Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

After staring at it for a while, Song Changsheng still couldn’t see any connection between the contents of the jar and the legendary Dragon Blood Mud, said to be formed from soil soaked in Dragon Blood. He had no choice but to secretly send a telepathic message to Little Ninth, asking it to check its records.

"Master, this is indeed Dragon Blood Mud, but it’s not from a True Dragon. It should be from a Flood Dragon," Little Ninth replied swiftly.

"So you’re saying this is a fake?" Song Changsheng was taken aback.

"Not at all. This *is* genuine Dragon Blood Mud. True Dragon Blood congeals and never disperses; it’s impossible for it to blend into soil. The kind recorded in the *Spiritual Land Miscellaneous Records* doesn’t actually exist. It’s a fabrication."

*Spiritual Land Miscellaneous Records* was a book Song Changsheng had read a few days ago to learn about Spiritual Land. It stated that Dragon Blood Mud was formed from soil soaked in the blood of a fallen True Dragon. He never thought that account would turn out to be a complete fabrication.

Song Changsheng had complete faith in Little Ninth’s words. After all, in its era, powerful creatures like True Dragons actually existed; they weren’t just mythical beings of legend like they were today.

"If that’s the case, is it beneficial to the growth of Spirit Plants?" Song Changsheng murmured, gently stroking his chin. ’It’s a type of Spiritual Land, after all. It has to have *some* effect, right?’

"It’s only effective on Dragon Attribute Spirit Plants."

Little Ninth’s answer made Song Changsheng’s eyes light up. The so-called Dragon Attribute Spirit Plants were a class of flora that had mutated after being nourished with Dragon Blood, ultimately developing unique properties.

One of the three main ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill, the Dragon Blood Ginseng, belonged to this category.

’As long as it’s useful, that’s all that matters.’ Song Changsheng’s mood lifted, and he turned his gaze to the two men sitting not far away.

Both men were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, one middle-aged and the other an old man.

They were both Loose Cultivators. The middle-aged man was named Zhang Huaidao, and the old man was Qii Yuanli. They were good friends from Bian Province and had previously traveled to Ling Province to attend the first auction held by the Song Clan.

Zhang Huaidao had even won the bid for the first Sword Pill refined by Song Changsheng, while Qii Yuanli had purchased a Dragon Ascending Pill. Thus, they had a minor connection to the Song Clan.

The two had been staying in Moon Viewing Marketplace for some time. When they saw the notice that Song Changsheng was purchasing various types of Spiritual Land for a high price, they took the initiative to visit him. This Dragon Blood Mud was presented by Qii Yuanli.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Qii, are you looking to trade this Dragon Blood Mud for Spirit Stones, or would you prefer to barter? Please, name your price."

The two exchanged a glance. Qii Yuanli stood up, performed a formal salute, and said, "Clan Leader Song, this is a gift from the two of us to your esteemed clan. If it is not beneath you, we hope you will accept it."

Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed for a moment before smoothing out. He smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Qii, I cannot accept something for nothing. If you won’t name a price, then please, take it back."

As he spoke, he gave the pottery jar a gentle push forward.

"As the saying goes, one never visits a temple without a cause. Clan Leader Song, we have come to you with a request." Qii Yuanli hadn’t expected Song Changsheng to be so direct and could only resignedly state their true purpose.

"Oh? And what might you need my clan’s help with?" Song Changsheng asked, his expression unreadable as he toyed with his teacup.

’If their request is reasonable,’ he thought, ’I don’t mind making a couple of new friends.’

"Then I shall be direct. Although I am a Loose Cultivator, I still have a family. They are a small clan, a vassal to a Foundation Establishment Family in Bian Province. That family managed to survive the Beast Tide, but their losses were so heavy that their situation worsens by the day. To make matters worse, they’ve been targeted by another powerful clan."

"When I was young, I had a falling out with my family and left home. But over a hundred years have passed, and any old grudges have long since faded. Now they’ve come to me for help, and I can’t simply turn a blind eye."

"Therefore, I would like to ask Clan Leader Song to grant me and Fellow Daoist Zhang each a territory within the Liuyun Mountain Range, so that we may establish our family lines. We will pledge our absolute allegiance to the Song Clan!" Qii Yuanli finished with a solemn bow toward Song Changsheng, his attitude utterly sincere.

Zhang Huaidao, who was standing to the side, quickly added, "We are willing to purchase the land at market price. We’re not asking for a handout."

Song Changsheng was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected their visit and gift to be for such a purpose.

Still, this sort of thing was quite common. It was not unusual for Loose Cultivators, seeing no future on their path of cultivation, to find a suitable place to settle down, put down roots, and ensure their bloodline continued.

The only thing was, they had chosen Ling Province, and since the Song Clan were the masters of Ling Province, they had come with a gift to gauge the clan’s attitude. It was a sign of respect for the local powerhouse.

After a moment of careful consideration, Song Changsheng decided to agree to their request for several reasons.

First, with the destruction of the Martial Spirit Sect, the overall strength of Ling Province had declined significantly, leaving the Liuyun Mountain Range practically empty. While this benefited the Song Clan’s complete control over Ling Province in the short term, the long-term disadvantages far outweighed the benefits.

’Vassal forces are the wings of the Song Clan. They must be watched with caution, but they cannot be clipped. In fact, when the time is right, I should even nurture them.’

’The reason is simple: when Ling Province is strong, the Song Clan is strong!’

Zhang Huaidao was a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and Qii Yuanli was at Late-stage Foundation Establishment. They had come to him of their own volition and with great sincerity; there was no reason to turn them away.

Besides, Ling Province wasn’t their only option. Over in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Allied Army had conquered a vast territory and was in desperate need of manpower.

Second, Zhang Huaidao and Qii Yuanli were outsiders and Loose Cultivators. They lacked the centuries-old foundation the Wang Clan and Yu Clan had established in Ling Province, and they didn’t possess the deep resources or formidable power of the former Liuyun Sect.

For them to find room to grow in Ling Province, they would have to rely on the Song Clan’s support.

’This is a good thing,’ he mused. ’It’s not good for my subordinate factions to be too homogeneous. It’s better to have a bit of a mix.’

"I understand the purpose of your visit. Very well. I will grant Qianyuan Peak in the Liuyun Mountain Range and the surrounding three thousand li to Fellow Daoist Zhang. Thousand Spirits Peak and the surrounding three thousand li will be granted to Fellow Daoist Qii. How does that sound?"

This was an incredibly generous offer. Both Qianyuan Peak and Thousand Spirits Peak possessed a Tier Two Spirit Vein, abundant Spiritual Qi, and wide-open terrain. They were also surrounded by several mineral veins—more than enough to serve as the foundation for a new Foundation Establishment Family.

All this territory had originally belonged to the Qiu Clan, and now Song Changsheng was splitting it between the two of them.

Zhang Huaidao and Qii Yuanli exchanged an ecstatic look. "Thank you, Sect Leader, for your great generosity!"

"Think nothing of it. From this day forward, we are all one family." A smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face. And then... he unceremoniously swept the pottery jar into his possession. With the business concluded, it was only right to accept the payment.

After seeing the two men off, Song Changsheng smiled at a steward who had hurried over to his side. "Ling Province will soon have a Zhang Family and a Qii Family. Find some time in the coming days to arrange a meeting between the two new clan leaders and the others."

"As you command."

"By the way, why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened?" Song Changsheng asked, looking at the man with a puzzled expression. He recalled that this was a steward from the Foreign Affairs Hall.

The steward nodded and said urgently, "Clan Leader, our connection with the Ancestral Vein has been suddenly severed."

Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed. "How could that happen?" he demanded sharply. "When did it start?"

"We’ve been trying to make contact repeatedly since March of last year, but we haven’t received a single response. I suspect the connection may have been lost even before that." The steward’s expression was grim.

This was undoubtedly terrible news. Because the Song Clan lacked a Purple Mansion Cultivator, their contact with the Ancestral Vein had been dwindling over the years. Still, they had been able to purchase a few Foundation Establishment Pills every so often and inquire about the Ancestral Vein’s situation.

But now, that connection had been completely severed.

"What about Uncle Luke? Has anyone contacted him?"

"We’ve lost contact with him, too."

The steward’s words cast a dark shadow over Song Changsheng’s heart.

He could understand the Ancestral Vein severing ties with the Song Clan, but why would Song Luke suddenly go silent as well?

For some reason, a terrible premonition suddenly bloomed in Song Changsheng’s heart.

He fixed his gaze on the steward and demanded sharply, "Tell me! When was the last time Uncle Luke sent a message to the clan, and what did he say?!"

...

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