The profound and enigmatic text of the Cycle of Twelvefold Longevity slowly flowed through Li Shun’s mind:
Great Evolution follows cycles, with eras alternating in turn. Even the heavens have their lifespan, so how could the earth be without its end? If the Heavenly Dao were truly without limit, whence the of cold and heat? If the thick earth were inexhaustible, how could seas transform into mulberry fields?
The calculations of heaven, the measures of earth, and the fate of man all arise from a single source, governed by the primordial qi of the precelestial state. Since qi shares the same origin, creation may be measured; since life shares the same body, surplus and deficiency may be borrowed. The great thousand worlds are but a grand market of Taiji; the path of cultivation is nothing more than the fine balance of yin and yang.
Knowing that destiny has its fixed allotment, the unused remainder may be temporarily borrowed within the mortal realm.
Under the influence of this mysterious method, Li Shun’s consciousness seemed to leave his body, soaring beyond his residence.
He rose above Lengshan County, higher and higher, until his perspective rivaled the sun and moon, overlooking the vast expanse of the world below.
Mountains and rivers, the myriad forms of life, all came into view.
It was as if some unseen force governed everything between heaven and earth, maintaining the cycle from birth to death.
“Life Qi…”
A sudden insight dawned within Li Shun’s heart.
In the next instant, his vision changed abruptly.
All concrete forms vanished, replaced by strands upon strands of flowing qi, endlessly circulating.
Flowers, birds, trees, beasts. Even mountains, rivers, wind, clouds, rain, and snow.
Strip away appearances, and at their core, all things were nothing more than [Life Qi].
“When qi flourishes, life grows. When qi wanes, life ends.”
“All things brimming with vitality possess abundant qi. As for me…”
His gaze suddenly plummeted from the heights, landing upon his own body.
A body past fifty, though spared the depletion of blood essence thanks to the Fangcun puppet, could not escape the erosion of time.
Li Shun clearly saw that the [Life Qi] within him was already nearly exhausted.
As though a mere gust of wind from the outside world could scatter it completely.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The moment this realization surfaced, his heart began pounding violently.
It was instinct. The primal reaction of a living being sensing the approach of death.
“I don’t want to die.”
He lifted his head and looked toward the heavens and earth.
If the qi within him was but the size of a fist, then the qi of heaven and earth was boundless, infinite.
Compared to the world, man was so small, so fragile.
“How tragic…”
“How unjust!”
The stark contrast ignited a surge of anger within him.
“Why?”
“Why does heaven and earth enjoy such longevity, while humans are fated to live but a fleeting lifetime?”
Fury gave rise to defiance. He fixed his gaze upon the endless [Life Qi] permeating the world, thoughts surging wildly.
“You have so much. Why can’t you lend me some?”
“Why won’t you lend me any?”
Li Shun’s furious roar seemed to echo throughout heaven and earth.
Yet the world gave no reply. Only empty echoes reverberated endlessly.
He did not falter. Again and again, he repeated his demand.
Until, within heaven and earth, no other sound remained but Li Shun’s unwavering will.
And in the process of this silent negotiation, the anger within him gradually subsided.
His heart grew calm, yet his resolve only deepened.
If he failed, he would never stop.
It was like bargaining at a merchant’s table. Yet Li Shun had no bargaining chips, only relentless insistence.
And yet, in a manner most strange…
Heaven and earth did not remain entirely unmoved.
Li Shun clearly saw that the flow of [Life Qi] across the world began to shift in response to his will.
“I may borrow a lifetime.”
At that instant, understanding dawned upon him.
In a single moment, the entire world seemed to fall into absolute stillness.
Only a single strand of azure radiance descended from the heavens, falling into Li Shun’s body.
Moments later…
Li Shun’s consciousness abruptly withdrew from that mysterious realm. The boundless sea of [Life Qi] vanished from his sight as he returned to reality.
At that very moment, his aged and decaying body began to undergo a heaven-defying transformation.
Surging waves of vitality welled up from every corner of his body without warning.
Repairing, nourishing, reshaping…
It felt as though he were soaking in a hot spring, yet also as if he were being tempered within a blazing furnace.
Li Shun raised his hand and watched as it visibly grew fairer before his eyes.
Every wrinkle vanished, youth returning once more.
His hunched back straightened with ease.
And his leg, which had been broken for many years…
Crack… crack…
Under the influence of that unfathomable life force, it too returned to normal.
The transformation lasted for a full hour.
When Li Shun finally stood again, he had already become a handsome young man with bright eyes and sharp brows.
The moment he took a step, he felt a trace of unfamiliarity.
Because at last, he could walk like a normal person, striding firmly on both legs.
No longer did he need to limp.
The adaptability of youth was astonishing. In a very short time, his gait had completely returned to normal.
Unable to contain himself, he hurried to the bedroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
“So this is what I looked like when I was young.”
“Not bad at all.”
It was almost impossible to connect the handsome face in the mirror with the frail old man from yesterday.
A sense of awe for the Cycle of Twelvefold Longevity Method rose within Li Shun’s heart.
“Reversing age, erasing all ailments…”
“So this is what it means to borrow lifespan from the heavens, the Twelvefold Longevity?”
Li Shun closed his eyes and covered his ears with both hands.
Quietly, he listened to the powerful, surging rhythm of his own heartbeat.
“Being young… truly is wonderful.”
A sixteen-year-old body, whether in terms of energy, physical strength, or mental sharpness, far surpassed that of a man past fifty.
As he immersed himself in the joy of near rebirth, fragments of his cultivation experience resurfaced in his mind.
Soon, he sensed something strange.
“Compared to heaven and earth, a mere mortal like me is no different from an ant.”
“So how could the Life Qi of heaven and earth be borrowed so easily?”
“In any ordinary loan, there must be collateral. Yet this Twelvefold Longevity method of borrowing lifespan from the heavens seems to require none.”
“Although rapid aging occurs later, that is merely the repayment of the borrowed lifespan. There appears to be no additional cost.”
“A longevity method with no side effects whatsoever?”
A trace of suspicion arose in Li Shun’s heart.
His thoughts raced, leading him to another question.
“The Qian Emperor who created the Cycle of Twelvefold Longevity Method… when he first borrowed lifespan from the heavens, what did he use as collateral?”
But with so little information at hand, Li Shun found himself unable to deduce anything further.
After pondering for a long while without result, he shifted his focus back to his body.
“To borrow lifespan from the heavens and live another life. What each person borrows is not the same.”
“My first attempt only borrowed seventy years of life.”
“From today onward, over the next sixty-nine years, I will pass through the six stages of Longevity, Descending into Mortal World, Flourishing Splendor, Manifesting Form, Establishing Prosperity, Peak Sovereignty. Throughout this time, my body will remain at its absolute peak.”
“But in the final year…”
“The lifespan I borrowed will be returned in full. I will rapidly pass through the stages of Withdrawing into Concealment, Gradual Decline, Sitting in Oblivion, Hidden in the Abyss, Returning to the Root, Mysterious Womb…”
“Until my lifespan is exhausted and I die.”
The image of Zhou Xunzhen, the owner of Jixia Bookshop, surfaced once more in Li Shun’s mind.
“Gradual Decline… Sitting in Oblivion…”
“It seems his borrowed lifespan has already run out.”
“Seventy years of life is neither short nor long. But if I…”
“Use Threefold Self-Reflection to turn back time, and borrow again?”
“The first time, I lacked experience. If I am given another chance, I might be able to borrow even more!”
A sharp gleam flashed across Li Shun’s eyes.