Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"May I have a look?"

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng suddenly realized that he had once again misunderstood the two True Lords' intentions; their mention of [Chengyuan] was merely a prelude.

The [Human King Sword] is a treasure of human destiny, and it has the ability to conceal the secrets of heaven. It is impossible to deduce its specific location using the art of heavenly secrets. Although he has cultivated the national treasure of the Great Qi cultivation world, it does not explain anything.

Even within the Song family, only a handful of people knew about this matter. Nascent Soul True Monarchs were not omniscient or omnipotent, so they were unsure whether [Chengyuan] was in his possession.

If all of this was just to "trick" him, that would be even more impossible. Someone who has cultivated to his level can remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before their eyes, and would not get any results at all.

The Jade Cleansing Sword is different; it has appeared too many times, and with the intelligence capabilities of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, it must have already obtained this information.

However, even he didn't know that the Jade Cleansing Sword had such a background.

According to Yu Shu Zhenjun's memories, this sword suddenly appeared beside her when she was still a furnace cauldron, like a shooting star from outer space.

Its name and origin are unknown, and even after cultivating to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, its limits have never been discovered.

Could it be... that, as True Monarch Lei Xiang said, it is related to the [King of Men Sword]?

Zhuang Yuechan knew that this matter could not be hidden, so she simply took out the Jade Cleansing Sword and handed it to the two True Lords, saying, "Please take a look, True Lords."

The moment Lei Xiang Zhenjun took the spirit sword from her hand, his eyes changed. He stroked the sword from the hilt along the spine to the tip, closed his eyes and carefully felt it. He had already made up his mind and handed it to Tian Xiang Zhenjun opposite him.

After receiving it, Yi Tianzheng infused it with a trace of law power, allowing it to fully display its sharpness.

"We seem to have scared him a little."

He chuckled softly, calming the somewhat restless spirit Wuming, then withdrew his power and returned the Jade Cleansing Sword to Zhuang Yuechan.

"It does indeed contain a trace of human destiny, but it is far inferior to the [Human King Sword]. It must have been made by adding a fragment of the [Human King Sword] during its forging, and the fragment retained some of the human destiny."

The rumors aren't entirely wrong, but unfortunately, they still can't counter the [King of Men's Sword]. We need to reconsider our strategy.

After saying that, he turned to Zhuang Yuechan and said, "Since you have the Jade Cleansing Sword, then Miss Zhuang must be the successor of True Lord Jade Cleansing."

You two are both people with great potential; if you join hands, you might actually be able to carve out a niche for yourselves in this obscure and unpredictable world.

We two have been somewhat presumptuous in what we did today.

This is the [Infant Dissolving Pill], a gift for my young friend as a token of our friendship.

"【Infant Dissolving Pill】?" Looking at the jade bottle floating in front of her, Zhuang Yuechan's eyes showed a hint of doubt, somewhat puzzled. However, Song Changsheng's heart was in turmoil.

Yi Tianzheng smiled slightly and patiently explained, "As the name suggests, this is a spiritual pill that can dissolve a nascent soul."

For ordinary people, this is a deadly poison that would ruin their path to enlightenment, but your situation is special, and nothing is more suitable for you.

My grand-uncle Longxiang once said that young friend Song is well-read and knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times; you must have heard of him before.

"Since it's the Palace Master's kind offer, then you should accept it. It will indeed be of great benefit to your future cultivation," Song Changsheng said calmly.

Zhuang Yuechan probably understood what Yi Tianzheng meant, and respectfully bowed, saying, "Thank you for the Palace Master's reward."

It has the effect of dissolving nascent souls, making it an extremely dangerous drug that ordinary people would avoid at all costs.

But pills are neither good nor evil; it mainly depends on where and in what situation you use them.

Dissolving the Nascent Soul sounds terrifying, but it's essentially giving you a second chance.

This is the elixir of destruction and rebirth.

However, many people lack the ability and courage to condense their nascent soul a second time, which is why it is called a deadly poison.

But for Zhuang Yuechan, it was completely different; the nascent soul of True Lord Yu Shu was inside her body.

If Zhuang Yuechan were to break through to the Nascent Soul stage one day, she could skip the step of condensing her Nascent Soul.

This is a shortcut unique to her, but it is also a kind of constraint.

Her future achievements will not only be difficult to surpass those of Jade Dew True Monk, but will even be difficult to reach the heights she once attained.

It might sound a bit too ambitious, after all, the Nascent Soul realm is the pinnacle that most cultivators in the world can reach. Looking across the entire border region, across dozens of cultivation worlds, not a single Nascent Soul cultivator has emerged in nearly ten thousand years.

However, Zhuang Yuechan possesses a top-grade golden elixir, which can be described as a path to heaven, theoretically without limit, and the future is full of possibilities. It would be unwise to imprison her own path for the sake of immediate interests.

Dissolving the Nascent Soul only deprived her of a shortcut; it posed almost no risk to her. On the contrary, it brought her other benefits, and she still had a significant head start over others.

Song Changsheng felt that it was a worthwhile deal to exchange this negligible risk for a brighter future.

Yi Tianzheng's attack struck directly at the vital point. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed something; he just didn't know when the other party had discovered it.

The other party was clearly prepared in advance, not only knowing that she had the Jade Cleansing Sword, but also preparing the Infant Dissolving Pill in advance.

Even the Myriad Manifestations Palace doesn't produce fifth-grade top-quality pills so easily.

"I originally planned to use this to borrow the [King of Men Sword] from my friend, but I never expected it would all come to nothing. It can only be said that everything is predestined." Yi Tianzheng did not feel disappointed. It was just a guess after all. If it succeeded, it would be a happy event. If it failed, there was no need to regret it.

"May I ask, True Lord, is it only the [King of Men Sword] that can counter the [King of Men Sword]?" Song Changsheng asked with some unease.

If the Wanxiang Palace, as the stabilizing force of this border region, were to be destroyed by the Sea Clan in conjunction with the Thunder King Palace, it would be a major disaster for the entire border region.

If he absolutely needs the [King of Men Sword], he must prepare in advance, even if it means temporarily sacrificing some of the Song family's interests.

The overall situation must always be put first.

Upon hearing this, True Monarch Lei Xiang glanced at him and said, "That's not the case. Without the connection of the Immortal Dynasty's fortune, no matter how powerful the [Human King Sword] is, it will eventually fall into dormancy. There are many ways to deal with it, but each one will face different risks."

Using the [King of Men Sword] to fight back is the least risky method.

It's highly likely that King Qi's [Cheng Yuan] hasn't left Qi territory. You can keep an eye out for it when you have time.

Seeing that Wanxiang Palace had other solutions, Song Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "After I return to my clan, I will order people to start searching."

"The treasure of destiny comes naturally to those who are destined to receive it; it cannot be forced."

Without the [King of Men Sword], we need to prepare in advance.

Now that the Embroidered Banner has submitted to you, it means you need to defend from two directions simultaneously.

I know that the Golden-Eyed Demon Kingdom has been making moves in recent years, but I still hope to keep the main force of the [Brocade Banner] in the East China Sea.

"The Han Hai Chamber of Commerce and Thousand Blade City have ulterior motives, and I don't trust them now. If the Sea Clan makes a comeback, the only one I can completely trust in that direction is you. I hope you understand the burden on your shoulders, which was also the condition you promised us back then," Yi Tianzheng said earnestly.

"I understand, and I will definitely prioritize the overall situation."

The Palace of Myriad Manifestations provided him with many conveniences in the matter of annexing the Embroidered Banner, so he naturally had to keep his promise.

Moreover, the Song family's ability to maintain its current pace of development is also inseparable from the abundant resources of the East China Sea.

This is a very real problem: the resources produced by the cultivation world of the Great Qi are simply insufficient to accommodate four rising Golden Core forces at the same time.

The reason they have been able to maintain the current peaceful situation is that they have been constantly expanding outwards and shifting the problem of internal resource imbalances.

The annexation of the Ten Thousand Mountains alleviated the resource pressure on Luoxia City, while the expansion into the East Sea resolved the resource pressure faced by the Song family.

If he loses the East China Sea, internal conflicts will erupt in the struggle for more resources, which would be a path to self-destruction. He would never choose that path; he must firmly establish himself in the East China Sea.

"Besides these, there is one more thing I need to ask for your opinion on on behalf of someone else."

A hint of surprise flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes. What could possibly require Yi Tianzheng to inquire on his behalf?
"Please give your instructions, Palace Master."

"You must be familiar with Hua Yan, a disciple of Grandmaster Longxiang. She participated in the Five Academies Competition with you back then."

"The Nine Yin Body is extremely rare, and her performance in the Grand Competition was also outstanding. I have a very deep impression of her. Could it be that True Lord Dragon Elephant has something to instruct me?"

Yi Tianzheng stood up, shook his head and sighed, "Although the Nine Yin Body is the best cultivation physique in the world, its shortcomings are also very obvious. That is, it is too extreme and needs to be constantly subjected to the erosion of extreme Yin power."

After returning from the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, Hua Yan attempted to break through to the Golden Core stage in seclusion, but suffered a backlash during the Heavenly Tribulation, resulting in the failure of her breakthrough.

Only through the personal intervention of her grandmaster uncle was her life and cultivation saved from the heavenly tribulation.

The extreme Yin power within her body was so strong that even her grandmaster misjudged it. Originally, we expected that it would fully erupt after Huayan broke through to the Golden Core stage, but unexpectedly, it was triggered prematurely by the Heavenly Tribulation.

She is currently recuperating, but the underlying risks remain and need to be addressed as soon as possible.

There are two methods. One is to use the power of extreme Yang to neutralize the Yin energy in the body, but this only treats the symptoms and not the root cause.

The second approach is to use the principles of Yin and Yang to completely solve this problem.

As the saying goes, one originates from two forms, two forms divide into yin and yang, yin and yang merge, and nine yin give rise to yang.

You used to cultivate the Yin-Yang Dao, so you must know better than I do about the relative merits of these two methods.

That's why I found you.

Looking across the entire border region, there should be no one else who can surpass you in their understanding of the [Great Dao of Yin and Yang].

Your grandmaster intends for Huayan to become your disciple, so that you can teach her the [Great Dao of Yin and Yang] and solve the problem at its root.

She's wasted too much time, and we need to make up for it as soon as possible. It's not going to work for her to figure it out on her own; you're the most suitable person to do it.

Of course, the law should not be passed on lightly; that's the rule.

If you are willing to accept this, the complete apprenticeship ceremony will naturally follow. Your grandmaster and the Ghost King of Ghost King Valley have prepared a very generous apprenticeship gift for you.

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng shook his head repeatedly and said, "It is a small matter to contribute. Since the True Lord has spoken, this junior will naturally do his best."

"But this apprenticeship is unnecessary. Since she already respects True Lord Dragon Elephant as her master, it would be against the rules for her to become my apprentice as well, and it would also mess up the seniority. This is unacceptable, unacceptable."

Although he enjoys taking advantage of others, he doesn't dare to take advantage of just anyone.

He doesn't have any old-fashioned ideas about hoarding things; as long as the price is right, whether or not he becomes an apprentice is a minor issue.

Moreover, he did indeed appreciate Hua Yan's talent; if such a talent were to die prematurely, it would be a great loss to the entire border region.

As one's perspective and mindset change with one's position, one can no longer focus solely on one's own small territory. As long as the Song family is not threatened, the stronger the border regions are, the more stable the environment can be created.

"For us cultivators, age and seniority are the least meaningful things. Today you consider yourself a junior, but one day when you break through to the Nascent Soul stage, we will be fellow Daoists."

The age gap remains, but no one will treat you as a junior anymore.

Even more so, if you break through to the Nascent Soul stage before us, you will be a senior.

In the cultivation world, those who have achieved mastery always come first.

Since Huayan has accepted your teachings and guidance, it is only natural for her to become your disciple. Neither her grandmaster nor the Ghost King have any objections, so why are you being so coy?

"If you are interested, I will agree to this on behalf of my grandmaster uncle. How about we choose the day of the apprenticeship ceremony to coincide with Miss Zhuang's Golden Core ceremony?" Yi Tianzheng said with a slight smile.

Song Changsheng was taken aback, then smiled helplessly and said, "You have considered this much for me, how could I refuse? I will leave it to the Palace Master's arrangement."

With his current prestige, Zhuang Yuechan's Golden Core ceremony will be even grander than his own. It's no exaggeration to say that most of the major powers in the border regions will send people to attend.

If Hua Yan were to publicly acknowledge him as her master at this time, it would be no different from announcing it to the world.

This bond between master and disciple is not something that can be easily severed. No matter how high Hua Yan reaches in the future, she will always be his disciple.

Although Yi Tianzheng said that seniority is meaningless, it absolutely does not include the five categories of "Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher".

Yi Tianzheng is indirectly boosting his prestige and forging a deeper bond with the Song family, Wanxiang Palace, and Ghost King Valley.

For the Song family now, this is absolutely beneficial and without any harm, and they have no reason to refuse.

"That means you agree. I will inform my grandmaster as soon as possible."

"It's getting late. Ling Xiao said he wanted to have a get-together with you, so we two old folks won't keep you young people any longer. Go on, there are stewards outside to show you the way." Yi Tianzheng said with a wave of his sleeve.

"Junior, take your leave."

As soon as the couple stepped out of the room, they heard the stern voice of True Lord Lei Xiang behind them: "Young friend, there is still one request that has not been fulfilled. Have you thought about it all these years?"

"I'm always slow to make decisions, but if I've made up my mind, I'll definitely inform you as soon as possible."

"Well, let's go."

Lei Xiang Zhenjun slowly closed his eyes...

……

P.S.: Fellow cultivators, thank you for your patience. We'll have double monthly votes at the end of the month, so please continue to support my initial intention. I'll try to add another chapter during the day; I absolutely won't let down any of your monthly votes. Thank you. (End of Chapter)