Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

On his last trip to the Wanlong Commerce Association, he had purchased three Earth God Thunders for self-defense. He never expected to use one so soon.

The rampaging thunderstorm gradually subsided. A Tai Chi Diagram floated before Song Changsheng as he clutched an Earth God Thunder, staring intently at the ruins ahead.

Although his opponent was buried inside, for a mighty Purple Mansion Cultivator, that bit of weight posed no threat whatsoever. However, because his Divine Sense was restricted, Song Changsheng couldn’t see what was happening in there.

The best course of action now would be to take out the remaining two Earth God Thunders, toss them all at once, and then turn tail and run. Even if his opponent didn’t die, he would be severely wounded.

For Song Changsheng, this was the safest option, but not the optimal one.

Doing so would undoubtedly infuriate his opponent, who would then pursue them relentlessly. Before the Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array could be broken, it was only a matter of time before the man could deal with them. There was no escape.

The current situation was different. Although the Earth God Thunder was powerful, it wasn’t guaranteed to be able to do much to the old man. This way, there was still room for negotiation between them.

His opponent had gone to the trouble of using a Great Demon as bait to set up such a scheme, which suggested he was planning something like a blood sacrifice.

Many people had entered, including at least three Purple Mansion Cultivators. Given his opponent’s power, even with the help of the Array, it would take some effort to pick them off one by one.

But the longer this dragged on, the more could go wrong. There were many capable people among those who had entered. Although they had been careless at first and failed to see the conspiracy, as time went on, someone would inevitably figure out a way to deal with the situation.

If even two Purple Mansion Cultivators managed to meet up, it would be very difficult for their opponent to succeed.

Therefore, his opponent must be desperate to dispose of the others as quickly as possible, which meant he couldn’t afford to waste too much time on Song Changsheng and his companions.

This gave Song Changsheng another option—negotiation.

For them, this was the optimal choice. It just required Song Changsheng to take some risks.

BOOM—

The pile of rocks crushing the old man exploded outward, and his figure, holding the Evil Ghost Soul Banner, slowly emerged.

He was a pathetic sight to behold. Not only were his robes torn in many places, but even his sparse goatee was charred black.

”Brat, I didn’t expect you to stick around. What, you think you can actually do something to me?” the old man said sinisterly, advancing step by step.

”I wouldn’t have stayed if I didn’t have an ace up my sleeve,” Song Changsheng said calmly, opening his hand to reveal the Earth God Thunder in his palm.

The old man instinctively took a step back. Although the black mist was thick, he had a special method that allowed him to see farther, so he recognized what it was at a glance.

No one knew the power of the Earth God Thunder better than him. Though he looked unharmed after taking a blast from one, he had, in fact, just taken a stroll through the Ghost Gate.

If he hadn’t protected himself with his Lifebound Treasure, the Evil Ghost Banner, just in time, that single Earth God Thunder would have been enough to blow him to pieces.

Even so, the blow had still caused considerable damage to the Evil Ghost Banner. Its Spiritual Light had dimmed somewhat, making the old man’s heart ache.

So, upon seeing Song Changsheng produce another Earth God Thunder, a trace of fear immediately surfaced in his heart.

But the feeling was fleeting.

He was, after all, a mighty Purple Mansion Great Cultivator. How could he be threatened by a mere Late-stage Foundation Establishment ant?

”Brat, you’ve got guts. But I have to wonder, are you confident or just stupid? If you had caught me by surprise, you might have had a chance to plot against me. But you actually laid your trump card out for me to see... Heheheh...”

Along with a string of chilling laughter, the old man instantly merged into the black mist and vanished.

In an instant, Song Changsheng felt the hairs on his body stand on end. He immediately activated Fleeting Shadows and retreated backward at top speed.

The next moment, a ball of spectral light exploded violently where Song Changsheng had just been standing.

”Run. How long can you keep running?” A cold sneer appeared on the old man’s grim face. His hands rapidly formed a Magic Technique, and a small, illusory black pagoda materialized in his palm.

Little Divine Technique—Nine Nether Soul Suppressing.

An aura of the Yellow Springs Netherworld washed over Song Changsheng, sending a chill down his spine and making even his Divine Soul tremble.

He knew that whether or not they could still negotiate depended entirely on his ability to block this attack.

With a thought, the Luwu Bell and the Tai Chi Diagram appeared to block in front of him. He extended his right arm, and a great, illusory seal inscribed with mountains and rivers materialized in his palm.

Little Divine Technique—Mountain-Flipping Seal.

Although both were Little Divine Techniques, Song Changsheng was using the Primordial Qi in his body as a medium, while his opponent was relying on Mana. The power of the two could not be compared.

The instant the great seal and the small pagoda collided, a dazzlingly bright light erupted. The already unstable cavern collapsed rapidly in the powerful explosion.

But the debris was quickly blasted away as the illusory pagoda shot directly toward Song Changsheng to suppress him.

Song Changsheng gritted his teeth and pushed the Tai Chi Diagram and the Luwu Bell up to meet it.

’You have to hold!’

Under his expectant gaze, the Tai Chi Diagram and the illusory pagoda collided head-on. The fluorescent light on the diagram’s surface began to flicker violently, but thankfully, it managed to hold.

The instant the illusory pagoda dissipated, Song Changsheng immediately threw the Earth God Thunder in his hand, which transformed into a streak of earthy-yellow light and shot toward the old man.

The smile on the old man’s face instantly stiffened. He subconsciously tried to protect himself with the Evil Ghost Banner, but in the end, he was a fraction of a second too slow.