Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Xu Yunhe gazed into the distance again, toward the seemingly endless expanse of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. A smile touched his lips as he spoke with conviction, ”I think I can do it, too. So now, I’m going to fight and struggle to reach that goal.

Brother Song, farewell until we meet again!”

Song Changsheng understood his friend’s ambition and was happy for him. ’A man needs goals and ambition to go far,’ he thought. ’That’s what gives him the drive to keep moving forward.’

He gave a portion of the Pills he’d taken from Dongtian Xie to Xu Yunhe and said earnestly, ”May we meet again, Brother Yunhe!”

Xu Yunhe obviously knew what these Pills were for. His expression darkened instantly, and he vehemently tried to refuse them.

But he couldn’t refuse Song Changsheng’s insistence, so Xu Yunhe finally accepted them, his face a mask of exasperation.

The two cupped their fists to one another, bringing their brief reunion to a close.

After bidding farewell to Xu Yunhe, Song Changsheng went to the West Market for a stroll, picked up a few small bargains, and then headed straight back to the general store.

After greeting Song Xiantu, Sun Chuanming, and the others, he went back into seclusion. He had been through a great deal these past few days, and his gains had been just as significant.

He first took out Cheng Yufei’s Qiankun Bag. As the Grand Elder of the Earth Fire Sect, and one who had just represented his sect at the auction, Cheng Yufei was bound to be wealthy. Song Changsheng was filled with anticipation.

With its owner dead, the Restriction on Cheng Yufei’s Qiankun Bag had long since vanished.

Song Changsheng opened it and poured out a massive pile of items that nearly filled the entire room.

Naturally, the majority of it was Spirit Stones. Even though he had spent a fortune at the auction, a huge amount remained, forming a small hill on the floor.

Song Changsheng scanned the pile with his Divine Sense and quickly got a rough count.

”Thirty-five thousand Spirit Stones. Not bad. I’ve basically made back the money I spent on the White Tiger Skeleton.” A smile touched Song Changsheng’s lips as he swept them into his own Qiankun Bag. His once-depleted reserves were now replenished.

Next were the Magical Artifacts. Although that ”Golden Melon Seeds” Spiritual Artifact had escaped, as a veteran Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Cheng Yufei still had several very good Magical Artifacts.

For instance, there was the large metal seal he had used earlier. It was a Tier Two High-Grade Artifact called the Covered Water Seal. Cheng Yufei had refined it for many years, and it was only a single step away from evolving into a Spiritual Artifact.

In addition, there was a Tier Two Low-Grade flying sword and a Tier Two Low-Grade Golden Thread Robe. Neither was cheap, and they added a fair bit to his personal wealth.

He also found the Tier Three Fire Heart Method that Cheng Yufei had won at the auction. It was called the *Heart-Burning Fire Technique*. The technique was compatible with Song Changsheng’s Spirit Root, but he cultivated a Heart Method he had comprehended from the Daoist Scripture. He would have to have a hole in his head to switch.

’Even though I can’t use it, I don’t think the family has a Tier Three Fire Heart Method. This will fill a gap in our collection.’ Song Changsheng was gratified. ’Another pillar to support the family!’

The remaining items were rather ordinary—nothing more than some Talismans, Pills, and the like. Their value wasn’t high, and Song Changsheng planned to put them in the shop to sell.

After he finished sorting through Cheng Yufei’s Qiankun Bag, Song Changsheng took out the Five Beasts Celestial Fire Fan he had acquired from the Treasure Vault. He let out a small inward sigh as he looked at the feathered fan, which surged with Fire Spiritual Power.

By any measure, this was a Spiritual Artifact of exceptionally high quality. What made it even rarer was that its attributes were compatible with his own, meaning it would have been incredibly easy for him to wield.

If it were put up for auction, its value would be no less than fifty thousand Spirit Stones, and might even exceed that.

But now, Song Changsheng had to dismantle it to extract its most precious component: the True Feather of Bi Fang. He knew full well that once the True Feather was removed, the Spiritual Artifact would be ruined. Even if he tried to re-forge it later, the most he could hope for was to restore it to the level of a Tier Two Low-Grade Artifact. It could never become a Spiritual Artifact again.

Although Song Changsheng had many Magical Artifacts, the only ones that reached the level of a Spiritual Artifact were this fan, the Luwu Bell, and the Godslaying Flying Knife, of which only one remained. Besides these, the Spirit-Slaying Gourd, the Broken Water Spear, and the Covered Water Seal all fell far short.

’I used to think it was extravagant for the Ancestor to refine a whole set of flying knives into Spiritual Artifacts. But now, it looks like I’m the most extravagant one of all, ruining a top-quality Spiritual Artifact for a single feather.’

’If my Fifth Uncle, Song Luzhou, ever found out I did this, he’d skin me alive.’ Song Changsheng shook his head with a wry smile. ’It’s not like I want to do something so outrageous.’ But alas, compared to a dispensable Spiritual Artifact, his own power was what mattered most.

”To have a master like me, I’m truly sorry. I can only promise that in the future, I will find a new True Feather to make you whole again,” Song Changsheng whispered softly, his fingertips lightly caressing the surface of the fan.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ...

As if sensing its master’s thoughts, the Five Beasts Celestial Fire Fan began to tremble slightly, its surface rippling like water.

If it were a person, it would probably be cursing up a storm right now. But unfortunately, it was merely a nascent glimmer of Spiritual Light and did not yet possess true Spiritual Wisdom.

”I’m sorry.”

Song Changsheng let out a soft sigh and steeled his resolve. He placed his hand over the fan, centering his mind and spirit. A moment later, a crisp crack echoed as the Array inside the Five Beasts Celestial Fire Fan was utterly destroyed. The Spiritual Light flowing across its surface instantly dimmed.

In just an hour’s time, a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact had been reduced to five bird feathers of different colors in Song Changsheng’s hands. The most eye-catching of them all was a deep blue True Feather flecked with scarlet spots.