Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Song Changsheng did not stay in the hall, but left the space to Lu Yuming and Jiang Shuming, as it was time for the two of them to settle their score.

He stayed in the pavilion with Song Youxiang, testing her studies while also learning about her past.

It must be said that Song Youxiang has indeed made extraordinary efforts during her years of studying abroad, and all her achievements today are the result of accumulating little by little.

"When I first arrived at Baicaotang, some of my senior brothers and sisters did have a lot of prejudice against me. Fortunately, my master and senior brother took good care of me, so the early days were not too difficult."

Later, during an assessment held by my master, I came out on top. From then on, I was looked up to by all my senior brothers and sisters, and my junior brothers and sisters treated me with great respect.

Now, my grandson's mastery of talismanic arts has surpassed that of his eldest brother. When our master goes into seclusion, I take over the teaching duties.

As she spoke, Song Youxiang proudly raised her long, slender, white neck, her face beaming with a confident smile, and her tone filled with self-assurance.

This was something that would never have been seen in her back then.

"You've truly transformed over the years; all my efforts have been worthwhile," Song Changsheng said with satisfaction. He had initially intended for Song Youxiang to become Jiang Shuming's apprentice as just an experiment, but the results were unexpectedly excellent.

"Clan leader, can I... return to the clan now?" Song Youxiang asked with a slight hesitation and a sense of anticipation.

Having been away from her clan for nearly a century, her memories of her family have not become blurred; on the contrary, they have become clearer in her midnight dreams time and time again. Her longing is like a thread, impossible to cut or untangle.

She had waited too long for this day.

"Of course, you can go back anytime you want."

"However, my purpose today is to bring your master back with me." Song Changsheng replied with a smile. He had come here not just for those three [Azure Jade Armor Pills]. In his view, Jiang Shuming was far more valuable.

Upon hearing this, a sense of anticipation welled up in Song Youxiang's heart.

Before long, the main hall doors opened with a rumble, and Jiang Shuming slowly walked out. His face showed a hint of dejection, but upon closer inspection, it seemed as if he had also found some relief.

Although a barrier was set up outside the main hall, it was no different from a layer of paper to Song Changsheng; he could hear their conversation clearly.

It has to be said that the relationship between the two is very subtle and complicated. Lu Yuming admires him and cares for him, but at the same time, he is always on guard against him.

Jiang Shuming respected and admired him, but inevitably harbored resentment towards his exclusion and fear.

It's a complete mess.

However, Lu Yuming did not disappoint him. He had a frank exchange with Jiang Shuming, and the two sides quickly reached a consensus.

Moreover, for some reason, he actually persuaded Jiang Shuming to come and join the Song family, which was something he hadn't expected. He probably thought it was because of the relationship between the two families. Overall, it was a good thing.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, how did the talks go?" Song Changsheng stepped forward and asked knowingly.

"It went smoothly; the head of the hall has agreed." Jiang Shuming felt somewhat lost. From now on, he was officially leaving Baicaotang and becoming a free man.

There wasn't even a proper ceremony.

Because he had long been completely marginalized over the years, his name was rarely even mentioned by the younger disciples in the hall. Whether there was a ceremony or not seemed to make no difference. Quietly leaving might be a better choice.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on breaking free from your shackles and averting a tragedy. May I ask where you may go?" Song Changsheng pressed.

Jiang Shuming hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I humbly request that you arrange a place for me, Master."

"Haha, as I said before, there are plenty of places for you to choose from, but considering your disciples, I suggest you establish a separate lineage."

Our clan and the Heavenly Vein Sect have divided their territory in Xiangzhou, and currently there is no one stationed there. If you are willing, I can arrange for you to establish your own lineage or family to continue your lineage. I will grant you the greatest autonomy.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuming was quite moved. The conditions offered by Song Changsheng could not be described as generous. He straightened his back, bowed solemnly, and said, "I am deeply grateful for your high regard, Master. If I were to continue to hesitate, I would truly be ungrateful. Jiang Shuming greets the clan leader!"

Song Changsheng's smile grew even wider. His own training was still too slow. It was much faster to just pick up someone ready-made. With the addition of Jiang Shuming, a capable assistant, the Song family would directly fill the gap in their expertise in talismans, which was of great significance.

"By the way, this is something the Hall Master asked me to pass on to the Clan Chief." Jiang Shuming presented a storage bag with both hands. He didn't know what was inside, but he knew that some kind of deal must have been made between them.

Song Changsheng took a look and found three purple jade bottles with layers of restrictions inside, as well as a section of green branch soaking in a special spiritual liquid.

The branches are like green jade, and the leaves are like emeralds. Even in the storage bag, he could feel the vibrant life force contained within. This is the side branch of the [Taiyi Green Jade Fruit], which has the great potential to grow to the fourth level. Once it is successfully propagated, its value will be immeasurable, but the process is destined to be difficult.

Beside that side branch, there was a thumb-sized, white jade-like seed soaking in the water, with some faint golden lines visible on it.

"Thank you for your trouble." Song Changsheng nodded, then added, "Fellow Daoist, please pack your things properly and come to Cangmang Peak to find me once everything is ready."

"As ordered."

Song Changsheng turned back and encouraged Song Youxiang a few more times. Yin and Yang energies appeared beneath his feet and disappeared in front of the two of them.

"Master Zixu's cultivation is truly unfathomable," Jiang Shuming remarked, then sighed and said, "Let's go back and pack up, then let's spread the word."

"Will my senior brothers be able to accept this?" Song Youxiang asked softly.

Even after being marginalized, they still retained a sense of honor and basic belonging to Baicaotang. However, in the blink of an eye, they all left Baicaotang, which is bound to be hard for some to accept.

"Those who can accept it can come with us. Those who cannot, should find their own way. I have taught them these skills. No matter where they are, as long as they can swallow their pride, maintaining their cultivation will not be a problem. It is much better than being a rogue cultivator who licks blood off the edge of a knife."

Song Youxiang remained silent...

After returning to Cangmang Peak, Song Changsheng flashed to the Cold Pool, waved his hand to open the restriction, and slowly walked to the center of the Cold Pool.

Even though he had reached the Golden Core stage, he could still feel a chill that penetrated to the bone when he reached the very center.

After years of nurturing, the [Cold Pool Coral] that Kong Sang Xi Ruo gave him has grown to a considerable size and is only one step away from the fifth tier.

Beneath the thick, crystal-clear ice, two figures were sealed: Song Luzhou and Song Chang'an. These two, who were rumored to have failed in their breakthrough and passed away long ago, were now sleeping peacefully within it.

Compared to Song Chang'an, Song Luzhou was in a much better situation. Not only had the demonic energy in his body been slowly removed by the Cold Pool, but his depleted essence had also been replenished through the [Blood Crystal].

Currently, the biggest problem preventing him from waking up is his lifespan.

Song Luzhou's lifespan was originally sustained by the Longevity Peach, and it was already nearly depleted. Furthermore, he had been sealed in the Cold Pool for decades.

Although frozen by the extreme cold, time hasn't stopped; it's only slowed the passage of life. In short, Song Luzhou's body has reached its limit. If a way isn't found to awaken him soon, he might exhaust his life force and perish completely.

That's why Song Changsheng was so eager to find a longevity treasure; Song Luzhou's health really couldn't be delayed any longer.

"Fifth Uncle, you should wake up." Song Changsheng channeled his magic power into his palm, breaking through the thick layer of ice and lifting the serene Song Luzhou out. His body was covered with a thick layer of frost, and his heart and pulse had almost completely stopped beating.

If you don't look closely, you might really mistake him for a dead person.

Song Changsheng dared not delay. He immediately took out a purple jade bottle from the storage bag that Jiang Shuming had given him, broke through the many restrictions on it, and poured out a pill that looked like jade.

Without time to examine it closely, she directly fed it to Song Luzhou and used her magic to help him neutralize the strong medicinal effects.

The moment the pill entered his mouth, an immense surge of life essence erupted within Song Luzhou's body, flowing to his limbs, bones, and dantian acupoints, and was ultimately greedily absorbed by every cell in his body.

The decaying body began to come back to life; the heart and pulse, which had almost stopped beating, started beating again, and the blood began to circulate normally.

Song Luzhou's pale complexion and skin began to return to normal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The first pill of the [Azure Jade Sixty-Year Pill] can directly extend one's lifespan by sixty years. Its effects are potent. Given his current physical condition, Song Changsheng dared not rush things and controlled his magic power to help him absorb it little by little.

It took three days and two nights for the medicine to fully take effect and be absorbed into Song Luzhou's body.

"call--"

Song Luzhou's chest heaved violently as he exhaled a long breath. He slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a vast white world of ice and snow and several familiar faces.

"Uncle, Changsheng, Qingxi..."

His voice was extremely hoarse, like the sound of two pieces of dry tree bark rubbing together.

Song Changsheng immediately drew a wisp of sweet spiritual liquid and fed it to him, asking with concern, "Fifth Uncle, how are you feeling right now? Is there anything that feels uncomfortable?"

"I...I'm not dead yet?" A look of confusion appeared in Song Luzhou's eyes.

"Of course you're not dead. Changsheng found the [Azure Jade Armor Pill] and extended your life by sixty years. Zhou'er, you're still alive." Song Xianming's tiger eyes reddened. In this era where his descendants and nephews were constantly dying, no one could understand his feelings of loss and recovery at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Song Luzhou's eyes slowly regained some of their sparkle, no wonder he felt full of energy.

"How long... have I been asleep?" He spoke with less difficulty than before.

"Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, you have been asleep for decades. Fortunately, you have persevered."

"Has it been decades?" Song Luzhou was shocked, then as if he suddenly remembered something, he looked at everyone and asked anxiously, "Where are Yunmei and Lutong?"

I vaguely remember having a dream where they stood on a small bridge waving at me, but as I got closer, they vanished.

In an instant, the cold pool fell into a deathly silence, and even the howling of the cold wind seemed to weaken.

The changes in their expressions naturally did not escape Song Luzhou's notice. He slumped weakly onto the ice, muttering listlessly, "It's true...it's all true..."

Song Qingxi's eyes stung a little as she whispered, "The deceased is gone. Uncle, you must pull yourself together. Open your eyes and see the tremendous changes that have taken place in the family over the years. Everything is different now."

"That's right, Changsheng has broken through to the Golden Core stage and become a Golden Core True Person that everyone admires. He even killed the Demon King in battle a few days ago."

"Our family has expanded thousands of miles, from the Canglan River in the west to the East China Sea in the east. Now, our family will never be bullied again." Song Xianming described the tremendous changes in the Song family over the years in just a few words, hoping to boost his morale.

Hearing this encouraging news, Song Luzhou's mind, which was immersed in sadness and pain, was finally forcibly "pulled" back.

He looked at Song Changsheng, his eyes shining brightly, and asked with a trembling voice, "Really?"

Song Changsheng nodded firmly, releasing a powerful aura as he said, "It's true, Fifth Uncle, everything is different now."

And these are just the tip of the iceberg over the past few decades. If you'd like to hear them, I'll tell you about them one by one.

Immediately afterwards, Song Changsheng recounted everything that had happened since Song Luzhou fell into a deep sleep. After listening, Song Luzhou fell silent.

These were things he had always dreamed of hearing. The changes were so great, it felt like not just decades, but centuries.

Amidst his joy and excitement, he even felt a sense of unease, fearing that this was just another dream, and that after the dream shattered, he would be plunged into boundless darkness and loneliness.

But everything was silently telling him that it was true, all of it was true.

His sister Yun and brother Tong have both left him; the waving goodbye in his dream was their final farewell...

Looking at the spotless courtyard, with its unchanged furnishings, Song Luzhou felt as if he had been transported to another world.

"Fifth Uncle, you have been asleep for too long and your physical functions are very poor. Take good care of yourself during this time, and prepare for your second breakthrough after you have recovered."

"The family currently possesses a [Purple Crystal Mine], and there's also a batch of [Barrier Breaking Pills] being refined. You have absolutely nothing to worry about," Song Changsheng said earnestly.

The most important thing for Song Luzhou now is to adjust his mindset. Physical health is secondary. If he can't adjust his mindset, he will only prolong his life by a few decades.

His fingers traced the familiar black lacquered tabletop. After a moment of silence, he finally asked, "Where's your mother?"

"Mother is doing well and is currently in seclusion, breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm."

Song Luzhou's brow relaxed. At least there was someone he could talk to. Thinking about it that way, it didn't seem so scary after all...

Just a few days after Song Luzhou awoke, surging spiritual energy began to gather on Cangmang Peak, forming a huge vortex of spiritual energy.

Sensing something, Song Changsheng and Zhuang Yuechan walked out of the courtyard together and looked at the place where spiritual energy gathered.

"Mother is about to break through."

……

P.S.: It's almost the end of the month, and I'm still a little short of monthly votes. I humbly request your support, fellow cultivators. (End of Chapter)