Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

This was undoubtedly a good thing. The only problem was that the Silver Thread Fish was just too weak—so weak that Song Changsheng couldn’t recall a single powerful Demon Beast in its ancestry.

But that wasn’t important. What Song Changsheng valued was its potential—the potential to break through to Tier Three.

No matter the species, once a Demon Beast broke through to Tier Three, its power would undergo a heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation. At that point, the Song Clan would finally have a guardian Spirit Beast of its own.

It was a very long-term investment, and one with no guarantee of a return.

Just then, Song Qingxi and the others had nearly finished packing everything up. The Mist Concealed Tea Trees in the Spiritual Field had been dug up, and all the mature Spirit Medicines had been harvested.

They didn’t even spare the Cyan Plum Tree, which had already advanced into a Spirit Plant; it was taken whole and stored in a Storage Bag.

”All packed up?” Song Changsheng asked with a smile.

Song Qingxi glanced back at the thatched hut, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. She nodded lightly. ”All packed up.”

”Then let’s be on our way.” Song Changsheng snapped his fingers, and a Flying Ship over a hundred feet long abruptly appeared on the island.

”What a huge Flying Ship! Is it yours?” Song Qingxi’s jaw dropped in astonishment. In comparison, her Paper Kite seemed utterly childish.

Song Changsheng shamelessly nodded.

’I had to pester Fourth Elder Song Luhuai for a long time to get my hands on this when I left the mountain,’ he thought. ’And even though I said I was just borrowing it, I never said when I’d give it back. By that logic, isn’t it basically mine now?’

Once everyone had boarded the Flying Ship, Song Changsheng, feeling a painful pinch, embedded a dozen or so Middle-Grade Spirit Stones into the ship’s Drive Core. The massive vessel immediately whirred to life and shot off in the direction of the Celestial Sword Sect...

At the same time that Song Changsheng and his group departed, in a mortal village at the foot of a large mountain in Bian Province, a pot-bellied, fair-skinned fatty was packing his bags with a miserable look on his face, clearly preparing for a long journey.

The difference was, when other people went on a long journey, they packed clothes, food, and daily necessities.

This fatty, however, was packing all sorts of bottles and jars, on which one could faintly make out words like ”Cumin” and ”Clove.”

”Sigh... Old man, do we really have to go? They’re at war over there. What if we go and never come back?” After he finished packing, the Little Fatty sat on the edge of his bed and complained to a figure in the doorway.

In the doorway stood a gaunt old man with white hair but a youthful complexion. He wore a gray robe covered in patches, his hair was a mess, and he cradled an ancient long sword in his arms as he leaned listlessly against the doorframe.

Hearing the Little Fatty’s complaint, he stuck a finger in his nose and picked it. ”What does their war have to do with us? We’re just going to the Celestial Sword Sect to pick something up. After that, we’ll leave the Daqi Cultivation World.

Weren’t you always clamoring to go see our sect? This time, I’ll grant your wish and take you back to pay respects to the Ancestral Master.”

When the Little Fatty heard the word ”sect,” his eyes instantly lit up like a pair of Luminous Beads.

He couldn’t wait to shout, ”Then let’s just go back right now! Why are we still going to the Celestial Sword Sect? I told you when I first joined the sect, I don’t practice the sword. You can stop coveting their stele.”

Hearing this, a cold sneer appeared on the old man’s face. ”That’s not for you to decide. The disciple of I, Moo Zhexian, can’t wield a sword? If word of that got out, wouldn’t I be laughed out of town?”

”Oh, please. I wouldn’t dare tell anyone I’m your disciple. I’d like to live for a few more centuries or millennia, thank you very much.

Besides, if you want someone to practice the sword, go find Yunhe. Don’t you admire him? Why not take him on and make him my junior brother?” the Little Fatty said bluntly.

The old man shook his head. ”That kid Xu Yunhe is decent, but he’s far too upright. He has no fate with our sect.”

”Oh, so you’re saying I’m crooked? That’s not what you said when you were desperately begging me to become your disciple. How many years has it even been...”

Listening to the Little Fatty’s incessant muttering, the old man grew impatient. He grabbed the boy by the collar. ”This matter is not up to you! We are going to the Celestial Sword Sect!”

The Little Fatty immediately let out a mournful wail. ”Old Song, save me!”

——————

”ACHOO!”

Standing on the deck of the Flying Ship, Song Changsheng inexplicably let out two sneezes.

Song Changsheng rubbed his nose. ’What’s going on? Did I actually catch a cold?’ he thought idly.

”So this is Yang Province? I heard the Lieyang Sect’s main headquarters is here.” Song Qingxi stared with wide eyes at the crimson mountain range below, finding it all very novel. This was, after all, her first time traveling so far from home.

”That’s right. Their main nest is in that direction, but they’re too busy to bother us right now, which saves us some trouble.”

”How much longer until we reach the Celestial Sword Sect?”

Song Changsheng calculated in his head. ”By Flying Ship... it’ll be at least another two or three months. We have to cross all of Yang Province and Xiang Province before we finally reach Xuu Province.”

”It’s still that long?” Song Qingxi suddenly felt her excitement drain away, and the light in her bright eyes dimmed. After all, the space on the Flying Ship was limited, and with nothing to pass the time, it was incredibly dull.

”It’s only three months. The time will fly by if you focus on your cultivation. You’ve been slacking a bit recently,” Song Changsheng said with a smile before walking into the ship’s cabin.

Ever since discovering that Primordial Qi could be used as Mana, Song Changsheng had been constantly trying to cultivate Little Divine Techniques.

Just as Song Xianming had said, Mana was the key to cultivating Little Divine Techniques. Empowered by his Primordial Qi, his practice of the Mountain-Flipping Seal had finally reached the initial threshold. He was mastering it quickly; at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he had another trump card up his sleeve...

While Song Changsheng’s group of three was on their way to the Celestial Sword Sect, a solemn atmosphere had fallen over the Luoxia City Lord’s Mansion. The expressions of Elder Qianri and Elder Qianyue were also incredibly grave.

”Is this information reliable? This is no joking matter,” Elder Qianri said, his tone serious as he looked at the Luoxia City disciple reporting before him.

The disciple nodded firmly. ”They are definitely traces left by a Blood Demon, located six hundred li outside North City. Our initial assessment is that both combatants were Purple Mansion Cultivators, and the battle was exceptionally brutal.”

Elder Qianri’s brows knitted together. It had been a long time since any Blood Demon activity had been detected in Luoxia City after the attack on the auction house. ’Why has a Purple Mansion Stage Blood Demon suddenly appeared now? What is its goal this time? Will it threaten Luoxia City?’

”Regardless, a Blood Demon of this level is beyond our ability to handle. We must inform the Second City Lord,” Elder Qianyue said, standing up.

”I suppose that’s our only option,” Elder Qianri agreed with a nod.

Just as he was about to dispatch a disciple, a middle-aged man hurried in, a flustered look on his face. ”Elders, this is bad.”

”What are you panicking for?” Elder Qianri snapped, displeased. ’Such frantic behavior is completely inappropriate.’

The middle-aged man swallowed hard and said in a strained voice, ”Elders, there’s unusual movement among the Demon Beasts in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.”

”What?” Elder Qianri’s gaze instantly sharpened. He hadn’t even shown such an expression when he learned of the Purple Mansion Stage Blood Demon’s appearance outside Luoxia City.

”What happened? Explain in detail.”

”The report first came from a Loose Cultivator named Xu Yunhe. He said that while he was training in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he discovered that the Demon Beasts in the outer regions were all migrating deeper inward. He also occasionally heard Great Demons roaring and suspected that this was a precursor to a Beast Tide.

Upon receiving this news, I immediately dispatched men to investigate deeper into the Hundred Thousand Mountains. In the end, the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators were completely wiped out, and not a single message made it back,” the middle-aged man said hurriedly, a trace of fear on his face.

The two elders exchanged a glance, and both saw the terror in the other’s eyes.

Elder Qianri made a swift decision. ”I will report to the City Lord at once. Junior Brother, issue an immediate order for all disciples currently outside the city to return.”

”Right.”

...

Upon receiving the news, Zhan Tianxia immediately decided to personally venture deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains to investigate!

After he left, Muu Guibai stood atop Celestial Sound Mountain, quietly gazing at the sprawling, undulating range of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

After a long while, Zhuang Yuechan heard him murmur softly, ”The winds are rising...”

...