Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

At Song Changsheng’s summons, the Five Elements Creation Seal suddenly shot out of his Storage Bag, bursting forth with a dazzling, five-colored radiance.

Mana surged into it endlessly, and the faint roars of tigers and dragons echoed out.

BOOM!

The Five Elements Creation Seal crashed down upon the phantom image projected by the brocade box, and Su Ding’s illusory face instantly dissipated into motes of light.

PFFT—

Song Changsheng violently sprayed out a mouthful of blood as his knees gave out, sending him collapsing to the ground. His temples throbbed, and a searing pain shot through his skull.

「Qing Province. Golden Crow Mountain Range. Golden Sun Peak.」

Inside a grand palace perched atop a mountain peak, Su Ding, who was meditating on a green cattail hassock, abruptly opened his eyes. His vulture-like gaze glinted with a sharp light.

”Damn it! I was so close!”

Su Ding’s aged face contorted with fury. For someone of his status to launch a sneak attack on a junior was already a loss of face. But not only had the attack failed, one of his Divine Soul projections had been destroyed as well.

Although it hadn’t caused him any significant loss, the blow to his pride was unbearable.

He stood up and carefully replayed the events in his mind. He couldn’t find any flaws in his approach; Song Changsheng had genuinely woken up prematurely.

Su Ding narrowed his eyes slightly. ’Is he a reincarnated Great Power, or is his Divine Soul just unusually strong?’ This test could be considered a failure, as the results were far from ideal.

Faced with his surprise attack, Song Changsheng hadn’t displayed any extraordinary abilities. He had merely expelled the foreign power by relying on his incredibly tenacious Willpower.

’From that perspective, Song Changsheng doesn’t seem like a reincarnated Great Power.’

’But the timing of his awakening was extremely strange—it happened right as I was asking the crucial question.’

’If that question hadn’t struck a nerve, why would he have subconsciously resisted?’

’That alone is highly suspicious.’

Although he hadn’t gotten a definitive answer from Song Changsheng, in Su Ding’s mind, the boy remained a prime suspect.

Su Ding lightly stroked his beard with his right hand, thinking to himself, ’I’ll have to find another chance to test him.’

’If he wished, dealing with a mere Song Changsheng—or even the entire Song Clan—would be as easy as flipping his hand. But first, he had to determine if it was worth it.’

’At a time when the Celestial Vein Sect and Luoxia City are growing closer, openly moving against the Song Clan would certainly push those two powers to unite. When that happens, the Golden Crow Sect will be caught in the middle, and life will definitely become difficult.’

’Under these circumstances, if he were to obtain the technique for reincarnation, that would be one thing. After his own transcendence and rebirth, the future of the Golden Crow Sect would have nothing to do with him.’

’Because as long as he himself existed, he could create a new Golden Crow Sect from nothing.’

’But if he failed to get the technique, then after he passed on, the Golden Crow Sect would inevitably be crushed by the combined forces of Luoxia City and the Celestial Vein Sect. That price was far too high.’

’The interests of the Golden Crow Sect could be sacrificed, but it had to be for a worthy cause.’

’It was just like when he plotted to ambush the Black Dragon Demon King. As long as he could achieve his goal, anyone in the Daqi Cultivation World was expendable.’

’Therefore, he had to find another opportunity to test Song Changsheng. As long as he could confirm that the boy was a reincarnated Great Power, he would be willing to pay any price!’

...

Aboard a small Flying Ship returning from Ling Province to Qing Province, Xia Qingxue found Su Ye and asked coolly, ”Don’t you still have a mission? We’ll be back on Golden Sun Peak in just three days.”

Su Ye smiled. ”My mission is already complete.”

”Oh?” Xia Qingxue’s brow furrowed slightly.

Before she could inquire further, Su Ye laid out Su Ding’s plan and purpose in full. He finished by adding pointedly, ”I knew you had ties with the Song Clan, Little Martial Ancestor, which is why I didn’t explain everything at the start.

But by now, the Old Ancestor should have already succeeded. It’s all for the good of the Sect, so I hope you won’t hold it against me, Little Martial Ancestor.”

”Since you knew of my connection to the Song Clan, why would you do this?” Xia Qingxue’s expression turned icy, and her tone grew hostile.

”Rest assured, Little Martial Ancestor. The Old Ancestor was just going to ask a few questions. If the boy knows nothing, it will be like a dream to him. It won’t leave any trace, and he won’t be harmed.

And if he truly is a reincarnated Great Power, the Old Ancestor won’t use force. He’ll offer treasures for an equal exchange, ensuring the boy doesn’t come out at a disadvantage.”

These words were not an attempt to whitewash Su Ding’s actions; they reflected his true intentions.

This wasn’t because his character was so noble that he would play fair with someone he considered an ant, but rather because his hand was forced.

He could, of course, capture Song Changsheng and use a Soul-Searching Technique to forcibly extract his memories. However, information obtained through a Soul Search is often fragmented and incomplete. With such a profound technique, the slightest error could lead to a disastrous outcome, and he didn’t dare gamble his own life on it.

An equal exchange was the safest method.

At his words, the tension in Xia Qingxue’s expression eased. She glanced at Su Ye and said flatly, ”I’d advise you to take this secret to your grave. If word gets out, not only will our Master’s reputation be ruined, but the entire Sect’s name will be dragged through the mud.”

”Something this disgraceful isn’t worth spreading around. You can rest completely assured, Little Martial Ancestor.” Su Ye shook his head with a bitter smile. If it weren’t for his own ancestor, his principles would never have allowed him to take part in such a despicable affair.

Xia Qingxue said nothing more, merely turning her head to gaze silently in the direction of Ling Province...

Back in the study, Song Changsheng slowly regained consciousness. A tearing pain pulsed from the depths of his Divine Soul, causing his brow to furrow deeply. He murmured in confusion, ”What... happened to me...?”