Chapter 16: Song Qingxing (Please add to favorites)

Cultivation knows no passage of time, and in the mountains, one loses track of the years. A year passed in the blink of an eye.

In a flash, Song Changsheng was already eighteen. He had been at Little Green Mountain for nearly two years; although his cultivation remained at the eighth level of Qi Refining, his combat prowess was no longer what it once was.

He had mastered the [Water-Fire Control Method] to perfection. Combined with his treasure gourd, he could firmly hold the upper hand even against an average peak-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Today, Song Changsheng was leaving Little Green Mountain to return to Vast Peak to participate in a grand family event—the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

Every cultivator who turned eighteen this year would attend this ceremony. The family’s Foundation Establishment elders and highly respected clan elders would all be in attendance.

And these newly minted adults would face the first major hurdle of their lives: the family assessment.

According to the Song clan’s rules, a collective assessment must be arranged for family cultivators coming of age to test the results of their cultivation within the clan.

The content and format of the assessment were never fixed; the only certainty was that it would involve real blades and genuine combat. There was a possibility of bloodshed, and perhaps even death.

Although the probability was low, every few years, there would always be one or two unlucky souls.

"I wonder what the mission will be?" A faint sense of anticipation stirred in Song Changsheng’s heart...

The ceremony was held on the bluestone plaza in front of the family’s Soul Lamp Hall. By the time Song Changsheng arrived, a large crowd had already gathered; essentially all the cultivators still on Vast Peak had come.

Song Changsheng had shed his usual cyan long robe, replacing it with a heavier black Daoist robe.

The back of the robe featured the family’s Silver Moon crest in dark gold embroidery, while the front was adorned with intricate auspicious cloud patterns. The cuffs were lined with dark gold thread, giving him a solemn and dignified appearance.

"Cousin Changsheng, why have you only just arrived?" A tall young man, also dressed in a black Daoist robe, walked over to greet him.

"So it is Cousin Changhu. I have been busy with the task of raising spirit fish at Little Green Mountain, so I returned a bit late. Have the elders arrived yet?"

Song Changsheng recognized him immediately. He was also one of the family’s Foundation Establishment seeds, possessing dual Gold-Water spiritual roots. Although he was two months older than Song Changsheng, his cultivation had only just reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Compared to his peers, he was quite impressive, but he was still far behind Song Changsheng.

Hearing that Song Changsheng was raising spirit fish, a flash of jealousy crossed Song Changhu’s heart. Everyone knew that breeding tasks were lucrative assignments.

*Having a good mother really makes a difference,* Song Changhu thought to himself.

The two exchanged a few casual pleasantries before parting ways; after all, their acquaintance was limited to merely recognizing each other's faces.

The ceremony was scheduled for quite late, with over an hour still remaining.

This was intentional. As the family grew, the opportunities for everyone to gather became increasingly rare. These large-scale events were, frankly, family reunions meant for everyone to build connections.

It was also a method to maintain the unity of the clan.

Song Changsheng had always focused solely on cultivation, so he truly didn't know many of his peers.

Fortunately, many people recognized him, and from time to time, someone would come up to chat, which saved Song Changsheng from some awkwardness.

"Little Uncle."

Suddenly, Song Changsheng heard a crisp, ethereal voice ring in his ear. He turned his head to see Song Qingxi pulling a stone-faced Song Qingxing toward him, waving her hand.

A smile immediately appeared on Song Changsheng’s face. He walked over to them and said, "You two are here as well."

Song Qingxing held a primitive-looking long sword in his arms, his face practically screaming "stay away."

Song Qingxi was much more cheerful. She grabbed Song Changsheng’s hand and chirped, "Little Uncle, Xi'er can cultivate now too."

"Is that so? Xi'er is amazing. From now on, you must be called Qingxi," Song Changsheng said, feigning surprise as he ruffled the little girl’s soft hair.

In truth, he had known this for a long time. Half a year ago, at the Immortal Ascension Assembly, Song Qingxi had been found to possess dual Wood-Water spiritual roots, with her Wood root reaching an impressive eight inches—making her the most talented of her generation.

Now, half a year later, the little girl had successfully entered the Dao, becoming a first-level Qi Refining cultivator.

As for Song Qingxing, who was two years older, he had already reached the second level of Qi Refining. One could only say that as a variant spiritual root holder, he was a cut above even what Song Changsheng had been at that age.

"My little sister says you are the number one of the younger generation in the family?" Song Qingxing suddenly spoke up from the side.

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. This tone—it felt like he was looking for trouble.

However, he wasn't about to be intimidated by a junior. Song Changsheng looked him in the eye and said, "If you are talking about those under eighteen, my cultivation is indeed the highest at the moment."

"I will surpass you," Song Qingxing said coldly, as if stating a trivial matter.

"You aren't as amazing as Little Uncle!" Song Qingxi wrinkled her delicate nose, looking quite dissatisfied.

"I will surpass him," Song Qingxing replied calmly.

"No, you won't!" Song Qingxi put her hands on her hips, revealing two small fangs, looking quite fierce.

The two went back and forth, arguing tirelessly, leaving Song Changsheng as an outsider.

He picked up his gourd and took a sip of wine, his eyes darting between the two with interest.

Back then, he had asked Song Xianming to arrange for Qingxing and Qingxi to be together, just to see if it would work. Now, nearly two years later, it seemed to be showing initial results.

Although Song Changsheng was far away at Little Green Mountain, he kept in close contact with the family and had carefully looked into Qingxing’s situation.

Because the family did not intend to reveal his existence too early, Song Qingxing rarely appeared in front of others, spending his time almost exclusively with Song Qingxi.

The number of people who knew his true talent could be counted on two hands.

Usually, the only people who interacted with him were the Foundation Establishment elders, but without exception, every elder had complaints about him.

It was simply because Song Qingxing had taken coldness to the extreme. He was also very impolite, never using names or titles, always referring to everyone as "you, you, you."

Furthermore, he was very impatient; it seemed as if saying an extra word was a waste of his breath.

It appeared that apart from cultivation, nothing else caught his eye.

When he first heard these evaluations, Song Changsheng had wondered if this guy had already stepped onto the Path of Ruthlessness.

But now, it seemed they were all overthinking it.

Just now, not only did Song Qingxing call Qingxi "little sister," but he also responded to every single thing she said. Even if her words were meaningless, he answered them meticulously.

This proved that Song Changsheng’s original strategy was correct. Song Qingxing still retained his emotions; although they were currently directed only at Song Qingxi, that was enough.

A good start, isn't it?

As long as he retained human emotions, he would eventually integrate into the family.

The two argued for about a quarter of an hour before Song Qingxi finally lost, left to glare at Song Qingxing with puffed-up cheeks.

Song Changsheng smiled; anyone who argued with such a block of iron would end in failure.

It was like arguing with a talking iron statue—no matter what you said, the other party wouldn't show the slightest emotional change, and eventually, you’d just find it pointless.

"Qingxing, as the older brother, you should learn to yield to your sister," Song Changsheng said at the right moment.

"Yield?" Song Qingxing looked at the pouting Song Qingxi, and for the first time, a slight ripple appeared in the depths of his eyes.

...

If you fellow Daoists have any spare tickets, please use your little hands to cast them~