Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

He even smelled a faint trace of "Fire Qi" on Song Changsheng. He had often smelled this kind of Fire Qi on his former master; it was an aura unique to Artifact Refiners.

Wujie was flabbergasted. ’What kind of monster is this man? Does he have limitless energy?’

"I think Uncle has discovered you," Song Qingxing said softly, ignoring Wujie’s shock.

"Impossible! After I conceal my aura, not even a Purple Mansion Cultivator could hope to discover me. How could he possibly have noticed my existence?" Wujie immediately retorted loudly.

"Just a hunch." Song Qingxing knew Wujie wasn’t bragging. The Bronze Mirror possessed a strange power that made people overlook its existence. All this time, neither the powerful Grand Elder nor Song Qingxi, who was with him day and night, had noticed the Bronze Mirror tucked at his waist.

It had seemed like a casual glance, but Song Qingxing’s intuition told him that Song Changsheng had already discovered the Bronze Mirror’s existence and simply chose not to ask about it.

"So what if he found out? Everyone has their own secrets. He’s cultivated for this long; I refuse to believe he doesn’t have any," Wujie snorted coldly.

Wujie was right. Everyone has their secrets, which was why Song Changsheng, despite noticing something was off about the Bronze Mirror, didn’t ask.

Back in the courtyard, the little one was sound asleep in a cradle he had made himself, covered by a mink blanket.

Song Changsheng couldn’t help but shake his head. He had already examined the baby repeatedly and had even asked Song Luzhou to take a look, but they had both concluded that there was nothing wrong.

He could only conclude that the little one had a unique constitution and was simply prone to sleeping a lot.

He took the thumb from the baby’s mouth, gently tucked the little hand under the blanket, and tiptoed out of the room.

By now, wisps of smoke were rising from the back kitchen. Xia Yunxue and Song Qingxi were busy inside. Although their Cultivation levels meant they no longer really needed to eat, Xia Yunxue had always believed a home needed a bit of life and warmth. So, whenever she had free time, she would cook a few side dishes for them as a treat.

Song Changsheng went over to see if he could help, but Xia Yunxue simply stuffed a Spirit Fruit into his hand and shooed him out.

Staring at the pink-tinged white Spirit Fruit in his hand, Song Changsheng gave a wry laugh. ’I never thought I’d see the day I was so thoroughly rejected.’ But he also knew his own clumsy cooking was nothing in the face of Xia Yunxue’s skills.

Dragging a wicker chair from a room, he placed it under the parasol tree in the center of the front yard and settled down on it contentedly.

It was late autumn, and the parasol tree had completely shed its green, turning a brilliant gold.

A gentle breeze rustled, and palm-sized leaves twirled down from the branches, landing on the ground and on Song Changsheng himself.

Song Changsheng took a bite of the Spirit Fruit and squinted slightly, gradually allowing his tense body and frayed nerves to unwind. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease.

His consciousness grew heavy, his eyelids grew heavier, and just like that, he drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the courtyard was brightly lit. A bright moon, like a jade plate, had risen high in the sky.

Song Changsheng stretched lazily and contentedly. He folded up a thin blanket that someone had placed over him at some point and saw that the square dining table was already laden with steaming hot dishes.

Song Qingxing sat on the left, his back ramrod straight. Song Qingxi sat across from him, toying with a pendant. And Xia Yunxue sat at the head of the table, holding a drowsy Song Qingyun in her arms.

Everyone was waiting silently. A warm feeling bloomed in Song Changsheng’s heart. ’If only the Cultivation Realm had less fighting and killing, I would gladly live like this for the rest of my life.’

’But alas, the Cultivation Realm is filled with brutality and bloodshed. I must use the sword in my hand to defend everything I possess!’

"I accidentally overslept. Why didn’t you guys wake me?" Song Changsheng said, a little embarrassed, as he sat down.

Song Qingxi quietly stuck out her tongue but said nothing.

Xia Yunxue smiled gently and said, "I told them not to disturb you. Let’s eat first. Come, let’s all have a drink together."

Everyone raised their cups, stood up, and clinked them together in the air, forming a circle...

「The next morning.」

Song Changsheng convened a clan meeting. All the Clan Elders who could free themselves had returned to Vast Mist Peak.

Besides Song Changsheng, Song Xianyun, Xia Yunxue, Song Lutong, Song Chang’an, and Song Qingxing were all in attendance.

Song Changxuan was guarding the Mortal Realm and couldn’t get away, while Song Luzhou needed to oversee the Moon Viewing Marketplace, so they were not present.

Looking at the faces before him, Song Changsheng felt a slight swell of emotion.

The Grand Elder’s face was covered in wrinkles, his lifespan nearly at its end. Song Luyao and Song Luhuai had already passed away. Of the older generation of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, only Xia Yunxue and Song Luzhou remained.

Fortunately, the new generation of Cultivators in the clan was rising quickly, sparing the Song Clan from a generational gap in talent.

Nearly a third of the resources Song Changsheng had purchased from the Wanlong Commerce Association had been consumed, and the clan’s overall strength had seen a significant boost.

Song Luzhou had broken through to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, and Xia Yunxue had reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment. Song Lutong, however, was still treading water at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. The remaining members, like Song Chang’an and Song Changxuan, had also made considerable progress.

Song Changsheng first listened to everyone’s reports on the clan’s recent development. Afterward, he briefly recounted his own experiences before saying:

"Master Luu of Hundred Herbs Hall has issued a Blood Kill Order to hunt down the Vast Alliance. Members of the Vast Alliance have also been spotted in the Moon Viewing Marketplace before, so the clan must raise its guard.

"Furthermore, the first Allied Army from our Daqi Cultivation World has successfully captured Black Water Marsh and Thundering Mountain. They are now pushing deeper, wiping out the enemy’s lairs.

"The second Allied Army has entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains to clean up the remaining Demon Beasts. Before long, the territory up to the border of Black Water Marsh will be completely incorporated into the Daqi Cultivation World’s domain.

"This is a land of treasures and an even greater opportunity. Our Song Clan cannot afford to fall behind. I’ve decided to organize a group to join the third Allied Army. What does everyone think?"

"As it should be."

No one had any objections. Ling Province was poor in resources; for the Song Clan to develop, it had to find additional resource points.

"Then it’s settled.

"Also, as the Moon Viewing Marketplace continues to grow in scale and our clan’s businesses gradually increase, our manpower is becoming stretched thin. This is not conducive to the clan’s future development. Therefore, I have decided to lift the restrictions on childbirth and encourage procreation."

As Song Changsheng’s voice fell, the meeting hall immediately fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Song Clan currently had nearly 700,000 Mortal Clan Members. Was this a large number? Not really. The Song Clan had been established for nearly five hundred years; this number was actually the result of strict control.

The reason behind this was a grim one. The Human Race were the chosen of heaven and earth, attuned to the Dao Rhyme, and their flesh and souls were a great tonic for Demon Fiends.

If too many mortals gathered in one place, the resulting concentration of human qi would easily attract the attention and greed of Great Demons, and even Demon Kings.

Without sufficient strength, the only option was to control the birth rate.

It wasn’t just the Song Clan that did this. Across the entire Southwest, with the exception of Luoxia City, no power dared to let their mortal population grow unchecked.

This was because the lives of mortals in this realm were too comfortable. They didn’t need to struggle for their livelihood day in and day out, nor did they have to worry about disease. There was no pressure at all when it came to raising children. If not for the controls, the Song Clan’s population would likely have already surpassed several million.

The sheer amount of human qi generated by a gathering of several million mortals was enough to make even a Demon King’s eyes turn red with greed!

Lacking the power to protect this wealth, the only choice was to restrict births. This was a clan rule that had been passed down to this day. Now that Song Changsheng was proposing to lift it, the others were understandably hesitant.

Song Chang’an stood up and said, "Young Clan Leader, lifting the restrictions so rashly may be unwise."

Song Changsheng smiled and said, "Not so. In the past, we restricted childbirth because we feared the Demon Kings in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Now, the Allied Army has already invaded the mountains, so that threat has been minimized.

"Population is the foundation of the clan’s development. For the clan to grow stronger, we need more Cultivators, and for that, we must lift the birth restrictions. Besides, Grandfather will be coming out of seclusion soon. The clan’s strength is about to take a great leap forward, and our ability to deal with risks will increase.

"Therefore, I believe that now is the perfect time!"

...