Chapter 614 - 87: Spoils of War, Forging the Cold Pool

"I believe we should follow clan regulations, designate them as Foundation Establishment Seeds, allocate more resources to them, and give them priority for receiving Foundation Establishment Pills."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng realized with a start that the clan hadn’t selected Foundation Establishment Seeds in a very long time. This was a major oversight on his part as Clan Leader.

Selecting Foundation Establishment Seeds was actually quite important. They were the clan’s talent reserve, and the designation allowed limited resources, like Foundation Establishment Pills, to be given to those who truly needed them.

In the future, whenever the clan acquired more Foundation Establishment Pills, they could be directly distributed among the Seeds, avoiding the need to make last-minute selections.

With this in mind, he picked up the Jade Token before him. It was densely inscribed with names, many of which Song Changsheng recognized.

For instance, among the top twelve names were Song Qingxi, Song Qinghong, Song Qingluo, Song Qingxia, Song Qingshi, Song Changyue, and Song Changling—all of whom were talents he valued greatly.

Song Luzhou’s list was quite fair. After a quick review revealed no issues, Song Changsheng approved it immediately. Furthermore, he increased the allocation of resources: from now on, all Foundation Establishment Seeds would receive three times the cultivation resources of an ordinary clan member, as well as priority in using Foundation Establishment Pills.

"I will order our people to gather the materials. Once they are collected, Fifth Uncle can begin refining the Foundation Establishment Pills. Let’s start with one batch for now, and we’ll distribute them all at once."

The Song Clan currently had fourteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Including Song Yulong and Song Yushi, the total was sixteen.

This was a considerable number, but in Song Changsheng’s eyes, it still wasn’t enough. They needed people everywhere, so they had to nurture more Foundation Establishment Cultivators as quickly as possible.

The meeting lasted an entire day. Afterward, the Song Clan officially entered a phase of laying low and building up its strength.

The next day, Song Changsheng first delivered the invitation to the Purple Mansion Grand Ceremony to the Great City Lord, then made his way to Mirror-Suspended Lake at the center of Vast Mist Peak’s summit.

"You plan to transform this place into a Cold Domain?" Song Xianming asked softly, gazing at the perfectly still surface of the lake.

"The Spiritual Qi here is rich, and it’s far from where our clansmen live. Planting the Cold Pool Coral here will have the least impact, making it the most suitable location."

Song Changsheng took a step, rising into the air. He slowly extended his right hand, and a torrent of Mana instantly surged forth, blanketing the entire lake.

The Spirit Fish swimming freely in the lake suddenly felt a powerful force acting upon them. To their horror, they found their bodies rising uncontrollably.

PLOOSH! PLOOSH! PLOOSH!

One after another, Spirit Fish shot out from the lake, each encapsulated in a bubble of water, floating in mid-air. A quick glance revealed there were at least a hundred of them.

Once he confirmed that no fish had been left behind, he waved his hand, transferring all the Spirit Fish into a large pool he had prepared beforehand.

"Your Water Control Technique has reached the pinnacle of mastery. I must admit, I am no match for you," Song Xianming said with a broad smile, lightly stroking his beard.

"It’s merely a crude application of Mana," Song Changsheng said with a humble smile. "Grandfather, please join me in setting up a Grand Array to contain the spread of the Cold Domain. Otherwise, I fear all of Vast Mist Peak will be turned into an ice sculpture."

With that, the grandfather and grandson spent three days working together to lay a Tier Three Middle-grade Formation around Mirror-Suspended Lake.

Afterward, Song Changsheng returned to the center of the lake. He took out the Jade Box Kongsang Xiruo had given him and tossed the Cold Pool Coral inside it into the water.

The instant the coral hit the water, the rippling surface was covered in Ice Crystals. In a flash, the entire Mirror-Suspended Lake froze solid, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

At the bottom of the lake, the small Cold Pool Coral emitted a faint, hazy glow, continuously releasing waves of cold.

Now, Mirror-Suspended Lake was covered by a layer of solid ice ten feet thick, with frigid water flowing beneath it.

This was obviously unscientific, but in a world like this, trying to apply science was the most unscientific thing one could do.

Song Changsheng opened his mouth and spat out the Earth Core Cold Flame, melting a large hole in the ice. He then set up an Array to prevent it from freezing over again.

With that, the transformation of Mirror-Suspended Lake was complete. Song Changsheng named it the "Cold Pool," a place for the clan’s Cultivators to forge their bodies and treat special injuries.

"What terrifying cold. I doubt a Qi Cultivator could last even five breaths in there. Without using a Magical Artifact, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator could probably only endure for a quarter of an hour at most." Testing the chill emanating from the Cold Pool Coral, Song Xianming’s brow furrowed in concern.

The original intention in transforming Mirror-Suspended Lake had been to create a precious training ground for the clansmen to forge their bodies. But as things stood, while it might be manageable for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it was completely out of the question for Qi Cultivators. They would turn into ice sculptures moments after entering.

"The cold can be countered with Pills. I’ll go find Fifth Uncle and see if he can refine a Pill that provides resistance to the cold.

As long as it allows a Qi Cultivator to last for a quarter of an hour, that will be enough. Body forging must be done gradually, after all.

As for the problem of Pill Poison, that can be solved with the Bamboo Leaf Green Spirit Wine. The clan’s current production is more than enough to cover it."

"Excellent." Song Xianming nodded, then changed the subject. "Have you made a decision about Qingyun? That Elder from Luoxia City has already sent messages asking about him several times."

Song Changsheng answered without a moment’s hesitation. "I want to keep Yun’er with me and teach him myself."

"For all these years, I’ve either been traveling or in seclusion. As his father, I owe him too much. From now on, I will fulfill my duties as a father."

"Sigh... You can’t be blamed for that. You did it all for the clan. Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll decline Luoxia City’s offer on your behalf.

But... you must think this through. The Illusory Dream Body is unlike any ordinary constitution. As Qingyun’s Cultivation grows, he could very well lose the ability to distinguish reality from illusion and become trapped within the dreamscapes of his own creation.

After all, that Elder from Luoxia City is far more experienced than either of us. For Qingyun, that might truly be the best choice." As a final attempt, Song Xianming decided to press the issue one last time.

"Rest assured, I have considered this thoroughly. I will take responsibility for Yun’er’s future," Song Changsheng said, his tone resolute.

He truly hadn’t known how to nurture an Illusory Dream Body before, which was why he had hesitated when Song Xianming first brought it up.

But he hadn’t forgotten the existence in his mind that was practically a search engine. ’Even if its database is a little ancient and not always helpful, it can still handle a small matter like this.’

Little Ninth had already listed a dozen different methods from the Ancient Era for nurturing an Illusory Dream Body. He was confident he could keep Little Lingyun’s mind clear throughout his cultivation.

’A kid has to be raised by his own parent. What if an outsider leads him astray?’

Seeing his resolve, Song Xianming said no more. He knew Song Changsheng was not a man who took matters lightly.

"Very well, then. I’ll write a letter to decline his offer right away."

Back in his courtyard, a Jade Scroll materialized in Song Changsheng’s hand. Staring at it, he asked Little Ninth in his mind, "What would be the consequences if I taught this Heart Method to Yun’er?"

Little Ninth had once told him that the Creation Wondrous Scripture was something the Celestial Dao would not tolerate. If its secrets were ever leaked, it would immediately draw the Celestial Dao’s attention.

Therefore, only Song Changsheng could cultivate the Heart Methods and Divine Techniques contained within it. He was protected because the Heaven-Supporting Sword Immortal had once cast a spell of concealment upon the Creation Wondrous Scripture, a Magic that obscured Celestial Secrets and, by extension, hid Song Changsheng from the Celestial Dao’s gaze.

If anyone else were to cultivate one of its Spells, they would inevitably be discovered by the Celestial Dao. What Song Changsheng wanted to know now was what those consequences would be.

"Reporting, Master. The Celestial Dao is not without mercy. The first time, it will only bestow a minor punishment; it will not be life-threatening. If handled correctly, you may even escape with only a minor injury."

"What kind of punishment is it usually?"

"A Thunder Tribulation," Little Ninth answered succinctly.

Hearing this, Song Changsheng fell into deep thought.

Although Little Ninth said it wouldn’t be life-threatening, a Thunder Tribulation was no laughing matter. He had to minimize the risks.

After a moment’s deliberation, Song Changsheng said in a low voice, "Little Ninth, give me the second half of the Five Beasts Body Forging Technique!"

...