Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Becoming a Named Disciple was not as complicated as a formal apprenticeship. Song Changsheng performed the grand ceremonial bow, Mu Guibai nodded in acknowledgment, and just like that, it was done. There was no need for witnesses, a tea ceremony, or the like.

This new connection naturally brought the two of them closer. Mu Guibai asked a few questions about the Song Clan and offered Song Changsheng some words of encouragement.

Before long, it was noon.

Mu Guibai pinched his fingers together in a quick calculation and suddenly said, "Master Su of the Golden Crow Sect has arrived. Changsheng, you may withdraw for now."

’Master Su? Golden Sun Master Su Ding?’ Song Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. ’So this is the one moving the pieces on the board.’

Song Changsheng had complicated feelings about this man. After all, the Song Clan was just an insignificant pawn on that same board.

A powerhouse like him certainly wouldn’t come to Luoxia City without a reason. Song Changsheng’s intuition told him something big was about to happen.

However, none of this was his concern. After rising and bowing, Song Changsheng took his leave. It was only when he stepped out of the peach grove that he discovered Xing Zhao, the one who had brought him, had been waiting outside the entire time.

Xing Zhao glanced at Song Changsheng, and his gaze was quickly drawn to the Waist Token at his hip. A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes, followed by a rare smile on his usually stern face. He cupped his fists toward Song Changsheng and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Song. It seems we’ll be addressing each other as martial brothers from now on."

Since the other party was making a friendly overture, Song Changsheng naturally couldn’t be aloof. He returned a slight bow and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Xing."

"No need for formalities. We’re all family now." Xing Zhao clapped Song Changsheng’s shoulder, then added, "This is an important area, and guests are not allowed to wander on their own, so I waited here. But you’re not a guest anymore, so I won’t escort you."

"Of course. I won’t trouble you further, Senior Brother."

After bidding farewell to Xing Zhao and returning to his cave residence, he fed the turtle egg with his Essence Blood as usual. He hadn’t seen it for nearly ten days, and now, the Demon Qi within it had completely vanished. The patterns on its shell had become more brilliant, and Song Changsheng could clearly feel a powerful surge of Life Force.

By his calculations, only half the incubation period had passed. He would have to wait a while longer.

This also meant Song Changsheng’s upcoming schedule would be extremely tight.

Supreme Elder Jiang Shuming of Hundred Herbs Hall had given him an invitation to the Pill Tasting Conference. It was agreed that he would attend in three months, but now, only a little over two months remained. By the time the turtle egg hatched, he would only have a month and a half.

Time was incredibly tight. Hundred Herbs Hall was in Meng Province, in the southeastern region of the Daqi Cultivation World—the complete opposite end of the continent from Bian Province. This meant Song Changsheng would have to cross the entire Daqi Cultivation World, a journey spanning hundreds of thousands of miles.

At his current speed, there was no way he could make it in time.

’I heard the Golden Crow Sect set up a Cross-Boundary Flying Ship station in Luoxia City,’ Song Changsheng suddenly thought. ’Perhaps I can take one to get there?’

Cross-Boundary Flying Ships were large, high-speed vessels, often used for travel between different cultivation worlds. Their speed was even a notch faster than that of a typical Purple Mansion Cultivator.

In fact, Song Yulong and Song Yushi had arrived in the Daqi Cultivation World by taking a Cross-Boundary Flying Ship.

At that speed, crossing the Daqi Cultivation World would only take a month. That might not sound particularly fast, but considering his trip to the Celestial Sword Sect had taken the better part of half a year, it was incredibly swift by comparison.

The only problem was, he had only heard rumors of a station in Luoxia City. He didn’t know its exact location, nor if there were any routes to Meng Province.

’I’ll have to ask Yuechan when I get the chance,’ Song Changsheng thought.

But Zhuang Yuechan was still in seclusion, and he didn’t dare disturb her. Instead, he took out the Jade Scroll that recorded the Little Divine Technique.

He pressed the Jade Scroll to his forehead, and the information recorded within quickly flooded his mind.

Only then did he learn that the Celestial Spirit Shield was not a purely defensive Divine Technique.

Its general principle was to combine one’s Mana with their own Spiritual Gang, forming a Gang Qi Shield outside the body to defend against Magic or physical attacks.

To be precise, it didn’t just block attacks—it reflected them. As long as an opponent’s attack failed to break the Gang Qi Shield, the full force of their own strike would be sent right back at them. It was an outrageously powerful ability.

Overjoyed, Song Changsheng quickly immersed himself in studying the technique.

Song Changsheng’s life returned to its previous monotonous routine: cultivate, feed the turtle egg, cultivate. Day in and day out, the cycle repeated.

Thanks to his experience cultivating the Mountain-Flipping Seal, and given that the Celestial Spirit Shield itself wasn’t particularly difficult, after just over ten days of practice, a certain moment arrived. Song Changsheng’s eyes snapped open. His hands formed an esoteric Magic Technique seal as he murmured a few words, and a faint, almost imperceptible shield materialized around his body.

’The Little Divine Technique, Celestial Spirit Shield... complete!’ A surge of joy filled Song Changsheng. With this Dharma, it was as if he now had an "Anti-Armor" ability, elevating his defense to a whole new level. If he paired it with the outrageously powerful Tai Chi Diagram, the result would be unimaginable.

But Song Changsheng still wasn’t satisfied. His experience in the Celestial Sinking Valley had taught him that this was still not enough.

"It’s time to advance the Five Beasts Body Forging Technique," Song Changsheng murmured to himself.

As his realm advanced, the enemies he faced grew stronger, and each battle was more perilous than the last. He was beginning to feel that his power was no longer sufficient.

This filled Song Changsheng with a sense of crisis.

He had to improve himself across the board once more.

And he planned to start with his own defenses.

As the saying goes, you can’t deal damage if you’re dead. No matter how powerful your attacks, you have to survive long enough to use them.

At his current level, he had pushed his Magical Artifacts and Divine Techniques as far as they could go. The only area left for significant improvement was the strength of his physical body.

Just by cultivating three of the diagrams to the Great Success realm, he could already withstand a direct clash with a Spiritual Artifact. If he could cultivate all five diagrams to Great Perfection, he was confident he could go toe-to-toe with a typical Purple Mansion Cultivator!

With this in mind, he took out two boxes. One contained more than a dozen blood-spattered Flood Dragon Scales, and the other held a heart—the very Monkey Heart he had acquired in the Secret Realm long ago.

After all these years, he had finally gathered the cultivation mediums for all five beasts. The hardships he had endured to do so were impossible to describe to an outsider.

"Let’s see what the complete Five Beasts Body Forging Technique is truly like." Gripping the Flood Dragon Scale and the Monkey Heart, Song Changsheng slowly closed his eyes.

He appeared once again in that vast, desolate world. Flames illuminated half the sky, the earth was sundered, and mountains lay shattered. A battle-scarred White Tiger faced off in the air against a Bi Fang wreathed in flames.

At that moment, the slumbering Earth Dragon awakened. The earth was violently torn asunder as if by a pair of invisible, giant hands, creating a hideous, terrifying chasm from which the Earth Dragon’s colossal body emerged.

AWOOO—

An enraged roar echoed as a Six-armed Ape, so colossal it seemed to connect heaven and earth, emerged from between the crumbled mountains. Each of its steps made the very ground tremble.

ROAR—

Then, a dragon’s cry reverberated through the world. A single-horned Black Flood Dragon burst from the boundless ocean, soaring into the sky. Its majestic eyes looked down upon the four giant beasts below, its gaze filled with utter disdain.

At this moment, the subjects of the five diagrams had finally gathered. A terrifying power radiated from them, their mere presence causing the world itself to tremble.

Song Changsheng couldn’t help but swallow. ’Any one of these behemoths could probably annihilate the entire Daqi Cultivation World with ease.’

The five great beasts seemed to have reached a tacit understanding. They only stared each other down silently, showing no intention of fighting. After a moment, each of them withdrew.

Song Changsheng didn’t understand what this vision was meant to convey. He could only quiet his mind and observe the Body Forging Techniques of the Six-armed Ape and the Flood Dragon clan.

He soon made a discovery: the Flood Dragon used the crushing pressure of the deep sea to forge its body, making every inch of its muscle indestructible.

The Six-armed Ape, on the other hand, relied on taking external blows to temper its body. It sought out challenges everywhere, and each battle made its physique tougher and more powerful.

Compared to the first three beasts, these two methods of body forging were undoubtedly far more extreme.

The corner of Song Changsheng’s mouth twitched. ’The days to come are going to be rough...’

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