Chapter 895: Greenwood Longevity Art and the Secrets Behind the Great Calamity

“This technique hails from Qingdi Mountain. Its surviving disciples released it as a way to fatten up future resources. Anyone cultivating the Heaven and Earth Everlasting Method can use it to boost both realm and lifespan.”

Qu Changge returned to Bihu Mountain with a dark expression and delivered the news to Lu Changsheng.

He could tell Lu Changsheng was no ordinary man, very likely an old monster reborn and traveling the mortal world. Maybe the fellow knew something.

Yet handing that resource-gathering method to his little sister only made Qu Changge even more displeased with Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng silently thought, I knew it.

He had already suspected the manual was only a fragment, deliberately spread so someone could later harvest the cultivators.

Turned out his guess was right.

He asked about Qingdi Mountain and whether there was any way to solve the problem.

“Qingdi Mountain used to be a top-tier power in the Southern Desolation. For reasons unknown the major factions joined forces against them, and they were wiped out several millennia ago. I’ll have to go back and gather details.”

“As for a solution, given Zhenzhen’s situation she can’t disperse her cultivation and start over. Other than continuing down Qingdi Mountain’s lineage, I need more information.”

Seeing Lu Changsheng knew nothing, Qu Changge’s face grew even colder.

“Do the remnants of Qingdi Mountain have any telltale signs? How do we find them?”

Lu Changsheng hadn’t expected the Heaven and Earth Everlasting Method to be tied to a former apex power of the Southern Desolation.

As the saying goes, whoever tied the bell must untie it.

He felt the only way to remove the hidden danger was to locate those remnants.

Still, he couldn’t help being amazed by Qu Changge’s background.

One trip to the Great Void and the man had unearthed the origin of that manual.

Lu himself had pored over countless tomes, questioned Juejian, Xuanjian and Yun Wanshang, yet never heard a word about Qingdi Mountain.

“Anyone from Qingdi Mountain is branded a heretic and hunted by orthodox and demonic paths alike. Besides secretly harvesting practitioners of the Everlasting Method, they rarely show themselves. Only those cultivating that method or a related lineage can vaguely sense each other.”

“Their core art is called Greenwood Longevity Art. Most of them excel at health, healing and spirit-plant husbandry, so many famous physicians and botanists trace back to them.”

Although Qu Changge disliked Lu Changsheng,

his sister lived under Lu’s roof, so he revealed everything he knew.

“Those remnants aren’t bound by a life-bound spirit plant? They can roam freely and still fight?” Lu frowned.

The Everlasting Method’s biggest flaw, aside from devouring others, was being tethered to one’s spirit plant.

On top of that its combat power was abysmal, unable to learn other arts and forcing users to rely on realm suppression or external treasures.

“The Everlasting Method is just a fragment of Greenwood Longevity Art, hence the drawbacks.”

“Within the full inheritance there’s a way to open an inner spirit realm and plant your spirit tree there, letting you travel afar.”

“Their combat power may be average, yet their longevity and vitality far surpass others. With divine abilities and treasures they make up the gap.”

Qu Changge stated blandly; Elder Xun had already briefed him.

“I’ll dig up everything on Qingdi Mountain when I return, and I’ll secure the Greenwood Longevity Art. Until then watch over Zhenzhen.”

His tone was cold and commanding.

According to Elder Xun, only after reaching Core Formation did one qualify as proper ‘fodder’, but nothing was absolute.

The riper the seed, the greater the lure.

Once she hit Nascent Soul and the seed turned to ripe fruit, the remnants would definitely appear.

Lu Changsheng was annoyed by the man’s threatening tone.

Still, Qu Changge’s certainty that he could obtain the art was startling. Lu asked, “Qu Changge, who exactly backs you?”

He was genuinely curious.

Achieving Nascent Soul in just over a century and possessing such information channels was no small feat.

“The Tianmo Sect.”

Qu Changge, clad in a black robe patterned with drifting clouds, his white hair loose, answered flatly.

“The Tianmo Sect, one of the Seven Demonic Sects?!”

Lu was taken aback. So his dear brother-in-law belonged to a Southern Desolation giant.

Though the Seven Sects were equals in name, strength varied, and Tianmo had always been among the top three.

He said nothing more, merely stared at Lu. “And you? Where do you come from?”

Lu wanted to say he was just a small cultivator, but Qu Changge would never buy it.

Remembering how the name ‘Eastern Emperor’ had bluffed those demonic envoys, he replied, “Probably the reincarnation of some ancient monster. I don’t know my previous identity.”

Rebirth was hardly rare among high cultivators.

There were many types of rebirth,

some awakened at birth with full memories,

some retained only memories,

others awakened later on, and some remembered only fragments.

Qu Changge had already figured Lu was a reborn powerhouse and didn’t pry further.

Backgrounds are private matters, after all.

He’d only asked because Lu had questioned him first.

“Lu Changsheng, I don’t care who you are. If you dare mistreat Zhenzhen—”

The threat came out by reflex.

“Qu Changge, are you done?”

Lu’s impression of him had improved a bit, but vanished just as fast.

He glanced at his wife nearby. “Zhenzhen, tell your brother how you’ve been living. Has your husband bullied you?”

“Huh?” Zhenzhen blinked, not grasping his intent.

“Lu Changsheng, you—” Qu Changge’s face darkened.

At that moment Lu flexed his fingers. Yin-Yang energy formed a phantom hand, yanking Qu Changge from the void.

Although he wasn’t weaker than Lu, the sudden pull forced him to appear.

Zhenzhen and Lu Miaoyun stared at the white-haired youth that materialized out of nowhere.

“Husband?” Lu Miaoyun looked at Lu in shock. Who was this?

They had a third-rank grand array and the Sumeru Tree King guarding the estate; how had someone snuck in, and why wasn’t her husband fighting him?

Zhenzhen’s pupils widened as she recognized the handsome white-haired youth. Her lips parted in disbelief.

Qu Changge hadn’t expected that dog Lu to expose him,

yet facing his sister’s gaze he forgot to argue.

“Brother?” Her voice trembled like wet cotton. “You… you’re alive?”

Her brother had been dead for years—how could he suddenly stand here?

“Zhenzhen…” His throat tightened; the hands hidden in his sleeves clenched until the knuckles went white.

“It’s really you! You’re alive!”

A century of longing and the joy of reunion burst forth as she raced into his arms.

Though she’d accepted his death, seeing him again filled her with pure happiness.

She had one more family member by her side.

Qu Changge’s icy face melted. A stiff smile forced its way out.

He’d avoided meeting her because he would soon leave again and feared hurting her.

He also feared she’d forgotten him and that his long-awaited reunion was just a delusion.

But her obvious joy told him she was the same as ever.

Even the demon blood running through his Tianmo body seemed to warm.

“Husband, is that really Zhenzhen’s brother?” Lu Miaoyun asked in amazement.

This was a matter from a century ago. Lu had once asked her to search, but they’d found nothing.

“Yes.” Lu nodded, then said to the reunited siblings, “Zhenzhen, your brother thinks I mistreat you. Please set him straight.”

He had been willing to keep Qu Changge’s secret,

but the man’s constant orders wore his patience thin.

Besides, Qu Changge was clearly no simple figure,

likely a high-ranking Tianmo elder reborn—and he disliked Lu.

So prying information from him directly would be tough.

Better to let the siblings talk so he could learn through Zhenzhen later.

“Brother, my husband treats me very well. He’s never bullied me.”

Zhenzhen had always been obedient to Lu,

and over the past century Lu had spoiled her like a child,

never letting her worry about anything except their son’s marriage.

“Mm.” Qu Changge nodded, at a loss for words. His gaze at Lu grew darker, convinced the pretty boy was bad news.

“Brother, you’re really alive? Husband didn’t conjure an illusion to cheer me up?”

“It’s really me,” Qu Changge said softly.

“When have I ever joked like that?” Lu added.

“It just feels like a dream.”

She continued, “Brother, where did you go back then? Did you start cultivating? And why is your hair white?”

Qu Changge avoided mentioning the Tianmo Sect. He only said he’d fallen off a cliff, been saved and started cultivating.

As for his hair, it was due to his cultivation method. He changed it back to black with a thought.

Zhenzhen asked about his adventures and shared her own life,

saying she had four children though Huai-zhen and Yu-zhen had already passed away.

Except for the eldest son who focused on cultivation, the other three had married and produced offspring.

Their descendants often visited and served her, the family matriarch.

“Quanzhen is off who knows where, but Caizhen is in Hongye Valley’s market. I’ll summon her home.”

She sent word for her daughter and the younger generation to meet their great-uncle.

Because they were too distantly related and his bloodline had changed, Qu Changge felt no resonance with them.

Still, for his sister’s sake he nodded and handed out meeting gifts.

He owned nothing low grade,

so the casual second- and third-rank spirit items he gave left the Lu juniors dumbstruck.

They were only Qi Refiners.

“Brother, this is too valuable!”

Zhenzhen’s own stipends were generous, but she was only Foundation Establishment.

Gifting such treasures to Qi Refiners felt extravagant.

She grew curious about her brother’s realm and wealth.

After some thought Qu Changge converted the treasures into spirit stones—three thousand each.

The juniors went dizzy from sudden riches.

Even Bihu Mountain offered only a few dozen to a hundred stones per month to Qi Refiners.

Lu Miaoyun clicked her tongue. Just who was this brother? Even Core cultivators weren’t so lavish.

Only Lu Changsheng stayed calm. To a Nascent Soul cultivator those resources were pocket change.

“It’s fine. Your brother isn’t short on resources.”

He even handed Zhenzhen several storage pouches and rings.

“Brother, I don’t need them. The family gives us more than enough,” she refused.

Her method required almost no resources, so she usually passed gifts to her daughter or the juniors.

Because of that, the youngsters loved spending time with her.

Qu Changge didn’t insist and quietly listened to her cheerful chatter.

Had anyone else talked this much he’d find it grating,

but from his sister it brought rare peace.

At last she asked, “Brother, now that you’re back will you stay for a while?”

Qu Changge fell silent.

That was why he hadn’t dared meet her earlier.

“I knew it,” she sighed. “Cultivators with high realms are always busy, running around every day. What’s the point?”

In her eyes Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment were plenty; anything higher only meant more work.

Her son, her husband, and now her brother were all the same.

“Zhenzhen,” Qu Changge murmured.

He loved her dearly but his path forced him to leave.

Besides the Everlasting Method’s danger, the Blood Sea Sect planned to unleash a catastrophe.

Though Jiang Kingdom lay in a remote corner, the darkness would spread sooner or later.

Only by completing his Tianmo body could he shield his sister.

Lu sighed too. After Core Formation he’d spent less and less time with his wife.

Still, Zhenzhen understood everyone had their own pursuits.

Without her husband’s efforts Bihu Mountain wouldn’t exist in its current state.

Without her brother’s cultivation he couldn’t have come today.

“Since you’re back, stay a while. My husband and I will host you properly.”

She adjusted her mood and smiled. Qu Changge felt guilty yet nodded.

His face was used to gloom so the smile looked stiff.

After a long chat Zhenzhen went to prepare a spirit meal and await Caizhen’s return, leaving the two men drinking tea in the courtyard.

“Lu Changsheng, where is Quanzhen?” Qu Changge asked.

He’d learned his nephew was rarely home; even his own mother had no idea where he was.

She complained the boy refused to settle down or marry.

Seeing Qu Changge’s attitude improve, Lu didn’t bicker. “Jin Kingdom.”

Qu Changge recalled Jin bordered Jiang but wondered why the lad was there.

“He’s handling some matters for me,” Lu answered lightly.

“Did you help him master the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art?”

Years ago Qu Changge had brought the manual on his sect master’s recommendation, unaware the latter half was nearly impossible.

Now that he understood its difficulty, he realized Lu must have aided his nephew.

“Yes,” Lu admitted.

Qu Changge wanted to ask how, but secrets were secrets.

Awkward silence returned.

“Qu Changge, I’ve heard the Seven Demonic Sects plan another great calamity. Is it true?”

Lu sipped his tea while asking the question that had long bothered him.

“Yes.” Qu Changge nodded.

“Roughly when?”

“Soon. The Blood Sea Sect will launch the Blood Sea Cataclysm, and the other sects will follow, plunging the land into darkness.”

He spoke without emotion.

Then he frowned at Lu. “You really know nothing?”

Ignorance was normal,

yet he’d assumed this mysterious reborn hero would have plans in place.

Finding Lu clueless surprised him; was the man merely a lucky soul with fractured memories?

“I’ve only heard vague rumors. Please enlighten me, Brother-in-law.”

Lu could bend when needed and adopted a respectful tone.

Qu Changge blinked at the sudden humility.

He wasn’t petty; he’d just disliked Lu at first. Now he felt better.

“I don’t know everything. The Blood Sea Patriarch wants to reach Divine Transformation, and each sect has its own agenda.”

“Divine Transformation?”

Lu was startled. So the fuse was the patriarch’s bid for the next realm.

To his knowledge the Southern Desolation lacked the resources—like fifth-rank spirit veins—needed for that breakthrough.

He recalled the Liang-Yue War where a Blood Sea envoy had secretly fanned the flames. Was it related?

“Will the other six sects just watch him ascend? What about the Central Domain mystic sects?”

Lu doubted the others would tolerate a Divine Transformation expert.

“Every faction has its own schemes. As for the Mystic Gates, unless the calamity threatens them directly, why spend huge resources to stop it?”

Qu Changge’s tone was cool; he held little affection for so-called righteous sects.

He’d traveled and found many of their deeds no better than demonic ones.

Without a threat to their interests they would hardly fight to the death for justice.

During the last war they only united when the Seven Sects rampaged unchecked.

Lu fell silent, understanding the point.

Just like the long Liang-Yue War—

if it didn’t hurt you directly, why rush in even if you had the strength?

The Mystic Gates sought immortality, not self-sacrifice.

Perhaps the other sects hoped to profit from the Blood Sea Sect, or to see if the path to Divine Transformation worked.

“Will this calamity reach the Northern Region, to Jiang?”

Lu had no intention of intervening; he only wanted to protect his own.

“No one can say. Maybe the cataclysm gets smashed early, or the patriarch quits halfway.”

Qu Changge shrugged. Even he was just a chess piece.

“Jiang is far from the Central Domain. Even if the waves spread it will take time. Still, keep an eye on the Starry Sea—there are Seven-Sect forces there.”

He warned that the sea might become a springboard into the north.

…

Lu had thought Jiang’s location ideal—

natural barriers on land and sea, plus access to rare resources via the Starry Sea.

Now he learned that same sea might open a path for the enemy.

After a pause he asked, “When do late-stage Nascent Soul experts usually enter the fray?”

He could not yet kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul,

but with the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror and enough cost he could try.

Once he took over Heavenly Sword Mountain and laid a fourth-rank grand array, the mirror’s power would soar.

Plus he still had Gui Da as a trump card.

A pure-blood true spirit, Gui Da could match some late-stage Nascent Souls even without reaching late fourth rank.

So as long as late-stage masters stayed away he could cope.

He and Gui Da together might even repel a newly advanced one.

Qu Changge’s eyes darkened. Where did this man’s confidence come from?

Did he really believe he could handle everyone below late Nascent Soul?

Though unsure of Lu’s true strength, their brief clash hadn’t suggested that level.

Still, Qu Changge didn’t argue. “In Jiang? You needn’t worry. Late-stage masters are strategic assets. They show up only on key fronts.”

He added, “Below late-stage, you can manage?”

If his brother-in-law could handle everything short of late Nascent Soul, Zhenzhen would be safe for now.

“If it’s merely coping, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lu left Gui Da and the Zhenhai Patriarch unmentioned.

He silently bumped the priority of forging a domain, refining the True Saint Skill, reforging his treasure and creating the Yin-Yang Creation Gourd.

Those four paths would raise his combat power fastest.

If he succeeded he wouldn’t need to rely so heavily on the Nine Calamity Sword and the mirror.

“When I return I’ll gather intel on Qingdi Mountain and the calamity, then send someone to you.”

Qu Changge still disliked Lu, but Zhenzhen needed her husband’s protection.

From her stories he judged the man at least qualified as a spouse.

“Much obliged, Brother-in-law.” Lu lifted his cup solemnly.

An inside source would make everything easier.

Otherwise he’d be fumbling in the dark for scraps of rumor.

“I’m only doing this for Zhenzhen.”

Qu Changge’s voice remained frosty, though not as overbearing as before.

Lu took no offense and used the chance to ask about the Central Domain and the Seven Sects.

After all, his daughter Nangong Yaoyao was in the Celestial Lotus Sect, one of the Seven.

He and Nangong Mili might visit the Central Domain someday.

Divination also showed that Qingluan True Lord and his daughter Mu Que were not in the north.

If mother and daughter never returned, he would leave the north to search for them.

But unless the topic involved Zhenzhen, Qu Changge wouldn’t answer.

Irritated by Lu’s questions, he copied a jade slip on the spot and tossed it over, telling Lu to stop bothering him.

“Many thanks, Brother-in-law.” Lu felt that although the man was icy and acted like Lu owed him money, he wasn’t a bad person overall.

“Demonic cultivators often have strange temperaments,” Lu thought. No need to fuss with him.

After all, advancing to Nascent Soul in little more than a century meant taking shortcuts that could warp one’s mindset, unlike Lu’s own steady path.