Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

"We respectfully welcome Elder Jiang."

Song Changsheng was a bit surprised by Jiang Shuming’s personal arrival. After all, Hundred Herbs Hall and the Vast Alliance were currently at each other’s throats, and traveling posed a great risk.

"I have arrived late, young friend. You have my apologies."

"It is still early, Elder. Why would you say such a thing? Qinghong, this is Master Jiang of Hundred Herbs Hall. Do not be neglectful."

Amidst the envious gazes of his fellow clansmen, Song Qinghong served as a guide for a Purple Mansion Cultivator for the second time. He was much calmer than before, respectfully leading Master Jiang up the mountain.

A short while later, a brilliant golden Flying Ship broke through the sea of clouds and descended outside Vast Mist Peak. Several figures disembarked.

The person in the lead was none other than the Jade-faced Rakshasa, Shen Qingxiu. Beside her were Zhuang Yuechan, Xing Zhao, and two middle-aged cultivators with extraordinary auras.

Song Changsheng’s gaze narrowed. ’Two Purple Mansion Cultivators.’ He instantly had a guess as to their identities.

’Those who could arrive with Shen Qingxiu must be elders from the two major sects.’

For a moment, he felt somewhat overwhelmed by the honor. He had never dreamed that the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect would send people to attend the ceremony; after all, it was just a Purple Mansion celebration.

He hadn’t expected the two major sects not only to send representatives, but to send two Purple Mansion Cultivators. They were truly showing the Song Clan an immense amount of respect.

Song Changsheng immediately led all the clansmen present forward to welcome them.

"Junior Song Changsheng pays his respects to the venerable Elders."

"No need for such formalities." Shen Qingxiu revealed a gentle smile, then introduced them to Song Changsheng. "To my left is Elder Chen Tianyang of the Golden Crow Sect, and to my right is Elder Zhang Siyuan of the Celestial Vein Sect."

"Greetings, Elder Chen, Elder Zhang." Song Changsheng respectfully greeted each of them in turn.

The onlookers were stunned. Great figures, rarely seen on any other day, were showing up in droves.

At that moment, the same thought surfaced in everyone’s mind: ’The Song Clan’s power is great. We must not make an enemy of them.’

"Martial Aunt, Elders, your presence brings great honor to the Song Clan. Please, follow this junior up the mountain." This group carried too much weight. Aside from Song Xianming himself, only Song Changsheng was barely suitable to receive them; anyone else would have seemed far too disrespectful.

"This is rather curious. Could the Young Clan Leader also be a disciple of Luoxia City?" Chen Tianyang asked with a smile, looking at Shen Qingxiu. Song Changsheng’s form of address for her had clearly caught his attention.

This wasn’t some dark secret, and besides, she had come with the intention of boosting the Song Clan’s prestige. Hearing his question, she nodded and said, "This child is clever and has deep ties with our city. My Eldest Senior Brother was delighted and took him on as a Named Disciple."

As soon as she said this, the faces of those around them changed instantly. Shen Qingxiu’s Eldest Senior Brother?

’That’s the Great City Lord! What kind of incredible luck did this guy have to be favored by the Great City Lord?’

In an instant, the crowd’s awe for the Song Clan deepened.

Chen Tianyang and Zhang Siyuan’s expressions also shifted. Even though he was only a Named Disciple, he could not be underestimated. It was enough for him to be considered their peer.

More importantly, did this signify that Luoxia City and the Song Clan were now standing together?

Luoxia City currently maintained a neutral stance of no alliances and no enemies. If they truly allied with the Song Clan, the two major sects would need to adjust their strategic deployments.

The two of them were so preoccupied with this question that they unconsciously walked ahead of Song Changsheng.

Song Changsheng glanced at Shen Qingxiu. She gave a slight smile and sent a Divine Sense transmission: "I was also surprised they came. My guess is they’re here to win you over. A vast territory has recently been conquered in the direction of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and the two major sects have been secretly competing for rights in the new domain. They’ve been very active lately."

’So that’s how it is.’ Song Changsheng had an epiphany. No wonder the two major sects were showing so much respect; they wanted to recruit the Song Clan as a subordinate.

Song Changsheng had no intention of getting involved in the conflicts of major powers, as it would lead to the Song Clan being crushed to pieces. But it was clear that he had no choice, and neither did the Song Clan.

Fortunately, he still had a degree of autonomy and could choose a "suzerain" that would be more beneficial to his clan...

The ceremony was to be held in the plaza outside the Soul Lamp Hall on the mountainside. The summit would have been the most suitable location, but the ceremony required ancestral worship, so after careful consideration, this spot was chosen.

The venue was already fully prepared, filled with tables. Each table was laden with rare Spirit Fruits, exquisite pastries, and Spirit Wine personally brewed by Xia Yunxue.

The numerous guests took their seats according to their status and quietly awaited the start of the ceremony.

The Song Clan’s Purple Mansion Grand Ceremony was truly a grand affair.

The three great Golden Core Influences and five major Purple Mansion Influences had all sent people to observe the rite. A total of five Purple Mansion Cultivators were in attendance. Only Luoxia City had ever boasted such a lineup; even the Celestial Sword Sect hadn’t seen the like in several hundred years.

The remaining Foundation Establishment Influences and Loose Cultivators were even more numerous, totaling over a hundred people—far more than the total number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in all of Ling Province. Even as they sat there quietly, their combined aura was enough to make one’s expression change.

「At noon,」 Song Xianming appeared in everyone’s view, dressed in a purple, cloud-patterned robe and wearing a tall crown. He stood on the high platform like an imposing mountain, demanding reverence.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for gracing us with your presence. I am endlessly grateful." Song Xianming gave a slight bow, his majestic voice echoing throughout Vast Mist Peak.

Everyone stood up in unison, cupped their hands, and spoke as one: "Congratulations to the Ascendant! May the Ascendant’s Immortal Fate flourish, and may you pursue the Dao to eternal life!"

The spectacle of more than a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators offering congratulations together was truly magnificent, leaving Liu Hongye, Yu Xueqian, and the others shaken.

Being a part of it, they deeply felt the terrifying might of a Purple Mansion Cultivator, which made them feel incredibly fortunate about the choices they had made.

Congratulations, of course, were not just empty words; they had to be backed by concrete actions.

Wang Wanzhou was the first to step forward, declaring in a resonant voice, "The Wutong Wang Clan presents one Tier Two Purple Cloud Cold Iron Ore Vein! Congratulations to the Ascendant!"

For a small clan like the Wang Clan, a Tier Two Ore Vein was a huge expense.

"The Liuyun Sect presents one Tier Three High-Grade Array Map! Congratulations to the Ascendant!" Liu Hongye, not to be outdone, also spared no expense.

"This humble girl, on behalf of the Yu Clan, presents one East Sea Pearl! Congratulations to the Ascendant!"

"The Xiang Province Xuu Clan presents a pair of Purple-winged Eagles! Congratulations to the Ascendant!"

...

One by one, the guests presented their gifts, a dazzling array that was too much for the eyes to take in.

It took a full hour for all the Foundation Establishment Influences and Loose Cultivators to finish presenting their gifts.

Next, it was the turn of the major Purple Mansion Influences, which was the main event.

Yuann Tianshu stood up with a cheerful laugh. "I am a man of simple means, but I offer this volume of my late master’s Sword Dao Insights as a small token of my sentiment."

The entire audience was shocked by his words. Yuann Tianshu could only be considered a minor figure among the many Purple Mansion Cultivators in the Daqi Cultivation World, but his master, the Nine Swords Ascendant, had once run rampant through the realm, rarely meeting his match.

Countless people had coveted his Sword Dao Insights, yet now, Yuann Tianshu was giving them away as a congratulatory gift.

Song Xianming was also taken aback. He gave a slight nod and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist. Please, be seated."

After Yuann Tianshu sat down, Jiang Shuming stood up and announced in a clear voice, "Hundred Herbs Hall presents one bottle of Tier Three High-Grade Purple Mist Pills and one Tier Three High-Grade Yimu Sky-covering Talisman!"

Hundred Herbs Hall had originally only prepared a bottle of Purple Mist Pills. However, Jiang Shuming felt its value was less than Yuann Tianshu’s gift, so he added a Tier Three Talisman that he had personally crafted.

Rong Shaoyuan’s expression flickered. ’You all must feel great after one-upping each other, but it makes the Rong Clan’s gift seem rather shabby.’

Gritting his teeth, he stood up and said, "The Rong Clan presents one stalk of thousand-year-old Blood Reishi and ten pellets of Purple Jade Marrow!"

The Blood Reishi was a last-minute addition. If their gift was outshone by that of a Loose Cultivator, the Rong Clan couldn’t afford to lose that much face.

"The Demon Suppression Hall presents one Tier Three Low-Grade Demon-Subduing Mirror, which can suppress demons and heretics!"

The Demon Suppression Hall’s magical artifacts had a unique suppressive effect against evil demons and heretical paths. They were rare and not something one saw every day, so this was a gift of extreme sincerity.

"The Huansha Sect presents one jar of Hundred Flowers Spirit Dew!"

This was a Spiritual Object unique to the Huansha Sect, with endless miraculous uses and rarely seen on the market.

All eyes turned to the figures seated at the very front. The Purple Mansion Influences were already competing so fiercely; what kind of gifts would the representatives of the three great Golden Core Major Sects present?

...