Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Wujie didn’t believe a word of what Song Qingxing said.

He too had started from humble beginnings, clawing his way up step by step. He knew all too well how difficult it was for a small family like the Song Clan to produce a genius, let alone one who could reach Song Qingxing’s level.

But now, Qingxing was claiming the clan had someone even more outstanding than him—someone who made him completely ineligible to compete.

Wujie scoffed at the idea. ’Impossible. Does he think geniuses are as common as cabbages, popping up in droves?’

He simply took it as an excuse Song Qingxing was using to brush him off and paid it no mind. Still, he didn’t press the matter further.

’Once I’ve trained you to be the strongest in the clan, I doubt you’ll be able to refuse then!’ Wujie thought to himself. He knew exactly how these small clans operated. It was simple: the one with the biggest fist became the Clan Leader.

Once he had cultivated Song Qingxing, the boy wouldn’t be able to refuse even if he wanted to. Then they could consolidate the entire clan’s resources, break through the Purple Mansion Realm, and aim for the Golden Core Dao!

Although Song Qingxing could see that Wujie hadn’t given up, he had no intention of explaining further. Words were flimsy. Once Wujie saw for himself, his troublemaking ambitions would die completely...

As night fell, the courtyard suddenly grew lively.

Song Qingxing saw his two older sisters, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. They were married women now, their youthful radiance faded, and they seemed a bit reserved in his presence.

He also saw his two brothers-in-law. Both seemed plain and unremarkable, their only virtue being their honesty. He couldn’t say he was either satisfied or dissatisfied with them.

The family enjoyed a boisterous reunion dinner. During the meal, Song Yuan secretly shed tears more than once. It had been over a decade, and this was their first true reunion dinner in all that time.

In cultivation, time has no meaning; in the mountains, the years go unnoticed. Who knew when they would next be together...

The next morning, Song Qingxing and Song Qingxi bid farewell to Song Yuan and the others. They set off for Dubhe City to rendezvous with Song Changkang’s group. Halfway there, Song Qingxing suddenly stopped. "Did you leave something in our eldest brother’s room?"

Song Qingxi blinked. She thought she’d been so discreet. She couldn’t help but stick out her tongue playfully. "It was just some Spiritual Liquid I usually prepare," she said. "It doesn’t violate any clan rules."

"Thank you."

"What?" Song Qingxi froze for a moment. Then, a sly glint flashed in her eyes. Clasping her hands behind her back, she sauntered in front of Song Qingxing. "What was that? I didn’t quite hear you."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful on my behalf." Song Qingxing gazed into her eyes, his tone more earnest than ever before.

This time, it was Song Qingxi who couldn’t handle it. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and mumbled in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, "It’s what I ought to do..."

"However, clan rules forbid privately giving Spiritual Objects during family visits. Let this be the only time."

Song Qingxi’s cheerful expression froze. She looked up at his dead-serious face and felt an urge to scream. She knew it was impossible to expect Song Qingxing to ever take a hint. A block of wood was a block of wood.

’He’s so... infuriating!’

Song Qingxing, however, remained completely oblivious. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing wrong with what he’d said. Growing up, the thing Song Changsheng and Song Luhuai had drilled into them most was "the laws of the clan."

Far from being annoyed by the myriad complex clan rules, Song Qingxing deeply approved of them, for he was a man who valued order.

He was a clan Elder now. When faced with someone violating clan regulations, it was his natural duty to admonish them. This was his responsibility, and so, he felt he had done nothing wrong.

So when Song Qingxi suddenly stormed off in a huff, he was left completely bewildered.

Inside the Bronze Mirror, Wujie was practically floored. ’Is this really the right atmosphere to be talking about rules?’

’He seems so sharp, so why is he acting like some old fossil who doesn’t understand how the world works? Could the Demonic Qi have affected his intelligence?’ Wujie’s expression turned grim. ’This is a serious matter. It needs to be investigated!’

---

Having successfully completed the clan’s mission, Song Qingxing set off on his return to Vast Mist Peak. Meanwhile, far away on Celestial Sound Mountain, Song Changsheng was finally about to experience the most important day of his life—his egg was about to hatch!

After being carefully nurtured for forty-nine days, the turtle egg had completely shed the faint trace of Demon Qi it once held. In its place, it now emitted a hazy golden glow.

Song Changsheng sat cross-legged before the egg, holding his breath in concentration. ’Hatching an egg is like opening a blind box,’ he thought. ’You never know what you’re going to get until it’s fully broken out of its shell.’

’I have to admit, it’s pretty thrilling. Whether it’s a divine tortoise or just a common turtle, it all comes down to this moment.’

HUMMM—

The golden light on its surface suddenly flared, and the egg began to tremble slightly. Song Changsheng could even hear a faint tapping sound from within.

Breaking out of the shell seemed to be an arduous task. After waiting for half an ancient hour, Song Changsheng finally heard a clear "CRACK!" An irregular circle of fissures spread across the top of the egg.

A moment later, a small, shimmering golden head poked out. It seemed completely unaware of Song Changsheng’s presence, its little bean-like eyes carefully surveying its surroundings. To the hatchling, this was a brand new world.

Song Changsheng held his breath, not daring to make a sound.

After familiarizing itself with its new environment, the little newborn turned its gaze to the eggshell that had birthed it. It stared intently for a moment, then suddenly opened its mouth, revealing a ring of fine, sharp teeth. It took a fierce bite of the jade-white shell, crunched it up, and swallowed.

It ate quickly. In less than a quarter of an hour, half of the football-sized eggshell was gone, revealing the rest of its body.