Inside the spacious carriage, Chen Changsheng quietly held a book, engrossed in reading.
Seeing this, Zuo Xinghe immediately praised, "Sir, your knowledge is vast, yet you never put down a book."
"Such dedication truly earns my admiration."
"This time, heading to Chang'an, I should have arranged a high-level demonic beast as your steed."
"But considering the special circumstances, being too ostentatious might bring unnecessary trouble to you."
"When we reach Chang'an, I will surely give you a proper welcome."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng silently put away his book and said, "If you have questions, just ask."
"I didn't talk to you before because I didn't want to get involved in the royal family's affairs of Xuanwu Nation."
"Now that I've agreed to help you, I won't be stingy."
"As the eldest prince of Xuanwu Nation, if you can't handle such minor troubles, wouldn't that be laughable?"
Realizing his intentions were seen through, Zuo Xinghe smiled without arguing.
Traveling to Chang'an on a demonic beast would take no more than half a day.
But doing so would greatly reduce his time alone with Chen Changsheng.
Ten years ago, he was saved by Chen Changsheng in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range. That night of casual conversation benefited him immensely.
However, after regaining his identity and finding Chen Changsheng again, the latter never discussed anything with him.
Now, with the opportunity before him again, how could Zuo Xinghe easily let it slip?
With this in mind, Zuo Xinghe carefully chose his words and said, "Sir, there's a question that's puzzled me for a long time."
"As everyone knows, a person's energy is limited, and the same goes for cultivators."
"But not only is your cultivation impressive, you also excel in alchemy, formations, medicine, dragon vein searching, and many other fields."
"How did you manage to learn and master so many things?"
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng smacked his lips and said, "How old are you this year?"
"I'm exactly a hundred years old this year."
"Having your level of cultivation at a hundred years old is indeed quite talented."
"Being a hundred means you've lived a hundred years since birth."
"Let's say you didn't learn much in the first twenty years due to immaturity."
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"But what did you do with the remaining eighty years?"
"A year has three hundred and sixty-five days, eighty years is over twenty thousand days and nights, a rather long time."
"Eighty years could be a lifetime for mortals."
"But unlike mortals, a cultivator's eighty years are more valuable."
"Mortals waste much time due to illness, hunger, and fatigue."
"However, cultivators aren't affected by these; they can live by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."
"Diseases that plague mortals don't affect cultivators, who can meditate instead of sleep."
"Yet after all this time, what have you gained?"
After pondering Chen Changsheng's question, Zuo Xinghe replied, "In these eighty years, I've gained cultivation, power, and a beautiful dao companion."
"That's quite a summary, but what else?"
"There are twelve hours in a day; did you spend all your time on these things?"
"If I'm not mistaken, besides these three aspects, you spent time on other things too."
"Like traveling, romance, competing for superiority—these also took much of your time."
"I'm not a genius, nor do I have an extraordinary master."
"I merely picked up the time you all discarded, that's all."
"To cultivate oneself, one must first cultivate the mind. Without a proper mindset, how can one excel on the path of cultivation?"
After hearing this, Zuo Xinghe exhaled deeply, his admiration for Chen Changsheng growing even stronger.
"Just 'that's all,' sir, this one sentence is enough to make all cultivators feel ashamed."
"With such great talent, Xuanwu Nation is willing to treat you as a national treasure. What do you think?"
Facing Zuo Xinghe's olive branch, Chen Changsheng smiled and waved it off, saying, "No, my heart isn't set on that."
"Besides, since you paid such a high price to invite me out, it means the situation in Chang'an is quite dire."
"How much longer can your father live?"
Hearing this, Zuo Xinghe sighed and said, "Father is the strongest king in Xuanwu Nation's history."
"But no matter how high his cultivation or divine abilities, he can't escape the Five Decays of Heaven and Man."
"Now, he has less than a year left."
"Recently, he decreed that whoever finds the dragon vein can inherit the throne of Xuanwu Nation."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng frowned and said, "The Left Emperor has lived for two thousand three hundred years. I assume Xuanwu Nation has tried all life-extending methods."
"Now, he's urgently seeking a burial site. I think he's looking for a place to reverse life, not just a dragon vein."
"Such a place isn't easy to find."
Seeing Chen Changsheng reveal the hidden truth, Zuo Xinghe smiled bitterly and said, "If it were easy, I wouldn't have come to disturb your cultivation."
"My royal brothers have found experts to assist them. I'm not confident I can beat them."
"Out of necessity, I came to seek your help."
"But how confident are you about this matter?"
"I can't say ten percent, but five or six percent, yes."
Zuo Xinghe: ???
Hearing this, Zuo Xinghe was stunned.
He had consulted countless hermits and experts in Xuanwu Nation, but most said they weren't confident or only half-confident.
Yet from Chen Changsheng's mouth, it was five or six percent.
If he didn't know Chen Changsheng's character, Zuo Xinghe would think he was boasting.
"Sir, are you really that confident?"
"I'm confident in finding the place, but finding it doesn't mean success."
"Whether it succeeds depends on how much Xuanwu Nation is willing to pay."
"Also, don't say I didn't warn you, reversing life is something all those nearing the end desire."
"But few can achieve it. You'd better advise your father to abandon this idea."
Facing Chen Changsheng's advice, Zuo Xinghe's face was full of bitter smiles.
He understood this truth, but his father's will wasn't something others could change.