Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 123: Chapter 118: The Art of Insight

Sunx Chuanming’s gaze burned as he stared at Song Changsheng’s eyes. It was as if he were looking at a priceless treasure, and the intensity of it made Song Changsheng’s skin crawl.

Seeing Song Changsheng’s lack of a reaction, Sunx Chuanming continued, speaking as if to himself, ”I am eighty-seven this year, and my life is nearing its end. For years, I have been searching for an heir to inherit all that I have learned in my lifetime.”

”But after searching for so long, no one has met my expectations. That is, until I saw you this morning!”

”Me?” Song Changsheng pointed to his own nose, his voice laced with confusion. While his aptitude was decent, he didn’t believe he was the most talented person Sunx Chuanming had ever encountered.

”That’s right! I can smell that your scent is out of the ordinary. I can feel that your Divine Soul is unlike a normal person’s. And I can see that you have cultivated a Pupil Technique!” Sunx Chuanming said, his eyes like torches as he stared fixedly at Song Changsheng.

Song Changsheng’s pupils constricted, and his mind reeled. ’When our eyes met this morning, I had the strange feeling he could see right through me. Now it seems that wasn’t a feeling at all!’

No one knew that he cultivated the Eye of Truth—not even those closest to him. Yet this man had ”seen” it with just a single glance. How could he not be horrified?

”From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were the perfect person to inherit my life’s work. Are you willing to learn?”

Looking at Sunx Chuanming, who was now right in front of him, Song Changsheng suddenly felt like his brain couldn’t keep up. He had only lingered for a moment out of curiosity and asked a few questions, and now this man was insisting on taking him as a disciple. ’What is even happening?!’

It wasn’t that Song Changsheng, a dignified Foundation Establishment Cultivator, thought there was anything wrong with taking a Qi Cultivator as his master. He was a pragmatic man who always put his interests first. As long as there was something to be gained, what would be the harm in taking even a mortal as his master?

He just couldn’t see how Sunx Chuanming’s skills would be of any great use to him. That ”bloodhound-like” tracking skill was somewhat interesting, but not enough to warrant becoming his disciple.

After a moment’s thought, Song Changsheng decided to refuse the offer. He said tactfully, ”Thank you for your kind offer, Master, but I am already practicing the arts of formations and artifact smithing, which consume a great deal of my energy. As for this Treasure Identification Skill, I’m afraid I simply don’t have the capacity to learn it.”

Sunx Chuanming stared at him for a moment, then his face broke into a smile. ”Young Clan Leader, is it that you feel this minor Treasure Identification Skill isn’t worth your time and effort?”

Although that was exactly what he thought, Song Changsheng couldn’t let it show. He cupped his hands and said, ”You jest, Master. It’s just that one’s energy is finite. I’m afraid of biting off more than I can chew.”

”Heh. And if I told you there was a Pupil Technique that could perceive the weaknesses of others? Would the Young Clan Leader be willing to learn that?” Sunx Chuanming ignored Song Changsheng’s excuses, calmly posing a question of his own.

Song Changsheng froze. ’Perceive the weaknesses of others? Even my Eye of Truth can’t do that. Could his legacy truly be so incredible?’

”If it’s just a single Technique, then I do have the energy for that,” Song Changsheng said without hesitation.

If there was one thing he had developed over two lifetimes, it was a shamelessness that surpassed that of any ordinary person.

His bluntness made Sunx Chuanming pause for a moment. Then, a smile touched his lips. ”If the Young Clan Leader wishes to learn, I can teach you.”

”Changsheng pays his respects to Teacher,” Song Changsheng said, immediately performing a deep bow—the formal rite of a disciple. His decisiveness was almost comical.

A satisfied smile spread across Sunx Chuanming’s face. Although Song Changsheng had called him ”Teacher” instead of ”Master,” it made no difference to him. The end result was the same.

”Follow me.”

Song Changsheng followed Sunx Chuanming to his residence. The old man pointed to a portrait on the wall and said, ”That is my master. Since you wish to learn, go light a stick of incense for him. We’ll consider it your initiation ceremony.”

He followed the direction of the old man’s finger. The portrait depicted an elderly man with a transcendent, otherworldly air. His hair and beard were completely white, with his long beard reaching the ground. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance.

Song Changsheng picked up the prepared incense from the table, lit it, and bowed respectfully three times. He then placed the stick into the censer, and for a moment, fragrant blue smoke curled into the air.

”My master’s name was Fifth Phase. He was originally a Loose Cultivator, but by a stroke of fortune, he obtained the legacy of a Purple Mansion senior. With this legacy, he cultivated all the way to the peak of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, but ultimately perished while attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion realm.”

”My master had only one disciple—me. However, my aptitude was poor. I’ve squandered my life away, and even reaching Foundation Establishment has remained a distant dream. So, I began to wander the world, relying on my Treasure Identification Skill. I eventually came to the Song Clan and, at your grandfather’s invitation, stayed on as a Tributor.”

”The Song Clan treated me well, even giving me a Foundation Establishment Pill. But it was not meant to be, and I still failed to break through. Disheartened by this, I requested a transfer to Luoxia City.”

”Besides wanting to repay the clan’s kindness, my greatest wish has been to find an heir to carry on this legacy. The moment I saw you, my choice was made.”

Sunx Chuanming held a stick of incense, kneeling on the prayer cushion before the altar table as he spoke softly with his eyes closed.

”Teacher, I still don’t understand. How could you determine that I was the right person with just a single glance?” Although Song Changsheng had agreed without hesitation, he had been mulling over this very question.

Sunx Chuanming placed the incense into the censer and said lightly, ”I chose you for four reasons.”