Two-Hundred-Year True Person

Li Shun slowly opened his eyes, feeling the youthful body that seemed to contain boundless vitality.

"It wasn't simply an increase in lifespan..."

His thoughts flowed, spreading throughout his entire body.

Within his chest, his heart thundered powerfully like a muffled war drum; his limbs and bones brimmed with a terrifying brute strength that seemed impossible to exhaust. His whole body was like a dormant living volcano, capable of erupting with unimaginable energy at any moment.

"Though both bodies were sixteen years old, this body's [Vitality] was clearly stronger than yesterday's!"

"The more lifespan one borrowed, the richer one's Life Qi became. And the richer one's Life Qi, the greater the potential this fleshly body could excavate..."

Only now did Li Shun finally understand completely what Fang Xun had meant.

"The reason I managed to borrow twice as much lifespan the second time, aside from being familiar with the process, was likely because of the immensely powerful contrast between life and death produced by the dying, aged old body and the rejuvenated body after the rewind was activated."

Li Shun turned the matter over in his mind, summing up his experience.

That morning, he went to the county yamen once more, following the same method.

He again falsely reported his lifespan borrowing, still claiming that he had extended his life by fifty-five years.

He wanted to test whether Fang Xun could truly discern the actual number of years he had borrowed.

After hearing this, Fang Xun's face remained as calm as it had been yesterday, revealing not the slightest anomaly or suspicion.

Then he repeated those words: "When I first cultivated the Twelve Longevity Method, I borrowed one hundred and twenty years of lifespan, shaking the entire sect!"

Li Shun therefore feigned confusion and probed, "Sir, is there some method to calculate how much lifespan each person has borrowed? Otherwise, couldn't someone falsely report it and gain greater attention?"

Fang Xun chuckled. "Tui Zhi, you are still too naive. Ordinary people cannot peer into the amount of Life Qi, but those with profound cultivation can distinguish it at a glance. Even if they cannot determine the exact number of years, they will not be far off."

"Figures like my master have eyes like torches, seeing everything as clearly as a blazing fire. Falsely reporting before his venerable self?"

"Heh heh..."

At the appropriate moment, Li Shun revealed a trace of realization and shame. "So that was it. Tui Zhi's knowledge was shallow indeed."

Yet inwardly, he shuddered.

For the rest of that day, Li Shun continued to study the Twelve Longevity Method.

However, as he studied it, a faint worry would occasionally flash through his mind.

"Those with profound cultivation can observe how much lifespan has been borrowed..."

"Borrowing one hundred and thirty years may be a lot, but it is still within reason. At most, I would be given the title of genius."

"But if I borrowed more, I fear it would draw attention. If someone discovered the secret of Square Inch that I possess..."

That thought lasted only a moment before Li Shun forcibly crushed it.

A cold glint flashed through his eyes. "Let the future speak of future matters. How could I abandon a hundred years of lifespan lying within reach merely because of a momentary worry? Besides, I still have a trump card like [Square Inch] in hand!"

Casting aside all distracting thoughts, Li Shun once more firmed his resolve to borrow lifespan.

Third Reflection!

What happened on this day was reality carved into the Cosmos Realm, immutable and beyond alteration.

Carrying that intense yearning for longevity that had yet to fade, Li Shun once again activated the Twelve Longevity Method.

His mind and spirit drifted upward, soaring straight into the nine heavens.

This was already his third time entering the scene of Heaven and Earth's circulating Life Qi in such a short span of time. Li Shun only felt that the magnificent, resplendent sight before him was both familiar and strange.

"I have come today to borrow lifespan."

Li Shun's mind was empty, clear, and pure, every stray thought utterly extinguished.

He spoke to the vast and mighty Heaven and Earth.

His tone seemed as light as a feather, yet it carried an unyielding firmness that could not be refused.

As though it had become tangible thunder, it reverberated and surged without end, causing even the eternally unchanging circulation of Life Qi in this realm of Heaven and Earth to halt for an instant.

Then, in a daze, Li Shun saw an incomparably brilliant aura, purple tinged with blue, descend from the heavens and pour into his body.

At the same time.

Sacred Capital.

In a vast, empty, unfathomable mysterious space underground.

Twelve enormous golden giants, seemingly capable of holding up Heaven and Earth, stood silently here like ancient gods. No facial features had been carved upon their bodies, making their faces impossible to discern, yet they emanated a terrifying pressure capable of suppressing all things.

Beyond the Twelve Golden Men, which stood arrayed like mountains, a boundless and endless massive army could faintly be seen.

The soldiers wore sturdy armor and held sharp weapons, standing in solemn silence.

Their faces and expressions differed from one another, vivid and lifelike, as though living people had been sealed in an instant.

Only, their entire bodies gleamed silver.

The golden generals and silver army had stood within this space for who knew how long.

They had remained utterly silent throughout.

But today, at the very instant that streak of purple-blue radiance descended from the heavens!

For some unknown reason.

The Twelve Golden Men and the million silver soldiers all gave a faint tremor, so slight it was almost imperceptible.

It vanished in an instant, as though it had merely been an illusion.

Immediately afterward, this underground space once again sank into deathly stillness.

"Borrowed two hundred years of lifespan!"

Li Shun felt the boundless vitality contained within his youthful body, yet he frowned slightly.

"Neither more nor less, exactly two hundred years. I had thought I could borrow a little more."

The image of that purple-blue radiance descending from the sky once again surfaced in Li Shun's mind.

A sudden realization flashed through his heart. "This time, I borrowed two hundred years because the maximum lifespan I can borrow is two hundred years. This is a fixed decree of Heaven and Earth, impossible to alter."

"As for that purple-blue aura..."

Li Shun had always felt that it should possess some strange quality, but no matter how thoroughly he examined himself, he could not figure out its purpose.

He could only set the matter aside for now.

"Great Qian has stood for five hundred and seventy-two years, yet Emperor Gan has not fallen."

"Moreover, there are Gu Zhizhong, Jiang Tai'e, and the others recorded in the Book of Imperial Exegesis. Their lifespans most certainly exceed two hundred years."

"Borrowing two hundred years is likely only my limit."

Not only had he returned to youth and regained his prime, he had also gained two hundred years of lifespan out of thin air. Even with Li Shun's composure, he could not suppress his excitement.

After taking a deep breath and calming himself, Li Shun finally headed to the county yamen.

Li Shun still falsely claimed that he had borrowed fifty-five years of lifespan.

Fang Xun likewise did not notice anything unusual.

As usual, he reminisced over his former glory before falling into a brief silence.

Suddenly, Fang Xun's brow lifted slightly. He had noticed that Li Shun seemed to have something on his mind, looking as though he wished to speak but hesitated.

"Tui Zhi, do you have something to say?" Fang Xun asked.

Li Shun hurriedly bowed. "Sir is indeed perceptive. Now that Tui Zhi has received sacred favor and been granted the rank of Public Servant, according to the Great Gan Code, I will soon have to return home. But..."

After hesitating for a moment, Li Shun seemed to steal a glance at Fang Xun's expression before finally adopting the look of someone who had thrown caution to the wind.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Tui Zhi boldly begs Sir to permit me to serve at your side. Tui Zhi was originally a lowly laborer. Only through Sir's care was I able to receive the Creation Realm I have today..."

Every word Li Shun spoke was filled with genuine feeling.

"Oh?"

An extremely pleased smile appeared at the corner of Fang Xun's mouth. He nodded slightly. "In that case, remain by this official's side and help me tend to that Cold Mountain Lord."

Li Shun was overjoyed. "Thank you, Sir, for granting my wish! Tui Zhi will surely spill my liver and brains for you!"

Just then, Constable Wu Kuang suddenly barged in with reckless haste.

"Sir, we found that brat's trail..."

The instant he caught sight of Li Shun, his words abruptly stopped.

The smile on Fang Xun's face suddenly vanished.