Qin Ming nodded solemnly. It was indeed time to consider his "rebirth" seriously. This was no small matter as it concerned his entire future and could shape the course of his destiny.
The age of fifteen or sixteen was the golden period. "Rebirth" during this time brought the greatest benefits, and missing it would be a real pity.
But achieving it was difficult. Even the most outstanding individuals in Shuangshu Village had only experienced "rebirth" after turning twenty, and some only succeeded after thirty.
Even so, among the village's forty-something households—over two hundred people in total—fewer than ten had undergone "rebirth".
Lu Ze spoke up, "That sickly kid from the next village—Er Bingzi—just made it. Right within the golden window."
Qin Ming remembered Er Bingzi. He was thin and pale, sickly-looking. Even his hair was sparse and dry like straw. He was genuinely surprised that that frail-looking boy had achieved "rebirth" at the prime age.
"When did it happen?"
"Almost a month ago," Lu Ze replied. After getting a rebirth, Er Bingzi lifted the two-hundred-pound black-haired donkey in his courtyard with ease. He had completely transformed from his previously feeble state.
"Incredible," Qin Ming muttered. So many strong young men had failed time and again, and yet Er Bingzi had succeeded in one go.
Lu Ze was also deeply moved. Though strong and fit, one of the more capable youths, he was already twenty-three and still hadn't achieved a rebirth.
"Rumor has it he had help from a relative," Lu Ze said, revealing some inside knowledge.
That relative wasn't closely related by blood and had been traveling for years. Upon returning and seeing Er Bingzi, he immediately recognized the boy as a promising talent.
He said that Er Bingzi's body had some minor issues in the past. He hadn't been able to retain vital energy, which explained his sickly appearance, but he had potential. The key was that the relative brought back an advanced Qi cultivation art and had Er Bingzi practicing it. The results were extraordinary, leading to his successful rebirth.
Qin Ming was lost in thought. Life's fortunes truly were unpredictable.
"Later, that man even said Er Bingzi's natural 'foundation' was far more solid than he had initially expected. He might be able to go very far."
Lu Ze never would've guessed that someone who always looked sickly could turn out to be so formidable.
"We might not have access to advanced Qi cultivation arts, but we do have viable options. Qin, I think it's time you changed your training method," Lu Ze advised. In his view, Qin Ming had an exceptional physique—even stronger than himself—far beyond the norm.
Yet despite such good conditions, Qin Ming had not undergone rebirth. The problem likely lay in his method of training, which couldn't nurture the energy required for a rebirth or carry him forward.
Now over sixteen, if things continue like this, Qin Ming really might miss the golden window.
Liang Wanqing also chimed in, "Qin, why not switch to Lu Ze's Midnight Meditation Technique?"
Under the eternal night sky, the wilderness had become extremely dangerous. In this environment, publicly available physical cultivation manuals have been developed in various places to help people strengthen their bodies for self-preservation. Of course, such manuals weren't advanced and were far inferior to rare secret texts.
Qin Ming wasn't stubborn. He understood their good intentions and nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Lu Ze sighed, thinking that Qin Ming had been held back by his self-taught "wild methods," which weren't even as effective as the basic version of the Midnight Meditation Technique he practiced. But changing now might be cutting it too close.
He thought that only an advanced Qi cultivation method could help Qin Ming make a real breakthrough in a short time.
Lu Ze exhaled a long breath. "Even an intermediate secret manual would do. With your potential, it'd be such a shame to miss the golden window."
But in this region, the only known manuals capable of helping one undergo a rebirth were limited to basic texts like The Floating Life Qi Guide and Intro to Midnight Meditation, all of which were at a similar level.
Qin Ming wasn't anxious, because the training movements he had practiced for years had finally started to show results. The flowing silver ripple on his skin, faint as it was, had appeared. This was different from before.
His handsome face now carried a healthy glow, and his eyes shone brightly. "Give me a little more time, Brother Lu, Sis Liang, I think I can make it."
A rebirth meant that a surge of new vitality would emerge on top of one's existing physical foundation, like returning to the womb and nurturing a powerful rebirth force.
In the turbid air of the mundane world, the body's foundation was fixed. But if one's roots could be awakened and re-developed, it was like being reborn after birth—a second chance at life.
Who wouldn't long for that?
Take Er Bingzi, for example—once frail, now able to lift hundreds of pounds overhead with both hands after gaining a rebirth.
Such transformation was nothing short of fate-altering.
Just imagine: Lu Ze, even before rebirth, could already snap green bricks and break wooden training posts after practicing the Midnight Meditation Technique. If he experienced rebirth and gained a major boost in strength, how terrifying would his fists and kicks become?
"Now that my illness is gone, I feel completely different. My body's in the best condition it's ever been in." Qin Ming was full of confidence.
Before Lu Ze or Liang Wanqing could reply, little five-year-old Wenrui had already started nodding, his red cheeks full of excitement. "Uncle's the best! Once Uncle succeeds, he'll catch mountain beasts and make meat stew! I… I'm drooling already."
Little Wenhui, just over two years old, toddled over to join in. Though his words were slurred, he echoed, "Unca… strong… eat meat-meat."
Qin Ming laughed immediately. "No need to wait. I can satisfy you today." As he spoke, he took the red squirrel hanging from the hunting fork. The mutated squirrel's obsidian-like eyes suddenly bulged wide, then filled with panic.