A ripple stirred in Qin Ming's heart. Could the "technique" that was said to be unachievable now have been refined and perfected?
Returning from the wilderness, he felt as though a fire burned within him, making even the harsh winter seem warm. His entire body felt like it was growing stronger—it wasn't just an illusion. With a nudge of his toes, the stone mill in the courtyard lifted off the ground.
Leaping into the air, Qin Ming seemed suspended in time. He reached out and grabbed a handful of snow from the eaves of the roof.
As he exhaled, a white stream of air shot out like a spear wrapped in dense mist, producing a loud and sharp sound as it pierced through the stillness.
With abdominal breathing driving his movements, Qin Ming's figure flickered and shifted, stirring the snow from the ground and sending it flying into the air. The courtyard seemed to be experiencing another snowstorm.
He moved, and his entire body followed in sync. With a sweep of his arm, the dancing snowflakes were scattered and shattered into oblivion.
The vitality within his flesh surged significantly, and his entire body felt hot. Silvery patterns interwove through his pores, drawing out sweat that felt purifying, as though it was cleansing his body.
A faint silver glow enveloped Qin Ming's entire being, leaving him feeling completely relaxed and invigorated.
Such phenomena during the process of rebirth were considered extremely rare.
Qin Ming trained for a long time, exerting himself to his limits. Only when he truly felt fatigued did he stop.
Rebirth was a process, and Qin Ming was certain that his body was undergoing a transformation. Within a few days, he believed he would achieve his goal.
Instead of returning indoors, he sat quietly in the courtyard, allowing the snowflakes stirred by his movements to fall back on him. He didn't fear the cold; instead, his body remained warm and toasty.
This was completely different from before. When he had just recovered from his illness, even wrapped in thick blankets on the heated bed, he would shiver uncontrollably.
Closing his eyes, Qin Ming began visualizing himself, replaying the high-difficulty movements he had performed earlier to strengthen his consciousness.
The faint silver ripples that had receded moments before began to reappear. His breathing, led by his mind, grew increasingly intricate and irregular.
Thought moves the spirit, intent moves the energy. The light on his body brightened slightly as a result.
The courtyard fell silent, Qin Ming gradually covered in snow.
It wasn't until much later that he emptied his mind completely, allowing no thoughts to linger.
When the silver glow on his body finally faded, Qin Ming slowly opened his eyes, taking in the changes within himself. He was certain that a powerful rebirth force was being nurtured inside him.
Walking up to the two-hundred-pound millstone in the courtyard, Qin Ming lifted it easily, then gently set it back down.
"Rebirth will likely be completed in two days," he thought confidently.
At that moment, hunger struck him with a familiar intensity.
Qin Ming boiled a pot of mushroom soup, using walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts as his main meal, with red dates and hawthorns as side dishes. He ate heartily and with satisfaction.
Once he had rested enough, Qin Ming began a new round of training, determined to speed up the rebirth process.
His movements were explosive, like a bowstring snapping, and his strikes sounded like rolling thunder. Snowflakes danced violently in the courtyard, driven by his movements, as his flesh and blood grew increasingly vigorous.
In this manner, he repeated the cycle—training until exhausted, eating his stock of dry goods, and resting to recover. From shallow night to deep night, his body was constantly overflowing with vibrant life.
Before going to bed, he washed himself with icy water filled with shards of ice. The cold did not bother him in the slightest. His lean and tall body, free of excess fat, glistened with defined and powerful muscle under the reddish glow of the sunstone. Wet black hair clung to his skin, water droplets reflecting the firelight as his body radiated strength and vigor.
That night, Qin Ming fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, his body brimming with a refreshing vitality due to the accelerating rebirth process.
The next day, Qin Ming's appetite had grown enormously—he had increased his meals to seven per day.
This was because the process of postnatal womb-like regeneration consumed an astonishing amount of energy.
Even the most delicious foods would grow tiresome after so many meals, especially when it was all dry goods that needed to be washed down with hot water.
"It's a shame we don't have more mushrooms. I can't even make another pot of fresh soup," Qin Ming sighed in regret.
What troubled him further was that his stock of food was running low. At this rate, he only had enough to last for another day.
"Am I a bottomless pit? A large hide bag full of food only lasted me three days." Qin Ming muttered to himself.
Despite the concerns about food, Qin Ming did not stop practicing his technique. He remained as steady as a mountain while still being as agile as an eagle, the silver glow from his pores growing ever brighter.
He could feel his physical strength improving—not all at once, but gradually, step by step.
Moving to one side of the courtyard, Qin Ming decided to test himself by lifting the upper and lower millstones together. He exerted his strength suddenly and managed to lift them completely off the ground.
At that moment, Lu Ze entered the courtyard and froze in shock.
"Qin, you… what on earth?" Lu Ze was stunned. Just yesterday, he had worried that Qin Ming would miss the golden age for rebirth, but now he was witnessing this scene.
Hearing the commotion, Liang Wanqing also came over. When she learned what had happened, she was equally dumbfounded.
"Just like that sickly boy from the neighboring village, Qin Ming can already lift over four hundred pounds right after rebirth," Lu Ze said, his voice full of genuine happiness for Qin Ming.
"To achieve rebirth during the golden age… Qin Ming, you really did it!" Liang Wanqing exclaimed. He was the first in Double Tree Village to do so in many years.
"Uncle, you're amazing!" Wen Rui ran over, his bright eyes filled with admiration as he looked up at Qin Ming.
"I think the changes brought by rebirth are still happening," Qin Ming remarked.
He realized now that the process would take longer than he had initially estimated—it wasn't over yet.
Liang Wanqing, still in awe, said, "In this region, even achieving rebirth during the golden age only allows one to lift five hundred pounds at most once stabilized. Could it be that Qin Ming will push beyond that limit?"
"I've heard that in that bright city far away, there are youths capable of lifting six hundred pounds," Lu Ze said. He was eager to see what heights Qin Ming could reach once his rebirth stabilized.
Suddenly, a commotion could be heard from the street outside.
Liang Wanqing stepped out to investigate, only to return shortly with a solemn expression. "It's Old Madam Zhou. Her condition has worsened."
Qin Ming's heart sank. He had seen her just yesterday on the road. Her thin, bloodless face had already looked unwell.
"What happened?" Lu Ze asked.
Liang Wanqing sighed. "It's said that she hasn't been eating enough recently. Her health wasn't good to begin with, so things took a turn for the worse."
The news that Old Madam Zhou had passed away spread quickly. Qin Ming and Lu Ze went to her house, where they found her lying motionless, her face yellow and waxen.
Her grandchildren knelt beside her, crying loudly.
Before passing, she had told them where food was hidden—a few frost-bitten tubers and hardened bread stashed in bamboo baskets under the snow.
Qin Ming remained silent for a long time. Two days prior, she had shakily handed him dried tubers she had saved, trying to give them to him.
Such a kind woman… just gone like that.
That night, Qin Ming sat alone in the dark courtyard, listening to the faint cries coming from the Zhou household. He thought of his own hazy, fading memories—faces that grew more unclear with each passing day.
He gazed at the black, endless night sky, feeling an inexplicable loneliness. Somewhere deep within his heart, he saw a distant, blurry light—a shadowy figure that he could not quite reach, a remnant of his childhood memories.
Suddenly, an oppressive aura swept over him, making his entire body tense.
Out of the pitch-black night sky appeared two glowing golden lanterns—mysterious and terrifying.
This chapter sets up the physical transformation brought by Qin Ming's rebirth, his developing strength, and the harsh realities of survival in this unforgiving world.