Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 328: Challenge (II)
Since beginning martial cultivation, aside from the Seven Fiend Ghost Manual that his master Liang Song gave him before departing, Lin Zheyu had never encountered any other secret arts that focused on cultivating the spirit and soul. And unlike the Seven Fiend Ghost Manual, this Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art was clearly something that could be cultivated.
"Haha! As expected, it is this one. Many true disciples like you choose the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art as the first technique they exchange for after becoming true disciples," Elder Xu said with hearty laughter.
When he had advanced to true disciple status, the first manual he exchanged for from the third floor of the Heavenly Blessing Pavilion was also the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art. It was a secret art that cultivated the spirit and soul, and no martial artist could resist curiosity toward such a technique.
"This technique places very high demands on aptitude, comprehension, temperament, and mental will, and it consumes an enormous amount of mental energy. Your primary focus right now should be on cultivating true intent. After you return, only dabble lightly in the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art and do not spend too much time on it. Once you advance to the Force Transformation realm, it will not be too late to focus on cultivating it properly." Xu Kuiyang offered a few words of caution.
He turned and went up to the fourth floor, only returning after a long while with a manual in hand.
"Thank you, Elder." Lin Zheyu expressed his thanks and left the Heavenly Blessing Pavilion.
Returning to Azure Water Garden, Lin Zheyu entered the courtyard, took out the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art, and began to study it. It was a rather fascinating technique, emphasizing that the body was the foundation of the soul and that the spirit and soul were reflections of the body. A strong body produced a strong soul. The soul was nurtured through the body, strengthening spiritual sentience. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"This technique is most suited for martial artists like me who possess a powerful physique."
Excitement surfaced on Lin Zheyu's face. His physique had not undergone tendon cleansing or marrow washing, yet it had already reached a level comparable to geniuses who broke through the Marrow Refining realm with nine transformations of blood qi.
Back when he broke through the tenth transformation of blood qi, Lin Zheyu's raw physical strength alone already rivaled that of the weakest Marrow Refining realm martial artist. Now, after breaking through fifteen transformations and converting nearly half of his blood qi into golden blood qi, his physique had undergone a tremendous enhancement.
In terms of sheer physical strength, he was likely already on par with mid-tier Marrow Refining realm martial artists. This was astonishing. The gap in strength among Marrow Refining realm martial artists was far greater than that of the Blood Qi realm. The weakest Marrow Refining realm martial artist and a mid-tier one were worlds apart.
Lin Zheyu was different from Zuo Feng. Zuo Feng had already advanced to the Marrow Refining realm and undergone tendon cleansing and marrow washing. His physique and bones had transformed from the inside out, which was why he was so powerful. Lin Zheyu had not. When he eventually broke through to the Marrow Refining realm, his physique would undergo another round of transformation. It would become even more terrifying. According to the principles of the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art, the stronger the physique, the greater the enhancement effect on the strength of the spirit and soul.
After raising the strength of my spirit and soul, the Origin Force gained from each breakthrough of my limits should also increase.
The amount of Origin Force obtained from each limit breaking was closely related to the strength of one's essence, qi, and spirit. Previously, although his mental will was sufficiently resilient and had even astonished Elder Yang, his actual mental strength was not much greater than that of other Marrow Refining realm martial artists. What set him apart was the toughness of his will. After cultivating the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art, however, his mental strength would grow stronger alongside his physique. When that happened, the Origin Force gained from breaking limits would increase accordingly.
After memorizing the entire Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art, Lin Zheyu began his first cultivation attempt. The first step in practicing the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art was to sense the location of the soul. Visualizing the cultivation diagram of the art in his mind, his heart and mind settled into tranquility.
Huff, huff~.
A gentle breeze passed through the courtyard. Time slowly slipped by, the sky growing dim, and from the moment he returned until now, Lin Zheyu had not moved at all. His expression was calm, his aura fully restrained, and even his breathing seemed almost frozen. This state persisted until the next morning. Sitting motionless in the courtyard all night during the cold winter, a layer of frost had formed over his body. When Yu Qing entered to attend to Lin Zheyu's daily needs and saw this scene, she was so startled that she cried out. Fortunately, having grown up within the Wuji Sect, she was somewhat knowledgeable and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"Young Master, what kind of technique are you cultivating?" Yu Qing asked in surprise.
Her eyes were fixed on Lin Zheyu's chest, and only after seeing that it was indeed rising and falling, albeit slowly, did she finally relax.
Soon, golden sunlight poured down, illuminating Lin Zheyu's face. His brows trembled slightly as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Huff... This technique truly is difficult to cultivate. I cannot sense the existence of the soul at all, let alone nurture the spirit within the body and nourish the soul," muttered Lin Zheyu as he let out a long breath.
Cultivation knew no passage of time, and without realizing it, it was already the next morning. A full night of cultivation placed immense strain on his body. A powerful wave of hunger rose from his abdomen, pulling him out of his cultivation state. Otherwise, he would still be immersed in cultivation even now. Cultivation of the spirit and soul differed from martial cultivation. Once one entered a deep level of cultivation, the perception of time became extremely faint.
[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]
[Name: Lin Zheyu]
[Origin Force: 3]
[Skills: Ninefold Origin Lock Art (Perfection), Evernight Slumber Secret Art (Perfection), Tortoise Breath True Technique (Sixth Stage: 0%), Golden Goose Technique (Eleventh Stage: 100%), Azure Tide Blood Condensing Technique (Sixth Stage: 88%), Great Strength Vajra Fist (Third Stage: 24%), Azure Tide Boundless True Technique (Fourth Stage: 100%)]
Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness. After a full night of cultivation, the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art had barely reached initiation. This was a secret art without distinct stage divisions. Once successfully cultivated, the spirit would be nurtured within the body, allowing the powerful physique to nourish the spirit and soul, gradually strengthening it. What was required was long-term, steady effort.
"Young Master, would you like the kitchen to prepare breakfast for you?" Yu Qing asked.
"No need," Lin Zheyu said softly.
He took three Essence and Qi Pills from his robes and swallowed them before continuing his cultivation. He had just reached a critical point in his practice and was on the verge of touching upon the mysteries of the soul. He did not want to give up just like that.
Time slowly passed. In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. News of Lin Zheyu defeating Heng Qiming and Yun Feng of the War God Sect fermented and spread throughout Wuling City.
"That is incredible. Young Master Lin actually made it onto the Hidden Dragon List!" Li Wensi exclaimed upon hearing the news of Lin Zheyu entering the Hidden Dragon List. She knew that Lin Zheyu possessed great natural talent and latent potential and would sooner or later become a powerful martial artist. She simply did not expect it to happen so quickly.
"Brother Lin's natural talent is truly enviable!" Li Mengxi said leisurely.
Within a few days, the news spread from Wuling City to other cities. The number of challengers coming to his door began to increase. Because it involved the Hidden Dragon List, it was not easy to refuse. If he rejected too many challenges, the Directorate of Celestial Observation would revoke his Hidden Dragon List qualification, which would be troublesome. After experiencing the powerful cultivation assisting effects brought by the Hidden Dragon Token over the past few days, Lin Zheyu did not want to lose his qualification. Carrying the Hidden Dragon Token on him made his spirit and soul become clear and ethereal, which greatly aided his cultivation of the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art.
In Azure Water Garden, Liu Gang ran in and reported, "Martial uncle, someone else has come to challenge you."
"This really never ends..."
Lin Zheyu stood up with a sense of helplessness and halted his cultivation of the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art. Several days of cultivation had brought him considerable gains. The aura around his body had become increasingly restrained. The principle of the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art was to store the spirit and soul within the body and nourish the spirit through the body. It involved many methods and techniques for concealing one's aura.
Following Liu Gang to the front hall plaza of the Wuji Sect, he saw that many people had already gathered there. When Lin Zheyu arrived, the disciples of the Wuji Sect all made way for him.
"I am Xu Kun of the Bull Demon Sect. I ask for your guidance," said the man with a physique as sturdy as an ox, clasping his fists. The aura and style emanating from him were identical to those of Niu Qinghe from the Bull Demon Sect back then.
"Very well. I am Lin Zheyu, and I accept your challenge." Lin Zheyu nodded.
Niu Qinghe had once shown him kindness, so Lin Zheyu was much more courteous toward Xu Kun.
"Make your move. Let us end this quickly," Lin Zheyu said.
"Alright." Xu Kun agreed readily. A supremely domineering aura surged from his body as his muscles bulged and terrifying veins spread across his entire frame.
Bang!
He stepped forward, the ground exploding beneath his feet. Xu Kun swung his terrifying fist, howling as it smashed toward Lin Zheyu's head.
Moo!
Vaguely, the onlooking disciples seemed to see a roaring Ox Demon, kicking a hoof toward Lin Zheyu.
"So strong. He's worthy of being called a genius disciple capable of restoring the glory of the Heavenly Sage Sect," someone exclaimed.
Xu Kun possessed extremely terrifying natural talent and aptitude. Like Lin Zheyu, he comprehended Dominance true intent through the Barbaric Ox Fist. After being discovered by the Bull Demon Sect, he was taken in as a true disciple. From then on, he advanced triumphantly, defeating many true disciples from the four top-tier sects, his strength overwhelmingly formidable.
"Martial uncle will not lose, right? It is said that this Xu Kun is no weaker than Yunfeng of the War God Sect," someone said with concern.
"How could that be?"
"Shut up!"
The surrounding disciples all glared at that person upon hearing this.
Huff~.
Feeling the powerful, true intent pressure crushing down upon him, a look of surprise appeared on Lin Zheyu's face. Xu Kun's Dominance true intent was extremely pure and considerably stronger than his own. Even so, it only caused him mild surprise.
Bang!
Lin Zheyu caught Xu Kun's powerful punch with his left palm, his body sinking slightly as his right fist blasted upward from below. His speed was unbelievably fast. Xu Kun only felt a moment of daze before his opponent vanished from his sight, followed immediately by the sensation that his fist had struck something as hard as solid alloy.
Gripped by the opponent's palm, he found himself unable to move at all. Then immense pain erupted in his abdomen as a terrifying force struck him, sending him staggering backward more than ten meters before he managed to stop. The entire arena fell silent. Their martial uncle was as powerful as ever.
"My apologies," Lin Zheyu said calmly, pulling Xu Kun back from his daze.
"I... how did I lose?" Xu Kun's mind was still in a haze. He did not even notice that Lin Zheyu had already left.
He had not been very confident in this battle and had even prepared himself to lose. But losing this fast was simply too much.
I need to move up a few ranks. Too many people are challenging the last spot.
As the gatekeeper of the Hidden Dragon List, he had to accept challenges from martial artists who were not on the list. Once he left the last position, he would only need to accept challenges from those ranked below him. Not only would this reduce a great deal of trouble, but it would also enhance the cultivation assisting effects of the Hidden Dragon Token. It was killing several birds with one stone.
"Liu Gang, do you know who holds the highest ranking on the Hidden Dragon List in Wuling City or the nearby cities?" Lin Zheyu asked softly.
Liu Gang, who was looking at Lin Zheyu with reverence, froze for a moment upon hearing this, but quickly reacted.
"Martial Uncle, the highest-ranked in Wuling City at present is Xiao Shi of the War God Sect. However, it is said that he has already gone out with Jii Weicheng to hunt yaos and demons. If you wish to seek someone to challenge, Fan Qingxue of the Azure Rainbow Sect is a good choice. She is currently ranked seventy-eight on the Hidden Dragon List," Liu Gang said respectfully.
