"Zhong Shentong? He wants to see me?"
Amid the vast expanse of white mist, Li Fan paused his work.
Listening to He Chen's report, Li Fan frowned slightly, feeling somewhat bewildered.
He had only crossed paths with him once in Sit and Debate the Dao; they had never formally met in person in the real world.
Noticing Li Fan's expression, He Chen lowered his voice and said, "According to this Zhong Shentong, he has a method to extend your lifespan, Master Li. However, he insists on seeing you in person."
"Though he only possesses Foundation Establishment cultivation, his Seven-Colored Divine Light is truly wondrous beyond measure, even capable of withstanding the Essence-Devouring White Mist. The seniors at the Immortal Bastion sing his praises as well."
"Furthermore, this Zhong Shentong is widely connected. It was through the introduction and guarantee of a Soul Formation cultivator that the Immortal Bastion permitted him to come here."
"It wouldn't hurt to meet him, Master Li," He Chen suggested.
Among the cultivators Li Fan had saved at Outpost Jiaxu two years ago, He Chen was the most grateful to him.
And after Li Fan, with his lifespan nearing its end, still insisted on remaining on the front lines to construct the formation, He Chen's reverence for him reached an absolute zenith.
It had even reached a somewhat fanatical degree; he obeyed Li Fan's every word without question.
Li Fan gave a slight nod. "In that case, take me to meet this Zhong Shentong."
Inwardly, he thought, *Talk about a pillow handed to someone nodding off. Regardless of whether this supposed life-extending method is real or fake, just getting closer to him and probing into the origins of his Seven-Colored Divine Light ahead of time is well worth it.*
The two returned to Outpost Jiaxu. Inside the Deliberation Hall, an elder with white hair and beard wearing a Daoist robe had already been waiting for quite some time.
As Li Fan stepped inside, Zhong Shentong's gaze snapped immediately onto him.
Exchanging a look, Li Fan offered a salute first. "Fellow Daoist Zhong, it is an honor to finally meet you!"
Zhong Shentong let out a long sigh. "A great reputation is never unearned; the rumors outside were indeed no lie. Fellow Daoist, you truly bear the signs of rapid lifespan depletion and impending demise."
At these words, He Chen's gaze turned hostile.
Li Fan's heart stirred, however, and he signaled for He Chen to step out for now.
Once the hall held only the two of them, Li Fan cupped his hands. "Fellow Daoist, your words seem to carry deeper meaning?"
Zhong Shentong stroked his beard and nodded. "It is precisely because I once had an experience similar to yours that I could tell with absolute certainty at a single glance."
"To tell you the truth, when I heard of your deeds in the outside world, I didn't believe them in my heart."
"Because I experienced it firsthand, I know all too well how intense that extreme disparity and the terror of death are—having plenty of lifespan remaining one moment, only to be on the brink of death the next."
"Back then, I prided myself on possessing iron resolve, yet even I nearly broke down, taking a very long time to recover."
"Yet compared to you, Fellow Daoist..."
Zhong Shentong shook his head. "Just now, you seemed to be presiding over the formation's construction in the white mist? Casting your very life aside..."
"Such a state of mind is far beyond my reach!"
Li Fan gave a wry chuckle. "Knowing that prolonging my life is hopeless, I merely thought to accomplish whatever bit more I could. As for being noble..."
"I don't think of myself that way at all," Li Fan replied in all sincerity.
Yet Zhong Shentong grew even more excited. "Yes, exactly this detached, carefree attitude!"
"How in the world did you achieve this, Fellow Daoist? I humbly ask you to teach me!"
With that, his expression turned solemn, and he bowed deeply to the floor.
Li Fan reacted quickly, dodging aside to avoid the bow.
In a grave voice, he said, "Fellow Daoist, your arrival here was bizarre, and your behavior is even more baffling."
"If you continue to speak in riddles without explaining yourself fully, do not blame me for turning hostile!"
"Formidable though your Seven-Colored Divine Light may be, I have no fear of you!"
Zhong Shentong gave a wry smile and smacked his forehead. "Forgive me, Fellow Daoist. I was too rash."
Straightening up, he pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "What I said earlier about having a way to prolong your life was entirely true."
"And my desire to seek guidance from you is equally sincere."
"Have you ever heard of my past deeds, Fellow Daoist?" Zhong Shentong looked at Li Fan and asked.
Li Fan nodded. "I have heard some of it. You are famously known as a late bloomer."
"In your sixties, a mortal stepping into Qi Condensation. Cultivating Qi Condensation for several decades before finally achieving Foundation Establishment."
"Never giving up hope of breaking through to the next realm right up until the end—I truly admire you for that."
Hearing this, Zhong Shentong's old face actually flushed red.
Glancing left and right to confirm they were alone, he whispered, "You flatter me far too much, Fellow Daoist."
"There are actually hidden circumstances behind it."
"Circumstances closely tied to why I came looking for you today."
"I shall tell you today, but please do not spread it to outsiders."
Li Fan looked slightly surprised, but nodded in agreement nonetheless.
Zhong Shentong cleared his throat and said, "I wonder, Fellow Daoist, have you ever heard of procrastination?"
"Procrastination?" Li Fan was somewhat taken aback.
"Indeed. I, this old Daoist, suffer from an exceedingly severe case of procrastination. It has reached my very marrow, incurable and hopeless," Zhong Shentong sighed.
"Back then, when I was eighteen, I chanced upon a profound technique. Alas, when it came to cultivating, I simply had no drive. Thinking I was still young and had plenty of days ahead of me, I became increasingly slack in my practice."
"Fishing for three days and drying nets for two, I lived carefree all the way into my fifties, still unable to break through to the Qi Condensation stage."
"And even then, I wasn't in any rush."
Zhong Shentong narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in memory.
"I told myself that with my physical condition at the time, I could easily live to seventy or eighty anyway. That left more than thirty years to enjoy myself."
"Until that day, when I mistakenly swallowed a poisonous fruit."
"Though I pulled through and didn't die on the spot, my body was in critical jeopardy, not far from the end of its days."
"I had never felt death so close to me, and I fell into unprecedented panic."
"Between life and death lies great terror!"
"Then I remembered that once one breaks through to Qi Condensation, their lifespan surges."
"As if seizing a final lifesaving straw, I cast everything else from my mind, focusing solely on cultivation."
"Under the pressure of imminent death, my cultivation speed was unimaginably fast."
"In just a single day and night, I successfully stepped into the Qi Condensation realm!"
"Yet after that, with my lifespan replenished, my drive vanished completely once more. Thinking I had so many days left to live, I decided having fun came first."
"Until several decades later, when I once again arrived at the limit of my lifespan."
"Only under the threat of death did I cultivate and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"
After Zhong Shentong finished his story, Li Fan's expression turned exceedingly bizarre.
If he wasn't lying...
Then this man was truly a goddamned genius.
"So, what is this life-extending method of yours, Fellow Daoist?" Li Fan tried his best to maintain an amiable facade, asking patiently.
Zhong Shentong said with utmost confidence, "I heard that with so little lifespan left, you gave up on attempting to advance to the Nascent Soul realm, Fellow Daoist? In my view, there is entirely no need for that!"
Chapter 363