Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"call……"

Song Qingxing let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. This time, he felt that the sword-breathing technique was still a little lacking. Although he had reached the peak, he still felt it was not enough.

“Such a sword cannot harm the Demon King,” Song Qingxing murmured softly.

He had little contact with experts of this level, and everything he did was judged based on the performances of Song Changsheng, Song Daoling, and others.

Once his sword, which he had been nurturing and accumulating for months, was unsheathed, few cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm could withstand it. However, he felt that he was still a step short of being able to injure a powerful expert at the Demon King level.

The difference between those before and after this line is like night and day.

However, breaking through this barrier is extremely difficult, because one must first break through one's own limits to achieve this. Yet, he has already reached the peak of the Purple Mansion stage, having undergone countless trials and tribulations in all aspects.

Unless one's cultivation level advances further.

But if his cultivation could break through the bottleneck in a short time, he wouldn't need to nurture this sword anymore.

He cultivates the [Slaughter Sword Path]. There are two ways to temporarily enhance his sword intent. One is to kill, whether it is killing people or killing demons. As long as he kills enough people, he can gather enough blood and evil energy to enhance his sword intent.

This involves using other people's blood, something Song Qingxing disdains. He cultivates the [Slaughter Sword Path], never to kill for the sake of killing; his sword is only for killing enemies.

So he chose the second path, which was to use his own blood.

He drew his fingers like a sword and cut his palm. Crimson blood dripped down the wound onto the hilt of the sword, seeping into the scabbard with a gurgling sound, and a faint scarlet light emanated from it.

The sharp sword energy gathered around the [Traceless Sword], instantly turning the surrounding rocks into dust.

Song Qingxing used his blood to gradually accumulate bloodthirsty energy into the [Traceless Sword].

Only after his face turned somewhat pale did he use his magic to seal the wound and take a pill to replenish his qi and blood.

Today is just the first time; after that, I will need to use my essence and blood to nourish myself every so often.

At that moment, footsteps sounded behind him, and a gentle yet somewhat arrogant voice rang out: "You're using blood to forge a sword, are you planning to draw your sword against the Demon King?"

"Why not?" Song Qingxing had already noticed the other party's presence, and replied without turning his head.

"You always have an extraordinary confidence about you." Song Yuqing shook her head slightly.

"That is the difference between you and me."

"What do you want with me?" Song Qingxing asked calmly.

Song Yuqing remained noncommittal to his "arrogance," calmly stating, "Just now, five more sensing artifacts were triggered in the southwest direction, indicating that the sea race's espionage is becoming increasingly frequent."

"Just kill him, why ask me?"

“I think we could find an opportunity to let a few slip in, reveal some less important defensive measures to them, and then make adjustments after they leave, thus confusing them.”

"You can arrange it," Song Qingxing replied calmly.

He always trusted those he employed and didn't employ those he didn't trust. Once he had chosen someone, he never interfered too much.

"I'm just informing you." Song Yuqing shrugged. His position was sensitive, and the proper procedures had to be followed for matters that could easily lead to misunderstandings.

"By the way, the [Thunderbolt] you sent is quite good. We can refine more of it during this time; it will be very useful later."

"I'll arrange it."

Upon hearing this, Song Yuqing nodded slightly and then retreated down the mountain.

A moment later, Song Xianming appeared beside Song Qingxing and said softly, "He has been doing his best during this time."

"Didn't you meet him once before? What did you think of him?"

"He is indeed a rare and promising talent, and his character has not been corrupted. No wonder Changsheng looks at him differently. If there is an opportunity, we can try to win him over."

“A fierce battle is inevitable between the family and the [Brocade Banner].

"I don't expect him to stand on the family's side; I just hope he remains neutral."

"Once everything has settled down, I believe he will make the right choice," Song Xianming said slowly.

"I hope so." Song Qingxing neither opposed nor agreed with this.

"I hope this battle can be delayed, so that we have more time to prepare. Qingxia and the others have already entered the Great Qian Cultivation Realm and will arrive in at most ten months."

"They are not a force capable of influencing the course of the war, and there is no need to pay too much attention to them."

"I actually hope they can slow down. If the battle goes badly, they'll still have a chance to return, preserving the family's strength to the greatest extent possible," Song Qingxing said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Song Xianming looked at him with some surprise, then said with satisfaction, "You have learned to look at things from the perspective of a family manager, which is very good."

……

"Boom..."

A thick, dark cloud suddenly gathered over a sea area thousands of miles away from the Twin Islands.

The dark cloud covered a small, spiritual island. The surrounding area was sunny and clear, but the island was filled with lightning and thunder, as if a sudden rainstorm was about to break.

Even in the East China Sea, where the weather is unpredictable, such an event is extremely rare. However, rare does not mean nonexistent. It did not cause any ripples, as everyone in the Twin Islands was preparing for the upcoming battle and no one had the mind to pay attention to a thunderstorm.

But if you come to the island, you will find that these dark clouds are somewhat different from ordinary thunderstorms.

Because this was not formed naturally, but is a man-made masterpiece.

Song Changsheng stood on the shore, the sea breeze caressing his face, his green robe fluttering in the wind, his hand forming a strange hand seal, with faint arcs of electricity constantly leaping across it.

"Rumble..."

Above him, dark clouds vaguely formed a huge vortex, within which blue lightning surged, releasing a terrifying aura.

"boom"

With just a thought from Song Changsheng, a bolt of azure lightning, thicker than an adult's arm, instantly pierced through the lightning and struck a desolate mountain in the center of the Spirit Island.

In an instant, dazzling lightning flashed, and amidst flying earth and rocks, a nearly thousand-foot-tall peak was razed to the ground, and the entire Spirit Island trembled three times.

"This Five Thunder Seal is indeed quite powerful." A hint of joy flashed across Song Changsheng's face.

After consuming five drops of [Thunder Essence], he finally broke through the bottleneck in his comprehension of [Thunder Law] and reached the Great Perfection realm.

Among the laws that Song Changsheng has mastered, the [Thunder Law] has progressed the fastest, and of course, the most resources have been invested in it.

Without the solid foundation built step by step like other principles, it's no wonder he encountered bottlenecks. This taught him a lesson: there are no shortcuts in life.

However, on the other hand, if he hadn't encountered this bottleneck, he wouldn't have been able to come to the East China Sea and experience all of this.

It can only be said that everything is governed by cause and effect, and everything is predetermined.

This [Five Thunder Seal] is a divine ability he comprehended after mastering the [Thunder Law]. He tested it out today, and its power greatly satisfied him.

With a wave of his hand, Song Changsheng dispersed the thunderclouds and set off for the Wanxiang Palace.

During this time, Sword Heart Master did not send him any more messages, and the two were ignoring each other. Song Changsheng decided to break the deadlock first.

There was no other way; we needed their help after all, and it would be impolite to leave them hanging any longer.

"Fellow Daoist Zixu."

"Thank you for waiting here, Fellow Daoist Jianxin. I have recently encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation, so I am a little late. I hope you will not blame me." Song Changsheng said with a smile and cupped his hands.

"So it turns out you've encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation. I thought you were recuperating from an injury."

"It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. The Supreme Elder happens to be free these days. Please, fellow Daoist."

Sword Heart Master seemed convinced that the person he met that day was Song Changsheng, and his tone was much more determined than before.

Song Changsheng seemed not to understand what she was saying and asked directly, "Has there been any result regarding the matter I asked you to do before?"

"The runes you provided are indeed very rare. Even the elder in charge of the library in the palace didn't remember them. They were sent to Zhulu Academy and a senior scholar took a look before they found a clue."

The runes you provided should come from a reclusive sect from ancient times called the "Aquarius Sect".

"This is a coded message they use for internal communication," Jianxin Zhenren said slowly.

“The Treasure Bottle Sect?” Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow; it was a name he had never heard of before.

But that's normal, after all, it's a hidden sect.

"That's right. There are very few records about this sect. There were occasional news about it in ancient times, but now it has been a long time since any cultivators from the Treasure Bottle Sect have entered the world. We don't know if they have gone into seclusion or if they have been wiped out."

The Treasure Bottle Sect is a major sect of alchemy, and its alchemy skills were among the best in the entire human cultivation world in ancient times.

The runes you provided, when combined, do form a lineage of alchemy, but they lack some key elements, resulting in an incomplete or even incorrect lineage.

The elder believed that the problem lay with the medium; these runes required a special medium to truly manifest themselves.

"Where did you get these runes? To find out the truth, the medium that recorded these runes is crucial," Jianxin Zhenren said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was suddenly enlightened, as if the clouds had parted and the fog had cleared.

The Treasure Bottle Sect is a major sect in alchemy, and the Hundred Herbs Hall is also an alchemy sect, which is based on the Heavenly Fire Cauldron.

It's obvious that the Heavenly Fire Cauldron originated from the Treasure Bottle Sect, but it's unclear how the founder of the Hundred Herbs Hall obtained it.

The runes recorded on the Heavenly Fire Cauldron should be the core inheritance of the Hundred Herbs Hall, which explains why Lu Yuming asked him to imitate the Heavenly Fire Cauldron and forge a magic weapon.

After all, without a carrier, these runes cannot demonstrate their true inheritance.

Of course, over the years they must have mastered some of it, but they certainly haven't thoroughly studied it all, otherwise Lu Yuming wouldn't be so persistent.

"Bai Cao Tang is really lucky to have obtained the inheritance of a hidden sect," Song Changsheng thought with emotion.

The forces that have managed to survive in the buffer zone between humans and demons are indeed not simple; even without a background, they possess extraordinary opportunities and resources.

"If I were to replicate the Heavenly Fire Cauldron and forge another identical magical artifact, would I be able to recreate it?" Song Changsheng was somewhat tempted. The Hundred Herbs Hall had only learned a few superficial aspects of the ancient hidden sect's heritage and had already reached its current level, so it couldn't be far off.

"Fellow Daoist Zixu?" Seeing that Song Changsheng did not react, True Person Jianxin raised his voice.

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I obtained these runes by chance. The vessel was a square cauldron with two handles and four legs, which has been stolen by a rogue cultivator organization called the Haoran Alliance."

"I wonder if there is any coded text for comparison? I, Song, will surely reward you handsomely," Song Changsheng said sincerely.

“Of course we do. Both Wugong and Zhulu Academy have copied the runes. Consider it payment from you, fellow Daoist.” Sword Heart True Man took out a booklet from his storage bag and handed it to Song Changsheng without asking any further questions.

"So good."

When Song Changsheng handed these runes to Sword Heart Master, he was already prepared to have them copied, just as Lu Yuming had also prepared to have them copied by him.

"Ahead lies the Xuanlei Hall, where the Supreme Elder usually secludes himself for cultivation. Fellow Daoist, please go in on your own." Sword Heart True Person stopped and made a "please" gesture.

"Thank you."

Song Changsheng stepped forward to the front of the hall and respectfully said, "Song Changsheng of the Wangyue Song Clan pays respects to True Lord Leixiang."

"squeak"

The hall doors burst open, and Song Changsheng entered to see Lei Kanze sitting cross-legged atop a thundercloud, suspended in mid-air. Below him was a dark pool filled with a clear spiritual liquid.

"This junior pays respects to the True Lord." Song Changsheng bowed respectfully.

"Are you wondering how you were discovered?" Lei Kanze said calmly.

Song Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine. Sometimes he was reluctant to face strong people of this level, because his thoughts were often easily seen through in front of them.

Moreover, the fact that the other party said that is practically confirmation.

"Please enlighten me, True Lord."

“Your vigilance is strong, but not strong enough. Everyone’s aura and Daoist charm have subtle differences. You can fool Jian Xin, but you can’t fool me.” Lei Kanze raised his hand, holding a ball of light the size of an egg.

Song Changsheng could clearly sense that something within was connected to his own energy.

"So True Monarch was there that day too." Song Changsheng smiled bitterly. True Monarchs of the Nascent Soul stage were unpredictable, so it was no wonder he was exposed.

"No, after the sword heart returned to its origin, it was said that a somewhat familiar figure was seen in the core of the thunderstorm."

When I received this news, several months had passed since that day. I used some methods to collect the Daoist principles you left behind.

"You know what this means, so be careful in the future," said True Lord Lei Xiang in a slightly lecturing tone.

"This junior humbly accepts your instruction." Song Changsheng bowed respectfully. He had truly learned a lesson this time. In the face of a true expert, his skills were far from sufficient.

Lei Xiang Zhenjun stood up and walked step by step through the void to Song Changsheng's side, his eyes deep as he asked, "So, what exactly did you see in the thunderstorm that day?"

...(End of chapter)