Chapter 67: Turtle Breathing Breath-Consolidating Technique

Chapter 67: Tortoise Breathing and Qi Concealing Technique

While the outside world was a scene of carnage with corpses strewn everywhere and earth-shattering chaos, beneath the ruins of the brick wall, Yu Xian kept his eyes tightly closed. His breathing had completely ceased, replaced by an internal respiratory circulation. His vital energy, magical power, and spiritual sense all seemed to have fallen into a state of absolute stillness.

At this moment, even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator were to sweep over him carefully with their spiritual sense, they would at most discover a well-preserved corpse.

Having witnessed the old man unleash his terrifying might and the blood-web devour people with his own eyes, Yu Xian was scared out of his wits, even though he was himself a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the same tier.

As far as he was concerned, the harvest from this trip was barely satisfactory. He had gained a basic understanding of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's combat capability and battle style, which was enough for him to digest and absorb over a period of time.

Not least of all, relying on the old man's previous display of extreme spiritual pressure—though Yu Xian was only touched by the aftermath, he had genuinely perceived the profound changes of spiritual sense within it.

Compared to his previous habit of simply using spiritual sense as an upgraded version of spiritual perception, the old man had practically demonstrated a technique right before his eyes, revealing yet another marvelous application of spiritual sense.

Stealing a technique from a master was nothing to be ashamed of.

However, the moment Jiang Xuanwu appeared, a wave of alarm bells had sounded in Yu Xian's heart. This was an extremely dangerous individual. The moment he discovered that there was a Foundation Establishment cultivator lingering nearby, Yu Xian would most likely die!

Ever since coming to the mortal realm, Yu Xian had experienced smooth sailing, always prioritizing escaping above all else. For the first time, he truly understood what a life-or-death crisis felt like.

Between life and death lay immense terror, but also immense opportunity.

Amidst this extreme pressure, Yu Xian abruptly discovered that his comprehension of the Qi Concealing Technique was skyrocketing, soaring straight towards the realm of perfection. Rays of inspiration even flashed through his mind, suggesting that the Qi Concealing Technique still had room for improvement.

A body-cultivation technique from the mortal realm, which he had once obtained in the Prince Fu's secret chamber, surfaced in his mind.

This technique, named the Hundred-Year Tortoise Breathing Art, was a breathing technique that imitated a century-old tortoise, effectively reducing one's own physical and mental energy consumption. At the stage of great success, the heartbeat would slow down during sleep, resembling an old tortoise, and living a healthy life of a hundred years would be no problem at all.

Right now, Yu Xian took its essence and integrated it into his own Qi Concealing Technique, achieving miraculous results.

He was confident that even if a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense examined him carefully from head to toe, they would still find no difference between him and the corpse lying beside him.

As for whether a Core Formation cultivator could detect him, he had never seen a Core Formation cultivator and could not make any absolute guarantees, but it would certainly have some degree of effect.

However, because it was a hastily created technique, once this secret art was executed, he would be completely unable to move.

Yet that was already enough.

At this moment, there were thousands of corpses on the ground; he was merely a drop in the ocean. If someone still managed to discover him and whip his corpse, it would simply mean it was his destined fate, and he could blame no one else.

After executing this second-tier Qi Concealing Technique, Yu Xian's mindset seemingly became like that of an old tortoise. All thoughts of tension and fear within his heart were suppressed.

He was now nothing more than a stone, letting the vicissitudes of the outside world change as they might.

Yu Xian silently opened his eyes just in time to see a golden light flash across the sky, followed by the exclamation of "Old Ancestor Jiang!"

A middle-aged man was capturing the Lin family's second young master—whom he regarded as a Foundation Establishment elite—and descending slowly.

"Old Ancestor Jiang?"

Even though Yu Xian had once been nothing more than a humble spiritual farmer, he had still heard of Old Ancestor Jiang's reputation. He was the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in Shangyang City and one of the most likely people in the city to break through to the Core Formation realm.

Facing such a figure, Yu Xian silently lowered his eyelids, not even daring to spare him another glance.

Right now, he just wanted this battle to end quickly. When the corpses were cleared away later, it would be best if they carried him along with them.

But the next moment, Yu Xian shuddered violently, almost breaking his tortoise-breathing state and leaking his aura in the process.

He raised his gaze and, through a crack in the bricks and stones, saw dark clouds suddenly gathering in the sky, along with the thunder brewing within those clouds.

Four characters flashed abruptly in his mind—Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation!

...

"Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation!"

Lin Zhen's face was full of astonishment, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Old Ancestor Jiang was filled with utter disbelief.

"The spiritual Qi in the mortal realm is exhausted, and even replenishing magical power is difficult. You've lost your mind! You actually dare to undergo the heavenly tribulation here?"

Jiang Xuanwu's expression was indifferent. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked up at the gathering heavenly tribulation in the sky, his imposing aura swelling bit by bit.

At the same time, he secretly swept the surrounding void with his spiritual sense over and over again, guarding against the appearance of a second Lin Zhen who might try to reap the benefits.

"Junior of the Lin family, you have ruined my Core Formation path. Today, you shall serve as a sacrifice to lend me a helping hand!"

Jiang Xuanwu reached out and made a pulling motion. Lin Zhen immediately felt as though his entire body's magical power, vital energy, and even his soul were being dragged outward.

"This isn't a technique of the Jiang family—you've actually fallen into the demonic path!"

Lin Zhen roared, trying to resist Jiang Xuanwu's plundering.

"The Blood-Dissolving Demonic Art of the Taiyin Demonic Sect. To die under such a demonic art can be considered your honor."

Jiang Xuanwu said indifferently, "The more you resist, the more painful it will be for you. Although your Three-Yang Spiritual Body is not some top-tier spiritual body, it is still sufficient to block the first wave of the heavenly tribulation for me."

Just as his voice fell, boom!

A web-like bolt of lightning tore through the firmament, striking instantly.

A layer of vital energy protective shield emerged around Jiang Xuanwu. If one looked closely, the energy for this protective shield was actually being provided by Lin Zhen.

"Old Ancestor Jiang, do you really think you've caught me?"

"Now that the heavenly tribulation has arrived, victory will ultimately be mine!"

Enduring the pain, Lin Zhen forced a smile at Jiang Xuanwu. Then, a strand of remaining magical power in his Dantian instantly broke free from Jiang Xuanwu's suppression.

It erupted violently!

Boom!

A transparent talisman emerged from Lin Zhen's Dantian, transforming into a bubble that enveloped him before vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

"Third-tier Escaping Void Talisman?!"

Jiang Xuanwu saw only a shattered transparent talisman suddenly appear where Lin Zhen had been, while Lin Zhen himself was already long gone.

At this moment, the heavenly tribulation had arrived.

A giant mushroom cloud rose out of nowhere. After the smoke and dust cleared, Jiang Xuanwu looked battered and disheveled.

Although he had sustained no major injuries, in his calculations, he needed to get through the first wave of the heavenly tribulation in an injury-free state if he was to have even a sliver of a chance of surviving the remaining tribulations.

"Heaven is trying to destroy me!"

Boom, boom, boom!

The heavenly tribulation cared not who stood below; since it had come, it would blast everything to dust.

Jiang Xuanwu unleashed various body-cultivation ultimate techniques, transforming his vital energy into a Vajra Myriad Kings avatar and his physical body into a precious pagoda, yet he still struggled to withstand the wave after wave of heavenly lightning attacks.

The Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation, also known as the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, consisted of a full twenty-seven strikes. Each strike was stronger than the last.

By just the eighteenth strike, Jiang Xuanwu's physical body had been completely turned into charcoal, leaving behind only a jade-like skeleton that even the heavenly tribulation failed to destroy. It was translucent throughout, with flashes of electric current darting across it from time to time.

Seeing that the person undergoing the tribulation had died, the heavenly tribulation did not dissipate immediately, but instead lingered over the sleeping palace for quite a while.

A moment later.

"Hahaha!!"

Lin Zhen flew in from afar, a trace of un-wiped blood still at the corner of his mouth, which failed to conceal his overwhelming ecstasy.

The third-tier Escaping Void Talisman was a life-saving supreme treasure given to him by his family's old ancestor—a Core Formation seed of the Lin family.

Once activated, it could transport him a hundred miles away, and even a Core Formation cultivator could not stop the explosive force of the talisman.

However, such a technique of instantaneous translocation placed immense pressure on the physical body. He had already been injured beforehand, and now his injuries had worsened, leaving him with less than fifty percent of his peak combat power.

Yet Lin Zhen did not flee further; instead, he flew back at top speed.

For he was certain that the Jiang family's old ancestor had undergone the tribulation in haste and could never possibly survive it!

"The Jiang family's old ancestor died at my hands. Such a monumental achievement is enough for me to bring the Yue State under my control. Even if the others have any opinions, they can only bury them in their hearts."

"It was worth delaying my cultivation and hiding in the Yue State for nearly ten years. Old fogey, you died well!"

Lin Zhen landed on the ground, looked at the skeleton of the Jiang family's old ancestor, and a thought stirred in his mind.

Clang!

A golden light flashed as the Gold-Scaled Sword hacked against the jade-like skeleton, producing a crisp sound like metal clashing. Yet only a rice-grain-sized notch appeared on the bone.

"Jiang Xuanwu, back then you beat my father to death with your fists. In the days to come, I will refine your skeleton into a magical artifact, subjecting it to the scorching heat of earth fire every single day to vent the hatred in my heart."

Filled with triumphant ambition, Lin Zhen was just about to wave his hand and claim the skeleton when he saw blood filaments stirring across the bones, and a skeletal hand lunged forward with blinding speed.