In cultivation, years fly by, and time is lost in the mountains. A full year had passed in the blink of an eye.
In that time, Song Changsheng had turned eighteen. It had been nearly two years since his arrival at Little Cyan Mountain. Although his cultivation was still at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, his combat prowess was on a completely different level.
He had mastered the Water and Fire Manipulation Technique. With his Treasure Gourd, he could steadily hold the upper hand even against an ordinary Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator.
Today, Song Changsheng was leaving Little Cyan Mountain to return to Vast Mist Peak and participate in a grand clan event: the coming-of-age ceremony.
All cultivators who turned eighteen this year would attend the ceremony. Several of the clan's Foundation Establishment Elders and highly respected Clan Elders would also be present.
And these newly-of-age cultivators would also face the first great hurdle of their lives—the clan assessment.
According to the Song Clan's rules, all cultivators who come of age must undergo a group assessment to test the fruits of their cultivation.
The content and format of the assessment were never fixed. The only certainty was that it would be a live-combat mission, one that could lead to bloodshed, or even death.
Although the chances were slim, every few years, there was always an unlucky soul or two.
'I wonder what the mission will be?' A faint sense of anticipation stirred in Song Changsheng's heart…
The ceremony was to be held on the Bluestone Square in front of the clan's Soul Lamp Hall. By the time Song Changsheng arrived, a large crowd had already gathered; nearly every cultivator on Vast Mist Peak was present.
Song Changsheng had shed the cyan robe he usually wore, changing into a set of heavier, black Daoist robes.
The back of the robe featured the clan's Silver Moon Clan Emblem, accented with dark gold patterns. The front bore a complex design of auspicious clouds, and the cuffs were trimmed with dark gold lines, making it look exceptionally solemn and dignified.
"Brother Changsheng, what took you so long?" a tall man, also dressed in a black Daoist robe, called out as he walked over.
"Ah, Brother Changhu. I was on assignment at Little Cyan Mountain raising Spirit Fish, so I'm a bit late. Have all the Elders arrived?"
Song Changsheng recognized him at once. He was another of the clan's Foundation Establishment Seeds, possessing Gold Water Dual Spirit Roots. Although he was two months older than Song Changsheng, his cultivation had only just reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.
He was already quite impressive compared to his peers, but he was still a far cry from Song Changsheng.
When he heard Song Changsheng mention raising Spirit Fish, a flash of jealousy crossed Song Changhu's face. Everyone knew that animal husbandry tasks were cushy assignments.
'It really is different when you have a good mother,' Song Changhu thought to himself.
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before going their separate ways. After all, they were barely more than acquaintances.
The ceremony wasn't scheduled to start for a while; there was still more than an ancient hour to go.
This was intentional. After all, as the clan grew larger, opportunities to gather became increasingly rare. To put it plainly, these large events were essentially clan reunions, a chance for everyone to connect.
It was one of the ways the clan maintained its unity.
Song Changsheng had always been focused on his cultivation, so he hardly knew anyone from his own generation.
Fortunately, many people recognized him, and they would occasionally approach him for a chat, which saved him from any potential awkwardness.
"Little Uncle."
Suddenly, a clear, ethereal voice sounded by his ear. He turned and saw Song Xi, who was pulling along the coffin-faced Song Qingxing, standing charmingly in the distance and waving at him.
A smile immediately spread across Song Changsheng's face as he walked over to them. "You two are here as well."
Song Qingxing cradled an ancient-looking long sword, the words "Keep Away" practically written across his face.
Song Xi, on the other hand, was much more cheerful. She tugged on Song Changsheng's hand and chirped, "Little Uncle, Xi'Er can cultivate now!"
"Is that right? That's amazing, Xi'Er. I suppose I should call you Qingxi from now on," Song Changsheng said, ruffling the little girl's soft hair with feigned surprise.
In truth, he had known this for a while. Six months ago, at the Immortal Ascension Conference, Song Qingxi had been found to possess Wood and Water Dual Spirit Roots. Her Wood Spirit Root, in particular, was an impressive eight inches, making her the most talented individual from that year's conference.
Now, half a year later, the little girl had successfully begun her cultivation path and become a Qi Refining First Layer Cultivator.
Meanwhile, Song Qingxing, who was two years her senior, had already reached the Qi Refining Second Layer. As expected of someone with an Abnormal Spirit Root, he was even a notch above where Song Changsheng had been at the same stage.
"My little sister says you're the number one talent of the younger generation," Song Qingxing suddenly said from the side.
Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. 'What's with that tone? It feels like he's looking for a fight.'
Still, he wasn't about to be intimidated by a junior. Song Changsheng looked him straight in the eye and said, "If you're referring to those eighteen and under, then my cultivation is indeed currently the highest."
"I will surpass you," Song Qingxing stated coolly, as if it were a trivial matter.
"You're not as strong as Little Uncle!" Song Qingxi retorted, wrinkling her delicate nose in displeasure.
"I will surpass him," Song Qingxing replied calmly.
"No, you won't!" Song Qingxi shot back, planting her hands on her hips and revealing two little fangs in a fierce display.
The two went back and forth, arguing tirelessly, and Song Changsheng suddenly found himself an outsider to their squabble.
He took a sip of wine from his gourd, his eyes flickering between the two with great interest.
'He'd asked Song Xianming to put Qingxing and Qingxi together on a whim, just to see what would happen. Now, almost two years later, it seemed his little experiment was starting to bear fruit.'
Even though Song Changsheng was far away on Little Cyan Mountain, he kept in regular contact with the clan and had made a point to learn about Qingxing.
Since the clan didn't want to reveal his existence prematurely, Song Qingxing rarely appeared before anyone other than Song Qingxi.
The number of people who knew of his true talent could be counted on two hands.
Those who did interact with him were usually the clan's Foundation Establishment Elders, but without exception, every one of them had complaints about him.
This was because Song Qingxing had taken cold indifference to the extreme. He was incredibly impolite, never using names or any other form of address, referring to everyone simply as "you."
On top of that, he was extremely impatient, acting as if every extra word was a waste of his breath.
It seemed nothing other than cultivation was worthy of his notice.
When Song Changsheng first heard these reports, he suspected the boy had already embarked on the Emotionless Dao.
But now, it seemed they had all been worrying for nothing.
Just now, Song Qingxing had not only referred to Qingxi as "little sister," but he had also responded to every single thing she said. Even when her words were meaningless, he still answered her meticulously.
'This proved that his strategy had been the right one. Song Qingxing still had his emotions, and though they were currently directed only at Song Qingxi, that was enough.'
'A great start, wasn't it?'
'As long as he held on to his human emotions, he would eventually integrate into the clan.'
The two bickered for about a quarter of an hour before Song Qingxi finally admitted defeat, settling for glaring at Song Qingxing with her cheeks puffed out.
The corners of Song Changsheng's eyes crinkled with amusement. 'Anyone who argued with a block of iron like that was bound to lose.'
'It was like arguing with a talking block of iron; no matter what you said, his expression wouldn't change in the slightest. Eventually, you'd just feel foolish and give up.'
"Qingxing, as her older brother, you should learn to humor your little sister a bit," Song Changsheng interjected at the perfect moment.
"Humor her?" Song Qingxing glanced at the pouting Song Qingxi, and for the first time, a slight ripple of emotion flickered in the depths of his eyes.
…