Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 363: Chapter 241: A Sin in the Present, A Merit for the Ages

Qing Province, Golden Crow Mountain Range, Golden Sun Peak.

Xia Qingxue strode purposefully toward a grand palace. A frosty expression covered her pretty face, and the chill she radiated made the surrounding disciples keep their distance.

"So scary. Who managed to piss off the Young Ancestor?"

"We hardly ever see Her Ladyship. Who could have possibly provoked her?"

Around the corner of the great hall, two Golden Crow Sect disciples huddled together, whispering.

Suddenly, they felt a bone-deep chill wash over them. Looking up, they saw Xia Qingxue watching them coldly, her gaze utterly devoid of expression, as if she were looking at dead men.

The two felt their scalps go numb. They immediately prostrated themselves in terror, saying, "Greetings, Young Ancestor."

"Hmph!" A cold snort escaped Xia Qingxue’s delicate nose. She then swept past the two and headed for the main hall.

Seeing her leave, the two Golden Crow Sect disciples breathed a sudden sigh of relief. When they looked up at each other, they discovered that their eyebrows were coated in fine ice crystals...

BOOM

Xia Qingxue reached out and pushed open the heavy palace doors.

This was the seclusion site of Su Ding, the First Supreme Elder of the Golden Crow Sect, and had always been a restricted area in the Sect. Only Xia Qingxue, his Direct Disciple, would dare to be so casual here.

The main hall was vast and empty, save for seven vermilion pillars arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. Atop six of these pillars sat wooden boxes, each tightly sealed by a Restriction.

Only the foremost pillar was empty.

And in the center of this Seven-Star Array was a bright yellow, embroidered meditation cushion. An old man with white hair and a white beard sat cross-legged upon it, radiating the aura of a transcendent immortal. Surrounding him were forty-nine ever-burning lamps, arranged in a profound pattern.

This old man was the strongest expert in the Daqi Cultivation World, the Supreme Elder of the Golden Crow Sect, a man over twelve hundred years old: Golden Sun Master, Su Ding!

In the previous battle with the Black Dragon Demon King, Su Ding had been the main offensive force and had sustained some minor injuries. For this reason, he had left the other Masters to hold the line in Bian Province while he returned first to recover using Daqi’s only Tier Five Spirit Vein.

Su Ding seemed unsurprised by Xia Qingxue’s arrival. He pointed a finger, and a meditation cushion appeared on the floor. "Sit," he said faintly.

Xia Qingxue bowed to him, then knelt on the cushion. Looking at Su Ding’s face, a landscape of deep wrinkles, she asked bluntly, "Was the war with the Celestial Vein Sect really just an act?"

Looking at his beloved disciple, Su Ding nodded calmly. "Correct. This plan was set in motion twenty years ago. The goal was to lure that Old Flood Dragon out of the Black Water Marsh."

With those words, all of Xia Qingxue’s doubts were dispelled.

After being saved by Song Changsheng, she had returned to the Golden Crow Sect as fast as she could. She told Su Ding that the Blood Demon Sect had ambushed her and killed her Guardian, Dai Zichen, and tried to stop the Golden Crow Sect from going to war with the Celestial Vein Sect.

But Su Ding’s attitude at the time had been strange. He had merely nodded calmly and continued to push for war with the Celestial Vein Sect, as if he’d thrown the matter of the Blood Demon Sect to the back of his mind.

At the time, Xia Qingxue couldn’t understand it at all. Why, when he knew the Blood Demon Sect was framing them, did Su Ding insist on fighting the Celestial Vein Sect? Why, when he knew the true culprit behind Dai Zichen’s death was the Blood Demon Sect, did Su Ding still publicly declare that the murderer was the Celestial Vein Sect?

She had wanted to argue her case, but Su Ding had refused to see her, claiming he was entering seclusion. The other two Golden Core Masters had done the same.

She could only assume the Masters had other considerations, so she temporarily suppressed her urge to seek revenge on the Blood Demon Sect.

Then, a few days ago, news of the Beast Tide suddenly began to circulate within the Sect. The reports heavily emphasized how tragically and fearlessly Luoxia City—which had selflessly guarded Daqi’s border for a thousand years—had fought in the battle.

Although most Golden Crow Sect disciples knew the Demon Beasts were moving north, for one reason or another, they hadn’t been aware of how dire the situation had become.

As a result, everyone in the Sect, from the Outer Disciples to the Elders and the Sect Leader, began to call for a ceasefire with the Celestial Vein Sect to instead join forces against the formidable enemy of the Demon Beasts.

It wasn’t just the Golden Crow Sect; the situation within the Celestial Vein Sect was much the same. Everyone advocated for a united front against the external threat.

Amidst the fervent appeals of the entire Sect’s disciples, Su Ding was "forced" to announce a truce.

And just like that, the disciples of the two major sects, who had been fighting with genuine killing intent, temporarily set aside their grievances because of the Demon Beasts—a common enemy of the entire Human Race—and decided to reinforce Luoxia City together.

They successfully caught the Demon Race by surprise. Not only were a million demons wiped out in a single day, but the humans, filled with righteous fury, also charged into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

At that moment, all their grudges and rage were vented upon the Demon Beasts.

This should have been an unprecedented victory, but after the battle, rumors began to spread.

There were many different versions of these rumors, but they all boiled down to this: the prior battle between the two major sects was just a trap set for the Demon Beasts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. The disciples of the two sects, and even Luoxia City and the entire Daqi Cultivation World, had all been used as pawns.

This rumor also reached Xia Qingxue’s ears. She was no fool. Connecting it to Su Ding’s strange behavior before, she instantly understood everything.

And that was what led to this scene of her confronting Su Ding.

Even now, she was still clinging to a sliver of hope. She wanted her master to tell her personally that these were just rumors, that the two major sects had decided to set aside their differences and face a common enemy for the sake of the Human Race, not because of some dark, calculating conspiracy.

After all, in this war, not only had the Sect and its subordinate factions suffered heavy losses, but the entire northern region had been devastated. Scarcely one in ten Human Race Cultivators survived.

’How many lives had been lost?’ The thought made even her heart, frozen for years, tremble.

Su Ding’s words shattered her last shred of hope. A wave of indescribable anger washed over her. Staring at the man she respected most, Xia Qingxue asked icily, "Why?"

"Why?"

Su Ding tilted his head back and gave a bitter laugh. "Because we were out of time to plan. I... am approaching my limit."

As his words fell, Xia Qingxue’s eyes widened in shock.

An ordinary Golden Core Cultivator has a lifespan of less than a thousand years, but Su Ding had once consumed a life-extending treasure, which was how he had lived to be over twelve hundred years old.

Xia Qingxue knew Su Ding did not have much time left; otherwise, she wouldn’t have entered the Qiantian Secret Realm to compete for the Spirit Plant that was rumored to extend one’s life.

But knowing it was one thing; hearing Su Ding say it himself still sent a tremor through her soul, throwing her thoughts into chaos.

"Across all of Daqi, I am the only one who can face that Old Flood Dragon head-on. If I were to pass away, that Old Flood Dragon would surely launch a full-scale invasion, and all of Daqi would face annihilation."

"So, I contacted the Celestial Vein Sect. I planned to set a trap and slay the Old Flood Dragon before I pass away, to rid Daqi of this menace."

"But that Old Flood Dragon is naturally suspicious and cautious. It rarely leaves its lair. We schemed for over twenty years and got nowhere."

"On that day, when you were attacked by the Blood Demon Sect, Dai Zichen fell, and your fate was unknown... although I, as your master, was grieved, I also saw it as an excellent opportunity."

"I immediately contacted the Celestial Vein Sect and formulated this plan. To avoid leaks, no one below the Golden Core realm was informed."

"In the eyes of the world, this plan is exceedingly cold-blooded and ruthless, even inhumane."

"But they don’t understand that this is the most foolish way of thinking. If the Old Flood Dragon is not eliminated, then after I pass away, the entire Daqi Cultivation World will face annihilation!"

"To sacrifice a portion of the people to save the vast majority... I believe it is a worthy trade."

"Sin in the present, merit for a thousand autumns!"

Su Ding’s gaze was ice-cold. In his eyes, this was a very worthwhile bargain!

Xia Qingxue suddenly fell silent. ’Was what Su Ding did right?’

’Yes, and no.’

From the perspective of the Daqi Cultivation World’s future, Su Ding was right. Only by killing the Black Dragon Demon King, that great hidden threat, could the balance of power between the Human and Demon Races be restored after Su Ding passed away.

But to those who fell in this war, they would probably wish to eat his flesh, drink his blood, and sleep on his skin!

After all, they had become the sacrificed pawns.

Right or wrong, no one in this generation had the right to judge. That could only be left to posterity.

But no matter what, Su Ding was destined to leave a bold and indelible mark on the ten-thousand-year history of the Daqi Cultivation World...

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