Listening to Hu Tao, Old Director Hu was stunned, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter that didn't sound like an old man at all. He rubbed Hu Tao's little head.
"Silly child."
"According to the 'Delayed Retirement Act' promulgated at last year's Rite of Parting,"
"I'm still considered a young, strong laborer!"
"So... of course I'll always be with you."
Old Director Hu's laughter was crisp, but Lu Li noticed a flicker of complex emotion in his eyes.
Afterward, under Old Director Hu's soothing, Hu Tao cried and laughed herself to sleep.
"Little friend... if you have the chance again in the future, come play with little Hu Tao!"
Old Director Hu, having met countless people in his life, had a hunch: Lu Li possessed a maturity and steadiness beyond his age; he was an extraordinary person.
Lu Li nodded, "Definitely, but I need to go home now."
With Old Director Hu watching him leave, Lu Li departed from WangSheng Funeral Parlor.
As night deepened, Lu Li took one last look at the myriad lights of Liyue Harbor.
Just then, Skirk appeared silently beside Lu Li, handing him a string of candied hawthorns.
Lu Li took a bite, and the sweet and sour taste bloomed on his tongue, but his heart felt heavy.
After visiting WangSheng Funeral Parlor, Lu Li had witnessed the partings of life and death, gaining some insights.
He lowered his head, looking at his small hands. This body would grow, age, and eventually, like the Liyue youth's grandfather, would turn into a mound of yellow earth.
After his rebirth, Lu Li was not a Changsheng, and his lifespan was quite limited. At most, he would live for a hundred years.
Before his rebirth, Lu Li hadn't experienced birth, old age, or sickness; he had gone straight to death.
Although he had some understanding of death, he had no concept of the length of a lifespan.
Seeing Lu Li's expression change, Skirk asked, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking, do all people die?"
Skirk knew Lu Li had spent some time at WangSheng Funeral Parlor today and had witnessed life and death. So, Skirk was silent for a moment.
"Flesh and blood bodies eventually reach their end. Even if one doesn't die of old age, various other accidents can occur. What you can do is make yourself strong."
With that, Skirk looked up at the sky, then down at Lu Li.
"If you wish to attain Changsheng, you must transcend the limits of mortals, just like my master, who stepped out of this land into the starry sky, traversing the universe."
Skirk recalled the days she spent with Surtalogi. She traveled with Surtalogi across the cosmos, personally witnessing her master effortlessly eliminate all kinds of enemies.
Whether it was a doomsday weapon created with the resources of an entire star system, a deity formed from the collected faith of many, or the strongest warrior among billions of beings... as her own strength grew, Skirk became certain of one thing: no one had yet managed to make her master use his true abilities.
Listening to Skirk's answer, Lu Li pondered, "To attain Changsheng, one must transcend mortal limits..."
As he thought about Skirk's words, a Khvarena suddenly flashed in Lu Li's mind.
At the same time, a voice echoed in Lu Li's mind.
"Your desire for Changsheng has allowed you to perceive a trace of the Law of Life. You have created the 'Changsheng Art'."
A surge of information instantly flooded Lu Li's mind. Lu Li vaguely touched upon a blurry path, a path to eternal life that reverses vitality, steals the essence of yin and yang, and seizes the lifespan of heaven and earth.
Lu Li circulated the "Changsheng Art" and discovered a wisp of energy from an unknown source flowing into his body. This wisp of energy gently nourished Lu Li's body.
Lu Li immediately felt a bit younger and quickly stopped cultivating! He couldn't practice this right now. Lu Li was afraid that if he kept practicing, he would turn back into a baby.
Skirk noticed Lu Li's anomaly and knew that he must have comprehended something.
"Let's go, it's time to go back and continue cultivating."
Skirk's words pulled Lu Li back to reality. A moment's rest was enough to relax; it was time to go back and continue becoming stronger!
Skirk raised one hand, and the chip opened a portal to the Akasha. Skirk slowly stepped into it, and Lu Li followed.
As Lu Li stepped into the portal with one foot, he seemed to hear Hu Tao's distant dream talk.
"Grandpa... don't you dare die secretly... *huff huff*."
"Little brother, hurry and lie in the coffin with me... let's dream of immortals together."
"*Huff huff*~"
...After stepping into the portal, Lu Li felt a momentary daze as the ground spun around him. When he came to his senses, he was in the Akasha.
His trip to Liyue today had brought Lu Li a moment of joy. Today's cultivation was not yet complete. Lu Li was in high spirits and not at all sleepy, so he picked up a larger crystal sword and began to practice.
Flashes of sword light streaked across; each sword carried sword energy. Lu Li's current strength was enough to continuously launch hundreds of sword energies! Each sword seemed to have the momentum to cleave through space.
Skirk watched this scene with considerable satisfaction. After practicing for a while, Lu Li suddenly remembered that Skirk hadn't eaten yet today.
So, Lu Li used the ingredients he had bought to make a table full of dishes—steamed perch, crab roe tofu... and a steaming bowl of pickled fresh pork and bamboo shoot soup.
Skirk, who was meditating and cultivating, smelled the aroma. She looked towards Lu Li, then fixed her gaze on the dishes.
"When did this kid learn to cook?! It looks quite delicious."
Seeing Skirk open his eyes, Lu Li called out to him, "Master, time to eat!"
Skirk, with a whoosh, broke through the Akasha and appeared beside Lu Li. Skirk took a bite and suddenly fell silent.
Lu Li saw that Skirk had become silent from eating; that shouldn't be right. "Is it not good?"