Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

”It looks like there’s a challenge over there.”

Song Changsheng’s hearing was so exceptional that he could hear every voice in the entire Martial Arts Arena with perfect clarity. The moment the word ”challenge” was spoken, it caught his attention.

Following his gaze, the Steward’s eyes widened in understanding. ”That’s Wu Chi and Jiangg Ling. Besides his relentless daily Body Refining, Wu Chi is also a Martial Zealot who loves to spar.

He’s challenged all the top-ranked disciples—Qin Ze, Qin Yu, Song Xue. It looks like he’s set his sights on Jiangg Ling this time.”

”Oh? He certainly lives up to his name, then. What’s his win rate?” Song Changsheng asked leisurely, crossing his arms.

The Steward thought for a moment. ”He’s beaten Qin Ze and Song Xue, but he’s lost to Qin Yu three times in a row. The Magic they’re all learning right now is very basic, and without using Magical Artifacts, it’s hard to break through Wu Chi’s defense.”

”Qin Ze lost, but Qin Yu won. Are they practicing different types of Magic?”

The Steward had an odd look on his face. ”Not at all. Everyone here is treated the same.”

”When it comes to Magical Combat, that Qin Yu never plays by the rules. He’ll use any dirty trick or cheap shot he can. Wu Chi, the Martial Zealot, is so obsessed with his training that his mind just isn’t as quick as Qin Yu’s.”

As he spoke, the Steward couldn’t help but rub his throbbing temples. Thinking about it clearly gave him a headache.

A faint smile touched Song Changsheng’s lips. He offered a word of comfort. ”Uncle, don’t let it trouble you. Being too righteous isn’t always a good thing, and being a bit underhanded isn’t always bad.”

”The clan needs conventional people like Wu Chi and Qin Ze, but it also needs unconventional ones like Qin Yu. As long as they are dedicated to serving the clan, they are talents worth cultivating.”

”Clan Leader, without rules, there can be no order. A habit of breaking convention isn’t always a good thing,” the Steward said, fraught with worry.

But Song Changsheng was unconcerned. ”As long as he doesn’t cross any major lines, there’s no need to suppress him.”

”But...” The Steward started to speak again, but then he saw that the challenge had already begun.

The Steward on duty marked off a separate area for the two of them and called over all the disciples who were training in the Martial Arts Arena. A battle between these two was worth observing and learning from.

Jiangg Ling stood on the right side of the makeshift ring, her face a mask of cold indifference.

Wu Chi stood opposite Jiangg Ling, feet planted firmly in a bow stance, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

”Uncle, who do you think has the better odds?”

”It’s hard to say. The first three realms of Body Refining are Refining Tendons, Refining Bones, and Refining Skin. Wu Chi has already reached Refining Tendons Minor Achievement, which is comparable to a Qi Refining Third Layer Cultivator. Jiangg Ling is still a ways off from even the Qi Refining Second Layer. It will be difficult for her to defeat Wu Chi.

Unless she can use her superior Body Technique to wear Wu Chi down, only then would she have a hope of winning.” The Steward shook his head slightly, clearly not optimistic about Jiangg Ling’s chances.

Song Changsheng wasn’t sure either, but that was precisely what made this match worth watching.

”I await your guidance!”

Wu Chi’s voice was a low rumble as he performed a cupped fist salute. When he looked up again, Jiangg Ling was gone.

Just as he was wondering what happened, Wu Chi felt a sharp pain in his left side and was sent sprawling face-first onto the ground.

He twisted his head around to see Jiangg Ling standing over him, arms crossed, looking down on him from her superior position.

It turned out that while Wu Chi was performing his salute, Jiangg Ling had used her nimble Body Technique to slip behind him and land a surprise kick.

To be knocked down right at the start was humiliating. Wu Chi’s face flushed crimson. ”You... You launched a sneak attack!”

Jiangg Ling couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ”What, is this your first time?

The Research Steward said it herself: the ring is a battlefield. Do you think your enemy is going to salute you before they strike? If I’d had a Magical Artifact just now, you’d be dead, or at least severely wounded.”

”Is that what that girl Qingyann said?” Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. ’He had to admit,’ he thought, ’her words are absolutely right.’

”She’s just as unruly as you.”

”I can beat that big oaf, and you can’t. See? That’s the difference between us.

I think what Sister Jiangg Ling said is right on the money. How does that saying from the textbook go? Oh, right. ’Great minds think alike.’” Qin Yu said, not a hint of shame on his face, but rather a look of pride.

Qin Ze turned his head away, putting on an expression that screamed, ’I don’t know this person...’

Back in the ring, Wu Chi pondered Jiangg Ling’s words for a moment. He then reset his stance, nodded seriously, and said, ”Point taken.”

”Hmph.”

Jiangg Ling snorted. With a light touch of her toes, she leaped gracefully into the air. Clenching her fists, which were now shrouded in a faint, watery mist, she aimed a punch straight at Wu Chi’s face.

”Hah!”

Wu Chi planted his feet firmly on the ground, the muscles of his right arm bulging in an instant. His massive fist tore through the air, rocketing toward Jiangg Ling.

Just as the two disproportionately sized fists were about to collide, Jiangg Ling’s Spiritual Power erupted from her body. Her fist opened into a palm, grabbing Wu Chi’s wrist. She then used his momentum to flip a full one hundred and eighty degrees in mid-air.

The tall and sturdy Wu Chi was slammed heavily onto the ground—face first. The feeling, you can only imagine.

Seeing this, the crowd of spectators burst into an uproar. It was always Wu Chi throwing others; when had anyone ever thrown *him*?

”Wu Chi cultivates the *Unmoving as a Mountain Technique*, which creates the most stable stance possible! How did Jiangg Ling’s strength move him so easily? Could she actually be stronger than him?”

Hearing the Steward’s astonished cry, Song Changsheng shook his head. ”Originally, Wu Chi had channeled the qi and blood in his body into his legs, rooting himself to the ground like an old, gnarled tree. This made his stance as stable as a mountain.