Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

”So that’s what happened...”

Zhan Tianxia was stunned after hearing Muu Guibai’s explanation, his expression turning conflicted.

Was he angry? Of course he was. Luoxia City had been used as a pawn in this battle, and the losses were so catastrophic it was impossible to say how many years it would take for them to recover.

But reason told him that while Su Ding’s plan was unconscionable, it had been the only viable option.

The Old Flood Dragon had controlled the Black Water Marsh for over a thousand years, turning it into an impregnable fortress. Trying to kill it in its own lair was nigh impossible.

The only way was to lure the snake from its den.

But the Old Flood Dragon had been tricked once before, and ordinary methods would no longer be enough to fool it.

If Su Ding had more time, he certainly could have devised a better plan. Unfortunately, his time was running out. If he didn’t kill it now, the entire Daqi Cultivation World would face utter devastation in the future.

And Luoxia City, as Daqi’s outer bastion, would not have been spared.

From that perspective, Su Ding had, in a way, saved Luoxia City.

Although they hadn’t managed to kill the Old Flood Dragon in the end, it was grievously wounded and would need decades to recover. After suffering such a major setback, it was bound to be far more cautious in the future, making an attack on Daqi even less likely.

Once bitten, twice shy. By the time news of Su Ding Master’s passing gets out, it won’t believe it anyway.

This would buy Daqi at least a century of peace.

And so, Zhan Tianxia didn’t know whether to feel grateful or furious. He was deeply conflicted.

The two men stood in silence on the mountain peak.

After a long silence, Zhan Tianxia suddenly recalled the scene of the Major Sect Disciples charging into the Hundred Thousand Mountains. He couldn’t help but look at Muu Guibai and say resentfully, ”You didn’t go to all that trouble just to lure the Old Flood Dragon out, did you?”

Muu Guibai didn’t respond directly. Instead, he asked, ”Zhan Tianxia, have you noticed that Daqi is producing fewer and fewer powerful cultivators?”

The question confused Zhan Tianxia, but after careful thought, he realized it was true. In its prime, the Daqi Cultivation World had boasted more than ten Golden Core Masters, placing it at the forefront of the surrounding nations.

But over the years, not only had the number of Golden Core Masters dwindled, but the total number of Purple Mansion Cultivators had also dropped significantly. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be constantly on the back foot against the Demon Race of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

After all, the very land they stood on had not originally belonged to the Human Race. It was territory they had carved out after defeating the Demon Beasts.

Whether during the reign of the Human King or the later joint rule by the Golden Core Major Sects, the Daqi Cultivation World had always kept the Demon Race of the Hundred Thousand Mountains firmly in check.

But that dominance had gradually weakened, to the point where the roles had now reversed.

This was highly unusual. The nations surrounding Daqi were all growing stronger, and even if they experienced occasional downturns, they recovered quickly.

Only Daqi was in a slow, steady decline.

Zhan Tianxia suddenly felt he was on the verge of understanding something, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

Muu Guibai hadn’t expected an answer. He clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the vast, rolling Cang Mang mountains on the horizon, and said gravely, ”It’s because Daqi’s cultivation resources are drying up.

”Normally, resources like High-Tier Spirit Medicine and various ore veins are renewable. With proper planning, they can be harvested sustainably.

”But when Daqi was first founded, it was surrounded by enemies. To establish a firm foothold, the first Human King began a destructive campaign of resource extraction.

”This continued for ten thousand years. By the time anyone realized what was happening, the consequences were already irreversible.

”And though we have spent all the years since trying to salvage the situation, the depletion of our resources is an undeniable fact.

”Every powerhouse is built upon a mountain of resources.

”Once certain resources are gone, it will become nearly impossible for Daqi to produce new Golden Core Cultivators, and the consequences of that would be catastrophic.

”To solve this problem, several Masters joined forces to create a plan: to claim new territory!”

Zhan Tianxia’s heart jolted at these words.

’He was right. If we have no resources, our only choice is to claim new lands, just like our ancestors did.’

’And since the Daqi Cultivation World directly borders the territory of the Demon Race, the only direction to expand is into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.’

’The Hundred Thousand Mountains contain countless resources—it’s a massive Treasure Vault. The Demon Beasts have little use for ore deposits in particular, so the reserves are incredibly rich.’

’If we could just control it, Daqi wouldn’t have to worry about resources for a long time to come.’

Similar arguments had been made before, but the Demon Race of the Hundred Thousand Mountains was by no means weak, and the right opportunity had never presented itself.

’But wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?’

’The beast hordes had besieged Luoxia City for nearly a year, suffering hundreds of thousands of casualties. Then, in the last battle, their million-strong army was annihilated in a single stroke.’

’On top of that, the Black Dragon Demon King was grievously wounded, the Thunderous Demon King was dead, and dozens of Great Demons had been killed.’

’The Demon Race’s forces in the Black Water Marsh, Thundering Mountain, and nearly half of the Hundred Thousand Mountains had been all but wiped out.’

’With proper planning and a steady advance, the vast lands of the Hundred Thousand Mountains would sooner or later become Daqi’s territory!’

”Zhan Tianxia, once the Hundred Thousand Mountains are conquered, Luoxia City will no longer have to face the fangs of the Demon Beasts. We will no longer be bound by the ancestral edict to guard this one corner of the world.

”The disciples of Luoxia City will no longer have to die fighting Demon Beasts. They will step onto a grander stage and have a much brighter future...” Muu Guibai’s gaze grew distant, filled with longing and hope for that day.