No wonder, at the age of 16, with the body of an 80-year-old, he thought it was just because of excessive competition. Turns out, it was all caused by 《许家练气诀》...

"Wait, that's not right. Everyone in the clan practices this same technique. The oldest great-grandfather is apparently 92 this year and still alive..."

There are quite a few long-lived people in the family, so why is it different for him?

Did he make a mistake somewhere in his cultivation?

As soon as this thought appeared, a memory immediately surfaced.

Actually, when he was 11, he had already reached the third level of Body Tempering as a martial artist, ranking among the top in the family's history. He thought he could break through to the fifth level at sixteen and become the best in history. But in the end, for five whole years, his level didn't move at all, as if his cultivation was completely locked.

Watching his older brothers, who entered the Body Tempering stage at the same time, break through one after another, as the former "king of grinding," how could he stand it? So... he trained day and night.

《许家练气诀》 is extremely domineering. Under normal circumstances, two hours of practice a day is enough, but he did at least six... In other words, except for eating and sleeping, all his remaining time was spent cultivating, and he even secretly added more power than his body could handle...

Anything done to excess is harmful.

At first, this harsh training did make him progress faster, but his body was pushed too hard, and he was almost overdrawing himself every day. As time went on, his progress slowed more and more...

He thought it was because he wasn't working hard enough, so he kept pushing himself.

As his body got worse and worse, a vicious cycle gradually formed. Practicing this technique became equivalent to destroying his own life...

"I definitely can't keep going like this..."

He casually tossed the book aside, still feeling lingering fear.

He really didn't want to die here tonight...

"I'll go ask in the library if there's any technique that can prolong life!"

The cultivation methods they practiced were all copied from the clan's library, passed down for hundreds of years. Although the Xu family village wasn't a major power, they still had quite a few techniques and martial arts.

Thinking of this, he walked straight out of the room.

The library was at the center of the clan, with three floors, guarded by Elder Richard Clark, who was also Samuel Clark's father. He was dozing off when he saw Henry Clark walk in.

"Young clan leader..."

Richard Clark nodded with a smile.

He was quite fond of this young man—exceptional talent, diligent in cultivation. It's just a pity... in recent years, he had become a bit mediocre.

Thinking about how he hadn't broken through in five years, he couldn't help but sigh.

What a shame!

Unaware of his thoughts, Henry Clark stopped and asked, "Elder Tianyun, is there any cultivation method in our clan that can prolong one's life after practicing?"

There were at least seven or eight thousand books in the library, if not ten thousand. If he had to search for it himself, he wouldn't get any rest tonight. Asking directly might yield unexpected results.

"Prolong life? Are you talking about health-preserving techniques?"

Elder Richard Clark was stunned for a moment, then a strange look appeared in his eyes. "There is one, actually. It was obtained by an ancestor 180 years ago while traveling outside, called 'Turtle Origin Technique.' The cultivation is very slow, its power is about one-tenth that of the 'Qi Cultivation Technique,' but it's gentle in nature and can prolong life... Usually, only clan members over seventy read it. Your great-grandfather, Elder Charles Clark, is currently practicing it... Why are you looking for this, young clan leader?"

"I'm just taking a look..."

Henry Clark replied casually, not intending to explain.

He couldn't exactly say he only had five days left to live and was about to die. If he did, he'd probably be sent straight to the infirmary...

"It's on the third shelf of Section D on the first floor. Go look for it yourself..." Elder Tianyun pointed.

"Thank you!"

Henry Clark quickly walked in and, sure enough, found an ancient-looking book exactly where the elder had said.

He hurriedly opened it, and the contents immediately came into view: Turtle Origin Technique, a health-preserving method, created by observing turtles...

He quickly flipped through it, his eyes lighting up.

This technique was indeed weak in power, but... it really could prolong life!

Compared to life itself, does it matter if the technique is powerful or not?

It doesn't matter at all!

"Elder, I'll make a copy..."

Carrying the book to the door, Henry Clark picked up the brush on the table and began copying.

"Y-you want to practice this?"

Elder Tianyun's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I'll give it a try!"

Henry Clark nodded with a smile.

Clan techniques could only be copied if you intended to practice them, so there was no point denying it.

"This..."

Elder Tianyun looked regretful.

Those who practiced this were all elders who could no longer make progress and whose bodies were failing. Sixteen years old, the brightest age, and he wanted to practice this...

Young clan leader, where is your former ambition?

Could it be... that after five years without a breakthrough, you've been so discouraged that you've given up?

Chapter 004: Great Increase in Lifespan

Unaware of the elder's thoughts, Henry Clark quickly finished copying the 'Turtle Origin Technique,' got up, and took his leave.

Back in his room, he couldn't wait to open the manual, read it several times, fully understood it, and memorized it.

The Turtle Origin Technique was somewhat similar to the health-preserving Taiji from his previous life. The moves were secondary, with nurturing qi as the main focus. The movements were slow, the force was loose, and it gave a feeling of emptiness and weakness.