After sending Zhu Yiqun off, Song Changsheng's life once again returned to peace. He resumed his secluded cultivation, continuing his comprehension of the Minor Divine Ability Mountain-Flipping Seal. Once he mastered this technique, very few Foundation Establishment cultivators would pose any real threat to him.
He had originally planned to stay in seclusion for a long period, but a message from the Grand Elder, Song Xianyun, forced him to emerge early.
Fortunately, this time it wasn't bad news quite the opposite it was an undeniable stroke of good fortune.
As soon as he exited seclusion, Song Changsheng hurried to the Council Hall. Aside from Song Lutong and the clan leader, every senior figure in the family was present.
"Good, everyone's here," said Song Xianyun, stroking his beard with a smile. "Then let Lu Zhou announce the good news."
Many of those present were still in the dark, and all turned curiously toward Song Luzhou.
Rising to his feet with barely concealed pride, Song Luzhou said, "Everyone, I recently entered seclusion to refine a batch of Ascending Dragon Pills, and I'm pleased to report success. I completed two furnaces, yielding ten pills in total enough for all of the clan's Foundation Establishment cultivators to benefit."
As soon as the words left his mouth, looks of joy lit up the faces of everyone in the hall.
The Ascending Dragon Pill was a tier-two high-grade pill, and its primary ingredient, Red Jade Vermilion Fruit, was exceedingly rare. This pill was known for its remarkable effect: helping Foundation Establishment cultivators overcome bottlenecks.
Once a cultivator reached Foundation Establishment, breaking through to higher stages became extremely difficult. Without opportunity or luck, one might remain stuck for life.
Take Grand Elder Song Xianyun for example he had reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment over thirty years ago but had been unable to push beyond it due to a persistent bottleneck.
Thirty years though Foundation Establishment cultivators had a lifespan of 250 years, how many sets of thirty years could they afford to waste?
He had long since stopped hoping until the appearance of the Ascending Dragon Pill gave him renewed purpose.
"This is wonderful! With this batch of Ascending Dragon Pills, our clan's strength will surely reach new heights!" an elder well over a hundred years old exclaimed.
"Indeed. With Lingzhou growing ever more volatile and our clan at the heart of the storm, we need to become stronger if we're to stand our ground. This is a timely blessing," another elder said with excitement.
"This is exactly why I gathered everyone here today," Song Xianyun said, nodding. "Among our Foundation Establishment cultivators, besides the young clan leader and Lutong, who recently advanced, and the clan leader, who has already reached the peak, five of us including myself have reached bottlenecks.
I've informed the clan leader, and we five will enter seclusion together to refine the Ascending Dragon Pill and push for advancement. It's the only way we'll be ready for the increasingly severe threats facing Lingzhou."
A hush fell over the Council Hall.
One elder stood up, his brow furrowed with concern. "Isn't it unwise for five elders to go into seclusion at the same time?"
The concern was justified. These five elders represented over half of the Song Clan's high-level combat power. The process of refining and absorbing the Ascending Dragon Pill could take a year or longer. What would the clan do if an unexpected crisis arose?
Song Xianyun, however, remained calm and confident. "There's no need to worry. During our seclusion, the young clan leader will take full charge of the clan's affairs.
Should any external threat arise that he cannot handle, the clan leader himself will emerge."
"This…" The elders exchanged glances, their expressions still tinged with unease.
Song Xianyun's gaze sharpened as he added, "Time waits for no one. The Earthfire Sect and Lieyang Sect are as ambitious as ever, and it's only a matter of time before they return. If we don't strengthen ourselves now, our enemies certainly won't give us a second chance later."
The logic was irrefutable. Though some elders still harbored reservations, they ultimately agreed with Song Xianyun's decision.
Seeing them relent, Song Xianyun turned to Song Changsheng. "Changsheng, during this time, the clan will be in your hands."
Song Changsheng had already mentally prepared for this. He rose quickly and responded, "Please rest assured, elders. I will not let you down!"
"Excellent. After this meeting, come with me to the Administration Hall to begin the handover."
After the meeting, Song Changsheng looked at the towering mountain of jade slips before him and muttered bitterly, "Grandpa Twenty-One, you've done me in this time. I've never handled clan affairs before, and now it's all dumped on me."
Song Xianyun clasped his hands behind his back and said earnestly, "You were going to inherit all this eventually did you think you could avoid it? Better to get hands-on now while we're still around to clean up any messes. Once we're gone, it'll all be up to you."
"You're still as strong as an ox," Song Changsheng joked. "And now with the Ascending Dragon Pill, there's a good chance you'll step into the Purple Mansion realm. What's the rush?"
"You little rascal, sweet-talking me won't get you out of this," Song Xianyun chuckled, then straightened his expression. "Flattery won't help. Starting tomorrow, you're officially in charge of all administrative duties until we emerge from seclusion."
Song Changsheng's smile collapsed. "No escape after all…"
The next day, Song Xianyun and the other elders each received a pill and formally entered seclusion. Meanwhile, Song Changsheng plunged headlong into the avalanche of responsibilities.
At first, his inexperience caused numerous issues, but with the guidance of several clan elders, he gradually adapted. Over time, he became increasingly adept at managing affairs.
Under his leadership, the clan continued to run smoothly and peacefully.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, a full year went by.
One day, while Song Changsheng was in the main hall dealing with clan matters, he suddenly sensed a fluctuation. Looking up, he saw spiritual energy from all directions converging toward a single point clouds stirred in every direction.
His eyes lit up. This was a clear sign that someone was about to break through to the Foundation Establishment.
"Song Changquan's been in seclusion for nearly two years now looks like he's finally about to advance!"
This was no time for carelessness. With a few swift steps, Song Changsheng transformed into a streak of light, soaring toward the seclusion chamber…
As soon as Song Changsheng landed, a team of law enforcement disciples surrounded him and saluted.
He waved them off and turned to the leader, Song Chang'an. "Senior cousin, how's the situation? Is the spiritual energy sufficient?"
Song Chang'an nodded. "Everything is normal so far. The Spirit Gathering Formation has already been activated the spiritual energy is extremely abundant."
"Good. That's very good."
Song Changsheng nodded in response, but his heart remained heavy with unease.
Although Song Changquan was of the same generation, he was already a seasoned tier-two alchemist within the clan. At fifty-three years old, his body was no longer at its peak.
Though his spiritual consciousness far surpassed others at the same level, his physical body and spiritual power were below average. Even with the help of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the odds were still not in his favor.
"Let's hope fate is kind to him and he can make it through this trial…" Song Changsheng murmured inwardly, silently praying for his cousin's safety.
Suddenly
Boom!
A clap of thunder exploded in the sky, and blinding lightning streaked across the heavens. Heavy, leaden clouds began to gather as serpentine bolts of lightning writhed within them. The booming roars overhead echoed like the wrath of the heavens suffocating and terrifying.
Raindrops began to fall, first in a steady drizzle, then quickly transforming into a torrential downpour. Mist and fog swirled through the mountain air.
It looked like an ordinary storm but it made Song Changsheng's heart skip a beat. A deep sense of foreboding took hold of him, and he clenched his fists tightly without realizing it.
Then
Whoosh!
A vortex suddenly formed in the air, wildly devouring the surrounding spiritual energy. Everyone's breath caught in their throats this was the final phase of the Foundation Establishment!
The vortex expanded rapidly, drawing in as much spiritual energy as possible. But then, just as suddenly, its expansion halted and began to contract.
"Father!!"
A young man in the crowd roared in anguish, his bloodshot eyes locked on the shrinking vortex like a furious bull.
Song Changsheng's expression turned vacant, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip.
He knew it.
Song Changquan had failed.
Sure enough, within moments, the vortex completely vanished, and a violent wave of spiritual backlash burst from the cultivation chamber.
"Save him!"
Without hesitation, Song Changsheng became a streak of light, shooting toward the chamber. For most people, failure at this stage meant instant death but Song Changquan had taken the Foundation Establishment Pill. If they acted quickly enough, there might still be a chance to save him.
But
"Don't come in."
A thunderous voice erupted from the chamber, halting Song Changsheng in his tracks. His eyes widened. Something clicked in his mind, and he looked back up.
To everyone's shock, the vortex began to form again.
Song Changquan was gambling his life for one final chance he was staking everything on this desperate last push.
A desperate gamble.
If you knew there was a 99.9% chance you would fail...
Would you still take the bet?
Song Changquan did.
And he put everything on the line.
Everyone stared in stunned silence as the fragile vortex once again pulled together only to collapse a second time. A wave of sorrow and helplessness washed over them.
Song Qingshi, eyes hollow, collapsed to the ground. The rain beat against his body... and against his heart.
He knew his father was gone.
Song Changsheng slowly closed his eyes, emotions swirling in his chest.
That single Foundation Establishment Pill had become a death sentence.
Thunder rolled. Lightning flashed. The storm continued to rage. But inside the chamber, there was only silence.
At the Hall of Ancestral Souls on the mountainside, a breeze swept through.
A soul lamp flickering with blue flame…
quietly went out.
Song Changsheng pushed open the chamber door with a wave of his hand and carefully lifted Song Changquan's emaciated body. He was as light as a wisp of cotton.
"Father…" Song Qingshi knelt before the body, hair loose, eyes red from crying.
Looking at the boy still not of age Song Changsheng saw a shadow of his past. Years ago, he too had lost his father.
"Sigh… my condolences," he said at last. All the words in his chest condensed into this single phrase, for he knew no amount of comfort could ease the pain of losing a parent.
The boy wiped his eyes fiercely, then looked up at Song Changsheng and said firmly, "Young clan leader, please grant me permission to take my father's remains back to the mortal world for burial."
Song Changsheng frowned. "You don't want him buried in the ancestral tomb?"
Song Qingshi shook his head. "My father was born in the mortal world. Returning to his roots was his only wish while alive. I hope you'll allow it."
It was an unusual request. In the cultivation world, even a corpse could be used by dark cultivators to create zombies or forge evil weapons. For this reason, clan members' bodies were typically buried together and heavily warded, to avoid desecration.
This request left Song Changsheng conflicted.
After a long silence, he finally sighed.
He couldn't refuse a child who had just lost his father especially when the request wasn't truly excessive.
"I'll allow it," he said slowly. "But to prevent any evil cultivators from disturbing your father's rest, you must first cremate his body and take his ashes back to the mortal world for burial."
The boy didn't hesitate. He bowed low and, choking with emotion, said:
"Thank you, young clan leader, for granting my wish!"
...
Song Changquan's funeral was not held with any grand ceremony it was simple and understated. Yet despite its modesty, it cast a heavy shadow over everyone's hearts.
When Song Luyou received the news, his emotions became even more complicated. He couldn't help but wonder: If I had been the one to receive that Foundation Establishment Pill… would the outcome have been different?
But no one could give him an answer.
After all, breaking through to Foundation Establishment wasn't just about talent luck also played a major role. And no one could ever know what their luck might look like on that crucial day.
Just a month after Song Changquan's passing, the five elders who had entered seclusion finally showed signs of progress. The first to break through was Song Xianyun, who advanced from late Foundation Establishment to Foundation Establishment Perfection.
He became the second strongest in the Song Clan, and the third in the entire Ling Prefecture.
Soon after, Xia Yunxue and Song Luhuai both reached the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and Song Luzhou advanced to the late Foundation Establishment.
Unfortunately, Song Luyao, whose body had long been incomplete and meridians damaged, failed to break through her bottleneck and remained at mid-stage. It was a slight imperfection in an otherwise perfect outcome.
However, Song Luyao didn't mind. To her, the difference between mid and late-foundation establishment was irrelevant at this stage.
The overall strength of the Song Clan had taken a huge leap forward, completely surpassing the Earthfire Sect, and now only needed a single Purple Mansion cultivator to stand toe-to-toe with the Lieyang Sect.
Once Song Xianyun had stabilized his cultivation, he reviewed all of the clan affairs that Song Changsheng had handled during their year of seclusion and he was deeply pleased with what he saw.
"Changsheng, you've far exceeded this old man's expectations," Song Xianyun said with a broad smile. "In the future, you will undoubtedly make a fine clan leader."
"You're giving me too much credit," Song Changsheng replied with a self-deprecating chuckle. "If it weren't for the support of the elders, I'd have caused no end of trouble."
"Overly modest words are no different from insincerity," Song Xianyun said, his expression stern. "Everyone here has seen your ability with their own eyes."
"He's right," another elder chimed in. "Even if any of us old men had taken charge instead, we wouldn't have done better than you."
Song Changsheng could only smile bitterly and shake his head. He truly didn't feel it was humility. Most of what he had handled were daily affairs nothing particularly complex. Anyone else could've done it just as well.
"Alright, alright. If we keep praising him like this, the boy's tail is going to curl up to the sky," Song Luzhou said, knocking on the table to interrupt the compliments. His expression turned serious. "Let's get back to business."
Song Xianyun cleared his throat and looked around the room. "Everyone, with our clan's strength now greatly enhanced and the Earthfire Sect thoroughly suppressed, I believe the time has come to re-divide the interests in Liuyun Market. What are your thoughts?"
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 145+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader