Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

And so, a month passed in a flash. Song Changsheng had finally completed eight rounds of body tempering; he only needed to finish the last one to complete the forging of his physique.

This time, the number of Spirit Medicine varieties reached eighty-one, and the Dragon Blood Orchid he had acquired from Shangguan Sword was finally put to use.

As the Dragon Blood Orchid was tossed into the Bronze Cauldron, the originally dark-green medicinal liquid instantly turned a blood-like scarlet.

This time, he did not add any Spiritual Spring Water.

The moment he submerged himself, Song Changsheng immediately understood the meaning of a million ants gnawing at his heart, the meaning of pain so excruciating he wished for death!

The scarlet liquid was like a swarm of maggots, burrowing into his body through the pores of his skin. Once inside his muscles, it transformed into a highly corrosive fluid. His muscle fibers, once as tough as refined steel, were eaten away and snapped apart, only to be constantly reconstructed.

With each reconstruction, the strength of his muscle fibers increased dramatically, until they were comparable to a Tier One Spiritual Artifact!

During that ancient hour, every second felt like a year. Song Changsheng nearly lost consciousness several times, but he managed to pull through each time with his formidable Willpower.

Once all the medicinal liquid had seeped into his body, Song Changsheng could hold on no longer. His eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.

By the time he regained consciousness, he had no idea how many days and nights had passed.

’It really feels like I died and came back. Very few people could endure strengthening their body this way.’ Song Changsheng was still shaken from the ordeal. The pain this final time had been nearly equal to the first eight rounds combined; even his Divine Soul had almost collapsed.

He took out a dagger and, without blinking, slashed at his own finger. The expected bloody scene didn’t happen. Instead, there was a sharp CLANG, like metal striking stone.

’My Physical Body’s strength has definitely seen a significant boost. It can’t compare to a true Body Cultivator, but it’s enough.’ Song Changsheng was ecstatic. All that suffering hadn’t been for nothing.

’Next up is carving the Array Patterns and connecting the acupoints.’

The Array Song Changsheng planned to carve was called the Yin Yang Two Elements Formation. It was a Tier Two Low-Grade Array. Once activated, it could summon Yin and Yang Qi to protect his body, and nothing would dare approach within a radius of several yards.

Carving the Array Patterns was the final step, and also the most dangerous.

The process involved his Dantian, Meridians, bones, and acupoints. A single mistake could have consequences ranging from a ruptured Dantian and the complete loss of his Cultivation to, at worst, instant death.

Of course, he had a failsafe: the Heart Protection Pill he had painstakingly acquired. He would keep the pill in his mouth. If the process went wrong, swallowing it would buy him one extra ancient hour. As long as he could correct his mistake and complete the Array in that time, he could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

After getting his body into optimal condition, Song Changsheng calmed his mind and centered his spirit, transforming his Divine Sense into a carving knife and beginning to etch the Array Patterns.

He started with his bones, which was the least risky and fastest part. The process was slightly painful, but after nine rounds of body tempering, Song Changsheng was practically immune to that level of discomfort.

In just three ancient hours, all two hundred and six of his bones were "carved" full of Array Patterns. Of course, this wasn’t a physical carving; rather, he was using his Divine Sense to leave behind illusory traces that could be erased at any time.

Next were the more dangerous acupoints. The human body has nine major orifices and 720 acupoints. According to the manual for Array Carved on Body, these acupoints and orifices are analogous to Array Banners.

To carve a specific Array, one had to connect these acupoints and orifices according to the Array’s principles to form an Array Foundation.

The bridges connecting them were, naturally, the body’s own bones and energy channels.

The Twelve Main Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the Fifteen Collaterals—Song Changsheng worked his way through them all.

Yingxiang, Chengjiang, Jinjin, Jade Liquid...

One by one, Song Changsheng linked the acupoints with Array Patterns, forming what looked like a brilliant Star Map. Ultimately, all the Array Patterns converged on the Guan Yuan Acupoint.

Suddenly, Song Changsheng let out a muffled grunt. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

The Guan Yuan Acupoint corresponded to his Lower Dantian, the very spot he had designated as the "Array Hub." The Array Patterns had converged there too quickly, creating a violent impact. Not only was his Dantian damaged, but the Spiritual Qi in his body began to run rampant, causing blood to surge up his throat.

Just as he was on the verge of failure, Song Changsheng decisively swallowed the Heart Protection Pill. A peculiar energy immediately flowed through his entire body, suppressing the rampaging Spiritual Power and stabilizing his Dantian.

Song Changsheng knew this was a life-or-death moment. He realized he had been too hasty and quickly calmed himself, refocusing his mind to guide the Array Patterns’ connection once more.

Having learned from his previous mistake, Song Changsheng proceeded much more slowly this time. The dense web of Array Patterns converged in his Dantian, gradually linking with the nascent outline of his Dao Foundation.

VMMMM—

The instant the connection was forged, his bones and the linked acupoints erupted with a blinding radiance. The light was so dazzling it pierced through his very flesh and skin.

From the outside, it looked as if Song Changsheng was enveloped in a ball of light.

The Spiritual Power in his body circulated wildly. An invisible domain expanded outward from Song Changsheng, and two streams of qi, one black and one white, coiled around him, exuding an astonishing presence.

The Yin Yang Two Elements Formation was complete!

Song Changsheng slowly opened his eyes. The light around him gradually faded, leaving only the black and white qi to circle at his side.

’I... I actually succeeded?’

Song Changsheng stared in disbelief at the black and white qi swirling around him. Confirming that his cultivation had been a success, a profound sense of relief, like that of surviving a catastrophe, washed over him.

When he had made that mistake, he was sure his soul was about to return to the heavens. He never expected to be so fortunate as to actually succeed.

’Elder Hee is a true genius. Without this Heart Protection Pill, I would have been walking the path to the Yellow Springs today.’

Song Changsheng was filled with emotion. Hee Yunxuan was merely a Tier Three Low-Grade Array Master, yet he had pioneered such an unprecedented path. It was truly admirable.

He tried circulating the Array within his body and found that it flowed perfectly smoothly, with no sense of obstruction whatsoever. It felt no different from a normal Array.

’Time to test its power.’

Song Changsheng took out a Tier One High-Grade artifact he had confiscated in the past and tossed it high into the air. Then, he immediately directed the surrounding black and white qi to converge on it. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

In mid-air, the black and white qi formed a pair of shears. With a sharp SNIP, the Tier One High-Grade artifact, forged from Profound Iron, was instantly cut in two. The pieces fell to the floor with a crisp clang.

Song Changsheng’s eyes widened in astonishment. "It’s that powerful? Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn’t be able to ignore an attack like that, would they?"

But his brow furrowed immediately after. He realized that single attack had consumed a third of his body’s Spiritual Power.

The cost of activating the Array for an attack was far too high; it was not something his current Cultivation level could sustain.

However, Song Changsheng quickly came to terms with it. ’Nothing in this world is perfect. If the cost is high, I’ll just have to be cautious when I use it.’

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