Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 33: Chapter 313: Gui Water Elite

An indescribable flavor exploded on the tip of Song Changsheng’s tongue. It was like a faint electric current spreading through his mouth, almost making him swallow his own tongue.

”This...” Song Changsheng’s chopsticks moved like a blur. He devoured half the plate of jerky in a flash and had to rely on immense willpower to stop himself. Otherwise, he would have finished the entire dish.

Zhu Yiqun was very satisfied with Song Changsheng’s reaction. He casually picked up a piece of jerky, took a sip of wine, and chewed them together, his eyes immediately closing in enjoyment.

Song Changsheng followed his lead and tried a piece the same way, discovering that the flavor was indeed on another level. Moreover, the moment the Spirit Wine entered his stomach, it transformed into pure Spiritual Power and flowed into his Dantian. He could clearly feel his cultivation increase by a sliver.

He immediately realized just how extraordinary that seasoning was.

”You felt it, didn’t you? My seasoning not only enhances the flavor but also allows the Spiritual Power within the Spiritual Food to be utilized to its fullest extent, converting it into cultivation.”

Zhu Yiqun said with a rather self-satisfied smile.

”The methods of a Medicinal Chef are truly extraordinary. I’m convinced now. The food at Jade Cuisine Workshop really isn’t worth mentioning compared to yours.” Song Changsheng was completely won over. The man hadn’t been bragging after all.

’Just a single bottle of seasoning elevated the flavor of Jade Cuisine Workshop’s food to a whole new level. If he were to cook himself, it would surely be even more incredible.’

”You flatter me, you flatter me. Your own attainments in the Dao of Array Artifacts are what I truly admire, my friend.”

After a round of mutual flattery, the two continued to drink and toast. By the end, neither of them could remember how much they had drunk. It wasn’t until sunset that they finally staggered out of the Jade Cuisine Workshop, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

The meal cost Song Changsheng thirty Spirit Stones, a truly expensive affair.

The two exchanged imprints of their Divine Sense on each other’s Communication Jade Tokens, establishing a way to contact one another in the future, before reluctantly bidding farewell.

Upon returning to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, Song Changsheng found Song Changqian standing at the entrance, apparently waiting for someone.

This came as a surprise to Song Changsheng. Ever since he had easily defeated Cheng Xiao, Song Changqian hadn’t dared to show her face in front of him for over half a year.

’Has the sun risen in the west today?’

However, it was none of his business. He reeked of alcohol and just wanted to go wash up, so he ignored her and walked straight past.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to head upstairs, he heard Song Changqian say in a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz, ”Thank you.”

Song Changsheng paused for a moment but didn’t turn around. ”We’re all doing our part for the clan. There’s nothing to thank me for.”

With that, Song Changsheng returned to his room, leaving Song Changqian standing dazed at the entrance...

Back in his room, Song Changsheng washed away the stench of alcohol and then laid out all the spoils from his trip to the Marketplace.

’I wonder if this Kongming Iron has any surprises for me.’

Song Changsheng took out a short knife and began to carefully peel away the outer shell of the Kongming Iron, like unwinding a cocoon. Fine powder trickled off with each movement.

Soon, the fist-sized piece of raw ore was whittled down to the size of an egg. By then, Song Changsheng could clearly feel the fluctuations of Water Spiritual Power emanating from within.

’It’s at least Tier Two Level. I’ve definitely come out ahead,’ Song Changsheng thought with a slight smile as he began to remove the final, thin layer of the outer shell.

With a few more deft movements of his knife, an oval-shaped piece of metal appeared before him.

The metal was a dreamlike shade of blue, its surface as smooth as a mirror. One could clearly see undulating, gradient patterns reminiscent of water ripples.

”This... could it be Gui Water Elite?” Song Changsheng was overjoyed. He turned the metal over and over in his hands, examining it ceaselessly.

After a moment, Song Changsheng took out the severely damaged Defensive Magical Artifact, the Water Element Shield, from a previous battle. He chuckled and said, ”You’re in for a treat this time.”

This Magical Artifact had been one of his early practice pieces, but over the years, it had shielded him from many dangers. After it was damaged in the last battle, he hadn’t been able to find suitable materials to repair it. But now, he had finally found the perfect one.

Gui Water Elite was a relatively rare and quite hard Tier Two Water Attribute Spiritual Material. Adding a portion during Artifact Refining could improve a Magical Artifact’s quality and enhance the power exerted by a Water Attribute Cultivator, making it a perfect match for the Water Element Shield.

If he used it to reforge the Water Element Shield, its quality would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced.

No sooner said than done. He shut himself in the Artifact Refining Chamber once again. It took him several days, but he successfully raised the Water Element Shield’s rank to Tier One Top Grade, re-inscribing the Array within it as well.

Looking at the brand-new Water Element Shield in his hand, Song Changsheng remarked thankfully,

”Ever since I started cultivating the Water and Fire Manipulation Technique, I’ve become extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of Water and Fire Spiritual Power. Otherwise, I would have missed this fortuitous encounter.”

Next, he smelted the other ores in the Bronze Cauldron. The results this time were more mundane, yielding materials worth about four or five Spirit Stones in total.

After processing all the ores, Song Changsheng finally turned his attention to the dilapidated Array Foundation and the fractured jade fragment.

Only two-thirds of the disc-shaped Array Foundation remained. Its surface was covered in a spiderweb of cracks, and its Spiritual Light had completely faded.

No one would have given such a piece of junk a second glance if it were tossed on the street, yet Song Changsheng had spent ten Spirit Stones to acquire it.

It wasn’t because he was a fool with more money than sense; it was because he had seen something special in it.

The cracks on the Array Foundation’s surface appeared to be from battle damage, but from the perspective of an Array Master, they possessed a certain regularity, much like the Array Patterns used in Array Formation.

Song Changsheng focused his mind, calmed his breathing, and slowly traced the surface of the patterns with his fingertip. An identical image immediately appeared in his mind.

He had replicated it within his Sea of Consciousness using his Spiritual Power.

As he traced the complete image, Song Changsheng became increasingly certain that these were indeed Array Patterns—and profound ones, the likes of which he had never encountered before.

Arrays, according to ancient records, were a Cultivation Technique passed down by Great Powers from the Upper Realm. They were said to contain the profound principles of the Great Dao.

Cultivators with profound cultivation would perceive the unique laws governing heaven and earth, and by artificially altering them, they created Array Patterns.

Different Array Patterns could be arranged to form different Arrays; they were the very foundation of the art.

The Song Clan possessed a Tier Three Level Array legacy, and Song Changsheng had been well-versed in its classic texts since he was a child.

After making a comparison, he determined that this was a Tier Two Original Array Pattern.

This couldn’t help but excite Song Changsheng. This was the purest form of Array Pattern, containing a hint of the laws that governed the universe.

If he could fully comprehend it, his attainments in the Dao of Arrays would surely increase by a huge margin.

’Although a third of it is missing, with my understanding of Arrays, I have a good chance of completing it. These ten Spirit Stones were well spent.’

Song Changsheng quickly took out a Jade Scroll and imprinted the incomplete Array Pattern from his Sea of Consciousness onto it for safekeeping. He would study it later when he had the time.

Finally, he turned his gaze to the fractured jade fragment. The first two items had brought him pleasant surprises, and he was filled with anticipation for this last one...