Song Changsheng's eyes brimmed with tears as he hurriedly shook his head.
"Grandson would never blame you, Grandfather."
"Good child." Song Xianming smiled weakly. "I had no choice. Chang Wudao's cultivation is advancing rapidly. I fought him and managed to win by using a minor divine ability, but the strain on my body reached its limit.
I had to drive him away as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'd have exposed my weakness and then we'd be in real trouble."
As he spoke, he reached out to wipe away the tears in the corner of Song Changsheng's eyes.
Holding back his emotions, Song Changsheng forced a smile.
"It's just an arena match, isn't it? As long as they don't send out a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I'll beat each of them until their heads look like pigs!"
"Hahaha! That's more like it! That's the grandson of Song Xianming! Go and crush their arrogance let all of Lingzhou witness the pride of the Song Clan's youth!"
A gratified smile spread across Song Xianming's face. In his eyes, the image of Song Changsheng and the one in his memory had begun to perfectly overlap…
....
Meanwhile, Song Xianyun had reached the entrance of the clan's treasure vault. He deliberately slowed his pace, trying not to appear too anxious.
Just as he was about to arrive, a hunched old man walked toward him, chuckling as he cupped his hands in greeting.
"Brother Twenty-One, what brings you here? Weren't you just dealing with that Earthfire Sect trouble?"
Though urgency gnawed at his heart, Song Xianyun kept up appearances.
"That's right, but I came to the vault to retrieve something."
"Ah, I see. That's good. Sigh… These old bones of mine are getting more useless by the day."
The old man groaned, holding his lower back and sighing.
"You've served the family faithfully for many years. You've earned your peace and rest. Why be so self-critical?"
Even in his anxious state, Song Xianyun carefully avoided revealing anything.
After all, this matter was too sensitive if it leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Ah, I've only done what little I could… Back in the day"
Seeing the conversation veering off, Song Xianyun quickly cut him off.
"Let's catch up later. I need to retrieve something from the vault first."
Snapping out of his rambling, the old man nodded, chuckling self-deprecatingly.
"Ah, I've grown long-winded with age. Go on, Clan Brother business first."
Finally, Song Xianyun broke away and entered the treasure vault.
But once he was out of sight, the old man's hunched back slowly straightened. He stroked his long beard and murmured to himself,
"Coming to the vault at a time like this, and looking rather flustered... Did something happen? Could it be...?"
Sharp-witted and quick to connect the dots, the old man soon had a theory. To confirm it, his eyes glinted with resolve, and he swiftly left the scene.
After retrieving the pill, Song Xianyun ensured there was no one around before letting out a sigh of relief. Mounting his sword, he sped off toward the Cloudward Hall.
Unbeknownst to him, that same old man had hidden in the distance and seen everything. Watching Song Xianyun head toward the Cloudward Hall, a cold smile crept across the old man's lips as he quietly slipped away…
Back in the hall, Song Xianyun helped Song Xianming take the pill, then poured a large amount of spiritual energy into him to aid the refining of its medicinal effects. After more than an hour of tense waiting, Song Xianming's aura finally stabilized.
"Brother, this was the last pill. You can't force yourself into battle again if you do..."
Song Xianyun trailed off, but everyone present understood what he meant. The atmosphere grew heavy.
After a long silence, Song Xianming gave a faint smile and said,
"This broken body of mine being able to serve the clan even a few more times is already a blessing. How can I ask for more?"
His tone carried an air of ease and detachment, but Song Changsheng only felt a sting at the corners of his eyes. This elder had truly given everything for the family.
"Alright, you two don't need to keep this old man company any longer. Xianyun, if you don't show your face soon, people will start getting suspicious.
Changsheng, you need to get ready for the challenge. Remember this is a battle you must not lose. It's your chance to make a name for yourself in Lingzhou."
Song Xianming patted both of their hands, speaking calmly.
"Understood."
The two of them exited the Cloudward Hall together. Song Xianyun patted Song Changsheng on the shoulder and said,
"Don't overthink it. This battle was bound to happen sooner or later. Chang Tianhua's death only accelerated the process."
Song Changsheng silently nodded and returned to his courtyard…
....
Over the next three days, a massive arena rose at the foot of Cangmang Peak.
News of this quickly drew widespread attention, becoming the hottest topic of conversation. Many cultivators arrived just to witness the event.
Among them was a chubby youth dressed in fine clothing, who followed the crowd to the base of the mountain. Seeing the sea of people, he grinned and muttered,
"That guy just can't keep a low profile, no matter where he goes. But I have to admit, that old man of the Song Clan isn't all talk he even managed to master a minor divine ability. I wonder if my old man could do that..."
"Hey, the Qiu Clan, the Earthfire Sect, and even the Yu Clan have all shown up!"
"That's Qiu Wenwu, isn't it? One of the Qiu Clan's famed twin prodigies. Even he's here? Looks like they're determined to win this." someone exclaimed.
"That's nothing. See that stunning woman over there? That's Yu Xueqian, the top genius of the Yu Clan. She formed her Dao Foundation before the age of thirty she's no weaker than Qiu Wenwu."
"The cream of the crop from both clans. But look at the folks from Earthfire Sect why are they all so old? Isn't this just bullying the young?" a cultivator sneered.
"Word is that the young sect master and senior disciple from Earthfire were killed by that Song Clan kid. They've got no one in the younger generation who can compete, so of course they had to send the elders. As long as they're still in the Qi Refining stage, it's technically not against the rules."
"That's shameless. Even if they win, there's no glory in it. I heard that Song Clan kid is just over twenty." the chubby youth chimed in.
"Just over twenty?! Damn, that's insane. Could he be one of those legendary Heaven-Spirit Roots?"
Gasps echoed among the gathered rogue cultivators. Forming a Dao Foundation at that age? Unimaginable.
As the crowd's murmurs grew louder, the expressions of the Earthfire Sect and Qiu Clan cultivators became increasingly sour.
Finally, Qu Jinsheng couldn't hold back any longer. He shouted up the mountain,
"Where is that Song brat?! Get down here and accept your death! Or have you turned coward?"
"Why is there a dog barking so early in the morning? We don't even raise those things."
Song Luzhou walked slowly down the mountain with Song Changsheng beside him, speaking lazily.
"You!"
Qu Jinsheng's face flushed bright red as he pointed furiously at Song Changsheng.
"Stop hiding behind words and get down here to fight!"
Song Changsheng rubbed his nose he hadn't even said anything. Why point at him?
He turned to Song Luzhou and said,
"Fifth Uncle, I'll head up first."
With a light step, he floated gracefully onto the arena. Glancing around, he raised his voice and declared,
"Song Changsheng is here! Who will face me?"
His powerful voice echoed through the valley, instantly igniting the atmosphere. Cheers erupted for Song Changsheng clearly, the Earthfire Sect wasn't well-liked.
Though he had issued his challenge, surprisingly, no one from the Earthfire Sect stepped forward. Instead, someone from the Yu Clan's ranks walked out and said coolly,
"Yu Xueqian of the Yu Clan please grant me this bout."
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