds without even watching the challenger of the next match. This kind of treatment is usually reserved for martial artists he values, and those he believes have the potential to achieve a hundred consecutive victories. Just what background does this fellow have?

The man studied Lin Zheyu curiously. Flipping through the registration information the other party had just submitted, he found himself strongly doubting its authenticity.

Name: Zhao Hao

Age: 58

Origin: Li Family martial artist

Background: None

To receive such favor from Lord Yang, this man must come from some hidden power, the man secretly guessed.

This is interesting. What kind of concealment technique is this little fellow cultivating, that even I cannot see through it? Such a powerful physique. The Lin Family boy cannot even break his defense. His lightness technique and movement techniques have reached such a level. He truly is a fine little fellow. Hm? 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

This extremely domineering momentum is solid and powerful, not like something without roots or source. Has he condensed a Dominance true intent seed? Although he uses the Violet Thunder Dominance Fist, there are traces of the Barbaric Ox Fist within his punches. Could this little fellow be a disciple of the Bull Demon Sect?

The old man surnamed Yang observed Lin Zheyu with a face full of intrigue.

Although he could not see through Lin Zheyu's true strength, an experienced martial artist like the old man surnamed Yang could still glean many things from combat performance alone. After watching for a while, he simply drank his wine on his own. A battle whose outcome was already decided held no viewing value.

Bang!

With a dull impact, Lin Weizhuo made a misstep when his foot caught on an unremarkable stone and was seized by Lin Zheyu, who sent him flying off the arena with a single punch. Lin Weizhuo froze in shock. The spectators below also stood stunned before a wave of noisy uproar erupted.

"What happened just now? What exactly occurred? How did Young Master Lin lose?"

"Was he not about to win just now? How is this possible? Can someone explain it to me?"

"Ah, my 2,000 taels of silver."

Lin Weizhuo was blasted off the arena with a single punch and slammed heavily onto the ground. He remained stunned for a long time, finding it difficult to accept the reality of his defeat.

"Thank you for holding back." Lin Zheyu's voice pulled Lin Weizhuo back to reality.

He let out a long breath and narrowed his eyes slightly. With a light tap of his toes, he leapt up and returned to the arena once more. Every martial artist had two challenge opportunities per day. Failing once did not mean there were no chances left. Truly powerful martial artists only grew braver with setbacks and fought on despite repeated defeats.

The martial cultivation exchange existed mainly to provide martial artists with opportunities to exchange techniques and spar. It was not a purely competitive arena and would not strip someone of further challenges because of a single loss. At the same time, it would not allow endless challenges. Each martial artist could only challenge twice per day.

"Again. I was careless just now. This time, I definitely will not lose," Lin Weizhuo said firmly. His fighting intent surged, and there was no trace of contempt in the way he looked at Lin Zheyu.

"I am Lin Weizhuo. May I know your honored name?" Lin Weizhuo asked solemnly, no longer rude or disdainful as before.

"Zhao Hao. Wait a moment. I am going to place another bet," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

After speaking, he turned and jumped straight off the arena, leaving Lin Weizhuo standing there. As Lin Zheyu approached, the martial artists gathered around the betting table all stepped aside, making way for him.

"Kid, you are impressive, but I am still betting on Young Master Lin to win this round," a burly man grinned at Lin Zheyu and said with a chuckle.

Lin Zheyu glanced at him indifferently and walked over to the betting counter without caring.

"The maximum bet now is 2,000 taels of silver, right? Add the 1,000 taels I just won as well. I'm betting on myself to win," Lin Zheyu said.

He glanced at the betting board and could not help but pause. Then he said, "Why are my odds so low? Should they not be raised?"

"This is the result of our comprehensive evaluation. Would you like to continue betting?" the man recording the wagers asked respectfully.

"I'll bet. Every round, I'll bet to the maximum." Lin Zheyu felt somewhat speechless but still slapped down a 10,000-tael silver note. Even if it was less, a mosquito was still meat.

"Kid, stop thinking about pretending to be weak to fleece us. Show all of your strength."

An aged voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Lin Zheyu's heart tightened at once, and goosebumps rose all over his body. He sharply looked around, but could not find who had spoken.

"Oh. Interesting. You have never heard of sound transmission, eh?" the voice sounded again, carrying a hint of surprise.

Lin Zheyu was briefly stunned. He scanned the surroundings and finally fixed his gaze on an old man reclining on a lounge chair nearby, leisurely rocking back and forth. The old man was looking at him with interest, grinning to reveal slightly yellowed teeth.

So it was this old man speaking. Sound transmission? Does martial cultivation also have such a technique?

He had wandered the market for so long and had never seen a similar secret technique.

"Stop guessing. It is this old man. Hurry back onto the arena. That Lin Family kid is getting impatient. After today's arena challenges end, do not rush to leave. When you go up later, unleash all of your strength. If you satisfy me, I will grant you a stroke of fortune," the voice continued, carrying an amused tone.

Lin Zheyu looked at the old man. The other party was not looking at him, instead drinking wine on his own with his eyes half closed as he rocked leisurely in the chair.

Is this old man an expert of the Wuji Sect? Could he have discovered my true strength?

Lin Zheyu frowned slightly.

He had thought that the Ninefold Origin Lock Art combined with the Tortoise Breath True Technique would perfectly conceal his true power, but he had not expected it to be seen through so quickly.

That is not right. The sealing ability of the Ninefold Origin Lock Art is extremely powerful. Even Grandmaster realm martial artists would find it difficult to see through. Otherwise, it would be impossible to seal peak strength for future use. The sealed energy would have long dissipated over time.

He took a deep breath and dispelled the distracting thoughts in his mind. With a single thought, he activated the Dominance true intent seed within his spirit. A powerful conviction surged from deep within his heart. Lin Zheyu no longer hesitated. He no longer considered the possible consequences. Even if the sky collapsed, he would still punch a hole through it.

Since it has been seen through that I am pretending to be weak, there is no need to keep disguising myself. I have long wanted to try challenging the genius martial artists of the major powers to strengthen my heart as a strong one and see if that path truly works.

Lin Zheyu's lips curled slightly. With every step he took, the momentum around him grew stronger.

As expected! thought Lin Weizhuo.

Feeling the powerful momentum rising from Lin Zheyu's body, Lin Weizhuo's expression turned extremely grave. He had already suspected that Zhao Hao possessed tremendous strength and was deliberately disguising it to pretend to be weak. Now it seemed his guess had indeed been correct.

"Interesting, very interesting. A wild martial artist with no background who has comprehended a Dominance true intent seed, and very likely based on the Barbaric Ox Fist. Hehe, that foolish ox is going to owe me a big favor."

Feeling the powerful and domineering momentum rising from Lin Zheyu and having his earlier guess confirmed, the old man surnamed Yang could not help but chuckle.

He had not expected to encounter something this interesting on only the second day of the martial cultivation exchange.

"Make your move." Lin Zheyu stepped onto the arena and looked at Lin Weizhuo as he spoke calmly.

At this moment, his bearing was completely different from before, filled with a powerful Dominance momentum. This momentum could only be released by forcibly suppressing the Tortoise Breath true intent and activating the Dominance true intent seed within his consciousness. The influence of the Tortoise Breath true intent on him was far too great. If it were not suppressed, Lin Zheyu would unconsciously become passive and overly cautious.

"Good!"

Lin Weizhuo was no longer as arrogant as before. The momentum erupting from Zhao Hao was not particularly overwhelming to him. He had already comprehended true intent and was deliberately suppressing his realm to fuse multiple true intents. Even though he had gone further than the other party in true intent, Lin Weizhuo still sensed an inexplicable feeling of danger from him. The moment the other party decided to stop hiding, that sense of danger surged to its peak. It felt as though he was facing an incomparably terrifying, ferocious beast.

Boom!

Lin Weizhuo let out a long breath as blood qi erupted from his legs. His entire body shot toward Lin Zheyu like a cannonball. The wind howled as a terrifying fist momentum burst forth, his punch tearing through the air as it slammed toward Lin Zheyu's head.

So fast!

Suddenly, Lin Weizhuo's expression changed drastically. The opponent who had been standing right in front of him vanished in the blink of an eye. He forcefully halted his movement and kicked off with his right leg, retreating sideways at full speed. However, it was already too late. A fierce gust of force struck him, pain flaring across his back as a terrifying power sent him flying off the arena.

"Next."

Lin Zheyu's calm voice rang out as silence fell beneath the arena.

Fast. Far too fast. So fast it was unbelievable. Before they could even react, the battle had already ended.

"What the hell?"

"What was that?"

"Damn, it's over?"

"Damn it, I lost again?"