I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

Xu Zhou recalled carefully, and the strange things he had ignored in his childhood suddenly became explained.

"Every time I was reading, I was usually interrupted by my uncle calling me to eat, but I didn't feel hungry and didn't eat much."

"At night, while everyone else slept soundly, I was full of energy. I would often sleep for a few hours and then get up before dawn to continue reading."

"I was born with developmental delays and was always shorter than my peers. I thought it was some kind of hidden disease."

Xu Zhou clenched his fist, then relaxed it, feeling the vitality in his body.

"Indeed, it's similar to when I was around fourteen years old in my previous life."

"Over the years, I have studied day and night in order to pass the imperial examinations. If I calculate roughly, I am now twenty years old, and I have probably spent six or seven of those years at my desk."

Xu Zhou fell silent for a moment.

Coincidence?

Impossible. There must be a reason why I can go a month without eating or drinking.

"It is said that among those who cultivate immortality, there are various unique constitutions that possess abilities that are unimaginable to ordinary people. Perhaps my ability to immerse myself in learning is also a manifestation of such a constitution."

"It's just speculation at the moment; we'll have to observe the situation further to determine the specifics."

As for how to observe...

Xu Zhou didn't think much of it and sat back down at the table, picking up the heavy manual of cultivation techniques once again.

The best way to observe right now is to continue to contemplate and understand.

...

After that, Xu Zhou tried to enter the deep learning state several more times.

He deliberately didn't leave food and water around him, only preparing enough candlelight for two days, so that he could wake up naturally during deep learning. But no matter how long he persisted, he never felt hungry or thirsty when he woke up.

After several attempts, he finally realized that as long as he entered this focused learning posture, he could temporarily break free from the physiological constraints of ordinary people.

There is neither hunger nor thirst, nor fatigue.

So, an even more important question was placed before him.

"Will my lifespan change while I am studying?"

Xu Zhou was very concerned about this.

If his lifespan is still slipping away, then his physique is at best a cheat code for non-stop learning. While rare, it's not exactly earth-shattering.

But if one's lifespan remains unchanged, then it's not a matter of how fast or slow one studies. How one conducts oneself in the future will also change as a result.

Xu Zhou cannot confirm it for the time being, but it wouldn't be too difficult to confirm it.

He learned from others that there are self-detection techniques in the cultivation world that can vaguely confirm one's own status, including lifespan and aptitude.

The Golden Flame Sect should also have such techniques, but he just hasn't come into contact with them yet.

Even without learning such techniques, once one's cultivation reaches the mid-stage of Qi Refining, one can vaguely sense the length of one's lifespan.

At that time, you will know whether your studies can extend your lifespan.

Xu Zhou gradually suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

If it's just something I'm overthinking, that's fine. But if it's true, then it must never be known to outsiders.

The immortality that so many people dream of, I can obtain simply through learning. If this were to spread, I wouldn't even live to see the next day.

Xu Zhou reminded himself silently, and then continued to study the cultivation technique.

Although he had studied the [Nourishment of Vitality Technique] again and again, the more he looked at it, the more new knowledge he gained. Every time he thought he had mastered it completely, looking at it again brought him a new experience.

He could have started cultivating earlier, but wanting to keep it quiet, he decided to study for a little longer.

Meanwhile, the other disciples in the outer sect's new courtyard were not doing so well.

Whenever Xu Zhou went out for a walk to clear his mind, he would always hear people discussing the process of comprehending the technique. More than 70% of them complained that the technique was too difficult and that they simply couldn't learn it.

"It's been five months! I haven't even finished half of it yet. How am I supposed to learn this technique?"

"I can't learn it, I really can't learn it, I might as well go home."

These people weren't just talking offhand; in just a few months, dozens of them have given up halfway and left the mountain.

The Golden Flame Sect didn't care about this and let them leave.

"As expected, the sect doesn't take us seriously."

After learning that the sect had allowed its disciples to leave, Li Zelei gave a bitter smile and shook his head repeatedly: "Our future paths were probably already decided on the day of the entrance exam."

"I'm afraid the Golden Flame Sect only wants to accept inner disciples and doesn't care about us outer disciples at all. The reason they accepted us is because there was no cost involved."

"If any of us succeed, that would be great; if not, it's not too bad."

Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Xu Zhou immediately comforted him, "Senior Brother Li, don't worry too much. We've spent so much time and still haven't mastered the basic techniques. I suppose the inner disciples aren't much smarter than us."

That being said, the reality may not be so simple.

Li Zelei shook his head: "We outer disciples are abandoned in this outer mountain, unloved by our parents. Inner disciples are different from us."

"We've been disciples for almost half a year now, and when have you ever seen any of the sect's elders or deacons come out to walk around? All those powerful seniors are stationed in the inner sect, where disciples can be taught by them at any time, while we can only study on our own. I'm already lucky that I can find you, Junior Brother Xu, to exchange insights privately."

Xu Zhou couldn't refute it; he knew all too well the difference between having a master and not having one.

It was precisely because he knew he couldn't work in isolation that he agreed to regularly exchange ideas with Li Zelei.

Li Zelei continued, "Once you master the cultivation technique, the gap will widen even further. Inner disciples generally have better spiritual roots than us, making their cultivation twice as effective. It's said that the sect also provides a continuous supply of cultivation pills to ensure their progress is rapid."

"As for us outer disciples, if we want to obtain pills, we have to go to the miscellaneous affairs hall to get tasks and receive rewards. It takes a long time of hard work to exchange for a bottle of pills."

As he spoke, Li Zelei grew increasingly agitated, and suddenly stood up, his face filled with determination:

"Junior Brother Xu, I've made up my mind. I'll start cultivating tomorrow."

Xu Zhou was slightly startled: "Senior Brother Li, calm down. We've only just finished reviewing the technique once; there are still many profound aspects we haven't grasped. Starting to cultivate now might lead to future problems!"

Li Zelei shook his head resolutely: "No, I can't wait that long."

"Those people in the inner sect might have already cultivated their magical power, while we're still stuck here, struggling with a broken cultivation technique. If we keep dragging this out, the gap will only widen! Only by starting cultivation sooner can I achieve greater things in the future and get closer to immortality."

Xu Zhou frowned: "Senior brother, you should know that haste makes waste."

"Of course I know that principle," Li Zelei said with a cold snort, "but junior brother, don't forget that the 'Cultivation Yuan Technique' is only the most basic technique. There are countless techniques that are more powerful than it, and I really don't want to waste my time on this."

"I've thought it through. Based on my understanding of cultivation techniques, as long as I'm careful and attentive, I'll never suffer from qi deviation. My cultivation might be a little slower at first, but once I earn enough contribution points and use cultivation pills to help me, it will be enough to make up for the shortfall."

Seeing his firm resolve, Xu Zhou stopped trying to persuade him.

a few days later.

A series of urgent knocks on the door woke Xu Zhou from his deep learning state.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by Li Zelei, who stood there beaming with joy, gesturing excitedly and exclaiming, "Junior brother! I've succeeded! I've mastered it!"

Xu Zhou looked closely and saw Li Zelei waving his hands, emanating a misty aura. It seemed to be the cultivation power of the Yuan Qi recorded in the "Nei Yuan Gong Fa".

"Junior Brother Xu, I knew I should say it!"

Senior Brother Li smiled smugly and said, "There's really no need to fully comprehend this technique; just learning the general outline is enough. I was a little apprehensive at first, but the more I practiced, the smoother it became. By the time I finished, I realized it wasn't all that complicated."

"If you ask me, you shouldn't keep studying by rote. Your understanding of this technique was already deeper than mine before, so now you can start practicing directly. It's definitely much simpler than you think!"

Seeing this, Xu Zhou couldn't help but waver.

However, upon closer inspection, something was amiss.

Although Li Zelei had cultivated magical power, it lacked a sense of solidity and was somewhat loose, like fine sand that could not be grasped.

According to ancient texts, while such magical power can be used without causing demonic possession, it will inevitably affect cultivation speed over time. Furthermore, prolonged, uncontrolled magical power may cause internal injuries.

Xu Zhou was about to remind the other party, but seeing Li Zelei's face full of joy at his success, he thought about it and ultimately didn't say anything.

After all, what Li Zelei said earlier wasn't wrong. As long as he immediately exchanges for the new cultivation technique and pills, this hidden danger will soon become insignificant.

Since he wouldn't go astray, why should he dampen the other party's spirits at this moment?

He can wait until he calms down before giving her a chance to remind her.

Li Zelei left to share the good news with the others, and soon several more outer disciples learned of the news and began to try cultivating.

Some of them failed regrettably, but others, whose skill level was similar to Li Zelei's, managed to cultivate a portion of magical power, and were overjoyed.

Xu Zhou did not join in the revelry of others.

He felt that there were still some things he didn't understand about the [Neiyuan Gongfa], and rather than rashly trying to practice it, he should continue to study the key points of the technique.

As the saying goes, sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. He won't blindly follow others' progress, but will take one step at a time and steadily maintain his own pace.

Finally, at the end of the sixth month after I started.

Xu Zhou withdrew from his intensive learning state.

He glanced at the table and saw that there were still candles left, but when he tried to continue reading the classics, he couldn't get back into a study state.

"What happened?"

Xu Zhou had never encountered this situation before, and was slightly taken aback, but forced himself to concentrate and continue reading.

But it still didn't work.

However, he did not find the texts of the classics dry and difficult to concentrate on. On the contrary, he felt that after reading them, every word and sentence was engraved in his mind, and he had fully grasped their profound meaning.

He put down the classic book that had been with him for half a year, a look of surprise on his face:

"Is this... the end of the learning process?"