Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

But soon, Song Changsheng noticed something wasn’t quite right with his opponent’s body. After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on him, and he sneered. ”A dignified Purple Mansion Cultivator, reduced to housing his Divine Soul in a living puppet. It must be agonizing to be neither human nor ghost, feeling your Divine Soul dissipate day by day.”

At these words, Hanhai’s eyes instantly turned crimson. He roared, ”If it weren’t for you, how could I have possibly fallen to this state!”

Song Changsheng was so provoked he laughed. ”You brought this on yourself,” he scoffed. ”How can you blame me?

Besides, the one who nearly killed you was my martial uncle. You don’t go to Luoxia City for revenge, yet you’re here, gnashing your teeth at me. It’s utterly ridiculous. You’re nothing but a shameless coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong.”

”Bastard! Die!”

Song Changsheng’s words had undoubtedly struck a nerve. The malevolent aura around Hanhai flared, and wielding a ten-foot-long Treasure Spear, he charged forward.

He Tai and Rong Mingtao exchanged a glance, and each wielding their own Magical Treasure, they flanked Song Changsheng, attacking from the left and right.

Seeing the three of them charge at him, Song Changsheng remained utterly unfazed, instead letting out a wild laugh. ”Hahaha! I take back what I said before. You’re not just shameless—you’re the pinnacle of shamelessness! Ganging up on a newly ascended Purple Mansion Cultivator...

Fine, then! Let me see what brilliant techniques you pack of rats have to offer!”

With a shift of his feet, Song Changsheng executed Fleeting Shadows, shooting into the sky like an arrow loosed from its string. A brilliant light flashed in his palm, revealing a Four-sided Jade Seal.

HUMMM—

A five-colored radiance flared as the Five Elements Creation Seal abruptly magnified dozens of times in midair, descending upon the three men below like a small mountain.

”How dare you!”

He Tai bellowed as the Silver Flood Dragon Mace shot from his hand, flying like a silver dragon to meet the Five Elements Creation Seal.

BOOM—

The two Magical Treasures crashed together, unleashing a terrifying wave of power. The clouds in the sky were blasted apart in an instant, and both Song Changsheng and He Tai were sent flying backward.

Song Changsheng was thrown back several hundred feet before he managed to stabilize himself.

He Tai, however, was only pushed back about fifty feet.

Having broken through so recently, his Mana wasn’t as profound as that of a veteran Purple Mansion Cultivator like He Tai. In the very first exchange, Song Changsheng was already at a slight disadvantage.

But Magical Combat between Purple Mansion Cultivators wasn’t just a contest of Mana. Song Changsheng’s hands quickly formed a spell, and he yelled, ”Little Fifth, tie it down!”

ROAR—

A roar suddenly echoed from midair. A phantom of the Five Spirit Beasts, over a thousand feet tall, materialized above the Five Elements Creation Seal and lunged at He Tai’s Silver Flood Dragon Mace.

Song Changsheng had given Artifact Spirit Little Fifth maximum autonomy. His instructions were simple: do whatever it took to keep He Tai’s Magical Treasure occupied.

He Tai quickly saw through Song Changsheng’s plan, but instead of being worried, he was delighted. ’Without his Magical Treasure, Song Changsheng’s power will drop by at least half. Taking him down will be much easier now.’

His face lit up with glee. ”My friends,” he called out, ”I’ll keep his Magical Treasure tied up! Seize this chance and take down this little bastard!”

Hanhai and Rong Mingtao exchanged a look and charged directly at Song Changsheng from both sides.

”Thunderstorm!”

With a wave of his sleeve, Song Changsheng summoned the Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot. A thundercloud large enough to cover an area hundreds of miles wide instantly enveloped the battlefield. In a flash, lightning crackled and thunder boomed as thick Thunder Serpents writhed in and out of view within the leaden clouds.

Caught completely by surprise, Hanhai and Rong Mingtao were engulfed by the Thunderstorm. A crushing torrent of thunderbolts descended, making their hair stand on end as they scrambled to activate their Magical Treasures in defense.

’A perfect chance!’

Song Changsheng’s eyes narrowed. His figure blurred, transforming into a streak of light as he shot toward He Tai like a bolt of lightning.

Facing three opponents at once, Song Changsheng knew he had no chance of victory. He had to create an opening to relieve the pressure on himself.

And so, by his careful design, He Tai had become that very opening.

His Magical Treasure was completely tied up by Little Fifth, while Rong Mingtao and Hanhai were too busy to intervene. This was Song Changsheng’s chance to severely wound, or even kill, He Tai!

Mana surged from his body, coalescing in his palm to form a great, pitch-black seal. Images of mountains and rivers shimmered across its surface, like a beautiful landscape scroll.

”Little Divine Technique: Mountain-Flipping Seal!”

”How absurd!”

He Tai shrieked, forming a sword-finger with his right hand and jabbing it forward. A faint glimmer of light appeared at his fingertip.

”Little Divine Technique: Star-Pointing Finger!”

The starlight at his fingertip intensified, piercing through the great seal the very instant they made contact.

But before He Tai could even sigh in relief, Song Changsheng had closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. His vital energy surged as he threw a straight punch right at He Tai’s face.

He Tai had never expected Song Changsheng to engage in close combat. Caught off guard, he barely managed to protect his face, but his left shoulder took the full force of the blow, a deep fist-shaped indentation smashed into it.

His first strike a success, Song Changsheng pressed his advantage, raining down a relentless flurry of punches.

He Tai was no Body Refiner. Faced with Song Changsheng’s wild yet incredibly powerful blows, he struggled to defend himself. After taking several solid hits, he felt blood rise in his throat, and a trickle escaped the corner of his mouth.

”Bastard!” Seething with rage, He Tai compressed his Mana to its absolute limit and then detonated it in a violent burst.

The massive shockwave slammed into Song Changsheng’s chest. He felt a sweet taste in his throat as if he were about to cough up blood, but he forced it down.

He Tai was clearly in a much worse state. The Mana explosion had damaged his Meridians and Dantian, and an unnatural flush crept across his face.

But he had succeeded in his goal: putting distance between himself and the brutish Song Changsheng.

As a veteran Purple Mansion Cultivator, being beaten into a desperate retreat by a junior was a profound humiliation. More than anger, He Tai felt he had lost all face.

He flung his arms out, his robes billowing as a great sun slowly rose behind him. The surrounding temperature instantly skyrocketed, causing the very air to warp.

”Little Divine Technique: Fiery Sun Soaring!”

A grave look appeared in Song Changsheng’s eyes. ’That’s a secret Divine Technique of the Lieyang Sect, and its power is immense.’

’It’s all up to you now,’ Song Changsheng thought, silently taking out the Tai Chi Diagram. ’I hope you don’t drop the ball.’

The Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot, after all, had no Artifact Spirit and its power was limited; it couldn’t hold Rong Mingtao and Hanhai for long. He had to deal with He Tai as quickly as possible—at the very least, incapacitate him—or this battle would become far too dangerous.

Thinking of the item he had on him, he decided to take a risk.

”Time to die!”

He Tai let out a savage laugh as the orange-red sun shot toward Song Changsheng.

But unexpectedly, Song Changsheng didn’t retreat. Instead, he charged forward to meet it head-on.

BOOM—

The great sun exploded. The intense light forced He Tai to squint, but he felt a surge of glee. ’To dare face my Little Divine Technique head-on? Even if Song Changsheng isn’t dead, he must be critically injured!’

Suddenly, a figure shot out from the center of the explosion. His clothes were in tatters, his hair was scorched, and large patches of his exposed skin were charred black.

Yet he grit his teeth against the pain, charging forward with unshakable purpose as if he were completely unharmed.

He Tai reflexively began to form a spell, but Song Changsheng was faster. He crushed a Cyan Simurgh Jade Pendant in his hand, unleashing a Wind Blade that pierced through He Tai’s chest before he could even react.

Like a punctured waterskin, He Tai’s aura instantly drained away. He stared wide-eyed at the massive hole in his chest and stammered, ”A Tier Three Middle-Grade... Talisman Treasure?”

”Die, you old dog!”

The killing intent radiating from Song Changsheng was almost tangible. He summoned the Spirit-Slaying Gourd, preparing to end He Tai’s life.

But at that critical moment, a dazzling spear light thrust toward the center of Song Changsheng’s back.

The Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot’s power had run out, allowing Hanhai to break free.

Song Changsheng now faced two choices. He could risk severe injury and press the attack to finish off He Tai, though success wasn’t guaranteed—who knew what life-saving trump cards the old man still had hidden.

Or, he could abandon his attack on He Tai to deal with Hanhai and Rong Mingtao, but that would put him right back in a disadvantageous three-on-one fight.

Neither option was good for him.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he made his choice.

”Gourd, slay the spirit!”

...