Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Beneath the deep sea, a profound trench meanders through the undulating, rugged seabed, its faintly revealed scarlet light adding an eerie touch to this otherwise ordinary trench.

Scattered around the trench, sea monsters wielding tridents patrolled back and forth.

As the stronghold of the Sea Yaksha clan, Song Changsheng instinctively felt that it wouldn't be that simple. He activated his [Insightful Eye] to scan below and indeed discovered a faint grid-like barrier.

This is an extremely powerful restriction.

Furthermore, deep within that trench, he saw endless crimson light spots rising upwards.

"Now that things have come to this, Fellow Daoist Ji, shouldn't you tell me what you're really up to?" Song Changsheng said calmly.

Ji Shinian had an unusual interest in this place and insisted on bringing him along. Song Changsheng absolutely did not believe that Ji Shinian knew nothing about the ins and outs of this place.

He guessed it was related to the unusual red light, but he didn't know what it was.

In response to Song Changsheng's question, Ji Shinian shrugged and said, "To be honest, I don't really know either. I've just heard some rumors."

This sect mission has brought me to this place. Since I'm already here, if I don't take a look around, I'm afraid I won't be able to cultivate in peace in the future.

Cultivation is about cultivating the mind. If you can't even calm your mind, how can you attain the immortal path of longevity? Fellow Daoist Zixu, don't you agree?"

"Fellow Daoist is right. May I ask what that rumor is?"

Song Changsheng did not believe that an ordinary rumor could make a cultivator of Ji Shinian's level obsessed. It must be tempting enough and have a relatively meticulous logic to make people believe it.

"As everyone knows, the world was once the domain of the dragon race. Later, the dragon race suddenly disappeared from the world, but their traces are still left in many places in the world."

"If the rumors are true, there should be the remains of a real dragon in this trench!" Ji Shinian said calmly, but his eyes were gleaming.

Clearly, he was inclined to believe the news, but Song Changsheng thought it was unreliable.

Even if a real dragon did fall into this trench, after so many years, it would have been devoured by sea monsters long ago. A real dragon has nothing of value, which would be fatally attractive to the demon race, so it would be impossible for it to have survived until now.

As Ji Shinian had said before, before these sea demons occupied this trench, there was already a [Giant Eye Demon Octopus] at the fourth-order Great Perfection level. Now that it has fallen into the hands of the sea demons, even if there were one, it would never be their turn.

Ji Shinian couldn't possibly have overlooked this point, so there must be another reason why he's still so persistent about it.

Perhaps sensing Song Changsheng's thoughts, Ji Shinian smiled and said, "The true dragon's fall left behind not only flesh and blood and inner core, but also many other byproducts. This is the purpose of my trip."

As for why he insisted on bringing fellow Daoists along, it was naturally because of the outer restrictions. It is said that Fellow Daoist Zixu once almost broke through the protective formation of the [Splendid Banner] in a very short time by his own strength.

This restriction shouldn't be too difficult for you, fellow cultivator.

"With your cultivation level, how could a mere restriction possibly stop you?"

“But Fellow Daoist Zixu’s cultivation level is enough to make that old yaksha inside lower its guard,” Ji Shinian said with a smile.

"So that's what they were after." Song Changsheng was speechless for a moment. It turned out they just wanted him to draw the fire. If the other party wasn't a protector sent by Wanxiang Palace to help him, he would really suspect that the other party had other intentions towards him.

"Fellow Daoist, please rest assured. I will take care of that old yaksha. If there is any benefit, how about we split it 40/60?" Ji Shinian said with a smile, making a "40/60" gesture.

“Okay.” Song Changsheng nodded. Even if it wasn’t for the treasure, he could still probe the foundation of the Sea Yaksha clan.

"Waiting for news from you, fellow Daoist." With that, Ji Shinian's body twisted and contorted, eventually merging with the surrounding seawater. Even with Song Changsheng standing next to him, no trace of him could be discerned.

"What a brilliant concealment technique." Song Changsheng praised inwardly, then activated the [Insightful Eye] to search for flaws in the restrictions above the trench.

It was obvious that the person who set up this restriction was not particularly proficient in this art, and he quickly discovered two flaws.

Song Changsheng formed the Five Thunder Seal with his hands, and in an instant, a thundercloud suddenly gathered on the sea above his head.

"boom--"

A bolt of azure lightning descended from the sky, piercing through the cold, deep seawater and striking precisely the flaw he had discovered.

As the seawater surged and churned, the entire trench seemed to tremble three times. The net-like barrier began to collapse inch by inch, and in an instant, a faint dragon's might spread out, crystal clear.

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Ji Shinian's so-called "rumors" were actually true.

The dragon that fell into this trench must have had considerable cultivation in its lifetime, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to maintain its dragon might so long after its fall.

"Roar--"

An angry roar came from the trench, and a bolt of lightning shot out from the seabed.

"The Great Divine Power [Universe Within a Sleeve]"

With a wave of his wide sleeve, Song Changsheng swept away the lightning bolt. He knew as soon as the other party made a move that it was not the real one. Its strength was much weaker than that of Ye Moro, and it was most likely a demon king who had just broken through.

This shows how much the intelligence obtained by the Twin Islands differed from the facts. The intelligence provided by Liuli indicated three demon kings, but now it can be confirmed that there are already five.

"How dare you, a daring human, trespass into our forbidden territory!"

"Shut up!" Song Changsheng snorted coldly, his body crackling with lightning. Several bolts of azure lightning indiscriminately bombarded the depths of the trench, intending to provoke the fourth-order Great Perfection realm sea yaksha and create an opportunity for Ji Shinian.

"boom"

The power of thunder raged, and the sea monsters that lived in the trench were doomed. Large numbers of them were blasted into charred remains, their deaths extremely gruesome.

"presumptuous!"

A ferocious-looking sea monster soared into the air, its narrow, menacing eyes scanning the surroundings. Only after confirming that Song Changsheng was alone did it attack him.

The power of thunder is an innate talent of the Sea Yaksha clan. However, Song Changsheng has recently made rapid progress in the Dao of Thunder Law and is eager to find a like-minded person to compete with.

Although this sea yaksha's cultivation level is a bit low, it's still good for practicing.

"scoff"

A towering [Suanni] statue, hundreds of feet tall, appeared behind him, instantly illuminating the deep, silent underwater world with dazzling lightning.

With Song Changsheng's improvement in the [Thunder Law], the [Suanni Dharma Image] was significantly more powerful than before, and its appearance was also more divine and handsome.

Even Ji Shinian, who was hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but nod in approval. The power displayed by the Dharma Form alone was enough to rival that of an ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Compared to Song Changsheng's current cultivation level, this was quite remarkable.

Throughout the long history of Vientiane Palace, the number of people who have been able to achieve this is definitely no more than a handful.

The main reason he specifically brought Song Changsheng along was to see his strength and what qualifications he had to be a main player in the competition on behalf of the palace.

For now, he is still very satisfied, and Song Changsheng's progress in the [Thunder Law] is astonishing, so it's no wonder that he has won the favor of the Palace Master and the Supreme Elder.

"Roar—" The Suanni opened its blood-red maw and pounced directly at the Sea Yaksha Demon King. The fierce aura that rushed towards it made his skin tense up.

"Is this really a Golden Core stage cultivator?" Ye Minghong felt a little dazed for a moment.

Your cultivation level and mine seem to be different.

"boom"

In less than a quarter of an hour, Ye Minghong was blasted away by the giant claw of the Suanni, smashing through several thick seabed stone peaks, leaving him in a very sorry state.

"Is it because of the gathering of dragon energy here?" A sudden realization dawned on Song Changsheng's mind. The Suanni is a dragon, and although its form is physical but lacks spirit, it still contains a trace of true spirit, which still attracted the gathering of true dragon energy here, causing it to unleash power far exceeding his own.

This was an unexpected surprise for him, and it also showed that the dragon who perished here was no ordinary person in life.

He was amazed by the discovery, but the Suanni wouldn't think so much. It would never stop its attack without Song Changsheng's order to stop.

Ye Minghong was in dire straits. It had only recently broken through to the fourth rank, and its demon king true form had not yet been tempered enough. Its first battle was against an opponent like Song Changsheng, which could be described as a hellish start, as it was unilaterally beaten by the Suanni.

The Demon King's true form cracked, his scales charred, and his high spirits when he broke through to the Demon King level were completely shattered at this moment.

The other person didn't move an inch from beginning to end, yet he already felt the threat of death.

"Ancestor, save me!" Disregarding his pride, Ye Minghong cried out for help.

"waste."

A voice tinged with anger came from the depths of the trench. Song Changsheng felt his eardrums pounding and the surrounding seawater trembling abnormally.

The next moment, alarm bells rang in his mind, and an immense sense of crisis enveloped him.

A large, somewhat illusory hand emerged from the trench, blotting out the sky and the imposing [Suanni Dharma Image] instantly crumbled. Although its extension seemed slow, the power of the laws had already sealed off all of Song Changsheng's escape routes.

"Wow"

The giant hand slammed down, compressing the endless seawater. The immense pressure generated in that instant bent Song Changsheng's back, causing his legs to sink deep into the water, and his limbs to crack under the unbearable strain.

"Ho ho ho"

Song Changsheng was panting heavily, his eyes bulging and bloodshot. He was under immense pressure, greater than a mountain, and a primal force was erupting from within him. He gritted his teeth and slowly straightened his bent back.

Blood vessels burst under the pressure, and muscles tore, but his bones were countless times harder than refined steel.

"out!"

Song Changsheng let out a low roar, and the [Four Seas Peace] sword shot out from his sleeve, blooming with endless sharpness above his head. The dazzling sword energy directly cleaved through the giant hand above his head.

"crash"

As the endless seawater poured in, the pressure on his body instantly disappeared.

"Alas?"

A slightly surprised voice rang out, and a figure with white hair and beard slowly emerged from the trench, his overwhelming demonic aura making no attempt to conceal it.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Song Changsheng's eyes gleamed; he knew that the main character had appeared.

"With your strength, you should not be an unknown figure among the human race."

"Where do you come from, the Great Qian... or the Great Zhen?" The newcomer's voice was full of authority.

"What's it to you?" Song Changsheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and replied calmly.

"It seems you have something to rely on."

"I'll give you a chance: submit to me, gather intelligence on the human race for my people, and you'll be spared."

Song Changsheng scoffed at his words, and the yin and yang energies emanated from his feet, appearing a thousand miles away in the blink of an eye.

The old man remained calm and was about to take him down when a golden light suddenly appeared, followed by a storm of thousands of golden needles.

"Roar--"

The demon king's true form suddenly appeared, and surging demonic energy gathered around him, blocking the dense golden needles from advancing an inch.

"Chong"

Ji Shinian, who had been lying in wait, appeared behind the old man like a ghost. With a wave of his long sword, dozens of golden sword energies burst forth, directly shattering the old man's protective demonic aura.

The golden needles that had been blocked outside instantly pierced into the demon king's true form.

"【Sealing Yuan Needle】?"

Sensing the abnormality within his body, the old man's expression changed drastically, his body twisted, and he vanished from the spot.

After escaping Ji Shinian's entanglement, he quickly forced out most of the gold needles that had been inserted into his body, and his aura became somewhat weak.

Having succeeded in his sneak attack, Ji Shinian pressed his advantage, giving his opponent no chance to catch his breath.

At the same time, Song Changsheng heard his voice: "This old yaksha is quite powerful. Whether I can gain anything by holding him back depends on you."

Song Changsheng nodded slightly, took a few steps, and went straight into the trench, his divine sense spreading out in an overwhelming manner.

After "seeing" the scene in the trench, he immediately understood the meaning of Kenshin's words.

Putting aside the matter of the fallen dragon, the value of this fourth-order water spirit vein in the trench alone is incalculable, even greater than the one below the Twin Islands.

It's no wonder that even without the sea demons, other sea monsters would still inhabit this place. It is indeed a rare treasure in the deep sea, especially for those large sea tribes.

Many water-related treasures will emerge around the water veins, and the relatively enclosed environment of the trench locks in most of the spiritual energy, which greatly enhances the cultivation of sea monsters.

It has to be said that these sea monsters were really lucky.

Song Changsheng did not forget the main point of this trip and quickly began searching for the source of the dragon energy.

Before long, he saw a scene that made his pupils shrink. Beneath the palace, which was not yet fully completed, stood a huge head, most of which was buried in the mud and rocks. Even though it had lost its flesh and blood and the iconic dragon horns, the aura emanating from the white bones still made people's souls tremble.

"True dragon remains!"

...(End of chapter)