Chapter 1052: The True and Authentic Art of Immortality

What a strange phenomenon it is. Warriors as powerful as Lü Bu and Guan Yu cannot escape the inevitability of aging and death. Even fierce fighters like Dian Wei cannot resist the passage of time. Even those who practice gentle health-preserving methods struggle to live beyond three hundred years.

Compared to individuals like Nan Hua, Zuo Ci, and Zi Xu, it’s an entirely different story. They possess not only the peak-level combat abilities of a master with externalized inner energy but also a lifespan so long they themselves cannot even estimate its limits.

Nan Hua once felt that his lifespan was nearing its end, but that was more because of his countless attempts to become immortal, which ultimately failed and triggered a series of problems. In reality, had he not pushed himself to the brink, even he wouldn’t know where the limits of his life truly lay—such was the perfection of his long-lived existence.

This could almost be considered evolution, a perfect art of immortality. Yet, when individuals like Zuo Ci and Nan Hua appeared before figures like Li You and Jia Xu, they didn't dive deeply into the subject of immortality.

Is the lure of eternal life something that mortals can truly resist? Throughout history, countless sages and emperors have been enthralled by it, willing to sacrifice anything for a chance at it. And now, when real and verifiable immortality is presented in front of mortals, why do they remain indifferent?

How laughable this is. To Chen Xi, this was one of the most subversive truths he had ever encountered. Time and again, he had wanted to ask about it, but he never did. Zuo Ci had mentioned that if people like Chen Xi were willing, they could easily achieve their level of immortality. This means that, in terms of aptitude, they were extremely capable.

This also implies that attaining immortality is actually quite simple—at least for people like Jia Xu. And yet, despite this ultimate pursuit being within arm’s reach, not a single person has actively sought it out. This is the most baffling part!

Immortality is right there, and yet few are practicing it. Compared to eternal life, shouldn’t worldly power and wealth pale in comparison? And yet, despite the real possibility of immortality, people seem to ignore it.

Those who know about it certainly understand its potential, but they do not pursue it. This is the true art of immortality, at least based on appearances—an art that has seen many successfully achieve it, a genuine path to eternal life!

Zi Xu didn’t respond to Zuo Ci’s words. Instead, he waved his hand and said, “I’m off to protect them. You stay at Jingling Shrine. As for the past, immortals seek the present and the future. Only mortals keep looking back.”

As Zi Xu’s figure flew off into the distance, Zuo Ci sighed, wiping his face with his hand. His once wrinkled face instantly became youthful, his eyes sharpened, and his once rough hands became as smooth as those of a young boy. With a touch of stardust, his transformation was complete.

“Zi Xu, you don’t understand. What does it mean to have a present and future without a past? I’m curious about a fruit with no cause. Perhaps Jia Wenhe and Li Wenyu understood when they asked,” Zuo Ci murmured to himself, while Nan Hua’s figure slowly emerged beside him.

“You stay here and guard this place. I’m going to try again—to see what truly makes an immortal,” Nan Hua said, looking at Zuo Ci.

“Let’s hope you don’t die this time,” the youthful Zuo Ci replied without turning around, gazing off into the distance.

“An immortal doesn’t cling to their lifespan because there are things more important than time,” Nan Hua said with a faint smile. “What is wrong with our version of immortality? And who was it that discovered this flaw?”

Zuo Ci did not respond and descended toward Jingling Shrine, not intending to interfere with whatever Nan Hua planned to do.

Meanwhile, in Ye City, Chen Xi was busy mediating between the various aristocratic families, coordinating and resolving their issues. Perhaps due to an unspoken consensus, the noble families had implicitly accepted Chen Xi as their leader. Taking advantage of the current aristocratic alliance, many families had brought their disputes before him for resolution.

Disputes between noble families rarely involved the formal laws of the Han Dynasty, usually being settled privately. Once matters reached the courts, it often meant both sides were ready to go all out. Thus, families typically sought out a respected figure to arbitrate.

Unfortunately, as the de facto leader of the aristocratic families and with so many of them gathered in one place, Chen Xi had been dragged into the role of mediator, forced to deal with all their trivial disputes.

To be honest, Chen Xi had little interest in such petty squabbles. It was natural for families in the same region to have friction. Even the Chen and Xun families had experienced some conflicts, let alone other families.

It seemed these noble families were either bored or simply unused to being in the company of so many peers at the same time. As they gathered, they discussed old family matters and quibbled over minor historical grievances.

As a result, Chen Xi found himself stuck in a series of nonsensical conversations with these aristocrats. After the alliance meeting had concluded, most of the families remained in Ye City with nothing pressing to do—although, in truth, there weren’t many truly busy family heads to begin with.

Most of the family heads or their representatives stayed in Ye City, and Chen Xi, being the mediator, helped foster mutual understanding and goodwill. As a result, many agreements that would benefit the aristocratic families were reached.

In Chen Xi’s view, many of these issues were well understood by the families themselves, but they were unable to resolve them on their own. With so many families needing to cooperate, no single family could afford to make the first move. It would cost too much time and energy, benefiting everyone but themselves. Hence, nothing ever got done.

But with Chen Xi in the middle, things were different. He could bring these families together, facilitating discussions and making things happen. If a particular initiative was beneficial to the northern families, but too large for one family to handle alone, Chen Xi would simply bundle the northern families together and mediate.

There was no shortage of money, manpower, or resources. The key was making these families understand how a particular project would benefit them. Once they grasped that, they would eagerly jump on board. Even if the project was already crowded with participants, they’d still try to squeeze in. Honestly, these noble families had little dignity when it came to self-interest. As long as it benefited them, they were willing to give up anything—even their last scrap of integrity.

“Lord Chen, we’ve just received a thousand strong men. Would you like them?” Zhang Wei asked with a confident smirk after receiving a letter from one of his servants.

“...” At that moment, Chen Xi wanted to curse. Zhang Wei must have anticipated this would come up before he arrived.

“Yes, take as many as you can get,” Chen Xi replied, his expression unchanged.

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