Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Qingxing’s odd behavior lasted only for an instant, but the chill he radiated sent a shiver down the spines of Song Yuan and the others.

"Elder Brother, I’m going to take a look."

Seeing him leave his seat, Song Yuan and Song Qingxi tactfully chose not to follow. The two brothers, Song Tang and Song Jun, wanted to go, but the moment they moved, a cold glare from their father stopped them dead in their tracks.

CREAK—

Song Qingxing gently pushed open the large, red-lacquered door. A long-forgotten feeling washed over him. The room’s furnishings were unchanged from the day he had left home.

The room was spotless, and nothing showed any sign of decay. Someone must have been cleaning it regularly.

Though this was his first time back inside, every corner of the room was uncannily familiar to him.

He walked to the wardrobe. Inside, several sets of clothes were neatly folded—all from his childhood, and all of them black.

He gently ran his fingers over the fabric. The slightly coarse texture sent him into a daze. ’Mother made these for me, stitch by stitch...’

Back then, he had never sensed the deep love woven into them. Seeing them again now, he was overcome with emotion.

But the one who made them was gone, and everything now existed only in the depths of his memory.

He opened the bottom drawer. A Bronze Mirror covered in a copper patina met his gaze.

The Bronze Mirror was about a foot long. The top half was an oval-shaped mirror, its center covered in cracks, as if it had been struck by some blunt instrument.

A bizarre vertical pupil was engraved on the back of the mirror, and looking at it felt as though it could seize one’s very soul.

Song Qingxing’s gaze narrowed. His primary reason for returning today was to find this Bronze Mirror.

His mother had found the mirror by chance while she was pregnant with him. At the time, it seemed unremarkable, so Song’s Mother had simply given it to Song Qingxing as a common trinket.

As a child, he had often played with the mirror. Over time, he began to notice some of its peculiar qualities, but being young and not yet on the path of cultivation, he paid them no mind.

Later, after his Spirit Root was discovered and he was taken to Vast Mist Peak, he became completely immersed in his training and gradually forgot about the mirror. It wasn’t until the day he broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm that this long-buried memory was finally awakened.

He had been tainted by Demonic Qi at birth, which had warped his personality.

Demonic Qi doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Kaiyang City was protected by the Song Clan’s Grand Array, which was highly sensitive to both Demon Qi and Demonic Qi. If a Demon Cultivator had infiltrated, the garrisoned Cultivators would certainly have discovered them.

Excluding the possibility of a Demon Cultivator’s meddling, the only remaining explanation was an item of the Demon Dao.

After that day, Song Qingxing had wracked his brain and finally zeroed in on the Bronze Mirror.

Before he began cultivating, his perception hadn’t been sharp enough. But now, he could clearly sense the power within the Bronze Mirror. If he only had suspicions before, he was now completely certain that the mirror was the culprit.

Song Qingxing stared at the Bronze Mirror, his face hardening as he said, "I know you’re in there. Get out."

The Bronze Mirror remained motionless.

This was within his expectations. His fingers brushed lightly over his Storage Bag, and the [Traceless Sword] instantly appeared in his hand.

The origin of the [Traceless Sword] was somewhat mysterious; even now, he hadn’t figured it out. However, Song Qingxing had discovered that it seemed to be extremely effective against Demons. If it hadn’t turned the tide for him before, he feared he would have truly been lost.

He had worried that the Sword Qi it contained might harm his family, so he had kept it in his Storage Bag. The moment he took it out now, the Bronze Mirror began to tremble. Song Qingxing could clearly feel the fear radiating from it.

Song Qingxing held the long sword and said coldly, "If you don’t come out now, you’ll have to face the consequences."

"Don’t! Please, don’t!"

A wisp of black qi billowed out from the vertical eye on the back of the mirror, coalescing in the air to form a hazy human face. It glanced fearfully at the long sword in Song Qingxing’s arms and hurriedly said, "What happened back then was just an accident! I didn’t mean to do it. I’ve stayed here all these years and haven’t harmed anyone."

As it spoke, its tone even carried a hint of grievance.

Song Qingxing knew it was telling the truth. The moment he had walked through the door, he had secretly used his Divine Sense to inspect Song Yuan, Song Tang, and Song Jun. He hadn’t found anything amiss, and their behavior was normal. This meant they were all fine and hadn’t been corrupted by Demonic Qi.

This was also why he hadn’t immediately destroyed the Bronze Mirror.

"Who are you, where are you from, and what are your intentions?"

Song Qingxing sat down on a nearby low stool, calmly watching the face floating in the air. He had laid a Restriction here before even entering the room. The entity was trapped. He had all the time in the world to slowly unravel the questions in his mind.

It had to be said that ever since the "Demon Nature" had been purged from his Divine Soul, Song Qingxing’s patience had grown exponentially. In the past, he certainly would not have wasted his time like this.

The face of black mist flinched as it glanced at the [Traceless Sword]. After weighing its own strength, it answered honestly, "My name is Wujie. I am the Artifact Spirit of this treasure."

As soon as it finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed in Song Qingxing’s eyes.

Among Magical Artifacts, a Tier Two item that develops a Spiritual Attribute is known as a Spiritual Artifact. A Spiritual Artifact that gives birth to an Artifact Spirit becomes a Magical Treasure. Above Magical Treasures are Spirit-Connected Treasures, also known as Spiritual Treasures. The Spiritual Wisdom of their Artifact Spirits approaches maturity, making them no different from an adult.

But even so, an Artifact Spirit was still incredibly fragile and could only exist within its host artifact.