Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Song Changsheng had always maintained the humility of a junior in front of the two of them, and this was the first time he had taken the initiative to provoke them and show his arrogant side.

The position of leader is extremely important. He must use absolute strength to conquer everyone and control absolute dominance, instead of relying on the whims of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce to mobilize its resources, as he does now.

Those were all helpless choices made in the face of real-world problems due to insufficient strength.

This time, he absolutely will not allow such a situation to occur.

The annexation of the Embroidered Banner filled the last gap in the Song family's strength. Although the people's hearts were unsettled, their strength on paper was enough to confront the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect head-on.

He now has a strong and well-equipped army, and no longer needs to play any deceptive tricks.

As the strongest cultivators in the Great Qi cultivation world on the surface, Chen Zhongfang and Shi Potian can be easily suppressed by overwhelming others with their strength.

If it weren't for the threat posed by the Golden-Eyed Demon Kingdom, he would have preferred to go all out and have a real battle with the two of them to test his limits.

This is the only way right now.

However, at their level, three moves are enough to determine the difference in strength.

"Fellow Daoist Wutian, please." Song Changsheng gestured for them to enter, and the two of them arrived together above Cangmang Peak.

He casually set up a spatial barrier, isolating the space within a hundred miles, then found a place to stand and quietly waited for Shi Potian to make his move.

Looking at the young man before him, Shi Potian took a deep breath and began to slowly accumulate the power within his body.

He knew very well that after Song Changsheng broke through to the Golden Core stage, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core Great Perfection cultivators, and he would be no match for any of them in a head-on confrontation.

After seeing the importance and treatment that Wanxiang Palace gave to Song Changsheng, he originally planned to hand over the leadership directly to him.

Unexpectedly, Song Changsheng proposed such a competition method. Under such circumstances, it would not be him to admit defeat so easily.

Who among them wasn't once a renowned child prodigy? Faced with such a challenge, there's absolutely no reason for them to back down.

The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly began to tremble violently, and Shi Potian's arm expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye. Song Changsheng could even clearly see a ball of law power gathering around his arm.

Shi Potian cultivates the [Law of Power]. Having immersed himself in this path for many years, his strength may not be much weaker than Su Ding's back then. Although Song Changsheng was arrogant to the point of being outrageous, he dared not underestimate him in the slightest and secretly became more vigilant.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Shi Potian's arm had swelled to the size of a horse running on it, and the surrounding space trembled slightly due to the convergence of the [Law of Force].

"Are you really not going to avoid it?" Shi Potian asked sharply, his robes fluttering.

"I have already made my bold claim, so why ask again, fellow Daoist? If I retreat even one step within three moves, I will withdraw from the competition for the alliance leader. Please make your move, fellow Daoist." Song Changsheng's expression was calm, and he didn't even use his magic weapon, clearly intending to directly withstand my attack.

"I have been cultivating the Law of Power for hundreds of years, but I have never hit a fixed target before. I am not good at controlling my strength, so please bear with me, fellow Daoist."

"Innate Divine Ability [Earth-Shattering Strike]"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Potian's right fist suddenly slammed out, accompanied by the faint sounds of tigers roaring and dragons howling. It formed a huge fist imprint in the air, and the surrounding space trembled uncontrollably. His arm, which had been swollen to an inhuman degree, quickly deflated like a punctured ball.

The force of the punch, accompanied by a hurricane, felt like a sharp blade on my face.

Song Changsheng stood amidst the hurricane, his fist clenched, and the laws of heaven and earth, seemingly drawn by some force, surged forward one after another.

Shi Potian's mastery of the Law of Power was indeed superior to his, but at his level, a single understanding of a law no longer meant much.

He possesses a higher level of power!
"boom……"

As their fists collided, the space around the point of impact shattered instantly like glass. The broken spatial barrier turned into countless tiny fragments, leaving numerous fine bloodstains on Song Changsheng's arm. Yet, his body stood as firm as Mount Tai, completely still.

After this round of fighting, apart from some turmoil in his blood and qi, the only damage he suffered was from the fragments of the spatial barrier that were scattered.

A hint of astonishment flashed in Shi Potian's eyes. He hadn't held back at all in that attack, and because he had been building up his strength for half an hour, his attack was already beyond his usual level. Yet Song Changsheng had blocked it so easily.

"It seems I really am getting old..."

At that moment, his heart suddenly calmed down.

Although he still had two more chances to make a move, he knew in his heart that there was no need to continue unless he used a magical artifact.

However, Song Changsheng's attitude in the face of the enemy already greatly limited his strength. If he were to use a magic weapon, it would not only be too much of a bully, but it would also make him lose face.

"Very well, fellow Daoist, your move is superior. I, Shi, have lost." Shi Potian restrained his aura and frankly admitted his defeat.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, you flatter me." Song Changsheng responded with a cupped hand. It ended in this way, which was a relatively dignified conclusion, considering that there were so many Song Clan cultivators and a large number of guests who had not yet left watching.

Shi Potian nodded, then landed on Cangmang Peak without saying a word. He patted Chen Zhongfang, who was watching the battle, on the shoulder and sighed, "It seems that my bones are indeed getting old and I can't compete with the young people. If Fellow Daoist Chen wants to try, you should stop short of losing face."

"You cultivate the Law of Power, and your fist techniques are known for their fierceness. When your grandmaster was still alive, he praised your fist techniques more than once."

Your full-force attack couldn't do anything to him. Even if I accepted the challenge, I would only be humiliating myself. Even my grandmaster could not have been so composed back then.

"You're right, we really seem to be getting old, and it's time to hand over this world to the younger generation." Chen Zhongfang shook his head with a wry smile.

Thinking back to the first time he met Song Changsheng, he thought he was just a young man with some talent and didn't think much of it. Even with Su Ding's dying wish, he didn't take Song Changsheng too seriously.

In a short period of time, the other party had grown to a level that he could only look up to.

The prestige of winning the Five Academies Grand Competition has never been lower than it has been throughout history.

"The position of alliance leader belongs to the capable. Fellow Daoist Song's strength is worthy of this position. I, Chen, concede defeat."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng, who was about to challenge them to a duel, was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought that the two of them had very firm stances, but he did not expect them to compromise so easily.

Fortunately, he didn't voice the challenge, otherwise, with so many cultivators watching, Chen Zhongfang would have been embarrassed.

Little did he know that Chen Zhongfang and Shi Potian's original stance was very firm, but after Longxiang Zhenjun's meddling, their resolve had already begun to waver.

Now that he has proven his strength in front of the two of them, there is nothing left to insist on. Admitting defeat early will preserve their remaining face and dignity as seniors.

Song Changsheng landed in front of the two and bowed, saying, "I, Song, have been rude and impudent. Please forgive me, fellow Daoists." Having gained an advantage, there was no need to feign innocence. From now on, they would be allies, and they needed to maintain their relationship well.

“Fellow Daoist earned the position of Alliance Leader through your strength. We two are inferior in skill, so there’s nothing to say. I’ll have Qianqian come to Cangmang Peak at some time to discuss the specific details of the cooperation with the nobles,” Shi Potian said magnanimously.

"With the addition of the two of you, the East China Sea Alliance is truly like a tiger with wings. The alliance is currently in a period of rapid expansion, and its prospects will definitely not disappoint you two."

“Now that the entire cultivation world of the Great Qi has almost fallen into your trap, it’s not quite appropriate to still call it the East Sea Alliance. How about we invite the leaders of several factions together and form a new alliance?” Chen Zhongfang said, stroking his long beard.

Song Changsheng's heart stirred and he said, "Oh, Fellow Daoist Chen, do you have any brilliant suggestions?"

"Not to mention our Great Qi, the headquarters of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce is located in the Suzhou cultivation world. Geographically speaking, the influence of Muyun City is also located in the southwestern border region."

The so-called East China Sea Alliance doesn't even have a single local power in the East China Sea, which is rather unworthy of its name. It would be better to rename it the Southwest Alliance based on the location of each member.

In this way, with your qualifications and personal reputation, you will surely be able to attract more forces in the southwest to join, and extend the influence of the alliance to a wider area.

If you, fellow Daoist, can advance further in the future and reach that profound realm, you can directly unify and integrate the forces of the southwest, forming a pincer movement with the Myriad Manifestations Palace, resisting the sea tribes in the east and repelling the demons in the west, thus directly ending the fragmented state of this border region.

What do you think, fellow Daoist?

Upon hearing this, both Song Changsheng and Shi Potian raised their eyebrows.

Although Wanxiang Palace is recognized as the leader of the righteous path in the border region, the Great Qian cultivation world is located on the coast of the East Sea, and its influence is mainly concentrated in the East Sea and the surrounding cultivation world.

With its influence in the southwest region plummeting, many cultivators are unaware of the name of the Myriad Manifestations Palace.

For them, the Vientiane Palace was like two separate worlds that did not interfere with each other.

Although the Bandung Chamber of Commerce is powerful, it is a neutral force and does not have the absolute power to subdue all sides.

This is why the major powers in the southwest have always acted independently, resulting in a fragmented and disorganized situation.

If they can integrate the power of the entire southwest, the several demon kingdoms near the Canglan River in the demon realm will not pose much of a threat to them.

In peacetime, various forces can open trade routes and exchange goods, and with the resource supply from the East China Sea, they can achieve better development.

It must be said that Chen Zhongfang has great ambitions and his suggestions are quite bold.

This made both Song Changsheng and Shi Potian somewhat tempted.

However, implementing this grand plan will not be easy for them. The most crucial question is whether Song Changsheng can break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and when he will do so.

No matter how high your personal prestige is, if you haven't reached the Nascent Soul stage, others will only show you superficial respect. They might support you if needed, but if you want to put in any effort? Sorry, not a chance.

We're all Golden Core cultivators, so why should you be the leader?

Without unity of purpose, the alliance is merely a shell of its former self and meaningless.

Moreover, Peng Zhengxiong has clearly revealed that he has obtained the treasure left behind by Tianyu Zhenjun and will soon go into seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If he achieves the position of Nascent Soul Zhenjun, will the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce still be as harmless as it is now? Probably not.

In that case, their so-called Southwest Alliance will have been used to benefit others.

Song Changsheng pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen is farsighted. If we can unify and integrate the forces of the southwest, we can indeed easily resist the invasion of the surrounding demon kingdoms when the Demon Lord does not come out."

However, Song's cultivation level is currently insufficient, and it may be difficult for him to convince the public to use the southwest as his calling card.

Moreover, you two fellow Daoists may not know this, but I just had a conversation with Chairman Peng of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce and received accurate information that he is preparing to go into seclusion to break through to the next level soon.

Based on normal timelines, his breakthrough must have been before mine. Whether the situation in the southwest will change is still unknown, so we don't need to be in such a hurry.

As the ancients said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," and "Great achievements are made by proceeding step by step."

In my opinion, how about this?

The East China Sea Alliance has been established for many years. A large-scale redistribution of interests will inevitably cause resentment among the remaining members, which is not conducive to the development of the alliance.

The matter of Tianmai Sect and Jinwu Sect joining the East Sea Alliance will proceed as before, and we will distribute the benefits to the two in accordance with the alliance agreement.

Then, we will establish a demon-slaying alliance to unite the main forces resisting the demon race, such as the cultivation world of Lu and the cultivation world of Dayu.

If I am fortunate enough to reach the Nascent Soul stage in the future, I will further develop my abilities.

In this way, the two of you, as elders, can also receive a larger share of the profits, what do you think?

"It seems that I, Chen, have been a bit too hasty. What Fellow Daoist Song said is a wise and experienced opinion. Let's proceed with this plan and have the key personnel meet to discuss the details."

Try to finalize this matter before the next invasion, and unify the attitudes of the cultivation communities of Lu and Da Yu.

The only difficulty at present is that there are not enough interests in the Southwest to drive them, so their willingness to form an alliance is probably not that strong. Foresight is not something everyone has, and many people are more concerned about immediate interests.

"If we can't reason with them, then we'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Song to persuade them with force," Shi Potian chuckled.

"Interests?" Song Changsheng's heart stirred, and he smiled slightly, "What did you two think of my previous sermon?"

"Fellow Daoist's understanding of 'Dao' has far surpassed the Golden Core realm, probably only below the Nascent Soul True Monarch. Even I, an old man, was deeply moved after hearing it."

Zhuang Daoyou's musical talent was also exceptional, complementing the other's abilities.

If you can listen to it a few more times, you'll definitely gain a lot.

At this point, Chen Zhongfang suddenly realized something and looked at Song Changsheng with a start, saying, "Could it be that you mean..."

Song Changsheng grinned and said, "Isn't this just about interests? We may not have resources, but we can create others that no one else can provide. We're not afraid they won't be tempted!"

……

P.S.: Staying up all night has completely messed up my sleep schedule. I'll be writing all night tonight and will add more chapters during the day. (End of Chapter)