Chapter 240: Chapter 176: Clouds of War (Part 2)

As it turned out, a dark horse like Song Qingxia was a rare find, not something one could count on. The competition lasted for two days, and Song Chang’an decisively took first place.

Second place went to a woman named Song Changxue, a clan member from Song Luzhou’s lineage who also cultivated Music and possessed considerable strength.

Third place also went to someone from the "Chang" generation, a man named Song Changxuan. He was the most talented of the bunch, having formed a Gold and Water Dao Foundation.

As for Song Qinghong, who had caused quite a stir earlier, he was crushed and eliminated in the semifinals. Array Formation, after all, required time, and he had revealed his skills too early, allowing his opponents to be on guard.

Against opponents of similar strength, he could still manage to set up an Array to fight them, but if the power gap was too large, he would be instantly overwhelmed.

But on the whole, Song Changsheng and the others were satisfied with the competition’s results.

Now it was a matter of whether the three of them could seize the opportunity. The Foundation Establishment Pill wasn’t a panacea; the success rate for breaking through after taking it was only fifty percent.

With the end of the finals, the Song Family’s grand competition officially came to a close. Although there were only three Foundation Establishment Pills, the number of talented individuals who had emerged was not small.

Song Qingxi, Song Muqing, Song Qingxia, Song Chang’an, Song Qinghong...

One by one, these names spread, letting the world witness the profound heritage of the number one family in Ling Province!

——————

In the end, Song Changsheng didn’t make a move against Li Siyang. He watched the members of the Li Clan depart and said with a grim expression, "The Li Clan has betrayed us."

Song Luzhou’s eyes narrowed. The Li Clan’s betrayal had been expected, but when it actually happened, he still felt a surge of anger. "The family forgave them once; we absolutely will not give them a second chance. Once Grandfather breaks through to the Purple Mansion Stage, Li Siyang will definitely regret the choice he made today."

"Li Siyang isn’t stupid. He chose to betray us even though he knew Grandfather’s injuries were about to heal. This means someone must have given him the courage to do so."

A sharp glint flashed in Song Luzhou’s eyes. "Are you suspecting the Earth Fire Sect?" he asked in a low voice.

"That’s right. In all of Ling Province, only two people have the best hope of breaking through to the Purple Mansion Stage: Grandfather and Chang Wudao.

Back in Luoxia City, the Earth Fire Sect sent Cheng Yufei to an auction, where he bought a Tier Three Heart Method suitable for Chang Wudao. This indicates that Chang Wudao is already attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion Stage." Song Changsheng gazed toward the Liuyun Mountain Range, a trace of worry in his eyes.

"But after you killed Cheng Yufei, you brought that Heart Method back with you. Without a suitable Heart Method, would Chang Wudao dare attempt a breakthrough?"

A Tier Three Heart Method is the key to opening the path to the Purple Mansion Stage. Without a suitable one, the success rate of a breakthrough drops dramatically. Song Luzhou didn’t believe Chang Wudao would have such audacity.

Song Changsheng shook his head. "The Earth Fire Sect’s foundation may be shallow, but it wouldn’t be difficult for them to find a suitable Heart Method if they were determined. Haven’t you noticed how quiet the Earth Fire Sect has been recently? That’s not their style.

The Li Clan’s choice indirectly proves this. The family needs to prepare in advance."

"Breaking through to the Purple Mansion Stage isn’t that easy," Song Luzhou said confidently. "Your grandfather will be coming out of seclusion any day now. The family has prepared the resources for him to reforge his Purple Mansion. Once he breaks through, the Earth Fire Sect can be destroyed with the flip of a hand."

Song Changsheng nodded, but the worry in his eyes didn’t lessen. ’Chang Wudao is no simple enemy.’

"Alright, enough of this. I’ve already distributed the Foundation Establishment Pills to Chang’an and the others. They’ll be entering seclusion soon, and Ninth Sister, your mother, and I will act as their Guardians. The family’s daily affairs will be left to you alone."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng rolled his eyes. "As if I’m not the only one managing things already."

Not only was Song Luzhou an Iron Rooster, but his skin was also first-rate thick. He completely filtered out Song Changsheng’s words.

The next day, Song Chang’an, Song Changxue, and Song Changxuan all entered seclusion in secret. Song Luzhou, Song Luyao, and Xia Yunxue acted as their respective Guardians, and all family affairs were left to Song Changsheng’s sole discretion...

On the third day of Song Changsheng’s sole command of the family, the Golden Crow Sect’s Yuan Province Garrison Envoy sent word to Ling Province that war with the Celestial Vein Sect was imminent.

This news made Song Changsheng’s already foul mood even worse. Once the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect officially went to war, the Song Clan, as a vassal, would surely be unable to escape the draft.

It was true that one could earn merit on the battlefield, but on a battlefield like that, Purple Mansion Cultivators were the mainstays. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were nothing more than higher-level cannon fodder.

Never mind Song Changsheng. Even Song Xianming wasn’t confident he could survive on such a battlefield.

Although the official Recruitment Order hadn’t been issued yet, Song Changsheng could already predict that the day was not far off.

’The most urgent task now is to awaken the slumbering Xia Qingxue as soon as possible. Only she has a chance to prevent this disaster from happening.’

’After all, the true culprits are the Blood Demons, not the Celestial Vein Sect. No matter who wins or loses the war between the two Sects, only the Blood Demons will profit.’

The moment he received the news, he immediately sought out Song Luzhou. He needed to know the status of the Soul Awakening Pill’s refinement. Over a month had passed; it should be nearly complete.

Upon hearing this, Song Luzhou also instantly realized the gravity of the situation. He hadn’t expected the Golden Crow Sect to go to war with the Celestial Vein Sect so quickly either.

"I entrusted the refinement of the Soul Awakening Pill to Master Zhang. The agreement was for it to be done within a month, so it should be ready any day now."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng felt much more at ease. A war between two Sects couldn’t be launched overnight. As long as they could awaken Xia Qingxue and have her return to the Golden Crow Sect to explain the truth, there was still hope of stopping this war.

’At the very least, we have to get the Song Clan out of this war. We did save Xia Qingxue’s life, after all. That request shouldn’t be too difficult to make.’

The wait was agonizing. Fortunately, that Master Zhang was quite punctual, only making Song Changsheng suffer for five days before sending someone over with the Pill.

After getting the Pill, Song Changsheng immediately rushed to the room where Xia Qingxue was recuperating and fed it to her.

It had to be said, as the most widely used method, the effects of the Soul Awakening Pill were excellent. Less than an ancient hour after taking it, Xia Qingxue slowly began to stir.

Faced with the unfamiliar surroundings, the newly awakened Xia Qingxue was initially bewildered, then deeply wary. Her last memory was of the moment the Flying Ship shattered.

"Fellow Daoist Xia, you’re finally awake!" The moment he saw Xia Qingxue open her eyes, Song Changsheng felt a great weight lift from his heart.

"It’s you." Xia Qingxue was very surprised to see Song Changsheng. She had thought she’d been captured by those skulking figures, but she never expected him to be the first person she saw upon waking.

Song Changsheng immediately realized Xia Qingxue had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "Back then, you were unconscious on the border of Ling Province. My clan members found you and brought you back. We were even pursued along the way and suffered heavy losses."

’Doing good deeds without seeking recognition was not Song Changsheng’s style. Given Xia Qingxue’s status, he would be letting himself down if he didn’t squeeze her for all she was worth.’

’Besides, he wasn’t exaggerating. If he hadn’t arrived in time, Song Yulong and the others would have perished there, along with those three Foundation Establishment Pills.’

Xia Qingxue fell silent at his words. It wasn’t that she doubted the truth in Song Changsheng’s words, but rather that her personality made it difficult for her to face such a situation.

’She had never imagined that she would one day be reduced to this.’

After a long silence, she said coolly, "I owe you a favor."

Song Changsheng paid her attitude no mind and shrugged. "Now is not the time to be talking about favors. You’ve been unconscious for over a month. A few days ago, the Yuan Province Garrison Envoy sent word that the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect have declared war.

But I can tell you with certainty that the culprits were not the Celestial Vein Sect. The people who pursued you back then were all Blood Demons. They are shifting the blame. If you can get back in time, you might still be able to prevent this disaster."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Qingxue’s brows furrowed. She looked at Song Changsheng with a scrutinizing gaze. "Since you knew the culprits were Blood Demons, why didn’t you inform my Sect?"

Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Song Changsheng’s face...