Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

There were two reasons for this.

First, Sword Qi is sharp and fierce. During cultivation, it often assails a Cultivator’s Physical Body. Without a powerful physique, it is difficult to achieve much in the Sword Dao.

Second, Body Refining Cultivators find it easier to pass the "Physical Body Barrier."

For example, when Song Changsheng broke through to Foundation Establishment, the "Spiritual Power Barrier" tormented him half to death, but he passed the "Physical Body Barrier" with ease.

In Major Sects with deep foundations, like the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect, the core disciples almost all practice the Dual Cultivation of Body and Dharma.

As for the legendary Five Great Holy Lands, the Dual Cultivation of Body and Dharma is standard for all disciples...

Over the years, Song Qingxing had achieved some success in Body Refining. Although he wasn’t at the monstrous level of being able to clash head-on with Spiritual Artifacts, passing the "Physical Body Barrier" posed no difficulty for him. He would, however, inevitably have to endure some physical and mental torment.

Thus, Song Qingxing soon reached the final and most unpredictable step of Foundation Establishment—the "Divine Soul Barrier."

For those Cultivators with pure and selfless hearts, this barrier could be passed in the blink of an eye, easier than taking a sip of water.

However, the vast majority of Cultivators cannot achieve a mind free of distracting thoughts. They are therefore plagued by Heart Demons assailing their Divine Soul. The slightest mistake can lead to them falling into demonism. In severe cases, they might even bleed from all seven orifices and die on the spot. It is an extremely perilous trial.

Among them, those with psychological trauma are at the greatest risk, as the Heart Demon will constantly provoke and even amplify these shadows to disrupt the Cultivator’s mind.

This is why it’s said that the earlier one breaks through to Foundation Establishment, the better. The older you are, the more you have experienced, the more filth you have seen and done, and the more easily a Heart Demon can take advantage.

Back then, Song Changsheng had agreed to let Song Qingxing enter seclusion without taking a Foundation Establishment Pill precisely because he considered Qingxing’s powerful physique and single-minded devotion to the Dao. He believed that with his strong will, neither the "Physical Body Barrier" nor the "Divine Soul Barrier" would pose a great threat. That was why he relented.

But even the wisest are not immune to occasional error.

Song Changsheng had calculated everything, but he overlooked one single point...

Inside the cave residence, a slightly pale Song Qingxing sat cross-legged. His sword-like brows knitted together unconsciously, and a faint wisp of black energy appeared between them.

The black energy gradually spread, slowly engulfing him...

From his very first conversation with Song Qingxing, Song Changsheng understood that the boy was cold by nature and indifferent to worldly desires. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, in the treacherous Cultivation Realm, it could even be an advantage.

The only problem was that he was born into a Cultivation Family and possessed such outstanding talent.

If he had ordinary aptitude, the clan would have simply raised him to adulthood and then sent him out to manage the family’s businesses.

But he just had to be such a genius.

For this reason, the Clan Elder Council had even held a special meeting to discuss the matter and sent investigators to look into Song Qingxing’s life and development.

However, the results showed that Song Qingxing’s upbringing and life path were completely normal. He had suffered no trauma, experienced no bullying, and his family had even received much favor from the clan.

No matter how one looked at it, his condition seemed to be Innate rather than Acquired. He was simply born a heartless person, which was undoubtedly the most troublesome possibility.

The Emotionless Dao was simply too terrifying. The history of the Human Race was filled with examples of Cultivators who massacred their entire clans to prove their Dao.

That was why some had even proposed crippling Song Qingxing’s Dantian and letting him live out his life in the Mortal World.

Fortunately, this proposal was rejected by Song Xianyun. In the end, Song Changsheng’s suggestion was adopted: to send him and Song Qingxi away to Little Cyan Mountain.

Besides trying to straighten out this "crooked bamboo shoot" that was Song Qingxing, this was also done to minimize his presence within the clan. That way, if the Elder Council ever deemed him irredeemable and decided to cripple him, it wouldn’t cause a major stir in the clan.

And Song Luhuai was assigned to be his monitor.

No one wanted to strike down a junior with a promising future, but the Emotionless Dao was simply too dreadful. Even if he were expelled from the clan, the day he needed to prove his Dao, he would raise the butcher’s knife without hesitation.

No one dared to take that gamble.

Despite this, the Song Clan had treated Song Qingxing with the utmost care over the years. His status and treatment were on par with that of a Purple Mansion Seed, and his freedom was never restricted.

Fortunately, Song Qingxing’s behavior over the years had not been disappointing. Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.

At the very least, Song Changsheng felt that Song Qingxing was showing more and more emotion. That’s why he brought him back to Vast Mist Peak to live with Xia Yunxue and the others.

Their interactions were also reasonably harmonious.

All of this brought genuine happiness to those in the Song Clan who knew the truth, because it meant they wouldn’t have to personally destroy a clan genius.

However, behind it all, everyone had misjudged one thing.

Song Qingxing’s personality was not Innately flawed!

Countless streams of black mist poured silently into Song Qingxing’s body. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange, hellish space.

This space was utterly desolate. As far as the eye could see, all living beings were slaughtering each other. The ground, long soaked in blood, had turned a dark crimson.

He wandered through it like an outsider, coldly observing everything around him.

For every person he noticed, he could understand their identity and the reason for their deadly struggle.

Among them were fathers and sons, mothers and sons, sworn brothers, lifelong spouses, close friends...

They raised their blades for all sorts of reasons—some laughable, some absurd, some tragic. In this world, it seemed there wasn’t a single good person.

Unconsciously, Song Qingxing suddenly felt his head grow incredibly heavy. His consciousness became hazy, and a strange emotion grew wildly within his heart.

"Seeing all this, what are your thoughts?" a seductive voice whispered in Song Qingxing’s ear.

But Song Qingxing’s only reply was a single, cold word: "Scram."

The voice was momentarily speechless but soon resumed its coaxing. "You see? Emotions are such absurd, laughable things. They are nothing but baggage, burdens that only weigh a person down and sometimes even lead to disaster.

Only by abandoning this baggage can you walk further on the path to eternal life..."

The voice echoed in Song Qingxing’s mind, impossible to shake off.

Gradually, a hint of tyranny and madness began to grow in the depths of Song Qingxing’s heart. He even started to feel a certain agreement with the voice in his head.

HUMMM

The space before him suddenly distorted, and the figure of a middle-aged man appeared. Who else could it be but the late Song Luhuai?

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him and you will gain immense power!" the voice rang out in his mind again.

Looking at that face, a trace of struggle appeared on Song Qingxing’s own. But his hand rose uncontrollably, and somehow, a sword had appeared in it.

SWISH

The Long Sword swept past, and a head flew high into the air.

The moment he beheaded the illusion of "Song Luhuai," a surge of formless energy instantly poured into his body. His cultivation level quickly soared from Qi Refining Great Perfection to Early-stage Foundation Establishment.

"Jie jie jie, that’s right. Just like that."

The space distorted again, and Song Changsheng’s figure appeared before him.

"Kill him! Cut away this burden, and you will gain even greater power!" The voice sounded again, now with a new-found fervor.

Now completely under the control of the Demonic Sound, Song Qingxing heard the words and, without hesitation, swung his sword and killed the illusion of "Song Changsheng."

Sure enough, in the next moment, his cultivation level soared to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. The immense power brought Song Qingxing a sense of pleasure he had never felt before.

Next came Xia Yunxue, Little Lingyun, Song Luzhou...

One by one, their figures appeared before him. This time, without any prompting from the voice in his head, he grinned malevolently and raised his sword, slaughtering them all.

As warm blood splattered onto his face, he felt nothing but immense excitement and joy. He had obtained unprecedented power!

Finally, the figure of Song Qingxi appeared.

"Kill her, and you can prove your Dao and become an immortal! You will ascend in broad daylight, live as long as heaven and earth, and shine as brightly as the sun and moon!" The voice no longer concealed its madness, letting out a sharp, piercing laugh.

Gazing at that pure and beautiful face, Song Qingxing, his own face stained with blood, silently raised his blood-soaked Long Sword. Treading through the pools of blood and over the corpses, he approached her, one step at a time...