Chapter 279: Chapter 224: Secret Tidings: The Strife for Longevity

Even Yi Beidou was shaken by what Cheng Zhihong had just said.

Immortality existed only in human legends.

Countless people in ancient times had embarked on the path of Cultivation in pursuit of this very dream. They would stop at nothing, developing all sorts of methods—even undergoing Corpse Dissolution and reincarnation, generation after generation—just to preserve their own consciousness and personality.

But even Corpse Dissolving Immortals had only achieved a "false Longevity." In Yi Beidou’s eyes, it was nothing more than a heretical path.

And now, Cheng Zhihong was telling Yi Beidou that truly immortal people existed in this world.

They could exist in the world forever without ever needing to change their physical bodies.

Even though Yi Beidou’s own power had reached a terrifying level, the concept of a single body achieving Longevity was still incredible to him.

If he were to use his Celestial Demon Sensing to probe his own future, he could feel that his body would perish and his dao would dissipate in about 120 to 130 years.

After all, true physical Longevity wasn’t as simple as just extending one’s life. It meant that a fundamental physical limitation had been broken, allowing the body’s cells to iterate and replicate without limit. This also meant that over the long river of time, such a being could continuously improve itself through self-modification at the Saint Realm, achieving an unimaginable level of physical strength.

Perhaps it wouldn’t even be impossible for their physical bodies to withstand missiles, or even nuclear bombs.

The legendary feats of demigods from ancient myths—moving mountains, filling seas, chasing the stars and moon—might not be impossible for them either.

"Are there really Earth Immortals who have achieved Longevity in this world? If such beings truly existed, human society could never have developed to its current state," Yi Beidou asked.

"The reason humanity developed technology and its current social structure is, ultimately, due to its own biological limitations."

"We are too weak, so we need technology and firearms. Our lives are too short, so we need to establish a stable social order to reproduce and pass down power, wealth, and knowledge..."

"If truly immortal people existed—beings who possessed individual power far surpassing the rest of humanity, who lacked the reincarnation weakness of Corpse Dissolving Immortals, and were even stronger than them—there would be no reason for them to hide behind the curtain. They would have undoubtedly stepped forward to rule the world openly."

"In a way, such beings would no longer belong to the same species as ordinary humans, or even Saints."

"The current social order would be completely upended."

"Humanity preaches equality only because the gap between individuals is limited. Even Saints, who possess power far beyond ordinary people, will still die when their time is up."

"No one has ever met a true Earth Immortal. What we have discovered and found are merely ’Earth Immortal Remains.’ As for what these remains went through, why they died, or whether any truly immortal people still exist in the world... no one can say for sure. It’s a mystery yet to be solved. At least, Yuna and I don’t know the answers."

"Earth Immortal Remains, even if it’s just a single drop of blood or a small piece of skin tissue, are exceptionally rare. Even among the Secret Organizations, in the hands of the Ancient Ones who have existed in secret for who knows how many years, such things are incredibly scarce."

"Of all the Secret Organizations in the world, the Pioneer Group seems to possess the most complete ’Earth Immortal Remains.’ They have used it to conduct research and develop various technologies. The catalyst used to create Super Warriors is one such result."

"The reason more and more Ancient Ones are risking exposure and why various Secret Organizations have become increasingly active is also related to the ’Earth Immortal Remains.’ In the past, humanity’s exploration of the world was extremely limited. You could even say that ordinary people had no right to explore it at all. Even the Ancient Ones, who have lived for millennia, had to spend their time scrambling for resources for their reincarnation and Cultivation. They had very little time to truly investigate the world’s secrets."

"But now, humanity’s resources are more abundant, and since the Industrial Revolution, our technology has become increasingly advanced. Places that were once inaccessible to ordinary people can now be reached with the power of technology. With the right mechanical equipment, a single person’s exploratory capabilities can rival that of a thousand, or even ten thousand, people from the past. As a result, some of the world’s mysterious veils are gradually being lifted. This has led more and more Secret Organizations to step out from the shadows, leveraging this global trend to achieve their own objectives."

Cheng Zhihong shook his head as he spoke, revealing a number of secrets that not only Yi Beidou had been unaware of, but even Donghua’s officials likely didn’t know.

’That explained a lot of things.’

’In the past, the combat power of reincarnated individuals, especially the Ancient Ones, surpassed that of any secular dynasty. To them, at the peak of their power, ordinary people were no different from ants. To avoid accumulating too much karma—which could expose them during their reincarnation and lead to a fatal backlash—they generally adopted a reclusive attitude. They would cultivate in secret while probing the mysteries of the world.’

’Some Ancient Ones communicated through special methods, exchanging Cultivation insights and information from their investigations into secret events related to the ’Earth Immortals.’ These mutually beneficial exchanges eventually led to the formation of the Secret Organizations, all hidden beneath the surface of the world.’

’To them, perhaps only the other members of these Secret Organizations could truly be considered their peers.’