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Ren’s immortality: Abundance & Permanence?
Perhaps one of the most curious aspects of Ren's immortality is that, despite being Mara-struck (with an arguably "purer" variant thanks to Shuhu), Ren is unable to suffer from the usual effects of Mara, such as a complete loss of sanity or the florid growths that afflict typical Marastruck. Not only that, but Ren experienced de-aging that reverted his body to that of a younger man. While the true reason behind this isn't entirely known, some ideas have circulated before.
One shell-shocking notion originally came from Lalody's Lore, who proposed the idea that one of the fulcrums to Ren's unusual immortality is that it's buoyed by the Permanence, which makes a great deal of sense when one factors in its unusual facets. While the main variable was purported to be the Dragon's Heart (regardless if it was a literal organ or a manifestation related to a High Elder's power), this hasn't been confirmed or denied as of yet.
One plot point constantly asserted since the debut of Dan Heng IL's companion quest, The Dragon Returns Home, is the assertion that the changes done to the Transmutation Arcanum resulted in the Semi-Draconic Abomination's uncontrollable creation, and while it was a failure after Jingliu had to put it down, Yingxing does display some hints of "inheriting" its properties. While the means that Yingxing assimilated with it is unknown, as a monstrosity that contained both the essences of Permanence (Dan Feng/Long) and Abundance(Shuhu), it affecting him is incredibly likely.
In DHIL, Character Story III & Jingliu, Character Story IV, we're painted a sketchy if interesting picture that led to this occurring.
During the Sedition, after this transformation, it's highly implied that Yingxing not only transformed before the Semi-Draconic Abomination's death, but that he engaged in battle with Jingliu to the point that she was previously injured from their duel while Yingxing protected Dan Feng. Following this deadly battle, Yingxing likely had been transformed simultaneously as the Abomination had been made, his elevated strength level is consistent with the Draught of Draconic Surge, a medicine that combines Long's blood with that of subjects who imbibed it, especially when it's combined with Abundance-affected Long-life Species like Xianzhou Natives.
This is better detailed in Pharmacological Studies on the Draught of Draconic Surge, Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits, which describes experiments that seem to mirror the unique properties of Ren's immortality. In addition, the de-aging that Yingxing underwent is identical to what a scholar named Bernini underwent centuries later.
As expanded on in the Shredded Notes of Scholar Bernini, another aspect of Ren's immortality possibly derived from Abundance and Permanence is the fact that it's constantly asserted how it's only by the power of Long that the Ambrosial Arbor, the pinnacle of Yaoshi's manifested power, which highly suggests the possibility of Abundance being connected to Permanence in some way to create a "balanced" immortality that materialized in Ren.
According to the Adventure Mission Venom Brews, Immortality Looms, Dan Heng IL, Character Story I and Dan Heng's companion quest, The Dragon Returns Home, there exists something known as the "maddened and frenzied dragon," called the candle (or torch) dragon, tied to the Ambrosial Arbor. Whether an actual being or a metaphor, it strongly implies the connection between Abundance and Permanence, as only a High Elder is capable of sealing the Arbor, which is also true of the High Elders for the Hexafleet ships that carry similar Plaguemarks.
As can be read in Pharmacological Studies on the Draught of Draconic Surge, Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits, Ren's immortality is both the result of Shuhu amalgamating to him that made him spectacularly more powerful than the average Marastruck whilst this Mara may have been tempered by Dan Feng's essences that caused him to both de-age to be much younger than he was and prevent the Mara from overtaking him completely, like it most Marastuck.
A cage of Voracity
With the curious amount of ties between Abundance, Permanence and Voracity, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that Voracity would be able to both contain/temper an Emanator of Abundance (Shuhu), to outright consuming it. This was revealed in the 4.3 MSQ, The Lethe Below the Living, Primeval and Other Times .
While this says nothing specifically of tempering Abundance, what it does speak of is the ability to contain it, if in a grisly fashion that speaks more of an attrition than true disposal, let alone termination.
In a way, this "attrition" makes sense. As Ruan Mei explains it in Arcadia Of Mystery And Terror, in an unknown period after the Swarm Disaster when Oroboros was said to have disappeared, like cutting off the heads of the mythical hydra, AHA personally sealed countless vestiges of Oroboros' body, suppressed it with Voracity, and powered it via the Path of Voracity.
In Primeval And Other Times, Ren makes his plan clear: Oroboros will serve as the furnace, Abundance as the iron, and their endless undying would be the hammer that culminates in a cage that will contain Shuhu for all eternity.
As I've written previously, there's an extreme likelihood that Long the Permanence may have been a Leviathan like Oroboros. When you double that up with the fact that it's possible that Abundance stems from Permanence, it adds up to an interesting possibility that Ren's immortality, if it was affected by Permanence ala the Half-Draconic Abomination in some way, then turning to Voracity to contain Shuhu does make some sense.