"Your grandson accepts the command," Song Changsheng responded instinctively, but quickly realized the other party couldn't hear him.
He rushed up the mountain peak at top speed. The palace doors were already open, and as he stepped inside, he immediately saw that familiar figure.
Compared to before, the aura emanating from the figure was even more vast and powerful, exerting a heavy pressure that made it hard to breathe.
"So this is Grandpa's true strength?" Song Changsheng marveled inwardly. He had seen plenty of cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
There were those close to him, like Grandpa Twenty-One, Chang Wudao, Liu Hongye, and the long-bearded man who had been killed in their joint assault.
Then there were the more distant ones, Niu Dazhuang, Elders Qianri and Qianyue, as well as Yin Shang and others.
They were all peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet none of them could compare in terms of aura. The difference between them wasn't something that could be explained in a few words.
"Greetings, Grandpa," Song Changsheng bowed respectfully.
Song Xianming slowly turned around, the wrinkles on his aged face softening into a faint smile. He nodded slightly and said, "Not bad. Your cultivation hasn't slipped. Now, tell me what's been going on with the clan lately."
"Uh, quite a bit has happened, too much to go into all at once."
"Then give me the short version," Song Xianming said with a glare.
"After you entered seclusion, the Blood Demon ambushed a Golden Crow Sect elder and a direct disciple of one of their Supreme Elders, then framed the Heavenly Vein Sect.
Although Yu Shi and Yu Long managed to rescue the disciple, and we did our best to awaken him, we still couldn't stop the two sects from going to war. Luckily, our clan didn't get dragged in…
Later on, Liu Hongye seized control of the former Liuyun Market and announced plans to establish the Liuyun Sect. He also invited us to attend the inauguration ceremony. That's the gist of it." Song Changsheng gave a summary.
After listening, Song Xianming fell silent.
He hadn't expected so much to happen in less than half a year of closed-door cultivation, and none of it was simple.
After a moment of contemplation, Song Xianming stroked his beard and asked, "You said that even after you exposed the Blood Demon as the culprit, the Golden Crow Sect still went to war with the Heavenly Vein Sect?"
"Yes, and that's exactly what puzzles me. Logically, the message should've gotten through."
"You're saying that the enemy had already reached Baiyun Peak, and Chang Wudao still didn't show up?"
"Exactly. I suspect he's probably in seclusion, trying to break through to the Purple Mansion realm, and has reached a critical stage. But Grandpa Twenty-One thinks that without the right cultivation technique, Chang Wudao wouldn't dare to attempt such a breakthrough."
"But I think Grandpa Twenty-One is being a bit too absolute," Song Changsheng added without hesitation. He had strong faith in his intuition.
Song Xianming furrowed his brows slightly and said, "Chang Wudao is a dangerous man. We can't keep viewing him through the lens of the past. We must prepare for the worst."
He then turned his gaze to Song Changsheng. "Once I make a few adjustments, I'll begin preparing for my breakthrough. The burden of the clan will fall on you and Xianyun in the meantime."
"So soon?" Song Changsheng was surprised. He had just come out of seclusion and was already going back?
Song Xianming chuckled, "Breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm is no small matter. It requires a long period of preparation. The actual seclusion will begin in a year. Until then, if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, come to me."
"I do have a few things that I need Grandpa to personally help with."
As he spoke, Song Changsheng took out a lush green vine and a broken net from his storage pouch. "This vine was found in the Qiantian Secret Realm. It's extremely rare, and I'd like to refine it into a magic artifact.
But given its grade, making a mere second-tier artifact would be a waste. That's why I hope you can personally craft it.
This net is a top-grade spiritual weapon from the Lieyang Sect, called the Net of Heaven's Restraint. It was damaged in battle. Do you think it's salvageable?"
Hearing this, Song Xianming picked up the vine, and after examining it carefully, a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes. "This is the main trunk of a fourth-tier spiritual plant? How could such a treasure appear in the Qiantian Secret Realm?"
Song Changsheng quickly recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.
Song Xianming fell into deep thought. After a long silence, he finally sighed and said,
"Luoxia City is truly blessed. This indicates that the laws of that minor world are on the verge of advancing.
It's a good thing you didn't do anything foolish. This vine contains a dense power of law if it were refined into a second-grade magic tool, which would've been a terrible waste. If you refine it into a third-grade tool, it won't be long before it evolves into a true magical treasure.
Leave it with me for now. Once I break through to the Purple Mansion stage, I'll forge a fine artifact for you."
Song Changsheng was overjoyed, filled with anticipation. When the old man made a move, it was bound to be extraordinary.
After putting away the vine, Song Xianming turned his gaze toward the Net of Heaven's Restraint. Seeing its dim and lifeless appearance, he couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth and sigh.
"This is a top-tier spiritual artifact from the Lieyang Sect, on par with our clan's Heaven-Shielding Umbrella. What a waste!"
Seeing his grandfather's gloomy expression, Song Changsheng instinctively shrank his neck and said timidly,
"I didn't mean for it to happen either… Who knew it was so fragile? It broke after just a few strikes. Do you think it can still be repaired?"
"Broke after just a few strikes?" Song Xianming's mouth twitched even more violently. After a moment, he nodded.
"It can be fixed. With proper nurturing using the essence of the Five Elements, it can be restored to the level of a mid-grade spiritual artifact."
"A mid-grade one? That's already quite good!" Song Changsheng was thrilled that he'd thought it could only be restored to a low-grade spiritual tool.
"Anything else? Speak now."
"Grandfather, I have a question about cultivation."
"Oh?" Song Xianming raised an eyebrow. Ever since reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Song Changsheng had rarely encountered difficulties in cultivation, and this was the first time he had come seeking advice.
Song Changsheng said somewhat awkwardly,
"It's about a minor divine ability. Before heading to Luoxia City, I studied Mountain-Flipping Seal from the Scripture Pavilion, but I still haven't even reached the entry level. I was hoping you could give me some guidance."
"You kid… aiming high, huh? You've just reached Foundation Establishment, and you're already trying to learn a divine ability? Back in my day, I didn't even consider it until I had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Do you know what distinguishes Foundation Establishment cultivators from those of the Purple Mansion stage?"
The difference? There were too many.
Song Changsheng thought for a moment and answered,
"After breaking through to Purple Mansion, one's spiritual energy is transformed into magical power. The middle dantian is opened, the Purple Mansion is forged, and one's life essence undergoes a major transformation."
"Exactly. Minor divine abilities are one of the signature skills of Purple Mansion cultivators, and the prerequisite to cultivating them is magical power. Without magical power as a medium, you can't cultivate or cast them.
You gain magical power naturally once you break through to Purple Mansion. But for us Foundation Establishment cultivators, magical power is a distant goal. It is a force entirely different from spiritual energy.
That's why you haven't made any progress because you simply don't have any magical power in your body."
Song Changsheng suddenly understood. No wonder he'd been feeling lost this whole time; it all came down to magical power. He quickly asked,
"Then how does one cultivate magical power?"
"There's no fixed method for cultivating magical power," Song Xianming replied. "Back then, I managed to cultivate a trace of it by sheer chance. So I can't give you a solid method. But I can let you experience it."
He extended his hand toward Song Changsheng. Soon, a vortex formed in his palm, radiating a powerful and unsettling aura.
"This is a magical power. I only cultivated a wisp of it back then, but after my failed breakthrough to the Purple Mansion stage, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Now I can freely transform the spiritual energy in my dantian into magical power. Try to sense the difference carefully."
"Being able to freely convert spiritual energy into magical power… No wonder Grandfather always gives off such intense pressure," Song Changsheng thought in amazement. He felt like Song Xianming had already entered a higher realm above Foundation Establishment, yet not quite Purple Mansion.
Calming himself, Song Changsheng began to carefully sense the difference between magical power and spiritual energy. But soon, his expression grew increasingly strange. Why did it feel so familiar?
He furrowed his brow and thought hard. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.
That aura… it was very similar to the Primordial Qi he cultivated!
"It's similar, though still somewhat different. The Primordial Qi seems to be of a higher level.
Right! Over the years, I've been absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate. Part of it gets converted into spiritual energy, but another part remains in my dantian, forming Primordial Qi.
Could it be that Primordial Qi is a magical power? Or at least a special form of it?"
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"Should I give it a try?"
Once that idea took root, it spread like wildfire.
Without hesitation, Song Changsheng began to draw upon the Primordial Qi stored in his dantian. It had accumulated slowly, over nearly ten years, to form one wisp.
He had used one wisp years ago to enhance the quality of the Soul-Slaying Gourd. After all these years, he had finally built up another.
He carefully extracted a tiny strand from within and wrapped it in spiritual energy. This was his first attempt at doing such a thing, and to his surprise, the process went far more smoothly than he had expected.
"Grandfather, look."
Song Xianming turned toward the voice and saw that a faint vortex of energy had formed at Song Changsheng's fingertip. It looked quite similar to the one in his palm, though this one appeared slightly murky and gray.
The moment he saw it, his eyes widened in shock. He blurted out, a bit out of composure, "Mana?"
"This is mana?" Song Changsheng was stunned. He had only been trying it out on a whim.
"How did you do it?" Song Xianming asked in astonishment. To form mana in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, this was practically unheard of!
"Uh…" Song Changsheng didn't quite know how to answer. He couldn't very well say it was the 'waste' left over from his regular cultivation sessions, could he?
After a moment of hesitation, he replied, somewhat unsure, "It just… sort of formed all of a sudden just now."
Song Xianming looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost. What do you mean, it just formed all of a sudden? Could this boy truly be the kind of genius that only appears once in a thousand years?
Though he had his doubts, the mana was real, albeit a bit strange.
He extended a finger and gently touched the vortex. Instantly, the grayish energy was absorbed into his body. After sensing it carefully, his expression changed. His gaze toward Song Changsheng took on a new, scrutinizing intensity.
Song Changsheng felt uneasy under that gaze. Is there something wrong?
A moment later, Song Xianming's expression returned to normal. He spoke solemnly, "Changsheng, everyone has their fortunes and secrets. I won't pry. But your mana is... unusual. Until you reach the Purple Mansion realm, do not use it lightly. Do you understand?"
Seeing how serious his grandfather looked, Song Changsheng realized this was no small matter. He nodded gravely and said, "Unless I'm facing a life-or-death situation, I absolutely won't use it."
"That's for the best."
Song Changsheng wanted to ask more, but seeing the shift in Song Xianming's expression, he wisely changed the subject. "Qingxing is only a step away from reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement stage. He's been wanting to visit the Heavenly Sword Sect, so I've decided to personally take him there."
"The Heavenly Sword Sect?" Song Xianming's brows immediately furrowed. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem, but right now, the conflict between the two sects was at a critical point. He didn't feel entirely at ease.
"Qingxing has extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. He has the potential to become a Sword Immortal. Although our clan has many sword cultivation manuals, we lack true sword cultivators to guide us. I worry this might limit his future achievements.
We should have made this trip long ago, but I've never had the time. Now that you've emerged from seclusion, it's the perfect opportunity for me to take him."
Song Changsheng had always taken Qingxing's cultivation seriously. But as someone who wasn't a sword cultivator himself, he could offer very limited guidance. Deep down, he had a strong feeling that this trip was necessary or he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
Song Xianming thought for a moment, then finally nodded. "Very well. Take him. Just be extremely cautious along the way."
"I understand."
"When will you depart?"
Song Changsheng considered for a moment and replied, "The sooner the better within the next few days."
"Alright. Before you go, head to the clan's treasury and take a Tier-3 talisman. Things are unstable out there right now."
"Thank you, Grandfather!"
Song Xianming said no more. He waved his hand, indicating that Song Changsheng could leave.
As Song Changsheng reached the door, he suddenly stopped. He had just remembered someone who had asked him to pass along a message to his grandfather.
Although he had already promised that senior, he still felt conflicted. This was a critical time for Song Xianming, and he worried that delivering the message might disturb him.
That was precisely why he had deliberately avoided mentioning his experiences in Luoxia City during their earlier conversation and especially avoided bringing up that senior.
"What is it? Something else on your mind?"
Seeing that Song Changsheng hadn't left yet, Song Xianming asked gently.
Snapping out of it, Song Changsheng shook his head. "No, just remembered something suddenly. I'll take my leave now."
As Song Changsheng quickly departed, Song Xianming let out a long sigh. He removed a jade pendant from his waist and gently ran his fingers over its smooth surface. The cool, soothing texture made him momentarily dazed.
After a long silence, a weathered voice echoed in the empty hall.
"…Perhaps it's best not to know. Yes, perhaps so…"
Unaware of his grandfather's sigh, Song Changsheng continued, heading straight toward the clan's treasury.
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