Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Qingxing’s Soul Lamp spun into the air, landing in the very center of the pattern.

Phantasmal chains emerged from the void, locking the Soul Lamp firmly in place.

Then, Song Xianming, Song Xianyun, Song Luzhou, Song Luyun, and Song Changrong each took their positions. At the same moment, they bit the tips of their tongues to force out their Essence Blood, which dripped onto the wavering Soul Fire. They formed hand seals in unison, chanting an incantation.

Xia Yunxue watched all of this in silence from the side, pulling Song Qingxi by the hand to move away.

”Grand-Aunt.” Song Qingxi’s beautiful eyes were filled with tears, her face devoid of color. Her worries had finally become reality.

Seeing her like this, Xia Yunxue’s heart ached as if pierced by a knife, but she still offered gentle comfort. ”Don’t worry. With the Elders’ help, we will certainly be able to keep Xing’Er’s Soul Fire from being extinguished and turn his situation around.”

What Xia Yunxue said were not just empty words.

Song Xianming and the others were using a Secret Technique to stabilize a Divine Soul. Using the Essence Blood of clansmen as a conduit, they could transfer their own Divine Soul Power through the Soul Fire to Song Qingxing, helping him stabilize his Divine Soul and overcome this crisis.

The Celestial Soul Supplement Array was an Array used to enhance the Secret Technique’s effects, allowing them to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

This was why all the major Cultivation Families established a Soul Lamp Hall—not just to know whether their clan members were alive or dead, but also to gather the family’s strength at critical moments and pull them back from the Ghost Gate.

The closer the Soul Lamp was to its owner, the better the Secret Technique’s effect, and vice versa. Song Xianming and the others did not know Song Qingxing’s whereabouts. All they could do now was try their best and leave the rest to fate.

”Yunxue,” Song Xianming said suddenly.

”I am here!”

”Quickly contact Lutong and the others and tell them to return to the clan. The boy’s situation is not looking good.” Song Xianming’s expression was grim. Even with the combined power of all five of them, the situation hadn’t improved much. They had to call back Song Lutong and the others for a final push.

Hearing this, Song Qingxi’s delicate body trembled, and she nearly lost her footing.

’She hated her own low Cultivation at that moment. If she also had Foundation Establishment Cultivation, she could have learned the Secret Technique and lent her strength to the man she loved, instead of just being a spectator like this.’

Upon receiving the news, Song Lutong immediately led Song Chang’an and Song Changxuan back through a Space Transmission Array. Song Changxiu, who was guarding the Mortal Realm, arrived soon after.

At this point, aside from Song Changsheng, every Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Song Clan had gathered in the Soul Lamp Hall, doing their utmost to stabilize Song Qingxing’s Soul Fire.

They didn’t know how much of an effect their actions would have on Song Qingxing, but it was the only thing the family could do for him at that moment.

Whether he could pull through would be up to the will of Heaven...

「Lu Country Cultivation Realm, the heart of the Abyss.」

A tattered Song Qingxing sat cross-legged in a stone chamber. The Traceless Sword hovered high above his head, letting out a sharp hum.

He had been in the Abyss for half a year. Contrary to what cultivators in the outside world had expected, he hadn’t died without a burial place. Instead, relying on the map in his possession, he had avoided most of the fatal areas, entered the heart of the Abyss, and found the opportunity that the map’s original owner had discovered.

It was a ball of Law Essence, which could accelerate one’s comprehension of the Power of Law—a tremendous opportunity that even those with a Golden Core Cultivation would covet.

Song Qingxing’s Cultivation was low, so he had only taken a single sliver to refine. But even so, an accident still occurred.

The Power of Law was too tyrannical. It was a force that only Golden Core Masters could touch. For a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him to try and meddle with it was far too bold.

Now, that sliver of Law Power had rushed into his Sea of Consciousness and entangled itself with his Divine Soul, corroding it constantly like acid.

There were only two possible outcomes now. Either Song Qingxing would refine this sliver of Law Power and break through all the bottlenecks before the Golden Core realm ahead of time.

Or, Song Qingxing’s Divine Soul would be completely devoured by this sliver of Law Power, and he would become an empty shell, just like the senior whose remains lay not far from him.

The corrosion from the Power of Law was extremely tyrannical. Song Qingxing’s Divine Soul was already flawed to begin with, leaving him utterly powerless to resist, let alone refine it.

If the Traceless Sword hadn’t protected Song Qingxing’s True Spirit at the critical moment, his body would have died and his Dao vanished by now.

But the Traceless Sword’s power was limited. If this continued, it was merely a slow death. In the end, Song Qingxing would still be unable to escape his fate.

Song Qingxing had already fallen into despair. But at the final moment before his consciousness faded, a stream of power suddenly poured into his Sea of Consciousness. This power was very faint, but to the current Song Qingxing, it was like sweet rain after a long drought.

Before he could even figure out where this power came from, several more streams poured in, some faint, some strong.

This reawakened a desperate will to live within his heart.

He fought against the Power of Law with all his might. With the help of this external power, the tug-of-war seemed to reach a sort of equilibrium.

’Not enough.’

Song Qingxing craved more power.

As if hearing his call, several more streams of power poured into his body.

At this moment, Song Qingxing’s head felt as heavy as lead, and he was dizzy. In a daze, he saw a benevolent-looking Song Xianyun walk toward him, place a hand on his shoulder, and smile, telling him to hold on.

He was followed by the kind Song Xianming, the stern-faced Song Luzhou, the warmly smiling Song Luyun, and the meticulous Song Changrong.

He also saw Song Lutong, Song Chang’an, Song Changxuan, and Song Changxiu.

All these elders, with whom he usually had little interaction, appeared at this moment. They all placed a hand on his shoulder in unison, as if trying to pour their strength into him.

And at the very end, he saw a beautiful figure kneeling on a prayer cushion, kowtowing repeatedly. Her face was pale and streaked with tears, like a shattered white lotus flower.

Song Qingxing’s heart suddenly clenched, as if squeezed by an invisible hand.

He finally knew where this power was coming from. After all, he too had once practiced that Secret Technique.

”So... there are so many people waiting for me to come back.”

In an instant, a formidable power burst forth from Song Qingxing’s body, shattering the equilibrium and sounding the horn for a counterattack!

The scales finally tipped, and victory began to lean in his favor.

Bit by bit. By bit. By bit.

Like a silkworm devouring a mulberry leaf, Song Qingxing tore apart the sliver of Law Power, ground it down, and refined it all into his Divine Soul.

’I’m alive.’

The fear of death receded like the tide.

Song Qingxing had never imagined he could be so afraid of death.

Having survived the ordeal, exhaustion and sleepiness washed over him all at once. He clutched the Jade Pendant in his hand and fell into a deep sleep. It had been a long time since he’d had a good rest...

「Inside the Soul Lamp Hall on Vast Mist Peak.」

Song Xianming and the others slowly withdrew their power. Everyone’s face was pale, and Song Changrong, who had the weakest Cultivation, nearly fainted.

An entire night without a moment’s rest had severely drained their Spiritual Power. It would take them at least ten days to recover.

Fortunately, Heaven does not fail the diligent. The result was a good one.

”It’s finally stabilized. For the rest, we can only rely on the boy to persevere on his own,” Song Xianming said with a low sigh.

Hearing this, Song Qingxi, who had been kneeling and praying for Song Qingxing before the spirit tablets of the past Clan Leaders, wept with joy. She kowtowed deeply to Song Xianming and the others, already sobbing uncontrollably.

”Sigh. Silly child, we are all family. There is no need for such formalities.” Song Xianming waved a sleeve, helping Song Qingxi to her feet. He then looked at Xia Yunxue and said, ”Take her to get some proper rest. The strain on her mind has been no less than ours.”

”Yes, Elder.” Xia Yunxue gave a slight bow and helped Song Qingxi walk out of the hall.

Watching Song Qingxi, who was already a bit unsteady on her feet, Song Lutong wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered, ”That guy’s as cold as a block of ice. What did he do to deserve our Xi’Er’s devotion?”

Hearing this, Song Luyun couldn’t help but laugh. ”Are you jealous, big brother? At your age, it’s about time you found a woman yourself.”

Song Lutong’s old face flushed red at her words, and he stammered, ”I... That’s... That’s not it at all.”

...