Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Zhuang Yuechan frowned slightly and took a step back imperceptibly.

The scene before her suddenly changed drastically. In a world filled with blood, Yu Shu, carrying a three-foot-long sword, fought her way out of the demon's lair, leaving a trail of blood with each step, and corpses scattered all around her.

Among these people were her master, her comrades, and her nominal "master".

A lowly furnace, through a chance encounter with a precious sword, slaughtered everyone and personally beheaded them, piling their heads into a mound of skulls.

The scene unfolding before her eyes seemed no different from what Zhuang Yuechan had done, except that in the end, Yu Shu did not receive her salvation; she fought her way out step by step through her own strength.

The seeds of inner demons were sown at this time, which also created her abnormal and twisted psychology.

She is a proud person at heart, and she simply cannot accept such a shameful past.

Although these flaws were gradually concealed by time as her cultivation level increased, the cracks always remained, only buried deeper. They were so deep that even after overcoming the Great Tribulation of the Heart Demon, the inner demons could not be completely eradicated, and they finally erupted when she broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.

If one hadn't witnessed it firsthand, perhaps no one would believe that the legendary Jade Dew True Lord, who roamed the four corners of the world thousands of years ago, had such a past.

A feeling of pity welled up in Zhuang Yuechan's heart.

From a mere furnace to a Nascent Soul True Monarch who dominates the cultivation world, she only took a few hundred years, which is enough to prove her extraordinary talent.

If it weren't for this painful and dark memory, with her talent, she might have already become a renowned Divine Transformation Supreme among all races.

Unfortunately, she never received that salvation.

If someone had actually rescued her from her suffering during her time of crisis, perhaps things would have been different.

Zhuang Yuechan slowly walked forward to Yu Shu's side, who was covered in blood. She helped her place the last head on top of the Jingguan (a mound of skulls) and said softly, "I have seen all the suffering you have endured. I understand your resentment and grievances because I am you, and I can completely empathize with you."

You did nothing wrong, and these experiences should not become mental demons or shackles that imprison you.

Let bygones be bygones; stop torturing yourself.

Only by letting go of your own conscience can you achieve true liberation. Let us embrace a brighter tomorrow together.

You are me, and I am you.

She reached out and pulled Yu Shu into her arms.

At first, Yu Shu, who was filled with murderous intent, was somewhat resistant, but gradually, as if infected by this warm embrace, she became more and more calm. The blood on her body and the redness in her eyes gradually faded, and she nestled obediently in Zhuang Yuechan's arms, with tear stains still remaining at the corners of her eyes.

"Although you're late, thank you anyway."

Yu Shu lifted her head from her embrace and revealed a bright smile.

Zhuang Yuechan was stunned when she saw it.

Throughout Yu Shu Zhenjun's long memories spanning over a thousand years, she always appeared aloof and unapproachable. She had shown moments of tears, numbness, coldness, and ruthlessness... but never a smile.

This was probably the first and only time he smiled.

Unfortunately, the Yu Shu before us is merely a wisp of obsession entangled with her inner demons.

"It's so warm, is the sun out...?" Yu Shu's voice revealed an unprecedented relaxation, like a lazy kitten.

Before Zhuang Yuechan could answer, Yu Shu in her arms transformed into a ball of fluorescent light and merged with her.

The crimson color in the world before her eyes vanished rapidly, and a memory that didn't originally exist seemed to have appeared in her mind.

It was Yu Shu's smile.

It turns out that during those long years, spanning a thousand years, Yu Shu had indeed smiled, just as she had just seen.

After regaining her freedom, she collapsed not far after forcibly activating the Jade Cleansing Sword, which consumed too much of her life essence.

A kind couple happened to pass by and helped her.

The couple were independent cultivators with Foundation Establishment cultivation. Although they had doubts about her origins, they did not give up on her. Instead, they healed her injuries.

They spent several months together, which was only a tiny, insignificant segment in Yu Shu's long life, but its significance was extraordinary. It was the most relaxed and happy period of her life.

For the first time, I experienced freedom and respect.

It was also the first time I learned to express my emotions with a "laugh".

Unfortunately, the couple perished in a period of turmoil. After burying their mutilated remains, Yu Shu began a long period of wandering.

Having witnessed too much ugliness, the door to her heart, which she had just opened, was slammed shut again, and a smile never appeared on her face again.

Later, she became known as the ruthless and cold-blooded Jade Dew True Lord.

Yu Shu is not her pen name, but her given name, a name given to her by that kind couple.

Before that, she was called Kun Shiwu.

Representing the fifteenth furnace cauldron of the Kun character room...

Inside the Cloud Palace, a single tear involuntarily rolled down Zhuang Yuechan's cheek.

For a moment, she was in a daze, unsure whether the tear belonged to her or to the part of the Jade Dew True Monarch within her body.

Overall, she could empathize with what Yu Shu Zhenjun had gone through. Although they had become one, she was certain that she was still herself, only that some changes had occurred.

Moreover, she could clearly feel that the obsession that had been hidden deep in her heart had dissipated with this single tear.

The dissipation of her obsession meant that the biggest obstacle in her life—the "inner demon"—had been removed, and Jade Deity had become a thing of the past.

Zhuang Yuechan took out the [Golden Core], put it in her mouth, wrapped it with her magic power, and then began to exert all her strength to break through to a higher realm!
……

She has entered the final stage of her breakthrough, while Song Xianming, who began his seclusion with her, is still in the stage of self-exploration.

He doesn't need to face the tribulation of inner demons, and his own foundation is solid enough, but there is still a difficult hurdle in front of him, which is the Dao heart.

He once had a broken heart and spent the most important hundred years of his life in a daze.

Although the responsibilities of his family later helped him reshape his Dao heart, he has not yet experienced any challenges, and no one can say for sure what will happen.

The Golden Core Tribulation prioritizes the Dao Heart, as evidenced by the declaration made by Song Changsheng when he broke through.

Understand your own heart, and you will see the Great Way.

Without a steadfast Dao heart, even if your physical body withstands the bombardment of heavenly lightning, your heart may not be able to endure it.

In a sense, he was a failure, or at least he once was. Can his resolve truly withstand the test?
All of this is unknown, so he needs to proceed more cautiously and be better prepared.

Under the tribulation of the Golden Core, failure is highly likely to turn you to ashes, and even the [Golden Core Formation] stage may not be able to save you.

Therefore, no matter how much preparation is done beforehand, one must gamble with one's own life and be extremely cautious.

To his relief, the Song family is now thriving with Song Changsheng in charge, and even if he fails to break through, it will not affect the continuation of the family.

This not only greatly reduced the pressure he faced, but also eliminated the need for him to take drastic measures to save time, which indirectly increased his success rate.

Back then, he had no one to back him up, and the threat of the Lieyang Sect was imminent. At this critical juncture, he had no choice but to take a risky approach and choose a rather reckless method, so the outcome was naturally not good.

His current situation is completely different from what he faced back then. Although breaking through to the Golden Core stage is ten times or even a hundred times more difficult than breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage, he feels relaxed because he has no psychological burden at all.

If they succeed, he will continue to accompany the Song family on their journey; if not, they will return to dust, for he has no regrets.

The five elements of Daoist energy within his body gradually condensed, and his every breath seemed to carry a peculiar rhythm.

In this relaxed state of mind, Song Xianming's cultivation efficiency actually improved significantly, and his understanding of the Five Elements Laws unknowingly reached the "initial comprehension" level.

It took much less time than expected.

Song Xianming appeared increasingly calm and composed, steadily advancing his cultivation pace.

Everyone is making the same effort at the same time.

Wu Jie's physical reshaping has reached the final stage, and Song Changsheng's divine soul avatar is about to achieve a true Yin body, taking another step closer to the return of Yin to Yang.

Far north of the Tianshan Mountains, Song Qingxing, on his path of trials, finally found the floating island where Bai Zhengchun had perished, thanks to the map given to him by Li Yuxia.

It was an extremely ordinary floating island with scarce resources. Its only notable feature was that its spiritual energy was much denser than that of the surrounding islands.

This was also the main reason why Bai Zhengchun and Li Yuxia chose to stay on this island.

In the center of the island lies a large lake, which occupies most of the island's area. The lake water was originally very clear, and when Li Yuxia and his companions first arrived, it looked like a dazzling gem embedded in the island.

But now, the lake water has long been stained with blood, becoming filthy and unbearable. The colorful light from the sky shines down, which, combined with the deep, dark background below, makes it look particularly eerie.

According to Li Yuxia's description, dozens of people participated in the battle on this island at the same time, and at least half of them perished.

Each and every one of them is a veteran cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm.

He was initially worried that Bai Zhengchun's remains would be damaged, but he was surprised to find that there were more than twenty neat mounds of earth standing by the lake.

It turns out that someone buried all the cultivators who had perished back then.

In front of each earthen grave stood a monument with the identity tag of the person buried there. Song Qingxing found Bai Zhengchun's grave with just a casual glance.

Upon reaching the tombstone and confirming the accuracy of his identity badge, he bowed slightly and said, "This junior, Song Qingxing of the Wangyue Song Clan, has come to respectfully invite you back home on the orders of the clan patriarch, Master Zixu!"

"excuse me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gently waved his sleeve, and amidst the flying sand and dust, the body beneath the grave was revealed.

He had met Bai Zhengchun several times and immediately recognized the body.

Although several decades have passed, he was, after all, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm during his lifetime, and apart from being somewhat shriveled, his body had not yet begun to decompose.

He had dozens of wounds, large and small, on his body. His right arm was gone. The longest wound was on the front, stretching from his left shoulder to his lower right abdomen, less than half an inch from his heart.

This was not the fatal wound. There were two real fatal wounds. One was on his chest, where there was a palm print half an inch deep where his heart was. This palm print directly shattered his heart.

There was another wound between his eyebrows, a hole the size of a copper coin that pierced through his skull, likely caused by some kind of hidden weapon.

This blow shattered his soul; it was the decisive blow.

There was hardly a single intact spot on his entire body.

The once-renowned Blood-Clad Asura ended up lying in this small pit, which even Song Qingxing couldn't help but feel a little sad.

The injuries on his body showed just how brutal that battle had been.

Knowing that he was doomed under these circumstances, he still chose to stay behind alone to face a host of powerful enemies. His courage is truly admirable.

After bowing again, Song Qingxing went into the forest to cut down a large tree, made a coffin for him, and brought it out, placing it in a storage bag for safekeeping.

With that, his first goal was achieved.

The next step is to find the so-called fate dice.

Those dice are the tickets to the Five Elements Trial Grounds; they are essential for passing the trials.

However, even now, after traveling to so many places, he has not found any trace of the dice, nor has he experienced the feeling that Li Yuxia described to him.

In other words, the die has not yet appeared.

More than twenty years have passed since he participated in the trial. The entire trial cycle is at most a 60-year cycle, and now a third of it has passed, yet there is still no clue about the dice. It is truly strange.

According to Li Yuxia, they had only been on the path of trials for a little over a decade when they found the dice.

Therefore, it seems that the dice do not have a fixed time to appear, but rather there must be some specific preconditions.

"It seems that not enough people have died."

Li Yuxia had long suspected that the essence of the Trial Path was mutual killing, and once the killing reached a certain level, dice symbolizing tickets would randomly drop.

Since dice haven't appeared yet, there's only one explanation—not enough people have died.

Song Qingxing's gaze gradually sharpened. He had originally thought that there was no need for unnecessary slaughter before the dice were rolled, but now it seemed he was wrong.

Because he has strayed from the essence of this trial, which is killing!
He had already wasted enough time and didn't want to waste any more.

"Chong"

The Sword Without Trace was drawn, its cold light gleaming, radiating killing intent.

"Find them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the [Traceless Sword] transformed into a bright sword aura and shot through the air, with Song Qingxing following closely behind...

...(End of chapter)