Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

”WOOOOO—”

”WOOOOOO—”

The desolate horn sounded once more throughout the sky above Luoxia City, like the Grim Reaper ringing a death knell.

Tens of thousands of Luoxia City disciples stood atop the tall city walls, their expressions grave as they gazed at the crimson plains before them.

RUMBLE RUMBLE

RUMBLE...

The earth suddenly began to tremble, and along with it, the hearts and legs of Luoxia City’s disciples.

The Beast Tide. Some of them had experienced it many times, while for others, it was their first.

But having grown up in Luoxia City, they had long understood the terror of the Beast Tide, thanks to the constant teachings of their elders and what they had seen and heard for themselves.

According to the elders, this land before them was once black, planted full of golden Spirit Rice. When a gentle breeze blew, it resembled a golden ocean.

But at some point, the golden Spirit Rice vanished, replaced by a barren wasteland.

The black earth was gone too, turned a crimson red.

That crimson color was forged from blood.

Most of this blood belonged to the Demon Race, but some was from the Human Race. It had all mixed together, soaking deep into the soil.

If you were to dig past the thin surface layer, you would see nothing but pallid bones and the color red.

This was the war between the Human Race and the Demon Race, the two strongest factions on the continent, and it had raged for several thousand years.

Luoxia City was the barrier protecting the trillions of souls in the Daqi Cultivation World, and these disciples facing the Beast Tide were the guardians of that barrier.

Dozens of generations had fought and bled here. Countless people had shed their blood on the battlefield, their bodies never to be found.

And now, they too would follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.

RUMBLE RUMBLE...

A black tide suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, surging forward with menacing momentum.

The young Luoxia City disciples couldn’t help but turn pale, a layer of clammy sweat forming on the hands that gripped their Magical Artifacts.

They could see it clearly now: a black wave composed of countless Demon Beasts, so vast it blotted out the sky, seemingly endless. Anything that dared stand in its path was ruthlessly torn to shreds.

A wave of panic and bewilderment washed over them. ’Can an enemy like this truly be defeated?’

”Relax. Luoxia City is impregnable. We’ve driven back so many Beast Tides over the years, and this time will be no different,” an experienced Luoxia City Steward said encouragingly to a young disciple beside him, whose breathing had become somewhat rapid and warm from nervousness.

Zhang Yanhe swallowed hard and looked at the Steward beside him. ”Steward Liu, I... I’m not nervous. It’s just... my legs have gone numb from standing. They’re not listening to me.”

Steward Liu just smiled, not calling him out on it. He pointed to the behemoths towering over the city wall. ”See those? Those are Spirit Crystal Cannons. A single blast will turn an ordinary Tier Two Demon Beast to dust. In a full volley, even a Tier Three Demon Beast would have to dodge.

”We drove back the last two Beast Tides so easily that there was no need to use them. But this time, the City Lord had them all brought up. With these cannons on our side, what’s a Beast Tide to us?”

Zhang Yanhe looked at the menacing, enormous Spirit Crystal Cannons, and his confidence swelled. He even stood up a little straighter.

But he soon realized something and said weakly, ”Lord Steward, based on what you said, doesn’t that mean this Beast Tide is more dangerous than the last two?”

Steward Liu shot him a displeased glance. ’This kid looks honest enough, so why does he have to bring up the one thing he shouldn’t?’

”Ahem, don’t worry. The Great City Lord is here. Unless that Old Flood Dragon from the Black Water Marsh comes out personally, Luoxia City is impregnable,” Steward Liu said, full of confidence.

”ROAR—”

A piercing dragon’s roar came from the horizon, making Zhang Yanhe shudder in fear. At the same time, the color instantly drained from Steward Liu’s face...

Elsewhere, Zhan Tianxia stood suspended in mid-air, watching the overwhelming Beast Tide sweep toward them. His face was as calm as still water, betraying no emotion.

”So, the Old Flood Dragon from the Black Water Marsh couldn’t sit still after all. This is going to be a difficult battle.”

A middle-aged man with a world-weary face appeared beside him and spoke softly.

”Hmph. So what? Luoxia City is no pushover. If that old snake had stayed away, fine. But if it dares to come, I will give it a lesson it will never forget,” Zhan Tianxia said coldly, subconsciously clenching his fists.

The middle-aged man shook his head. ”Senior Brother, oh, Senior Brother. I’ve been in seclusion for so many years, yet you’re still the same. You haven’t changed a bit.

”That Old Flood Dragon is extremely cunning. It has been holed up in the Black Water Marsh for years. For it to dare come out now, it must have something up its sleeve. We must not underestimate it.”

”Isn’t that precisely why Eldest Senior Brother called you out of seclusion?” Zhan Tianxia replied, unmoved, casting a cold glance at the middle-aged man beside him.

”Don’t worry, we’re already onto their trail. Just focus on dealing with the Beast Tide. Leave the city’s interior to me,” the middle-aged man said, his tone brimming with confidence.

Zhan Tianxia nodded indifferently. Looking down at the people awaiting orders, he spoke in a cold voice:

”Qianri will oversee East City.

Qianyue will oversee West City.

Yinn Shang will oversee South City.

Niu Dazhuang will oversee North City.

Zhuang Yuechan will patrol the city.

Once the great battle begins, any who retreat shall be executed!

Any who disobey orders shall be executed!

Any who are cowardly and fear death shall be executed!

Any who take this opportunity to cause chaos shall be executed!

...”

The repeated word ”executed” echoed between heaven and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all who heard it. They all replied in unison, ”We shall obey the City Lord’s command!”

As soon as the words fell, everyone transformed into streaks of light and shot off in different directions...