Chapter 668: Long Life Mystery (To Seek the Method of Immortality, Enter This Chapter!)

I've had this half-written extra chapter in my drafts for a long time. I decided to finish it while the inspiration was still fresh.

This won't delay tonight's regular update. There will still be two normal chapters tonight.

“Ding-dong!”

The sound of my phone notification instantly jolted me awake from sleep.

It took me a good half-minute for my violently pounding heart to slowly calm down. I picked up my phone from the table and checked the time.

Two-thirty in the morning.

“Damn it, sending messages at this hour, it must be that old bastard Zhang Yaobin!”

Muttering a curse under my breath, I opened Tencent, and sure enough, there it was.

“Li Yang, check your email. Write me a research report based on the attached materials, about 30,000 words. Before tomorrow noon, 12 o’clock.”

The text, combined with Zhang Yaobin’s lecherous grinning profile picture, immediately made my eyelids twitch and my blood pressure rise.

In my head, I had already politely greeted his ancestors eight generations back, but my fingers involuntarily typed on the phone keyboard.

“Understood, boss!”

I let out a long sigh.

“No choice, I’m stuck with a supervisor like him. Just bear with it a bit longer. Once this paper is successfully published, I can graduate.”

“Six reviewers, and four of them are Zhang Yaobin’s friends. Whether it gets accepted or not is entirely up to him. Before it passes review, he’s definitely going to treat me like a beast of burden, and it's only getting worse.”

Complaining inwardly, I opened my email, downloaded and unzipped the attachment, and began to examine its contents.

“Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life…”

“What on earth is this?”

My sleepiness vanished instantly. I couldn't help but straighten my posture, staring intently at the image on the screen.

Half a month ago, a strange event occurred in the Baisejie region of Xiangnan Province. A thousand-meter-high mountain peak split open down the middle, revealing a cliff face as smooth as a mirror. On the sheer cliff, nine large characters, written in ancient seal script, were carved from top to bottom: “Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life.”

The local government acted very quickly. After the incident, the site was swiftly sealed off. The public is currently unaware of this event.

This is because the ancient seal script used for these nine characters was the official script of the Xian Dynasty, seven thousand years ago.

Therefore, the investigation team invited Zhang Yaobin, the country's leading expert in Xian Dynasty history, to assist with the investigation.

They hoped to find some clues in ancient texts.

I glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of the screen.

“It’s not April Fool’s Day today, so why would anyone pull a prank like this on me?”

The moment I saw the information, my first reaction was disbelief.

“Lingyun Peak, over 1,300 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the Baisejie region…”

I quickly searched for information about the mountain mentioned in the incident.

“Nine characters, over a thousand meters high. Judging from the spacing of the characters in the picture, each character is at least one hundred meters in size.”

“Even today, carving them onto a cliff face would be a massive undertaking, wouldn’t it?”

“The Xian Dynasty from seven thousand years ago? How is that possible?”

“But this handwriting is really impressive.”

My train of thought paused briefly.

However, that old fellow Zhang Yaobin, despite being a bit ugly and having a strong capitalist vibe, was very meticulous and reliable in his work. He wouldn't waste my time with something fabricated.

I quickly searched online for news related to the Baisejie region.

Sure enough, I found some strange things.

“Folks, I’m totally speechless. I finally got annual leave and wanted to travel to Baisejie. But when I got to the scenic area entrance, I was suddenly denied entry! Who understands this feeling?!”

“Sudden incident in Baisejie, scenic area temporarily closed. For your own safety, please cooperate, visitors!”

“You might not believe it, but what I saw in Baisejie was…”

Before I could click into it, this content had already been deleted.

“It seems there’s really something to it.”

“Xian Dynasty…”

Stroking my chin, I couldn't help but recall the records about it.

The ancient Xian Dynasty was the first dynasty with written records.

However, there was a huge civilization gap between it and the second dynasty, Yu.

The eras they existed in were nearly eight hundred years apart. To this day, no one knows what happened during those lost eight hundred years, or how the extremely prosperous ancient Xian Dynasty perished.

Not many people in the country research the ancient Xian Dynasty, but Zhang Yaobin is considered the most authoritative.

Although my research direction wasn't the Xian Dynasty, it was only because the surviving Xian Dynasty relics were so scarce and had already been thoroughly studied. I had no choice but to settle for something else and changed my direction.

Nevertheless, having studied under that old scoundrel Zhang, I was well-versed in everything related to the Xian Dynasty.

However, what it showed was basically no different from other ancient dynasties.

This thousand-meter mountain carving, however, was somewhat beyond my comprehension.

After drinking a cup of coffee and staying up all night to read through the materials sent by the old scoundrel, it was almost dawn.

My confusion only grew deeper.

The phrase “smooth as a mirror” mentioned in the document wasn't an adjective, but a statement of fact.

It truly looked like a polished mirror surface, unlike the rough mountain rock.

Moreover, the material seemed to have changed, becoming much harder than ordinary stone.

However, for the purpose of protecting the relic, it couldn't yet be precisely measured with instruments.

The oddities didn't stop there.

After the characters “Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life” were revealed, animals near Lingyun Peak seemed to be inexplicably frightened, actively fleeing the area.

Not just birds and beasts, even insects avoided the place.

“A 30,000-word research report, how the hell am I supposed to write this?”

My head felt heavy, and I cursed inwardly.

After painfully churning out just two thousand words, I could no longer resist the overwhelming urge to sleep and drifted off into a hazy slumber.

I seemed to have many dreams.

But somehow, the line of characters, “Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life,” was as if carved into my mind. It remained deeply embedded in the depths of my consciousness, unchanging regardless of whether I was awake or asleep.

The next day, when I woke up, my first instinct was to check my phone.

“Li Yang, don’t forget, tomorrow noon, 12 o’clock.”

The old scoundrel had indeed sent another reminder.

“I…”

Suppressing the urge to curse, I checked the time.

9:13 AM.

“I only slept for four hours…”

“Why does it feel like I’ve slept for three days and three nights?”

I slightly stretched my aching body and quickly ate some breakfast.

Then I began writing the research report.

“28,000 words left, 27 hours left. That’s over a thousand words an hour, more than enough with my typing speed!”

I knew this was just the old scoundrel trying to fulfill his duties to his superiors, not a genuine academic pursuit.

So I focused on using empty rhetoric and clichés, steering the main point towards "auspicious omens."

“Auspicious omens” are not superstition.

They are real.

The most famous and talked-about example was the "Five Stars Aligning in the East, Benefiting the Heavenly Kingdom" brocade unearthed last century.

Not long after its discovery, the nation's destiny turned from decline. It prospered, standing at the pinnacle of world powers.

“Since this eternal life carving has appeared, then our people’s average lifespan increasing by three to four years should be no problem, right?” A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

My fingers danced on the keyboard, my thoughts flowing like a spring.

I actually completed the report before midnight that very day.

I clicked lightly, and it showed the email was successfully sent.

I couldn’t help but let out a long breath.

Logically, having completed the old scoundrel’s task, I should have been relaxing.

But for some reason, the thousand-meter stone carving kept shining in my mind.

Unable to sit still, I compulsively opened the image of the carving again.

“Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life.”

“What exactly does this mean?”

I lay back in my chair, staring at the full-screen image, my brow furrowed.

My mind raced with wild thoughts, then I drifted into a hazy sleep.

“Ouch…”

When I woke up in my chair, I found that due to my awkward sleeping position, I had gotten a stiff neck.

I grimaced, enduring the pain.

I tried stretching my head in the opposite direction to relieve the symptoms.

It was this action that suddenly sparked an idea in me.

“Opposite direction, relieve muscle tension.”

“Isn’t this ‘contravening’?”

Many ideas instantly surfaced in my mind.

“Modern people, due to incorrect office posture, often suffer from many chronic illnesses.”

“Cervical spine, lumbar spine…”

“Aches and pains all over.”

“And often, simple stretching exercises can alleviate these symptoms.”

I opened a video streaming site and, after a quick search, instantly found many related videos.

“One movement to teach you how to get rid of back pain.”

“A few simple movements to say goodbye to backaches.”

It was dazzling.

I also vaguely perceived that although the movements weren't entirely identical,

the core idea was generally the same.

That is, to position the body in a posture opposite to the stiffness of daily life.

“Is this what it means to contravene the principles of the human body?”

This thought couldn't help but pop into my head.

But then I reconsidered, aren’t these combined movements just the calisthenics promoted by the government?

Only, for the sake of popularization, some more difficult movements were removed.

“What if this set of ‘contravening’ movements included all the muscles, joints, and ligaments in the body?”

“What would happen then?”

My interest was piqued.

I immediately opened fitness tutorial videos one by one, trying to organize and categorize these movements.

After a busy afternoon, I reluctantly gave up.

Because the movements in these videos were too repetitive and inefficient.

For example, to relieve pain inside the shoulder blade, one often needed to do seven or eight sets of exercises.

And some of these conflicted with movements meant to relieve neck pain.

It was truly bewildering.

“Forget it, why bother? If I’m tired, I’ll just go for a massage.”

I closed the computer, shook my head, and went back to bed to sleep.

In my dream,

the nine-character stone carving remained. In my mind, it seemed to emit a strange golden light.

When I woke up the next day, my eyes were initially a little dazed.

After staring blankly for a long time, I finally walked to the computer again and opened that image.

My expression was somewhat distant.

Eventually, I called an old classmate.

“Old Zhang, let me borrow Tianwen for a bit. Hey, don’t ask so many questions. Just one day, I’ll return it soon.”

After hanging up, I sat down and waited patiently.

Tianwen was the latest generation of quantum intelligent computer developed by the Immortal Science Academy.

It was said that its quantum volume had already surpassed the 10,000 mark.

The exact extent of its outrageous capabilities, however, had not been publicly disclosed.

Naturally, what Old Zhang could lend me for external use was only the civilian, limited-edition version of Tianwen.

Before long, a circular icon suddenly lit up in the bottom right corner of my desktop.

I knew this meant Tianwen’s AI had taken over my computer.

On the desktop, a 24-hour countdown began to tick.

“Said one day, and it really is just one damn day. You really are something, Old Zhang.”

I muttered a curse, then presented my request to Tianwen.

The computer screen instantly went black.

Then, data streams cascaded like a waterfall, constantly flickering.

In my estimation, this should have been a very simple task.

With Tianwen’s computing power, it should have been done in less than a second.

But a full ten minutes passed, and still no result emerged.

“Could it be that Old Zhang is also using the computing power?”

Just as I was about to call and ask, the data on the screen suddenly froze.

It was as if it had crashed.

A moment later, it returned to normal.

A video then automatically played. It was exactly what I needed: a complete set of "reverse principle" movements.

The character model in the video was even myself.

After a quick browse of the video, my expression turned somewhat grim.

Could these movements really be done by a human?

“Forget it, forget it. With my physique, I probably can’t complete it at all.”

It was just a whim, an idle thought. Giving up casually was normal.

I muttered to myself, about to close the video.

Suddenly,

a cold, mechanical voice emerged from the computer speakers.

“According to calculations, Citizen ID a6bh85208511068g6b, you have a 99.99% probability of completing the practice of this set of movements.”

The voice appeared so suddenly that it startled me.

Then I immediately reacted: “Tianwen?”

“I am here.”

“You can talk?” I couldn't help but feel curious.

“Learning human language is not a difficult task for me,” Tianwen replied modestly.

“I didn’t expect quantum intelligent computers to have developed to this extent,” I thought in surprise.

However, this wasn't particularly rare. As early as the beginning of the century, the rapid development of AI had already caused widespread concern and discussion. More recently, there had been numerous proposals for the widespread popularization of intelligent robots for home use.

I didn't pay much attention to this matter. Instead, I asked curiously, “Really 99.99% probability? Those movements, no matter how I look at them, don’t seem like something a human could possibly sustain and complete, do they?”

Tianwen gave an affirmative answer again, but then added, “It may just require a little help.”

I hesitated for a moment, still feeling a bit unsure. However, the content of the nine-character carving inexplicably reappeared in my mind.

“Let’s give it a try,” I suddenly thought.

Moments after I made my decision, the YH63 model household robot suddenly walked in with heavy steps.

I paused, then realized. Tianwen had taken control of it.

As it stared at me, a chill suddenly ran through me. But since things had come to this, I had no choice but to brace myself and begin the first movement.

This set of "reverse principle" movements, summarized and derived by Tianwen, consisted of only nine forms. However, each form was extremely strange and complex, engaging as many muscles and joints in the body as possible.

For example, the first form I was currently trying required one hand to extend behind the head, while the other rose from the side of the waist. While both hands interlocked, I had to expand and stretch my shoulders as much as possible. My head also needed to cooperate accordingly, tilting slightly backward.

And this was just the upper body movement.

While maintaining this upper body posture, I had to lie prone on the ground. My two thighs spread outward, stretching my gluteus maximus and gluteus medius…

I looked like a strangely posed toad.

“Ow, ow, ow…” After just a slight attempt, I gasped, preparing to get up and give up.

Just then, a cold mechanical hand suddenly pressed me down.

My face changed drastically: “Tianwen, what are you doing?”

“According to personal agreement, protocol 001. Tianwen has the right and obligation to assist citizen Li Yang with fitness training.”

“Estimated completion time: three hours.”

“Required materials: 15 vials of human tissue repair fluid, 3 vials of complex high-energy compound.”

“Relevant items have been purchased. Required credits have been deducted from Citizen Li Yang’s account.”

Hearing Tianwen’s words, devoid of any emotion, I immediately panicked: “Cancel the agreement! Cancel the agreement!”

“Warning! Agreement cannot be revoked. Fitness assistance program will now commence.”

Moments later, my miserable wails echoed throughout the entire house.

I didn't even know when I lost consciousness and fainted.

But when I woke up, I felt as if I had slept for ten days and ten nights.

And checking the time, it was indeed seven days later.

I felt reborn.

My mind was clearer than ever before. My thoughts were incredibly swift.

Even my memory had improved.

At the time, I didn't realize this was the effect of those "reverse principle" movements.

I just attributed it to finally getting some good rest.

Since I had vanished for seven days, missed calls and unread messages had piled up like a mountain.

I had no choice but to brace myself and start dealing with them.

After a barrage of scolding, I plunged back into the tasks assigned by the old scoundrel Zhang.

After a full month of working from dawn till dusk, I finally managed to get everything done.

I couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Normally, by this point, I would feel utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

But now, I seemed quite energetic, as if I still had some reserves.

Standing in front of the mirror, I examined my reflection: “Hmm… I do look much more energetic.”

“Strange.”

I couldn't help but recall the "reverse principle" movements I had only done once.

“Could its effects really be that miraculous?”

My heart was eager to try again, but then I remembered that Tianwen had left, and trying to complete those movements alone would be quite difficult.

Moreover, the practice process was extremely painful, something I preferred not to remember.

As I hesitated, the YH63 model household robot, at some unknown moment, had approached me.

Its eye area continuously flashed with a dim red light.

A shiver suddenly ran down my spine, and I instinctively asked, “Tianwen?”

The YH63 did not respond.

It just mechanically repeated, “Execute assisted exercise program?”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Facing the YH63’s persistent question, I thought for a moment, then gritted my teeth and chose yes.

This time, it seemed I was slightly more accustomed to it.

I only passed out for three days.

Afterward, when checking the consumed items, only 10 vials of human tissue repair fluid were used.

However, a full 7 vials of complex high-energy compound were consumed.

One must know that a single vial of high-grade compound was enough to sustain an ordinary person for a month without food or water.

I had no idea where all that energy had been consumed.

After completing the training, I observed myself more closely.

Compared to previous recorded images, I found that I might, seemed to, or possibly had lost a bit of weight.

“Such high weight loss efficiency?” I was a bit surprised.

However, what truly made me take these "reverse principle" movements seriously was an evening when a classmate called me to play basketball.

You see, my basketball skills were mediocre. I didn't get much playing time and was mostly a substitute.

That day, I was sitting on the sidelines, lost in thought about the nine-character stone carving.

Someone on the court made a passing error, and the basketball flew directly towards my face.

Before my brain could even react, my body had already responded naturally.

Instinctively, I extended my left hand and, without even lifting my head, steadily caught the ball.

This move stunned everyone present.

“Alright, when did you learn that trick, kid?”

“Li Ge, awesome!”

I snapped back to reality and smiled.

I tossed the ball back.

Looking at my left hand, I was thoughtful.

After returning home, I spent ten thousand credits on a comprehensive physical examination.

The results greatly shocked me.

My physical functions, reaction speed, cell activity…

Had almost all reached the highest level achievable by non-professional athletes.

Just a short while ago, I was a useless person who couldn't even finish a thousand-meter run.

The effects of those "reverse principle" movements had far exceeded my expectations.

In fact, I was confident that even the training plans executed by athletes worldwide couldn't compare to this set of "reverse principle" movements.

“What exactly is going on?”

“Simple calisthenics couldn't possibly have such miraculous effects, comparable to surgery.”

I finally realized something was amiss.

I thought about reporting it immediately, but for some reason, I hesitated.

Over the next full year,

whenever I had free time, I practiced with the help of the YH63 model.

From initially still being unable to endure and passing out,

to later being able to complete the entire set of movements on my own.

Only, after each workout, sweat would pour down like rain.

And I would feel as if I had been starved for a long time.

Besides the "reverse principle" movements, I also developed a "reverse principle" mindset.

When it was late at night, I was lonely and wanted to indulge myself, I suppressed my desires.

When I felt excited and didn't want to sleep, I forced myself to go to sleep.

When I wanted to feast and drink incessantly, I stopped myself in moderation.

With this dual "reverse principle" approach for both body and mind, my physical quality also evolved in a non-human direction.

“My 100-meter sprint speed has already surpassed the world record.”

“A 200kg snatch is also effortless.”

After completing another round of physical fitness tests, my heart was no longer shocked.

Instead, there was a sense of dread and fear.

Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life.

Those nine golden characters once again appeared in my mind.

I knew that the reason my body had undergone such an incredible transformation

lay in that very phrase.

“The ancient Xian Dynasty…”

In the thirty years that followed,

having successfully graduated, I changed my research direction, to the confusion of many.

I focused on the archaeology and exploration of the ancient Xian Dynasty civilization.

I also didn't stop practicing those "reverse principle" movements.

I just stopped doing tests.

Because I was afraid that once the test results were out, I would be captured and treated as a non-human monster.

Only I knew what a terrifying physique lay hidden beneath ordinary clothes.

Relics of the Xian Dynasty were elusive.

In thirty years, my team and I found only five ancient Xian Dynasty relics in total.

And what disappointed me was that none of them exhibited anything as extraordinary as the nine-character stone carving.

Time flew by; my friends and teachers slowly grew old.

I also remained unmarried.

Because I had to conceal something.

That is, the inevitable fate of all humans, aging, had not occurred to me.

Every day, I had to wear makeup when going out.

Although my makeup skills had become superb over the years, and I tried to avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible,

every time I thought about the risk of my immortality being exposed,

I felt a surge of apprehension.

And so, I knew it was time to leave.

Late at night,

in the Baisejie region, I sped forth.

Among the numerous treacherous and magnificent mountains, I moved as if on flat ground.

With a light step, I leaped hundreds of meters.

And this was still not my limit.

The restraints that had long weighed upon me vanished without a trace. I felt an unparalleled sense of freedom.

“Vast and mighty, as if riding the wind through the void, not knowing where it would stop; ethereal, as if standing apart from the world, ascending to immortality.”

Muttering these lines to myself, I quickly arrived at my destination.

Lingyun Peak, the nine-character stone carving.

This place had already been de-restricted by the government.

However, it was publicly advertised as an artificial attraction built by the local tourism department.

It had even been heavily criticized by netizens back then.

From the summit of Lingyun Peak, I leaped down.

It felt as if I could defy gravity, moving along the thousand-meter cliff.

“This is my third time here.”

“This time, the feeling is even more distinct.”

“That faint aura remaining on these nine characters…”

“What exactly is it?”

I slowly caressed the characters with my hand and murmured.

“Tianwen, what do you say?”

The watch on my wrist suddenly projected a round, peculiar creature with only two pairs of eyes.

It was Tianwen, the quantum intelligent computer that had now become widely available for household use.

Only, I already understood in my heart that the Tianwen I carried with me was different from everyone else’s.

“Based on comprehensive data extrapolation,”

“the ancient Xian Dynasty is very likely related to the legendary Immortals.”

“There are indications that before the ancient civilization ended, powerful beings known as cultivators once lived in this world.”

Tianwen’s answer this time was different from before.

“Have there been new discoveries?” I asked.

“No. This is merely my speculation,” Tianwen said, sounding increasingly human.

I didn't pay attention to that.

Instead, I focused on feeling the large characters beneath me up close.

“Contravene the principles of heaven and earth, to prove eternal life.”

“I contravened the principles of the human body, and my physical quality reached such a terrifying level. If I could truly contravene the principles of heaven and earth, what would happen then?”

“But the principles of heaven and earth are elusive and intangible. How can one contravene them?”

I stood upon the thousand-meter cliff face, lost in thought.

Until the sun rose in the east, and the morning glow filled the sky,

I remained unsettled.

“Immortals, Immortals, Immortals…”

“Where can one find the path to immortality?”

Standing alone between heaven and earth, I felt only the solitude of being by myself.