Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

In no time, a tiger leg weighing dozens of pounds had vanished into the old man’s stomach. The old man wiped his greasy hands messily on his clothes a few times, then raised his Wine Gourd, took several big gulps—GULP GULP—and let out a satisfied sound.

Immediately after, he once again cradled the remaining roasted meat and began tearing into it as if no one else was there. The way he ate, it was as if he hadn’t had a meal in centuries.

Song Changsheng and the others, holding their cups, were caught in a bind—to drink or not to drink.

Soon, the old man had devoured most of the Tiger Demon. He casually plucked a blade of grass to pick his teeth and looked at the three with a chuckle. "What, afraid I’ve poisoned it?"

"Relax. If I really wanted to deal with you, I wouldn’t need to resort to such a low-handed method as poison."

"Go on and drink. It’ll be good for you where you’re headed next."

’This man knows where we’re going next?’ Song Changsheng’s eyes narrowed. This Drunkard’s behavior was truly baffling.

Perhaps seeing what was on Song Changsheng’s mind, the Drunkard said with a grin, "It’s not hard to guess. In the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, where else is there to go but the Celestial Sinking Valley? Drink up. It’s good stuff."

The old man’s tone took on a hint of forcefulness.

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng and the others exchanged a glance, then steeled their hearts and downed the wine in their cups. It had no strange taste. The moment it entered their mouths, it spread down their throats and throughout their bodies before quickly vanishing without a trace.

Regardless of why the man insisted they drink this cup of wine, they had no room to refuse. Given the power the old man had displayed, dealing with them would be no more difficult than crushing an insect.

He had a thousand ways to make them drink that wine.

Seeing them drink the wine, an even broader smile blossomed on the old man’s face. "There we go. I just wanted to form a friendly connection with you, that’s all."

"Oh, right. If you happen to find Celestial Immortal Grass in the Celestial Sinking Valley, I am willing to purchase it at a high price. We shall meet again."

With that, the old man’s figure gradually faded, eventually vanishing into thin air.

Song Changsheng and the others quickly sat down cross-legged, intending to circulate their energy to force the wine out. But strangely, the wine seemed to have truly disappeared, leaving not the slightest trace behind.

"I’m sorry. I’m the one who dragged you into this," Song Changsheng said bitterly, his eyes filled with apology as he looked at his two companions.

"Don’t say that. No one could have expected something like this to happen. Besides, that Elder Drunkard might not necessarily have ill intentions," Zhuang Yuechan comforted him softly.

"Yeah, Brother Song, don’t worry about it."

"To be safe, we should return to Luoxia City first. We need to figure out what this wine is before anything else." Song Changsheng raised the cup in his hand, on which a single drop still clung to the side.

He had left it there on purpose.

None of them were experts in pharmacology, so it was difficult to tell if there was anything wrong with the wine.

But just because they didn’t know didn’t mean no one in Luoxia City did. As long as they had a sample, they could quickly determine if it was harmful and then take appropriate action.

Unexpectedly, however, Zhuang Yuechan rejected his suggestion.

"No. Changsheng, in just over two months, you have to go to Hundred Herbs Hall for the Pill Tasting Conference. If we return to Luoxia City now and come back, you’ll miss it."

"The Pill Tasting Conference is a rare grand event in the Daqi Cultivation World. It’s an incredibly rare opportunity for you personally and for the Song Clan. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait another thirty years."

"For now, the wine hasn’t had any effect on us. Don’t worry," Zhuang Yuechan pleaded earnestly.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuang is right. Besides, if that man truly has designs on us, he wouldn’t necessarily let us return so easily."

"We’re about done resting anyway. Let’s go and get back quickly."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng was moved. He stopped hesitating and nodded. "Alright then. We’ll head to the Celestial Sinking Valley as quickly as possible."

...

After the group had left, the old man’s figure reappeared. Sipping his wine, he mumbled indistinctly, "Why didn’t you... GULP GULP... just give it to them directly... GULP."

A middle-aged man in a white robe appeared beside him. Gazing in the direction the group had gone, he said coolly, "It’s just a small test for the younger generation."

Hearing this, a look of keen interest appeared in the old man’s eyes. "Because of that Song Changsheng?"

"He does have some courage. And from my observations and interactions with him along the way, he doesn’t seem like a treacherous person."

"Hmph. You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Wasn’t Song Xianming just the same back then?" the white-robed man snorted, his tone thick with resentment.

"Heh, it’s your Luoxia City’s family business anyway, so this old man won’t meddle. But don’t you forget to pay for today’s wine. Countless people have begged and pleaded with me for it, and I’ve never given any away. Today, I gave out three cups. You have to compensate me," the Drunkard said, extending a calloused hand toward the white-robed man.

"Relax, you’ll get what’s yours."

As his voice faded, the white-robed man disappeared...

Before long, Song Changsheng and the others arrived at the edge of the Celestial Sinking Valley.

It was called a valley, but it was more like a bottomless pit. Looking down from above, the inside of the pit was completely shrouded in a layer of white mist.

"Brother Song, there’s something strange about this mist. It can actually block Divine Sense," Xu Yunhe said with a frown.

"Mm, I’ll go down first and scout the path. You can come down after I confirm it’s safe. The situation below is unclear. If there’s any danger, you’ll be in a position to support me."

Song Changsheng’s last sentence stopped the words of protest in Zhuang Yuechan’s throat. She had originally intended for them to go down together, but with the situation below unknown, someone did indeed need to scout ahead.

And among the three of them, Song Changsheng was the strongest, making him the most suitable choice.

"Alright then. Be careful."

Zhuang Yuechan then took a Fish-shaped Jade Pendant from her waist and placed it in Song Changsheng’s hand. "Since this mist can block Divine Sense, communication will likely be affected as well. This is a Yin Yang Jade Pendant; they always come in a pair."

"If you encounter danger down there, crush it. I’ll be able to find your location using the other one."

Looking at the Jade Pendant in his hand, Song Changsheng’s heart warmed. He carefully put it away and gave her a reassuring look before leaping into the Celestial Sinking Valley.

He quickly plunged headfirst into the churning white mist.

But to his surprise, the white mist only looked thick; it was actually just a thin layer. He passed through it quickly. Without the mist obstructing his view, Song Changsheng’s vision cleared, and the situation within the Celestial Sinking Valley became instantly apparent.

Because the sunlight was blocked, the inside was very dim, but he could still see dense vegetation. For the moment, however, he saw no sign of any Demon Beasts.

Song Changsheng soon landed steadily, and his Divine Sense spread out, blanketing the area.

He then made a circuit of the surrounding area. Forget Demon Beasts, he didn’t even see a single mosquito. Besides the plants, he couldn’t find any other living creatures in this place.

This surprised Song Changsheng, but he also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The absence of Demon Beasts not only meant a reduction in potential threats, but more importantly, it meant the flesh of the Black Dragon Demon King had not yet become someone’s meal.

After confirming there was no danger, he began using his Communication Compass to send a message to Zhuang Yuechan and Xu Yunhe.

A short while later, the two of them descended to the valley floor on their swords.

"The Celestial Sinking Valley is quite large. Why don’t we split up to search? It’ll be more efficient," Xu Yunhe suggested.

Song Changsheng thought for a moment but rejected his proposal. After all, they were in a completely unfamiliar place. If they split up rashly and ran into danger, it would be difficult to support each other.

And so, the group spread out, keeping within three hundred zhang of one another, and began a systematic search using their Divine Sense.

After searching continuously for nearly three ancient hours, the group had found nothing. Their Divine Sense Power had been greatly depleted. Just as Song Changsheng was about to suggest a rest, his brow furrowed, and he suddenly looked behind him.

"Brother Song, what is it?" His unusual reaction caught the attention of the other two.

Surveying the surroundings with a wary expression, Song Changsheng said, "I think I just felt something watching us from the shadows!"

...