Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"Have you made contact?"

Inside the General Affairs Hall of Tianlong Peak, Song Jiyuan paced back and forth anxiously, occasionally looking up to ask the steward waiting outside the door a question.

"Reporting to the clan leader, there has been no news from the East Sea, and all our communications have gone unanswered. All the spatial teleportation arrays have been shut down, and we have completely lost contact with the Tenglong Islands."

The elders in the clan are all speculating...

"Guess what?"

The deacon instinctively shrank his neck and said, "The elders all believe that the Tenglong Islands have already fallen."

Upon hearing this, Song Jiyuan slumped back into his chair, as the steward had expressed exactly what he was worried about.

From the moment Song Tianyuan's soul lamp went out, he knew this day would come.

The youngest Supreme Elder, tens of thousands of family cultivators, nearly ten million mortals, and over 70% of the clan's resources and industries were lost at the same time. Since its inception, the [Jinxiu Banner] had never suffered such a devastating defeat.

Even though the East China Sea Fleet was completely wiped out, the Tenglong Islands were still firmly in their hands.

This is also the key to their ability to quickly recover their strength.

Currently, apart from the clan elders who know the truth, most of the clan members are still kept in the dark. They only know that there is a war in Tenglong Islands and that the deputy clan leader, Song Zhexuan, has personally led people to reinforce them, but they do not know the specific details of the war. Their mentality is relatively optimistic, so there has been no turmoil within the clan.

Song Jiyuan dared not even imagine the upheaval that would ensue within the clan if the news of Song Tianyuan's demise and the complete severance of ties with the East Sea were to spread.

Those are tens of thousands of cultivators, all of whom are of the same bloodline and are on the same family tree. Who doesn't have a few close relatives in it?

As the clan leader, he was definitely the first to be purged, and his fate was even worse than Song Wuji's.

But what could he do? Didn't he want to support the Tenglong Islands?

The moment Song Zhexuan found him, he opened the treasure vault and let them choose freely, giving them all the resources he could use, except for those he wouldn't give to anyone.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give them the help, but he knew that the battle in Tenglong Islands was no longer something that could be resolved by sheer numbers. Without the intervention of Golden Core cultivators, defeat was almost inevitable, and sending more people would be like throwing good money after bad.

Unable to contact Song Minghuang, Song Daoling harbored ulterior motives and only wanted to protect himself.

In addition, they have made too many enemies over the years and have nowhere to turn for help. Even the Wanxiang Palace has tacitly agreed to let the Wangyue Song Clan replace them.

In this situation, even if he wanted to do something, he would be like a skilled cook without rice.

"Chieftain, the truth will eventually come out. Make a decision quickly."

Song Jiyuan's mind raced, and he said in a deep voice, "We must find a way to persuade the Myriad Manifestations Palace. Since there is no new news from the Soul Lamp Hall, the Tenglong Islands should not have completely fallen yet, and we still have a chance."

"We contacted Master Huaming a long time ago, and their reply was that someone would intervene. After saying that, they cut off all contact with us, and there has been no follow-up since. We can't get in touch with him either."

The steward's tone was full of worry. Hua Ming Zhenren's reply seemed like an excuse. If the Myriad Manifestations Palace really wanted to intervene, why would they wait until now?
Song Wuji, standing to the side, remained remarkably calm, sipping his fragrant tea as he said, "No matter how much they favor Song Changsheng, our clan is a vital line of defense against the sea race. If our East China Sea fleet is completely annihilated, who will fill the gap in the future?"

Thousand Blade City? The Vast Ocean Merchant Guild? Or perhaps the East Sea Alliance, a motley crew?

Do they even have the qualifications?

Since Wanxiang Palace said it would intervene, it certainly wasn't just empty talk. Perhaps it was just delayed by something else. Let's just wait and see.

They might have already intervened, but just haven't notified us yet.

The fall of the Heavenly Ancestor signifies the complete collapse of the Tenglong Islands' defenses. Logically, the East China Sea Fleet should have been annihilated long ago. The fact that the Soul Lamp Palace has not sent any news indicates that the casualties are still within acceptable limits, which means that the situation in the East China Sea has stabilized.

I've already sent someone to gather information; I expect to have results soon.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. It was Song Zheyan, the elder in charge of managing the family's soul lamps.

Before the person even arrived, an excited voice rang out: "Chieftain, good news, great news!"

In the past two hours, the casualties among the cultivators in the East China Sea have been decreasing at a visible rate. So far, less than 8,000 soul lamps have been completely extinguished. The main force of the East China Sea fleet is still intact, and very few clansmen have fallen.

In my old age, this is a sign that the war is completely over, and the Tenglong Islands are definitely safe!

After saying that, Song Zheyan slumped into the nearest seat with a sigh of relief.

He was under immense pressure during this period, watching helplessly as countless soul lamps went out, each one representing a living person.

Among them were many family elders, and even Song Tianyuan, the pillar of strength.

This scene directly evoked painful memories of when he was first assigned to the Soul Lamp Hall in his youth.

At that time, the East China Sea Fleet was completely wiped out, and tens of thousands of soul lamps in the Soul Lamp Hall went out in just a few days.

This almost became his inner demon. He thought history was going to repeat itself. Fortunately, things stabilized. Although the casualties were heavy, it was not unacceptable.

"Really?" Song Jiyuan was so excited he almost jumped up. Protecting the Tenglong Islands was equivalent to protecting himself. As long as the entire army wasn't wiped out, this ordeal was over.

"Could it be that the Palace of Myriad Manifestations has really intervened?"

"Whether it is or not, we will know when my people return. Quickly prepare a generous gift and make a personal trip later. We cannot break the rules."

Song Wuji was completely relaxed at this moment. He and Song Jiyuan were now in a relationship of mutual benefit and loss. If the other party was purged because of this matter, his fate would not be much better.

Just as he picked up the steaming hot tea and brought it to his lips, a figure rushed into the General Affairs Hall in a panic, shouting, "Something terrible has happened! Clan Chief, something terrible has happened!"

"Didn't I tell you to go and gather information? Why are you in such a panic? Has the situation changed?" Song Wuji frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

The scout took a deep breath and said, "Reporting to the clan leader, when I arrived, the battle was already over. The entire Black Scale Clan was wiped out, and the three invading demon kings were all killed."

"Really?" Song Jiyuan stood up excitedly, pacing back and forth in the hall, muttering to himself, "The Myriad Manifestations Palace really did intervene, that's wonderful, wonderful..."

Song Wuji, however, was not blinded by the good news. He looked at the scout with a strange expression and said, "Isn't this good news? Why are you so flustered?"

Upon hearing this, the scout immediately put on a mournful face and said, "Clan leader, it's not the Myriad Elephant Palace that's involved, it's the East Sea Alliance!"
The East Sea Alliance first used the two city lords of Luoxia City to lead the fleet and help our clan stabilize the situation. Then, Master Zixu and his wife personally joined the battle, jointly slaying three demon kings of the Black Scale Clan.

"Snapped"

Upon hearing this, Song Wuji smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground, spilling tea everywhere.

The atmosphere inside the General Affairs Hall instantly plummeted to freezing point, eerily quiet.

He strode up to the scout, grabbed his collar, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent: "What did you say? It's Song Changsheng?"

Did you see this with your own eyes? How dare you spout such nonsense! You'll lose your head!

Seeing this, Song Jiyuan quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "Eh, so what if it's Song Changsheng? As long as the Tenglong Islands survive, I would gladly kowtow to him and apologize."

A heaven, a hell.

Just when he was about to fall into an abyss, someone pulled him out of it. This was his great benefactor. As for who the other person was, it didn't matter to him, as long as the result met his expectations.

Of course, the kowtows and apologies were just empty words. After all, Song Changsheng was determined to kill him, and he cared more about his own life than the fate of his family. Whatever Song Changsheng's motives, he ultimately saved his life and prevented him from being purged by the elders' council.

As long as he had the support of his family, he was confident he could survive against Song Changsheng. Once he broke through to the Golden Core stage in seclusion, he could go anywhere in the world.

Therefore, his joy at this moment is genuine.

But Song Wuji always felt that things were not so simple.

Sure enough, the scout's next words sent chills down their spines, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate originally wanted to go to the deputy clan leader to ask about the details of the matter, but was arrested by the people of the East Sea Alliance as soon as he got close."

Then I heard the voices of the former guardian elder and the deputy clan leader. They... they said the clan was rotten to the core, that the elders were a bunch of parasites who only knew how to fight amongst themselves. The guardian elder even called on the clansmen to submit to True Person Zixu, saying they should follow in his footsteps, set things right, and rebuild the clan's glory..."

Gradually, the scout's voice grew softer and softer, because he could clearly feel the killing intent emanating from Song Wuji.

"Is everything you said true?" Song Jiyuan's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was terrifyingly cold.

The scout's body trembled uncontrollably, and he stammered, "I heard it all with my own ears, and most of them have compromised."

As soon as he said it, he wanted to slap himself and quickly tried to make amends: "They must have been threatened. The people of the tribe are still loyal to the clan leader, but they have been blocked by the East Sea Alliance."

"My subordinate was able to return to report this to you because a steward released him amidst the chaos."

His words offered Song Wuji and Song Jiyuan a sliver of comfort, but only a sliver.

Because they are shrouded in a deeper fear.

Song Changsheng's actions were all too obvious; he was clearly trying to swallow up the Embroidered Banner, and in the most gentle yet direct way possible.

Judging from the current situation, the opponent's strategy has been very successful; the closure of the space teleportation array is the best example.

If they were truly forced into this situation, it's impossible that there wasn't even one person to tip them off. After all, there's more than one teleportation array in the East China Sea, and even if Song Changsheng had planted a mole beforehand, it's impossible for him to shut down all the spatial teleportation arrays at the same time.

It's obvious that they compromised, with Song Yuqing and Song Zhexuan, who have the highest prestige, still leading the way.

With both sides compromising, how could Song Shouhe, that two-faced guy, possibly stick to his position?

"A bunch of bastards!"

With a hoarse roar, Song Jiyuan smashed the gate of the General Affairs Hall with a single palm strike.

His confidence in resisting Song Changsheng stemmed from the support of his family.

Because he firmly believed that the relationship between the two races was irreconcilable and irreconcilable.

No matter what trouble Song Zhexuan and his group cause, as long as Song Daoling is around, they will always have the initiative and the upper hand.

But Song Changsheng is different; he is truly capable of going to extremes.

The choice of the people speaks volumes, as evidenced by the declarations of Song Yuqing and others. After this battle, the hearts of the people have completely turned to Song Changsheng.

Losing the hearts of the people means that the big tree he relied on will abandon him, and that is what terrifies him the most.

He felt disgusted just thinking about what he had just said.

"I'm going to find the Supreme Elder."

After saying this, Song Jiyuan hurriedly led Song Zheyan to Song Daoling's secluded training location.

Song Wuji's expression shifted. Song Changsheng would definitely press his advantage and leave them here to die.

"It's time to think about yourself."

A thought flashed through his mind, and he turned to look at the scout in front of him, a fierce glint in his eyes, before crushing his neck.

He casually tossed the body aside and quickly left the General Affairs Hall...

Above Tianlong Peak, Song Changsheng and Zhuang Yuechan stood side by side, taking in the movements of Song Jiyuan and the others.

"What do you think Song Daoling will choose, my lady?"

"Given his character, he probably wouldn't be inclined to fight to the death."

"Hehe, if that's the case, then we've saved ourselves some trouble today."

"When the time comes, please have my wife play the pre-recorded video. Our goal here is not to conquer the city, but to win hearts and minds."

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Just as the two were talking, the defensive array of Tianlong Peak suddenly began to operate at full power, leaving the [Jinxiuqi] cultivators somewhat bewildered.

"what happened?"

"Has the Tenglong Islands fallen?"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, their hearts filled with unease.

Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from the sky. Everyone looked up at the same time and saw that the top of Tianlong Peak was covered with chains. They crisscrossed in the air and spread in all directions, stretching as far as the eye could see, like a huge cage woven by man.

Above Tianlong Peak, an irregular tear appeared in the azure sky, like a piece of glass smashed by a naughty child. The tear was like a black hole, mercilessly swallowing everything around it.

At the same time, a black dot was falling rapidly from the sky.

"what is that?"

"It looks like a person; someone fell down."

At this moment, an elder suddenly exclaimed, "It's the Supreme Elder!"

Upon hearing this, Tianlong Peak erupted in chaos. As they drew closer, they all recognized the familiar figure.

They couldn't understand why Song Daoling, who had announced his seclusion to heal his injuries and hadn't even participated in the East China Sea battle, would suddenly appear out of nowhere.

With a loud bang, Song Daoling crashed down, leveling an unnamed hill to the ground.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. The moment you received the news, you abandoned your own kind to survive. That's very much in line with your style."

Song Changsheng arrived through the air, looking at Song Daoling in the deep pit with an indifferent expression.

Behind him, the Tai Chi Bagua diagram slowly unfolded...

...(End of chapter)