Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

THUD.

The half-charred head landed with a dull thud. Its ghastly white eyes were rolled back as it tumbled into a corner, falling silent after bouncing a few times.

It seemed that once severed, the head of a Purple Mansion Cultivator was no different from that of an ordinary person.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, a feeling of having narrowly escaped death washing over them.

But just as everyone let down their guard, disaster struck. A ray of deep purple light shot out from the head on the ground and plunged straight into Song Changsheng’s mind.

"Damn it, he’s attempting Possession!" Yinn Shang cried out. He tried to rush forward to help, but the moment he moved, he staggered and nearly collapsed. The injuries he’d sustained from detonating his Spiritual Artifact were far from light.

Several nearby Luoxia City disciples reacted in a flash. They immediately rushed to Song Changsheng’s side and formed a triangular perimeter around him. Two placed their hands on his shoulders while the third pressed against his back, and together they began to chant the Celestial Light Exorcism Spell.

Meanwhile, Song Changsheng’s Sea of Consciousness had been thrown into utter chaos. Dongtian Xie’s Divine Soul charged through as if unopposed, shattering several of Song Changsheng’s defenses one after another.

"Hahaha! Letting your guard down after a big win truly is a common weakness. Kid, you couldn’t beat me in the end.

This body of yours is quite nice. Once I’ve taken it, I’ll have everything that was yours. Then, I’ll let you witness the splendors of the Purple Mansion Realm! Hahahaha..."

Dongtian Xie’s Divine Soul rampaged through Song Changsheng’s Sea of Consciousness, cackling madly as if he were surveying his new domain.

Just then, a calm voice reached his ears. "I’ll see the splendors of the Purple Mansion Realm for myself. I won’t need to trouble you for that."

Dongtian Xie’s laughter cut off abruptly, like a duck whose neck had been suddenly squeezed, and he let out a shrill, bizarre squawk.

"How is this possible? You’re merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm! How can you manifest a form inside your own Sea of Consciousness?"

A Cultivator’s Divine Soul begins to change the moment they start on their path, but it remains extremely weak at first. Only after breaking through to Foundation Establishment and passing the Divine Soul Barrier does a Cultivator’s Divine Soul Power become strong enough to open a Sea of Consciousness.

But that was the extent of it. They could not achieve Soul Emergence, launch a Spiritual Soul Attack, and certainly couldn’t materialize a form within their Sea of Consciousness.

Under normal circumstances, only the Divine Soul of a Purple Mansion Cultivator could materialize within the Sea of Consciousness. They could not only wield the power of the Sea of Consciousness against foes but could also survive outside for a time after abandoning their Physical Body, searching for a new vessel to inhabit—a process known as Possession.

That was why Dongtian Xie had been so shocked and lost his composure upon seeing Song Changsheng’s Divine Soul materialize within his own Sea of Consciousness.

"If that weren’t the case, why would I have dared to lower my defenses and let you in?" In his Soul Body form, Song Changsheng slowly descended from a stark black-and-white sky, his expression impassive. The moment he appeared, the entire Sea of Consciousness Space seemed to resonate with him.

Ever since he was a child, his Divine Soul had been far stronger than an ordinary person’s. He had been able to manifest a form within his Sea of Consciousness the moment he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. This was the source of his confidence.

In this Space, he was the one and only master. Even the Divine Soul of a Purple Mansion Cultivator would be forced to submit upon entering!

After all, a Purple Mansion Cultivator attempting to possess another Purple Mansion Cultivator was unheard of.

Although Song Changsheng was not a Purple Mansion Cultivator, his Divine Soul Power was nearly on par with one, meaning he was not someone a wretch like Dongtian Xie could ever hope to possess.

"You did this on purpose!" A look of shock appeared on Dongtian Xie’s somewhat ethereal face. ’Was this guy really that confident he could defeat me?’

"That a Purple Mansion Cultivator can possess a Physical Body to be reborn is common sense. Even a child knows that. Did you really think I wouldn’t be wary of you?

I let you in merely to test a theory of mine." Song Changsheng chuckled, looking at Dongtian Xie as if he were a toy. In that instant, his gaze held a hint of malevolence.

A chill shot through Dongtian Xie. With a single thought, he instantly tried to flee. At that moment, all he wanted was to escape—as far away as possible.

"Hmph. Thinking of running now? Too late!"

With a wave of his arm, Song Changsheng’s Sea of Consciousness began to churn violently. Immense Divine Soul Power surged from all directions, crushing in on Dongtian Xie’s Soul Body.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Song Changsheng could command its power at will. Dongtian Xie, in contrast, was like a tree without roots, a boat without an anchor. As one’s power waxed and the other’s waned, he was no match for Song Changsheng and was swiftly defeated.

Funnily enough, the scene was remarkably similar to the battle outside, only now their roles were completely reversed.

Song Changsheng snapped his fingers, and his Divine Soul Power formed a cage that imprisoned Dongtian Xie.

"What in the world are you planning to do?" A sudden, ominous premonition gripped Dongtian Xie.

Song Changsheng didn’t answer. Instead, he beckoned, and a Jade Scroll flew into his hand. He mused aloud, "Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever revealed its existence to anyone.

My master told me there’s an Artifact Spirit inside it that requires vast quantities of soul-nourishing Spiritual Objects to awaken. I’ve used my family’s help to gather a great many such items, but I’m still less than ten percent of the way there.

So I got to thinking... a Cultivator’s Divine Soul must also be an incredibly nourishing thing, wouldn’t you say? I could never bring myself to harm an ordinary person—it goes against my Dao. But for a mass-murdering fiend like you, I feel no burden whatsoever. I hope you can give me a pleasant surprise."

Seeing the smile on Song Changsheng’s face, Dongtian Xie’s expression twisted in terror.

"Oh, right. There was something I forgot to tell you.

Do you remember that time back in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, when you were besieged by the Lieyang Sect?