Chapter 558

“Jiege, does your miracle herb method for prolonging life have any limitations?”

After sighing deeply, Zhang Chulan leaned close to Zhang Jie and asked in a hushed tone.

Xu San and the others also strained their ears: although this centuries-old miracle herb was precious,

for ordinary people, not even seeing it was a distant hope, let alone using it themselves,

but to those with true power, it was not so rare.

If Zhang Jie’s method of prolonging life had no limits, it would surely trigger earth-shattering changes.

Once someone clung desperately to life, it might spark chaos: “Can there be a crown prince who lives forty years?”

“Of course there are limits.”

Zhang Jie nodded and explained softly: “This method of prolonging life with the miracle herb

transforms the herb’s medicinal power into vital energy to replenish the body’s deficiencies and extend lifespan.

Although I’ve done my utmost, the life essence I’ve refined

still cannot achieve the fluid, spontaneous transformation of primordial Qi.

Thus, though I haven’t tested it yet, based on my deductions,

using more than two miracle herbs at once will inevitably trigger violent backlash.

At that point, it won’t be prolonging life—it’ll be hastening death.

In short, this method can only be used once per person.”

“This is kind of like organ transplant rejection.”

Xu San, who had studied medicine due to Xu Xiang’s hospitalization, mused aloud.

Zhang Chulan immediately pulled out his phone and began searching:

Organ transplant rejection is fundamentally the body’s immune system mistaking the newly implanted organ

for an “invader” and launching an immune attack.

Clinically, based on timing, mechanism, and severity, it’s mainly classified into four types: hyperacute,

acute, chronic, and graft-versus-host reaction, with acute rejection being the most common.

Hyperacute rejection: typically occurs within minutes to 48 hours post-transplant.

It results from pre-existing antibodies rapidly attacking the new organ,

causing thrombosis in blood vessels and rapid organ necrosis.

Acute rejection: the most common clinical type, usually occurring weeks to three months post-transplant.

Main symptoms include sudden fever, fatigue, localized swelling and pain at the transplant site,

accompanied by declining organ function (e.g., reduced urine output and elevated serum creatinine after kidney transplant).

Chronic rejection: often occurs months or even years post-transplant, a slow, progressive process.

Mainly manifests as gradual decline in transplant organ function, difficult to treat,

and is the primary cause of long-term transplant failure.

Graft-versus-host reaction: commonly seen in bone marrow transplants,

where newly implanted immune cells turn and attack the patient’s own tissues,

often triggering multi-organ failure and posing grave danger.

The first essential measure is strict adherence to medication schedules—this is the core defense against rejection.

Immunosuppressants (such as tacrolimus, cyclosporine) must be taken for life, strictly as prescribed,

never stopping, reducing dosage, or changing timing without authorization, or violent rejection will easily be triggered.

Zhang Jie merely glanced casually and absorbed every word on the phone screen,

thinking: science and mysticism, when developed to a certain height, ultimately converge.

He nodded in understanding: “The mechanism is more complex, but the principle is similar.”

Zhang Chulan felt a chill: organ transplant rejection affects only the transplanted organ—

like the liver, kidneys, heart, or bone marrow—but Zhang Jie’s life-prolonging method acts on the entire body,

so if rejection occurred, the scene would surely resemble a horror movie…

“Good, there are limits, good there are limits.”

Even facing his own life or death, Xu Xiang still spoke with relief.

This country is vast, able to accommodate over a billion ordinary people and tens of thousands of cultivators.

But this country is also small, unable to tolerate another immortal besides Feng Baobao.

When immortality is involved, not everyone can resist the temptation.

After all, immortality is the sum of all human desires:

Once one possesses immortality, what power, wealth, beauty, or fame could be beyond reach?

Time stands on the side of the immortal.

These years, even as he exhausted himself hiding the secret of Awu’s immortality, every action leaves traces.

Yet when he sought to erase these traces after discovering them,

he found a mysterious force had already cleaned up the aftermath.

Though this force also tried to conceal itself, after his covert investigation,

he determined this force originated from Zhao Fangxu, the Director of Niudatong Company, representing the state!

Clearly, Director Zhao understood what immortality meant—it wasn’t just wealth, power, and authority,

but also chaos, conflict, deceit, intrigue, and even a spark for war.

For years, it was through an unspoken understanding with Director Zhao that they

kept Awu’s immortality secret, firmly contained within North China, never spreading to the cultivator world or higher authorities.

‘What comes next…’

Watching Awu, whose eyes still sparkled with innocence and joy, Xu Xiang couldn’t help but worry again.

Without him, could Xu San and Xu Si continue to fulfill their mission of protecting her?

“Goodbye, Jie.”

“See you tomorrow, Third Brother, Fourth Brother.”

Night was deep; at the crossroads, Zhang Jie and the others parted ways, each returning home.

Xu San and Xu Si helped Xu Xiang, whose expression was grim and anxious, into the car and drove off.

Zhang Jie naturally returned to his own residence.

“Baobao-jie…”

Zhang Chulan hadn’t yet decided where to go.

Too much had happened tonight: first, Feng Baobao was his father’s killer,

then, Feng Baobao turned out to be an immortal,

and finally, Zhang Jie, whom he’d already thought unfathomable, was even deeper than he imagined—

capable of methods that nearly resurrected the dead. The information was too much,

too chaotic, too shocking—his mind was spinning.

“To the suburban villa!”

Feng Baobao didn’t care about any of that; she said she’d train Zhang Chulan, so she would.

“Alright.”

Zhang Chulan thought for a moment and agreed.

He’d once read in some fitness magazine that when your mind is flooded with chaotic thoughts,

you might as well throw yourself fully into exercise—a vigorous workout can restore inner calm.

He didn’t know if this would truly bring calm, but clearly, once he was utterly exhausted,

muscles aching, he wouldn’t have the energy left for wild speculation.

Of course, Zhang Chulan had no choice—he couldn’t refuse, because Feng Baobao’s hand was already resting on his shoulder.

With her blunt, brutal nature, if Zhang Chulan refused,

the Gangbenlingdianlingyi might, probably, likely, definitely be drawn.

Zhang Chulan felt that as a man, he should be gentlemanly and fully respect a girl’s wishes.

This had nothing to do with the faint glint of the Gangbenlingdianlingyi hidden in Feng Baobao’s sleeve…

Was it his imagination, or did Zhang Jie, walking behind, catch a glimmer of tears in Zhang Chulan’s corner of the eye?