Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

This thought left him momentarily unsure of how to face Song Changsheng.

"A seven-inch Fire Spirit Root, a five-inch Wood Spirit Root, and a three-inch Water Spirit Root."

Just then, Song Changkang’s slightly joyful voice snapped Song Qingxing out of his wandering thoughts. He glanced over and saw a timid little girl, staring blankly at the light flaring up from the testing platform, looking a bit lost.

Just then, Song Qingxi came to her side, offering a bright smile. "Congratulations, you have Three Spirit Roots. Come wait over here."

The little girl let her lead her by the hand to a corner where a young boy was already waiting.

"Three Spirit Roots. Acceptable." Song Qingxing nodded slightly.

Not everyone was as lucky as Song Changsheng, who had discovered an Abnormal Spirit Root on his first trip down the mountain for testing. Most of the time, Three Spirit Roots was already quite good.

So far, over ten thousand children of the right age had been tested, but fewer than twenty of them possessed a Spirit Root. Among them, there was only one with Dual Spirit Roots, and including the little girl just now, only two with Three Spirit Roots.

The rest all had Four or Five Spirit Roots.

Even so, this was the best batch in the past two years in terms of quality.

Last year’s Immortal Ascension Conference yielded no one with Three Spirit Roots, and the year before that, only one.

Soon, the testing of all the eligible children in the final city was complete. There were only two from there, but adding them to the ones from the other six cities brought the total to eighteen people—a bountiful harvest indeed.

"Seventh Elder, according to clan rules, we must let them return home for a day after the testing is complete. This means we can only bring them back to the clan to report tomorrow," Song Changyuan reported, approaching Song Qingxing.

After spending this period of time together, he had come to understand that while Song Qingxing was stern and rarely smiled, he wasn’t a difficult person to get along with. This allowed them to relax around him quite a bit.

Song Qingxing nodded slightly. He was aware of this rule. It was just that he hadn’t taken the opportunity himself back then, because in his eyes, family was nothing but a burden.

But now, he wanted to say goodbye to his own brothers and sisters.

Returning to Kaiyang City with Song Qingxi, Song Qingxing pushed open the courtyard gate. A large tree with yellowing leaves came into view.

His father had planted it with his own hands when he was born. It had now grown into a towering tree, but for some unknown reason, its leaves were sparse and yellowed.

Song Qingxing paused under the tree’s canopy to observe it for a moment. Suddenly, he turned to Song Qingxi and asked, "Can you do anything about this?"

His question came out of nowhere, but Song Qingxi, who had spent years with him, quickly understood what he meant. She nodded with a grin. "Of course there is."

She took out a Jade Bottle and dripped a few drops at the base of the tree. The once-yellowed, withered leaves and branches turned a vibrant green again at a speed visible to the naked eye, even sprouting new buds.

This miraculous scene immediately drew two childish gasps of awe.

"Wow, is that the Immortal Technique Father was talking about?"

"It’s so magical! Is this the legendary ability to Revive the Dead?"

The two brothers, Song Jun and Song Tang, instantly turned into her biggest fans, their eyes seeming to sparkle as they looked at Song Qingxi.

The brothers’ words amused Song Qingxi. Shaking her head, she smiled and explained, "This isn’t an Immortal Technique. It’s just a Spiritual Liquid I concocted. And it’s definitely not a way to Revive the Dead. This tree was just sick, and I was treating it."

"So it’s not an Immortal Technique."

The two brothers glanced at each other, their spirits sinking a little.

"If you have a Spirit Root, you can cultivate Magic on your own. Don’t be discouraged, you still have a chance at next year’s Immortal Ascension Conference." Song Qingxi offered a few words of gentle comfort, but the brothers’ moods didn’t improve much.

The brothers, Song Jun and Song Tang, were already eleven this year. According to clan regulations, they could begin Spirit Root testing at the age of eight, and continue until twelve, for a total of four attempts.

Including this year, they had already been tested three times, but still no Spirit Root had been detected.

Although they had one more chance next year, neither of them had much confidence.

They had long understood the principle that the older one got, the smaller the chance of detecting a Spirit Root, which left them feeling dejected.

Seeing their expressions, Song Qingxing’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing. After all, comforting people was truly not his strong suit.

Spirit Root testing was just that cruel. If you didn’t have one, you didn’t have one. Even if he, their uncle, wanted to pull some strings for them, there were no strings to pull.

"Brother, has everything been going smoothly?" Song Yuan asked as he walked out of his room. Seeing his two dejected sons, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. He knew perfectly well what was on his two sons’ minds. They desperately wanted to step onto the path of cultivation and vie for the chance at a long life.

To be honest, he didn’t want them to walk that path. It was far too cruel.

As a father, he just wanted them to live out their lives in peace and stability.

So, he wasn’t disappointed that his two sons hadn’t tested for a Spirit Root; on the contrary, he was a little pleased.

Still, seeing them so downcast, he couldn’t bear it and couldn’t help but say, "Why the long faces? Don’t you still have another chance next year? Go back to your rooms and get some proper rest."

After sending the two brothers away, Song Yuan turned to Song Qingxing and asked, "So, how did it go? Did you complete your mission smoothly?"

"It was acceptable. We’ll return to the clan tomorrow to report."

"Tomorrow? Oh, good, good. Stay the night, then. I’ll call over Second Sister and Third Sister, and our whole family can have a proper get-together tonight." Song Yuan rubbed his hands together nervously, looking at Song Qingxing with some anxiety, afraid he would refuse.

Song Qingxing paused for a moment. Two faces, both familiar and yet strange, appeared in his mind. ’It’s been over a decade since I’ve seen them.’

"You arrange it, Eldest Brother." Song Qingxing did not refuse.

"Ah, good! I’ll send someone to inform them right away." A smile finally appeared on Song Yuan’s face, and he hurried off to make the arrangements.

"If you ask me, your eldest brother doesn’t act like a brother, but more like a doting old father who worries about everything," Song Qingxi said with a light laugh, covering her mouth as she watched Song Yuan’s joyful expression.

"The eldest brother is like a father."

Song Qingxing’s reply stunned Song Qingxi for a moment. By the time she came to her senses, he had already entered his room and set up a Restriction.

She simply thought that Song Qingxing was lost in memories stirred by his old home and didn’t think much of it. She returned to her own guest room. "Treating" the tree just now had reminded her of a few things, and since they were leaving tomorrow, she planned to prepare some items...

But Song Qingxing, who had shut himself in his room, wasn’t thinking what Song Qingxi assumed. He sat down on the bed and took out the Bronze Mirror he kept tucked away in his robes.

After refining it, he had learned that this treasure was called the Spirit Communication Soul-Catching Treasure Mirror. It was a Supreme Treasure that specifically targeted the Divine Soul, but its power was currently limited as it had not yet recovered its strength.

Wujie emerged from the Copper Mirror in his Soul Body form. Compared to before, he now looked normal; he was no longer a pitch-black mass, and his facial features had become clear and distinct.

The moment he appeared, he asked eagerly, "Have you thought it through?"

He was, of course, asking about competing for the position of Clan Leader. He thought he had managed to persuade Song Qingxing.

But Song Qingxing replied with a detached expression, "No. You’re too noisy."

He originally hadn’t planned on engaging with Wujie, but the guy was relentless. He figured it was time to have a proper talk and make him give up on the idea for good.

His attitude baffled Wujie, who couldn’t help but say, "A small clan like this has limited resources. Only by becoming the Clan Leader can you claim the largest share for yourself, do you understand?"

’Becoming the Clan Leader gets me the largest share, does it?’

Song Qingxing mulled this over. He found it to be both true and untrue. The Clan Leader would indeed receive the full support of the clan’s resources, but with power came responsibility.

’With the heavy burden of the clan on my shoulders, wouldn’t my cultivation speed only become slower?’

Seeing him shake his head, Wujie grew exasperated. ’Why won’t he listen?’

Seeing that Wujie was about to press him again, Song Qingxing said bluntly, "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have a chance."

"How is that possible? With your talent, who in a small clan like this could compete with you? In this world, might makes right!" Disbelief was written all over Wujie’s face. Even he was astounded by Song Qingxing’s talent; anyone with a brain would know what the right choice was.

The image of that person appeared in Song Qingxing’s mind once more. He shook his head and said, "I am not his equal."

Upon hearing this, Wujie froze as if he’d been turned to stone.

...