The origins of the "curse of eternal life"

"Hey-hey."

Sebastian burst out laughing.

Instead of directly answering Edwina's question, he asked in a sarcastic tone, "How many of those old guys who laughed at me back then are still alive?"

A hint of helplessness flashed across the "Vice Admiral Iceberg's" eyes. "Apart from Professor Luca, all the other teachers have already gone to the realm of the God."

"Luca Bru? That old geezer actually managed to Advancement Demigod?" Sebastian muttered under his breath, somewhat disappointed.

Edwina pursed her lips in surprise, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

A moment later, Sebastian coughed softly.

"Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina's body stiffened instantly, and she instinctively sat up straight, assuming a posture ready to listen attentively.

A look of relief appeared on the face of the White Bone Ring, followed by an aged voice:

"Although I was only responsible for teaching you Linguistics back then, you should all have heard about the old guys' slander against me."

At this point, he gave a cold laugh:

"They said I was daydreaming, that I'd gone astray, but look at me now! Besides that old bastard Luca, I'm the only one still alive!"

Edwina opened her mouth, but refrained from correcting her teacher's idea.

She believes that the teacher's definition of living is flawed; to be precise, only Teacher Luca truly embodies the meaning of living.

As for the slander... she sighed inwardly.

The Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom reveres knowledge and wisdom, but it is not limited to itself; it also includes the doctrine of spreading knowledge and transmitting wisdom.

From the current perspective of Mysticism, "Eternal Life" is a false proposition.

Because studying it is pointless, there is no possibility of success, and only the highest God can truly achieve it.

Rather than wasting one's life, it is better to study more useful knowledge or teach and educate others, passing on knowledge and wisdom to the next generation.

But Mr. Sebastian was adamant that this was not the case and insisted on devoting all his energy to this.

This has sparked much controversy.

To be precise, this is a clash of two ideologies.

But calling it slander wouldn't be wrong either.

Sebastian was outnumbered and outmatched; the collision was completely one-sided.

"You were just internally contradicting me, weren't you?" Sebastian scoffed. "Don't deny it, I've watched you grow up."

Edwina wisely swallowed the words "I didn't" back.

Sebastian controlled his miniature facial features to make an annoyed expression:

Do you think that by "living" I mean something like our current state, hiding inside the Sealed Artifact as an alien life form and barely surviving?

"Little Edwina, you underestimate me!"

"Of course, it's undeniable that this is indeed a form of Eternal Life, but what if I told you that I've already mastered the method to escape my current state?"

Edwina froze for a few seconds, then asked incredulously, "You mean, you can reappear in human form???"

"That's right!" Sebastian said proudly.

Edwina blinked twice, her eyes shining as she stared at the White Bone Ring:

That's great!

I also fondly remember the days when I learned from you.

"Although I have many teachers, you have always been the most important one in my heart. I have never given up searching all these years, and so have An..."

Upon hearing a certain syllable, Sebastian's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Edwina subtly changed her tune:

"That's why I took on the mission to Exploration of the Five Seas. It connects the Northern Continent and has the best information network... Teacher, you won't leave again, will you?"

Sebastian cleared his throat guiltily:

"We'll talk about this later; it's not an option right now. That kid is too much of a worry. I'll mentor him for a while longer."

Noticing Edwina's suspicious gaze, he chuckled awkwardly, knowing he couldn't hide it from her, and that he couldn't bypass her explanation of his purpose for this trip.

"Cough... Actually, in my current state, I can only stay inside. I don't know if there was a deviation during the ceremony or if I've been dormant for too long."

"In short, my strength has dropped a level; I'm now only at Sequence 6."

"Once I revert to being human, I will immediately die and be taken into the Spirit World. Unless my strength surpasses my previous level and my life form is elevated."

Edwina said thoughtfully:

"Therefore, the method you studied actually involves two stages."

"In the first stage, one maintains their Self by entering the Sealed Artifact, forcibly breaking free from the shackles of the Spirit World, and achieving a different kind of ' Eternal Life '."

"The second stage is returning to the Real World. The specific method is to elevate one's spiritual level and extend one's lifespan, so as not to violate the rules of the Spirit World."

"But..."

She frowned deeply. "I can't figure out how you should improve. It can't be by taking Potion, can it? You can't possibly take Potion in this state!"

"Why not?" Sebastian retorted with a chuckle.

After speaking, he looked at his most promising student with satisfaction, feeling that the student was still as intelligent, inquisitive, and thoughtful as he had been in his youth.

Then, Sebastian began to explain:

"Back then, you couldn't find my physical body, right? Actually, it was this white ring in front of you. Do you understand now?"

"Through the ritual I designed, I created a Sealed Artifact that combines my body and soul. So, while breaking free from the constraints of the Spirit World's rules, I still have the opportunity to continue consuming Potion and elevate my level."

"That's why I sent that kid to ask you for help—I hope to exchange my research findings for the next Potion."

Edwina fell silent, sometimes muttering to herself, sometimes frowning in thought, sometimes her eyes lighting up. Sebastian also remained silent, giving his student ample time to comprehend the knowledge.

After a long while, she slowly exhaled, a smile appearing on her lips:

"Congratulations, Professor Sebastian. I, on behalf of the Church, have agreed to this deal, but I have one more question—"

Are you still resentful about what happened back then and unwilling to return to the church?

Sebastian was silent for a few seconds, then said in a low voice:

"Most people are already dead, so who can I blame? I might have had those defiant thoughts back then, but so many years have passed..."

He sighed and said solemnly:

"It's hard to say what the Future holds, but I have reasons why I can't go back now."

"Little Edwina, let me be frank. If the Church wants to take it, they'll need to provide at least one Sequence 5 and Sequence 4 Potion; otherwise, forget about it."

Sensing the teacher's resolute attitude, Edwina knew she couldn't persuade him, so she skipped the haggling and went straight to the point:

"I cannot make the decision; I need to wait for the church's decision."

Sebastian scoffed, "Hopefully they won't be as stupid as they were back then."

Edwina didn't answer, but instead inquired, "Teacher, how did you come up with this idea and design the corresponding ritual?"