Chapter 51: A High-Stakes Gamble

Hee Yunxuan called this a completely new path, so naturally, Song Changsheng had high hopes for it.

After calming himself and reading the text, Song Changsheng was shocked by Hee Yunxuan’s insane idea. He even found himself questioning the technique’s authenticity—it was just that crazy.

’Use the body as the eye, the Dantian as the base, the acupoints as the flags, and the bones and Meridians as the patterns, forging oneself into a walking Array... is something like that really possible?’

Song Changsheng stared in disbelief at the gleaming golden text in his Sea of Consciousness. He felt that the person who’d come up with this technique was an absolute madman.

To cultivate according to this technique meant that the slightest mistake would, at best, result in the shattering of one’s Dantian and Qihai, and the complete loss of one’s cultivation.

To a Cultivator, losing one’s cultivation was a fate more agonizing than death.

But setting aside the myriad dangers, Song Changsheng had to admit that the technique was exceptionally brilliant. It far surpassed his clan’s inherited array knowledge and even hinted at the very source of the Great Dao.

This wasn’t a level of mastery a mere Tier Three Low-Grade Array Master like Hee Yunxuan could achieve on his own. It must have incorporated the very essence of the Array Dao Academy’s legacy.

Based on his own understanding of the Array Dao, Song Changsheng was certain the technique was feasible. Moreover, if successful, its creator would be immortalized, revered by every Array Master in the world for ages to come!

The reason was simple.

Array Masters relied on Arrays to defeat enemies many times stronger than themselves. However, deploying an Array required significant time and preparation, and in many situations, there was simply no opportunity to do so. This often prevented Array Masters from unleashing their full potential.

But with Hee Yunxuan’s technique, things would be different. A practitioner could deploy a domain-like Array at any moment.

The impact this would have in actual combat was immeasurable. A walking Array... the mere thought was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

However, this was an unprecedented path. No one knew what pitfalls one might encounter, let alone how to overcome them.

There was no prior experience to draw from; one could only feel their way forward, crossing the river by touching the stones.

This was a high-stakes gamble, wagering one’s own Dao path and life!

Success meant becoming unrivaled within his tier—no exaggeration. But failure...

’The worst that can happen is death!’ Song Changsheng’s gaze hardened. On the long road to immortality, Cultivators were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and geniuses as plentiful as the stars in the sky.

And he was just one of the most unremarkable among them. In a backwater place like Ling Province, his talent might be considered outstanding, but when measured against the whole of Daqi, let alone the entire Human Race Cultivation World, his meager gifts were nothing special.

To contend with those peerless geniuses, Song Changsheng had to work harder and seize every opportunity to grow stronger.

When he was born, Song Xianming had named him ’Changsheng’—long life. It wasn’t just a blessing for his future; it was the fervent hope of the entire Song Clan.

They hoped Song Changsheng would live up to his name, one day reaching the highest peak to look down upon all others.

Song Changsheng himself had always pursued immortality as his goal. This was his great opportunity, a place where risk and reward coexisted. If he chose to retreat now, the path to "long life" would be closed to him forever.

In his hometown from a previous life, there was a saying: ’If you die, you die. If you don’t, you might live for ten thousand years.’

’Death holds no fear for me. I’ve already died once. What’s the big deal if it happens again?’

’Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; fail to advance, and you die. I must seize this opportunity!’

’The higher my cultivation, the harder this technique will be to practice. I have to prepare now and carve the first Array before I reach Foundation Establishment.’

He had made his decision, but he couldn’t just charge in recklessly.

Cultivating this technique required meeting several preconditions. Failing to do so would undoubtedly lead to a gruesome death.

’Of the materials Elder Hee mentioned, I have most of them. The few I’m missing can be redeemed from the Clan Treasure Vault. The only tricky ones are the [Dragon Blood Orchid] and the [Heart Protection Pill].’

’The [Dragon Blood Orchid] is rare and highly sought after, but it shows up every year. The [Heart Protection Pill], on the other hand, hasn’t been seen on the market for over a decade. That’s a problem.’

Song Changsheng mentally tallied the required materials, his brow furrowed in a tight knot. He thought for a long time but came up with no solution.

’Forget it. I’ll ask Fellow Daoist Zhu another day. He’s well-connected; he might have a lead.’ Song Changsheng sighed, deciding to set the matter aside for now.

Being fearless and being suicidal were two different things. The necessary preparations had to be made. If he failed in the end, he could only blame his own bad luck.

After withdrawing from his Sea of Consciousness Space, Song Changsheng took out the Jade Scroll containing the technique for [Spiritual Qi Force]. Besides "Array Carved on Body" and the [Luwu Bell], this was his most valuable acquisition.

Once he mastered this Secret Technique, his combat prowess would surely rise to a new level!

...

Song Changsheng fell back into a routine. Every day, aside from refining a few Magical Artifacts, he would cultivate [Spiritual Qi Force] and study the legacy Hee Yunxuan had left behind.

His days were packed.

Time slipped by quietly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

During this period, Song Changsheng improved tremendously and had even achieved initial success in cultivating [Spiritual Qi Force].

The Earth Fire Sect had been uncharacteristically quiet for the entire month. The Song Clan’s counterattack must have drained their resources, leaving them with no spare capacity to trouble him.

This was, of course, excellent news for Song Changsheng. What puzzled him, however, was that Zhu Yiqun had been completely unreachable this whole time.

If he didn’t trust the man’s character, he might have suspected the damn fatty had run off with the batch of Demon Artifacts...

As the sun rose and the morning mist swirled, Song Changsheng finished his daily cultivation. Just as he was about to study the Daoist Scripture, the Communication Jade Token at his waist suddenly began to vibrate.

He infused a thread of Spiritual Power into it, and a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time emerged. "Changsheng, meet me at the old spot."

A look of delight crossed Song Changsheng’s face. ’That damn fatty has finally resurfaced.’

After giving Song Luyuan a heads-up, he hurried to the pavilion where he usually met with Zhu Yiqun.

Zhu Yiqun was dressed in a purple brocade robe today. With his large belly, he looked just like one of those pampered, wealthy lords from the Mortal World.

Upon seeing Song Changsheng, he immediately rushed forward and pulled him into a passionate bear hug. A shiver went down Song Changsheng’s spine, and goosebumps broke out on his skin.

"What’s gotten into you? I’m not some maiden, so why are you holding on so tight? Don’t tell me you have... certain preferences?" Song Changsheng said, looking disgusted.

"Screw you! You’re the one with those preferences! I’m a real man, through and through," Zhu Yiqun retorted, quickly stepping back and thumping his chest.

"You know best whether that’s true or not," Song Changsheng shot back. "So, where have you been? I was starting to think you’d skipped town with the merchandise."

At this, the smile on Zhu Yiqun’s chubby face vanished. "It’s a long story," he said, his expression grim. "You almost never saw this Old Zhu again."

...