Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

In the tranquil night, a gentle breeze swept across the lake, sending ripples across its surface, while the dense leaves of the Cyan Plum Tree rustled softly.

Beneath the bright moonlight, Song Changsheng sat by the lake, quietly gazing at the myriad stars. They were like countless jewels studding the pitch-black canopy of night, each one radiating a brilliant light.

’He often wondered if, among all these stars, there might be one called the ”Sun.” If so, he really wanted to go and see it.’

’After all, in a sense, that was his home. He hadn’t been particularly fond of it, but after being away for so long, he still missed it a little...’

Suddenly, he felt something squirm in his arms. Looking down, he saw that the girl sleeping soundly against him had shifted into a more comfortable position.

Clear tear tracks still remained on her face, but now, a peaceful smile graced her lips, as if she were having a wonderful dream.

”I’ll take you two home first. Then, if I get the chance, I’d like to go home for a visit, too.”

A smile appeared on Song Changsheng’s face, and his gaze toward the sky grew resolute. ’After all, pursuing strength isn’t just about longevity—you can also return home in glory, can’t you?’

The two figures, one large and one small, passed the long, quiet night just like that. As the red sun peeked over the horizon, a soaking-wet Song Qingxing finally returned, sword in hand.

Looking at Song Qingxi, who was still fast asleep, a flicker of emotion stirred in his eyes. After a long moment, he managed to squeeze out, ”She’ll... catch a cold like this.”

”Hm?” Song Changsheng immediately shot him a surprised look, as if seeing him for the very first time.

Perhaps realizing how awkward he sounded, Song Qingxing quickly changed the subject. ”When are we leaving?”

Song Changsheng glanced at Song Qingxi, who was still ”sleeping in.” ”We’ll leave when Xi’Er wakes up,” he said. ”Also...”

His tone suddenly shifted. He looked at Song Qingxing’s dripping clothes, and a teasing smile appeared on his face. ”You should go change, too. Don’t want you catching a cold.”

Song Qingxing’s expression immediately felt a bit stiff. Luckily for him, he always wore a stone-cold expression, so there was no obvious change.

He gave a slight nod. ”Alright.”

Watching him walk into the thatched hut, the corners of Song Changsheng’s mouth turned up slightly. ’That guy seems a bit different than before,’ he mused. ’Could this be some kind of epiphany?’

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Song Qingxi finally woke up, stretching like a lazy kitten. Seeing Song Changsheng holding her in an awkward position, she suddenly realized what she had done.

”Awake now?” Song Changsheng grumbled lightly. ”You’re a grown woman now, but you still act like a child.”

A faint blush crept onto Song Qingxi’s cheeks. She quickly stood up and said, ”I’ll go pack my things.”

Watching her scurry away in a fluster, Song Changsheng smiled faintly. ’She really has grown up,’ he thought. ’She even knows how to be shy now.’

He slowly got to his feet and stretched contentedly. His bones CRACKLED AND POPPED, and a feeling of relief washed over his entire body.

He extended a finger and tapped the surface of the lake. A fish head emerged from the spreading ripples, staring up at him with wide eyes.

”I’m leaving soon, and these two young ones are coming with me. We most likely won’t be coming back. The Clan Elders at the foot of the mountain are getting on in years, so I’m leaving Bright Mirror Lake and this hut in your care.

”You may be a bit on the weak side, but you’re still a Tier Two Low Grade Fish King. That should be enough to deter ordinary predators,” Song Changsheng said gently, stroking its smooth head.

A hint of confusion appeared in the Spirit Fish King’s enormous eyes, as if it were wondering why they wouldn’t be returning.

”It’s not that we’ll definitely never return, that’s why I’m asking you to watch over things. Don’t worry, there’s a reward in it for you.”

Song Changsheng smiled and took a white porcelain bottle from his Storage Bag. ”There are a total of ten Gathering Essence Pills in here,” he said. ”They can help you cultivate. Consider them your payment.”

With that, he tossed the porcelain bottle into the lake.

A flash of excitement lit up the Spirit Fish King’s eyes. It quickly spat out a bubble, enveloping the porcelain bottle, and then swallowed it in a single gulp.

”One pill at a time,” Song Changsheng warned gravely. ”Take too many, and you’ll end up a dead fish.”

The scene was rather comical: a man earnestly striking a deal with a fish. The crucial part was that the fish actually seemed to understand.

Song Changsheng wasn’t doing this just because he had nothing better to do; he felt this Spirit Fish King had the potential to evolve further.

There were countless types of Demon Beasts in this world, but their potential was largely determined at birth, as their power was passed down through their bloodline.

The stronger the bloodline, the greater a Demon Beast’s future achievements would naturally be, and vice versa.

This Spirit Fish King was a Silver Thread Fish, a species with one of the lowest-grade bloodlines. Generally, Tier Two was their absolute limit.

Furthermore, because of their inferior bloodline, their strength was incredibly low even after breaking through to Tier Two. A slightly more powerful Qi Cultivator could easily kill one.

As a result, this type of Spirit Fish was usually just raised as a low-grade culinary ingredient.

Even though this Spirit Fish King had reached Tier Two, it was still considered nothing more than a high-end ingredient.

But this one in Bright Mirror Lake was clearly different. First, its Spiritual Wisdom was exceptionally high, far surpassing that of an ordinary Tier Two Demon Beast. Moreover, it had also mastered some strange and unusual abilities.

In layman’s terms, it had mutated. But among Demon Beasts, there was a technical term for this phenomenon—Ancestral Awakening.