Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Luyao nodded slightly and said, ”Yes, I can contact them. Their last message was a month ago, so they should have reached Daqi by now.”

”Could you please ask them which route they’re taking? If necessary, the clan can send people to escort them,” Song Changsheng said, feeling uneasy.

Treacherous undercurrents were stirring throughout the Daqi Cultivation World, and they were carrying three Foundation Establishment Pills. If anything were to happen to them, it would be a devastating blow to the Song Clan.

”Alright, I’ll contact them.”

”Then, the meeting is adjourned.”

——————

「Three days later.」 All the factions in Ling Province were mobilized, searching everywhere for Xia Qingxue’s whereabouts. The forces in the neighboring provinces did the same.

Because of a single ambush, nearly half of the Daqi Cultivation World was swept up in the turmoil, yet the mastermind remained elusive.

Song Changsheng had no solution for this, nor was he in any mood to investigate. ’Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with the Golden Crow Sect is far beyond our reach. The Song Clan is nothing in comparison.’

The only good news for him over the past few days was that the backlog of clan affairs had finally been handled. He could at last find the time to focus on his own improvement.

Song Changsheng currently had several options to pursue, such as the Five Beasts Body Refining Technique or improving his mastery of arrays. Each path offered significant potential for growth.

After some thought, Song Changsheng decided to first meditate on the Daoist Scripture.

It had been some time since his breakthrough to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but he hadn’t had a chance to meditate on the Daoist Scripture yet. When he had broken through to the Early-stage, he’d gained the Five Beasts Body Refining Technique. He was very much looking forward to what he would gain this time.

Song Changsheng entered his Seclusion Chamber, drank a large amount of Monkey Wine, then sat down cross-legged and began to meditate on the Daoist Scripture.

As the Jade Scroll in his mind slowly unfurled, Song Changsheng sank into a deep trance...

A day and a night later, Song Changsheng wearily opened his eyes, a peculiar look on his face. This time, he had obtained a Secret Technique called Light of Resurgence.

Simply put, cultivating it allowed him to heal his own injuries and those of others.

This was not what Song Changsheng had expected. Normally, only cultivators with a Wood Spirit Root or something like a Life Law Dao Foundation could cultivate this kind of Secret Technique. ’But I have a Water and Fire Spirit Root and a Yin Yang Dao Foundation. No matter how I look at it, there’s no connection.’

’Based on my experience over the years, the insights I gain from the Daoist Scripture are always the ones most suited to me. That’s been true for both Heart Methods and Body Forging Methods, so there must be a reason for this Secret Technique too.’

Stroking his chin, a theory suddenly occurred to Song Changsheng. He’d run several private tests over the past few days; ever since absorbing that fruit, his Spiritual Power had indeed gained the ability to heal injuries. His own natural healing had improved slightly as well, though the effects weren’t particularly potent.

If he combined it with this new Secret Technique, the results would surely be drastically different.

His interest piqued, Song Changsheng immediately began to cultivate it.

One advantage of Secret Techniques gained from the Daoist Scripture was that they were exceptionally fast to master. It took Song Changsheng only three days to reach the entry-level of proficiency.

To test his theory, he took out a flying sword and slashed his own forearm. In an instant, a gash deep enough to reveal bone appeared, and blood gushed out like a spring.

But Song Changsheng didn’t even flinch. He simply placed his other hand over the wound and discreetly channeled the Light of Resurgence. A surge of green light pulsed, and the bleeding quickly stopped. Then, he felt an itch from the wound.

Song Changsheng moved his hand away and summoned some clean water to wash off the blood. He saw that the wound on his arm was already beginning to close.

’The effect is excellent. The injury has already shown clear improvement in such a short time. A full recovery would only take about a dozen breaths.’ A smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face. In actual combat, such a healing ability would be fearsome.

’I wonder how effective it is on others.’

With that thought, Song Changsheng went straight to Song Xianyun’s courtyard. He explained his intentions, and the old man, without asking many questions, simply told him to proceed.

Since Song Xianyun was suffering from internal injuries, Song Changsheng placed his hand directly on his chest.

Song Xianyun saw a surge of green light, then felt a peculiar energy pour into him, coursing through his entire body and leaving him feeling pleasantly warm.

He then noticed the pain in his body subsiding. In less than a quarter of an hour, his internal injuries had noticeably improved.

Song Xianyun was stunned. ’What kind of incredible Secret Technique is this? How can it have such immediate results?’

After another quarter of an hour, he waved his hand. ”That’s enough.”

Song Changsheng looked at him, puzzled. He had only used up half of his Spiritual Power and was nowhere near his limit.

”The healing effect is much weaker than when you started. I suspect it’s reached its limit. Continuing would just be a waste of your Spiritual Power. I’m much better now. Thank you, my boy.” Song Xianyun’s complexion had returned to a healthy, ruddy color, and his voice was full and strong. He seemed like a completely different person.

Song Changsheng thoughtfully withdrew his hand. ’So the healing has its limits,’ he mused. ’But this is more than enough. Twenty-first Grand-uncle’s injuries were so severe, and now he’s already more than halfway healed.’

’This is practically a Divine Skill! If I had learned this Secret Technique earlier, I wouldn’t have been in such a miserable state during the Lieyang Sect’s ambush. Thankfully, it’s not too late.’

”We’re family; there’s no need for thanks. It’s what I ought to do. Please rest well. I’ll be heading back to handle some clan affairs now.”

After leaving the courtyard, however, Song Changsheng did not return to the Minor Affairs Hall. Instead, he headed for the Scripture Pavilion.

He knew perfectly well that the only reason this Secret Technique was so effective was because of that fruit.

He had never heard of such a miraculous Spirit Plant before and decided to consult the ancient texts to see if he could find any relevant records.

Using his authority, he borrowed all the Jade Scrolls that might contain the information he sought.

Over the next few weeks, he split his time between handling the clan affairs that had piled up during his seclusion and poring over the texts. In what felt like a flash, more than half a month passed. Then, in an ancient Jade Scroll, he actually found what seemed to be a relevant record.

”Law Spirit Fruit: Born in regions rich with the Power of Law. Exceptionally rare. The form of the Spirit Plant varies, and each fruit contains a type of Power of Law...”

’The description is a close match. The Qiantian Secret Realm is rich with the Power of Life Law, which means it meets the initial conditions for a Life Law Spirit Fruit to appear.’

’And after I absorbed that fruit, my Spiritual Power gained an extra measure of Life Force. It would be perfectly reasonable to call that the Power of Life Law.’

Song Changsheng felt a headache coming on. ’If I could find the origin of this Spirit Plant, there’s no reason the Golden Crow Sect can’t. That seed is still with Xia Qingxue. If she takes it back to her sect, won’t the cat be out of the bag?’

”Sigh... what a mess,” Song Changsheng sighed. ’This is the plight of a weak cultivator. It was clearly my own fortunate opportunity, yet now I have to live in constant fear because of it.’

Just then, a black-robed figure pushed Song Luyao’s wheelchair into the Minor Affairs Hall. Song Changsheng quickly rose to greet her. ”Ninth Auntie, what brings you here?”

Song Luyao glanced at the mountain of Jade Scrolls on the desk. ”I just received a message. Yulong and his group have reached Ling Province, but they’ve run into a bit of trouble on the road.”

”What happened?” Song Changsheng’s expression darkened. Song Yulong was the one responsible for escorting the Foundation Establishment Pills, and the clan had been keeping a close watch on his group’s progress. He hadn’t expected a problem to arise within Ling Province’s borders.

”An unidentified group is pursuing them. Their pursuers include a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, so they’re no match for them. They’re currently fighting a running battle.”

”An unidentified group?” A cold glint flashed in Song Changsheng’s eyes. ”Where are they now? I’ll go myself.”

”Dingfeng Gorge!”

...