Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

The astonishing sword aura that flashed by Bai Zimo did not escape the notice of the True Immortals present, and the situation seemed to be developing in the direction that Mu Guibai had predicted.

"The Golden Crow Sect does indeed have ambitions to conquer the East Sea." Song Changsheng's heart sank slightly. After the battle on the Canglan River, Chen Zhongfang had hinted at this to him.

The East China Sea Alliance was newly established and had only just gained a foothold in the East China Sea. It was not suitable to accept external forces into the game, especially such a powerful newcomer. Therefore, he did not give a direct response.

It seems they're getting impatient and are starting to look for their own way out.

With the Merfolk royal family in hand, securing an entry ticket to the East Sea would be a piece of cake. Even without actually participating, they could still demand exorbitant prices, and many cultivators along the coast would be willing to pay for it.

Fortunately, this place is not far from the Canglan River. At his speed, a round trip only takes a quarter of an hour, so Kong Sang Xiruo's safety can still be guaranteed.

However, this has offended the Golden Crow Sect, and the Song family's future days will likely be difficult; they will need to think of a solution.

"Perhaps we could ask Master Baiyan to mediate," Song Changsheng thought to himself. If he could use resources or something else to resolve this conflict, it would be worth it.

Actually, he didn't need to say anything; Bai Yan had already noticed Bai Zimo's unusual behavior and couldn't help but laugh, "It seems Fellow Daoist Bai is planning to go back on his word."

"How do you know?" Bai Zimo asked calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion, his eyes fixed on the depths of the tribulation clouds.

Bai Yan smiled and said, "Having known you for hundreds of years, I can still guess this little thing."

Your clan's enthusiasm for going overseas has grown increasingly stronger in recent years, but despite numerous efforts, they have encountered setbacks at every turn. Now, an excellent opportunity to break this deadlock is presented to you, so it's no wonder you're tempted."

"Heh, aren't you tempted?" Bai Zimo turned around and asked, his eyes gleaming with a knowing light.

"What a wonderful pledge of allegiance! I doubt you would believe I wasn't tempted. However, there are some things you should know yourself, such as what the words 'Mermaid Royal Family' truly mean."

Judging from the scale of this heavenly tribulation, her bloodline is definitely not bad.

We value it, but some people value it even more than we do.

Fellow Daoist Bai, don't forget that Xianglu River is a tributary of Canglan River, and I don't need to elaborate on the relationship between the Merfolk and the Dragon Clan.

"The ferocity of the flood that engulfed the demon realm has not yet faded, and the remnant souls of millions of demons linger beneath the heavens. Fellow Daoist, do not let a single leaf obscure your vision," Bai Yan said meaningfully.

Her meaning was simple: capturing a mermaid was easy, but once the matter was exposed, the entire cultivation world of the Great Qi would have to pay the price for his actions. The Water Lord of the Dragon Clan was not someone to be trifled with.

If the other side could flood the demon kingdom of the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord with a single flood, they could naturally flood the Great Qi with another.

Focusing only on immediate gains will lead to significant losses.

"If you've come today merely to reason with me, then you may leave now," Bai Zimo said calmly.

How could he not know what Bai Yan was saying? Since he planned to do this, he naturally had his own set of logic. As long as he controlled Kong Sang Xi Ruo first, he could give them the initiative.

All we need to do is offer up this merman royal family member, and we can get the cultivators from the upper sect to protect us. The dragon clan won't be able to do anything to them.

He now only has one question to consider: whether the benefits he can gain by sacrificing Kong Sang Xi Ruo are worth the risk that the Golden Crow Sect will take by offending the Dragon Clan, the Wangyue Song Clan, and Luoxia City at the same time.

To put it more seriously, this move could even push the Heavenly Vein Sect to the opposite side, at which point they would truly be surrounded by enemies.

After all, the cultivation world of the Great Qi is a unified whole to the outside world. The risk of capturing the Merfolk royal family should be shared by all, but the benefits were all obtained by the Golden Crow Sect. No one would be willing to accept that.

Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Bai Yan added, "Song Changsheng's talent is unparalleled in the world. Even the people in Wanxiang Palace look at him differently. He even defeated Song Daoling of the Song Clan of the Brocade Banner."

This merman saved his life; if you insist on intervening, he'll fight you to the death.

Even if we have concerns now, what about when he grows up?

Don't forget, he's also a prodigy skilled in both array formations and artifact crafting. You should know what that means.

Perhaps even Song Changsheng himself doesn't know how valuable his current status is.

Although he was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, his influence had increased with each layer of his identity, making him far more powerful than a typical Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage. He was no longer the insignificant nobody who could be suppressed or even eliminated at will.

If you mess with his savior, it will be a fight to the death.

As long as Song Changsheng makes his statement, plenty of people will be willing to give him face. Although they won't risk their lives for him, putting pressure on the Golden Crow Sect from all sides will make things difficult for them, unless they completely break off relations and fight to the death.

Otherwise, as long as Song Changsheng is alive, he will be a major threat, and could explode at any time.

Bai Ziming narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips gently rubbing the red rope wrapped around the sword hilt. He remained silent for a long time, whether he hadn't heard her or was speechless, and the atmosphere became tense.

Song Changsheng was completely unaware of the secret communication between the two; his biggest concern at the moment was Kong Sang Xiruo's condition.

Only by successfully overcoming this current calamity can we have the right to worry about the future.

The minor heavenly tribulation of the demon race is not much different from that of the human race; generally speaking, it requires enduring nine heavenly lightning strikes.

Of course, if one possesses a special bloodline, one may face more heavenly lightning, but it is not absolute.

However, given the powerful bloodline within Kong Sang Xi Ruo, nine heavenly lightning bolts are probably not her limit, and this is precisely what Song Chang Sheng is most worried about.

The intensity of heavenly lightning increases with each repetition. At first, one can rely on physical strength and spiritual treasures to withstand it, but later it comes down to one's own willpower and desire to live.

In layman's terms, it is "the mind of the Tao".

Those with exceptional talent are born with a steadfast and indestructible Daoist heart, unmoved by external things.

But geniuses are ultimately few and far between; the "Dao Heart" of the vast majority of beings in this world is constantly strengthened through trials and tribulations.

This is why sects with deeper foundations place greater emphasis on sending their disciples out for training.

Only by experiencing enough hardships can one's "Dao Heart" become strong enough to calmly overcome the various difficulties on the path to immortality.

The same applies to the three stages of Foundation Establishment, to the Minor Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, and even to the Major Heart Demon Tribulation and the Major Heavenly Thunder Tribulation to come.

This is the importance of "Dao Heart," which runs through the entire path of cultivation. Those whose Dao Heart is not strong enough will eventually become the white bones on the road to immortality.

Normally, those who cultivate to the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm would have a decent "Dao Heart," but Kong Sang Xiruo is an exception.

Despite having lived for hundreds of years, her experience is actually less than that of a Qi Refining rogue cultivator in his fifties.

Confined to that underwater palace all day long, his sources of information were limited to oral accounts from others and books. He had a lot of theories, but he had never put them into practice.

Stepping out of the prison beneath the river for the first time, Song Changsheng was truly uncertain about facing such fierce and powerful heavenly lightning. With each bolt of lightning that struck, he felt a pang of anxiety for her.

Fortunately, she possessed many treasures, and the first three bolts of heavenly lightning did not cause her much damage.

During the fourth heavenly tribulation, the situation gradually changed. As the heavenly tribulation intensified, the spiritual treasures became almost ineffective.

Fortunately, Kong Sang Xiruo did not face the situation of being struck by several heavenly lightning bolts at the same time, as Song Changsheng had done in the past. Although the fourth heavenly lightning bolt was strong, she still managed to withstand it without any serious injury.

"This is the fifth one. Hang in there." Song Changsheng's heart slowly rose. As long as he could get through this hurdle, he would have a chance to rest, and sweet rain would fall from the tribulation clouds.

"Boom..."

A thick, crimson bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, making Kong Sang Xiruo's petite figure appear tiny in comparison.

Kong Sang Xiruo's face turned pale, and her breathing became slightly rapid. She could clearly feel that the power of this heavenly lightning was the sum of the previous four heavenly lightning strikes.

"boom--"

The crimson lightning pierced through her, causing her to let out a mournful cry. The intense arcs of electricity covered her entire body, her internal organs convulsed, and her heart almost stopped.

Her consciousness almost vanished into darkness at that moment, but fortunately, the unwavering will in her heart sustained her. Even as lightning pierced her heart, she did not succumb to the judgment of the heavenly tribulation.

With her strong will, she finally overcame this crucial hurdle. A brilliant golden light emerged from the pitch-black tribulation clouds, and a light drizzle, full of vitality, poured down on Kong Sang Xi Ruo's body, causing her wounds and scorch marks to begin healing at a visible speed.

Kong Sang Xiruo's mind had never been so clear; she felt a powerful force awakening within her flowing blood.

"What a powerful force."

Beyond the tribulation lightning, Song Changsheng and the others also sensed something; the sudden surge of power even startled them.

“Her bloodline power is extraordinary; Song Changsheng wasn’t telling the truth,” Bai Zimo said expressionlessly, a terrifying sword aura brewing within him.

Bai Yan's face also showed a look of surprise. Kong Sang Xi Ruo's bloodline was very unusual, and it was very likely that it came from a pure-blooded merman royal family.

According to the information currently available to the Tianmai Sect, there are very few pure-blooded royals remaining among the Merfolk. This means that Kong Sang Xiruo's value has risen sharply, and she is fully deserving of a higher price.

She glanced at Bai Zimo, who was already gathering his sword energy, and frowned slightly. It seemed that a conflict was unavoidable.

Not to mention Bai Zimo, even she herself was somewhat tempted at this moment.

As Song Changsheng watched this scene, his palms were already slightly sweaty. He wasn't worried about his identity; he had already prepared himself mentally for the moment Kong Sang Xiruo began her tribulation.

What he was worried about was Kong Sang Xi Ruo's tribulation afterward. The reawakening of her bloodline power could be a good thing or a bad thing, as could be seen from her previous condition.

If it is affected, all our efforts could be in vain.

Fortunately, this scene did not happen in the end. After the power of her bloodline was awakened, Kong Sang Xi Ruo's black hair flew up and she was shrouded in a holy radiance.

For a fleeting moment, she seemed like a completely different person.

"boom--"

"Boom..."

She survived the sixth, seventh, and all the way to the ninth bolt of heavenly lightning without incident. Although she was covered in wounds and scorched marks, her bright, sapphire-like eyes revealed an unprecedented determination.

The tribulation did not end there. Deep within the tribulation clouds, an even more terrifying power was brewing, which had sealed off all of Kong Sang Xi Ruo's escape routes and could erupt at any moment.

"The tenth tribulation of lightning!" Song Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly, but he wasn't surprised at all; it was something he had expected.

The tenth tribulation that Kong Sang Xiruo is now facing is very different from the one he faced before. It is similar to the "Dragon Transformation Tribulation" that E Mindu faced before, both of which are ways to sublimate the bloodline within the body.

If nothing unexpected happens, E Min also faced the tenth heavenly lightning when he broke through to the Demon King realm.

After successfully surviving, one's bloodline is further elevated; failure results in death and annihilation, with no chance of recovery.

The world of the demon race is far more cruel than that of the human race.

Kong Sang Xiruo slowly raised her head, her face calm and devoid of any emotion.

Her pupils shone with a dazzling gold.

"boom--"

The tenth lightning bolt crashed down, its pitch-black color seemingly merging with the tribulation clouds. Even those present, who were well-versed in many things, had never seen such lightning before.

Song Changsheng had seen related records in the "Wonderful Book of Creation", but he had never seen it with his own eyes.

All that is known is that in the distant ancient times, a pure-blooded Kunpeng cub was reduced to ashes by this jet-black lightning.

The Kunpeng is a powerful demon beast comparable to a true dragon.

"scoff"

The pitch-black lightning struck, and Kong Sangxi was powerless to resist. As the intense current flowed through her body, it was as if a pebble had struck a beautiful piece of porcelain.

Her fair skin began to crack, and her life essence rapidly flowed away from the cracks, as if she might turn into a pile of "fragments" at any moment.

"Am I going to die...?"

Kong Sang Xiruo slowly closed her eyes, her consciousness enveloped by boundless darkness. New and old memories, long sealed away, began to surface one after another in her mind. The memories were numerous, yet monotonous, and most of the time she was alone.

In her long memory spanning hundreds of years, only two faces appeared clearly.

One was his father, and the other was Song Changsheng.

As for her mother, she had never appeared in front of her since she could remember, and her father had never mentioned anything related to her mother, as if this person had never existed in her life.

But this is not right. There is a vague shadow in her heart that she can't get rid of, but she can't see its face clearly.

She tried her best to see clearly, but the shadow was getting further and further away from her.

"Why……"

"Why do you all have to leave me?"

"What did Ruo'er do wrong?"

"Why!"

Amidst her resentful questions, a power that did not belong to her suddenly erupted within her, and light once again shone in the boundless darkness.

The life that had been dormant began to revive, soothing the pain and rapidly repairing her damaged body.

"Huhuhu..."

The wind howled in her ears, and she felt her body plummeting rapidly. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead and were completely beyond her control.

In her confusion and helplessness, she felt a pair of strong arms holding her firmly. Even though she couldn't open her eyes, she knew very well who this sense of security came from.

Song Changsheng reached out and gently wiped away the tear stains remaining at the corner of Kong Sang Xiruo's eyes, saying with pity, "Sleep peacefully, it's all over."

Holding it, it landed steadily on the Xianglu River, and the originally turbulent river surface instantly became calm.

He extended a wisp of his divine sense and carefully examined her body. He breathed a slight sigh of relief after finding that she had simply overexerted herself and that there were no major problems with her body.

At this moment, a thought stirred within him. He looked up and saw Bai Zimo standing on the cloud, holding his sword. His expression was calm, but his gaze was cold.

"Is Fellow Daoist Bai going back on his word?" Song Changsheng said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Bai Zimo said calmly, "You didn't tell me the truth before either, so we'll even things over."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Kong Sang Xiruo in Song Changsheng's arms and said, "Nine Heavens Profound Thunder, [Mermaid Tears], you must know her value."

"As I said before, she once saved my life. Fellow Daoist, do you intend for me to be an ungrateful person?" Song Changsheng's sword energy surged, and his eyes flashed with cold light.

"It seems neither of us can convince the other. In that case, let's settle this with our actions."

No matter what method you use, as long as you can withstand three of my sword strikes, I will leave immediately, as if I had never been here.

Furthermore, my sect can pretend we know nothing about it.

"Do you... have the guts?" Bai Zimo's cold voice rang out between heaven and earth, and Song Changsheng and the others were all stunned. No one expected him to say such a thing.

Bai Zimo was at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, while Song Changsheng was at the early stage. Although they seemed to be very different, he had once severely injured Song Daoling, who was also at the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

Although Bai Zimo's strength far surpasses Song Daoling's, as long as it's not a life-or-death battle, catching three swords is not impossible for him. Most importantly, his methods are not restricted, which gives him even more room to maneuver.

From this perspective, Bai Zimo's attitude wasn't as resolute as it seemed.

This is indeed excellent news. Kong Sang Xi Ruo's previous words had left him with some doubts. If he could avoid alarming the Tu Long Clan, it would be best not to.

At this moment, Bai Yan secretly transmitted her voice to Song Changsheng: "I have made him understand the consequences. He will not kill you. With your strength, it is not difficult for you to withstand three of his swords."

My clan can bear witness.

Her words not only highlighted the merit of her previous persuasion, but also took the opportunity to do someone a favor.

"As a witness."

While seemingly in a neutral position, they are actually clearly biased towards Song Changsheng.

Furthermore, it indirectly told him that the Heavenly Vein Sect had no designs on Kong Sang Xiruo.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Song Changsheng nodded slightly to Bai Yan, indicating that he accepted the favor. Then he looked up at Bai Zimo and said calmly, "Alright, I accept."

He used a wisp of magic to completely envelop Kong Sang Xiruo, and then gently sent her back to the palace at the bottom of the river.

After settling her in, Song Changsheng stepped forward, stood with his hands behind his back in front of Bai Zimo, and said, "Fellow Daoist, please."

"You intend to receive my three sword strikes like this?" Bai Zimo raised an eyebrow slightly.

He was confident that his cultivation was far superior to Song Changsheng's, so he said he would not restrict Song Changsheng's methods, which meant he did not intend to take advantage of him. However, he did not expect that Song Changsheng would be so arrogant as to actually intend to take his three swords head-on.

He couldn't help but solemnly remind me: "Although this is not a life-or-death battle, I will not hold back at all. You can use magic weapons, talismans, and even set up formations, none of which are against the rules."

"No need, Fellow Daoist Bai, please feel free to make your move." Song Changsheng's gaze was calm, and his feet remained firmly planted.

Is Bai Zimo strong? Of course he is. Before Song Changsheng and his disciple broke through to the Golden Core stage, he was always the representative of the Great Qi cultivation world who could defeat the strong with the weak and fight beyond their level.

He had already killed a mid-grade fourth-tier demon king when he was in the early stage of the Golden Core stage, and after breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core stage, he fought against a high-grade fourth-tier demon king more than once. His swordsmanship had reached a state of perfection.

Now, having digested the gains from the previous battles, he has broken through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm, and his strength has experienced a surge.

There are differences even among those at the late Golden Core stage; one should never judge Bai Ziming by the same standards one would use to judge Song Daoling.

Song Changsheng had never underestimated Bai Zimo's strength. The reason he chose to confront him head-on was not because he didn't take him seriously, but mainly because he wanted to verify the success of his seclusion during this period.

Seeing his attitude, Bai Zimo's competitive spirit was also aroused.

He snorted coldly, his slender hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. The green blade slowly emerged from its sheath, drawing upon the sword energy that had been accumulating within him.

In an instant, the sky and earth changed color, sand and stones flew, waves crashed against the shore, and endless sword energy fell from the sky like a rainbow and merged into the sword.

The clanging of swords sent chills down one's spine.

"Chong"

The sword was fully drawn, bringing with it a dazzling flash of light.

This sword strike was so powerful that it seemed to encompass the entire world.

Bai Zimo went all out from the start, and an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator would probably have a hard time even withstanding this one sword strike.

Song Changsheng felt a chill in his heart and dared not be negligent in the slightest. His whole body surged with magical power, and as his sleeves billowed, a muffled thunderclap suddenly rang out.

"Roar--"

A lion-like creature, its body crackling with golden lightning, appeared behind him. It let out a long roar and then charged towards the sword light, its four hooves pounding the void.

"boom……"

The collision of the two was like a comet hitting the moon. Sword energy and lightning intertwined, and the powerful airflow turned all the trees within a hundred miles into dust. The clouds in the sky were not spared either, and were directly evaporated by the lightning.

Even Bai Yan and Mu Guibai had to temporarily avoid the limelight.

The first move ended in a draw, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Bai Zimo remained expressionless, but was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected to defeat Song Changsheng with a single sword strike, nor had he anticipated that Song Changsheng could fight him to a standstill without any external assistance.

He slowly closed his eyes, the green sword in his hand rang out, and an invisible domain spread out from him in all directions, covering an area of ​​a hundred miles.

In this realm, the laws of swordsmanship are omnipresent!

Although Song Changsheng noticed the anomaly in advance, he did not dodge it. Instead, he began to examine Bai Zimo's sword domain with great interest.

Only the purest sword intent can open up a unique sword realm. Among the swordsmen he had seen, apart from Song Qingxing who already had the rudimentary form of a realm, only Bai Zimo had truly opened up a sword realm.

Even though he had been deeply involved in swordsmanship for many years, he had never opened up a new field of swordsmanship because his sword intent was "impure".

The realm of swordsmanship can directly reflect a swordsman's skill level. Since Song Changsheng has not seen other realms of swordsmanship, he cannot make comparisons, but he can clearly feel the dangers contained within them.

Bai Zimo opened his eyes and calmly raised the sword in his hand. Endless sword intent gathered and resonated with the sword dao domain, making Song Changsheng feel immense pressure.

"Swish"

Sword energy soared into the sky.

This sword strike was swift and fast, ignoring the barriers of space and arriving in an instant. Even Song Changsheng's years of combat experience almost prevented him from reacting in time.

"Great Divine Power [Spatial Illusion]"

At the critical moment, Song Changsheng decisively used his newly comprehended divine power technique, his body directly merging into the surrounding void.

The dazzling sword energy sliced ​​straight through his body, leaving behind dark sword marks in the very air it passed through.

When the sword light faded, Song Changsheng's body reassembled, and apart from his slightly weak and unstable aura, he was completely unharmed.

At that moment, a huge wave surged in Bai Zimo's heart. His proud sword strike had been so easily neutralized.

"His mastery of the Dao of Space has reached such an astonishing level?"

"It seems that I have no choice but to use that sword." Bai Zimo's eyes darkened slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, the three-foot-long sword spun rapidly in front of him. His figure gradually faded away, eventually merging with the sword.

"Chong"

The sword let out a high-pitched sword cry, transforming into a streak of light that pierced towards Song Changsheng like a rainbow piercing the sun.

This sword strike emanated the weakest of the three, yet it brought him an unprecedented sense of crisis.

"The unity of man and sword, huh?"

Song Changsheng's gaze turned solemn, and a sense of alarm arose in his heart. He made a hand seal and stepped into the Qiankun Step, with the Innate Bagua and the Acquired Bagua appearing above his head and below his feet, respectively.

"Great Divine Power [World-Destroying Millstone]"

One breath transforms into chaos, chaos gives rise to heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang.

As the yang energy rises and the yin energy descends, separated by a thin line, the two energies are clearly distinct. In front of Song Changsheng, the yin and yang energies condense to form a huge black and white millstone.

The moment the millstone appeared, heaven and earth seemed to turn upside down, rumbling as it ground against the white rainbow in the sky.

The black and white millstones slowly rotated, and two opposing forces were constantly tearing at the sword. Bai Zimo's sword intent was constantly being worn away, reborn, and then worn away again.

This is a clash between laws.

The competition is no longer simply about magical power, but about each person's understanding of the "Tao".

The two remained locked in a stalemate for a full half hour. The black and white millstone shattered into pieces, and a chip was broken off the blade of the sword...

……

P.S.: Sorry to keep you waiting, fellow cultivators. Here's another 7,000-word chapter. I still owe 3,000 words, I'll try to finish that tomorrow. Goodnight, fellow cultivators~~ (End of Chapter)