Chapter 3953: Sweet Poison

The sheer force behind the elder’s words caused Lin Mu to instinctively take half a step backward. A terrifying aura surged from the recorded figure for a brief moment, carrying the weight of someone who had spent thousands of years regretting a single decision.

"The Mad Demon’s Longevity Insights are nothing more than sweet poison!" The words echoed through the compressed space.

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed. ’Sweet poison?’

He had already become more interested.

"The Mad Demon’s Longevity Insights?" He repeated the name quietly.

Zhenyu slowly raised his hand and an illusion appeared beside him.

SHUA

Lin Mu’s attention immediately shifted toward it as the scene showed a strange formation.

There were several crystal skulls arranged around a central point. Lin Mu immediately recognized them as similar to the crystal skull he had seen during the ritual. Yet these skulls were considerably different.

Each one was connected to a crystal spine.

Crystal ribs extended outward from each spine, curving around the central area. There were roughly ten such skeletal structures arranged in a circle, with their ribs overlapping and connecting with one another to form an enormous formation.

Lin Mu stared at the structure. "The skulls of the deities?"

He recognized the general design immediately. The illusion continued to rotate slowly, allowing him to observe the formation from different angles.

Zhenyu spoke. "This is the Mad Demon’s Longevity Insights." He paused. "Or rather, this is the experimental method that was created by that person."

Lin Mu’s expression became more serious as the elder reached toward the illusion and tapped it. The image changed and this time, Lin Mu saw a person walking toward the crystal formation.

He recognized him almost immediately. "Is it Zhenyu?’

However, this Zhenyu looked considerably younger.

The difference was so great that Lin Mu almost felt like he was looking at two different people. The elder in the recording looked to be in his eighties, while the person approaching the formation appeared to be in his thirties.

His pitch black hair was shorter and his beard had barely begun to grow. His body was even more vigorous than the one Lin Mu had seen earlier. There was also a completely different expression in his eyes.

There was the pure unfiltered confidence of a prodigy mixed with the ambition of a genius who knew his worth along with the clear arrogance of a young master of some major clan.

’He’s so different.’ Lin Mu felt like if he had met this version of the junior elder he likely would have had a conflict with him on the very first interaction.

The younger Zhenyu walked toward the crystal formation without hesitation and Lin Mu watched carefully.

"That was me when I first came here," the elder said.

The younger Zhenyu stopped before the crystal skeletons and looked at them with fascination. The crystal skulls began glowing as a strange energy started moving through the formation.

Lin Mu immediately activated his Spatial Perception and the formation became even clearer. He could see the spatial fluctuations around the crystal skeletons. The structure was incredibly complicated, with layers of energy flowing between the skulls, spines and ribs.

Zhenyu continued speaking. "I had spent years searching for information about the Longevity Insights. By the time I reached this place, I thought I already understood what I was looking for."

The younger Zhenyu extended his hand and his fingers touched one of the crystal ribs.

HONG!

The entire formation suddenly activated and a pulse of energy spread through the area. The younger Zhenyu’s body trembled, then his vitality began rising. Seeing this Lin Mu’s expression changed.

The change was obvious. The younger man’s body seemed to become even more vigorous. His muscles became denser, his complexion improved and his already powerful vitality surged to a higher level.

"This was when I thought I had succeeded," Zhenyu said and the younger version of himself stared at his own hands.

His expression slowly changed from surprise to excitement. "I could feel my vitality growing."

Lin Mu watched closely and Zhenyu continued. "I knew my own body better than anyone. I knew how much vitality I had remaining. I knew how my body was aging and how much time I had left. Even though I was young and had thousands of years of longevity left, I still wanted more."

The younger Zhenyu clenched his fist.

"And then I felt it." The elder’s voice became quieter. "My lifespan was increasing."

Lin Mu’s brows furrowed while the illusion showed the younger Zhenyu leaving the formation. For several moments, nothing seemed to happen. Then his vitality began to decline. The energy that had been flowing through his body gradually weakened.

The younger Zhenyu’s expression changed and he returned to the formation. The moment he stepped back into its range, the crystal skeletons activated once more and his vitality recovered.

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed. "So it only works here."

Zhenyu’s voice answered as if he had heard Lin Mu’s words. "Yes."

The elder looked at the illusion of his younger self. "That was the first thing I discovered. The Longevity Insights could grant me extended life, but the effect only existed within this space."

The younger Zhenyu stared at the crystal formation for a long time. At that point, his expression still carried excitement. He had discovered an apparent method of extending his lifespan.

He had yet to understand the price.

"I thought that limitation was acceptable," Zhenyu admitted. "I believed I could eventually understand the principles behind it. Once I did, I would simply reproduce the effect elsewhere."

Lin Mu remained silent before the elder sighed.

"That was my second mistake." The illusion continued.

The younger Zhenyu approached the formation again and he sat down before it and began examining the crystals. He inspected every skull, every rib, every spine and every connection between them. He spent days studying the structure.

Then weeks, which turned into months.

Zhenyu’s voice continued over the illusion. "I began experimenting with the formation. I wanted to understand how it supplied longevity. I wanted to know where the vitality came from and why it could only function within this space."

The younger Zhenyu continued studying and eventually, something changed. The expression on his face became confused, then wary. before it reached the limits of anxiety and then finally frightened.