Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

The Earth God Thunder detonated less than ten feet away from him. The rampaging thunderbolts blasted a massive cavern into the ground, and the old man, wreathed in arcs of electricity, was sent flying backward.

A Purple Mansion Cultivator was, after all, not to be trifled with. They had countless trump cards up their sleeves. This attack only left the old man with minor injuries.

But this still made him feel a strong sense of humiliation. He, a dignified Purple Mansion Great Cultivator, had actually been bested by a mere Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. If word got out, he would become a laughingstock.

Even Evil Cultivators have their pride!

”You’re dead!” the old man roared in fury, and the surrounding black mist began to churn restlessly.

Just then, Song Changsheng took out his last Earth God Thunder and said coldly, ”If you’re not afraid of mutual destruction, then by all means, try me.”

Seeing this, veins bulged on the old man’s forehead as he screamed internally, ’Who the hell is this kid? Does he think Earth God Thunders grow on trees, pulling them out whenever he wants?’

For a moment, a strange silence fell over them.

’Elsewhere, he wouldn’t be afraid even if Song Changsheng had more Earth God Thunders. But here, in this cramped underground cavern, his movements were severely restricted, leaving him no choice but to take any attack head-on.’

’That was one thing, but the boy also had that bizarre Tai Chi Diagram, which could effortlessly block even Little Divine Techniques. He was completely helpless against him.’

’Of course, he could still take down Song Changsheng if he were willing to pay the price. But the key was, he still had three other Purple Mansion Cultivators to deal with. He had to stay in peak condition at all times.’

’From that perspective, a life-or-death struggle with Song Changsheng was extremely unwise.’

’Time is running out. The ritual is more important.’

With this thought, the old man reined in his anger and said coldly, ”I admit you have some skill. I’ll let you cling to life for a little while longer.”

With that, he melted into the black mist and vanished.

Song Changsheng was stunned. He had expected a lengthy argument, not for the old man to be so decisive.

’Still, this was a good thing for him.’

Putting away the Tai Chi Diagram, Song Changsheng looked at its slightly dimmed glow. He felt a pang of regret, but more than that, he was surprised.

’Ever since he’d obtained the Tai Chi Diagram, he had tried to refine it every single day, but each attempt had ended in failure. The strange thing was, while he couldn’t refine it, that didn’t stop him from using it.’

’He knew its defensive power was strong, but he never expected it to be *this* strong—strong enough to block a Little Divine Technique from an Early-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator. It had come at a cost, but it had genuinely held firm.’

’This made him even more curious about the Tai Chi Diagram’s origins. How could the Ling Clan, a minor family without even a single Foundation Establishment cultivator, possess such a Supreme Treasure?’

It was a question destined to go unanswered, and he had no time to dwell on it.

’The old man must have gone to hunt other cultivators. If they couldn’t break the Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array before he completed his nefarious scheme, they would all die without a place for burial.’

With this thought, Song Changsheng quickly rushed in the direction of Xu Yunhe and the others...

Meanwhile, Xu Yunhe carried the unconscious Zhuang Yuechan on his back, navigating the cavern. He soon lost his bearings, but he remembered Song Changsheng’s words and kept moving forward.

The black mist created an atmosphere of panic and paranoia, putting everyone on edge. The slightest sound could trigger a deadly fight.

Xu Yunhe had already been ”ambushed” several times along the way.

Fortunately, his combat skills had been forged in blood and fire, so he managed to get through shaken but unscathed.

After one such skirmish, Xu Yunhe leaned against a wall to catch his breath.

Suddenly, the sound of rustling footsteps echoed through the passage. Xu Yunhe instantly tensed, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.

Just as he was about to strike first, a gentle voice called out, ”Brother Xu?”

”Brother Song, we’re over here.” Xu Yunhe’s face broke into a relieved smile.

”Brother Xu, I’m so glad you’re both safe. How is Fellow Daoist Zhuang?” Song Changsheng finally relaxed. He had seen too much chaos on his way here.

Although Xu Yunhe’s combat prowess was decent, he was only a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Aside from the Qi Cultivators who were little more than cannon fodder, his cultivation was among the lowest here.

”Fellow Daoist Zhuang has been unconscious the whole time. Her injuries are severe, and even after I gave her a Rejuvenation Pill, she hasn’t shown any signs of improvement.”

Song Changsheng frowned slightly. He gently laid Zhuang Yuechan on the ground, took her wrist, and channeled the Light of Resurgence.

As a vibrant green light pulsed, the deep furrows on Zhuang Yuechan’s brow gradually smoothed. A moment later, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly stirred, waking from her stupor.

Though she couldn’t see Song Changsheng’s face clearly, his familiar aura was deeply reassuring.

’So it wasn’t a delusion...’

”Fellow Daoist Zhuang, you’re awake! How are you feeling?” Song Changsheng asked with concern as he helped her sit up against the wall.

Feeling the warmth of his hand on her waist, a faint blush crept across Zhuang Yuechan’s cheeks beneath her veil. ”I... I’m much better,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Song Changsheng breathed a silent sigh of relief and quickly asked, ”Why weren’t you with Fellow Daoist Yinn and the others?”

Hearing this, the light in Zhuang Yuechan’s star-like eyes dimmed. She spoke in a low voice, ”We’d received intel that the Great Demon hiding in the Griffin Mountain Range was Golden Armor—the same one who had attacked Luoxia City before being grievously wounded and escaping.

”Our Second Elder ordered us to come here and slay it, to eliminate the threat for good.”

”At first, we used the Trace Origin Secret Technique to follow its trail to the mouth of this cavern. We then descended deep underground into a subterranean chamber.”

”There, we found the Great Demon Golden Armor. It was bound by chains of cold iron and imprisoned by an array. Its cultivation was immense, but it was completely suppressed.”

”We realized then that it was a trap, but it was too late. That old man appeared and activated the array in the chamber.”

”At the critical moment, my Senior Brother pushed me clear, but he and the others were trapped inside. I was going to escape and find help, but this bizarre mist made me lose my way...”

Song Changsheng’s brows knitted together. Zhuang Yuechan’s story matched his deductions, but one thing didn’t add up. ’How did she get all these injuries?’

When he voiced his question, a flash of fury appeared in Zhuang Yuechan’s eyes. She said icily, ”It was all that bastard Hai Dongping’s doing!”

”Hai Dongping?” Song Changsheng frowned. The name sounded familiar.

Suddenly, the image of a man more beautiful than any woman flashed through his mind.

”Vast Sea Ascendant’s Direct Disciple?”

”That’s right. You’ve met him before.”

As soon as she said that, Song Changsheng understood. Back on Celestial Sound Mountain, that bastard had been shamelessly lusting after Zhuang Yuechan.

Hai Dongping had been hostile to him just for walking alongside her. But since he had kept to himself afterward, Song Changsheng hadn’t given him another thought.

He just never expected to hear his name again in a place like this.

”Did he... try something with you?”

A look of shame and anger crossed Zhuang Yuechan’s face as she nodded slightly.

”The Great City Lord is now a Golden Core Master! How could Vast Sea Ascendant just stand by and let that animal attack her?” Xu Yunhe asked in shock.

”Why would it be impossible? Vast Sea Ascendant’s reputation isn’t exactly stellar. Besides, in a place like this, with Fellow Daoist Zhuang all alone... dead men tell no tales,” Song Changsheng said, his expression grim. ’Knowing Zhuang Yuechan, Hai Dongping alone could never have injured her this badly.’

Sure enough, Zhuang Yuechan’s next words confirmed his suspicions.

”It was Vast Sea Ascendant himself who injured me. I only managed to escape by using a treasure my master gave me.” Hatred gleamed in Zhuang Yuechan’s eyes. If not for that, how could she possibly have been overtaken by that old man?

”Hmph! A bunch of degenerates!”

Xu Yunhe drew his sword and struck the stone wall in frustration. He looked to Song Changsheng. ”Brother Song, what do we do now?”

Song Changsheng’s eyes narrowed in thought. After a moment, he pointed in a specific direction, his expression resolute. ”We have to break the Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array immediately, but we don’t have time to take out the array nodes one by one.”

”Our only option is to strike at the very heart of the problem!”

...