Chapter 1 Snowstorm

The snow howled, and the cold wind was like a knife.

In the dead of winter, all things were silent, and there was a bleakness between heaven and earth, with all vitality returning to the earth.

Tianlian Mountain, a branch of the Taihang Mountains, was ordinary and unremarkable.

There was a Taoist temple on Tianlian Mountain. The Taoist temple was old and dilapidated, with mottled walls and peeling red paint on the gate. It was obvious that this was not a place with thriving incense.

From time to time, people from nearby would come to burn two incense sticks and seek peace of mind.

But that was all; in this day and age, there was no real faith.

*Pa ta!*

An Qisheng got up and closed the window that had been blown open by the wind.

The Taoist temple was old and dilapidated, and even when the window was closed, wind still seeped in through the cracks.

He couldn't help but tighten the thick down jacket he was wearing.

He was tall and slender, but his physique was very thin, and his delicate face had an unhealthy pallor.

"This Taoist temple needs some repairs."

An Qisheng said to an old Taoist priest sitting cross-legged on the bed.

The old Taoist priest was wearing a washed-out Taoist robe, with thick cotton clothes underneath, and a basin of burning red charcoal in front of him.

The old Taoist priest's secular surname was Li, and his Taoist name was Qingyuan. He was the abbot of this Taoist temple and was seventy-six years old this year. His medical skills were also well-known in Da Xuan.

"We haven't had such a heavy snowstorm in previous years."

The old Taoist priest's face was ruddy, whether from being blown by the wind or smoked by the charcoal.

But judging from his slightly moist eyes, it seemed to be the latter.

"Since Reverend Qingyuan passed on the Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art) to me, it is only right that I help you repair the Taoist temple."

An Qisheng picked up his teacup, gently blew on it, and the mist obscured his eyes:

"After all, I may not live much longer."

"Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art) is just a small trick to assist martial arts practice, you don't have to be so polite, young friend."

The old Taoist priest wiped the moisture from his eyes, which had been smoked by the smoke, but he felt a little regret in his heart.

This child was good in every way, but his life was short.

"Legend has it that in ancient times, there were people who lived past eight hundred years and were like ordinary people... I want to live to twenty years old, but I can't."

An Qisheng took a sip of tea, feeling only bitterness in his heart:

"I have read through the Daoist scriptures, and have also dabbled in Buddhist scriptures. I have learned a lot of various Daoist cultivation methods and Buddhist meditation techniques, but I still cannot save my life from passing away...

Is there really no true cultivation method in this world?"

An Qisheng couldn't help but feel a little lost. He had been different from ordinary people since he was a child, and he could sometimes dream of another wonderful life on a planet that seemed similar to Xuanxing, yet was not.

It was like a dream, and also like his previous life.

It was because of the influence of these memories that he was able to accumulate a small fortune at a young age.

However, just as he was about to show his skills, he did not expect to suffer from a terminal illness, for which there was no cure.

Only he knew the taste of this.

"Where is there any real cultivation method in this world?"

The old Taoist priest lowered his eyelids and sighed.

He was a Taoist priest, it was true, but Taoist priests were not immortals. If the hospital could not save him, his medical skills were naturally even less able to do so.

Unfortunately, where was there any real method for longevity in this world? If there were, then so many emperors and generals who had sought immortality throughout history would not have had to die of illness in their beds.

"Please forgive my laughter, Reverend."

After a sigh, An Qisheng also regained his composure. He had heard similar words too many times in the past two years.

If his own experiences had not been too special, he would not have believed that these things existed in this world.

"Between life and death, this old Taoist cannot face it calmly, so how dare I laugh at you, Layman?"

The old Taoist priest stirred the charcoal fire and said solemnly.

"In that case, I will no longer disturb Reverend Qingyuan."

An Qisheng shook his head slightly and got up to say goodbye.

"The wind and snow are quite heavy, Layman, your body is not as strong as before, so rest in the Taoist temple for a day. Wait until the wind and snow stop before going down the mountain."

The old Taoist priest got up to persuade him to stay.

"Thank you, Reverend."

An Qisheng did not refuse. Although he had also practiced martial arts, martial arts could strengthen the body, but it could not resist the invasion of illness.

His body was indeed not as good as before.

*Zhi ya…*

The old Taoist priest pushed open the door, and an icy cold wind blew in.

The already meager temperature dropped by another three points.

An Qisheng tightened his clothes and followed the old Taoist priest out of the room.

The wind and snow in the sky were heavy, and goose feather snowflakes were falling one after another. A thick layer of snow had already accumulated inside the Taoist temple, and the tall pine and cypress trees had lowered their heads.

"Abbot, the guest room has been cleaned."

At this time, a young Taoist priest walked out of the room next door.

"Rest well, young friend."

The old Taoist priest nodded and said to An Qisheng.

"Reverend is also getting old, you don't need to entertain me."

An Qisheng smiled and walked into the guest room.

The guest room was not large, with only a bed, a table, chairs, two basins of charcoal fire, a few ancient books on the table, and some sundries in the corner.

"My body is getting weaker and weaker, and ten years of martial arts practice is about to dissipate…"

An Qisheng sighed, took off his shoes, and lay flat on the bed, relaxing his whole body.

His right leg was underneath, with his knee bent and his thigh curled up, like a bow. His left arm was stretched out and close to his thigh. It was precisely the posture of Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art).

Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art), as the name suggests, was the art of sleeping.

Legend has it that this sleeping technique was a true secret passed down by a Taoist master, a perfect method for regulating the body and mind.

An Qisheng had been practicing this sleeping technique for several years, and he was already extremely familiar with the twenty-four movements.

As soon as he lay down, he naturally assumed this posture.

The Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art) that he knew was said to be a true inheritance, which was different from what ordinary people learned.

In fact, this sleeping technique could indeed reduce his pain.

"I'm really not reconciled…"

An Qisheng closed his eyes, his heart filled with unspeakable sadness.

A year ago, he suffered from a terminal illness for which there was no cure. At first, he went to several major hospitals for treatment, and he refused to give up until all the major hospitals had issued critical illness notices.

It was not until his attending physician tentatively discussed with him the naming rights of his own illness that he completely gave up the path of seeking medical treatment.

Having reached this point, if it were an ordinary person, they might have just waited to die.

But he believed that there must be a power beyond the ordinary in this world!

Because he had broken through the mystery of the womb and obtained some memories that seemed like his previous life!

The planet called Earth was even more developed than the Xuanxing (Mystic Star) he was on. The two lives may have overlapped, but it was also a world that encompassed finance, politics, humanities, writing, science, and even a glorious five thousand years of history, which was by no means something that any individual could imagine!

Parallel world?

Transmigration?

Reincarnation?

Or something else?

An Qisheng did not know, but he believed that even such things could happen, so why couldn't there be extraordinary power?

He was absolutely unwilling to watch his body decline day by day and do nothing, ultimately dying in a hospital bed!

This was also the reason why he had been traveling around the country for these years, and it was by no means a desperate attempt to seek medical treatment.

Unfortunately, he had already taken a year off from school.

In the past year, he had visited countless Taoist temples and temples.

But he still gained nothing.

"One year has passed without any gains. It's time to arrange my affairs and ensure that my parents have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives, and that their old age is not miserable…"

An Qisheng half-closed his eyes, covering the tears in his eyes.

Da Xuan's territory was vast, and a year was not enough for him to travel all over it, but he did not have much time left, and his increasingly weak body was not enough to allow him to continue.

He sighed softly in his heart and silently recited the incantation of the Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art):

"The dragon returns to the Yuan Sea, the Yang hides in the Yin. People call it the Hibernating Dragon, but I hibernate my heart…"

He soon fell into a half-sleep.

*Hu hu~~~*

An Qisheng's chest rose and fell, and his breathing frequency changed不定 (bù dìng - uncertain).

Zhelong Shui Dan Gong (Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Art) was originally a method of adjusting breathing, nourishing essence, and regulating the body and mind in sleep.

After An Qisheng practiced it, he slept shorter and shorter periods of time, but his spirit became more and more abundant.

It was a pity that this sleeping technique could only alleviate his pain, but could not cure his diseased body.

Gradually, a touch of ruddy color slowly appeared on An Qisheng's slightly pale face, and the occasional throbbing pain seemed to have disappeared.

Darkness!

Emptiness!

Encompassing everything!

An Qisheng only felt that his spirit was very relaxed, and the surrounding darkness surrounded him like water.

*Buzz buzz buzz~~~*

Suddenly, An Qisheng seemed to hear something.

"Am I dreaming again?"

Such a thought arose in An Qisheng's heart.

*Boom!*

Like a bronze bell ringing in a temple, like thunder coming out of a mountain, it exploded in An Qisheng's heart.

An Qisheng was so stimulated by this that he actually "opened his eyes" in his sleep!

Opening eyes in a dream!

This feeling was very strange. He was clearly not awake, and he had never opened his eyes, but An Qisheng clearly "saw" the wooden beam hanging under the roof in the darkness!

And the old roof that seemed to have some snow water seeping through!

He could even see the spider that was spinning silk and weaving a web in the corner of the wooden beam!

"Hmm?!"

An Qisheng was startled, and subconsciously wanted to get up, but he felt as if a mountain was pressing on his body, and he could not move at all.

Dreaming?

Sleep paralysis?

Or something else?

An Qisheng looked up at the beams, and surprisingly, he did not feel the panic that he should have felt. Instead, there was a hint of hidden anticipation.

Just as An Qisheng's heart calmed down, the place where his "gaze" was focused suddenly changed.

The first thing that changed was the spider web on the edge of the beam, along with dust and a few small insects.

The spider raised its legs and released the small insect that was struggling to death on the web. The small insect retreated from the web, and the dust that had fallen on the web slowly rose...

Then, strands of spider silk were swallowed back by the retreating spider, as if in reverse!

"What's going on…"

An Qisheng's mind was shocked.

Then, he saw a scene that he would never forget in his life.

The drops of snow water seeping from the old roof slowly disappeared...

The night slowly and firmly receded, gradually turning into dusk, noon, and dawn...

The mottled walls gradually faded away...

On the decayed wooden beam, the splinters that had once fallen off returned, gradually becoming smooth and new...

The old guest room was renewed, and then disintegrated at an even faster speed, turning into a skeleton, and finally disappearing!

It seemed to be only a moment, but what caught An Qisheng's eyes was a clear blue sky with no clouds for thousands of miles!

Time, was flowing backwards?!