Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 285: Determined To Take (I)

Gulp.

No one knew who swallowed that mouthful of saliva. The silence beneath the arena was shattered, and the uproar erupted like an explosion.

"Damn!"

"Wild Man Luo actually lost. Which faction does this martial artist come from?"

"My heavens. Even within the War God Sect, Wild Man Luo rarely has an equal among his peers, yet he was actually defeated."

"My 5,000 taels of silver!"

"Does anyone know him? How have I never heard of him?"

The clamor exploded.

Wild Man Luo was extremely strong. Within the Marrow Refining realm, he could be considered a top-tier martial artist. During the first few days of the Martial cultivation exchange, truly powerful genius martial artists rarely appeared. Most participants had decent strength, but could not be considered top tier.

Most of these martial artists came from mid-level esteemed families or were affiliated with some faction. They hoped to display their strength in the arena, prove themselves, and gain the favor of powerful sects or esteemed families. The truly exceptional genius martial artists usually only appeared on the fourth day or after the fifth day.

By that time, those martial artists who were strong but not top-tier had gone through round after round of eliminations, leaving behind competitors of formidable strength. The genius martial artists appeared then to harvest the results. Li Mengqi had been the same. During the first four days, she won more than seventy consecutive matches. On the fifth day, the Luo Family's genius, Luo Shaoning, appeared and ended Li Mengqi's winning streak.

But it was only the second day, yet such a terrifying monster had already appeared. Wild Man Luo could not understand it. He had merely wanted to come early, before those terrifyingly strong monsters appeared, to have some fun and fight a few decent opponents in a satisfying bout.

Yet who could have imagined that in his very first match, he would encounter such a freak? Wild Man Luo climbed up from the ground in a disheveled state, still unable to believe that he had just been defeated in raw strength, his greatest source of pride, by an unknown martial artist. He primarily cultivated the Divine Battle True Technique, paired with another powerful body refining technique. Even within the War God Sect, among martial artists of the same generation, only that freak dared to clash with him head-on in strength. Now, there was one more.

Such a formidable physique. Which faction does this freak come from? How have I never heard of him before? Could he be a martial artist from another city? Wild Man Luo steadied his emotions and pondered silently.

"You still have one more chance. Are you coming again?" Lin Zheyu walked to the edge of the arena, looked down at his opponent, and asked calmly.

He swept his gaze across the spectators below the arena and spotted a familiar figure. Tang Weizhong stood together with a strange man, both staring at him coldly. The man looked somewhat aged, far older than Tang Weizhong.

Lin Zheyu glanced at Tang Weizhong. Under the influence of the Dominance true intent seed, he directly ignored the hostility directed at him. Thoughts of confidence, strength, and invincibility flooded his mind. His gaze passed over the observing martial artists as he sensed their shocked, awed, and excited expressions. An indescribable feeling began to brew within his heart.

"What is this...?" Lin Zheyu pondered his current state of mind and murmured.

Under the gaze of the spectators below the stage, the Dominance true intent seed within his consciousness boiled over, and his spirit was incomparably exhilarated. Before he could make sense of it, Wild Man Luo's voice rang out.

"I won't be fighting you again. You are very strong, stronger than me, but only for now," Wild Man Luo said solemnly as he looked at Lin Zheyu.

As a disciple of the War God Sect, his will was never shaken by the outcome of a single battle. If he failed, he would simply go back, work harder, and return.

"My name is Luo Manghan. What is your name? I will go back and think it over, come up with a strategy to fight you, and tomorrow we will battle again!" Wild Man Luo said with a grin.

"Zhao Hao. I will wait for you here tomorrow, then," Lin Zheyu replied.

Luo Manghan was extremely strong, especially with his abundant combat experience and terrifying battle awareness. Compared to Luo Manghan, Lin Zheyu's combat experience and awareness were like those of a child. By fighting him, Lin Zheyu could learn a great deal and grow at an astonishing pace.

"Alright, it is settled." After saying that, Luo Manghan turned around and left. He was going back to cultivate and think of a way to defeat Zhao Hao.

War God Sect disciples never relied on crushing others with sheer strength in battle. What they pursued was defeating the strong with the weak. Luo Manghan was no exception. When he first entered the sect, he had seen sect elders defeat opponents through powerful and terrifying combat experience and techniques despite being inferior in speed, strength, and martial cultivation true intent. From then on, Luo Manghan felt no fear, no matter how strong the martial artist he faced. In his heart, there was only the thought of finding the opponent's flaw and defeating them.

***

"How is it? Are you confident you can kill him?" Beneath the arena, Tang Weizhong turned his head and said to the man beside him.

On the way to Wuji Manor, he had already witnessed Zhao Hao's strength, seeing him injure a Soulcall Tower assassin who had cultivated strands of true strength. Once one had cultivated even traces of true strength, regardless of quantity, they could no longer be considered a Marrow Refining realm martial artist. In the arena challenge matches set up at Wuji Manor, martial artists who had cultivated true strength were not allowed to participate in the Marrow Refining realm arena challenges. That Zhao Hao defeated Wild Man Luo did not surprise Tang Weizhong in the slightest.

"He's very strong. It'll be a bit difficult," the man frowned slightly and said calmly. He had arrived earlier and, after witnessing Zhao Hao's masterful lightness and movement techniques, felt extremely solemn in his heart.

"Even with your level of lightness and movement techniques, it will not work?" Tang Weizhong asked as he frowned. "Your lightness and movement techniques combined with your saber techniques should make you nearly unmatched in the Marrow Refining realm, right?"

"It is only somewhat difficult, but not impossible. What kind of background does this guy have to cultivate lightness and movement techniques to such a level? I spent decades in bitter cultivation and thought my lightness and movement techniques were rarely matched in the Marrow Refining realm, yet it turns out there are always stronger people beyond me," the man said with some emotion.

He was ninety eight years old this year, his latent potential was exhausted, and he had long since lost any chance of advancing to the Force Transformation realm. Because of this, he bitterly cultivated lightness and movement techniques, body refining techniques, and saber techniques. Relying on powerful lightness and movement techniques, an abnormal physique, and extraordinary saber skills, he was rarely matched in the Marrow Refining realm. Only those monstrous geniuses from major powers could fight him.

"Then that is fine. That kid has been poisoned, and since the poison was activated, it's almost been the time of an incense stick[1]. Go up now and do not give him a chance to concede," Tang Weizhong said calmly.

"Heh, then I am relieved. If I still cannot kill him even after he is poisoned, then my title of Blood Blade would be undeserved," the man said with a faint smile.

The man was named Ni Qiangkun, and he cultivated the Blood Soul Saber. Although he failed to advance to the Force Transformation realm and did not cultivate true strength, his attainment of Bloody Slaughter true intent had long reached an astonishing level. It was only because of his advanced age and physical decline, coupled with repeated failures to break through, that he completely lost the chance to advance further.

"Heh. Go up, and do not let someone else take advantage of his weakness."

Seeing that Wild Man Luo did not continue the challenge, Tang Weizhong urged on his hired hand.

He estimated that the effects of the Calamity Wood Vine Incense were about to take effect. If its effects manifested while Zhao Hao was fighting another martial artist and someone else took advantage of it, all of their efforts would be wasted. After this, there would be no such opportunity again.

"Alright." Ni Qiangkun nodded.

At this moment, Wild Man Luo had already turned and left. Listening to the astonished exclamations of the surrounding martial artists, the convictions of strength, confidence, and invincibility in Lin Zheyu's heart began to swell. The momentum qi around his body surged, growing stronger and stronger. He had always believed that with his willpower and disposition, he would not care about the gazes of others. But Lin Zheyu realized he was wrong. Amid the admiration, shock, and praise of the other martial artists, an overwhelming confidence rose uncontrollably within him.

"Who is next?" Lin Zheyu swept his gaze over the crowd with disdain, his calm voice sounding out.

His voice seemed to carry a demonic power. The noisy sounds below the stage instantly fell into complete silence. The martial artists looked at one another, all feeling some fear and not daring to step forward.

"I will come meet you!"

Ni Qiangkun's voice rang out as his figure flickered, and he appeared on the arena in an instant. This astonishing display of lightness and movement techniques made the surrounding martial artists let out involuntary cries of astonishment.

"Old man, at such an age, you still come to participate in arena challenges? Are you not afraid of throwing out your back?" Lin Zheyu glanced at him and asked calmly, his tone filled with contempt.

This man had come together with Tang Weizhong, so he was clearly a helper of his. Although his words were filled with disdain, Lin Zheyu was extremely serious at heart. One should strategically despise the enemy, but tactically value them.

"Heh. Who says that once you are old, you cannot participate in the challenge? If you are afraid, it is still not too late to step down now," Ni Qiangkun said with a chuckle. He waved the blood-red long saber in his hand, drawing a crimson arc through the air.

"Heh, being afraid of just you? Senior, there is no need to rest. Let us start straightaway," Lin Zheyu said as he turned to look at the referee beside him.

1. This is roughly fifteen minutes. ☜