Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Upon hearing this, Yuann Tianshu stroked his beard, shook his head, and said, "I’ll take things one step at a time. I am all alone, so it makes no difference where I end up."

Nine Swords Mountain had once been a force to be reckoned with in Bian Province. In the Sword Dao, it had even rivaled the Celestial Sword Sect.

In those days, there was a saying: "Nine Swords in the South, Celestial Sword in the North."

But ever since Yuann Tianshu’s master failed to break through to the Golden Core realm and passed away on Nine Swords Mountain, its disciples had gradually scattered, leaving only him behind.

He believed his own skills were not yet perfected, so he had never taken on a disciple. Thus, he remained alone.

The barefoot are not afraid of the shod. So what if it was the Thunder King Hall? As long as he left Daqi, the world was wide—where could he not go?

At these words, a new idea sparked in Song Changsheng’s mind. He couldn’t help but probe, "I wonder, does Elder Yuann have a specific destination in mind?"

"Not for the moment. My martial brothers are not in Daqi. I’ll make a plan after I find them."

’So you don’t have a specific place to go yet?’ A flicker of joy went through Song Changsheng. Mustering his courage, he asked, "Elder, what is your opinion of my Song Clan?"

Yuann Tianshu smacked his lips thoughtfully and spoke frankly, "The Song Clan descends from a great clan and possesses a five-hundred-year heritage. Now, you occupy an entire province and have abundant resources. With both Fellow Daoist Song and you, Young Friend, present, your future is naturally boundless."

He meant every word. In his eyes, none of the major Purple Mansion Influences in the Southwest had as much potential as the Song Clan. As long as Song Changsheng could break through to the Purple Mansion realm, their rise was only a matter of time.

Suddenly, Yuann Tianshu began to read between the lines. ’Song Changsheng’s words... they seemed to carry another meaning...’

He looked at Song Changsheng, who simply smiled back, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Elder, it is my fault that you have been dragged into this matter. Therefore, I make this bold request: I wish to invite you to become an Honored Guest of the Song Clan. If the Thunder King Hall comes knocking, the Song Clan will surely shield you!"

The moment he spoke, not only were Song Lutong and Song Luyun stunned by his audacity, but even Song Xianming, standing to the side, shot his own grandson a look of surprise. ’To recruit a Purple Mansion Cultivator as an Honored Guest... such ambition.’

Across the entire Daqi Cultivation World, besides the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect, the only other power with a Purple Mansion Cultivator serving as an Honored Guest was the fabulously wealthy Hundred Herbs Hall.

Frankly, with the Song Clan’s current foundation, they just didn’t measure up.

Song Changsheng felt a pang of nervousness. He was taking a gamble—betting that the Song Clan’s future potential would be enough to make Yuann Tianshu waver.

Yuann Tianshu was conflicted. It was true that he was optimistic about the Song Clan, but that optimism was entirely predicated on Song Changsheng not meeting a premature end.

Song Changsheng was currently facing a critical bottleneck in his life. No one could be certain if he would overcome it, and it would be most unwise to place a bet on him rashly.

Seeing Yuann Tianshu’s conflicted expression, Song Changsheng felt a surge of hope. ’He’s not afraid of him being conflicted. As long as he doesn’t refuse outright, there’s a chance!’

He quickly struck while the iron was hot. "Once you become our Honored Guest, Elder, our clan will provide for all your cultivation needs. All of the Song Clan’s Sword Dao scriptures will be open to you, and you will be free to come and go as you please, without any restrictions from us."

"Furthermore, while the Song Clan may be small, we have many promising young talents. If you find one to your liking, Elder, you could take them as a disciple. Besides, you’ve already gifted your master’s Sword Dao Insights to our clan, so you’re hardly an outsider, are you?"

The terms Song Changsheng offered were undeniably generous. To put it simply, it was like drawing a high salary for doing nothing—he wouldn’t even have to clock in.

He really couldn’t imagine any reason for Yuann Tianshu to refuse.

Of course, Song Changsheng wasn’t running a charity. Even if Yuann Tianshu only lent them his name, the benefits to the Song Clan would be self-evident.

Moreover, if Yuann Tianshu really did find a Song Clan disciple worthy of inheriting his mantle, the clan would have hit the jackpot. All of their investment would be paid back in an instant.

Besides, given Yuann Tianshu’s character, would he really be the type to draw a salary and do nothing in return? ’No way.’

Song Changsheng’s mental abacus was clicking away, and beside him, Yuann Tianshu was genuinely tempted.

The reason he had never joined a major power like his other martial brothers was that he felt it would be too restrictive. Joining the Song Clan, however, wouldn’t present that problem.

Besides, the life of a lone wolf wasn’t as easy as it seemed. A Purple Mansion Cultivator required vast resources to practice. After his master’s inheritance had been carved up by his martial brothers, there hadn’t been much left to begin with, and he had long since exhausted his share just to break through to the Purple Mansion realm.

Lacking resources, his cultivation had progressed very slowly in all the years since he had reached the Purple Mansion realm.

With the backing of a faction, he would no longer have to scramble for resources and could finally focus his energy on cultivation. He was still relatively young; perhaps he could even glimpse the Golden Core Dao.

And even if he couldn’t advance any further, he could at least find a suitable heir within the Song Clan to inherit his legacy. He had heard of an Elder named Song Qingxing, a rare prodigy of the Sword Dao. If he could take such a person as his disciple, it would not be a waste of all he had learned.

At this thought, Yuann Tianshu’s last line of defense crumbled. However, he didn’t agree immediately. He was waiting for one other person to state their position.

Song Xianming, ever the astute observer, noticed the flicker of interest in Yuann Tianshu’s eyes and was inwardly surprised. He hadn’t expected Song Changsheng to actually succeed in persuading him.

Seeing his chance, he quickly added more fuel to the fire. "If Fellow Daoist Yuann agrees to serve as our Honored Guest, your status will be equal to my own."

This was, of course, a pleasantry. The Song Clan was a faction bound together by blood, and an outsider would always remain on the fringes.

This was Song Xianming’s way of showing his stance.

And that stance was precisely what Yuann Tianshu had been waiting for. He put on a "reluctant" air and said, "Well, I have nowhere else to go. Since you, Fellow Daoist, and Young Friend Song are so sincere, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse. I am willing to become an Honored Guest."

Song Changsheng was overjoyed. He quickly bowed and said, "Changsheng pays his respects to the Honored Guest Elder."

"It should be I who pays respects to the Clan Leader," Yuann Tianshu replied, quickly settling into his new role.

"Having Fellow Daoist Yuann as our Honored Guest is a great blessing for the Song Clan. When we get back to Ling Province, we will hold a grand ceremony to formally welcome you." With the matter settled, Song Xianming couldn’t contain his delight.

Song Changsheng smiled faintly. Even if Song Xianming hadn’t mentioned it, he had planned to hold a ceremony upon their return—a very grand one at that. The deterrent value of an Honored Guest was far more significant than their practical value.

If they did it secretively, how could it serve as a deterrent?

"We are about to return to Ling Province. Will you be coming with us, Fellow Daoist Yuann?"

"I still have a few things to retrieve from Nine Swords Mountain. You and the Clan Leader should go on ahead. I will follow shortly."

After a reluctant farewell, it was only on the journey back that Song Changsheng had a chance to ask about the details of the auction.

Song Lutong’s face lit up as he spoke. "My dear nephew, you have no idea! That auction was quite a spectacle."

"The most expensive item sold for eighty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Fortunately, your old uncle here is a master strategist and wasn’t afraid to spend. In the end, I managed to win seven Foundation Establishment Pills."

"Don’t you go forgetting your old uncle’s contribution this time!"

He was getting carried away when he caught Song Luyun’s wry smile out of the corner of his eye. He quickly corrected himself, "And Sister Yun’s contribution, too! Don’t you forget it."

Everyone present shared a knowing smile. Song Luyun didn’t press the matter and began recounting the details of the auction, highlighting a mysterious and extravagant buyer.

If he hadn’t made such a huge play right from the start, the bidding wouldn’t have been nearly so brutal.

At this, Song Lutong perked up again. "Oh, I saw that guy! He was pretty young, but his cultivation was just a smidgen higher than mine. A single glance from him was enough to give me goosebumps."

"And the kid had a very distinctive look."

With that, Song Lutong began to describe the man’s appearance in detail.

The more Song Changsheng listened, the more he felt that something was off. By the time Lutong finished, his brow was deeply furrowed.

Based on Song Lutong’s description, a cold, arrogant face materialized in Song Changsheng’s mind, gradually superimposing itself onto another.

’Could the person Uncle Tong is describing be Yul Dongyang?’

Song Changsheng’s expression flickered. He was all too familiar with that face. Though they had only met once, he was the most difficult opponent Song Changsheng had faced to date.

The moment he heard Song Lutong’s description, the pieces clicked into place.

’Yul Dongyang is a member of the Vast Alliance, and he was aggressively bidding for Foundation Establishment Pills... Is the Vast Alliance planning to make a move?’

...

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