Chapter 985
True Monarch's Challenge
"you're awake."
Zhuang Yuechan noticed Song Changsheng's unusual behavior immediately. When she saw him wake up, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
Twenty years is not a long time for a Golden Core cultivator; it is merely a period of seclusion, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is over in the blink of an eye.
However, Song Changsheng's condition was different from that of the other cultivators; he could face life-threatening danger at any moment.
There is still a certain chance of survival if one fails to overcome the minor Heavenly Tribulation or the minor Heart Demon Tribulation, but if one fails to overcome the major Heart Demon Tribulation, the chance of survival is less than one percent. Such a chance is no different from certain death.
These past twenty years of longing and worry have made Zhuang Yuechan feel like every day is an eternity.
"It's all over. I'm sorry to have worried you." Song Changsheng reached out and pulled Zhuang Yuechan into his arms, gently inhaling the faint fragrance of orchids on her body. However, the scenes he had witnessed during his tribulation of inner demons involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Although he tried more than once to convince himself that those were all fake, that the inner demons were deliberately creating scenes by exploiting his fears and anxieties, for some reason, he always felt that what he saw would become reality.
Every time he thinks of the message Zhuang Yuechan left for him in the jade pendant in the picture, his heart is pierced with pain.
Over the past twenty years, he has seen far too much, not only in great detail but also in many aspects, much of which he had never experienced. At first glance, they seem to be fabricated out of thin air, but upon closer examination, he finds that the details are generally well-founded.
In this situation, he could no longer distinguish how much of it was true and how much was false.
To make a lie go undetected, it's best to be nine parts truth and one part falsehood.
Let alone nine points, even if only five points of what he saw were true, it would still be an outcome he absolutely could not accept.
"I will never let those things happen, I will..."
Song Changsheng tightened his grip on Zhuang Yuechan's arms even more.
After more than a hundred years of knowing and supporting each other, Zhuang Yuechan keenly sensed the emotional changes buried deep in Song Changsheng's heart, but she did not ask him anything. Instead, she opened her arms and hugged him back.
The couple lingered for a moment, and then Zhuang Yuechan remembered something she had forgotten to say.
"Last year, Qingxi sent word that Qingxing had successfully formed his core and should be on his way back to his clan. Uncle Bai's body has also been found. There were some unexpected events along the way."
"Xing'er has formed his Golden Core?" Song Changsheng was first surprised, then overwhelmed with joy. He spun Zhuang Yuechan around twice in his arms and laughed heartily, "I knew the Wuliang Sword Sect's trials wouldn't be difficult for him. The family has gained another Golden Core cultivator. It's truly a double blessing."
Song Qingxing's successful breakthrough has extraordinary significance for both the Song family and the cultivation world of the Great Qi.
For the Song family, this signifies that Song Changsheng has a worthy successor; for the cultivation world of the Great Qi, it adds another powerful force.
Eleven Golden Core cultivators—this number already ranks among the top in the borderlands. If we include Song Changsheng's pseudo-Nascent Soul combat power, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their overall strength is second only to the Myriad Manifestations Palace.
"When did Xing'er set off? By the way, what did you mean by the interlude you mentioned?"
"Based on the time estimate, they set off about three months ago, and it will take at least two months to reach Cangmang Peak."
Accompanying him back was a Golden Core cultivator named Li Yuxia, who was a fellow trial participant of Uncle Bai's generation..."
Zhuang Yuechan briefly recounted what had happened. As Song Changsheng listened, the joy on his face gradually disappeared, and his mood became increasingly heavy.
so similar.
Aside from not knowing the names of the people involved, the process was exactly the same as what he saw when he was going through his inner demon tribulation.
He didn't know how much of what he saw was real and how much was fake, but Song Qingxing's experience powerfully proved that there was "truth" in those scenes; his inner demons had indeed allowed him to see the future.
This discovery directly overshadowed the joy brought by Song Qingxing's breakthrough.
"Fifty-three days."
"Hmm?" Zhuang Yuechan, who was in his arms, raised her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing's wrong. How has the clan been these past few days?"
"Everything has been fine within the clan during this time, and the sea creatures in the East Sea have also been unexpectedly peaceful. Your seclusion period was not long, so it did not arouse suspicion from others."
The old man hasn't triggered the Heavenly Tribulation yet, perhaps because he's encountered some kind of bottleneck. There shouldn't be any changes in the short term.
Besides that, there is only one major event in the clan: twelve years ago, the eleventh generation of the clan was born. The generation was determined according to the ten characters you reserved: "May the descendants prosper and the family business flourish for ten thousand generations."
The eldest grandson was named Song Xingzu, a name personally chosen by his fifth uncle.
"In the beginning, the path to immortality was formed, and evergreen blessings illuminated the scene. May the family prosper and its legacy endure for ten thousand generations."
"I never imagined that the eleventh generation of the clan would be twelve years old so quickly," Song Changsheng couldn't help but exclaim.
At that moment, a name flashed through his mind like lightning. He released Zhuang Yuechan and asked solemnly, "In these twelve years, have any outstanding talents emerged among the Xing generation of cultivators?"
“A cultivator with outstanding talent? The Xing generation of the clan is still growing up. There are not many people participating in the Ascension Conference. There are quite a few cultivators with dual spiritual roots, but even the most outstanding ones can only be considered to have above-average talent.”
However, a little genius emerged from both the Ming and Jing generations.
The one with the character "Ming" in her name is Song Mingshuang. She is Jingrun's eldest daughter, has a four-inch ice spirit root, and is already preparing to establish her foundation at the young age of nineteen. This child has some ambition and wants to follow your example and establish her foundation using the ancient cultivation method.
The one with the character "Jing" in his name is Song Jingxuan. He is a descendant of the Changrong clan. He was found to have wood, fire, and earth spiritual roots at the Ascension Conference. At only fifteen years old, he has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. Master Wujie took a liking to his talent and accepted him as his personal disciple. Now he can independently refine first-grade top-quality pills.
You've missed out on quite a lot over the years.
"Ice Spirit Root, Earth Spirit Root?" Song Changsheng never expected that the Song family would produce two geniuses in just twenty years.
In the nearly seven-hundred-year history of the Song family, three people have produced members with the wind spirit root, but this is the first time someone has produced a member with the ice spirit root.
To be precise, cultivators with ice spiritual roots are extremely rare throughout the entire Great Qi cultivation world. Apart from Xia Qingxue, he couldn't think of a second person.
The Earth Spirit Root cultivator is not the first; however, the previous one was Xu Miaoyin, who had a Metal Water Earth Spirit Root and could not be considered a member of the Song Clan. Therefore, Song Jingxuan is the first Earth Spirit Root cultivator of the Song Clan.
These are all promising talents who have the potential to break through to the Golden Core stage; calling them the pride of heaven wouldn't be an exaggeration.
However, the cost for them to break through to the Golden Core stage will be astonishing.
Although he was pleasantly surprised, this was not the answer he had initially wanted.
During his struggle against his inner demons, among the images projected into his mind by his inner demons, a person named "Song Xingyuan" repeatedly appeared. He didn't know whether this person belonged to the real part or the fake part.
If it's fake, then there's nothing more to say. If it's real, then it must have some extraordinary qualities, otherwise this name wouldn't appear so many times.
Actually, he would prefer that part to be fake, so that it would prove that what he saw was not all true.
"By the way, Miss Peng from the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce has already broken through to the Golden Core stage." "When did this happen?" Song Changsheng was taken aback.
It had been less than half a century since Peng Zhengxiong met him, and Peng Siying had already broken through. He had originally planned to attend the Golden Core Ceremony in person, but he missed it during his seclusion, which was really a shame.
Peng Siying was not only his friend, but also the first benefactor in his life. She contributed to the rapid rise of the Song family.
Even setting that aside, both he and Zhuang Yuechan received generous gifts for their Golden Core ceremony.
"Just five years ago, after the Golden Core Ceremony had ended, I went there in person and learned that Chairman Peng had already begun his seclusion to break through to the Nascent Soul stage."
Since Chairman Peng went into seclusion, some discordant voices have begun to emerge within the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce, and cooperation within the clan has been affected to some extent.
"Fellow Daoist Peng has been kind to both of us. Now that you've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, her uncles and elders will surely give you some face."
"Yes, I understand. I will go to Suzhou before returning to my clan."
"Shouldn't we also go to the Myriad Manifestations Palace? Sword Heart Immortal sent a message to Youfu through the Myriad Manifestations Token, saying that the magic weapon you asked Thunder Elephant True Monarch to refine has been completed and that you should go and pick it up yourself," Zhuang Yuechan gently reminded him.
Song Changsheng then remembered that the two ancient bronze fragments he brought back from the Eastern Heaven Cultivation World were still in the Myriad Manifestations Palace, and he was very much looking forward to Lei Xiang Zhenjun taking action personally.
However, after this trip, the news of his breakthrough to the False Infant stage will probably be impossible to keep secret.
He originally intended to keep his talents hidden.
"Then let's go to the Palace of Ten Thousand Elephants first."
Is Song Yuqing not ready to break through to the Golden Core stage yet?
"We have already applied to the family, and after deliberation by the elders, it was decided to bestow upon him the [Star Spirit Fruit] that Qing Xing left behind. He began his seclusion two years ago, and it will take at least several decades for him to trigger the Heavenly Tribulation."
"I hope he can seize the opportunity." Song Changsheng nodded slowly.
The [Splendid Banner] is too large; it requires at least two Golden Core cultivators to oversee it, which consumes too much energy. If Song Yuqing can break through, she can at least replace Zhuang Yuechan from the Tenglong Islands.
Moreover, as the new clan leader of the [Brocade Banner], if his cultivation level is insufficient, it will be difficult for him to gain the respect of the people over time.
A high reputation can only last for a short time; strong strength is the key to sustaining it.
Zhuang Yuechan hesitated for a moment, but finally asked, "How did you... pass through this inner demon tribulation? According to Master Wujie, there will be another tribulation when forming a false infant. Did you encounter any difficulties?"
From the moment Song Changsheng woke up, she felt that Song Changsheng's emotions were a bit strange.
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng couldn't help but think of the words he uttered before his inner demon dissipated: his other tribulation was immortality.
"The tribulation of immortality... even if it really is the tribulation of immortality, one must first achieve immortality."
Immortality is far too distant for him now. Golden Core cultivators only have a lifespan of a thousand years, and Nascent Soul True Monarchs only have a lifespan of eighteen hundred years. At the very least, one must reach the Divine Transformation Supreme realm and have a lifespan of three thousand years to barely be considered "immortal".
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
He gave Zhuang Yuechan a reassuring look, and then his hands slowly began to wander, roaming over her perfect curves.
Zhuang Yuechan blushed as if she had been electrocuted, and gave him a light push, saying, "Weren't you going to the Myriad Elephants Palace?"
“It’s been so many years, there’s no rush. We have more important things to do now.” Song Changsheng said righteously, and picked Zhuang Yuechan up in his arms.
"Master instructed me years ago to have a child as soon as possible, otherwise it will be more difficult to conceive in the future. I wholeheartedly agree. Let's work hard these next few days."
"Hmm~"
……
Song Changsheng worked diligently for several days, only stopping after Zhuang Yuechan begged for mercy. After tidying up a bit, he set off for the Wanxiang Palace.
In recent years, Wanxiang Palace has been very active, with its disciples and elders coming down the mountain in batches, leaving their footprints almost all over the border region.
Over the years, many traitors who colluded with the demon race have been exposed, a sight that made Song Changsheng feel a sense of relief.
The internal troubles have now been basically quelled, and he himself has condensed a false infant. Even if the Golden-Eyed Demon Kingdom launches an attack with all its might, he is confident that they will be utterly defeated.
Things seem to be moving in a positive direction.
"Fellow Daoist Jianxin, it's been many years. I hope you've been well."
Seeing Song Changsheng's sudden visit, Jianxin was somewhat surprised. After looking him over, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Fellow Daoist has broken through to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage?"
"After decades of seclusion, one must have gained something, right? I've come to retrieve a magical artifact. May I ask if the Supreme Elder is here?"
Because Song Changsheng used the [Illusionary Body Technique] obtained from Lingmou, Jianxin did not notice that he had condensed a fake infant.
Jianxin cultivates the [Way of the Heart Sword]. If she can't detect it, then no one below the Nascent Soul stage should be able to see through his disguise, which makes him very satisfied.
"The Supreme Elder has recently made some progress and is currently in seclusion attempting to break through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. The magical artifact he crafted for you is now in the hands of the Palace Master. You can go directly to the main hall to find the Palace Master."
"Thank you for your trouble."
After bidding farewell to Sword Heart Immortal, Song Changsheng found Yi Tianzheng, who was handling general affairs, in the main hall.
"Greetings, Palace Master."
Yi Tianzheng looked up at him, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He put down the jade slip in his hand, stared at him for a few moments, and then said, "Have you had any extraordinary encounters recently?"
He didn't spell it out, but Song Changsheng knew that the other party had seen through his disguise, so he readily agreed: "Palace Master has a discerning eye. I recently had some fortuitous encounters in the East Sea. While breaking through to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, I was fortunate enough to open up the Niwan Palace and also condensed a false infant."
"East China Sea? Our scouts reported earlier that there was an unusual thunderstorm in the direction of the Twin Islands, resembling a celestial calamity. Could it be that you caused this disturbance?"
Yi Tianzheng stood up and walked to Song Changsheng, looking him over as if he were a rare animal.
"I have only ever read about the concept of a false infant in ancient books. I never imagined that I would be able to witness it with my own eyes today."
It is said that the nascent soul is superior to the golden core and can even contend with the nascent soul. Do you dare to spar with this old man?
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng's eyes widened in shock.
...(End of this chapter)