Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

The Jade Cleansing Sword has its tip pointing downwards and hovering at a height of about ten feet. The hilt rotates slightly, as if a pair of sharp eyes are surveying the surroundings.

"Could it be a monster that lives in the snowfield?" Zhuang Yuechan asked, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

"I'm not sure, I can't sense it now, but I'm certain it wasn't my imagination, I truly felt the demonic energy." Wuming's tone was somewhat solemn.

For a beast to be able to evade his senses, it must be at least a demon king-level monster. This place is near the border of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, so there shouldn't be such a powerful monster here.

Back when True Lord Yu Shu roamed the four directions, the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty was already a powerful immortal dynasty that could rank among the top in the Southern Continent. Every once in a while, it would send troops to clear out the demonic beasts around the border to prevent the formation of beast tides that would impact the border.

Third-tier and above demonic beasts are the primary targets, not to mention demon kings. Each pass is equipped with numerous sensing arrays and demon-finding artifacts. Not to mention demon kings, even demon lords cannot conceal their aura when they are close enough.

This place is only a thousand miles from the border pass, which is already considered to have crossed the red line. It could be discovered by the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty at any time, and then it will definitely be a dead end.

Therefore, even the powerful demonic beasts within the Tianshan Mountains generally do not appear in this vicinity.

"Then let's go into the city first. We'll be safe once we're inside the pass," Zhuang Yuechan said decisively.

As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of wind and snow, carrying a faint trace of demonic energy, swept in, surrounding her and obscuring her vision.

"nameless!"

"Chong"

Almost the instant the words fell, the Jade Cleansing Sword unleashed a powerful strike, its silvery aura tearing through the snow and wind. Yet, the surroundings remained a vast expanse of white. Zhuang Yuechan's heart sank at the sight, realizing that she was trapped in a special, isolated space.

She subconsciously reached into her sleeve and gripped the sword talisman that Song Changsheng had given her.

"I wonder which demon king has arrived. Please show yourself."

A crisp sound echoed in the space, and the space in front of Zhuang Yuechan suddenly began to distort, as if revealing a human-shaped outline. Then, a figure dressed in a white dress and looking somewhat frail appeared in front of her.

Although she appeared in human form, the demonic aura surrounding her revealed her true identity.

This is a genuine demon king.

"Feel sorry."

Surprisingly, the first thing the other person said was to express their apology.

“I should have chosen a more polite way to meet you, but… the pass is blocked, and I don’t want to clash with them,” the woman in the white dress said softly.

Zhuang Yuechan was somewhat puzzled by the other party's attitude and cautiously asked, "Why do you want to see me? Do you know me?"

"Don't you recognize me? Well, this way you might feel more familiar with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, a phantom image of a snow python with a blood-red horn suddenly appeared behind the woman.

"It's you!" Zhuang Yuechan's pupils contracted slightly.

She quickly realized what was happening and said in a deep voice, "You've been following me?"

The woman suppressed her demonic aura, and a hint of apology appeared in her clear, bright sapphire eyes as she said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't very rational back then."

Thank you for suppressing the demonic energy within me and helping me regain my sanity; otherwise, this would have been my death.

You are my benefactor, therefore…

She glanced at Zhuang Yuechan's left hand, which was hidden under her sleeve, and said, "You don't need to worry that I will hurt you. I mean no harm."

Zhuang Yuechan breathed a slight sigh of relief at the other party's friendly attitude, but she did not let her guard down. She said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is too kind. I was only trying to protect myself at the time. It was a pleasant surprise that I was able to help Your Majesty."

"I just don't understand why the Demon King is following me."

"I was in a frenzy at the time, completely out of my mind, but in a daze I sensed a familiar presence and was drawn to it."

Hunting you down was not my intention; I couldn't control myself at that time.

Unexpectedly, the music you played suppressed the demonic energy within me, restored some of my sanity, and reminded me of many things.

After all these years, do you still remember me?

As she spoke, the woman looked up at the Jade Cleansing Sword in the air, and the latter half of her sentence was clearly addressed to Wuming.

Wuming felt something flash through his mind and exclaimed in shock, "You are the white snake from back then?"
"No, impossible. With your cultivation level, how could you possibly have survived until now?"

His words served as a signal, awakening a long-buried memory that was both familiar and unfamiliar to Zhuang Yuechan.

The world in my memory was also a vast expanse of white, with howling winds.

At that time, Yu Shu Zhenjun, who had failed to transcend the tribulation and was severely injured, came to the Tianshan Mountains to collect Tianshan Snow Lotus in order to accumulate strength for her reincarnation after her military service.

She searched for a long time and found several plants, but they were not yet mature, so she had to set up a restriction and leave them for the future.

Upon discovering the third [Tianshan Snow Lotus], in the same snow valley where Zhuang Yuechan was being chased by the snow python, Wuming discovered a white snake hiding in an ice crevice, trembling with fear at the aura of Yu Shu Zhenjun.

Although it is only at the second tier, it can easily withstand the harsh cold of the Tianshan Mountains.

Wuming intended to kill him directly, but was stopped by Yu Shu Zhenjun.

"To survive in such an environment, its bloodline is quite remarkable. It's not bad to spare its life to guard this [Heavenly Snow Lotus] for me." Yu Shu's voice was calm, and even Wuming was surprised by her words.

"Keep a close eye on this snow lotus for me. If we have the chance to meet again, I will grant you a special opportunity."

After saying this, Yu Shu threw a spirit pill at the little snake, and then left the snow valley. That was the only interaction between them.

This was one of the few good deeds Yu Shu did in her life.

It wasn't that she suddenly had a compassionate heart; it was simply that seeing the white snake shivering in the ice crevice reminded her of herself, her hands covered in sores from the cold in the snow, practicing her swordplay while being whipped. (See Volume 5, Chapter 325 for details)
"That elixir helped me complete my first transformation. After you left, I stayed in that snow valley, looking after the snow lotus and waiting for you to return."

Unexpectedly, this wait has lasted until now.

I don't know who you are, but I recognize this sword. Although its sharpness has been greatly reduced, it hasn't changed at all.

During the time you were in a coma, I kept observing you. You have her shadow in you, but my intuition tells me that you are not her.

So I've been hesitant about whether to meet you, which is why I followed you all this way, trying to find the right time.

"But now that I've come this far, I have no choice. Further ahead lies the human race's stronghold." The woman sighed softly.

"It really was you..."

Hearing her recount the events of that year, both Zhuang Yuechan and Wuming were filled with disbelief.

The story of Yu Shu Zhenjun's rebirth after her physical death is a matter of thousands of years ago.

The lifespan of a Golden Elixir Immortal is no more than a thousand years.

Although the lifespan of a Demon King is longer than that of a Golden Core cultivator, living for such a long time is still a fantasy, something even a Demon Lord would find difficult to achieve. "I know it's hard for you to accept, but it's the truth: I possess a lifespan far exceeding the limits."

In your human language, this is called immortality.

"Immortality..." Zhuang Yuechan's heart trembled. For cultivators, these two words were extremely powerful.

"Immortality is not a gift I was born with. I have aged and even smelled the scent of death."

A hint of reminiscence appeared in the woman's eyes, and she said softly, "Back then, I reached the limit when I cultivated to the third level, and I was unable to break through until my lifespan was about to end."

I ventured deep into the glacier, hoping to find a place to rest, but in the process, I accidentally swallowed a piece of ice containing an unknown object and fell into a coma.

When I woke up, I felt full of energy, and death was far away from me.

Later, I spent four hundred years breaking through to the Demon King realm. By then, I was already over a thousand years old.

I thought this was a blessing from heaven, but I never imagined it would be the beginning of a nightmare.

After breaking through to the Demon King realm, I often fall into demonic possession and lose my mind.

At first, I was able to suppress it, but as the demonic energy accumulated, I was no longer able to suppress it. I could only use the extremely cold Heavenly Pool located in the center of the Heavenly Vein of Tianshan to suppress the demonic energy in my body.

The intervals between attacks are getting shorter and shorter. At first, it only happened once every few hundred years, but later it became once every few decades, and it became increasingly difficult to suppress.

This made me afraid to leave Tianchi too far away. For nearly a thousand years, I spent most of my time in Tianchi suppressing the demonic energy in my body.

It was then that I realized that immortality was not a blessing, but a curse.

As the demonic energy accumulated, even Tianchi could no longer suppress it within me, and so I became what you see here, completely losing my reason.

If it weren't for you, I might never have regained my sanity, and death would have been my final destination.

The woman tried to recount her experiences in a calm tone, but to Zhuang Yuechan and Wuming, it sounded as absurd as listening to a novel.

Accidental ingestion, immortality, demonic energy...

They could understand each word individually, but when they were put together, they couldn't quite make out what they meant.

Putting aside the issue of demonic energy, what kind of treasure could have such a life-extending effect?
Although the other party spoke earnestly, Zhuang Yuechan remained skeptical. Besides, was such a thing something that could be so easily publicized?
"The Demon King followed Yuechan all the way and even trapped me. Was it all just to tell me a story?"
Or is it that the Demon King is still attached to the promise made by True Monarch Yu Shu? I'm sorry, True Monarch Yu Shu has been gone for thousands of years. Although I have some connection with her, I'm afraid I'm not capable of fulfilling her promise.

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately shook her head and said, "Of course not. The reason I am meeting you in this way is that I want to ask you for a favor."

Zhuang Yuechan frowned slightly and said tactfully, "With my abilities, I'm afraid I can't help the Demon King in any way."

"Don't underestimate your power. Didn't you help me suppress the demonic energy within me earlier?"

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but in my current state, I am no longer able to play the previous pieces. Moreover, I have elders from my sect waiting for me inside the pass, and I need to enter the pass to let them know I am safe."

"Let me rest for a while, and then I'll play for the Demon King again, shall I?" Zhuang Yuechan's mind raced as she began to think of a way to escape.

With less than six months left until the agreed-upon time with Song Changsheng, she naturally couldn't afford to waste any more time with him here.

After all, the opponent was a demon king, and one who was prone to going berserk at any time.

After telling her so many secrets, it's uncertain whether she'll let her go.

If the other party were truly as sincere as they claimed, they wouldn't have forced her to stay.

Once she reunites with Song Changsheng, it's not that she can't help her. After all, she has some connection with True Monarch Yu Shu, and she's willing to repay this debt of karma as long as it's within her power.

The woman's eyes flickered, and her tone changed slightly as she said, "You don't believe me?"

……

【Linglong Pagoda】, 【Hualong Pool】.

Of the original six, only Song Changsheng and Ling Xiao remained in the blood pool, gritting their teeth and persevering. The others gradually gave up and, after resting, went to the second level.

Of the four, Gu Xueying lasted the shortest, twenty-two days.

The one who lasted the longest was Baili Yuntu, twenty-eight days. He almost fainted in the blood pool, but Yi Tianzheng took action and brought him out.

The remaining Ling Xiao and Song Changsheng both held on for thirty days without exception.

This was Yi Tianzheng's highest expectation for them, which was obviously an underestimation of the two of them. He really wanted to see with his own eyes where their limits were.

Thirty-one days.

Thirty-two days.

"boom……"

"Boom..."

Suddenly, a series of booming sounds came from Ling Xiao's body, as if a great river was surging within him. His face turned red, and the blood vessels buried under his skin became bulging. He did not make any movement, but the surrounding space was slightly distorted.

This phenomenon lasted for several hours, until a deafening roar followed, and then everything returned to normal.

Ling Xiao opened his eyes, spread his hands in front of him, and a strange light appeared in his eyes.

Then, he actually used his fingers as if they were knives to cut open his palm.

A drop of extremely thick blood "struggled" to slide down from the one-inch-long wound. Before it even dripped into the blood pool, it transformed into a sparkling "blood diamond" in the air, creating a blood flower in the pool.

If Song Changsheng saw this scene, he would definitely find it somewhat familiar, because the essence blood that was spilled from the body of the demon king of the Alligator Dragon Clan who failed to undergo the Dragon Transformation Tribulation was in this peculiar state, and he had even used it to temper his body.

"Not bad, the effect is better than I expected, and it can be considered as barely bridging the gap between you and that person."

There are many mysteries within. Take a rest and go to the second level of the pagoda to comprehend them properly.” Yi Tianzheng nodded in satisfaction.

"Disciple obeys." Ling Xiao bowed respectfully, glanced at Song Changsheng who was still persevering not far away, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "He's still a step behind."

Stepping out of the blood pool, he couldn't help but ask, "Palace Master, how many days did I endure?"

“Thirty-two days is already very good. He should be reaching his limit. You go first,” Yi Tianzheng said with a smile.

Ling Xiao pursed his lips, then bowed and left.

Watching him leave, Yi Tianzheng looked at the blood pool and murmured, "How can a golden carp be confined to a pond? It will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and clouds."

"Song Changsheng, oh Song Changsheng, where exactly is your limit?"

Thirty-three days, or thirty-five days?
...(End of chapter)