Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Changsheng possessed Water and Fire Dual Spirit Roots. If he wanted to break through to the Golden Core realm in the future, he would need to refine Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Objects of the Metal, Wood, and Earth attributes. This would supplement his Dao Rhyme, transform the Hidden Spirit Roots within his body into Visible Spirit Roots, achieve Five Elements Perfection, and allow him to break through in a single stroke via the Five Elements Golden Core Dao.

This was currently the method with the highest success rate.

However, Five Elements Spiritual Objects were not only difficult to find, but one also had to distinguish between their Yin and Yang aspects. For Loose Cultivators and minor clans, this was an immense burden. Thus, the vast majority of Cultivators in the world could only halt their progress at the Purple Mansion realm. Advancing any further was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

This was why Muu Guibai’s breakthrough to the Golden Core realm had caused such a massive sensation. He was the only Cultivator in the past millennium—across the three realms of Daqi, the Lu Kingdom, and Gusu—to reach the Golden Core realm without coming from a Golden Core Influence.

This might sound a bit strange. Must a Golden Core Cultivator necessarily come from a Golden Core Influence?

Of course not. The world is a vast place; there are bound to be a few lucky ones.

But on the whole, ninety percent of the Golden Core Cultivators in the world came from Golden Core Influences or stronger powers. The monopolization of resources was no joke.

For a clan like the Song Clan, producing a Golden Core Cultivator was not something they could guarantee, even if they poured all their resources into it.

Because you needed to possess all four of these things: genius, connections, wealth, and luck.

Without genius, it’s impossible to even cultivate to Purple Mansion Great Perfection.

Without access to the right circles, you would have almost no channels to acquire Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Objects.

Alright, even if you met the first two requirements, without wealth, you couldn’t afford a Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Object even if one was for sale.

And that’s not to mention luck. Setting aside the fact that Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Objects can only be chanced upon, not sought, even surviving the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation requires luck.

Otherwise, all that awaits is a puff of ash from the tribulation.

The Song Clan was undoubtedly lucky to have produced a Song Changsheng.

For the time being, they didn’t lack wealth.

As for connections, that could probably be solved by clinging tightly to Luoxia City’s coattails.

As for the final element, luck, that was something beyond human control.

However, from the looks of it, Song Changsheng’s luck was quite good. Not long after he broke through to the Purple Mansion realm, Zhuang Yuechan found him the Yang-attributed Geng Metal Qi, saving him a great deal of effort.

But the price for it was also extraordinarily high.

Guilt and gratitude intertwined in Song Changsheng’s heart, ultimately transforming into his motivation to press forward. ‘Only if I’m strong enough can I protect everything I hold dear!’

Time hurried on, like a white steed glimpsed through a crack.

After more than a year of silent meditation, Song Changsheng finally, slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed in their depths before vanishing.

Over the past year, his body seemed to have undergone many changes. The angles of his face had become more defined, and he had gained an indescribable air about him.

Refining the Geng Metal Qi hadn’t greatly improved his Cultivation, but his Magical Combat abilities had seen some improvement.

But the exact degree of improvement was not something that could be quantified.

With a wave of his sleeve, he opened the long-sealed doors. A Steward immediately hurried over, bowed respectfully with hands clasped, and said, “Congratulations on emerging from seclusion, Clan Leader.”

Song Changsheng glanced at him, recognizing him as a Steward from the Minor Affairs Hall. He knew the man must be waiting here with matters to report.

“Were there any important matters in the clan during my seclusion?”

“Reporting to the Clan Leader, everything has been recorded. Please review it.” The Steward hastily retrieved a small booklet from his robes and presented it with both hands.

Song Changsheng took it and scanned it quickly, discovering that quite a few things had indeed happened in the clan during this time.

First was the Immortal Ascension Conference. Not only was the harvest from Yang Province a pleasant surprise, but with the clan’s rapidly growing population, the number of children with Spirit Roots had also surpassed previous years. There had been sixty-two last year alone, and though there was only one Cultivator with Dual Spirit Roots, it was still a considerable and welcome surprise for Song Changsheng.

Because the Song Clan was desperately short on people right now.

In just eight to ten years, they could become the pillars of the Song Clan in various fields.

If this news was a pleasant surprise, the next item left him rather astonished.

“The Cyan Ape Wang Clan has pledged their allegiance, and the three-thousand-li territory around Cyan Ape Mountain now belongs entirely to our clan?” Song Changsheng unconsciously raised an eyebrow, reading the line over and over to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

“What’s this all about?”

“Reporting to the Clan Leader, when Elder Changxue and Elder Qingming were traveling to Yang Province, they were attacked. An investigation later revealed that some members of the seven clans of Yang Province had been incited by the Vast Alliance. Although the seven clan leaders later dealt with the rebels themselves, the Chi Huo Elder believed they had failed to manage their subordinates and ordered them to conquer the Cyan Ape Mountain Range before the year’s end. Three months ago, the seven great clans assembled twelve Foundation Establishment Cultivators and seven hundred Qi Cultivators to attack the Cyan Ape Wang Clan. But who would have thought it would be all bark and no bite? The moment the Cyan Ape Wang Clan saw our clan’s banner, they gave up all resistance. Their Clan Leader even came to Vast Mist Peak personally to declare his submission to our clan, and he hasn’t left to this day,” the Steward quickly recounted the full story to Song Changsheng.

A faint smile appeared on Song Changsheng’s face upon hearing this. “This Chu Nanfeng is a clever one, acting under our clan’s name.”

“Clan Leader, should they be punished?” the Steward asked, hastily pulling out a small notebook, looking ready to take orders at a moment’s notice.

“Punished for what? They were just following orders. If anything, they should be rewarded. We’ll consider this their way of atoning for their past mistakes with meritorious service.

Since the Cyan Ape Wang Clan has sincerely submitted, it’s actually a good thing for the clan. It gives us a forward base in Xiang Province.

“Make the arrangements. I want to meet this Clan Leader Wang,” Song Changsheng said to the Steward before him after quickly finishing the rest of the booklet.

“As you command.”

…

Inside a side hall of the Song Clan estate, Wang Mingren was fidgeting restlessly. He would periodically stand up to gaze into the distance. When he finally saw a figure appear, he quickly sat bolt upright in a posture of grave attention.

When the tall, straight figure reached the doorway, Wang Mingren shot to his feet, performed a deep bow that nearly touched the ground, and said in a clear voice, “Wang Mingren, Clan Leader of the Cyan Ape Wang Clan, pays his respects to the Sect Leader! May the Sect Leader’s Immortal Fate never wane, and may you attain the Golden Core!”

Song Changsheng gave a casual wave of his hand. “Clan Leader Wang, there is no need for such ceremony. Please, sit.”

He walked to the main seat and sat down. Only then did Wang Mingren gingerly sit back down, his back ramrod straight, his entire body radiating nervousness.

Song Changsheng sized him up and down for a moment before remarking with some surprise, “Clan Leader Wang, you are quite young.”

He didn’t mean this as a jest. The man before him was indeed young, likely not even fifty, with only a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Such a young Clan Leader was a rare sight, especially considering this Wang Clan was much stronger than the one in Ling Province.

If he hadn’t already sent people to verify it, Song Changsheng would have suspected that this man was a sacrificial pawn pushed forward by the Wang Clan.

This was clearly not the first time Wang Mingren had been asked this question. He quickly replied, “To answer the Sect Leader, this junior’s father was the clan’s previous leader. He unfortunately passed away three years ago. The clan elders saw that I had some talent and thus recommended me as the new Clan Leader.”

“I see. For Clan Leader Wang to be able to represent an entire clan at such a young age shows you are of no small ability.”

As Song Changsheng said this, he was completely unaware that he himself had been even younger than Wang Mingren when he became Clan Leader. In fact, he wasn’t even as old as Wang Mingren was now.

But Wang Mingren felt nothing strange about this at all, for this world had always followed the principle that ability comes before age. Song Changsheng was a Purple Mansion Cultivator, which made him a senior. No matter how young he was, he was still a senior.

After a bit of small talk, Song Changsheng finally got to the point.

“The Wang Clan is a major clan in Xiang Province. Why the sudden thought of submitting to my clan?”

‘If you all hadn’t put a knife to our throats, do you think I’d be willing to be your dog?’ Wang Mingren cursed inwardly, but the words that came out of his mouth were completely different.

Wang Mingren’s expression turned solemn. He lifted the hem of his robes and knelt with a THUD, slamming his forehead against the ground. With tears streaming down his face, he pleaded, “We simply cannot survive any longer! I beg the Sect Leader to save the eight hundred-plus lives of my Wang Clan!”

This sudden prostration completely stunned Song Changsheng. ‘What in the world is going on?’