In an ancient tome, there was a record of a condition that closely resembled Xia Qingxue's current state. The condition had no official name, but it could be understood as a kind of self-protection mechanism triggered when a person suffers a severe trauma.
Back then, Xia Qingxue had been struck by a Tier-3 talisman during a pursuit. The flying boat she was piloting was shattered on the spot. Although she managed to block most of the damage with a treasure granted to her by Master Jinyang, she was still gravely injured.
Fortunately, Master Jinyang had given her a secret treasure that activated in the critical moment, teleporting her away. She ended up falling into a creek near the border of Lingzhou.
By the time she was teleported, Xia Qingxue had already fallen unconscious. It was also at that moment that her spirit entered this protective state, allowing her to hang on by a thread of life. Eventually, she was rescued by Song Yushi and the others who happened to pass by.
This protective mechanism was extremely mysterious. In some cases, the person might wake up in just a few days. In others, they might only regain consciousness once their injuries had healed. But there were also cases where they never awoke, remaining unconscious for years, or even a lifetime.
Of course, since the ancient text recorded this condition, it also documented ways to treat it, more than one. The simplest method was to use a spirit herb called Star Soul Grass to concoct a pill for the patient to ingest.
Star Soul Grass was a Tier-3, low-grade spiritual herb. It was rare, partly due to its long growth cycle. But more importantly, its growth environment was extremely demanding. It could only grow in places where the power of starlight was rich and concentrated.
However, for the Song Clan, this wasn't much of an issue. Their inherited cultivation method was called Moon Essence Refinement Scripture, and one of its core requirements was to gather the power of the stars. For some unknown reason, the starlight energy within the Wangyue Mountain Range was far more concentrated than in other regions, making it an ideal match for the clan's cultivation lineage.
This was also the main reason why Song Taiyi had established the Song Clan's foundation in the Wangyue Mountains to begin with.
Even though Star Soul Grass was rare, Song Changsheng believed there were still some reserves left in the clan's treasury. The clan's medicine garden also cultivated some, especially on Cangmang Peak, which had the densest starlight energy in the entire Wangyue range.
Reading this far, Song Changsheng immediately sent someone to fetch Song Luzhou. Once the elder arrived, he asked impatiently,
"Fifth Uncle, do we still have any Tier-3, low-grade Star Soul Grass in the family treasury?"
At this, Song Luzhou's eyes widened. His expression turned wary as he snapped,
"What are you asking that for?"
Every Tier-3 spiritual herb in the clan was accounted for. They were extremely valuable and couldn't be used lightly, almost like Song Luzhou's own lifeblood. Song Changsheng's sudden request naturally put him on guard. He had no intention of handing over his "lifeblood" without a clear explanation.
Seeing his uncle's reaction, Song Changsheng immediately understood what the old miser was thinking. Without hesitation, he placed the ancient tome in front of him and said earnestly:
"Fifth Uncle, this is the key to waking Xia Qingxue. You also understand the current state of the cultivation world in Great Qi. The Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect are on the verge of open war. While Lingzhou may be remote, we are still nominally under the Golden Crow Sect's protection.
If war breaks out between the two sects, we won't be able to stay out of it. When that happens, we'll be conscripted for sure.
If we want to keep our clansmen from bleeding, we have to wake Xia Qingxue before the fighting starts. She knows who orchestrated the attack on her. Once she wakes up and clears our family's name, we can completely distance ourselves from this mess.
Compared to the lives of our people, what's one spiritual herb?"
Song Luzhou's expression shifted several times. At last, he sighed deeply and said,
"There is indeed one Star Soul Grass left in the treasury. We harvested it just this past spring. Originally, it was reserved for Lu Tong's body tempering. Looks like he'll just have to make do for now."
"I didn't expect that… I'll apologize to Uncle later," Song Changsheng replied. He hadn't known it was set aside for Song Lutong, but right now, preventing the war was more important. Compensation could come afterward.
"What kind of pill do you want to make from the Star Soul Grass?"
"A Tier-3, low-grade pill called the Soul Awakening Pill. I'll have to trouble you with the task, Fifth Uncle."
Immediately, Song Luzhou's face darkened as he grumbled,
"You little brat, know how to throw me into the fire. I can only refine Tier-2 top-grade pills right now. If you want a Tier-3 pill, we'll need to hire a Tier-3 alchemist. That'll cost a fortune in spirit stones!"
"As long as we can stop the war between the two sects, a few spirit stones are nothing. Besides, we did save Xia Qingxue's life. Once she wakes up, she's not likely to ignore that debt. We won't lose on this deal, trust me."
Song Changsheng smiled and reassured him. He understood Song Luzhou's concerns. The clan's finances had been tight for years, and every resource had to be stretched to its limit.
But no matter how you looked at it, this wasn't a losing proposition. Even if there was no material reward, earning Xia Qingxue's gratitude would be worth it.
After all, she was the personal disciple of a Golden Core cultivator. As long as she didn't die prematurely, her status in the Golden Crow Sect would be substantial. A favor from someone like her carried real weight.
"Wait for my word," Song Luzhou said, his expression softening slightly. He understood the value of money, but as long as it wasn't a losing deal, he was willing to go along.
Once Song Luzhou left, Song Changsheng finally felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. He turned his attention toward preparing for the upcoming clan tournament, setting the rules, procedures, and rewards, all of which required his careful planning.
...
Time flew by, and the day of the Song family's grand competition had finally arrived.
At the martial arena halfway up the mountain, a massive stage had already been erected. Nearly all members of the Song clan from the vast Cangmang Peak had gathered, many of whom had made special trips back from other regions just for this occasion.
In addition to the direct descendants of the Song clan, over a dozen cultivation families scattered throughout the Wangyue Mountain Range had also received invitations to attend the ceremony.
Among these Qi Refining families, the larger ones had over a hundred cultivators, while the smaller ones had only a dozen or so. To Foundation Establishment cultivators, their strength was hardly worth mentioning.
But the Song clan leaders had never underestimated their value. Together, these families could muster nearly a thousand cultivators. Whether as cannon fodder in wartime or for other purposes, they were a valuable resource.
Apart from them, two demon-hunting squads were also invited, including an old acquaintance of Song Changsheng, Shangguan Jian.
All these groups were considered Song clan affiliates, informally referred to as "lackeys," and were not significant enough to warrant a spot on the main stage.
The real weight lay with their allied clans: the Wang family and the Li family.
The Wang clan sent none other than Wang Wanzhou, an old friend of Song Changsheng's who had once done him a great favor. The Li clan was represented by their clan leader, Li Siyang, a gesture that showed great respect toward the Song clan.
As the time drew near and the audience seats around the arena were filled, Song Changsheng took the stage with the Song clan's senior leadership.
Truthfully, aside from himself, there were only Song Luzhou, Xia Yunxue, and a few highly respected clan elders.
They were seated at the very front. As the host, Song Changsheng took the central seat, with Wang Wanzhou and Li Siyang placed on either side of him.
Song Changsheng was not a prideful man. Wang Wanzhou, a distant relative and benefactor from the past, was someone he still held deep gratitude toward despite the years. He quickly rose and greeted him with a bow.
"I didn't expect that you would personally attend, Senior. I've failed to show proper respect," he said sincerely.
"Hahaha, the Song and Wang clans are like brothers, we're as one. No need for such formality, Young Master Song," Wang Wanzhou replied heartily, stroking his beard with a bold laugh.
He could feel that the respect Song Changsheng showed him came from the heart. That brought him great satisfaction. He had not misjudged this young man back then, and his help had not been in vain.
"I've heard of Young Master Song's name for quite some time. Now that we finally meet, you truly live up to your reputation, a rare talent indeed," said Li Siyang with a warm and refined demeanor, more like a scholar than a cultivator.
His relationship with the Song family was even closer. One of his aunts had married Song Xianming, Song Changsheng's grandmother.
By seniority, Song Changsheng should be calling him "Uncle."
"You flatter me. I've merely had some lucky breaks," Song Changsheng replied humbly.
Li Siyang smiled and pulled over a casually dressed young man. "Let me introduce my son, Hengzong."
"Dad, I've met the young clan leader before. Do you need to introduce us again?" Li Hengzong grumbled with a lazy attitude that made his father's face darken instantly.
Song Changsheng clasped his hands with a smile. "I must thank Brother Hengzong again for helping me back in the secret realm."
"Eh, it was nothing. I couldn't stand those guys from Earthfire Sect anyway," Li Hengzong replied casually, much to his father's frustration.
Not wanting to be left out, Wang Wanzhou also brought someone forward with a chuckle. "This is my granddaughter, Qianqian. You met her once before."
Song Changsheng turned and recognized her as someone he had seen in the Wutong Secret Realm. Compared to back then, she had grown even more graceful and poised. While not quite at the level of Xia Qingxue or Xia Wanyun, she was still a rare beauty.
They had only briefly seen each other before, without even exchanging words. He hadn't realized she was Wang Wanzhou's granddaughter.
Wang Qianqian blushed slightly and gave a graceful bow. In a soft voice, she said, "Greetings, Cousin."
"It's been years, and you've already reached Foundation Establishment. Congratulations, Cousin." Because of Wang Wanzhou, Song Changsheng felt more goodwill toward her.
Li Siyang, watching from the side, felt a pang of envy. Years ago, someone had named a top young genius from each of Lingzhou's six major Foundation Establishment forces.
They were: Zhang Zhiyuan of the Earthfire Sect, Qiu Wenwu of the Qiu clan, Yu Xueqian of the Yu clan, Wang Qianqian of the Wang clan, Li Hengzong of the Li clan, and Song Changsheng of the Song clan.
Now, Zhang Zhiyuan had died at the hands of Song Changsheng. Qiu Wenwu, Yu Xueqian, and Wang Qianqian had all reached Foundation Establishment. Song Changsheng had gone even further, able to contend with cultivators from the older generation.
Only Li Hengzong was still stuck at the peak of Qi Refining. Seeing his indifferent expression, Li Siyang wished he could slap him. How had he ended up with such an unambitious son?
"If only you were a daughter instead…" Li Siyang muttered under his breath, glancing at the poised Wang Qianqian, then at his son, who was busy looking around aimlessly. He sighed deeply.
After some brief greetings, Song Changsheng rose and flew above the martial arena on his sword. Channeling his spiritual power, he projected his voice:
"The time has come! The Song clan's grand competition is now officially underway. First up is the Junior Division. I will now announce the rules."
The crowd immediately fell silent. The massive arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"This competition will be one-on-one matches, with opponents decided by lottery. Those who draw the same number will be paired for a platform battle.
During the match, no external power may be used, such as high-grade magical tools or talismans. However, talisman cultivators may use talismans they have personally crafted, and formation cultivators may use their formations. The same applies to other specialties.
A duel ends when one party concedes or is forced off the stage; either counts as a loss. Once a participant yields, no further attacks are allowed, and injuring others afterward will be punished severely.
The top 24 contestants will each receive a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills and 50 contribution points.
The top 12 will receive two additional bottles of Qi Gathering Pills and 50 more points.
The top 6 will receive one Essence Tempering Pill and 100 contribution points.
The top 3 will be awarded a Marrow Cleansing Pill, along with an additional 300, 200, and 100 contribution points, respectively, based on rank!"
As soon as Song Changsheng finished speaking, the younger members of the Song clan erupted in thunderous cheers. Those who met the criteria were already gearing up eagerly, itching to compete.
"The rewards are generous," Wang Wanzhou remarked with surprise. After all, these were all underage disciples still receiving the clan's stipend. For them, these rewards were already quite lavish.
Standing nearby, Song Luzhou's face immediately darkened like the bottom of a burnt pot. His heart was bleeding; he had originally planned to slash at least half of those rewards.
Back at his seat, Song Changsheng couldn't help but chuckle when he overheard this. He'd worked hard to squeeze those rewards out of Song Luzhou, after all. But hey, they were all from the same clan; better to keep the fat in the family than let it benefit outsiders.
"Now, all contestants, please proceed to draw lots." An elderly clan elder with snow-white hair walked onto the stage holding a large draw tube. One by one, the contestants stepped forward to draw their lots. At a glance, Song Changsheng spotted Song Qingxi in the line.
She casually drew a stick. Song Changsheng peeked at it and was a little surprised that it turned out to be the only solo lot, which meant she had a bye for the first round. The little girl had pretty good luck.
On the other hand, Song Qingxi looked a little disappointed. She had hoped to test her skills against others, but now she had to sit this round out.
If the others knew what Song Qingxi was thinking, they'd probably cry tears of frustration. "You don't want a free win? Give it to me!"
Soon, the first match began. It was between two rather unremarkable youngsters, both at the early stage of Qi Refining. They were at the bottom of the pack in terms of cultivation, and their combat experience was average at best. The whole fight was a clumsy exchange of blows, "rookie versus rookie."
The next few matches followed suit, none of them particularly impressive. The spectators were already starting to doze off.
But everything changed with the tenth match. A striking young girl stepped onto the stage, wielding a three-foot-long longsword. She defeated her older, same-realm opponent in just five moves. Her strikes were sharp, swift, and clean. Many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the audience silently nodded in approval. This girl had the most potential so far.
Song Changsheng called over a steward and asked, "Who was that girl who just won?"
The steward had been prepared for this and immediately replied, "Reporting to the Young Clan Leader, her name is Qingxia. She's sixteen years old, possesses dual gold and fire spiritual roots, and is at the fifth level of Qi Refining."
"Qingxia," Song Changsheng quietly committed the name to memory. Reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining at sixteen without any special resource support was already quite impressive.
But what impressed him more wasn't her cultivation speed; it was her talent in swordsmanship. While she still fell short of Song Qingxing, the gap wasn't that big.
Barring any surprises, she should be able to make it into the top ten, maybe even the top five.
That thought delighted him. After all, wasn't the entire point of this clan competition to discover new talent?
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