Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

When the two jade sticks were completely pulled out of the container, the numbers "one" and "five" were clearly engraved on them.

"Number five..."

"Number five should be Ji Bingxiu of the Tianshui Ji Clan. He is a well-known fourth-order puppeteer in the Tianshui cultivation world. He just registered a mid-grade fourth-order beast-shaped puppet with the five deans."

Besides, he is a cultivator with a Golden Heaven Spiritual Root, and his supernatural abilities are not weak either. He has a record of killing veteran Golden Core cultivators. Fellow Daoist Zixu should be careful when facing him. "Cai Die whispered a reminder from the side.

"Thank you for reminding me, Fellow Daoist Cai Die." Song Changsheng nodded in thanks.

Yingyue Zhenjun displayed the two jade tokens in his hand to the public, and then announced in a loud voice: "In the first round of the A-stage qualifying competition, Song Changsheng, the array master of the Wanxiang Palace branch, will face off against Ji Bingxiu, the puppet master of the Tianshui Ji Clan branch. Now, please invite the contestants from both sides to the stage."

"This opponent is not to be underestimated. Fellow Daoist Zixu, please be careful," Ling Xiao warned in a deep voice.

"Wishing you success in your first battle, fellow Daoist." Everyone offered their encouragement.

"With your strength, as long as you don't encounter those late-stage Golden Core opponents, you shouldn't face any pressure." Ji Shinian was quite confident in Song Changsheng.

Back when he was still in the East Sea, he was able to withstand the Night Slave of the Sea Yaksha clan. After years of improvement, he has made up for several of his shortcomings and is almost invincible among those of the same realm.

Song Changsheng smiled slightly and said, "I will do my best."

With a single step, his figure vanished in a wisp of green smoke, reappearing at the top of the platform in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace whatsoever.

"Fellow Daoist Zixu's attainments in the [Laws of Space] are probably already close to the Dao itself," Ling Xiao said with emotion.

In fact, not only him, but even the Nascent Soul True Monarchs present were somewhat surprised by Song Changsheng's mastery of the [Spatial Laws].

The layman sees the spectacle, but the expert sees the intricacies. Any cultivator with some expertise in the Dao of Space can see just how amazing Song Changsheng's seemingly ordinary spatial displacement truly was.

As the saying goes, geese leave traces as they fly by, and the wind leaves its sound as it passes by. Space is like a calm lake. Whether it is a gentle breeze from above or a fish swimming on the surface, it will cause ripples on the lake and leave its mark.

But Song Changsheng broke this rule, wading through water without a ripple and walking on snow without leaving a trace, achieving true silence.

Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch, if not proficient in the Dao of Space, will leave some traces when making spatial displacements. Just like the demonic Nascent Soul cultivator who attacked Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion on the way, although he successfully escaped by tearing through space, he unintentionally left behind some demonic energy.

Song Changsheng left no flaws at all, which means that once he is out of sight, it will be very difficult for cultivators who are not proficient in the Dao of Space to find his whereabouts, even for Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Unless one is a Nascent Soul Supreme, who can freeze the space within a radius of thousands of miles with just a thought, leaving him with nowhere to escape.

In other words, the Cloud Arena has a limited range; otherwise, none of the contestants on the field would have been able to catch him.

On the platform where the Ji family of Tianshui was located, a slender figure transformed into a golden light and landed opposite Song Changsheng. Beside him was a puppet that was a hundred feet tall. This puppet was made primarily from the body of a demon king-level Six-Armed Demon Ape.

His hair was like steel needles, each hair distinct, and his scarlet eyes gleamed with a chilling light, giving him an immense sense of oppression.

Unlike the coldness of ordinary puppets, this puppet is not inanimate; it retains a certain degree of intelligence.

This reminded Song Changsheng of a relatively ancient method of puppet making, namely "living puppet".

As the name suggests, it involves putting a living being into a furnace for refining before it dies, and ensuring that the living being's soul will not dissipate due to excessive pain during the refining process.

Puppets created in this way can retain most of their memories from their previous life and possess a certain degree of intelligence, making them more flexible and versatile.

The power it can unleash will be several times greater than that of an ordinary puppet.

This method of refining was so cruel that it was banned for a period of time, and anyone found doing so would be treated as a heretic.

Later, things became much more lenient. As long as living people weren't used for the refining process, most people turned a blind eye.

Sometimes, the line between the so-called righteous path and the evil path is so thin that it can be easily crossed.

The Ji family of Tianshui has always insisted on using only demonic beasts for refining, which is considered very upright in today's world.

More than a hundred years later, as he once again stepped onto the stage that everyone was watching, a long-lost passion gradually welled up in Song Changsheng's heart.

Back then, he rose to fame in the Dingyuan City arena, making a powerful announcement of his arrival to the entire cultivation world of the Great Qi.

At that time, both he and the Song family were just getting started.

A century has passed in the blink of an eye.

Today, the Song family has become a true Golden Core family, expanding from that corner of Lingzhou into a much wider world.

And he stepped onto the bigger stage of the Five Academies Conference. Whether he could make the name of the Song family of Wangyue resound throughout the southwest depends on this move.

"[Wangyue Song Clan], Song Changsheng!"

"【Ji Family of Tianshui】, Ji Bingxiu!"

The two bowed to each other, and in the instant their eyes met, Song Changsheng's figure had already disappeared.

"Such speed!" Ji Bingxiu's heart skipped a beat. His ears twitched slightly, and he instinctively slashed his sword behind him, the sharp sword energy sweeping through the air.

"It didn't work out."

Missing his target, Ji Bingxiu was instantly ejected thousands of feet away.

At the same time, the towering six-armed demonic ape puppet, standing a hundred feet tall, pounded its chest with its arms and roared violently to the sky. The surrounding space rippled like lake water ruffled by a gentle breeze, spreading outwards in all directions.

"【Ape's Howl Demonic Sound】..." Song Changsheng, hidden in the space, frowned slightly. The demonic sound entered his ears, and he felt a stinging pain in his soul.

If the Six-Armed Demon Ape had used this innate ability while still alive, it would have posed some threat to him. However, after being refined into a puppet, the threat level dropped dramatically.

However, Ji Bingxiu's purpose was to observe the changes in the spatial ripples in order to force out his location.

If it were an ordinary person, he might have succeeded, but Song Changsheng's self-developed "illusion" supernatural power can perfectly counter this move.

His figure moved through the void like a ghost, silently bypassing the [Six-Armed Demon Ape] blocking his way, and appeared above Ji Bingxiu.

"Great Divine Power [Mountain-Turning Seal]"

A phantom seal condensed in his palm, with magnificent landscapes appearing one after another, before crashing down on Ji Bingxiu's head.

"It's here."

He had not sensed the slightest aura before Song Changsheng made his move.

In the nick of time, Ji Bingxiu made a hand seal, and a brilliant golden light burst forth from his fingertips.

"Great Divine Power [Star-Shattering Finger]"

The illusory sword finger collided violently with the great seal in the air, bursting forth with dazzling light and sending shockwaves visible to the naked eye sweeping in all directions.

The sword pointed directly at the surface, piercing through the entire seal. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the seal's surface before disintegrating into specks of spiritual light.

"Boom boom boom"

The Six-Armed Demon Ape puppet quickly returned to the rescue, its enormous feet striking the void with a thunderous sound like drums.

He traversed a thousand-foot distance in just a few steps, unleashing a punch that compressed the surrounding spiritual energy to its limit, producing a deafening explosion.

Without turning his head, Song Changsheng threw a punch. Although the two were worlds apart in size, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, his seemingly not-so-strong body unleashed unimaginable and astonishing power.

"Boom"

The ultimate power of the [Law of Power] was revealed. The puppet body, which had been forged with various rare materials and tempered over a thousand times, staggered under this punch. The huge ape paw instantly exploded, and the cracks spread from the severed hand through the arm to the chest before stopping, a shocking sight.

"How is this possible!" Ji Bingxiu's eyes widened in anger. He had exhausted all his savings and relied on the support provided by his clan to successfully refine this mid-grade fourth-order puppet.

With the blessing of various precious spiritual materials, the power that this puppet can exert is in no way inferior to that of a body refiner in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

In their first encounter, Song Changsheng shattered one of Song Changsheng's arms. Is this really the power that humans can possess?

Not only was Ji Bingxiu startled, but the cultivators watching from below also couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"Isn't this person cultivating the Yin-Yang Law? How can his power be so exaggerated? Is the information wrong?" An elder of the Ji clan flipped through the jade slip in his hand with an incredulous expression, trying to find the answer.

“This person’s [Spatial Law] and [Law of Force] have both reached the Great Perfection realm, so how could his main cultivation of [Yin Yang Law] be too bad? Xiu’er’s situation is somewhat dangerous.” The old woman leading the [Tianshui Ji Clan] said in a deep voice.

"Three perfected laws of enlightenment, where did the Myriad Manifestations Palace find such a prodigy? [Wangyue Song Clan], could he be a genius from some hidden great clan?"

The name "Wangyue Songshi" was completely unfamiliar to most of the people present, and had never appeared in their memories before.

Therefore, it is not surprising that they would raise such questions. After all, it is indeed difficult for them to connect all of this with a family that has only existed for less than a thousand years.

Song Changsheng stood on the void, his black hair dancing wildly behind his head, his eyes brimming with the purest fighting spirit.

After landing a successful blow, he didn't pause or hesitate at all. He flipped his hand and summoned the crimson-bladed [Jinghong Sword]. The speed was so fast that it left a series of afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he unleashed a hundred sword strikes, and the air was instantly filled with sharp and dazzling sword light.

His target was no longer the intuitive Ji Bingxiu, but the six-armed demonic ape puppet that had lost an arm.

Losing an arm of a puppet may not change the overall situation, but for a puppeteer, the puppet is their right and left arm.

What Song Changsheng needs to do now is to cripple Ji Bingxiu!
"Roar……"

The puppet felt no pain or fear. Even though Song Changsheng had destroyed one of its arms with a single punch, it still roared and charged at the enemy.

Ji Bingxiu instantly understood Song Changsheng's intentions, transformed into golden light, and unleashed a speed comparable to Song Changsheng's in a short period of time.

The long sword in his hand gleamed coldly, and all the magic power in his body converged into it through his meridians. The golden core located in his dantian frantically absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy. With a sudden swing, he unleashed a shocking blade of light.

The sword energy in the air was instantly swept away, but the blade's momentum remained undiminished, slashing towards Song Changsheng's head.

On the other side, the Six-Armed Demon Ape puppet also arrived with the blade's edge.

Song Changsheng's face was as calm as a still lake, his heart undisturbed, his sword aura permeated the air, and a shocking sword intent was brewing in his chest.

As if sensing its master's current state of mind, the [Jinghong Sword] trembled violently, and its resounding clang echoed through the heavens.

Song Changsheng's fingertips gently brushed across the crimson sword blade, the [Law of Slaughter] coiling around it, the dense aura of bloodlust making the crimson blade of the [Surprising Sword] even more intensely red.

A soft shout rang out: "The sword flashes like a startled swan!"

"scoff"

A torrent of sword energy surged forth, and a crimson sword energy a thousand feet long burst forth, as if to cleave the entire world in two.

This sword strike embodies Song Changsheng's entire understanding of the way of the sword.

Every swordsman in the world is constantly pushing their own limits.

Swordsmanship was not Song Changsheng's specialty, nor did he possess Song Qingxing's unwavering dedication to the sword. Yet, he forged a unique swordsmanship unlike any other. This swordsmanship contained countless variations, encompassing everything, and he named it "Boundless"!
【Boundless Sword】 and 【Boundless Path】 complement each other.

This sword strike is boundless!

The blade's edge shattered upon contact, cleanly severing the three left arms of the [Six-Armed Demon Ape] puppet, leaving a startling sword wound on its chest.

If it weren't for the puppet body forged through countless trials, an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator would probably have been killed on the spot.

Ji Bingxiu's eyes showed a look of horror.

What kind of opponent am I facing?
Just as Song Changsheng drew his sword, he seemed to see a huge cloud of auspicious laws unfold before his eyes. The tangible sword struck the Six-Armed Demon Ape puppet, while the intangible sword struck his Dao heart directly, almost causing him to lose his composure.

"That's... Master Jianxin's [Heart Sword Path]!" From the spectator stands, Cai Die covered her red lips and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Swords can be divided into tangible swords and intangible swords.

Among them, Kenshin's "Heart Sword Path" is the representative of an invisible sword, which is specifically designed to cut through a cultivator's Dao heart, making it extremely difficult to defend against.

Over the years, Jianxin has taught the Way of the Heart Sword to many people, but most of them have not gained much. Even her disciples have only practiced the physical sword. However, Song Changsheng, who had little interaction with her, has actually grasped the essence of it and perfectly integrated it into his own swordsmanship.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Boundless Sword, or rather the Boundless Way: it can absorb the strengths of all schools and use them for its own purposes!

Taking advantage of Ji Bingxiu's wavering resolve, Song Changsheng directly threw out the [Jinghong Sword] in his hand.

The [Surprising Sword] transformed into a streak of red light, transcending the barriers of space and piercing directly through the head of the [Six-Armed Demon Ape] puppet. Along with the wisp of remnant soul sealed within it being annihilated by the sword energy, this rare mid-grade fourth-tier living puppet was completely reduced to an inanimate object.

"puff"

Ji Bingxiu opened his mouth and spat out a puff of warm blood mist. His face was as pale as paper, and his breath plummeted.

High-level puppets are different from low-level puppets that can be mass-produced. Each one is infused with the puppeteer's heart and soul, and destroying a puppet is tantamount to losing an arm.

Before he took the stage, he never imagined that the puppet he had spent a fortune to create and was so proud of would become his biggest weakness.

Or rather, he hadn't expected Song Changsheng to be so strong. At this moment, he even felt that Song Changsheng possessed the strength to fight against the young patriarch of the family and the holy son of the Beast Taming Sect.

Ji Bingxiu's condition was heartbreaking for the cultivators of the Tianshui Ji Clan. They had thought they were facing an unknown opponent and could secure a spot in the qualifying rounds in advance, but they never expected to end up in this situation.

"Ling Xiao is already a dragon among men, yet the Myriad Manifestations Palace still has such a powerful opponent."

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the old woman Ji. She knew that Ji Bingxiu should make a choice!
In fact, Ji Bingxiu had indeed made a choice.

The moment the Six-Armed Demon Ape puppet was destroyed, he knew he was no match for the person before him, and his elimination was inevitable.

But he still has energy left!

Ji Bingxiu's eyes flashed with sternness. He held the precious sword horizontally in front of him, his fingertips tracing the sharp blade, leaving behind crimson blood.

The golden core in his dantian fell into the Purple Mansion Furnace, emitting bursts of roars. A powerful force was injected into his body, and the treasured sword in his hand shone with a dazzling and sharp light, its momentum even stronger than the previous strike.

"Burn the Golden Core's essence!"

The audience below erupted in uproar. Although the Five Academies Tournament was always brutal, it was rare for one side to burn their Golden Core essence in the very first match of the qualifying rounds.

Unfortunately, his opponent is still in peak form.

Ji Bingxiu's purpose in doing this is quite clear: he wants to do everything in his power to severely injure Song Changsheng and create an opportunity for the subsequent competition.

In any case, the Ji family of Tianshui had enough resources to help him make up for his losses, so he was fearless.

While this approach may not be honorable, it can significantly increase the win rate, making it well worth it!

"Song Changsheng, I'm sorry!"

With a long howl, Ji Bingxiu swung his sword with all his might.

"buzz"

Wherever the blade's energy passed, the space itself couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Song Changsheng's robes fluttered in the wind, but his expression remained as calm as ever in the face of this supreme sword strike.

"Great Divine Power [One Finger to Dust]"

With a flick of his finger, the space in front of him was frozen by an invisible force, and the blade energy was also frozen in place.

But this strike was ultimately delivered with all of Ji Bingxiu's might.

It froze for only a moment, then the surrounding space crackled with a series of sharp sounds, finally breaking free of its restraints and slashing towards Song Changsheng.

A slight ripple finally appeared on Song Changsheng's usually impassive face.

Since breaking through to the Golden Core stage, there have been very few opponents in the same realm who can fight him to this extent.

"Chaos is divided into Yin and Yang, and a single line opens up the universe."

Song Changsheng, his blue robes fluttering, calmly swung his sword.

Ji Bingxiu felt as if a chaotic world of black and white was reflected before his eyes. A bright sword light suddenly appeared from afar, splitting this area in two, making it clearly black and white.

He stared in awe at the sword strike, which seemed to "create the world," then felt a momentary dizziness, and his body uncontrollably plummeted into the boundless black abyss below...

The old woman from the Ji family leaped up and steadily caught the unconscious Ji Bingxiu as he fell, landing him on the platform.

Looking up at the figure in green robes carrying a sword, his deeply lined face showed a rather unpleasant expression.

She wasn't entirely confident she could withstand Ji Bingxiu's final strike, yet Song Changsheng caught it unscathed.

At this moment, she was certain that this was a top prodigy capable of fighting the young clan leader!

"You flatter me!" Song Changsheng, in the air, bowed slightly to the platform where the Ji family of Tianshui was located. His voice was clear and calm, without a trace of mockery or arrogance from winning the competition.

"In the first match of the qualifying round, Song Changsheng from the Wanxiang Palace branch wins!" True Monarch Yingyue announced the result at just the right moment, her gaze towards Song Changsheng revealing no concealment of her admiration.

Song Changsheng bowed from afar, then lightly landed on the platform of the Wanxiang Palace.

"Fellow Daoists, I, Song, have been fortunate to fulfill my mission."

"Um... what are you doing..."

Song Changsheng felt that everyone was looking at him strangely.

"Fellow Daoist Zixu, you truly are a force to be reckoned with when you make a move, and your victory was truly decisive and swift," Ji Shinian remarked with admiration. Even he himself might not have been as adept at handling that final strike as Song Changsheng.

"How did you manage that last sword strike?" Cai Die's beautiful eyes gleamed with a strange light, a mixture of surprise and anticipation.

"This is a sword technique that I mastered by chance, and this is the first time I've used it. It's a bit beyond my expectations." Song Changsheng didn't hide this fact, but the result was not unexpected. After all, in that situation, a slight mistake could have resulted in serious injury, and he dared not do anything he wasn't confident about.

He knew from the beginning that the power of this sword would be extremely strong, and he hadn't planned to reveal it so early. However, Ji Bingxiu's final strike did pose a significant threat to him, so this was the safest course of action.

However, this sword strike was somewhat special, and it was difficult to discern its subtleties from merely observing it from the sidelines.

"Fellow Daoist, your final sword strike must have incorporated a special artistic conception. Am I right?" Baili Yuntu, who was usually taciturn, suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng glanced at him with some surprise. If Ji Bingxiu had said this, he wouldn't have been surprised, after all, he had fully demonstrated the essence of creating a world of laws from scratch to Ji Bingxiu. (See Chapter 108 of this volume for details)
However, Baili Yuntu, as an observer, was not enveloped by that artistic conception, yet he was able to perceive its mystery, which was truly extraordinary.

This person's skill in swordsmanship exceeded his expectations.

"Fellow Daoist has discerning eyes; it truly incorporates a certain artistic conception."

Upon hearing his admission, a glint of light flashed in Baili Yuntu's eyes, and his gaze toward Song Changsheng was filled with intense fighting spirit.

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he might have directly challenged Song Changsheng.

"Did you notice, Uncle-Master?" Cai Die secretly asked Ling Xiao telepathically.

Ling Xiao shook his head slightly and said, "At that time, I only felt a sharp sword aura flash by, and that was it."

"Why didn't I notice anything?" Cai Die was even more surprised and turned her gaze to Gu Xueying, who also shook her head at her.

Seeing this, Cai Die looked at Song Changsheng's retreating figure and murmured softly, "Could such a prodigy really be cultivated in a barren place like the Great Qi?"

In fact, many people share the same question as Cai Die, after all, Song Changsheng's performance was simply too outstanding.

Ji Bingxiu was no ordinary person either. His full-force attack, unleashed by burning his own Golden Core essence, would have forced even a Golden Core Perfection cultivator to temporarily retreat, but Song Changsheng easily neutralized it.

"Fellow Daoist Longxiang, what kind of immortal mountain is this [Moon Gazing]? Why have I never heard of it before?" True Monarch Qianlian asked True Monarch Longxiang, puzzled.

He was quite learned and had traveled to most of the cultivation world, but he had never heard of the name "Wangyue Song Clan".

"Could it be that you've discovered some long-hidden, powerful clan?" True Monarch Tianpeng was equally curious about Song Changsheng's background.

Upon hearing these words, Dragon Elephant True Lord couldn't help but laugh heartily and said, "Finding this kid is indeed not easy."

However, they weren't some reclusive, powerful clan; they were merely a Golden Core family located on the banks of the Canglan River.

"The only clan capable of producing such a prodigy must be a powerful Golden Core clan with a deep foundation. However, the banks of the Canglan River are all barren lands. I once traveled there and saw that there were only a handful of clans with a deep foundation. Why don't I remember the name 'Wangyue Song Clan'?"
"Could it be a Golden Core family that has risen to prominence in the last five hundred years?" True Monarch Tianpeng asked in confusion.

"Fellow Daoist has finally said something right. The Song Clan of Wangyue has indeed only risen to prominence in recent years."

But that's not entirely true, because their rise to power has only occurred in the last few decades. This young man is the patriarch of the Song clan, the family's first Golden Core cultivator. "Dragon Elephant True Monarch's words were full of emotion. He too came from a small family, but was fortunate enough to join the Myriad Elephant Palace.

He knew all too well how difficult it had been for Song Changsheng to get to where he was today.

The True Lords present were stunned for a moment upon hearing this. They had thought that True Lord Longxiang's mention of a "small clan" was just a humble way of putting it, but they hadn't expected it to be so small as to be almost insignificant.

In their eyes, a family that has only produced one Golden Core cultivator is not even a Golden Core family. Their ability to withstand risks is too poor, and their lineage could be broken at any time.

Throughout their long lives, they must have witnessed countless small families perish like this.

Song Changsheng was actually born into such a family, and was even the patriarch?

If these words hadn't come from the mouth of True Lord Dragon Elephant, they truly wouldn't have believed it, and their gazes towards Song Changsheng became even more solemn.

Such a person cannot be judged simply by the level of their cultivation.

This is a formidable opponent that everyone must treat with utmost caution!
……

P.S.: Here comes the 7,000-word chapter! Sorry to keep you all waiting. I still owe 4,000 words, I'll try to make up for it all tomorrow!! (End of Chapter)