Chapter Ten: The Spiritual Essence of Earth’s Nectar

“He he he.” The masked man could only emit a hoarse hiss from his mouth, but his exposed eyes brimmed with scorn.

Summer Melody Snow’s anger rose once more, her voice cold: “This is your final chance. Who ordered you to do this? What are you trying to accomplish?”

The masked man revealed an eerie smile. Without any discernible movement, his body began to tremble, and foul, dark blood seeped from his seven orifices.

“Hmph!” Summer Melody Snow crushed his neck instantly, tossing him aside like a broken sack. He quickly dissolved into a puddle of blood, his soul annihilated.

“Followers of the Blood Fiend,” she muttered, her expression dark as ink. These remnants of the demonic path were growing ever more brazen.

Song Changsheng had never seen this side of his mother before. In his memory, she had always been a gentle and virtuous woman.

“Changying, are you alright?” Only after confirming Song Changying was unharmed did Summer Melody Snow examine Song Changsheng’s injuries, her face full of worry.

Upon discovering his wounds were minor, she embraced him with relief, finally able to breathe freely. She had already lost her husband; she could not bear to lose her only son as well.

Song Changsheng managed a faint smile. “Mother, I’m fine. It’s just Uncle and the others…”

“It’s all my fault. I came too late.” Summer Melody Snow was wracked with guilt. If she’d arrived just a bit sooner, would the outcome have been entirely different?

“This isn’t your fault. No one expected those demonic stragglers to target us. Let’s gather Uncle and the others’ bodies first, so nothing else happens.” Song Changsheng spoke softly, trying to comfort her.

Together, they carried the unconscious Song Changying back to the ambush site, now a scene of utter devastation, fallen trees scattered everywhere.

Several bodies lay alone amidst the chaos.

Song Luding had been cleaved in two at the waist, his bronze cauldron shattered.

Song Luzi’s eyes remained wide in anger even after death, a gaping hole in his chest, his heart vanished.

Song Changjiu’s body was headless, his skull nowhere to be found. Even in death, his hand tightly gripped a broken sword.

Faced with such tragic valor, Song Changsheng felt the world spinning, barely able to stand. Only moments ago, they had laughed and talked together.

He could still picture Song Changjiu’s silly smile. Now, they were forever parted. He was only fifteen, his life just beginning…

“Sigh, they shed their last drop of blood for the family. I’ll report to the clan and seek merit for them,” Summer Melody Snow sighed softly. She had seen such scenes too often; the Song clan had spilled far too much blood over the years.

“What good is merit when they're gone?” Song Changsheng spoke in a low voice.

“Their families need that recognition.”

The Song clan had stood for centuries, enduring countless battles. Their remarkable cohesion owed much to their strict rewards and punishments.

Never did the clan neglect anyone who bled or sacrificed for the family.

Song Changsheng nodded silently, respectfully gathering the bodies and cleaning the battlefield. Summer Melody Snow herself collected the children hiding in the cave and led them home.

The clan held a grand funeral for the fallen, distributed compensation based on merit, yet the departed were gone; these gestures were mere comforts for the living.

The demonic attack shook the entire clan, even prompting the patriarch to leave seclusion early.

After the funeral, Song Xianming personally ordered Third Elder Song Luyao and Fourth Elder Song Luhuai, armed with demon-suppressing artifacts and accompanied by disciples of the clan’s law enforcement hall, to descend the mountain and hunt the demons.

They conducted a thorough search of the Moonwatch Mountains, ultimately uncovering a dozen demonic cultivators. However, the real masterminds escaped, and they gained no useful information, returning in frustration.

None of this concerned Song Changsheng. At that moment, he was focusing on healing his wounds.

Thanks to his outstanding performance in the mission, and the discovery of his unique twin spirit roots, the clan awarded him two hundred spirit stones and a second-tier, low-grade Rejuvenation Pill. With the pill’s aid, his recovery was swift…

In the courtyard, Song Changsheng exhaled deeply, still somewhat unsettled. “This second-tier spirit wine really isn’t something I can drink casually. Next time, I might not be so lucky.”

He had been so depleted during the battle that he’d gulped several mouthfuls of the second-tier, low-grade spirit wine he’d begged from Fifth Uncle Song Luzhou.

Fortunately, his parents had laid a solid foundation for him since childhood; his meridians were both wide and resilient, and he was in a state of intense consumption. Otherwise, the vast spiritual energy contained in that wine would have burst him on the spot. He still shuddered at the memory.

It was the recklessness of youth—his first life-and-death battle had driven him to abandon all caution.

If he faced such a situation again, he certainly wouldn’t dare drink so much.

Feeling nearly healed, Song Changsheng took out four spatial bags.

These belonged to the four he’d slain before; he’d only kept these and their magical artifacts, giving the rest to the descendants of Song Luding and Song Changying.

“Let’s see what my first spoils of war have brought me,” he thought, anticipation rising, as he began to focus on breaking the seals.

Because their owners were dead, he had little trouble opening the four bags.

He started with the two belonging to the fourth-level Qi cultivators—so impoverished it was almost laughable, holding just fifteen spirit stones. Aside from some valuable pills and ores, the rest was junk.

The eighth-level Qi cultivator’s stash was a bit richer: fifty-two spirit stones, some useful ores for crafting, and several demonic cultivation manuals.

He burned the manuals outright, not wishing to keep such harmful things.

Finally, he examined the bag of the ninth-level Qi cultivator, who was a minor leader and thus better equipped: ninety spirit stones, along with pills, ores, and resources worth about a hundred more.

At last, a purple jade bottle caught Song Changsheng’s eye.

Purple jade was rare; containers made from it could preserve spiritual energy for years, typically used to store precious items. He couldn’t help but wonder what it held.

Carefully, he uncorked the bottle. A strange fragrance wafted out. Song Changsheng took one look, quickly closed it, and exclaimed in delight, “Earth Essence Spirit Liquid!”

Earth Essence Spirit Liquid was a rare elixir from the heart of the earth’s veins. Consuming it could strengthen cultivation and purify the body—something one could only hope to encounter.

“Most likely, that demonic cultivator prepared it to break through the peak of the Qi stage,” Song Changsheng mused, gazing fondly at the purple jade bottle.

The Qi stage had four bottlenecks: first, fourth, seventh, and the peak.

The hardest was the final breakthrough, which could take ages.

External aids, like the Earth Essence Spirit Liquid, could expedite the process.

“Just right—I’ll use this to advance my cultivation.” Song Changsheng had no intention of saving it for the ninth level.

He was unlike those demonic cultivators and wanderers; when needed, he could always exchange for pills to aid his breakthroughs.

Such was the advantage of having a clan at his back—his starting point was naturally higher…