Chapter 2: The Unfamiliar Ceiling (Middle)

Immersed in this sensation for a long time, Liu Shengyuan cautiously maintained his state, slowly opening his eyes like a thief. He feared that opening his eyes too quickly would cause him to lose this feeling. This was a sensation where he could clearly perceive his entire body, with his breath responding, akin to the inner vision described in Taoist legends.

Boom— as if a spring thunderclap had erupted beside his ear— yet in reality, the room was quiet, with his father, mother, and younger brother still asleep. Liu Sheng Yuanhe felt his entire body soft and warm, as if he were immersed in warm water inside and out. Each breath of fresh air did not merely fill his lungs, but seemed to penetrate every cell in his body. Each breath was not just taken by his nose; it felt as though every pore in his body was inhaling and exhaling in a certain rhythm. A light of unknown origin illuminated every corner of his inner being. In his two lifetimes, it was the first time he felt his body as such a complete and harmonious whole, where every breath affected his entire being. Liu Sheng Yuanhe slowly, cautiously maintained this state, greedily savoring this wonderful sensation. Perhaps it was the influence of his soul from two lifetimes, or perhaps the emotions brought by his youthful body, but at this moment, Liu Sheng Yuanhe truly felt— immortality might not be an elusive fantasy.

When his eyes opened, the external light flooded into his brain with countless pieces of information. In the still dimly lit gym (as Motoharu Yagyu had not turned on the lights), the fitness equipment remained in its usual place, unmoved. This unremarkable scene, however, brought a tremendous impact to Motoharu Yagyu's eyes

While this portion of the brain's processing resources is occupied by these associative mechanisms, the resources required for my introspective state have become insufficient. The introspective state is thus subject to interference. However, since I immediately closed my eyes and made an effort to interrupt the associative mechanisms, the duration of the interference was short and its intensity was not great, allowing the introspective state to be maintained.

Perhaps it is due to the profound impression left by the old, decaying body of the past that every pulse of this young body named Yagyu Motoha feels so clear and moving in comparison. This is the sensation of life, with every organ in the body rejoicing.

He hurriedly closed his eyes, managing to maintain the state of introspection (which Yagyu Motoharu named introspection), but he also experienced considerable disturbance, causing the state of introspection to teeter on the brink of collapse

This state of introspection should be established through the perception of one's own body, creating an imagined virtual model. This virtual model needs to be synchronized with the body's perceptions and updated in real time. If the internal bodily information perceived differs too greatly from the virtual model that has been established and maintained in consciousness, the introspective virtual model will collapse

From the knowledge of previous lives, consciousness can influence the body. Therefore, this state referred to as inner vision is likely a means by which one can affect the body. By consciously influencing the inner vision model, it may be possible to impact or adjust the state of the body, and perhaps the beginning of the path to longevity lies here

After a moment, he felt that the state of inner vision had finally stabilized. Only then did he dare to divide his attention, with the majority of his mental energy focused on stabilizing the state of inner vision, while a small portion began to contemplate the sensation he experienced when he opened his eyes.

Therefore, when external information is received, the brain's habitual processing mechanism involuntarily begins to occupy a portion of processing resources—perhaps similar to a computer chip—to assess the external information, such as the current time, my surroundings, and whether my family members have woken up.

In this regard, these unnecessary associative mechanisms are what are referred to as distractions, and these distractions occupy a significant amount of the brain's resources for processing information, leading to a waste of brain resources. It is no wonder that the first step in any form of practice is to eliminate distractions, as it is intended to conserve brain resources

This sensation is so intense that it seems to establish a model of the body within consciousness, a model that transitions from vague to clear, corresponding to every change in the flesh and blood. Synchronized breathing, synchronized heartbeat, synchronized expansion of the blood vessels. Then, under the intentional and unintentional guidance of Yagyu Moto, the virtual body model and the physical body in reality merge into one.

Thus, it should be that at the moment I perceive the external environment, my brain begins to process the information I see, thereby generating an associative mechanism. At the same time, the brain itself remains in a state of introspection, continuously receiving information from within the body

The fresh morning air permeates every cell of the body, and as the young man awakens, the vitality brought about by the transition of his cells from slumber to activity nearly brings him to tears. In the youthful body of Liu Shengyuan, he distinctly feels the beating of his heart, the breathing of his lungs, the emptiness of his stomach, the peristalsis of his intestines, and the circulation of blood throughout his entire being

Exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale. With each breath, the airflow passes through the nasal cavity, trachea, and lung lobes, bringing a comfortable sensation of friction. The blood vessels expand and contract with each breath, as fresh oxygen-rich blood first supplies the internal organs with the resources for activity, and then circulates throughout the body, delivering a slight stimulation to the muscles, skin, and bones. Finally, the waste gases are expelled through the mouth and nose, creating a sensation as if the body is being cleansed from the inside out.

As soon as I opened my eyes, my mind was struck, yet there was nothing in the external environment attacking me. The layout of the gym is so simple, and everything is in a state of stillness; it should not be an issue of excessive external information. After all, it is merely a static image, which should not convey too much information.