Inside the cold, pitch-black cave, Ye Qin had no idea how long he had been asleep. In a daze, he struggled to open his eyes.
Ever since he had embarked on cultivation, he had slept very little, because to him, cultivation was rest—it could replenish his daily Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Even during the hibernation season for snakes, he had remained active, resisting the innate drowsiness within his body.
Now that spring had returned to the earth and all things had revived, Ye Qin instead felt a long-lost chill, along with exhaustion. It was as though countless ants had burrowed into his bones, gnawing at his aging organs.
Ye Qin merely shifted his body slightly, yet it felt as though a burden weighing a thousand jin had been pressed onto him. He flicked out his tongue.
His tongue, originally bright red, now showed a dark crimson hue. It looked extremely unhealthy.
Ye Qin slowly glanced at the bones beside him.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you company much longer. Perhaps in a few years, I'll become like you too, my former splendor reduced to a skeleton."
He had an ominous premonition in his heart.
During this period, Ye Qin had failed to break through and enter the Third Realm. Perhaps this was as far as he would get in this life.
The bones remained silent, without sorrow or joy.
Ye Qin sighed. With difficulty, he crawled outside, clearly feeling that his crawling speed had slowed.
In the past, reaching the highest point of the mountaintop had taken only a few minutes. Now, however, it took more than ten minutes, and he grew slower each time. This time, it took a full half-hour.
Most importantly, he felt an unprecedented fatigue.
It came from within and without, affecting both