Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Zhuang Yuechan quickly shook her head. ”That’s too much. It’s not fair to you all.”

”The Elders put in the most effort, so they should get the largest share,” Song Changsheng stressed.

”That’s right. We have the three Elders to thank this time. Without them, it’s uncertain if we could have even gotten in,” Zhu Yiqun chimed in from the side.

”Exactly. I agree that the Elders should take the lion’s share. As for the remaining forty percent, Changsheng can take fifteen percent, and Yuechan and Yiqun can each take ten percent,” Xu Yunhe said, first agreeing with Song Changsheng before proposing an adjustment to their group’s shares.

Hearing this, Song Changsheng frowned slightly. ”But doesn’t that leave you with only five percent?”

Xu Yunhe gave a carefree laugh. ”Even close brothers must keep clear accounts. There were four keys to this Secret Realm. You had two, and Yuechan and Yiqun each had one. It’s only right that you get more. I had none, so I’m already content with getting five percent.”

Seeing that Song Changsheng was about to argue, Xu Yunhe cut him off. ”Say no more, Changsheng. If you weren’t giving the Celestial Purity Demon-Extinguishing Mirror to Soulless, you would have deserved twenty percent.”

”Yunhe is right. Let’s split it like that,” Zhu Yiqun said, nodding in agreement.

’In that case, doesn’t that mean our city would be getting seventy percent?’

Zhuang Yuechan shook her head, her tone firm. ”We’ll do it my way. My elders and I will take fifty percent. Changsheng and Fellow Daoist Chi Huo will take twenty-five percent, Yiqun fifteen percent, and Yunhe ten percent.”

Chi Huo was stunned. He hadn’t expected to be included in this. He quickly waved his hands in refusal. ”This old servant is unworthy. I implore you, Mistress, to retract the order.”

Hearing the word ”Mistress,” a slight blush crept onto Zhuang Yuechan’s face, but she remained firm. ”We are splitting it the way I said. If you don’t agree, I’ll go ask my venerable master to settle it.”

”This is a trivial matter. How could we trouble the Master over it? Let’s do as you say.”

”Alas, I didn’t want to take so much, but since you’re insisting on forcing it on me, it would be impolite to refuse,” Zhu Yiqun said with a cheeky grin.

Xu Yunhe, on the other hand, was indifferent. He had originally only wanted five percent, but since Zhuang Yuechan had put her foot down, he saw no reason to refuse.

Seeing that no one was objecting any longer, Zhuang Yuechan finally broke into a smile. Pointing to the Jade Boxes in front of them, she said, ”There are twenty boxes in total. I’ll take ten on behalf of my sect. Changsheng, you take five. Yiqun gets three, and Yunhe gets two.”

”Sounds fair to me. Don’t mind if I do, then.” Zhu Yiqun was the first to act, reaching out and pulling the three largest boxes in front of himself.

”You certainly know how to pick them,” Song Changsheng said with a helpless laugh, reaching out to take the five boxes closest to him.

Too lazy to open them one by one, he simply broke the Restrictions and opened all five at once.

Inside the five Jade Boxes lay a round Cyan Simurgh Jade Pendant, a green-and-white peach, a thumb-sized purple crystal, a Talisman, and a glittering Gold Ingot.

’A Tier Three Middle-Grade Talisman Treasure, a Jade Peach, a Purple Crystal Celestial Heart, a Tier Three Middle-Grade Divine Movement Talisman, and Red Flame Gilded Gold.’

Song Changsheng recognized all five items at a glance. They were all exceptionally rare treasures, and most of them were useful to him. The Purple Crystal Celestial Heart, in particular, was an excellent material for improving the quality of a Magical Artifact. Whether his Spirit-Slaying Gourd could advance into a Magical Treasure now depended on it.

”You’ve also made a great contribution this time. Consuming this can raise your Cultivation; it should help you break through your bottleneck.” Song Changsheng casually handed the Jade Peach to Chi Huo Old Ghost.

Chi Huo Old Ghost was stunned for a moment, then became ecstatic. ”Thank you for the reward, Young Master!” he said excitedly.

He couldn’t help his excitement. He had been stuck at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment for many years. With this, he had a chance to advance further. Although it wouldn’t increase his lifespan, he could at least touch the threshold of the Purple Mansion realm.

”You’ve earned it,” Song Changsheng said softly.

He took a moment to glance at the others and saw that their hauls were also substantial. Joy was written on everyone’s face.

Afterward, they distributed the Spirit Stones and other resources using the same proportions.

In the end, Song Changsheng received four High-Grade Spirit Stones, one thousand Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, and 375,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. He had made a small fortune.

He was also allocated one Tier Three Low-Grade Magical Artifact and three Spiritual Artifacts.

In addition, there were cultivation resources worth nearly a million, including Ore Ingots, pelts, Spiritual Jade, and Spirit Fruits... all sorts of things. It was enough for the current Song Clan to live comfortably without striving for twenty years!

Zhu Yiqun was grinning from ear to ear. After a haul like this, he wouldn’t have to worry about a thing for the next hundred years.

Xu Yunhe had also built up a small nest egg. If he were ever to establish his own sect, these resources would be his ”startup” capital.

After the loot was divided, Song Changsheng found Shen Qingxiu and asked for help contacting the current Hall Master of the Demon Suppression Hall, Fengg Zhongyi.

He had only met Fengg Zhongyi a few times and was not well-acquainted with him. But he had brought back the bodies of several dozen experts from the Demon Suppression Hall from the Small World, and Fengg Zhongyi naturally needed to be the one to claim them for a proper burial.

Shen Qingxiu was very efficient—or rather, the Demon Suppression Hall’s reaction was very fast. On the fifteenth day after the message was sent, Hall Master Fengg Zhongyi personally arrived in Luoxia City.

This Hall Master Fengg looked exhausted, presumably from rushing his journey the entire way.

Even though he was a Late-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator, crossing four provinces in fifteen days was no small challenge, which only went to show how urgent Hall Master Fengg felt at this moment.

Upon seeing Song Changsheng, Fengg Zhongyi dispensed with all formalities. He gripped Song Changsheng’s shoulders, his face urgent, and asked, ”Clan Leader Song, where are the remains of my hall’s forebears?”

Song Changsheng understood his urgency. Without a word, he led him to a large hall that had been specially cleared out.

The bodies he had brought back were all laid out here.

The moment he saw the bodies, Fengg Zhongyi’s eyes instantly reddened, and his hands began to tremble. Though their appearances had changed drastically, he still recognized them all at a single glance.

”Master Zhang, Master Li, Elder Liu...”

Fengg Zhongyi murmured the names of the departed, tears blurring his vision before he knew it.

He had grown up in the Demon Suppression Hall; to him, these people were like family. Back then, he had only been a Junior Cultivator just beginning his Foundation Establishment, and he had personally watched them march off to battle. In the end... not a single one came back.

Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a smaller body. A jolt shot through him as if he’d been struck by lightning. With a THUD, he fell to his knees and kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with emotion. ”Master, your unfilial disciple, Fengg Zhongyi, is here to welcome you home to the sect!”

The tears he had been desperately holding back finally burst forth. In that moment, the mighty Hall Master of the Demon Suppression Hall, whose very name inspired awe, wept like a child.

Song Changsheng let out a soft sigh, bowed to the remains, and then quietly withdrew from the hall.

A long time later, Fengg Zhongyi emerged from the hall, his eyes red and swollen. Upon seeing Song Changsheng, he said nothing and immediately performed a deep bow that went all the way to the ground.

”Elder.”

Song Changsheng’s face fell in alarm. He rushed forward, intending to help Fengg Zhongyi up, but the other man remained as still as a statue.

”This junior was only doing what was convenient. Elder Fengg, you truly embarrass me with such a gesture,” Song Changsheng said with a wry smile.

Fengg Zhongyi was not moved. He said in a solemn voice, ”Regardless, Clan Leader Song has done my hall a great service. You are a benefactor to our hall, and everyone in the Demon Suppression Hall, from the highest to the lowest, will remember this kindness!”

Coming from a man of his status, these words carried immense weight.

”Elder Fengg, please rise. All these elders died for the sake of Daqi. It is I who should be thanking them.”

Fengg Zhongyi straightened up and looked Song Changsheng seriously in the eyes. A moment later, he said with deep feeling, ”For the Song Clan to have a friend like you is a blessing earned over a hundred lifetimes. This is our hall’s Honored Guest Waist Token. It grants you a status equal to an Elder and allows you to call upon the hall’s resources. Please, my young friend, take it.”

”I can’t possibly accept this.” Song Changsheng was taken aback as he stared at the Waist Token.

’The Honored Guest Waist Token from the Demon Suppression Hall is even more valuable than the one from the Wanlong Commerce Association.’

’After all, the Demon suppression Hall is a colossus that spans the entire Human Race Cultivation World, its power astonishingly vast.’

’With this Waist Token, he would be considered a friend of the Demon Suppression Hall and could receive aid from any of its branches. The implications are extraordinary!’

Fengg Zhongyi spoke with firm conviction, ”You deserve this, my young friend. Please do not refuse it.”

...