Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

Outside the cave, snow fell heavily, while inside, it felt like spring. A bonfire lit a clearing. Liu Xing closed his eyes and practiced diligently, gradually reaching a state of enlightenment. After three months of diligent practice, the flow of air within his body was as strong as it had been before, and his sensitivity to spiritual energy was becoming increasingly acute. Every time he practiced, he felt as if he were enveloped in water, the water molecules melting into his body, a profound comfort. His scientific knowledge from his previous life had taught him that the human body is 90% composed of water molecules and that water is the source of life, allowing him to better understand the interconnectedness and integration of water and the human body. His entire body and mind were completely relaxed, naturally in tune with the spiritual power of water, and his progress was rapid. He could also feel that as the flow of air grew, his meridians widened, slowly nourishing his body and enhancing his six senses.

Winter faded and spring arrived. The March breeze was like a pair of scissors, a gentle breeze caressing my face, a truly refreshing feeling. Liu Xing had also successfully broken through the first level of Qi training. The biggest change was his heightened spiritual awareness, allowing him to sense even the slightest movement within a five-meter radius, as clear as if it were right before his eyes. Another benefit was his increased flexibility, and his ability to hold his breath had greatly improved. He could now dive for an hour without needing to breathe, and he finally reached the bottom of the pool and discovered the entrance to the underground river. However, he felt he still lacked the strength to swim out. The current had now grown to the size of a thumb, and new meridians had been opened up in the second level, making the circulation more complex. However, the spiritual energy gained each time was also greater. However, what frustrated him was that this current didn't increase his strength. For example, when he tried his luck and struck a stone pillar with his palm, the stone didn't shatter. Instead, he overexerted himself and injured his hand, causing him to jump in pain. The Plum Blossom Sword Technique significantly improved his body movements and swordplay, making them more mysterious and unpredictable, but it didn't increase his power or lethality.

There were both gains and disappointments. Liu Xing felt that this technique differed significantly from the descriptions of internal energy he had read in his father's study. Internal energy focused on enhancing lethality, while the Ice and Water Technique focused more on altering physical fitness and spiritual perception. Each had its pros and cons. However, his knowledge of internal energy was limited; perhaps there were different types. Whatever benefited him was fine. The most important thing was the hope of escape. Once one had the hope of survival, everything became more energized. Luckily, last winter, a wild boar had fallen from a cliff and died. It weighed over 500 kilograms, allowing him to feast on it. The remaining meat was air-dried and stored. Happy events bring a sense of elation, and lately, his flute playing has become brighter and more joyful. Today, during his free time, he played "Birds in the Shade," a flute solo piece composed by the flute virtuoso Liu Guanle in his previous life. Its cheerful and lively melody depicts a vibrant scene of lush forests and the chirping of birds. After this breakthrough, he discovered that he had also made great progress in musicality. Lately, his flute playing has become more integrated, his understanding of music theory more profound and natural, and his flute sounds more nuanced and captivating, reaching the level of a master in his previous life.

April is sweet potato planting season. Liu Xing estimated he'd be here for another two or three years, so he couldn't lack for a staple food. So, he set aside time every day to cultivate sweet potato seedlings, reclaim wasteland, and expand his planting area. He selected a few large sweet potatoes and planted them in the ground until they grew long vines. He then used a dagger to cut the vines into sections, each with one or two leaves. Each section became a sweet potato seedling. He then planted the seedlings a foot apart in the ground. He weeded, watered, and fertilized daily, using ashes from burned grass to supplement the plants with inorganic salts. Having grown up in the countryside in his previous life, Liu Xing had extensively worked on the farm, so he knew these basics like the back of his hand and cultivated sweet potatoes with remarkable skill. Sweet potatoes are a very easy staple food to grow. They're adaptable to their growing environment, easy to survive, and highly productive, easily yielding 5,000 kilograms per mu (approximately 10,000 jin per mu), and even 10,000 kilograms per mu (approximately 10,000 jin per mu) in fertile land. Liu Xing had reclaimed three or four mu (approximately 10,000 jin per mu). This bountiful harvest would ensure he had enough food for two or three years. By then, the cellar won't be big enough, and it'll have to be expanded at least five times. Liu Xing thought with a sense of accomplishment as he looked at the thriving sweet potatoes.

Life continued as it always had: an hour of sword practice, an hour of farm work, an hour of relaxation (swimming, playing the flute, wandering around), and the rest of the time spent meditating and cultivating his qi. This cycle repeated itself day after day, rain or shine. Four months later, the sweet potato harvest was plentiful, yielding over 30,000 kilograms. Finally, starvation was finally over. But looking at the abundance of sweet potatoes, Liu Xing's face betrayed no joy at the harvest; instead, he looked on with disdain. Eating sweet potatoes every day, every meal, would leave anyone with nothing to eat but dirt. But there was no other way; survival was necessary.

He counted on his fingers, and it had been a year since he'd been trapped in the tiankeng. He wondered if Liu Yue and the others had finally escaped, or if they were still alive and well. Liu Xing had also grown considerably taller, and an awkward problem had arisen. He only had three sets of clothes, all of which were too small. Even so, he had to use the fabric sparingly and be careful not to tear them, as there would be no replacements if they did. He had no choice but to tie his clothes around his waist to hide his private parts. He spent his daily life naked, his hair had grown long, and he was filthy, like a wild man.

Spring turns and autumn arrives, the mountains remain free of cycles, and the cold winds fade into infinity. While the first and second levels progressed smoothly, the third level encountered a bottleneck. Liu Xing had been stuck at the peak of the third level for six months, unable to break through. This frustrated him immensely. No matter how hard he practiced, his power had stagnated, as if a barrier somehow blocked his progress. He repeatedly channeled his energy to attack this barrier, but each time, he failed. This irritated him to the point where he nearly gave up several times and lost his temper. This startled him into a cold sweat, and he immediately focused his mind, ensuring a clear mind and no more wandering thoughts. Only then did he calm his restless spirit. Liu Xing had learned the horror of both a bottleneck and the terrifying effects of losing his mind. Whenever he felt like giving up or slacking off, he would think of Elder Hentian. He had practiced diligently for thirty years, yet never given up, reaching the pinnacle of enlightenment. He saw how much perseverance and determination it took to achieve that. The difficulties he encountered were nothing compared to Elder Hentian's. So, he patiently persevered, continuing his practice, trying again and again, never giving up, searching for the opportunity for a breakthrough.

With perseverance, even the smallest effort can turn an iron rod into a needle. That day, he once again concentrated his energy on the diaphragm. With a thud, he felt the bottleneck shatter in his mind, finally breaking through to the fourth level. Then, he could clearly feel the spiritual energy around him growing more intense, rapidly flowing into his body, and his body's absorption of the surrounding spiritual energy more than doubled. He quickly activated the fourth level of the technique, channeling the spiritual energy into his body, circulating it through more meridians for a full cycle before storing it in his dantian. After a day and a night, the aftermath of the breakthrough finally subsided. He then looked within himself, astonished by the earth-shattering changes that had taken place.