Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Song Qingxi’s eyes were sparkling. She grabbed the gift with her name on it and eagerly tore it open.

Inside the box was a shortsword made of jade, just over a foot long. It was a vibrant, verdant green from hilt to tip. The spine of the blade was slightly thick and its edges were unsharpened. A dark green tassel dangled from the pommel. The words "Jade Flower" were engraved on the blade in a flamboyant script.

"This is a Tier One High-Grade magical artifact I refined myself—the Jade Flower Sword. Do you like it?" Song Changsheng was quite confident. ’This sword is practically tailor-made for her; she’s sure to love it.’

"I love it," Song Qingxi said, hugging the shortsword to her chest. Her eyes curved into crescents as she gave him a beaming, appreciative smile.

Looking at the remaining box, Song Qingxi’s eyes twinkled. She tilted her small face up and said, "Cold Blockhead is still facing the wall in punishment. Can I open it for him?"

"Cold Blockhead?" Song Changsheng paused, then glanced instinctively in Song Qingxing’s direction. A smile crept onto his lips. ’You can get a name wrong, but a nickname is always spot on. And isn’t Song Qingxing the very picture of a cold-faced blockhead?’

Song Qingxi, completely oblivious to the change in Song Changsheng’s expression, swiftly tore open the gift box. She had expected to find a flying sword inside, but was surprised to see a dark-colored Magic Robe.

"Eh? Why is it a Magic Robe?" Song Qingxi asked, shaking out the robe with a puzzled look on her small face.

"This is a Tier One High-Grade Profound Thread Robe. It repels fire and water and can withstand the slash of a sharp blade. Its defensive power is superb. As a Swordsman, Qingxing has plenty of offense but lacks defense. This should help shore up that weakness." The gifts Song Changsheng had prepared for them were both the result of careful consideration.

"Thank you, Uncle," Song Qingxi said sweetly. She happily took both gifts back into the thatched hut to put them away, then bustled back out a moment later holding a white jade jar.

She held the jar out to Song Changsheng and said, as if presenting a trophy, "Your tea leaves."

Song Changsheng was taken aback. He opened the jar and found eight tender, green tea leaves inside, from which a faint mist seemed to rise. Their quality was even better than the few he had left on him.

"Are these the tender buds that sprouted after the Mist Concealed Tea Tree was promoted to Tier One Top Grade?" Song Changsheng had noticed the tree’s advancement as soon as he arrived on the island. ’I didn’t expect the little lass to have saved the leaves for me.’

"Yep! Xi’Er picked them as soon as they sprouted."

"Well now, Xi’Er knows how to pick tea leaves?" Song Changsheng chuckled and patted the little girl’s head, feeling quite surprised. ’Picking Spirit Tea is a delicate skill. One careless move can damage the leaves and ruin their quality. Every leaf in this jar is perfect; I assumed the Fourth Elder had picked them. I can’t believe it was her.’

"Don’t look down on me, Uncle. Xi’Er is a Tier One Middle Grade Spirit Plant Cultivator, you know," Song Qingxi said, tilting her head up with a proud little huff.

’Of course,’ Song Changsheng realized. ’This girl is so full of spiritual energy, and her Wood Spirit Root is eight inches long. She really is prime material for a Spirit Plant Cultivator.’

"Alright, alright, Xi’Er is the most amazing," Song Changsheng said with a laugh, gently booping the little girl’s nose. He then handed the tea leaves back to her. "You two should keep this tea. It will be good for your cultivation."

As a Spirit Plant Cultivator, Song Qingxi naturally understood how precious Mist Concealing Tea was. She didn’t refuse, accepting it with delight.

Afterwards, Song Qingxi began to pester Song Changsheng for a story, a sort of unspoken tradition between them.

Song Changsheng had read plenty of novels and stories in his past life. After a moment’s thought, he decided to tell her a modified version of "Three Battles with the White Bone Spirit."

Song Changsheng became engrossed in his telling, and Song Qingxi listened with rapt attention. Before they knew it, dusk had fallen. The orange-red hues of the sunset reflected on the lake’s surface, a truly beautiful sight.

"Oh no, the sun’s about to set, and I haven’t watered the tree yet!" Song Qingxi suddenly cried out, then frantically rushed into the house to grab something.

’Water the tree?’ Song Changsheng was completely mystified.

Song Qingxi walked over to the nearby Cyan Plum Trees, took out a Jade Bottle, and poured a clear liquid onto the roots of the tallest tree in the center.

She then placed her small hand on the rough trunk, and a faint, jade-green light emanated from it, pulsing with a vast, vibrant life force.

Song Changsheng didn’t understand. He used to cultivate under that very Cyan Plum Tree frequently. While the tree had absorbed a trace of his Spiritual Qi, there was nothing particularly special about it. ’What is she doing?’

A moment later, to Song Changsheng’s surprise, the Cyan Plum Tree began to move despite the lack of wind. Its branches and leaves swayed with an almost human-like joy.

Song Qingxi said in a gentle voice, "I know, I know. I promise I’ll be earlier next time."

The moment she finished speaking, the Cyan Plum Tree instantly grew still again, as if nothing had ever happened.

Song Changsheng formed a sword-seal with his fingers and gently swept them across his right eye. With an almost imperceptible glimmer of light, a strange pattern appeared deep within his pupil.

This was the Secret Technique he had comprehended from the Daoist Scripture upon breaking through to the Qi Refining Great Perfection: the Eye of Truth. Using it caused a strange pattern to appear in his eye, so to avoid attracting unwanted attention, he had rarely used it since mastering it. Now, however, he was intensely curious about the Cyan Plum Tree before him.

Through the lens of his Pupil Technique, the world was instantly transformed. The sky, the earth, the thatched hut—everything turned a dull, grayish-white.

But Song Qingxi was a brilliant green, Song Qingxing a faint cyan, and the Spirit Plants in the Spiritual Field all glowed with their own distinct colors.

This was the magic of the Eye of Truth: any object possessing Spiritual Power was rendered in color, while mundane things were merely grayish-white.

He turned his gaze to the Cyan Plum Trees. The others showed only a faint, unremarkable trace of green, indicating they possessed a tiny amount of Spiritual Power.

But when he looked at the one before Song Qingxi, he could clearly see a bright green line extending from the tree’s roots, traveling up the trunk, and spreading into the crown.

This meant the Cyan Plum Tree had already accumulated a considerable amount of Spiritual Power. In the future, it was highly likely to shed its mundane form and become a true Spirit Plant.

Song Changsheng was astonished. ’I used to cultivate under this very tree day after day. How did I never notice anything unusual about it?’

Deactivating his Pupil Technique, Song Changsheng walked over to the little girl’s side. His intuition told him that the Cyan Plum Tree’s transformation was inextricably linked to her. "Xi’Er," he said, "it seems this tree has developed a bit of sentience?"

Song Qingxi’s face lit up with a delighted surprise. "You noticed too! It can even talk."

’Talk?’ Song Changsheng was stunned. ’That’s a trait of a Tier Four Spirit Plant. This tree has some sentience, but it hasn’t even reached Tier One. How could it possibly talk?’

"Mm-hmm, you can feel it if you put your hand on it," Song Qingxi said with a firm nod.

Dubious, Song Changsheng did as she said and placed his hand on the Cyan Plum Tree’s trunk. He focused his mind, trying to sense something, but came up with nothing.

’What’s going on?’ He knew Song Qingxi wouldn’t lie to him; she must have genuinely felt something.

Song Changsheng turned to look back at Song Qingxi, a thought suddenly occurring to him. ’Could it be... that there’s something different about her?’

...