Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"Cough cough cough..."

In the deep pit, Song Daoling was disheveled, covered in blood, and completely lacked his former majesty.

He struggled to his feet, his steps faltering, barely able to straighten his back. His body was riddled with holes caused by the rampage of spatial power, some of which even reached his internal organs.

Looking at Song Changsheng so close to him and the chains that filled the sky, he suddenly understood something. A surge of hot blood rushed from his heart to his brain, and he roared with a ferocious expression, "You did this on purpose?"

"That scout was indeed deliberately released. You could have taken this opportunity to mobilize resources to strengthen your defenses and fight me fair and square, but you chose the most cowardly path."

If you still had even a fraction of the pride befitting a Golden Core cultivator, my spatial blockade would be of no use.

"I said before that our next meeting would be the time to take your life. I didn't want to act so soon, but I'm afraid if I waited any longer, the [Splendid Banner] would be completely destroyed in your hands." Song Changsheng's eyes were icy cold, filled with contempt.

As fellow Supreme Elders, Song Tianyuan was willing to sacrifice everything for the interests of his family, while Song Daoling only wanted to protect himself. He was definitely the main culprit for the current state of the [Jinxiu Banner].

The Song family of Wangyue and the Embroidered Banner share the same roots and should have been the closest allies, but they have instead become each other's greatest enemies, consuming a great deal of their energy.

In this respect, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for Song Daoling to die a hundred times.

However, it was Song Tianyuan who died first.

His gaze was haughty and sharp, like a blade. His words were sharper than steel needles, piercing Song Daoling's heart. He couldn't help but roar, "What right do you, a descendant of sinful blood, have to speak to me like this!"

"You keep calling me a descendant of sinful blood, how ridiculous! You've gotten so used to lying that you've even fooled yourself. Do you think I know nothing about what happened back then?"
"Enough. Expecting someone like you to repent is utterly unrealistic. I will put you to trial in front of all the members of the Song clan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Tai Chi Bagua diagram behind Song Changsheng fully unfolded and pressed forward to suppress the enemy.

Song Daoling, of course, would not sit idly by and wait for his death. With a flick of his sleeve, he summoned a sky-blue triangular flag.

The flag stood before him, emitting faint ripples that directly confronted the Tai Chi Bagua diagram, and for a time, it held its own.

"A low-grade Law Treasure." Song Changsheng raised his eyebrows slightly, then said coldly, "That can't protect you!"

With a flick of his palm, the power of the laws surged in from all directions, forming a terrifying storm of laws.

With a single palm strike, the air emitted a sharp, explosive sound. Even though Song Daoling was protected by a supreme treasure of the laws, he was directly blasted away, coughing up blood in mid-air, his face filled with unconcealed shock.

"how is this possible?"

He had fought Song Changsheng three times, and each time the opponent's strength refreshed his understanding of the game.

Although both of them were at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, he now had no chance to fight back.

While his injuries certainly played a part, the main reason was that Song Changsheng's strength was far beyond reason. At this rate, he probably wouldn't even last a quarter of an hour. He hurriedly shouted towards Tianlong Peak, "You arrogant villain, quickly help me!"

Upon hearing his shout, the cultivators of Tianlong Peak, who were in a state of confusion and shock, finally came to their senses. Song Xianghu immediately directed the array masters to attempt to provide remote support using the mountain-protecting array.

Standing in the crowd, Song Jiyuan watched as Song Changsheng beat Song Daoling so badly that he was powerless to fight back. He felt both despair and a sense of relief.

He originally planned to leave with Song Daoling, but considering that he would need a huge amount of resources to break through to the Golden Core stage in the future, he decided to visit the family treasury on a whim.

Unexpectedly, this trip actually saved his life.

Song Changsheng used the [Law of Space] to weave a huge cage for them, directly isolating them from space and naturally severing the teleportation channel of the space teleportation array.

Forcibly teleporting under such circumstances would cause the spatial passage to collapse directly. The terrifying hole in the sky is the best proof of this. Even Song Daoling was severely injured by the spatial turbulence emanating from it. If it were him, he would have been torn to shreds in an instant.

Although he was lucky enough to escape with his life, figuring out how to get out of there became a big problem.

Now, Song Daoling, along with the last remaining Law Treasure in his treasure vault, is blocked outside, and he can't think of any way to break the deadlock.

He had to find a way to escape as soon as possible, otherwise he would definitely die a terrible death if he fell into Song Changsheng's hands.

Where did Song Wuji go?

Only then did he suddenly realize that Song Wuji had disappeared without a trace.

As a long-time rival, he keenly sensed something unusual.

At the same time, under Song Xianghu's command, the mountain-protecting formation began to operate frantically, and the surrounding spiritual energy was almost completely drained in an instant, forming a vacuum zone.

A giant sword phantom rapidly condensed above Tianlong Peak, about to slash down in the direction of Song Changsheng, when Zhuang Yuechan appeared from the clouds, her voice gentle yet sharp: "Those who behave themselves will live, but those who dare to interfere in the battle will be killed without mercy, and all their direct blood relatives will be implicated. Do not say you were not warned."

These words immediately stunned everyone present.

They might not be intimidated by ordinary people saying these words, but if it is a Golden Core cultivator who speaks, then the weight is naturally different.

As the saying goes, those who understand the times are heroes. They knew Song Changsheng's strength all too well. Even when he was still a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, he single-handedly suppressed their entire clan, making them unable to raise their heads.

Now, not only has their cultivation level improved, but they also have a Golden Core cultivator accompanying them. Unless Song Minghuang breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, they see no hope of victory.

Gradually, the giant sword phantom that had just condensed above Tianlong Peak became dimmer and dimmer, and finally disappeared without a trace.

No one gave the order, but the vast majority of array masters made the same choice.

Many of them actually had some grudges against Song Changsheng, since they were the first to suffer whenever he broke through the formation.

But they still made that choice.

These array masters don't actually have much fear of death. Since they started participating in the operation of the mountain-protecting array, they have been very clear about the responsibilities they bear.

As the family's strongest and last line of defense, their mission is to live and die with the mountain-protecting formation.

However, when faced with a battle they could neither win nor escape, they had to think about their families.

Song Changsheng had said before that as long as one does not side with Song Daoling and others and does not become their enemy, he would not indiscriminately kill innocent people.

At this point, drawing a clear line would at least ensure the survival of their families after defeat, even if only a portion of them could be saved.

As for saying things like "to live or die with the family"...

Stop joking. People's hearts have long since fallen apart. This family is not worth everyone's sacrifice.

It wasn't just these array masters who had this idea; the hearts of the vast majority of the [Splendid Banner] cultivators were shaken.

Only a very small minority still harbor the intention to put up a last-ditch resistance.

It wasn't that they were particularly loyal to the family; these people were self-aware. By Song Changsheng's standards, these die-hards of Song Daoling's faction were doomed. Rebellion offered a glimmer of hope, while inaction meant being lambs to the slaughter. But they were ultimately just a minority; how could they possibly sway the will of the masses?
"Clan leader, we can't let them spread their lies and mislead the people. If morale collapses, this battle will be in danger. The war on Tenglong Islands has already ended, hasn't it? As long as we hold on for a while, we can definitely hold out until Ancestor Tianyuan returns to reinforce us," Song Xianghu said anxiously.

Upon hearing this, Song Jiyuan's already ashen face turned even more unsightly.

From the air, Zhuang Yuechan took in everything below. She knew that she was only one step away from completely breaking down the psychological defenses of the [Jinxiuqi] cultivators. Her jade hand, hidden beneath her sleeve, quietly crushed a jade pendant that Song Changsheng had given her.

Attacking the city is the next step, attacking the heart is the top step.

Since Song Changsheng intended to win hearts and minds, he would naturally arrange for an inside agent in advance.

The shattering of the jade pendant was a signal to those inside agents: they would personally tear down the crumbling fortress of the "Brocade Banner"!

At this time, Song Jiyuan was unaware that he was walking step by step into a trap set by Song Changsheng. In order to strengthen the fighting spirit of his people, he chose to continue to conceal the fact that Song Tianyuan had already fallen and claimed that Tenglong Islands was able to escape danger only because it received support from Wanxiang Palace.

His impassioned speech convinced many wavering cultivators, reigniting their fighting spirit.

"I can hold out for another half a quarter of an hour. I need to take this opportunity to find a way to break through the spatial blockade."

Just as Song Jiyuan was secretly pondering a way to escape, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Song Zheyan, whom he had secretly imprisoned, appearing surrounded by a group of elders from the collateral branches.

Seeing this, a bad feeling welled up in his heart.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen."

I am Song Zheyan, an elder of the Soul Lamp Hall. Do not be deceived by this despicable liar. The soul lamp of the Heavenly Origin Ancestor has long been extinguished.

It wasn't the Myriad Elephant Palace that came to the rescue of the Tenglong Islands, but the East Sea Alliance. Master Zixu personally took action, slaying three demon kings of the Black Scale Clan and saving millions of people from peril. Please, everyone, do not easily believe the words of villains and become enemies with Master Zixu.

Song Daoling wanted to escape alone by taking the space teleportation array because he knew about this news in advance. Otherwise, why do you think he would appear in that way?
"My people, wake up! Don't be fooled by them anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Song Jiyuan's mind seemed to have been struck by a blow to the head, and it was buzzing.

He never expected that Song Zheyan, who had always stood by his side and covered for him, would suddenly turn around and stab him in the back.

The cultivators of Tianlong Peak were instantly in an uproar, as these remarks were completely different from the information they had been receiving.

"The Heavenly Origin Ancestor has already perished?"

"The Black Scale Clan has deployed three Demon Kings? Not just one!"

"Is the only reinforcement the East China Sea Alliance?"

"So, Ancestor Dao Ling wanted to escape. That makes sense."

……

With each question raised from the crowd, Song Jiyuan's face grew paler until it was completely bloodless.

Feeling the scrutinizing gazes from all directions, he desperately defended himself, saying, "Spreading rumors, spreading rumors! He is a traitor to the family, a spy of the Wangyue Song clan. These words are all means to undermine people's morale."

If what he said is true, how could I possibly still be here?
"Elder Protectors, why aren't you apprehending this traitor yet!"

Song Xianghu hesitated for a moment, but still decided to believe Song Jiyuan.

Just as he was about to make his move, Zhuang Yuechan, who had been watching the show from the air, suddenly burst out laughing. In the current atmosphere, the laughter was undoubtedly somewhat jarring.

"You are the head of a clan, yet you have become so shameless. Since that's the case, then I will have to expose your true colors completely."

Members of the "Splendid Banner," open your eyes wide and see the truth for yourselves.

After saying that, Zhuang Yuechan waved her hand and threw out over a hundred [Record Beads].

These "record beads" lined up in an orderly fashion in the air, and the recorded images began to appear on their surfaces.

Although the angles from which the footage was taken were different, everyone immediately recognized that it was footage of the Tenglong Islands.

Through these images, they could clearly see that endless sea monsters, led by three imposing demon kings, launched a powerful attack on the Tenglong Islands, instantly breaching several outer defense lines.

Thus began a brutal and tragic battle.

They witnessed ocean warships, which had not yet been assembled, sinking under the siege of monsters, and hundreds of their people perishing in the monsters' bellies.

They saw Song Tianyuan fight three demon kings single-handedly, and was beaten so badly that he was completely powerless to fight back. The demon kings seemed to be toying with him as if they were amusing him.

This is a desperate war; even as bystanders, they see no hope of victory.

Just then, a fleet bearing the flag of the East China Sea Alliance broke through the waves, and a powerful figure, resembling an iron tower and enveloped in lightning, blocked a demon king for Song Tianyuan.

The situation on the battlefield improved somewhat as a result, but the gap remained huge, and defeat was only a matter of time.

Thus, they saw Song Tianyuan unhesitatingly burn his own golden core essence to buy his clansmen a chance to break through.

"We can't break out in that direction."

Some people shouted through their tears, because they could clearly see that the siren had set up an ambush in advance, and an elder and hundreds of clansmen had unknowingly walked in and were all wiped out.

Similar scenes unfolded in each of the [Photo Beads].

Despair, suffocation, pain.

They could only watch helplessly as their people were slaughtered.

Just then, a Tai Chi Bagua diagram descended from the sky, instantly annihilating countless sea monsters.

The person they once hated and feared had appeared.

His arrival directly turned the tide of the battle...

Upon seeing Hei Min beheaded, the group of [Jinxiuqi] cultivators couldn't help but cheer loudly, embracing and weeping with those around them.

Then, the scene shifted, and they heard Song Yuqing's impassioned speech, and saw all the surviving cultivators kneeling down in unison, shouting the same words: "We pay our respects to the clan leader!"

In an instant, Song Jiyuan felt utterly hopeless...

...(End of chapter)