Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Changsheng had two slots to claim items, but he had three primary targets: the True Feather of Bi Fang, a Flood Dragon Scale, and a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The first two were for himself, while the last was for his clan.

Both the Bi Fang Feather and the Flood Dragon Scale were precious and highly sought after. Even a major auction house like the Luoxia Auction House had none in stock. Because of this, Song Changsheng didn’t get his hopes up and headed straight for the Pill Area.

The Pill Area held a dazzling array of Pills, so many that Song Changsheng couldn’t take them all in. There were even many Pills he had never even heard of.

As he scanned row after row, his heart began to sink. Despite the rich variety of Pills, there was no sign of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Luoxia City was self-sufficient when it came to Foundation Establishment Pills and would even occasionally auction some off. In fact, Song Luyao had come here to bid on one before being ambushed, an attack that cost her her legs.

But there wasn’t a single one here. Song Changsheng refused to believe they had no stock; they must simply be unwilling to let them leave the city.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was a bust. Song Changsheng had no choice but to turn his attention to the other treasures.

He first went to the Treasure Area. This section was a hodgepodge of unclassifiable Tier Two Treasures. If the True Feather of Bi Fang or a Flood Dragon Scale were anywhere in this Treasure Vault, they would most likely be here.

’A fragment from a Thousand-Year Spirit Turtle? A shame it’s a bit small, otherwise it’d be great material for refining a Tier Two Spirit Shield.’

’Is this Thunderstruck Wood? It’s over a foot long! It has to be worth at least twenty or thirty thousand Spirit Stones.’

’Could this be the legendary Binary Heavy Water? A single drop weighs over a hundred pounds.’

’And this is... ’

As he continued browsing, he lost count of how many times his heart was stirred. More than once, the thought of simply robbing the place crossed his mind.

Fortunately, he was still in his right mind and only dared to fantasize about it. If he had actually tried anything, he would have been signing up for his next reincarnation.

Although the dazzling treasures threatened to overwhelm him, Song Changsheng never forgot his original goal. Even if he couldn’t find the Bi Fang Feather or the Flood Dragon Scale, he had to maximize the value of his picks.

Thus, after searching the entire Treasure Area, Song Changsheng decisively moved on to the Artifact Area. This section contained not only Tier Two Magical Artifacts, but even Spiritual Artifacts.

The value of a Spiritual Artifact was beyond question. If he couldn’t find anything that truly suited his needs, he planned to just mindlessly pick a Spiritual Artifact.

After all, the principle was: if there’s something suitable, pick what’s suitable. If not, pick what’s expensive.

The number of artifacts was smaller than the number of pills, but a rough estimate still put the count in the hundreds, covering all mainstream types.

Song Changsheng examined them one by one until a wooden plaque in the corner caught his attention. He moved closer to read it:

Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Five Beasts Celestial Fire Fan, refined from the True Feathers of five Fire-attribute Demon Beasts: the Fire Phoenix, the Purple Cloud Swallow, the Fiery Sun Falcon, the Celestial Fire Sparrow, and the Bi Fang...

”The True Feather of a Bi Fang!” Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up. A Spirit Fan refined using a True Feather of a Bi Fang!

’Excellent! This is the one. Now I’m just missing the Flood Dragon Scale and the Monkey Heart, and I’ll have all five mediums!’ Song Changsheng was overjoyed. Once he cultivated the Five Beasts Body Refining Technique to Great Success, he would be able to face a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator head-on using only his physical power.

He memorized the location of the Five Beasts Celestial Fire Fan and then continued his search for a Flood Dragon Scale.

Unfortunately, even after searching the entire Artifact Area, he found no trace of a Flood Dragon Scale. That part of his plan was a bust.

After another lap, just as he was about to settle on another Spiritual Artifact, he happened to glance at a different wooden plaque.

”Yin Yang Iron?”

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow, suddenly conflicted.

Yin Yang Iron was a rare Yin-Yang Attribute Spiritual Material. It was quite expensive and seldom seen in the outside world. It was a perfect match for his Spirit-Slaying Gourd, and reforging the gourd with it would certainly take it to the next level.

But compared to a Spiritual Artifact, its price was far lower. At most, it was worth ten or twenty thousand Spirit Stones, whereas a Spiritual Artifact cost around fifty thousand.

’Do I pick what’s suitable, or what’s expensive?’

After a moment of contemplation, Song Changsheng ultimately chose ”what’s suitable.”

His Spirit-Slaying Gourd was already just one step away from evolving into a Spiritual Artifact. If he could raise its rank to Tier Two Middle Grade before that, he would soon possess a Middle-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Then, with the Luwu Bell for defense and the gourd for offense, they would become Song Changsheng’s trusted left and right arms.

With that, his two slots were used up. Still, he looked through the entire Treasure Vault, partly to broaden his horizons, and partly to see if there was anything even more suitable.

Although many other treasures tempted him during his search, after weighing his options, he ultimately stuck to his original choices.

Xu Yunhe was much more decisive. Since he didn’t have a specific goal in mind, he simply browsed for a while before choosing a Tier Two Top Grade swordsmanship manual.

”Elder Qianri, we have made our selections,” Song Changsheng said, finding the elder and reporting the locations of their chosen items.

After hearing their choices, Elder Qianri gave the two a surprised look. This was, by his count, the third time the Tier Two Treasure Vault had been opened.

The people who had entered the previous two times had, without exception, chosen the most valuable treasures inside, such as Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts or Top-Grade Puppets.

They simply took whatever was most expensive.

But Song Changsheng and Xu Yunhe had chosen what they needed most, refusing to be swayed by mere value. This was something he deeply admired...

After walking out of the City Lord’s Mansion and breathing in the fresh air, Song Changsheng stretched contentedly. He could finally relax a little.

”Brother Yunhe, what are your plans now?” Song Changsheng asked, looking at Xu Yunhe beside him.

He had now obtained the White Tiger Fang and the True Feather of Bi Fang, acquired the Yin Yang Iron, and confiscated Cheng Yufei’s Qiankun Bag. He certainly wouldn’t be idle in the coming days.

Xu Yunhe gazed at the distant horizon without speaking. After a long moment, he finally responded. ”Brother Song, I suddenly feel that the Ancestor of your Song Clan was truly great.”

”Of course,” Song Changsheng replied with a smile. ”To the disciples of the Song Clan, the Ancestor is the greatest figure to have ever lived, even if his cultivation wasn’t actually that high.”

”Even from an outsider’s perspective, he was still incredibly great.”

Xu Yunhe’s words left Song Changsheng a bit confused, but he understood that the man had something more to say. He didn’t press, but simply waited quietly for him to continue.

”I was an abandoned infant. My parents threw me away in the jungle right after I was born, and I was nearly fed to Demon Beasts. Fortunately, my Master happened to be passing by. He took pity on me and saved my life.

When I was eight, my Master discovered I possessed a Spirit Root and formally took me as his disciple. From then on, I traveled far and wide with him.

Back then, my Master was an omnipotent being in my eyes. But in reality, he was just a little old man who had cultivated his entire life only to remain stuck in the late-stage of Qi Refining.

For those twenty years, we were homeless and destitute. We would even cross blades with others over a single Spirit Grass worth one or two Spirit Stones. That’s why I saw blood for the first time when I was twelve.”

”Brother Song, what were you doing at that age?” Xu Yunhe suddenly asked, turning to Song Changsheng.

Song Changsheng had a feeling he knew where this was going. ”At that time, I was studying at the clan academy.”

Hearing this, Xu Yunhe smiled. ”That’s why I say the Ancestor of your Song Clan was a great man. He carved out a rich land for you and left behind a profound legacy.

He made it so the disciples of the Song Clan wouldn’t have to spend their days licking blood from a knife’s edge, wandering without a home.”

He turned around, a light shining in his eyes that Song Changsheng had never seen before. ”The founder of Luoxia City was the same, only he was even greater. He protected half of the Daqi Cultivation World from the scourge of Demon Beasts.

I come from humble beginnings. I have no great tree to shelter me from the wind and rain, so I must become a great tree myself—one that towers to the heavens, so that my descendants and disciples will never have to live the life I did.

That! That is the goal I, Yunhe, will strive for for the rest of my life. Brother Song, do you think I can succeed?”

Song Changsheng nodded affirmatively. ”Of course. You are a true prodigy among Loose Cultivators. You are destined to become famous in the future. When you establish your own sect, it will surely become the overlord of a province.”

If Xu Yunhe had merely shown average aptitude before, the moment he broke through to Foundation Establishment, he had already undergone a Nirvana Rebirth.

While the Golden Core Dao might be a bold claim, the Purple Mansion realm was already within his sights.

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