The Profound Art of Life and Death

"Between life and death lies great terror!" "Between life and death also lies great fortune!" "When faced with the threat of death, even ordinary mortals unleash power far beyond their normal limits. How much more so for cultivators like us?" Zhong Shentong's expression turned solemn, and he said seriously, "As the saying goes, the greater the pressure, the greater the motivation. What pressure could possibly be more intense than death itself?" "By leveraging the deadline of mortality, one's cultivation speed and comprehension will become a thousand times greater than normal." "This is from my personal experience—it is by no means false!" "If you can master this power, Fellow Daoist, cultivating to the Nascent Soul realm before your lifespan runs out will definitely be no difficult feat!" Zhong Shentong declared with utter confidence. "If it is truly as you say, Fellow Daoist, why are there cultivators across the world trapped their entire lives, unable to break through even until death?" Li Fan said somewhat helplessly. Zhong Shentong paused slightly. After pondering seriously for a moment, he quickly came up with an answer. "Then they must simply not fear death enough!" "I understand now! Fellow Daoist, you are detached and open-minded, casting life and death to the wind. You worry that you won't be able to cultivate with the pressure of a mortality deadline, right?" Zhong Shentong was struck by a sudden realization. "No need to worry. Within the Profound Art of Life and Death that I practice, there is a Chapter of Life and Death Perception. Once studied, one can fully comprehend the preciousness of life and the terror of death." Li Fan scrutinized the old Daoist before him carefully. He felt that Zhong Shentong's train of thought was rather different from ordinary people. Could cultivating this Profound Art of Life and Death have damaged his head? Revealing the cultivation art he practiced just like that to someone he was meeting for the first time? He replied seriously, "Your art is profound and wondrous, Fellow Daoist. I am full of admiration." "However, one cannot practice two different paths at once. I fear I do not have the fortune to enjoy what your art belongs to..." Zhong Shentong waved it off dismissively, interrupting Li Fan, "That is precisely why I came to find you, Fellow Daoist." "Please teach me, Fellow Daoist: how can one cast life and death aside?" "How can I become like you, unafraid of death?" "If I can overcome the fear of death, then surely this old Daoist can finally be liberated!" Zhong Shentong said with some urgency. Hearing this, Li Fan was momentarily stunned. "Fellow Daoist Zhong, you..." Zhong Shentong waved his hand. "I know you might not understand, Fellow Daoist. But such is the truth: I genuinely do not wish to live anymore." "I have lived in this world for a hundred and sixty-eight years and have seen all the fickle ways of human warmth and coldness." "Everything in this world has already lost its joy for me." "Squabbling endlessly over cultivation arts, treasures, territory, lifespan..." "Heh, I only find them noisy." "If possible, I would have ended it myself long ago." Speaking to this point, a trace of helplessness flickered in Zhong Shentong's eyes. "Yet the Profound Art of Life and Death I practice makes me completely incapable of resisting the instinctive fear of death in my heart." "Whenever the thought of suicide arises and I make a move to take my own life, instinct forces me to act against my will." "In order to avoid cultivating, I even thought of passing the technique to other cultivators to practice." "Yet often soon after, as I felt my cultivation speed growing slower and slower, as if drawing closer to death, I would lose my reason, seek them out, and kill them." "Therefore, upon hearing of your deeds and how you fear not death, I traveled thousands of li to seek your guidance," Zhong Shentong said with utter sincerity. Li Fan fell silent. If Li Fan was a persistent seeker of longevity, then this Zhong Shentong was someone who had lived long enough and wished to die. Yet tragically, he was shackled by his own cultivation art, unable to perform any act of taking his life. This resulted in a painful, split-personality condition. "Can you not even disperse your cultivation voluntarily?" Li Fan asked. Zhong Shentong gave a wry smile and shook his head. 'This Profound Art of Life and Death is truly bizarre,' Li Fan thought to himself upon hearing this. Regarding Zhong Shentong's predicament, Li Fan was completely powerless to help. Li Fan was not someone who disregarded life and death; he simply could not truly die. If he were to encounter something that genuinely threatened his life, he would certainly flee faster than anyone else. After some thought, Li Fan spoke with utmost sincerity, "My situation may not be of any use to you, Fellow Daoist." "I am simply broad-minded by nature; there is nothing else special about me." Zhong Shentong hastily said, "I understand. I understand." "Yet the fear of death is human nature. How exactly did you overcome it, Fellow Daoist?" Seeing that he wouldn't give up until reaching the Yellow River, Li Fan had no choice but to spin nonsense off the top of his head: "It isn't that I'm not afraid. I merely think to myself: when a person dies, is it truly death?" "Perhaps only after death are we truly alive, right?" "Have you ever heard the tale of the 'Brain in a Cauldron'?" "Or perhaps the rumors of the 'True Dream'?" Li Fan simply said whatever came to mind. Yet Zhong Shentong's eyes grew brighter and brighter. "A single conversation with you surpasses a hundred years of contemplation!" "Indeed, indeed. Death is not the end, but the welcome of true new life." After listening to Li Fan, he seemed to fall into an obsession, muttering to himself. "There is no need to fear at all..." After an unknown length of time, a look of relief washed over his face, as if he had attained great enlightenment. Yet suddenly, a dangerous seven-colored light manifested upon the old Daoist's body. Zhong Shentong himself sneered instead, "Still trying to scare me. This old Daoist has already attained enlightenment." "It's all just an illusion. Only death is life. Only when everything dies can there be life!" The Seven-Colored Divine Light swirled faster and faster. Sensing that things were turning sour, Li Fan quietly backed away. "Pierce through everything; foresee the truth!" Zhong Shentong raised his right palm, his expression resolute, about to slam it down upon his own crown. "Fellow Daoist Zhong! The Chapter of Life and Death Perception!" Li Fan shouted. Zhong Shentong's motion abruptly stopped. With a gentle flick of his finger, a jade slip flew toward Li Fan. "Haha, Fellow Daoist Li Fan, I shall take my leave first!" With that, Zhong Shentong continued to strike down violently. Just at that moment, his left palm moved uncontrollably, suddenly reaching out to block his right palm. Zhong Shentong's expression turned ferocious in an instant. "You dare obstruct my Dao path? Die!" A beam of Seven-Colored Divine Light shot forth from his right palm straight toward his left palm. At the same time, another beam of brilliance shot out from his left palm just in time. Upon collision, the two beams of radiance canceled each other out. Yet Zhong Shentong did not stop, cursing under his breath. Meanwhile, as if two mortal enemies existed within his body, blow for blow, he fought a duel to the death against himself. Seven-Colored Divine Light flew across the room, triggering the defensive formations within the outpost. Hearing the commotion inside, He Chen, who was outside, rushed in hurriedly. Seeing the raving, lunatic Zhong Shentong, he looked at Li Fan in bewilderment. Li Fan shrugged, gesturing for him not to act rashly. As time passed, the duel between the two personas within Zhong Shentong's body grew increasingly fierce. The small Outpost Jiaxu could no longer contain him. Amidst the flashing seven-colored radiance, he vanished into the depths of the Essence-Devouring White Mist. The onlookers in the outpost buzzed with discussion. Meanwhile, Li Fan quietly made his way to a cultivation chamber and began reading the jade slip Zhong Shentong had handed over earlier.