Chapter 95: Chapter 96: Comprehending the Daoist Scripture Again

"Though their crimes are unforgivable, the Mortal Clan Members are innocent, after all," Xia Yunxue sighed.

"Hatred is an intangible thing. Before I uncovered the evidence, who could have known Song Xiandu harbored such vile ambition?

Did the clan ever treat him unfairly? Even though his talent was average, he still held a high position and even had control over a portion of the Clan Protection Array. Not even you or I could compare to that.

And yet, he still felt the clan had wronged him, conspiring with outsiders to betray its interests.

Those Mortal Clan Members may be innocent, but who can guarantee that another Song Xiandu won’t appear among them in a few decades?

Once the seeds of hatred have been sown, we cannot afford to show the slightest mercy. The clan’s interests are paramount!" Song Luyao said coldly, taking a sip of her wine.

Xia Yunxue let out a faint sigh and said no more. The world was simply that cruel. Even if they had done nothing wrong, even if they were completely ignorant, to prevent any future trouble, the only choice was to...

"The Young Clan Leader did well this time. Only a person like him can lead the clan to greater heights. The Elder Council didn’t misjudge him."

"Perhaps this is destiny. The clan is surrounded by circling wolves. It’s a blessing that Sheng’er can contribute his strength to the clan."

"He’s sure to become a Clan Leader just like his grandfather."

...

After he had dealt with the matter, Song Changsheng returned to his courtyard alone. He strolled by the edge of the pond, his heart feeling not joy, but a certain heaviness.

When jealousy takes root in a person’s heart, it is truly a terrible thing. Song Xianming had poured his heart and soul into his duties his entire life, acting with impartiality, yet there were still those who resented him and slandered him with malice.

Sometimes, Song Changsheng even wanted to ask him, ’Was it worth it?’

"For Grandfather, it must have been worth it. I just don’t know if I can be like him in the future," Song Changsheng murmured softly.

Sitting down cross-legged by the pond, Song Changsheng began to meditate. A moment ago, he’d had a flash of insight, a feeling that now was the perfect time to comprehend the Daoist Scripture.

When he broke through to the Qi Cultivation Stage, the Heart Method he comprehended was enough to benefit him for a lifetime. Now that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he wondered what kind of heaven-defying technique he would comprehend this time.

With great anticipation, Song Changsheng slowly unfurled the Jade Scroll in his mind...

In the stillness of the night, a full moon was reflected in the mirror-like pond. Occasionally, a few small fish would swim by, creating faint ripples.

A gentle breeze swept past, wrinkling the surface of the pond and rustling Song Changsheng’s green robes. As his clothes swayed, a hazy glow began to emanate from around him, displaying five colors: green, red, yellow, gold, and blue.

The stars shifted, the sun rose and the moon set, and time flew by. Four days and three nights passed in a flash, and the glow around Song Changsheng had faded from hazy to dim.

His chest heaved as he exhaled a breath of murky, gray air. A flicker of joy flashed in his eyes.

’It’s actually a Body Refining Technique. I previously underwent nine sessions of Body Forging to cultivate my Array Carving Skill, giving me a physique no weaker than a Body Cultivator’s. This is perfectly suited for my cultivation.

Every technique I comprehend is an unusually good fit. This probably isn’t a coincidence. This Daoist Scripture is truly miraculous. I wonder which Great Power was behind its creation.’

The Magic Technique that Song Changsheng comprehended this time was called the *Five Beasts Body Refining Technique*. It was a Body Forging Method created through the visualization of Demon Beasts, and it consisted of five Beast Maps. The five types of Demon Beasts corresponded to the Five Elements and the five major organs.

They were, respectively:

The Wood Attribute: *Cyan Ape Roaring in the Forest Painting*, corresponding to the liver.

The Fire Attribute: *Bi Fang Chasing the Sun Painting*, corresponding to the heart.

The Earth Attribute: *Earth Dragon Flipping Over Painting*, corresponding to the spleen.

The Gold Attribute: *White Tiger Heaven-Pouncing Map*, corresponding to the lungs.

The Water Attribute: *Flood Dragon Entering the Sea Painting*, corresponding to the kidneys.

To cultivate this technique, one had to visualize these five paintings, comprehend the corresponding Demon Beast’s Body Forging Technique from within them, and use it to temper one’s five major organs.

With each one mastered, the body’s strength would multiply. After mastering all five, the strength of one’s Physical Body would be so great that it could clash head-on with Spiritual Artifacts—a truly terrifying prospect.

But while the technique was powerful, its requirements for a Cultivator were also exceptionally high. Only those with supreme comprehension could practice it. If not for Song Changsheng’s frequent meditation on the Daoist Scripture, which had led to an astonishing increase in his comprehension, he probably wouldn’t have even been qualified to attempt it!

"To cultivate this technique, I first need to gather materials from the five Demon Beasts in the paintings.

Monkey Heart, Earth Dragon Bead, White Tiger Fang, Bi Fang Feather, and Flood Dragon Scale... the first three are relatively easy to get, but the last two will be tricky," Song Changsheng muttered, his brow furrowed.

The Bi Fang was a Divine Beast from ancient times, as famous as True Dragons and Vermilion Birds. Never mind a pure-blooded one; even its descendants were now extremely rare. Finding a suitable material would be incredibly difficult.

Flood Dragons were no simple matter, either. As a species of draconic beast, they were all immensely powerful, demon beast kings that dominated their own territories. It was said that in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, there was a Black Water Marsh, and the Demon King within was a Tier Four Flood Dragon of unparalleled power.

One could only imagine how precious and rare they were.

"Sigh. Good thing I don’t have to gather everything before I start cultivating. I’ll look for the Monkey Heart first; that should be easy to find. A shame about that Water Monkey from before... a Water Monkey should work too, right?" Song Changsheng grumbled, feeling a bit regretful.

He checked the time and found it was almost Noon. Song Changsheng did a quick calculation on his fingers and realized there were still more than two months until the Foundation Establishment Grand Ceremony. He had ample time to cultivate Magic.

Having entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, his Spiritual Power had liquefied from its gaseous state, making him dozens of times more powerful than a Qi Cultivator. Naturally, he could now master more powerful Magic. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

There were two standard magic techniques for the Foundation Establishment Stage: Object Flight and Protective Spiritual Gang.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t envious seeing those Foundation Establishment Cultivators flying about on their Magical Artifacts. Now, he could finally learn how to do it himself.

These two magic techniques were not difficult for Song Changsheng. He successfully cultivated them in just under half a month, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of watching the sun from atop the clouds.

However, Song Changsheng’s choice of flight object was a bit odd. It wasn’t a mainstream flying sword, nor was it an Array Banner like Song Xianming’s. It was the Spirit-Slaying Gourd, which looked rather out of place.

Taking advantage of his free time, Song Changsheng went to the Scripture Pavilion to exchange for several more magic techniques and enhance his Magical Combat abilities. He had many enemies; if he didn’t quickly bring his power to its peak, he wouldn’t even dare to show his face.

Time flew by in cultivation. Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the atmosphere on Vast Mist Peak gradually grew festive. Lanterns and colorful decorations were hung everywhere, and invitations were sent out like snowflakes.

As the main attractions of the event, Song Changsheng and Song Lutong also began their preparations early. Although they themselves didn’t care about their appearance, an event of this magnitude represented the face of the clan, so they had to be impeccably presented.

The sun rose into a cloudless sky, and all of Ling Province began to stir. The Sect Leaders of large and small clans and factions, as well as famous Loose Cultivators, all began to converge on a single location...