The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 213 Longevity
Ding Lin's arm went limp, and he lost control of his body's center of gravity, slamming down hard once more.

"Be careful."

The Fifth Fairy said that she had been watching Ding Lin closely and quickly helped him up.

"Brother Jin, are you alright...?"

Concerned words echoed in his ears, but Ding Lin paid no attention; for no apparent reason, a sudden wave of panic washed over him.

Having cultivated to such a level, how could he possibly hold back, unless…

Ding Lin turned his head with difficulty and looked at his right hand, which was supporting him on the ground. It was dark and yellowish, covered with wrinkles, like a piece of dry old tree bark.

He raised his hand in disbelief, and his body swayed again. If the five fairies hadn't been supporting him and hadn't let go, he would have fallen again.

But Ding Lin didn't care at all. He touched his cheek with his palm and found it was just as rough. He then felt it with his tongue and found his mouth filled with foul-smelling saliva. He had only a few teeth left.

Within his body, magical power still surged mightily, but his life force was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

“I…” Ding Lin began, his voice dry and harsh, like chalk scraping across a blackboard.

"...Are you going to die?"

Ding Lin's voice was soft, incredulous, and trembling almost imperceptibly; his cloudy eyes revealed a deep despair.

Past lives and present lives, scenes from the past flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern, finally settling on the time before I fell into demonic possession. Every step was fraught with thorns; I was finally on the verge of becoming an immortal, but then...

dying?
Ding Lin's eyes widened, his expression ferocious, showing no sign of relief, only a strong sense of resentment.

“Aunt Hong…” The Fifth Fairy looked at Aunt Hong.

“Didn’t I just say that the Heavenly Demon disintegrated by burning his lifespan to gain cultivation? His original lifespan has been exhausted, so naturally he can no longer maintain his original appearance and will age,” Hong Gu said.

"The five signs of decay in the heavens and man..." the five fairies said in a trembling voice.

For cultivators, once they condense their core, their appearance will never change. Only at the moment of death, when death energy erupts and extinguishes life force, will they show signs of aging for a fleeting instant, and then they will die quickly within half an incense stick's time.

This is what is called the five signs of decay in the divine.

“It’s true that concern makes one lose their mind,” Hong Gu said with a relaxed smile, glancing at the Fifth Fairy. “I told you it was my original lifespan.”

"You mean..." The five fairies' minds raced, and suddenly, as if they had thought of something, they breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Does this mean there's still hope?

Ding Lin was immediately excited. He pricked up his ears to listen, and his dim old eyes became clear in an instant. His heart was filled with anxiety and unease.

"After the primordial spirit, the lifespan limit will align with the cultivation level. Brother Jin, your original cultivation level was 8,500 years, so your original lifespan limit was also 8,500 years."

Hong Gu looked at Ding Lin again, her eyes no longer cold, but full of kindness.

"The Heavenly Demon disintegrated, burning away its remaining lifespan, but the loss was all within these eight thousand five hundred years. This portion of lifespan can never be recovered. But don't forget, the disintegration also increased your cultivation by five hundred years."

"Now that you have nine thousand years of cultivation, your lifespan limit has also reached nine thousand years. The additional five hundred years of lifespan are not part of the previous burning. It's just that because the Heavenly Demon disintegrated too quickly, this part of lifespan did not have time to develop before your body had already decayed, which is why you showed the signs of the five signs of decay of a celestial being. But these five hundred years can actually be made up with elixirs and miraculous medicines."

"That means... in theory, I have another five hundred years of life left, and I can live another five hundred years."

Ding Lin understood, and like a dying man grasping at a last straw, his once murky eyes suddenly lit up again.

“You took a Qingling Pill while you were unconscious. This pill is for exorcising demons, not for prolonging life. However, as long as it is a supplementary pill, it will have some benefits to the body. This Qingling Pill can exorcise demons and should also add a hundred years to your lifespan. Judging by the time, it should take effect soon.”

As soon as Hong Gu finished speaking, Ding Lin felt a change in his body. His teeth were itchy, and then his tongue licked the new teeth that were growing rapidly.

Ding Lin looked down at his hands again, and the skin on the back of his hands was rapidly regaining its youthful appearance. From the perspective of the Five Fairies, Ding Lin's white hair turned black, and he returned to his youthful state.

Having replenished his lifespan by a hundred years, the five signs of decay in the celestial beings were naturally postponed by a hundred years as well.

"call!"

Ding Lin let out a long sigh of relief, raised his hand, and touched his face, which had become smooth again. His palm trembled slightly.

Only then did he truly feel at ease. No amount of words could compare to tangible changes that could bring peace of mind.

We only truly appreciate what we have after we've lost it.

In that instant, the joy of facing death to live enveloped my entire body, and slowly, all I felt was gratitude.

But only for a moment.

Then, a look of resentment flashed in Ding Lin's eyes.

After confirming that he wouldn't die for the time being, Ding Lin started thinking about the more than eight thousand years of lifespan he had lost.

People's hearts are not enough.

Since his transmigration, he has only lived for a little over two hundred years, but according to Hong Gu, he should have had more than eight thousand two hundred years of life left.

Five hundred years...

Now, however, only five hundred years remain!
It will require a miraculous elixir to replenish it!

They lost more than eight thousand years of their lives!
Who would complain about having too long a life?

Just thinking about this makes me feel like a million ants are crawling, circling and biting my heart, causing unbearable heartache!
Ding Lin wanted to use his anger to make himself feel better, but after thinking it over and over, he couldn't find a target at all.

Blame it?

It's all the fault of the Fifth Fairy Maiden for obtaining this "Celestial Immortal Manual" for him.

It's still the Seventh Fairy's fault for bringing the "Celestial Immortal Manual" into the Peach Garden.

Or perhaps it's my own fault for watching?

It's not your fault.

If you really have to blame someone, you can only blame the Heavenly Demon.

But the Heavenly Demon is formless and invisible, leaving no trace or gap, so how can we know which one it is?
Emotions are brewing in my chest, but I can't find an outlet, so I can only let them pile up.

Ding Lin licked his newly grown teeth, only to feel a dull ache in the roots again.

"I have a longevity pill here. Although it is not a golden core, its medicinal power is abundant and enough to extend the life of an ordinary primordial spirit by a thousand years. It is quite extraordinary. I think it should be enough for Brother Jin to make up for his lifespan."

As Hong Gu spoke, a flash of inspiration appeared in her hand, and she produced another jade bottle.

"Young Brother Jin now possesses nine thousand years of cultivation, and with the help of the precious tree gifted by his granddaughter, five hundred years may not be a long time, but it is enough for him to become an immortal. A celestial immortal, truly an enviable opportunity!"

As Hong Gu spoke, envy once again surfaced on her face.

Nine thousand years of cultivation?
Ding Lin was stunned for a moment, vaguely recalling that he seemed to have heard these words before.

(End of this chapter)