Chapter 8

After Song Qingming waited for five days, Sixth Uncle Song Zhangxin finally ended his seclusion. Hearing that Song Qingming said he wanted to return to the family, Song Zhangxin readily agreed to him, and even led a little girl in her teens to his front, letting him successfully bring her back to Mount Funiu together.

"Qingming, when you go back this time, just bring Xiaoyu back to Mount Funiu." Song Zhangxin pointed to the little girl in front of Song Qingming and said to him.

"Bring her... back to the mountain."

Song Qingming had been at Mount Lingyuan for half a year, often taking out some pastries made of spiritual rice to share with the children here, and often saw this little girl. He knew she was the daughter of a miner in the village. Why did Sixth Uncle want him to bring her to Mount Funiu?

Song Qingming looked at the little girl with a puzzled face. After a moment, he suddenly realized and reacted.

"Sixth Uncle, could it be that she was tested to have spiritual roots?"

Song Zhangxin nodded and said with a smile: "Yes, when I tested the children of appropriate age here last month, I accidentally discovered that she possessed spiritual roots. This is really a happy event for our Song family. I have been at Mount Lingyuan for so many years, and this is the first time I have tested a child with spiritual roots."

"It's just that I don't have a spiritual root testing disk here, so I can't know her specific spiritual root attributes. I originally wanted to wait until next month when the family sends someone to transport black iron ore, and then bring her over by the way. Since you happen to be going back, just bring her back by the way. Test her spiritual root attributes early, so she can start practicing early."

After hearing this, Song Qingming nodded and agreed: "Ninth Uncle, don't worry, Nephew understands."

"Be careful on the road. You are all the future hope of the family. I have a mid-tier spiritual talisman here, first give it to you for self-defense. In case you encounter demonic beasts on the road, remember not to be stingy with these external things. If you should use them, use them. The safety of the two of you is the first priority." Song Zhangxin handed Song Qingming a golden spiritual talisman and carefully exhorted him.

Song Qingming took the spiritual talisman and took a look. This was a relatively easy-to-use defensive spiritual talisman among mid-tier spiritual talismans, and then carefully put it into the storage bag.

Bringing Xiaoyu together, Song Qingming had no way to gallop as fast as when he came. Finding a large basket in the village, Song Qingming carried the little girl on his back, bid farewell to her family, and the two spent nearly two hours before slowly rushing back to Mount Funiu.

The little girl had lived on Mount Lingyuan for many years and had never seen the outside world. The beautiful scenery along the way and the strange-shaped mountain peaks and huge rocks soon made her forget the sadness of leaving home.

After seeing the majestic Mount Funiu, Xiaoyu's two delicate eyes blinked non-stop, and she couldn't help but open her mouth and ask: "Immortal Uncle, is the mountain the place where you immortals live?"

Song Qingming couldn't help but smile when he heard Xiaoyu's words.

"Yes, after you learn to practice, you will also become an immortal and can live here like us."

Hearing that she could also become an immortal in the future, the little girl was as excited as the young and ignorant Song Qingming when he first arrived at Mount Funiu, and began to boldly ask various questions about immortals.

"Uncle, after becoming an immortal, can you change into whatever you want to change into?"

"That is of course."

"Can immortals eat meat whenever they want to eat meat?"

"Every meal has it."

During the conversation, Song Qingming and Xiaoyu had already arrived at the meeting hall on the top of the mountain. It happened that the person on duty here today was the Second Elder Song Changfeng, whom Song Qingming was most familiar with.

The Song family has four elders. These four people are also the four people with the greatest power in the entire family besides the clan leader. The Great Elder Song Gubai is in charge of guiding the family's transmission of skills. He has a fiery temper and is usually quite strict with children like Song Qingming. He is also the person Song Qingming fears most in the entire family.

Second Elder Song Changfeng is the only elder of the Chang generation in the Song family. Although he is the youngest among the four elders, his cultivation is the highest besides the clan leader. He is also a three-spiritual-root cultivator with outstanding talent, already having a cultivation base of the eighth layer of Qi Refining. He is also very fair in dealing with people in the clan and is deeply loved by the clan members. After serving as an elder, he has been in charge of the family's law enforcement, and he is also the elder Song Qingming is most familiar with.

Third Elder Song Gulan and Fourth Elder Song Gucai are both nearly a hundred years old, and their personalities are relatively gentle. Although their cultivation is not high, only at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, both of them have paid for the family for a hundred years as one day.

According to family rules, if the cultivation base does not reach the late stage of Qi Refining, it is not enough to serve as an elder. It is only because now, excluding the clan leader, there are only three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the clan, and Ninth Uncle Song Zhangxin is only focused on cultivation and does not want to serve as a family elder anymore. Relying only on two elders is not enough to manage, so they made an exception to let these two elders who are old and experienced in managing family industries serve as elders.

The Third Elder is the family's only high-tier spiritual planter, always responsible for the family's spiritual fields, medicine gardens, and other industries. The Fourth Elder is in charge of the family's miscellaneous affairs, and is also the big housekeeper of the family's financial resources.

"Reporting to Elder..."

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

After hearing this, Song Changfeng also appeared very happy. It is rare for the family to have fresh blood replenished.

"The spiritual root testing disk is now in the hands of the clan leader. You two wait a moment, I will invite him out to test her spiritual roots."

After Song Changfeng finished speaking, he immediately sent a sound transmission talisman to the clan leader. Not long after, an old man with white hair and beard and the demeanor of a Daoist immortal arrived at the meeting hall. It was precisely the Song family's clan leader, Song Gushan.

After Song Gushan took a deep look at Xiaoyu, he slowly opened his mouth and said: "Is this the little girl that Changxin mentioned?"

"Reporting to the clan leader, it is her. Ninth Uncle said that her specific spiritual root attributes are not yet certain, so I ask the clan leader to test again."

Song Gufeng took out a magic tool that looked like a circular formation disk. It was precisely the Song family's treasure of the town, the "Spiritual Root Testing Disk." After slowly injecting a trace of spiritual power, the circular formation disk emitted a dazzling purple light and slowly flew in front of Xiaoyu.

"Quickly put your left hand on the spiritual root testing disk." Second Elder Song Changfeng on the side hurriedly reminded Xiaoyu, who was still in a daze.

After hearing this, the little girl was still slightly stunned, nervously stretched out her left hand towards the spiritual root testing disk. Suddenly, the formation disk slowly flew out three spiritual lights of different colors, winding and rotating in the air.

"This, it's actually three spiritual roots! It's really heaven blessing my Song family, another good seedling with three spiritual roots has appeared." Song Changfeng shouted excitedly.

The clan leader Song Gushan's face was also filled with joy: "It's gold, wood, and water three spiritual roots. It's a pity there is no fire spiritual root, so it's not good to practice the Red Flame Art with me. Water-based cultivation techniques are more suitable for female cultivators, so let her practice the family's Profound Water Art first."

Song Qingming, who had been watching on the side, was a bit embarrassed. How could it be that every time he brought one back, it could be a good aptitude of three spiritual roots, while he himself was only a fake spiritual root.

He didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky.

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

"Song Yu."

After the clan leader on the side heard this, he directly made a final decision: "Then from now on, you will be called Song Qingyu. Remember, from now on, you are the tenth cultivator of the Qing generation of the Song family."

The Song family currently has only three generations: Gu, Chang, and Qing, with a generation set about every thirty years.

The Gu generation currently has only four people left. The youngest, Fourth Elder Song Gucai, is already over ninety years old this year, and in another twenty years, they will all wither away.

The Chang generation is the backbone of the current family, with ten people in total, and one person joined the Xiaoyao Sect in his early years. The one with the highest cultivation is Second Elder Song Changfeng, and he is also almost the default candidate for the next clan leader of the Song family.

The Qing generation to which Song Qingming belongs can be considered the new generation of cultivators of the Song family. Adding this Song Qingyu, there are exactly ten people. Most of these people are only around twenty years old.

Perhaps it was because she heard that her new name and her original name were about the same, the little girl just nodded gently when she heard her new name, without objection.

Seeing this, the clan leader put away the spiritual root testing disk, took out a dark red genealogy, wrote the three big characters "Song Qingyu" on it, and then let her leave a drop of essence blood on her name.

This genealogy records the names of all cultivators since the Song family was established two hundred years ago, arranged in detail according to seniority and age. The names with faint spiritual light on it represent the cultivators of the Song family who are still alive, while those names that are pitch black and dim represent that this cultivator has already passed away or fallen.

After leaving the meeting hall, Song Qingming immediately came to the family's Treasure Pavilion. He took out the demonic beast materials he had obtained a few days ago, placed them in front of Fourth Elder Song Gucai, and explained his intention to exchange for a mid-tier magic tool.

Song Gucai carefully looked at the materials on the table and asked with some surprise: "Are these the pig teeth of the mid-tier demonic beast iron-mouthed pig?"

"A few days ago, I encountered this demonic beast bumping into the formation. I took a closer look and found that it was covered in wounds, looking like it had fled to Mount Lingyuan after failing to fight with other demonic beasts, so I was lucky enough to slash it under the horse."

"Qingming, you are quite lucky this time, actually being able to hunt a mid-tier demonic beast alone. With these materials, you can add five more spirit stones to exchange for a mid-grade magic tool. As for this pig skin, I will help you take it to the Great Elder to refine a magic garment. What kind of magic garment can be refined depends on your luck."

Song Qingming knew that the Fourth Elder had always been fair in handling affairs. It was precisely because of this that the family would rest assured to let him manage the Treasure Pavilion where clan members exchange merits. He didn't say much, nodded in agreement, and took out five spirit stones and handed them to Song Gucai.

After Song Gucai put away the materials and spirit stones, he took Song Qingming to the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion and took out the few mid-grade magic tools currently in the clan and placed them in front of Song Qingming.

After a simple introduction, Song Qingming thought for a while and chose a fiery red flying sword among them.

"This flying sword is named the Blazing Sun Sword, and it can also release a spiritual fire to attack the enemy. The operation is relatively simple compared to other magic tools. You have not long broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, so it is quite suitable for you to use this magic tool." Seeing that he had chosen this sword, Song Gucai added an introduction.

The reason for choosing this sword is mainly because Song Qingming is relatively good at using earth and fire attribute spiritual power. There is only one defensive magic tool of earth attribute, which is not what he wants at present. The most suitable for him is only this fire attribute flying sword.

Returning to his cave dwelling on Mount Funiu, which he had been away from for a long time, Song Qingming took out the Blazing Sun Sword he had just obtained and injected his own spiritual power to refine it. It was not until the next morning that he walked out of the cave dwelling. At this time, he was already able to completely control this flying sword as he wished.

Song Qingming sacrificed the Blazing Sun Sword outside the cave dwelling and used spiritual power to control the flying sword to slash towards a huge rock not far away. After a loud bang, the rock, which was originally the size of a table, was slashed into two halves at once. Looking at such results, Song Qingming recalled the flying sword with satisfaction. The Blazing Sun Sword, which was emitting spiritual light, shrank to the size of an inch and disappeared into the storage bag at Song Qingming's waist.

"Now that I have a mid-grade magic tool, even if I don't rely on the formation, I can fight with that mid-tier demonic beast."

(End of chapter)