Just as Brian Smith's mind began to calm, a sudden change occurred where his "gaze" was fixed.

First, the change happened at the edge of the beam, along with the cobwebs dusted with dirt and a few small insects.

The spider lifted its legs, released the dying insect struggling on its web, the insect retreated off the web, and the dust that had settled on the web slowly rose up...

Then, strands of spider silk were sucked back into the spider, as if flowing in reverse!

"What is going on..."

Brian Smith's heart trembled.

Then, he witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The drops of melted snow seeping through the old roof slowly disappeared...

The night faded slowly but steadily, gradually turning into dusk, noon, and then morning...

The mottled walls gradually lost their stains...

The decayed wooden beams, from which wood shavings had once fallen, now regained them, becoming smooth and new again...

The old guest room was completely renewed, then, at an even faster pace, disintegrated, became a skeleton, and finally vanished!

It seemed to happen in an instant—what entered Brian Smith's eyes was now a vast, cloudless blue sky!

Time, flowing backward?!

Chapter 2: I Just Want to Live a Few More Years

Whoosh!

In the darkness of night, Brian Smith sat up abruptly, a sliver of hazy moonlight shining on his face, which was filled with astonished joy:

"This feeling, this feeling..."

An indescribable sensation spread through Brian Smith's heart, making him tremble uncontrollably.

Even now, he still didn't know what had happened to him.

But he knew that the thing he had been searching for so long had finally appeared!

Close eyes!

Open eyes!

Close eyes!

Open eyes!

...

Brian Smith kept closing and opening his eyes, over and over, like a child who had found his favorite toy.

It seemed that as long as he wished, whether his eyes were closed or open, that strange perspective would appear!

"This isn't good."

After a few tries, Brian Smith's body trembled, and he collapsed onto the bed, feeling utterly exhausted, as if he'd pulled an all-nighter at an internet café and then run a marathon.

His eyelids drooped, unwilling to fall asleep:

"Does this perspective drain my energy?"

...

"Layman, layman..."

"Priest, is the layman having an episode?"

"Little Brian, Little Brian, wake up..."

Amidst a flurry of noisy calls and shaking, Brian Smith slowly opened his eyes.

"You're finally awake."

Seeing Brian Smith wake up, the old Daoist finally breathed a sigh of relief and instructed the young Daoist to go prepare medicinal food.

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

Brian Smith half-sat up, feeling a splitting headache and a bit dazed.

"You've been asleep for two days. If you didn't wake up, I really wouldn't know what to do."

The old Daoist looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept in a long time.

Brian Smith's long sleep had truly frightened him.

With the mountain sealed by snow, even ambulances couldn't get in. If something really happened...

"I'm fine, sorry to have worried you, Master."

Brian Smith rubbed his temples, not expecting that perspective to be so draining.

After sleeping for two days, he still felt weak all over.

"Young friend's pulse is very weak, as if you've expended a great deal of energy. You need to rest now."

Seeing Brian Smith trying to get up, the old Daoist gently pressed him back down:

"Xiao Tan has gone to prepare medicinal food. You should rest first, keep calm and peaceful. Your body is already very weak, so don't do anything that might harm your health."

Looking at the old Daoist's emotional expression, Brian Smith was a bit speechless.

What do you think I was doing?

"When your essence is full, you don't think of lust; when your qi is full, you don't think of food; when your spirit is full, you don't think of sleep. Little Brian, remember this, remember this."

The old Daoist shook his head and sighed.

What else could a young man lying in bed be doing to use up so much energy?

With that, he ignored the black-faced Brian Smith and walked straight out of the guest room.

He really was tired these past two days.

Fine!

Brian Smith couldn't be bothered to explain. Lying in bed, he didn't dare try to open that perspective again, but just closed his eyes, recalling and analyzing what had happened to him.

First, that perspective wasn't a change in his eyes, but something inside his body—or perhaps, his soul?

Second, under that perspective, time truly flowed backward; what he saw was real.

Third, that perspective would drain his energy.

Where did this ability come from?

What use did it have?

Could it cure his illness?

"Layman?"

Not long after, the young Daoist came in with the medicinal food.

"Thank you."

Brian Smith sat up. After lying down for a while, he had recovered some strength.

"Not at all, not at all."

The young Daoist set down the medicinal food.

Brian Smith had things on his mind and didn't say much. He quickly finished the medicinal food and lay down to rest again.

Watching the young Daoist tidy up the bowls and chopsticks, Brian Smith suddenly had a thought: "I haven't looked closely before—what would happen if I looked at a person?"

With that in mind, Brian Smith looked up at the young Daoist.

Buzz~

Brian Smith felt a slight heat in front of his eyes, and in the corner of his vision, a line of symbols appeared:

【？？？】

"What is this?"

Brian Smith was stunned.

"Layman?"