Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Song Changsheng thought similarly to Wu Jie; he never truly believed that Lingmou had died in that battle.

This was the most troublesome opponent he had ever faced since he began cultivating. The opponent was well-versed in the art of survival, yet died so peacefully and decisively, which defied common sense. Moreover, there were many suspicious points at the scene, and he could not deceive his intuition.

However, what the Four Realms need most right now is peace and stability. Therefore, on the surface, everyone must agree on a conclusion about Lingmou, but in private, he has never given up on the investigation.

Both the Wind Whisper Hall of the family and the Spider Web of Luoxia City are secretly searching for relevant clues.

He believed that the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect must be the same.

These individuals may not know the secrets hidden within the Heavenly Fire Cauldron, but the vast wealth accumulated by the Haoran Alliance over the years remains undiscovered, and they certainly won't give up the search.

After all, in recent years, the major forces of the Great Qi have made many sacrifices and consumed a lot of resources in order to eliminate the Haoran Alliance.

In this situation, the fact that no clues were found only strengthened his suspicions, but he couldn't think of any way to break the deadlock.

Now Wu Jie has pointed him in the right direction. If Ling Mou is still alive and chooses to refine pills on New Year's Eve, they will definitely be able to make some discoveries, unless she has already left the Four Realms.

"During this time, I would like to trouble you, Master, to help resolve the problem of being plagued by inner demons due to the failure of the breakthrough. I will find a way to help you, Master Wangqi."

"That Lesser Fortune Pill..."

Song Changsheng waved his hand and said, "No rush."

I believe that with the master's expertise in alchemy, success is only a matter of time.

Furthermore, if we can achieve something this New Year's Eve and obtain the [Heavenly Fire Cauldron] from Lingmou's possession, it will also be of help to the master.

He wasn't really interested in the so-called "Minor Creation Pill," since it wasn't a proper pill formula. It was a product that Wu Jie had differentiated from the "Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill," and it had an experimental nature.

Whether he can refine it or not is one thing; whether he dares to eat it after refining it is another.

Breaking through to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm was not a bottleneck for him, and there was absolutely no need for him to take that risk.

"Well... then let's do as the clan leader says." Wu Jie could tell that Song Changsheng wasn't very interested, so he had no choice but to agree. In his heart, however, he secretly vowed to refine the pill and prove his skill in alchemy.

After leaving the cold pool on the mountaintop, Song Changsheng went to the Cloud-Entering Hall to check on Song Xianming's progress in his seclusion.

He hadn't changed much from a few years ago; he sat motionless on the futon like a clay sculpture, even his breathing was unusually slow.

He chose the safest path, which put Song Changsheng at ease a little.

Since Song Xianming went into seclusion, Xia Yunxue has been visiting the ancestral hall from time to time to worship and pray for his well-being.

As the only remaining "Immortal" generation cultivator in the Song clan, his existence is more like a spiritual totem for the Song clan.

This seclusion has touched the hearts of everyone in the Song family.

Having too many expectations can also be a form of pressure.

Song Changsheng only hoped that Song Xianming would proceed steadily and smoothly overcome this hurdle, and not let the spiritual totem of the family collapse.

Upon returning to the General Affairs Hall, he assigned Wu Jie his future duties and then summoned Hua Yan and Chi Li.

On New Year's Eve, he needed to monitor all directions. He was a beginner in astrology and couldn't manage it all by himself, so he needed to ask for a helper.

Among the astrologers he knew, the strongest were undoubtedly the old national advisor of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty and the Lingji Zhenjun of the Tianji Pavilion. If they were to take action, they could probably directly deduce the location of the [Heavenly Fire Cauldron]. It was just a pity that he couldn't persuade either of these two big shots to come.

Below him, the only Qi-gazing master he could reach was the one from the Myriad Manifestations Palace.

However, he had only met the other party once at the celebration banquet held for him at Wanxiang Palace, and they had no prior relationship. It would not be easy to persuade the other party to come.

At this point, it's necessary to demonstrate one's connections. Asking the Dragon Elephant True Lord to step in will make things happen naturally.

As the saying goes, "to return a favor," he must first show some sincerity.

He was just a minor Golden Core cultivator, and probably didn't have much that a True Lord would value, so he could only make a fuss about Hua Yan.

"Disciple pays homage to Master."

Hua Yan and Chi Li bowed in unison.

The two stood together and at first glance they did look quite well-matched, but unfortunately, Chi Li was far inferior to Hua Yan in both cultivation and talent.

The difference in status is the least noticeable.

Moreover, as his master, he could work hard to bridge the gap in their backgrounds and social status to the greatest extent possible, but talent is determined by birth, and there is nothing he can do about it.

After he resolves the hidden dangers in Huayan's body, the potential of the [Nine Yin Body] will be fully unleashed, and his cultivation will surely rise steadily. It's only a matter of time before he becomes the leader of the younger generation in the borderlands.

This means that the gap between the two will only widen, eventually becoming unattainable.

Even if he had great confidence in himself, he could only be certain that Chi Li had the potential to reach the Golden Core stage, and that it was almost impossible for him to catch up with Hua Yan.

This affection was destined to end in regret.

Of course, he wouldn't advise Chi Li to give up; the magic of life lies in the infinite possibilities of the future.

When he first embarked on the path of immortality, he never imagined he would achieve what he has today.

"Yan'er, your senior brother should have told you about my arrangements, right? Are you ready?"

"Your disciples are all ready."

"Yes, tonight at 7 PM, you will guide your senior brother to receive the power of the moon. The next day at 5 AM and 7 AM, your senior brother will assist you in receiving the essence of the sun."

The essence of the sun is extremely yang and strong, making it the nemesis of the nine yin. This process is destined to be filled with dangers and pains that are unimaginable to ordinary people, but you must take this step. Only by taking this step can you see the future.

Your teacher and your senior brother are absolutely confident that we can guarantee your safety, so you don't need to feel any pressure.

"This is a tribulation unique to you, and you must fight for it yourself. This is all I can do for you," Song Changsheng said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Hua Yan felt a surge of emotion.

Although she and Song Changsheng were only master and disciple later in life, she had witnessed his selfless dedication over the past two years, and he was fully deserving of the title "master".

Humans are not indestructible stones; how can they be without feelings? This bond between master and disciple is something that cannot be severed in this lifetime.

"Master has already done enough for Huayan, how can I ask for more? This disciple will never let Master down."

Song Changsheng remained silent, only looking out the window. The pitch-black night was engulfing the earth, and the bright crescent moon peeked out from behind the mountains.

Soon it was time, and the three of them headed to Wangyue Cliff together.

Having listened to the Dao day and night for the past two years, Chi Li had long since mastered the [True Meaning of Yin and Yang]. Combined with Song Changsheng's breathing method, drawing upon the power of the moon was not a difficult task.

The essence of the sun and moon gathered and blended in his dantian, and everything went very smoothly.

He could have handled this small matter on his own, but Song Changsheng went to the extra lengths mainly to ease Hua Yan's concerns.

Two hours later, Chi Li had successfully condensed the Primordial Qi in his dantian. Seeing the gray mist at his fingertips, Song Changsheng felt a surge of excitement; it was exactly the same experience he had gone through.

Although the fusion efficiency was very low, it was enough to meet his daily cultivation needs. It could not only temper his physical body, but also improve the absorption efficiency of spiritual energy, giving him a head start.

Moreover, Chi Li's success is the ultimate verification of the mental cultivation method he created for the Song Clan, indicating that other Song Clan cultivators can also replicate it.

Most importantly, this cultivation method can be used as an auxiliary method to cultivate alongside other cultivation methods, meaning that cultivators within the clan do not need to bear the cost of rebuilding their cultivation methods.

"Master, your plan has come true." Chi Li knew all too well the significance of this moment for Song Changsheng.

Over a century of hard work has finally yielded an ideal result.

Suppressing his excitement, Song Changsheng asked in a deep voice, "How are you feeling now? Is there anything wrong?"

"There is a slight imbalance of yin and yang, but this should be normal."

Based on my own experience in cultivation, I feel that it is not necessary to cultivate both Yin and Yang at the same time. When the essence of the sun and the moon are present in the body at the same time, it is a great test of the cultivator's attainment in the "True Meaning of Yin and Yang". The balance point of Yin and Yang is very difficult to grasp and may have the opposite effect.

Your disciple believes that, as you previously suggested, it might be more effective for ordinary members of the clan if men practice Yang and women practice Yin.

"If one has sufficient comprehension, it's not too late to try cultivating Yin and Yang together." Chi Li laid out his understanding and feelings in detail.

Song Changsheng nodded slightly and said, "In the way of Yin and Yang, men face the sun and women face the yin."

Just like the yin and yang fish in the Tai Chi diagram, yang is yang and yin is yin. They blend together yet remain distinct. Following each one leads to the great path to heaven.

Of course, things will inevitably turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes. It is necessary to ensure that there is yin within yang and yang within yin, just like the two extreme points of the Tai Chi diagram.

Normal people are born with both yin and yang in balance, so there is no need to worry about it unless you have a pure yin constitution like your junior sister. Otherwise, there is no need to worry about imbalance.

You're right, he's made considerable progress over the years.

Hearing his praise, Chili was excited and cupped his hands, saying, "Please name this method, Master."

After pondering for a moment, Song Changsheng said, "Although it has been verified, it still needs to be systematically organized. After it is completed, let's call it the Taiji Hunyuan Jing."

"Scripture" refers to classic works, representing authority in a certain field, and can directly establish a lineage of doctrines. It is not enough for just a cultivation method to be called a "scripture".

The mental cultivation method is only the foundation; later, related supernatural powers and secret techniques must be integrated to form a complete lineage.

This book encapsulates everything about Song Changsheng's own understanding of Yin and Yang.

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as one cultivates this lineage, one can consider oneself his personal disciple, which is a completely different concept from a nominal disciple.

"Congratulations, Master, on writing your masterpiece."

Hua Yan was filled with amazement. Only after experiencing it firsthand could she know how extraordinary the soon-to-be-released "Taiji Hunyuan Jing" truly was.

Its exquisiteness is in no way inferior to the "All Things Return to One" in the Wanxiang Palace, and in some aspects it is even better.

It should be noted that the "Scripture of the Unity of All Things" is the culmination of the collective efforts of dozens of True Monarchs of the Myriad Things Palace, while Song Changsheng is currently only at the Golden Core stage.

As it turns out, one should never doubt the judgment of a True Monarch. There was a reason why Song Changsheng was treated differently.

“Your senior brother has set an example for you; now it’s up to you.”

Looking at the faint glimmer of light on the horizon, Hua Yan took a deep breath and reached out to remove her veil and the cloak that blocked out the sunlight.

Over the years, the cloak had been welded to her body, almost becoming a part of her; today, she could finally try to discard it.

This was also the first time Song Changsheng and Chi Li had seen Hua Yan's face.

Even though he had seen countless beauties in the world, Song Changsheng had to admit that Hua Yan's appearance was among the best. However, her face lacked color and had a sickly pallor that made people feel sorry for her.

Chi Li was stunned and stood there for a long time before he came to his senses and struggled to shift his gaze.

Although the dawn has not yet truly broken, the exposed skin of the painted face already felt a slight stinging sensation.

She closed her eyes and began practicing breathing exercises.

As the sky began to lighten and the first rays of dawn shone upon her, the essence of the sun began to flow into her body.

The essence of the sun was like a raging flame to her, constantly flowing into her body with each breath, scorching her internal organs and even every cell.

Her fair skin turned visibly red, like a boiled shrimp that began to emit wisps of smoke.

Hua Yan gritted her teeth and silently endured it all.

Even though her body temperature was perfectly normal, her sweat could evaporate directly.

As time passed, the sun rose slowly from the horizon, and its increasingly intense sunlight dispelled all the darkness, and the yin energy in the world also receded.

As a being with the "Nine Yin Body", Hua Yan also faced a real test.

The essence of the sun entered her body and began to devour the yin energy within her, making her feel as if she were in a fire, with billowing black smoke emanating from her entire body, which looked extremely terrifying. Hua Yan's body trembled violently, and she was completely unaware that she had bitten her lip until it bled.

Chi Li's heart clenched, and he blurted out, "Master?"

Song Changsheng said coldly, "It's not time yet."

The collision of pure yang and pure yin is destined to be extremely painful, and it allows no room for interference.

Making a move at this point would only lead to failure.

In other words, no one can help Huayan now; she must tame the pure yang energy within her and find the balance between yin and yang.

He believed that Huayan could do it.

For Huayan, those two short hours felt like two centuries.

After experiencing the initial pain, she began to try to mobilize the accumulated lunar energy within her body to suppress the pure yang energy within her body, forcing it into her dantian, and attempting to merge the two extreme forces.

The essence of the sun and moon merges in the dantian to form the primordial energy.

Seeing this, Song Changsheng channeled his magic power and slapped Hua Yan on the top of her head, beginning to help her transform the [Primordial Qi] back into Yin-Yang power, nine parts Yin and one part Yang.

The yin energy far outweighs the yang energy, allowing it to be completely suppressed and prevented from backfiring on Huayan.

Gradually, the burning sensation in her body began to subside.

Although the yang energy is small, it is like a seed that will eventually grow stronger through continuous cultivation, allowing the yin and yang within the body to reach a balance.

Thus, it is exactly as the old national teacher of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty said: "One origin gives rise to two forms, two forms divide into yin and yang, yin and yang merge, and nine yin give rise to yang."

...(End of chapter)