Throughout the years there have been many forms of illegal, forbidden and outright terrifying bending abilities that were discovered and then forgotten… But there was one ability based in the Earthbending tree that actually granted a wise bender immortality… And it may actually even be the reason for Avatar Kyoshi’s ridiculously long lifespan… #avatarthelastairbender #thelegendofkorra #avatarkyoshi
So to begin the story, we must go back long before the time of Aang, to the era of Kyoshi. During this time, Kyoshi discovered the journal of her mother, who was involved in a shady criminal group.
In this journal is a description of a man who Kyoshi’s mother believed was a legendary figure named Tieguay the Immortal. Shockingly though, Kyoshi’s mother believed this figure to be part of her group, but hiding his identity…
Now sometime later, Kyoshi encounters a strange man and remembering the description in her mother’s journal, she is immediately reminded of Tieguai the Immortal. This would be shocking as this master was said to have lived before the four nations existed.
Though he plays coy, Lao Ge hints that he may have known Guru Shoken, a philosopher who lived 4000 years ago! Lao Ge did this through using forbidden earthbending technique to prolong his life indefinitely.
So how did he pull off this feat? Well As Lao Ge trains Kyoshi in earthbending, he reveals the secret. Through precise control of chi paths in the body and literally bending the metal within their own cells, an earthbender can preserve their own vitality and continuously regenerate their cells. Essentially, they can decide which version of themselves to remain as forever!
Lao Ge explains this in the following way: “Divide your body in two”, he said, while Kyoshi practiced heating and breaking a piece of scrap metal. “Then divide it again, and then again, and again. What would you have left. “A bloody mess”, Kyoshi retorted. She burned her hand and yelped. Exactly, Lao Ge Said. Put the pieces back, and put them back again, and again and again one more time, and you’re whole once more. Kyoshi replies: A human being isn’t a block of stone. He replies: “That’s where you’re wrong, the illusion that the self is separate from the rest of the world is the driving factor that limits our potential. Once you realize there’s nothing special about the self, it becomes easier to manipulate. In a way, Lao Ge discovered how to lock his body at a certain point in time by arranging his cells in a way that would maintain his current state. No growth or no decay, simply at rest. Now combining this knowledge with the fact that he hinted at knowing Guru Shoken, a 4000 year old philosopher, it’s pretty clear that Lao Ge is the real deal. He truly has conquered death and used a rare and highly controversial form of earthbending to bend the state of his own body into eternal rest. As we know, bending any internal body liquid or material is clearly forbidden by natural law, meaning even a person who has never bended an element will know that it is wrong.
Lao Ge gained total mastery over his body body, and therefore his life using these forgotten techniques. While most benders use chi to enhance their abilities, Lao Ge refined it to an unheard of level, combining it with the manipulation of his own cells. - conquering aging itself!
. His exploits prove bending can go far beyond the elements, with earthbending granting true immortality.
Lao Ge's mastery of life extension may even explain Avatar Kyoshi's ridiculously long lifespan of over 200 years. It's likely she learned these secrets from her master. He remains one of the most fascinating and mysterious benders in Avatar history precisely because of this terrifying power over life and death!