Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

At these words, a flicker of shock flashed in Golden Armor’s eyes. ’This human is so confident.’

Although it didn’t believe Song Changsheng could pull it off, Golden Armor still nodded in agreement. After all, it no longer even feared death.

"Song, what do you think you’re doing? Stop with the fantasies! Get out of here while you still can!" Niu Dazhuang roared angrily.

Yinn Shang also tried to reason with him. "Fellow Daoist Song, don’t worry about us. If you delay any longer, you won’t be able to escape either."

In response, Song Changsheng just smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Niu, when it comes to proficiency in the dao of Arrays, I admit I am not your equal at present."

"But when it comes to breaking them, you’re still a long way off from me!"

As he spoke, a faint light glimmered in Song Changsheng’s eyes, and an unearthly pattern materialized within them.

Empowered by the Eye of Truth, the intricate pathways of the Yin Sha Locking Spirit Array materialized clearly before him. He immediately began to deduce and calculate in his mind.

The Daoist Scripture had only one sentence to describe the Eye of Truth: "Pierce the veil of falsehood and trace the origin."

Theoretically, as long as his Spiritual Power was strong enough, he could find and exploit the flaws in any Array, regardless of its tier.

This was why his skill at breaking Arrays had always far surpassed his ability in Array Formation.

Although the Yin Sha Locking Spirit Array was a Tier Three Low-Grade Array, after a period of intense deduction and the consumption of a vast amount of Spiritual Power, he finally found its weakness.

Now, all that was left was to work a miracle with brute force—to strike the Array’s flaw with absolute power and shatter the whole structure from a single point.

Ordinarily, Song Changsheng wouldn’t possess such power, but thankfully, he had a powerful ally. If Golden Armor could seal its own life force at the exact moment he attacked, the Grand Array would momentarily lose its power source.

The process didn’t need to last long—a single instant was enough. Thus, even though Golden Armor was grievously wounded, it could accomplish this feat relying solely on its Willpower as a Demon King.

Song Changsheng slowly raised his right hand. A phantom seal materialized above his palm, and he slammed it down toward a specific point on the Array.

"Little Divine Technique—Mountain-Flipping Seal!"

"Golden Armor!"

Song Changsheng roared just as the great seal was about to strike its target.

Golden Armor instantly used every ounce of its strength to seal the leak of its life force.

BOOM—

As the great seal fell, a violent tremor shook the area, and the Tier Three Low-Grade Yin Sha Locking Spirit Array shattered completely.

The instant the Array shattered, all the black chains dissolved into motes of light and vanished.

Yinn Shang, Niu Dazhuang, and the others promptly fell from mid-air, crashing to the ground in a daze.

Golden Armor also regained partial freedom, and a great weight seemed to lift from its body.

It was only partial freedom because it was still the Array Hub and power source for the Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array. It remained imprisoned, but the rate at which its life force drained had slowed considerably.

Sprawled on the ground, Niu Dazhuang stared blankly at the scene. He couldn’t believe Song Changsheng had actually done it.

Then, he scrambled to his feet, walked right up to Golden Armor, and pulled out a Tier Three Talisman.

Seeing this, Golden Armor’s Demon Qi flared. Its eyes locked onto Niu Dazhuang, and a bloodthirsty light glinted within them.

Just as Niu Dazhuang was about to act, two voices rang out at once.

"Fellow Daoist Niu, stay your hand!"

"Junior Brother, don’t!"

Niu Dazhuang’s hand froze. He glared at Song Changsheng, demanding angrily, "It’s the Array Hub! If we kill it, the Array will break on its own!"

"I know that better than you do. But I gave my word I would spare its life," Song Changsheng said, his tone icy. He wouldn’t be a part of killing the very creature that had just helped them.

"You’re going to let a beast that could become a Demon King go free?" Niu Dazhuang’s eyes practically shot fire as he stared at Song Changsheng.

But Song Changsheng was unflinching. He grabbed Niu Dazhuang’s wrist and shook his head firmly.

"Senior Brother?" Niu Dazhuang called out without turning his head.

At this, Yinn Shang spoke in a solemn tone, "Junior Brother, we are only alive today because of Fellow Daoist Song. Don’t make things difficult for him. You’re forcing him to be unrighteous."

"To hell with keeping promises to a Demon Beast!" Niu Dazhuang’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. His two junior brothers and one junior sister had died in the battle just now. He wanted nothing more than to tear every last Demon Beast to shreds!

But in the end, he was a good junior brother and a man who understood gratitude. With a cold snort, he wrenched his hand from Song Changsheng’s grasp and stalked to the side, saying no more.

Seeing this, Song Changsheng’s expression relaxed. He offered Yinn Shang a cupped-fist salute and said, "My thanks, Fellow Daoist."

"It is my brother and I who should be thanking you. Fellow Daoist Song, I, Yinn, owe you my life. If you have any need of me in the future, I will not dare refuse," Yinn Shang said with great solemnity.

Coming from someone of his status, this was a profound promise.

"Everyone, please recover your strength for now," Song Changsheng said with a smile. "The Array is broken, so Dongtian Xie has certainly sensed it. There’s another vicious fight ahead of us."

After Yinn Shang and the others sat down to recover their Spiritual Power, Song Changsheng turned to Golden Armor. "Just wait a little longer. I will keep my promise and let you go free."

But to his surprise, Golden Armor shook its head and rasped, "My life force is too depleted. Even if I leave, I only have a few days left to live."

"I have lived for centuries and have never seen a human as special as you. If you can agree to one request of mine, I shall bestow upon you a Grand Ceremony."

Song Changsheng was taken aback. He pressed his lips together and remained silent. ’Promises aren’t to be made lightly.’

Golden Armor didn’t seem to mind his silence and continued, "You may have heard that my clan, the Golden Land Turtle, possesses an ancestral Secret Technique. After I die, my True Spirit will not enter the cycle of reincarnation, but will instead return to its essence."

"It will essentially be my heir. My request is that you form an equal pact with it, making it your Blood Contract Spirit Beast. In exchange, I will do my utmost to preserve my Physical Body and Demon Pill after death."

Song Changsheng’s heart pounded. ’So that’s what it was proposing.’

Even Yinn Shang and the others, who were nearby, looked over in astonishment.

In the next moment, Yinn Shang’s voice sounded in Song Changsheng’s mind via transmission: "Fellow Daoist Song, agree to it! There are endless benefits and no drawbacks for you in this."

"Although the newborn Profound Armor Turtle will be a transformation of Golden Armor’s True Spirit, they will be two completely separate individuals. You don’t have to worry about Golden Armor pulling any tricks—it was born the same way."

"Furthermore, Golden Armor’s bloodline is extremely pure. Its heir’s bloodline will undoubtedly be even closer to the true Golden Land Turtle. If nurtured properly, it will be enough to guarantee the Song Clan’s peace and stability for a thousand years."

Yinn Shang’s tone was urgent, terrified that Song Changsheng would foolishly refuse and miss out on this immense opportunity.

He knew all too well the weight of this Grand Ceremony.

Song Changsheng heard the urgency in Yinn Shang’s voice, and a warmth spread through his heart.

’Yinn Shang is a true gentleman.’

He was no fool; he naturally understood the value of this offer. But he didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he looked at Golden Armor and asked curiously, "You didn’t have to tell me any of this. You could have just left, found a safe place, and passed away peacefully."

"With a Divine Beast bloodline, your heir would do well for itself anywhere. Why does it need to become my Blood Contract Spirit Beast? I’m just a minor Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Aren’t you afraid I’ll hold it back?"

A remarkably human-like smile spread across Golden Armor’s face. "Because you are special. I cannot see through you, so I am willing to stake everything on this gamble."

"Besides, even if you turn out to be mediocre, your lifespan is only a few hundred years. For my kind, that is not a long time. After you pass on, it can simply find a new master."

At these words, Song Changsheng’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. ’So what if you live a long time? Is that so impressive?’

But a smile soon returned to his face. "Fine. I accept your terms. I swear upon my Dao Heart to fulfill the pact between us. If I fail, may my Dao Heart shatter and karmic flame incinerate my soul!"

As his words fell, a look of relief washed over Golden Armor’s eyes. It slowly closed them, and a ghastly green flame flared to life within its mind, instantly incinerating its Divine Soul...

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