Chapter 497: Longevity Technique

"Lifespan," Anxiwodasi's expression turned complex, he whispered, "The lifespan of a Holy Soul Wizard is actually limited; they cannot be nearly immortal like the gods."

Lei En suddenly felt enlightened.

All this time, he had ignored this information, but it wasn't his fault. Holy Soul Wizards can live for a very long time—so long that, to date, none has ever died a natural death, which has given people the illusion that Holy Soul Wizards are immortal, almost common knowledge now.

Augulevi Master is the most famous example; as the first Holy Soul Wizard in history, he lived over two thousand years, the same age as the Empire.

Lei En has read many histories about Ai Lun E Si, including histories before the New Era Calendar.

Those histories mention former world dominators—dragons and giants, elves, dwarves, and so on—whose lifespans, being above Saint Rank, are especially long, lasting dozens of centuries.

Especially the elves' Grand Mage is most often compared with Holy Soul Wizards.

In the Third Epoch, many elven Grand Mages were active for several thousand years; the most famous few lived from the epoch's beginning to its destruction, and some even survived the Dark Millennium and are still alive today, having lived a full ten thousand years!

These long-lived Grand Mages misled Lei En, making him think Holy Soul Wizards could also live that long.

"Master, what is the lifespan of a Holy Soul Wizard?"

"Roughly two thousand years," Anxiwodasi replied, not entirely sure. "A wizard's lifespan varies by individual, experiences, degree of Soul Transformation, and any soul trauma—all affect how long they live."

"So short!"

Lei En's face showed astonishment; it was far shorter than he had expected.

Legendary High-rank Wizards can live up to nearly a thousand years, so logically, given how difficult it is to ascend to Holy Soul Wizard, even if their lifespan were multiplied several times—to three or four thousand years—it would be comparable, whereas those elven Grand Mages can live over ten thousand years!

"That's caused by the Blood Soul Curse."

Anxiwodasi explained with a bitter expression, "A transcendent's lifespan depends on two factors: first, the body's ability to stay vigorous; second, the soul's enduring strength."

"Humans' innate lifespan is already shorter than other races, and our souls are tormented by the Blood Soul Curse when they are weakest. Our foundations are fragile; even after repeated Soul Transformations that strengthen us, or even after the curse is lifted, the soul's essence remains flawed, aging faster and making it harder to resist the eroding flow of time."

"Holy Soul Wizards have many ways to keep their bodies vigorous, but there is no particularly good method to halt soul decay."

"Based on my own soul's condition, two thousand years is about the limit," Anxiwodasi said of his own lifespan, appearing relaxed and indifferent.

Lei En quietly observed twice; the Master's appearance seemed merely aged, but his body is far superior to that of most people, comparable to a legendary melee transcendent. He recalled that the Master was born in New Era Calendar 1242, ascended to Holy Soul Wizard in 1334, and now it is New Era Calendar 2530—so he should still have at least seven hundred years left, still far from his limit!

The Master currently has no lifespan concerns, but Augulevi Master is different.

No one knows exactly how old Augulevi Master is, but everyone has heard the rumor that he was born before the Empire was founded, had deep contact with Emperor Alfar in his youth, and personally witnessed every historical event of the Empire to date.

The Empire was founded in New Era Calendar 221, meaning this "First Wizard" is at least 2,300 years old, perhaps even older!

That already exceeds the lifespan ceiling for Holy Soul Wizards.

Lei En searched the mobile library but couldn't find Augulevi Master's birth date, and curiously asked, "Master, exactly how old is Augulevi Master?"

"Only he himself might know that."

Anxiwodasi shook his head, hesitated, and replied, "Based on my estimate, he may have been born around New Era Calendar 160."

"Year 160!"

Lei En quickly calculated, surprised, "Augulevi Master is already 2,370 years old; how did he achieve that?"

Before Anxiwodasi could answer, he thought of another person, KangJieladeGreatSage.

This Holy Soul Wizard, the second most senior in the Supreme Council, has a recorded birth in New Era Calendar 265, about a hundred years later than Augulevi Master. His age also exceeds the two‑thousand‑year lifespan limit.

The other Holy Soul Wizards of the Supreme Council are all under two thousand years old; the youngest, Black Robe Duke Tu Zilei, is not even two hundred.

"And KangJieladeGreatSage..." Lei En furrowed his brows.

"Don't make wild guesses," Anxiwodasi waved his hand, "The GrandSage devised a Longevity Elixir combined with bodily augmentations to extend his own life, but the ingredients are extremely rare, requiring other planes to obtain, and only he can use it."

Lei En suddenly realized that KangJieladeGreatSage truly is the Empire's greatest alchemist, capable of crafting a Longevity Elixir.

If such an elixir could be used by others, it would be the most expensive elixir in the world!

"What about Augulevi Master?" he asked.

Anxiwodasi was silent for a few seconds, then said, "That's the secret I was going to tell you. To live longer, they invented a Ten-ring Spell called 'Augulevi's Longevity Technique'; each casting bestows about a hundred years of extra life on themselves, and it can be stacked indefinitely."

"... " Lei En was dumbfounded.

Ten-ring Spell!

One casting can extend life by a hundred years and can be stacked infinitely; this spell truly lives up to its name, enough to grant Holy Soul Wizards endless longevity!

For a mortal, Augulevi Master inventing such a magnificent spell shows that his magical talent and power are truly epoch‑shaking.

Immediately, Lei En sensed something amiss.

If this were true, why would Augulevi Master concoct so many conspiracies? This Longevity Technique must have some drawback.

Sure enough, Anxiwodasi continued, "The Longevity Technique is beneficial, but it requires a Holy Soul‑level being as casting material, and it must be alive—both soul and body, no exceptions. The casting process is long and complex, extremely difficult; even a Holy Soul Wizard cannot guarantee 100% success."

Lei En jumped in fright.

A Holy Soul‑level material means Augulevi Master must capture alive a Level 20‑plus creature every hundred years.

If the Longevity Technique casting fails, even more living material is needed.

Any creature above Level 20 is not easy to deal with.

Human transcendants may be the weakest; those Saint Rank species—including various monsters, spirits, dragons, demons, even angels—have no explicit levels, but their souls are Saint Rank, and they live far longer than humans. With centuries they grow stronger, so for a Holy Soul Wizard, killing them might not be hard, but capturing them alive is difficult.

Moreover, Saint Rank beings are rarely solitary; they are often linked to deities, either as Abyss evil god minions or backed by powerful hordes.

But with Augulevi Master's power, it shouldn't be that hard, at least not particularly tricky.

Lei En was somewhat puzzled.

Anxiwodasi saw his doubt and said, "It's actually hard. First, the failure rate of the Longevity Technique is too high; it takes two to three attempts for one success. Second, the technique has a fatal flaw that makes Augulevi hesitant to act rashly."

"What flaw?" Lei En asked in surprise.

"The Longevity Technique cannot be made permanent; it's a sustained spell whose effect simply lasts exceptionally long—about a hundred years," Anxiwodasi smiled, tapping Lei En's head, "With your magical knowledge, think where the risk lies?"

Lei En almost without thinking blurted, "The Longevity Technique can be dispelled!"

A sustained spell that is fixed will lose rings, dropping up to three rings or as few as one; even the best outcome only loses one ring, causing the Longevity Technique to fail. Moreover, the higher the ring count, the harder to sustain; a Ten-ring Spell is almost impossible to fix, perhaps only the God of Magic could achieve it.

As for sustained spells, no matter how high the ring count, they can still fail.

"Not bad, your reasoning is swift," Anxiwodasi praised, then explained, "All spells can be broken and dispelled, the Longevity Technique included." He shook his head and sighed, "Once the Longevity Technique fails, the body and soul revert to their true ages—you can imagine the consequence."

Lei En could indeed imagine that he would have died on the spot.

And it would be the kind of instant death where both body and spirit vanish, the soul dispersing, because that soul, sustained by a spell, should have perished long ago.

Thus, the Immortality Technique becomes a burst‑death technique.

Ai Lun E Si has a very famous spell called "Dispel Magic". Although its initial ring count reaches five rings and it is a rare super‑extraordinary Element, many Wizards and mages above the legendary rank have mastered it.

Especially the Naiser Wizards, for whom "Dispel Magic" is almost an indispensable spell in their casting philosophy.

Many combat methods require "Dispel Magic".

Some Naiser Wizards even build their entire combat style around "Dispel Magic", stripping the opponent's protective spells and magical items clean, then following up with an instant‑kill spell or a high‑ring spell, cleanly slaying the enemy.

If Augulevi Master is hit by "Dispel Magic" and fails to resist, he would die instantly.

He is the founder of the Naiser Fu Kong Cheng, yet he fears Naiser Wizards the most; it's a huge irony!

Moreover, the "Anti‑Magic Field" has a similar effect.

There are also Death Magic Zones, Magic Siphon, Forbidden Magic Rune Arrays, and so on; Lei En knows of at least ten ways to cancel spells, all of which can nullify the Immortality Technique, causing Augulevi Master to die on the spot.

It is believed that in the Naiser Fu Kong Cheng, such places are not few.

Augulevi Master may not even dare to wander around his own Fu Kong Cheng, let alone go on adventures or fight others.

If enemies exploit this fatal weakness, it would be disastrous.

Lei En couldn't help shaking his head in sigh, then thought of a detail: "Master, has Augulevi Master not appeared publicly for a long time?"

"Yes." Anxiwodasi nodded. "Since more than four hundred years ago, I haven't seen his true form. Whenever the Supreme Council convenes, he only projects an image, and when action is needed he lets his students act for him, or sends out a clone."

"No one knows where his true form is."

Anxiwodasi thought for a few seconds, "Considering this incident, I even suspect he is no longer within the Empire's borders."

"Could he be on the New Continent?" Lei En guessed.

"Possibly."

Anxiwodasi fell silent.

The Liches bearing Death‑Knot seals hide on the New Continent, as does another Lord of the Dead's minion organization, and the Catastrophe Legion also occupies the northern ice plains of the New Continent. If Augulevi Master has been lurking there for centuries, who knows how many conspiracies he has plotted.

Lei En let out a quiet sigh.

Augulevi Master, to survive, would certainly refuse to be bound by the Immortality Technique; the first Holy Soul Wizard in human history, yet he must act timidly, hiding his head and tail—such a feeling must be unpleasant. Moreover, the materials for the Immortality Technique are hard to obtain.

To live longer without relying on the Immortality Technique, one must either achieve Deification or transform into a Lich.

Deification is a matter of chance, not pursuit, and is even harder.

Transforming into a Lich is simple: just pledge to the Lord of the Dead, offer one's soul to this ancient, terrifying Abyssal evil god, and request the Lich transformation ceremony. The price is undeniably heavy and insane; once exposed, all the countless honors and reputation earned in life would vanish.

The higher his former prestige, the harsher the scorn he would receive.

Lei En does not know what Augulevi thought, nor can he guess whether he has already become a Lich, but Augulevi's actions toward Weizelan, and the damage and threat they caused, are very real.

If this news spreads, the shock it would cause throughout the Empire is easy to imagine.

"Master, what should we do?" Lei En asked.

Anxiwodasi placed a hand on his forehead, fell into contemplation, and remained silent for a long time. Lei En had never seen his master like this, realizing it might be the most difficult decision of his life.

A quarter hour later.

Anxiwodasi finally made up his mind, his voice low, "These are all our conjectures; we cannot be sure whether he truly fell. Without concrete evidence, we must not act rashly, lest the consequences be unimaginable."

Lei En nodded silently; he shared the same thought.

"First, we must verify Augulevi Master's current condition," Anxiwodasi stood up. "We need to see his true form with our own eyes before we can judge."

"Leave this to me; you need not worry for now."

"All investigations must be conducted covertly, and must not be disclosed to anyone, lest we alert him," Anxiwodasi said seriously.

"I understand, Master."

Lei En solemnly nodded; even a Holy Soul Wizard of unknown rank, given ten more bits of courage, would not dare to provoke him—better to stay as far away as possible.

(End of Chapter)