Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Two Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and two at the Early-stage. Everyone had arrived except for the heavily injured Huang Liqun. This was a big fish indeed. Fortunately, Song Changsheng’s bite was just as big. Otherwise, all he could do was watch helplessly.

’Once word of today’s battle gets out, there shouldn’t be so many clueless fools coming to cause trouble for me anymore,’ Song Changsheng muttered to himself, standing tall in the wind.

”Heaven-Encompassing Net!”

The instant Song Changsheng retreated to the mountaintop, Liu Yunfeng once again deployed the Heaven-Encompassing Net, sealing off the surrounding airspace. Channeling his inner Oscar-winning actor, Song Changsheng put on a display of extreme weakness, looking as if he were powerless to resist.

Liu Yunfeng was overjoyed at the sight and said excitedly, ”Mr. Qian, in his state, he’s a sitting duck! Let’s attack together!”

But Qian Ming showed no hint of joy. He looked indifferently at Liu Yunfeng and said, ”Fellow Daoist Liu, your Lieyang Sect issued a kill order stating that whoever slays Song Changsheng will receive one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. I was the one who found him first. After he’s dead, how will the reward be split?”

Qian Ming had come for this bounty. If Liu Yunfeng tried to snatch the prize, Qian Ming wouldn’t hesitate to fight him for it.

”Does that even need to be said? We’ll split it based on who does the work, of course,” Qii Feiyun said, as if it were common sense.

Liu Yunfeng didn’t object. He clearly thought the same. If they attacked together, it was only natural to split the bounty together. Wasn’t that common sense?

”Heh, in that case, I’ll leave it to you gentlemen. I won’t be participating,” Qian Ming sneered, tucking his hands into his sleeves and stepping aside, taking on the posture of a man watching tigers fight from a mountaintop.

”Mr. Qian, what is the meaning of this?” Liu Yunfeng’s expression darkened.

”It’s simple. If you want me to help you, that’s fine. But I want the entire bounty!”

”Impossible! Why should you get to take everything?” Qii Feiyun shouted. In terms of strength, their side was clearly superior.

”Heh heh, in that case, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Please, you first.” Qian Ming crossed his arms and sneered, making it clear he intended to let them fight it out and then swoop in to take the prize.

He wasn’t afraid of offending the Song Clan, so he certainly wasn’t afraid of offending the Lieyang Sect. After all, a man with nothing to lose has no fear of those who do. He could just disappear into the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and who would be able to do a thing about it?

Besides, he believed Liu Yunfeng would definitely agree to his terms. For the Lieyang Sect to break their own rules and issue a kill order, their target was clearly someone of immense importance to them—someone they had to get, no matter the cost.

He had also just fought Song Changsheng for a bit. Although the man was heavily injured, his strength was still impressive. Taking him down would be very difficult, and even if Liu Yunfeng himself attacked, he wasn’t guaranteed to gain any advantage.

That’s why he was so fearless now; he had all the leverage. If Liu Yunfeng wanted to eliminate Song Changsheng, he had to get him on his side. Otherwise, Qian Ming didn’t mind playing the part of the oriole waiting in the wings.

The expression on Liu Yunfeng’s face shifted rapidly. He had to admit, Qian Ming had him by the throat.

If Huang Liqun hadn’t been injured, they could have formed the Little Four Symbols Formation and taken down Song Changsheng without any trouble. But now, he wasn’t completely confident he could capture Song Changsheng, especially with Qian Ming watching like a hungry tiger, a threat he couldn’t ignore.

Of course, he could also choose to just trap Song Changsheng. The Heaven-Encompassing Net had already sealed off the surrounding hundred-zhang airspace. Once the Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and the others arrived, never mind Song Changsheng—even Qian Ming would have to lie low.

’But wouldn’t that just make him look incompetent?’

’He’d been given so much authority and so many resources, yet he couldn’t even take down a single junior. What would the Sect Leader think of him then? What would the Elder Council think?’

’Was he supposed to claim it was because Song Changsheng was too strong, and not his own fault?’

’What kind of bullshit excuse was that?’

Therefore, he had to kill Song Changsheng before Yu Chengbo and the others arrived. Only then could he prove himself and change the Elder Council’s impression of him.

Qian Ming was banking on this, which was why he acted so fearlessly. He believed Liu Yunfeng was a smart man, and a smart man would surely make the smart choice.

”Fine, I agree!

Mr. Qian, as long as you help us kill Song Changsheng, the bounty is all yours. We won’t take a single Spirit Stone!” Liu Yunfeng said through gritted teeth. One hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones was no small sum, even for them.

”Senior Brother Liu?” Qii Feiyun blurted out anxiously.

”That’s final. Killing Song Changsheng is what’s most important. Everything else can be set aside for now!” Liu Yunfeng shot Qii Feiyun a glare, his tone leaving no room for argument.

”Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Liu, you’ve made a wise choice.” A smile touched Qian Ming’s lips. This outcome was exactly what he had expected.

Up on the summit, Song Changsheng watched them with a strange expression. ’Are they confident or just arrogant? My head is still on my shoulders, and they’re already divvying up the loot?’

’They all think they have me in the bag, huh? I’ll be sure to give them a big surprise in a moment!’ A cold smile appeared on Song Changsheng’s lips. The moment they stepped into the range of his Thunder-Attracting Array, their deaths were certain.

RUMBLE...

Just then, a dull clap of thunder rolled in from the horizon. The sky suddenly darkened. Song Changsheng looked up to see that a vast expanse of heavy, leaden clouds had gathered over the area at some point.

The dark clouds hung so low they seemed within arm’s reach. Inside them, tendrils of lightning flickered and surged. It looked like a torrential downpour was moments away.

’The heavens themselves are helping me. In a thunderstorm, the power of the Thunder-Attracting Array will be multiplied several times over. Add the Celestial Thunder Shock Talisman to that... even if Yu Chengbo himself showed up, he’d be brought to his knees.

Should I drag this out a bit longer? Wait for Yu Chengbo and his people to arrive and then wipe them all out in one go?’ Song Changsheng wondered, rubbing his chin.