Chapter 104: Devouring the Years

The Master said: “At fifteen, I set my heart upon learning; at thirty, I took my stand; at forty, I had no more doubts; at fifty, I knew the will of Heaven; at sixty, my ear was obedient; at seventy, I could follow my heart’s desire without overstepping the bounds.”

Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang, inside the 【Growth Rings Secret Realm】, suddenly aged more than ten years, reaching the age of “taking one’s stand.” They now looked as though they were in their thirties.

Moreover, their bodies seemed to have turned mortal.

In the Xuanhuang Realm, cultivators carried Spiritual Energy within them, and with Spiritual Pills like the Face-preserving Pill, they usually had ways to maintain their appearance, aging more slowly.

But the ordinary mortals at the foot of the mountains were different.

Chu Huaixu now looked much more mature, even his eyes had changed slightly.

The older a person grew, the dimmer the light in their eyes became.

With age and frailty, one’s gaze would also grow somewhat turbid.

The corners of his eyes already bore faint wrinkles.

The youthful aura on his body had completely faded, replaced by a steadier presence.

In addition, between his brows, there was now a faint trace of weariness.

“Clearly, the Spiritual Energy inside me is still there. I’m still a Body Training cultivator, and my physical strength remains.”

“But why does this body feel just like that of a man in his thirties grinding away at work?” Chu Huaixu was baffled.

He felt that many parts of his body were uncomfortable, suspecting all sorts of minor ailments.

His energy was no longer as vigorous as before, and his mind was even a little clouded.

“They all say that once a man passes twenty-five, he begins his downward slope.”

Chu Huaixu even felt that, with his body in this thirty-something state, those foods that boosted virility—even if he didn’t like them—he’d have to start eating…

For the sake of sustainable development, he had to begin taking care of his health!

“Looks like this too is part of the trial within the Secret Realm?” he guessed inwardly.

As for Han Shuangjiang at his side, she had revealed a different kind of beauty.

The girlishness on her body had completely faded, and she now appeared mature and full of allure.

Even her figure seemed to have changed slightly, becoming a bit more voluptuous.

Those already plump buttocks now gave the impression that they could almost be squeezed to yield water.

In short—lush and supple.

Although Han Shuangjiang was still wearing her white robes, she now carried a completely different effect.

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Her childishness had fallen away, her temperament altered.

She had always been cold as ice, and now, with “age” added on, she carried an extra touch of solemnity.

Just by looking at that stunningly beautiful face, there was even a faint air of restraint about her.

Big Ice Block furrowed her brows, that stern coldness only deepened.

Even at a young age, she had always carried a big-sisterly aura, with a touch of mature dominance.

Now, that domineering aura mixed with a woman’s charm, leaving Chu Huaixu momentarily dazed.

In truth, he felt that his condition wasn’t just being thirty and taking his stand, but already thirty-five and climbing toward forty, approaching the “no more doubts” age.

But so what if he reached forty and without doubt?

For most people, so-called “no more doubts” at forty simply meant that, even at forty, they still could not resist temptation.

“Is this how she’ll look in the future?” he thought to himself.

And in Han Shuangjiang’s heart, a similar thought had arisen.

She looked at him, unable to resist speaking: “What has happened to us?”

“Not sure, but it must be the effect of the Secret Realm,” Chu Huaixu replied.

It felt like an illusion, yet somehow not only an illusion.

He could stir the Black Small Sword within his Sea of Consciousness to see if he could break it apart!

But after thinking for a moment, Chu Huaixu decided to observe a while longer.

“Let’s first see what tricks this 【Growth Rings Secret Realm】 is playing.”

“Besides, Big Ice Block’s current look is rather interesting.”

“Watch a bit longer,” he thought.

In the sweltering summer, the noisy cicada cries around them had already been shaken away by Chu Huaixu.

The two walked along a path in the forest, feeling stifling heat.

The waves of heat seemed impossible to resist with their cultivation.

Even the Black-Gold Robe on Chu Huaixu, which should have kept him cool in summer and warm in winter, seemed useless now.

Sweat began to trickle down their bodies, dampening their temples.

Yet they feared there might be further trials hidden within this stage, and dared not rush forward recklessly, only trudging on slowly.

Their backs were drenched in sweat, breathing turned heavier.

Chu Huaixu glanced at Han Shuangjiang beside him, finding her beauty tinged with sweat all the more striking.

Along the way, they had not met with any danger.

They halted before a stone door.

Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang turned back together.

The summer breeze swept by, rustling the leaves of the two rows of towering trees along the path.

Every leaf swayed gently in the wind.

As though waving farewell to the two of them.

“In this Growth Rings Secret Realm, it seems each stage ends with its own scene,” Chu Huaixu said.

In the previous stage, they had walked together along a path of flowers.

Han Shuangjiang nodded, finding this Secret Realm truly unique.

At that moment, she suddenly asked: “Chu Huaixu, you were born in Huaixu, right? That’s why you were given this name.”

“Mm.” He nodded.

Chu Huaixu smiled as he looked at the trees behind them, saying, “I know, these are all locust trees.”

The summer wind blew again, shaking loose clusters of locust blossoms, which carried a certain beauty.

When a person bore a name and then looked upon such a scene, it was hard not to feel stirred.

Chu Huaixu could not help but gaze a while longer.

But when he turned back to Han Shuangjiang, he couldn’t help thinking of something.

“If this stage is Huaixu, then the next one might just be Frost Descent.” He joked.

Frost Descent was the eighteenth of the twenty-four solar terms, marking the end of autumn.

It was the season with the greatest difference between day and night temperatures.

Big Ice Block heard his words, and her heart stirred slightly once more.

Their two names seemed to carry special meaning within this Growth Rings Secret Realm.

Summer and autumn were naturally next to each other.

Chu Huaixu pushed open the stone door with force.

A refreshing air rushed forth, bringing waves of coolness.

The two stepped forward, and the scenery before them immediately shifted.

From early summer, they entered deep autumn.

Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang stood before the stone door, beholding a forest of parasol trees.

Golden parasol leaves in autumn, frosted curtains at night unrolled.

From afar, the endless golden hues of late autumn were magnificent.

A moment ago, they had been drenched in sweat from the heat, but now the autumn breeze was cool and soothing.

The parasol forest before them was clearly full of ancient trees.

For parasol trees grew extremely tall.

They exchanged a glance and realized their appearances had changed again.

It was as if they had aged another ten years in an instant.

Lines now traced Chu Huaixu’s face—marks left by the passing years.

His long, ink-black hair was streaked with silver.

Signs of old age had already begun to show on his body.

His spirit and vigor weakened, and from time to time he even wanted to cough.

He moved his thoughts, raising his hands.

Once people grew old, even their hands became ugly.

But what Chu Huaixu cared about now was not this.

He extended his hands far, then drew them close, as if testing something.

After a few seconds, he had the answer.

“Damn it! Presbyopia already!”

Chu Huaixu never imagined that in his youth, one trip into a Secret Realm would let him experience farsightedness.

He could feel how contradictory his body was now.

The strength granted by Body Training still existed.

Yet his body resembled that of an ordinary mortal nearing fifty—everywhere compared to youth felt off, felt worse.

His thoughts, too, had grown slower, less agile than before.

As for Han Shuangjiang at his side, only four words could describe her—mature allure retained.

If earlier, she had only begun to display maturity, then now, she was fully ripened.

Han Shuangjiang’s form and posture had also shifted.

She looked more graceful, relaxed, the richness of her figure deepened further.

Looking at her, Chu Huaixu began to understand why many said that mature women were like aged wine.

“You look much older,” Han Shuangjiang spoke. “Am I the same?”

She was curious, yet hesitant to look.

“You’re fine. Can’t even tell. Your looks are surprisingly resistant to age.” Chu Huaixu chuckled.

Big Ice Block shot him a glance, carrying another layer of charm.

“Don’t you feel it’s not only our appearances that have changed, but that we’ve truly aged?” she said.

At this, her heart carried a faint thread of fear.

Clearly still a maiden in her prime, and suddenly like this.

If it could not be undone, it would be unbearable.

It felt as though her years had been devoured by this Secret Realm!

“It feels like this isn’t just illusion. I’m not sure I can break it. Shall I try?” Chu Huaixu asked.

The two had aged so much in an instant that even their voices had shifted.

He closed his eyes, summoning the Heart Sword.

The Small Sword in his Sea of Consciousness trembled violently, yet nothing changed around them!

“Hold on, let me try again.” Chu Huaixu refused to believe it.

He sat cross-legged, pouring all his strength into his Divine Sense, merging with the Black Small Sword.

“Break for me!”

That power, as though it could cut through all falsehood, spread out in all directions.

Yet still, the two remained unchanged—the Heart Sword useless here.

“Could it be this isn’t an illusion?”

Chu Huaixu turned to Han Shuangjiang, seeing her frown deepen, her eyes carrying a hint of shock, as if she had discovered something wrong.

“What is it?” Chu Huaixu asked.

She raised her hand, pointing to a lock of his hair that had fallen across his brow. “Just now these strands were black. Now they’re all white!”

“In other words, not only do we grow older with each stage, but if we remain trapped within one stage, as time passes—

We’ll continue to grow old?” Chu Huaixu’s gaze grew solemn.