Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

“Uncle…” A hint of concern appeared in Song Qingxi’s eyes.

"It doesn't matter."

Song Changsheng waved his hand, took a deep breath to suppress the overwhelming grief in his heart, picked up the jade slip that had fallen to his feet, gently wiped away the dirt on it, and ran his fingers over the familiar names, unable to say a word.

Beneath his seemingly calm exterior, his heart was bleeding.

Each and every one of these people is a meritorious member of the family.

For example, Song Changxuan is one of the oldest Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Song Clan, and he is an elder from the same era as him.

He had participated in all the battles, big and small, of the Song family over the years, and had hovered on the brink of death several times. This time, however, he was ultimately taken away by God.

Among his peers, Song Changxuan's spiritual root and Dao foundation were the best besides his own. His spiritual root was even better than his own. He was among the earliest batch of Purple Mansion seeds, but unexpectedly, he stopped before reaching the Purple Mansion stage.

Song Qingming was also a veteran of countless battles, always fighting on the front lines, but he fell during peacetime.

Song Changsheng also felt sorry for Song Youqing and Song Youdie.

The younger generation of the family was initially selected as two dragons and one tiger, shining brightly in the family competition. They were later recognized as seeds of the Purple Mansion realm, and he himself had high hopes for them. Unexpectedly, only Song Youping stood out, what a pity. (See Chapter 197 of Volume 5 for details)
He even thought the two of them had the potential to break through to the Golden Core stage, but life is unpredictable, and their passing was a huge loss for the Song family.

In addition, there are Song Changxiu, Song Qingshi, and others, who are powerful elders and heads of the first hall of the family. Their failure will have a greater impact on the Song family, as it means that the Song family's management will face a major reshuffle.

The only thing that gave him some comfort was that eleven people had successfully broken through, and the success rate was at least over 50%, which was much better than he had expected.

Moreover, the fact that Song Luzhou and Song Chang'an were both safe and sound brought him some comfort amidst his grief.

Song Luzhou is the only surviving member of the "Lu" generation of the Song family, except for those with other surnames. Song Chang'an is the oldest member of the "Chang" generation to date, and his only elder brother.

They were once "losers," but now they are winners.

Song Yulong has finally made it through the tough times. All those years of rebuilding and hard work have paid off, and he can now rest in peace with Song Luke.

All three of them, along with Song Changxue, had experienced failed breakthroughs, which shows that the opportunity to start over is indeed very important.

Carefully putting away the roster, Song Changsheng looked at Song Qingxi and said, "At all costs and with all available resources, we must do everything in our power to heal Qingdian and the others and help them get rid of their inner demons."

Song Qingxi quickly replied, "Based on previous experience, after giving them pills to expel their inner demons, we sealed them in the cold pool as quickly as possible and chanted Buddhist scriptures day and night."

After three years, their injuries have stabilized. We plan to refine the Soul Purification Pill once Master Wujie has reconstructed his physical body and regained his former alchemy skills, hoping to awaken them.

"Well, we can communicate with Master and the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce about this issue to see if there are any other better solutions."

How is Wu Jie doing lately?

"Master Wujie's body-shaping process went smoothly. He has now created a complete physical body. Only his facial features are still somewhat blurry. His absorption and conversion efficiency of spiritual energy has reached the level of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Based on the current progress, it should be completed in about thirty years.

"That's progressing quite fast. The family desperately needs a fourth-tier alchemy master to oversee things right now," Song Changsheng sighed softly.

True Golden Core clans not only need hard power, but also soft power such as the various arts of cultivation; otherwise, they will be subject to others.

In terms of array formations and weapon crafting, his expertise ranks among the top in the entire border region.

However, these two are not essential and are not frequently needed. Pills are different. Regardless of the cultivator's level, cultivation cannot be separated from the assistance of pills. They are also disposable items with extremely high demand.

Relying entirely on external supplies is a very dangerous thing.

He's the only Golden Core cultivator in the Song family right now. What about the future?

The Song family must train its own fourth-level alchemists.

Before reaching the fourth tier, one can slowly build up proficiency, but this method is not enough to overcome the hurdle of the fourth tier.

To cultivate a fourth-level alchemy master, the right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable.

Song Luzhou and Song Qingqing have only just broken through to the Purple Mansion stage, and are still a very long way from the fourth stage. Moreover, given their aptitude in alchemy, the possibility is not high.

In summary, Wu Jie is the Song family's only hope at present.

"Is something on your mind?" Song Changsheng suddenly asked.

From the moment she appeared in front of him, he could tell that Song Qingxi was hiding something.

Others might not be able to tell, but Song Qingxi was someone he had raised himself, and her emotions could never be hidden from him.

Song Qingxi hesitated for a moment before speaking: "According to the latest statistics, the number of cultivators in our family is about to exceed 10,000. Among them, cultivators with four spiritual roots account for more than 60%, and cultivators with five spiritual roots account for more than 30%. Compared with the Golden Crow Sect, the Heavenly Vein Sect, and even the Sunset City, the gap is huge, and the proportion is seriously unbalanced."

This number will continue to increase with each annual Ascension Ceremony, with at least a thousand more people joining every ten years.

In the future, this number may double.

If this continues, it will definitely be a major problem for the family, so I think…

Song Changsheng picked up the conversation directly, saying, "So you want to raise the bar for cultivation and strive for perfection?"

“That’s right. I think we should follow the example of the Golden Crow Sect and directly abandon cultivators with mixed spiritual roots, and reduce the number of cultivators with five spiritual roots.”

In addition, there are no longer any restrictions on women from the family marrying outside the family.

Furthermore, the time restrictions on family cultivators going out for training should be relaxed. Song Qingxi mustered up her courage and voiced her thoughts.

The measures to encourage childbirth and prohibit women from marrying out of the family were all personally formulated by Song Changsheng. What she is going to do in the future is actually a challenge to Song Changsheng's authority.

In her heart, Song Changsheng was like a father, the person she respected most in her life, and an insurmountable mountain.

It took immense courage for her to say those words to his face.

"Go ahead and do it if you want to. You are now acting as the clan chief. Trust those you employ and don't employ those you don't trust."

Since I have entrusted the family to you, I naturally have absolute trust in you. As long as your decisions do not cause significant and irreversible damage to the family, I will do my best to support you.

"Whether it's reform or personnel appointments, go ahead and implement them to the fullest; the future of the family belongs to you."

At this point, Song Changsheng stood up, walked to Song Qingxi, looked into her eyes, and smiled faintly, saying, "What, do you think I would stop you?"
It seems you still don't know me very well.

These are indeed good suggestions I made, but times have changed. Back then, our family suffered heavy casualties in several bloody battles, leaving many vacancies and an urgent need for manpower replenishment.

Therefore, I forbid women of my family from marrying outside the family, encourage childbirth, and recruit monks from other clans.

These measures proved to be very effective, and the family grew more than tenfold in just over a hundred years, from a few hundred people at the beginning.

However, times change, and policies need to be adjusted according to the specific circumstances of each family. When I formulated these strategies, I foresaw this current situation.

Therefore, even if you don't swing this sword, I will swing it after I come out of seclusion; it's just a matter of time.

Although I also wish every member of the clan could embark on the path of immortality, reality does not allow it. The Song clan is no longer the nameless clan it once was.

Some things must be done, but different implementation processes will lead to different results.

The family hasn't reached the point where change is absolutely necessary, so the speed at which this strike is delivered can be slowed down slightly.

Some things can be balanced.

Don't take a one-size-fits-all approach; consider the feelings of the people in your community.

In matters of cultivation, their personal wishes should still be respected.

Those who are unwilling to participate in the conflicts of the cultivation world will be rewarded and allowed to live a peaceful and wealthy life in the mortal world.

Those who are willing to embark on the path of immortality but have not met the established standards can be guided by their families. Whether they become independent cultivators or join other forces in the future, it is always a way out.

This should lessen their resentment considerably.

In fact, the reason why many people yearn for it is simply because they do not understand the cruelty of the cultivation world. Once this point is made clear, most parents would probably still prefer to keep their children by their side.

Therefore, before implementing reforms, it is necessary to first address their ideological concerns.

As for marrying out of the family, it is also in accordance with the woman's personal wishes.

I imagine that in the cultivation world of the Great Qi, there are few who would dare to bully the women of the Song family.

As for the restrictions on cultivators going out for training, they do indeed need to be lifted. I had already considered this point when I was in the East Sea, and I am glad that you realize it.

However, before the restrictions are relaxed, the new identity badges must be distributed in place.

Even if the sons of the Song family die, they should die knowing the truth and give their parents a clear explanation.

Those who deserve to be punished should not be let off the hook.

"Go for it, I support all your decisions." Song Changsheng's tone was full of encouragement.

Encouraged by this, Song Qingxi's initial trepidation subsided, and she nodded firmly, saying, "I know what to do now, and I will definitely not let you down."

After thinking it over, Song Changsheng decided to clear some obstacles for her. He took out his identity token from his waist and handed it to her, saying, "If the elders' council does not approve your decision, tell them that this is my decision. If you have any objections, come directly to Wutong Realm, and I will explain to them personally!"

"Thank you, Uncle." Song Qingxi accepted the waist token, a feeling of gratitude welling up in her heart.

By doing this, Song Changsheng essentially drew all the firepower to himself.

She could easily say that this was all Song Changsheng's idea. With his prestige, not only would the Elders' Council approve it unanimously, but the resistance from the mortal world would also be greatly reduced.

Even if there are criticisms, they are directed at him.

She faces almost no pressure.

"I hope to hear good news from you in the next decade. Go for it, go for it."

"As ordered."

Watching Song Qingxi leave, Song Changsheng gradually suppressed his smile, let out a muffled groan, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He quickly sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing, suppressing the surging emotions within him.

Emotions don't disappear; they are only suppressed.

But when emotions are suppressed to the extreme, they will eventually explode.

He just didn't want to show his vulnerable side to the younger generation.

After adjusting himself, Song Changsheng took out the [Extreme Yang Heavenly Crystal] and the [Tears of Moonlight].

If all goes well, refining these two spiritual objects will allow him to advance his Yin-Yang Law to the level of "Tao".

[Yin-Yang Law] As the trunk of the giant tree of laws, it needs to supply "nutrients" to all branches. However, as the trunk, it is obviously not thick enough. There are even several branches that are not much different from it. It must go further and stand out from the crowd.

Song Changsheng grasped the [Extreme Yang Heavenly Crystal] in his right hand, opened his mouth and swallowed the [Tears of Moonlight] into his stomach, and the extreme yin and extreme yang suddenly intertwined.

"The power of Yin and Yang lies within it."

……

With Song Changsheng's support, Song Qingxi's steps were lighter than ever before.

After returning to Cangmang Peak, he began to write down specific reform plans and personnel allocation for each hall.

This wave of seclusion has dealt a devastating blow to the Song family's management. Several positions of senior elders are currently undecided. She originally wanted to take advantage of this meeting to consult Song Changsheng's opinion.

But now that the other party has told her to go ahead and do it, she can solve these problems herself.

The presiding elder is different from the other elders; each candidate must be carefully considered.

In fact, there aren't many options available. After all, according to the rules established by Song Changsheng, except for some special cases, only cultivators of the Purple Mansion level can participate in the future elder election.

There are currently eleven cultivators who have successfully broken through to the Purple Mansion stage, and the vacant positions of chief elders and governors in each hall will definitely be filled by one of them.

Determining who should manage domestic affairs and who should manage external affairs is also a major challenge.

Just as she was writing furiously, Kong Sang Xiruo, who had been asleep for many years, suddenly trembled slightly on her eyelashes, and a look of struggle appeared on her face, as if she had a nightmare and wanted to wake up but could not, but her breath was constantly recovering.

Meanwhile, in the far east, on a distant sea where humans had almost never set foot, beneath the surging blue waves, an exceptionally handsome middle-aged man suddenly awoke from a luxurious underwater palace.

Why do I suddenly feel uneasy?

A hint of doubt appeared in the middle-aged man's eyes. Given his current cultivation level, this situation shouldn't have occurred.

He felt as if he had lost something very important.

And now, he could feel the presence of this thing...

...(End of chapter)