Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Several months had passed since the ambush, and with Song Changsheng’s help, Song Xianyun had almost fully recovered from his injuries.

Song Changsheng, who had been overwhelmed by clan duties, was ecstatic. He immediately handed all his responsibilities back to Song Xianyun and was currently in the process of the final handover.

Song Xianyun inspected the duties Song Changsheng had handled and found no oversights. ”Not bad,” he said, satisfied. ”You’ve improved a great deal since last time.”

”Now I see why your cultivation has progressed so slowly all these years,” Song Changsheng said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

Ever since taking over the Minor Affairs Hall, he had been bogged down by all sorts of matters, which cost him a significant amount of time for his cultivation.

Song Xianyun stroked his beard and chuckled. ”Why do you think the clan rules stipulate that the Clan Leader must have a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivation?

”It’s because managing the clan takes up a great deal of cultivation time. But once you reach Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, you no longer need to just grind away at your cultivation. Breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm is a matter of one’s insight and talent.

”This allows them to devote more of their time to the clan’s development.”

Song Changsheng had a moment of realization. ’So that’s the reason.’

This was good news for him. At least until he reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, he wouldn’t have to be buried under a mountain of clan duties every day.

”Twenty-first Grand-uncle, if there are no oversights, then I’ll be going into seclusion.”

”Go on, go on. I can look over the rest myself.” Seeing Song Changsheng’s eagerness, Song Xianyun waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.

Saying he was going into seclusion wasn’t just an excuse; it was the truth. Back in the Qiantian Secret Realm, he had studied the Array Patterns of the Three Mountains and Three Talents Array and gained significant insights.

He simply hadn’t had a chance to process those insights until now. Freed from his duties, he naturally didn’t want to wait any longer. His progress on the path of Arrays had been stagnant for far too long.

——————

Time flew by. In what felt like the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Free from the burden of his duties, Song Changsheng successfully processed the insights he had gained, and his skill in Arrays advanced to Tier Two Middle Grade.

”As my cultivation gets higher and higher, the Yin Yang Two Elements Formation is becoming increasingly inadequate. It looks like I need to switch to a new Array,” Song Changsheng murmured to himself in his private chamber.

He had inscribed the Yin Yang Two Elements Formation inside his body right after becoming a Tier Two Array Master. It combined both offense and defense, providing him with immense help in his earlier battles and giving him the confidence to fight opponents of a higher cultivation level.

But as his power grew, the usefulness of the mere Tier Two Low Grade Yin Yang Two Elements Formation had dwindled to almost nothing.

Now that he was a Tier Two Middle Grade Array Master, he could set up more powerful Arrays, which meant the original one could be replaced.

What gave him pause, however, was that even if he switched to a Tier Two Middle Grade Array, it would only be a temporary solution. Given the speed at which his power was increasing, it wouldn’t be long before it, too, became obsolete.

He could, of course, replace it again with an even stronger Array, but that process was simply too troublesome. He wanted to solve this problem once and for all.

’Is there an Array that could serve me for a lifetime...?’ Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.

He was well-versed in the ancient texts and knew of hundreds of Arrays, yet not a single one satisfied him.

Unlike a Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, once an Array is established, its tier is fixed. It cannot advance in power along with his own Cultivation.

”Sigh, I can’t see the forest for the trees. A perfect example has been right in front of me this whole time!” Song Changsheng suddenly slapped his forehead, annoyed with himself.

A flash of inspiration had just struck him, and he thought of an Array that met his requirements perfectly.

He had encountered this type of Array twice and had even unraveled it twice. He hadn’t considered it at first simply because it was so unique.

It was a Natural Magical Array, the kind he had encountered in both the Qiantian Secret Realm and the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

The tier of a Natural Magical Array isn’t fixed; it changes along with its environment. For example, the Three Mountains and Three Talents Array in the Qiantian Secret Realm was somewhere between a Tier Two and a Tier Three Array.

This was because it had only existed for a short time. Given a while longer, it could advance to a Tier Three Low Grade Array and continue to grow stronger over the long passage of time, eventually reaching the limit of the Small World it resided in.

’Isn’t this exactly what I’m looking for?’

At this thought, Song Changsheng shot to his feet in excitement. Having studied Arrays since he was a child, he naturally understood why these naturally formed Arrays grew progressively stronger.

These Arrays required neither an Array Foundation nor an Array Banner; instead, they evolved naturally from Original Array Patterns.

When first formed, these Original Array Patterns are incredibly simple and can only create Low Tier Arrays. For example, the Illusionary Array Song Changsheng encountered in that bamboo forest in the Hundred Thousand Mountains was merely at the Tier Two Low Grade level.

But as they continuously operate and integrate the ambient Power of Law from the world, the Original Array Patterns become increasingly profound and complex. Once they reach a certain threshold, the Array advances to a higher tier.

Although Array Masters also inscribe Array Patterns when setting up an Array, those patterns are all simplified versions derived from the ten primordial Original Array Patterns. They are ”defective goods,” incapable of integrating the Power of Law to ”evolve” on their own.

That was why, no matter how hard Song Changsheng racked his brain, he could never have found a conventional Array that fit his criteria—because they were all ”defective goods.”

Once he understood this, Song Changsheng pinned his hopes on the Original Array Patterns. If he could inscribe an Original Array Pattern within his own body and let it generate an Array, wouldn’t that achieve his goal?

Mastering an Original Array Pattern might be incredibly difficult for others, but for Song Changsheng, it was simple. He had already comprehended two Natural Magical Arrays and mastered their Array Patterns—an opportunity most Array Masters could only dream of.

Song Changsheng retrieved two Jade Scrolls and inscribed the Array Patterns of the two Arrays into them separately.

The Array Pattern from the Array in the Qiantian Secret Realm was clearly far more intricate due to its higher tier, while the other, being only Tier Two Low Grade, appeared much simpler.

Song Changsheng didn’t intend to simply copy these two Arrays—one was an Illusionary Array and the other was a Three Talents Array, neither of which suited him. However, he could use their Array Patterns to comprehend a completely new one.

For him, this wasn’t difficult; it was merely a matter of extrapolation.

With this in mind, Song Changsheng quickly immersed himself in the world of Arrays...

In the blink of an eye, two months passed. Song Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them for an instant. He extended a finger and slowly traced it through the Space before him, quickly sketching out an incredibly simple Original Array Pattern that, at first glance, resembled an ugly earthworm.

Looking at the Array Pattern before him, Song Changsheng broke into a genuine smile. It was a brand new, one-of-a-kind Array Pattern.

’Whether this works or not... it’s all up to you now.’

Song Changsheng slowly closed his eyes. A hazy light gradually enveloped his body, emanating from the Array Pattern inscribed within him.

Looking at the intricate network of Array Patterns inside his body, Song Changsheng felt a momentary pang of reluctance. After all, they had helped him slay many powerful foes.

A moment later, the light around Song Changsheng vanished. He had completely erased the old Array Patterns from his body, leaving only the Original Array Pattern he had comprehended, which now glowed brilliantly.

Song Changsheng walked out of his private chamber, the dazzling sunlight causing him to narrow his eyes.

He went to his usual cultivation spot and began to circulate his Heart Method.

As wisps of Sun Essence Qi were absorbed into his body, the single pattern began to change, spreading outward like a drop of ink on white paper.

Sensing this change, a hint of a smile appeared in Song Changsheng’s eyes. His theory had been correct. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before this Array Pattern evolved into a full-fledged Array.

Moreover, this evolution was controllable. He could, for example, guide it to become another Yin Yang Two Elements Formation, but he had a better idea.

The Yin Yang Two Elements Formation was balanced between offense and defense, but it didn’t excel in either.

This time, he was putting all his points into Attack Power!

...