Song Changsheng clung tightly to his true self, striving to resist the influence of the heart demon. He knew that as long as he didn't fall too quickly into its grasp, the Tranquil Spirit Incense would begin to take effect.
Crack, crack…
Just as Song Changsheng's soul was on the verge of collapse, a faint fragrance wafted into his senses. Instantly, the illusionary images in his mind began to fracture, cracks spreading rapidly. In the next moment, the visions shattered completely into countless fragments and vanished into nothingness.
In the third trial, the Soul Gate had finally been broken.
The crimson hue in Song Changsheng's eyes gradually faded, returning to normal.
"All three gates have been conquered. Nothing stands in my way now. The foundation of immortality forge it!"
With a furious roar, Song Changsheng's body was enveloped in radiant light. Slowly, strands of Yin and Yang energy began to emerge around him…
...
Outside the seclusion chamber, Xia Yunxue paced restlessly, unable to calm herself.
Song Luhuai gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Sister-in-law, there's no need to worry. With Changsheng's talent and preparation not to mention the Foundation Establishment Pill he'll be just fine."
"Twelfth Brother, Changsheng has been in closed-door cultivation for almost two years now. How can I not worry? If it were your son Changan in there, wouldn't you be anxious too?" Xia Yunxue sighed.
He chuckled softly, "Children and grandchildren have their blessings. Worrying won't change a thing."
Xia Yunxue was about to reply when she suddenly felt a ripple in her heart. Song Luhuai also sensed something. The two looked up at the same time.
Above the chamber where Song Changsheng was cultivating, wisps of Yin and Yang energy began to rise into the air, slowly gathering into a faint black-and-white diagram.
"Could it be… the legendary True Meaning of Yin and Yang?" Song Luhuai gasped, so shocked that his words stumbled out.
"It's Changsheng… He's comprehended the True Meaning of Yin and Yang. He's about to succeed in establishing his foundation!" Tears welled up in Xia Yunxue's eyes. All her worries of the past days melted away in that moment.
The commotion caused by Song Changsheng's breakthrough was far from small. All the Foundation Establishment cultivators on Cangmang Peak sensed the surging Yin-Yang energy.
In the Cloudward Hall, Song Xianming, who had been in closed cultivation, was drawn out by the powerful energy. He slowly opened his eyes, took a moment to comprehend the sensation, then clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
"Heaven blesses the Song Clan this must be a sign of our rising fortune!"
He rose to his feet and with just a few steps appeared outside the chamber. Seeing the forming outline of a Taiji diagram, he frowned slightly. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, he cast a barrier over the area.
"Father / Uncle," Xia Yunxue and Song Luhuai greeted him immediately.
"This disturbance is a bit too grand. Best to keep a low profile," Song Xianming said calmly, stroking his beard.
Both were perceptive individuals and instantly understood his meaning. They nodded in agreement. Although the True Meaning of Yin and Yang wasn't one of the ultimate principles among the Three Thousand Great Daos, it was still considered top-tier. If word got out, it might bring more harm than good to Song Changsheng.
As they spoke, Song Luzhou and Song Xianyun also arrived, flying in on their swords, clearly drawn by the Yin-Yang energy.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Song Luzhou said, "If Changsheng comprehended the True Meaning of Yin and Yang, then his Dao Foundation must be based on Yin and Yang… But where did he get such a pure and abundant Yin-Yang energy? And how did he complete it so quickly?"
The Dao Foundations of the Great Daos were famously difficult to form, and Song Changsheng's speed seemed to defy all logic.
Song Xianyun frowned and muttered, "That little brat when I asked him before, he clearly said he had a Water-Fire Dao Foundation. Now it's a Great Dao Foundation? What the hell?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Song Luzhou growled. "That brat didn't tell us the truth!"
Song Xianming chuckled, "Every person has their fated encounters. It was the right call for him to keep it to himself. Flaunting it would only bring trouble. This child… he's finally worthy."
"Big Brother, are you saying…?" Song Xianyun asked, visibly excited.
"When Changsheng emerges from seclusion, he will take on the mantle of the clan's young patriarch. We'll hold the Foundation Establishment Ceremony and the succession ceremony together. I'll declare to all of Lingzhou that our Song Clan has found its heir!"
"Big Brother / Uncle, wise as ever!" Song Xianyun and the others chorused.
Only Xia Yunxue's expression was less than joyful. Becoming the young patriarch wasn't just an honor it meant bearing countless responsibilities and expectations. Once he took that seat, there would be no turning back.
"Let us now quietly witness the rise of the clan's true genius," Song Xianming said as he sat cross-legged before the door. The others followed suit, each taking a position to protect Song Changsheng during this critical moment.
Anyone who witnessed this scene would be stunned by five Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding a single person what a rare honor!
Yet the one receiving this extraordinary treatment, Song Changsheng, remained completely unaware. He was fully immersed in his comprehension of the True Meaning of Yin and Yang.
As the saying goes: "Yin alone does not grow, Yang alone does not give birth." Yin and Yang complement and support each other.
Heaven and earth are divided into Yin and Yang; male and female are Yin and Yang; even the Five Elements themselves are derived from Yin and Yang...
Yin and Yang are the principles of Heaven and Earth, constantly pushing and pulling against each other. All things in existence have both Yin and Yang. This is the path to the heavens, the essence of great creation.
Unfortunately, what Song Changsheng comprehended at this moment was but a single drop in the vast sea a mere fraction of the true Dao. The distance between him and true enlightenment was still immeasurable.
Even so, he was more than satisfied. Once he could fully control the Yin-Yang energies, he wouldn't go so far as to claim invincibility among his peers, but he would at least have the strength to compete with the disciples of the great sects!
...
Another month passed.
As the Taiji Diagram fully condensed, Song Changsheng finally broke through and entered the Foundation Establishment realm!
He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing briefly within them. He summoned a spring of clear water and washed himself thoroughly after all, the impurities expelled during his breakthrough were both plentiful and foul-smelling.
Once clean, he turned his senses inward to examine his condition. Though the breakthrough had been dangerous, the gains were tremendous.
His meridians had expanded several times over. If they used to be like small streams, they were now like the rushing Yangtze River, capable of channeling vast amounts of spiritual energy in an instant.
His dantian, once comparable to a fishpond, now held spiritual power like a great lake on an entirely different level. His physical strength had surpassed that of even magical tools. For someone who wasn't a body cultivator, this was astonishing.
When he extended his divine sense, it blanketed a range of several hundred feet far beyond the norm for his cultivation level, already comparable to the mid-foundation Establishment stage.
At this level, he had already gained the qualifications to perform soul possession.
Song Changsheng lightly curled his fingers, and spiritual energy surged through his meridians like roaring rivers. At his fingertips, Yin and Yang energies coiled and flowed, radiating a deadly aura.
He had a strong sense that even a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining would be unable to last a single exchange against him.
He then retrieved the Yin-Yang Soul-Slaying Gourd and the Lu Wu Bell. With a thought, both treasures were absorbed into his dantian, where they floated above his spiritual platform, nourished by the Yin-Yang energies.
"Finally, I can begin nurturing spirits. Hopefully, the Soul-Slaying Gourd will complete its transformation soon." A faint smile appeared on Song Changsheng's face. He stood and stretched, his bones cracking and popping with explosive sounds.
With a sweep of his sleeve, the doors of the secluded chamber rumbled open.
Golden light streamed in, illuminating the boundless path that now lay before him…
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