Song Qingyu

After waiting five days, Song Qingming's Ninth Uncle, Song Changxin, finally emerged from seclusion. When he heard that Song Qingming wanted to return to the family, Song Changxin readily agreed. He also led a little girl of about ten years old before him and asked him to bring her back to Funiu Mountain along the way.

"Qingming, since you're going back this time, take Xiaoyu back to Funiu Mountain with you." Song Changxin pointed at the little girl standing before Song Qingming.

"Take her... back to the mountain?"

Song Qingming had been at Lingyuan Mountain for half a year. He often made pastries from Spirit Rice and shared them with the children here, so he had often seen this little girl. He knew that she was the daughter of a miner in the village. Why did Sixth Uncle want him to take her to Funiu Mountain?

Song Qingming looked at the little girl with a puzzled expression. Only after a moment did realization dawn on him.

"Sixth Uncle, could it be that she tested positive for a Spirit Root?"

Song Changxin nodded and said with a smile, "That's right. Last month, while testing the children here who had reached the proper age, I unexpectedly discovered that she possesses a Spirit Root. This is truly joyous news for our Song Family. In all my years at Lingyuan Mountain, this is the first time I've found a child with a Spirit Root.

"However, I don't have a Spirit Root Testing Plate here, so I cannot determine her specific Spirit Root attributes. I originally planned to wait until next month, when the family sent people to transport the Mysterious Iron Mine ore, and have them take her back along the way. But since you happen to be returning, bring her with you. The sooner we determine her Spirit Root attributes, the sooner she can begin cultivating."

After hearing this, Song Qingming nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, Sixth Uncle. Your nephew understands."

"Be careful on the road. You are both the family's hope for the future. I have a Mid-grade Spirit Talisman here; take it to protect yourself. Should you encounter Demonic Beasts along the way, remember not to begrudge such worldly possessions. Use them when you must. The safety of you two is the highest priority." Song Changxin handed Song Qingming a Golden Talisman and carefully reminded him once more.

Song Qingming accepted the talisman and examined it. It was a relatively useful Defensive Talisman among Mid-grade Spirit Talismans. He then carefully put it away in his Storage Bag.

With Xiaoyu accompanying him, Song Qingming had no way to travel as quickly as he had on the way here. He found a large wicker basket in the village, carried the little girl on his back, and bade farewell to her family. It took the two of them nearly two hours to slowly make their way back to Funiu Mountain.

The little girl had lived on Lingyuan Mountain all her life and had never seen the outside world. The beautiful scenery along the way, the strangely shaped peaks and massive rocks, quickly made her forget the sadness of leaving home.

When she saw the majestic Funiu Mountain, Xiaoyu's bright, delicate eyes began blinking nonstop. Unable to hold back, she asked, "Immortal Uncle, is that mountain where you immortals live?"

Song Qingming could not help but smile at Xiaoyu's words.

"That's right. Once you learn to cultivate, you'll become an immortal too, and you can live here with us."

When the little girl heard that she too could become an immortal in the future, she was as thrilled as the young and ignorant Song Qingming had been when he first arrived at Funiu Mountain. She began boldly asking all sorts of questions about immortals.

"Uncle, once you become an immortal, can you make whatever you want appear?"

"Of course."

"Can immortals eat meat whenever they want?"

"Every meal."

As they spoke, Song Qingming and Xiaoyu arrived at the Council Hall on the mountaintop. The one on duty there today happened to be the elder Song Qingming knew best: Second Elder Song Changfeng.

The Song Family had four elders. Aside from the family head, these four held the greatest authority in the entire family. First Elder Song Gubo oversaw and guided the family's transmission of cultivation arts. He had a fiery temper and was usually quite strict with children like Song Qingming, making him the person Song Qingming feared most in the entire family.

Second Elder Song Changfeng was the only elder of the Song Family's Chang Generation. Though he was the youngest among the four elders, his cultivation was the highest aside from the family head's. He was also a Three Spirit Roots cultivator of outstanding talent and had already reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. He was fair in his dealings within the family and deeply loved by the clan members. Since becoming an elder, he had always overseen the family's law enforcement, and he was also the elder Song Qingming knew best.

Third Elder Song Gulan and Fourth Elder Song Gucai were both nearly a hundred years old, and both had relatively mild temperaments. Though their cultivation was not high, only at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, the two had devoted themselves to the family for a hundred years, day after day.

According to family rules, one needed to reach the Late Qi Refining Stage to serve as an elder. However, aside from the family head, only three Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivators remained in the clan. Ninth Uncle Song Changxin was wholly devoted to cultivation and had no desire to serve as a family elder again. With only two elders, they could not manage everything, so an exception had been made for these two senior members, who were advanced in age and experience and had abundant experience managing family industries, to take up the positions of elders.

Third Elder was the family's only high-grade Spirit Planter Master and had always been responsible for the family's Spirit Fields, Herb Garden, and other such industries. Fourth Elder oversaw the family's general affairs and was also the steward of the family's financial resources.

"Reporting to Elder."

Song Qingming briefly explained Xiaoyu's situation to Song Changfeng.

After hearing it, Song Changfeng was also extremely delighted. It was rare for the family to receive such fresh blood.

"The Spirit Root Testing Plate is currently with the family head. You two wait here for a moment. I'll invite him out to test her Spirit Root right away."

After speaking, Song Changfeng immediately sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to the family head. Before long, an old man with snow-white hair and beard, possessing the bearing of an immortal, entered the Council Hall. He was none other than the Song Family's head, Song Gushan.

Song Gushan gave Xiaoyu a meaningful look before slowly speaking. "This is the little girl Changxin mentioned, correct?"

"Reporting to Family Head, it is indeed her. Ninth Uncle said her specific Spirit Root attributes have yet to be determined, so I ask the Family Head to test her again."

Song Gufeng took out a round, array-plate-like Magic Tool. It was the Song Family's treasured clan artifact, the Spirit Root Testing Plate. After slowly infusing it with a stream of Spiritual Energy, the circular array plate emitted a dazzling purple glow and slowly flew before Xiaoyu.

"Quickly place your left hand on the Spirit Root Testing Plate," Song Changfeng hurriedly reminded the still-dazed Xiaoyu from the side.

Upon hearing this, the little girl paused slightly, then nervously stretched out her left hand toward the Spirit Root Testing Plate. Three spirit lights of different colors slowly flew out from the array plate and began winding and circling through the air.

"This... it's actually Three Spirit Roots! Heaven truly blesses our Song Family—we've produced another excellent seedling with Three Spirit Roots!" Song Changfeng cried out excitedly.

Joy also filled Family Head Song Gushan's face. "They are metal, wood, and water Three Spirit Roots. It is a pity she lacks a fire Spirit Root, so it would not be suitable for her to cultivate the Crimson Flame Art with me. Water-element cultivation arts are more suitable for female cultivators, so let her first cultivate the family's Profound Water Art."

Song Qingming, who had been watching from the side, felt rather awkward. How was it that anyone he casually brought back could possess the excellent aptitude of Three Spirit Roots, while he himself had only Pseudo Spirit Roots?

He did not know whether he was truly lucky or unlucky.

"What is your name?" Song Changfeng lowered his head and asked the little girl again.

"Song Yu."

After hearing this, the family head made the decision outright. "Then from now on, you shall be called Song Qingyu. Remember this: from today onward, you are the tenth cultivator of the Song Family's Qing Generation."

The Song Family currently had only three generations: Gu, Chang, and Qing. A new generation was established roughly every thirty years.

Only four members of the Gu Generation remained. Even Fourth Elder Song Gucai, the youngest among them, had already passed ninety this year. In another twenty years or so, they would all likely wither away.

The Chang Generation formed the current backbone of the family. There were ten members in total, though one had joined the Carefree Sect in his early years. The one with the highest cultivation was Second Elder Song Changfeng, who was almost certainly the Song Family's presumed next family head.

The Qing Generation, to which Song Qingming belonged, was considered the Song Family's new generation of cultivators. With Song Qingyu included, there were exactly ten of them, and most were only around twenty years old.

Perhaps because her new name was quite similar to her old one, the little girl merely nodded gently upon hearing it and did not object.

Seeing this, the family head put away the Spirit Root Testing Plate. He then took out a dark-red Family Genealogy, wrote the three large characters "Song Qingyu" in it, and had her leave a drop of essence blood over her name.

This Family Genealogy recorded the names of every cultivator the Song Family had produced over its two hundred years of existence, arranged in detail according to generation and age. Names that emitted a faint spirit glow represented Song Family cultivators who were still alive, while those that had turned pitch-black and dim represented cultivators who had either passed away in meditation or fallen.

After leaving the Council Hall, Song Qingming immediately went to the family's Treasury Pavilion. He took out the Demonic Beast Materials he had obtained a few days earlier, placed them before Fourth Elder Song Gucai, explained his purpose, and requested to exchange them for a Mid-grade Magic Tool.

Song Gucai carefully examined the materials on the table, then asked in some surprise, "Are these the tusks of a Mid-grade Demonic Beast, an Iron-beaked Pig?"

"A few days ago, I encountered this Demonic Beast after it crashed into the array. Only after examining it closely did I discover that it was covered in wounds. It looked as if it had failed in a fight against another Demonic Beast and fled to Lingyuan Mountain. That was why I was fortunate enough to bring it down."

"Qingming, your luck was good this time. You actually managed to hunt a Mid-grade Demonic Beast alone. Add another five Spirit Stones to these materials, and you can exchange them for a Mid-grade Magic Tool. As for this Pig Skin, I'll give it to First Elder to refine into a Dharma Robe for you. What kind of robe it can be refined into will depend on your luck."

Song Qingming knew that Fourth Elder had always handled matters fairly. That was precisely why the family had entrusted him with managing the Treasury Pavilion, where clan members exchanged Merit Points. Without saying more, Song Qingming nodded in agreement and took out five Spirit Stones to hand to Song Gucai.

After Song Gucai collected the materials and Spirit Stones, he brought Song Qingming to the second floor of the Treasury Pavilion and placed several Mid-grade Magic Tools currently held by the family before him.

After giving them a brief introduction, Song Qingming considered for a moment before choosing a crimson flying sword among them.

"This flying sword is called the Blazing Sun Sword. It can also release a stream of Spirit Fire to attack enemies, and it is simpler to control than other Magic Tools. Since you only recently broke through to the Mid Qi Refining Stage, this Magic Tool is rather suitable for you." Seeing that he had chosen this sword, Song Gucai added another explanation.

The main reason Song Qingming chose this sword was that he was relatively skilled at using earth- and fire-attributed spiritual power. The only earth-attributed Magic Tool available was a Defensive Magic Tool, which was not what he currently wanted. The most suitable choice for him was therefore this fire-attributed flying sword.

Returning to the Cave Abode on Funiu Mountain that he had been away from for so long, Song Qingming took out the Blazing Sun Sword he had just acquired and infused it with his own Spiritual Energy to refine it. It was not until the following morning that he emerged from his Cave Abode. By then, he could already control the flying sword completely as he wished.

Outside his Cave Abode, Song Qingming summoned the Blazing Sun Sword and used spiritual power to control it as it slashed toward a huge rock not far away. After a loud boom, the boulder, originally as large as a table, was split cleanly in two. Satisfied with the result, Song Qingming recalled the flying sword. The Blazing Sun Sword, shining with spirit light, shrank to several inches long before disappearing into the Storage Bag at Song Qingming's waist.

"Now that I have a Mid-grade Magic Tool, even without relying on an array, I can fight that Mid-grade Demonic Beast."