Lin Changqing sat up from his bed, casually picked up his phone, and checked the date. As expected.
January 8th.
That's right, he was trapped in an endless loop.
Every time he died in that world, or lived for a full three months, the strange clock that appeared in his mind would lead him back to reality, back to this familiar afternoon of January 8th.
And when midnight struck, he would 'Rebirth' in his dream into that dark cave, transforming from an ordinary Earth youth, Lin Changqing, into the gloomy, handsome young man Changqing of another world, starting all over again.
A wave of headache, dizziness, and nausea hit him, and he rushed to the bathroom, throwing up.
He washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror. In his early twenties, though not as handsome as the young man he had just been, he was still sunny and charismatic, just incredibly haggard.
Just before this endless loop began, he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Being instantly refined in a Pill Furnace by that so-called master in Caiyun Chamber was already the fourth method of death he had unlocked in his dreams.
He couldn't tell if this was 'Transmigration' or just a dying fantasy of a brain cancer patient.
Logically, as someone whose days in reality were numbered, it wouldn't be impossible for him to act as a 'seed' as instructed by those female demons, indulging in pleasure daily, peacefully passing those three months, and then continuing the loop. There was no need for him to struggle every Rebirth, trying to escape like he did.
Changqing did this simply because of his instinct for survival.
Closing his eyes, he peered into his mind, where a strange clock was slowly turning.
As if sensing his 'gaze,' the twelve eye-like pupils representing time on the clock face simultaneously opened eerily, their irises like the deep starry sky.
Yes, the strange clock he saw every time he died in the other world was now in his mind. Perhaps it was his tumor, the root cause of his brain cancer.
It sounded like a fantasy, but if some of the changes that happened to his body in the other world could be reflected in reality, then diseases incurable by modern medicine might not be without the possibility of recovery!
This thought was the only belief that sustained his struggle with every Rebirth.
The demonic entities in the other world, especially that so-called master, seemed to possess extremely long lifespans and strange abilities. If he could also master these methods and escape that demonic den alive, he might have a chance to influence his body in reality and extend his life!
Changqing secretly encouraged himself. It was just a matter of dying a few more times. Even with a three-month time limit, he hoped to uncover more secrets of that world within this finite period.
With the ability of infinite Rebirth, let alone a small Hehuan Sect, even if it were a mountain of daggers and a sea of fire, he might still be able to break through.
That so-called master, and the female demons who had tortured him, he would definitely get his revenge on them personally.
No, he would personally destroy that den of depravity to quell the hatred in his heart.
As he was thinking, his phone rang.
Changqing didn't even look. Based on the memories of his previous four Rebirths, he was already too familiar with this call. He skillfully picked up his phone and accepted the video request.
"Changqing, are you feeling better?" A pretty young girl appeared on the screen.
She was wearing a white down jacket, her normally fair cheeks slightly flushed from the cold wind, and her long black hair was somewhat disheveled over her shoulders, yet it still couldn't hide her beauty.
AI drawing, made for love, limited technology, please bear with it.
"I'm fine. Why are you video calling me while walking? Watch your step."
"Oh, I was just worried about you! Did you eat the takeout I ordered for you?"
The girl's voice softened a bit, and her eyes darted left and right, as if she was afraid of people around her, some words too shy to say, "You've been on leave for days, and I've missed you so much."
Changqing smiled, went to the living room, got a takeout box, and took out a burger from it.
He took a big bite in front of the video, mumbling, "Don't worry about me, Qinghe, I'm fine. It's just a small flu, I'll be better in a few days. You should also wear a mask so you don't get infected."
He suppressed the intense headache, forcing himself to appear less haggard on video.
"Mhm mhm." The girl named Ye Qinghe nodded obediently, rummaged through her bag for a pink mask, and put it on her face. "I was wearing it before, but I was about to video call you, and I was afraid it wouldn't look good, so I took it off."
Changqing paused skillfully for a moment, not speaking further, and immediately, the voices of other classmates came through the video.
"Miss Ye, the school beauty! Watch your step! You've gone too far! The classroom is this way!"
"Hey, hey, hey, I know." Ye Qinghe quickly looked up and hurried after them.
Watching the busy girl in the video, Changqing called out to her, "Qinghe."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Nothing." Changqing hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but say, "Miss Ye, the school beauty, take off your mask, I want to see you properly."
"Oh, you're annoying." Ye Qinghe said this, but still obediently took off her mask, making her pretty face even more enchanting.
The girl's blush was more captivating than the most beautiful love words. Changqing deeply imprinted this scene in his mind.
Suddenly, a strong sense of dizziness came over him, and he couldn't help but retch into the sink in front of him.
Seeing this, Ye Qinghe asked with concern, "Changqing, Changqing, what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
"Cough cough... I'm fine, I'm fine." Changqing shook his head, forcing a smile at Ye Qinghe. "You focus on your class, don't worry about me. I'll be back tomorrow."
Without waiting for Ye Qinghe to respond, he hung up the phone and bent down, retching violently. The intense headache, dizziness, and blurred vision made it impossible for him to maintain his facade any longer.
These were all typical symptoms of terminal brain cancer: headache, dizziness, vomiting, vision loss, mental illness, and even hemiplegia.
His heart tightened. In previous Rebirths, he had been able to complete this entire call with Ye Qinghe, but this time his brain cancer was clearly more severe. Could it be the price he paid for too many Rebirths?
In fact, he already knew that his Rebirths would come at a cost.
He had undergone four Rebirths, and each time, his so-called cultivation in the other world would weaken a bit.
By the fourth time, he had even become an ordinary Mortal.
Could it be that after this Rebirth, his cultivation in the other world had dropped as far as it could, and the price was now reflected in reality?
If each subsequent Rebirth made his symptoms in reality more severe, he would eventually not be able to last until midnight and would lose the chance to be Rebirth again.
As he was pondering, his vision blurred again. In a daze, his vomit in the sink had clearly turned into the congealed flesh, insect limbs, mucus, and translucent shell-wings from the cave.
Changqing's body trembled, and he disbelievingly looked up. The person in the mirror was no longer his original self, but the gloomy, handsome young man Changqing from the other world.
The young man in the mirror was covered in blood, smiling eerily.
Changqing panicked and fell to the ground. His hand trembled as he reached for where his phone had been. Perhaps only Ye Qinghe's voice could calm his heart.
His vision became increasingly blurry. He could only bring the phone close to his eyes, but when he looked closely, there was no phone in front of him, only his personal token from the other world.
On the dark token were engraved the four large characters: "Lingyu Changqing."
His hand frantically searched around, desperately trying to find something that could prove he still existed in the real world.
But as his vision blurred, his hand could no longer feel the cold tiles of the bathroom. All he felt was muddy ground, warm flesh with a faint, fishy smell.
With a "bang," it seemed the bathroom light bulb had gone out. His world went from blurry to complete darkness.
The next moment, the hands of the strange clock in his mind reset to zero simultaneously, emitting a distant, low groan within his head.
The environment of the entire room began to twist and change. Countless indescribable forces, like mysterious tentacles, spread throughout the space, rearranging and recombining this world.
"Little brother, your spring blessings are overflowing. To come to this paradise of extreme bliss is a blessing you couldn't cultivate in several lifetimes. Come quickly, sisters will take you to the peak of extreme bliss."