The idea of being burned alive was enough to send chills down anyone's spine; the pain would be unimaginable.
Bi Fang was a sovereign of fire, immune to flames and able to temper his body with them without restraint. Song Changsheng, however, was far from that level.
But he was never the type to give up easily. Since he had paid such a steep price, he was determined to try no matter what.
He decided to train in both body-tempering techniques at once: externally strengthening his muscles with the White Tiger method and internally refining his bones and tendons with Bi Fang's fire.
The White Tiger's method was primarily based on physical movements, running, jumping, pouncing...
These seemingly ordinary actions, when combined with the body-tempering art, produced extraordinary effects. After each training session, Song Changsheng would feel utterly spent, collapsing to the ground like a dead dog.
Bi Fang's technique was different.
Song Changsheng brought out the pill furnace he had stolen from Dong Tianxie. As it had belonged to a Purple Mansion cultivator, it was naturally no ordinary item; it was a top-grade Tier-2 furnace.
He ignited the space inside the furnace using his spiritual fire. Then, completely naked, he stepped inside and began channeling the flame into his body through his acupoints, tempering his bones and tendons from within.
His tolerance was limited, so he could only endure for a dozen or so breaths each time before exiting to recover, then going back in again. Over and over, he repeated the cycle.
As a result, from time to time, Song Qingluo or one of the other shop assistants in the general store would hear muffled, agonized howls from the backyard. If Song Changsheng hadn't warned them, they might've rushed in, thinking someone was being tortured.
Time flew by like an arrow.
On the ninth day of Song Changsheng's secluded training, Song Qingluo knocked gently on his door and respectfully called out,
"Young Patriarch, a letter has arrived from the clan. It says it's for your eyes only."
At that moment, Song Changsheng had just finished another round of White Tiger muscle training and was drenched in sweat. With a wave of his hand, he gathered water-element spiritual energy from the air into a large orb, which hovered above his head and sprinkled down like a shower to cleanse him.
During this period, his understanding of the "Water-Fire Control Technique" had deepened significantly. Now, he could freely manipulate elemental water and fire around him. He could even affect water or fire spells cast by other cultivators.
Once he had cleaned up, Song Changsheng opened the door.
"Where's the letter?" he asked.
Song Qingluo promptly handed it over.
The "letter" wasn't a written note; it was a jade sword about a foot long, a type of transmission sword that stored spoken messages via spiritual imprint.
Depending on the sword's type, messages could be either single-use or permanent.
This one was a single-use sword; the message inside would vanish after being "heard" once.
After confirming the restrictions on the sword were intact, Song Changsheng unlocked it. A strand of divine sense immediately surged into his sea of consciousness.
When he finished listening, a long-standing doubt in his mind was finally resolved.
Back during the grand auction in Luoxia City, such a major event that even the Earthfire Sect and the Two Sects Seven Houses sent representatives, he had wondered why no one from the clan had shown up, despite the obvious wind of movement. The Song Clan had spies in the city; it was impossible they hadn't heard anything.
He had feared something might've happened back home. After returning to the shop, he'd asked Elder Song Xiantu to send an inquiry to the clan. But because of the distance, the back-and-forth had taken over ten days. And only now had the reply come.
The letter was from Grand Elder Song Xianyun.
He began with high praise for Song Changsheng's slaying of Cheng Yufei, then followed with a gentle scolding, warning him not to act so rashly again and asking whether he had been injured.
Only in the final part did he explain why no one from the clan had attended the auction.
It turned out that the clan had been harboring deep resentment over the ambush on Song Luyao and decided to return the favor. Led by the Grand Elder himself, along with Song Luzhou and Xia Yunxue, they laid an ambush along Cheng Yufei's known travel route.
A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, a mid-stage, and a peak-stage; this was all the manpower the clan could spare. As a result, no one had been sent to the auction.
The letter grew a bit exasperated at this point.
They had waited in ambush for a whole month and saw no sign of Cheng Yufei. Just as they were beginning to think he had changed his plans or gotten wind of something, they received an urgent message from the clan.
Cheng Yufei was already dead.
As for who killed him?
Neither the Earthfire Sect nor the Song Clan had any idea. And so, following the time-honored tradition of pinning the blame on whoever they didn't like, the furious Earthfire Sect immediately accused the Song Clan of murder.
That led to escalating friction between the two sides. While it didn't escalate into an all-out war between Foundation Establishment elders, it still caused heavy casualties.
Originally, the Song Clan was indignant at being falsely accused. As Song Luzhou had put it,
"Sure, we wanted to kill him, but we didn't even get the chance. Who are they barking at?"
The whole clan had been fired up, ready to make Earthfire Sect pay.
But then Song Xiantu's message arrived.
When the elders of the Song Clan found out the truth, they fell silent.
Turns out... the Earthfire Sect's wild accusation had accidentally hit the bullseye.
Like a blind cat catching a dead rat, Song Changsheng had been the one to kill Cheng Yufei.
Seeing this, Song Changsheng couldn't help but laugh wryly.
So that's why the clan hadn't sent anyone to the auction; they were planning to swoop in at the last moment and reap the rewards. Yet ironically, he had unknowingly ruined their plan himself.
"If I'd known Cheng Yufei was going to die one way or another, I wouldn't have bothered killing him that day. That spirit artifact would've gone to the clan instead... Truly, man proposes, heaven disposes."
Song Changsheng sighed deeply, regretting his lack of foresight. But alas, he didn't possess the power to see the future.
At the end of the message, Song Xianyun also delivered a piece of good news: the Foundation Establishment Pills the clan had purchased from the main family were already en route and would arrive at the clan soon.
This was indeed exciting news. Once the pills arrived, the clan's overall strength would rise to a new level!
Finally, Song Xianyun advised Song Changsheng to stay vigilant in Luoxia City and to return as soon as the birthday banquet concluded. The clan would send someone to escort him back.
"Looks like the clan's already heard about Luoxia's war preparations... sigh, let's just hope we can stay out of it."
Song Changsheng lightly exhaled and tucked away the shattered remains of the jade sword.
There were fewer than three months left until the City Lord's 400th birthday. As the day approached, the atmosphere in Tianyin Mountain and all of Luoxia City was becoming increasingly festive. Colorful lanterns and decorations had begun to appear everywhere.
Zhuang Yuechan, who had also been in closed-door cultivation, had emerged early. As one of the City Lord's direct disciples, she was tasked with receiving guests who arrived ahead of time.
Of course, very few had come so early. Only the top representatives from the Two Sects, Seven Clans, or renowned rogue cultivators, as well as a few outsiders from beyond the Great Qi cultivation realm, were eligible to arrive this far in advance.
"Senior Brother Niu, did you find out anything about what I asked you to look into?"
After settling a visiting Purple Mansion cultivator from the Rong Clan into their quarters, Zhuang Yuechan immediately spotted the sneaky-looking Niu Dazhuang and approached him for answers.
Niu Dazhuang originally planned to dodge the question with a vague excuse, but one look at Zhuang Yuechan's gaze told him this time he couldn't bluff his way out. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and quickly put on a cheerful smile:
"Yes, yes! I've got news."
Zhuang Yuechan's expression eased slightly, patiently waiting for more.
"I haven't heard anything from Song Changsheng. No idea what he's up to. Probably in closed-door training at home or something."
As he spoke, Niu Dazhuang kept a close eye on Zhuang Yuechan's face.
Seeing her frown, he quickly added,
"But I did find out about Xu Yunhe and Zhu Yiqun!"
Zhuang Yuechan's frown faded a bit; at least it wasn't a complete dead end.
"Where are they now?"
Seeing she had let go of Song Changsheng's lead, Niu Dazhuang sighed in relief and grinned,
"That Xu kid, I knew he was something special the moment I saw him! And sure enough, he's broken through to Foundation Establishment and even made quite a name for himself in the Ten Thousand Mountains."
Zhuang Yuechan's lips curved into a small smile.
"I thought Fellow Daoist Song was just comforting him back then... turns out he was right all along. His insight is impressive."
Niu Dazhuang noticed the topic was drifting again and quickly interjected,
"The chubby one is even more impressive!"
"Oh? What has Fellow Daoist Zhu done now?" she asked, eyes brightening with curiosity.
"Heh, I had to dig deep to find this one. Turns out, he and someone named Song Qingxing rescued the auction house woman who got kidnapped, killed the living puppet, and walked away from our treasure vault with three valuable artifacts!"
"So, Fellow Daoist Zhu also broke through to Foundation Establishment?"
Zhuang Yuechan's eyes sparkled.
"Strangely enough, it seems all these guys broke through around the same time as you. What are the odds all these geniuses would gather in one group?"
Niu Dazhuang smacked his lips in amazement.
He still remembered when he first met them; they were just little cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, some barely at the ninth level, cornered by blood demons and with no hope of survival.
And now? In just a few short years, they'd all reached Foundation Establishment. His junior sister, of course, was expected, but the rest?
What did they rely on?
Zhuang Yuechan, however, wasn't thinking so much about talent or luck. What puzzled her was if Xu Yunhe and Zhu Yiqun were in Luoxia City, why hadn't they come to find her?
...
Knock knock knock.
"Young Patriarch, the time you instructed has arrived."
In his room, Song Changsheng slowly opened his eyes and murmured,
"Two months already...?"
It had been two months since he last received the letter from the clan. During that time, aside from training in body-tempering arts and studying minor divine abilities, Song Changsheng had also repaired his damaged artifacts, including the [Black Jade Lotus Platform] and the [Xuantian Battle Armor], both of which had been damaged in his battle with Cheng Yufei.
Additionally, he had used the Yin-Yang Iron he'd obtained from the treasure vault to reforge the Soul-Slaying Gourd, upgrading it to a mid-tier Tier-2 magic tool.
Now, with enough five-element essence, this gourd might one day evolve into a true mid-grade spiritual artifact.
But he no longer had time to dwell on that; according to the invitation, it was time for the banquet.
After washing up, Song Changsheng changed into the ceremonial robe representing his status as the Young Patriarch of the Song Clan.
He only wore this robe during ancestral rites or important clan events, and he had brought it this time specifically to show the clan's respect toward the Great City Lord.
The invitation stated that guests could bring a companion.
Song Changsheng had originally planned to take Elder Song Xiantu or his teacher, Sun Chuanming, but both had declined.
Xu Yunhe was still deep in the Ten Thousand Mountains, uninterested in such events.
Zhu Yiqun, the chubby one, would have loved this kind of occasion, but he was nowhere to be seen, not even a trace of a single pig hair.
So, by default, the spot went to Song Qingluo.
Despite being only nineteen, the young man had already reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining, an impressive feat for someone of his age.
He was close with Song Changsheng, and this would be a good opportunity to broaden his horizons.
In the future, the general store might even be handed over to him.
...
At the foot of Tianyin Mountain, although the City Lord's birthday banquet was drawing near, many people were still seated cross-legged around the entrance.
However, unlike previous times, the mountain's protective formation had been opened.
Looking at the silent crowd, Song Changsheng felt a bit puzzled.
Wasn't the banquet open to everyone?
Sure, those with invitations could ascend to the summit, and those without had to remain halfway up the mountain.
But why were all these people stuck at the base?
He wasn't the type to ask about every little thing, so he simply walked past the crowd and started heading up the mountain.
A young cultivator nearby couldn't help but call out:
"Fellow Daoist, Tianyin Mountain is off-limits beyond the base."
Song Changsheng frowned slightly.
"It's normally restricted, sure. But isn't the City Lord's birthday banquet open to all?"
Before the young man could answer, an elderly cultivator with white hair chimed in:
"That's true, but it only applies on the day of the banquet. There's still a whole month to go."
"A whole month?"
A jolt of unease hit Song Changsheng.
Had he remembered the date wrong?
That would be... embarrassing.
He quickly calculated with his fingers under his sleeve, and his brows furrowed.
No, this was exactly the date printed on the invitation.
He didn't know why the timing seemed off by a month, but since the invitation was accurate, he didn't worry too much.
He clasped his hands toward the two cultivators and said,
"Thanks for the reminder."
Then he continued up the mountain with Song Qingluo.
Seeing that Song Changsheng insisted on going, the young cultivator and the old man simply shook their heads and said nothing more.
They didn't know him, after all, just offering a warning was already kindness enough.
But just a few steps later, someone from the crowd muttered loudly:
"Kids these days don't know their place. Who does he think he is, trying to go up a month early? Thinks he's some Purple Mansion cultivator or something."
"Exactly. I bet he'll be tossed off the mountain like a dog in no time."
Another voice chimed in, laced with mockery.
Though they hadn't spoken loudly, every word fell clearly into Song Changsheng's ears.
He frowned slightly and locked eyes on the two Qi Refining cultivators in the crowd.
But after a glance, he looked away.
It wasn't worth stooping to their level. Besides, he had a much better way to shut them up.
Just as he stepped onto the mountain path, two Foundation Establishment cultivators approached.
Though visibly doubtful, they still spoke formally:
"Fellow Daoist, may we see your invitation?"
"He doesn't have an invitation, not even a fart's worth!"
Someone in the crowd blurted out, causing a round of laughter to erupt.
"Clowns," Song Changsheng sneered inwardly.
And then, to everyone's shock, he pulled out a gold-embossed invitation...
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