Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Legacy of a Predecessor

After cultivating this [Spiritual Qi Force], a cultivator’s Spiritual Power would be imbued with a peculiar force. Once an opponent was struck, this force would invade their Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Dantian Acupoints, continuously draining their Spiritual Power.

It wasn’t difficult to dispel this force, but doing so took time—time one rarely had in the heat of battle. Once afflicted, the rate at which one’s Spiritual Power drained would increase dramatically.

This was incredibly deadly. Especially between opponents of equal cultivation, the one whose power drained faster would naturally be the first to fall.

’No wonder it needed special preservation methods. A Secret Technique like this is incredibly rare.’ Song Changsheng was thrilled. Creating a Secret Technique was extremely difficult, requiring at least the Golden Core Stage. Finding this technique alone had made the trip worthwhile.

He then picked up the remaining three Jade Scrolls and inspected them one by one. But with such a gem discovered first, these next few seemed rather lackluster. They were all about Array Formation methods or Artifact Refining techniques. While these would be invaluable to a Loose Cultivator, for him, they were merely better than nothing.

After stowing his gains, Song Changsheng proceeded to the next stone chamber. He found two more chambers empty before entering a peculiar one.

It was an incredibly spacious chamber, several times larger than the ones before.

’It looks completely empty, but in reality, it’s filled with hidden dangers. This cave master’s skill in Arrays is likely on par with Grandfather’s.’ Song Changsheng was secretly alarmed. Gritting his teeth, he ultimately chose to bypass it.

He knew there had to be some treasure hidden inside, but that opportunity was not meant for him. What lay within was a Sword Dao Killing Array approaching Tier Three. The Sword Qi rampaging inside was far beyond anything he could handle.

Rather than waste time here, it was better to look for other opportunities.

What Song Changsheng didn’t expect was that not long after he left, Xu Yunhe also arrived here from another passage. Feeling the incomparably sharp Sword Qi, Xu Yunhe glanced at his empty right side and, with grim determination, stepped inside...

Song Changsheng continued to explore, but his gains were meager. He couldn’t help but wonder, why did the cave’s master hollow out so many useless stone chambers?

’Was the master just bored?’

That seemed impossible. But even with his keen eye, Song Changsheng couldn’t discern the master’s purpose, leaving him to speculate.

Pushing open another stone door, Song Changsheng was suddenly stunned. Unlike the dimness of the other stone chambers, this one was brightly lit.

He instinctively looked up. He didn’t see the sun, but a glowing sphere embedded in the center of the ceiling, like an oversized incandescent light bulb.

’It’s actually a [Sea Pearl]! One this large is truly a rare sight.’ Song Changsheng clicked his tongue in amazement. Sea Pearls weren’t valuable, but he had only ever read about one this large in books. It was a real eye-opener.

As his gaze moved downward, Song Changsheng finally noticed a Jade Bed exuding a chilly air in the corner of the room. A skeleton sat cross-legged on it, a truly unsettling sight.

’I actually didn’t notice it at first glance. Something’s strange.’ Song Changsheng’s eyes narrowed, and he immediately spotted the irregularity. A Restriction enveloped the area in front of the Jade Bed, possessing a certain deceptive quality, which was why Song Changsheng hadn’t noticed it right away.

’The Physical Body has already decayed, but the bones still emit a faint Spiritual Light. This person must have been at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in life. They’re probably the master of this cave abode, right?’

Song Changsheng took a few steps forward, cupped his hands, and bowed with meticulous respect. ”Senior, this junior, Song Changsheng, has been fortunate enough to enter your abode. I have disturbed your eternal rest. Please forgive me for any disrespect.”

Even though they were uninvited, they still owed basic respect to the remains of a predecessor.

CREAK

Just as Song Changsheng was in the middle of his bow, the door to another passage opened. It was Zhu Yiqun and Zhuang Yuechan, who had also made it here. It seemed this was the final destination of the cave abode.

”Well, what do you know. Better to be lucky than to be early! We almost let Changsheng have the greatest prize all to himself. Good thing we weren’t delayed on the way,” Zhu Yiqun said to Zhuang Yuechan with a chuckle, his eyes on the remains on the Jade Bed.

”Indeed,” Zhuang Yuechan agreed with an approving nod.

”Your timing is impeccable. But where is Fellow Daoist Xu?” Song Changsheng said with a smile, shaking his head and looking around.

Zhu Yiqun scratched his head. ”Fellow Daoist Zhuang and I met along the way. I thought Fellow Daoist Xu would be with you.”

”I haven’t seen him.” Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly. ’Could something have happened to him?’

Just then, from the passage Song Changsheng had come through, Xu Yunhe’s figure staggered out. He was covered in fine, bloody cuts and could barely stand.

But his spirits were high, his excitement visible to the naked eye. He must have made an incredible find.

”Fellow Daoist Xu, those injuries... Are you all right?” Zhu Yiqun asked with concern.

”It’s nothing, just flesh wounds,” Xu Yunhe said with a grin, waving his hand at the others.

”Good to hear. Since everyone’s here now, let’s divide up this final great opportunity,” Zhu Yiqun said, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the perfectly preserved Qiankun Bag next to the skeleton.

No one asked what Xu Yunhe had experienced, much less what he had found. As they had agreed earlier, it was all up to one’s own skill!

Song Changsheng had a vague inkling of where Xu Yunhe had gone, but he too asked nothing. This later became an unsolved mystery.

Hearing Zhu Yiqun’s words, Song Changsheng nodded. After bowing respectfully to the skeleton again, he broke the Restriction and picked up the Qiankun Bag from the Jade Bed.

Since the Qiankun Bag’s owner had passed away many years ago, the Divine Sense Mark on it had long since dissipated. Thus, he opened it effortlessly.

With a small shake, a pile of Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, Metal Ingots, and Jade Scrolls, as well as Jade Boxes, porcelain vials, and other things appeared before them. The contents were a jumble, containing a bit of almost everything.

It was time to divide the spoils again.

Song Changsheng gathered the Spirit Stones, ores, and similar items. ”The value of these items is straightforward, so we can split them evenly in a bit. As for these other items of uncertain value, let’s each pick one. What we get will be up to luck. What do you all think?”

He was referring to the Jade Scrolls, Jade Boxes, and other such items. Before they were opened, no one knew what was inside. They could be empty, or they could hold precious treasures.

Naturally, everyone wanted the good stuff, and any other way of dividing them would feel unfair. So they might as well treat it like opening blind boxes; everyone would rely on their luck, which would prevent any hard feelings later on.

”There’s no way to divide them with perfect fairness. This is without a doubt the best approach,” Zhu Yiqun said, nodding in agreement.

Zhuang Yuechan and Xu Yunhe had no objections, either; after all, they couldn’t think of a better way.

”Who goes first?” Song Changsheng asked, looking at the others.

”Fellow Daoist Song deserves the most credit for us being able to enter this cave abode. I think Fellow Daoist Song should choose three items first,” Zhuang Yuechan proposed, somewhat unexpectedly.

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