Chapter 486 - 23: Collecting Spiritual Land and Rebuilding the Stronghold

The three were all Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, a far cry from Song Changsheng. For them to exert even a sliver of pressure on him meant the Three Talents Heavenly Star Array was truly not to be underestimated.

"Watch out!"

Song Changsheng shouted, executing Fleeting Shadows and shifting through several positions in an instant.

He still chose Song Changrong as his breakthrough point. Generally, the simplest and most direct way to counter a Combined Attack Skill was to strike a single point, severing the link between the members before defeating them.

"Water Dragon Roar."

An illusory draconic pattern materialized behind Song Changsheng, unleashing a piercing roar.

Song Changrong’s ears rang, as if a flock of sparrows were chirping right next to them, a sound he couldn’t shake.

The main advantage of sonic-type Magic was the element of surprise. It was a technique Song Changsheng had practiced back in the Qi Cultivation Stage, and it remained extremely practical even now.

Seizing the opening while Song Changrong was stunned, he clenched his fist and shot it toward his opponent’s chest with lightning speed. He didn’t use any Magic, but given the strength of his Physical Body, the punch was guaranteed to make Song Changrong suffer.

But at that critical moment, Song Changsheng’s vision blurred. Song Changrong’s figure vanished, replaced by the impassive Song Chang’an!

Song Chang’an brandished a Long Sword, its cold light glinting as he radiated an astonishing aura.

’The three of them can swap positions?’ Song Changsheng was caught by surprise, but he had no time to overthink it. He changed his fist into a claw-like grip and caught the Long Sword Song Chang’an thrust at him.

Despite being a hand of flesh and blood, it scraped against the blade with a shower of sparks.

Just then, Song Changrong and Song Changxuan attacked his back in unison, their timing impeccable.

Even with Song Changsheng’s vast combat experience, he had no choice but to face the attacks head-on.

The more critical the situation, the calmer he became. With a flick of his arm, he sent a massive force surging into Song Chang’an’s sword arm, numbing it and allowing him to snatch the weapon away.

The next moment, Song Changsheng spun around and unleashed a flurry of sharp Sword Qi. The Magic cast by Song Changrong and Song Changxuan was instantly annihilated. Then, a Half Moon Slash sent both of them flying, knocking them to the ground, unable to rise.

The Three Talents Heavenly Star Array was broken. Song Changsheng ceased his attack, gave the sword a flourish, and tossed it back to Song Chang’an behind him before stepping forward to help the other two up.

Song Changxuan winced. "Clan Leader, that was a low blow! To think you’d use a Magical Artifact against us, given your Cultivation."

"Your timing was just too perfect," Song Changsheng couldn’t help but laugh. "If I hadn’t, I would have had to take the hit with my Physical Body. These are new robes; I couldn’t just let them get ruined."

"So you’re fine with ruining my robes instead?" Song Changxuan shot back "angrily," glancing at the large tear across his chest.

"The Clan Leader’s Cultivation is profound. It’s almost bullying for you to fight us. We were defeated before we even had a chance to use the real Combined Attack Skill," Song Changrong said with a sigh, dusting himself off.

At that moment, Song Chang’an stepped forward. "If we had used that move," he said, "the three of us probably wouldn’t be able to stand right now."

Seeing the confusion on Song Changsheng’s face, Song Chang’an explained, "The Three Talents Heavenly Star Array details a Combined Attack Skill that allows us to draw upon Star Power, gather it within ourselves, and then unleash it all at once."

"During the day, when the stars are hidden, its power is weaker. It is strongest at night, when the sky is full of shining stars. That’s where the ’Heavenly Star’ part of the name comes from."

"However, Star Power is incredibly potent and requires a strong physique to handle. At our current level, using it just once would require ten to fifteen days of recovery."

Song Changsheng had a realization. ’So it’s a technique similar to the Inconstant Killing Array within my own body,’ he thought. ’An all-or-nothing attack.’

"Based on the level you’ve shown, even without using the Combined Attack Skill, very few Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be your match. You could even hold your own against an ordinary Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator for a time. That’s already quite impressive."

Song Changsheng first affirmed their performance. Although he had defeated the three of them with ease, across the entire Foundation Establishment Realm, how many could truly best him?

The difference in their power levels was simply too vast.

Then he added thoughtfully, "Since bearing the Star Power harms your bodies, couldn’t you supplement your training with a Body Forging Technique to mitigate or even eliminate that effect?"

Any faction with a deep foundation would have its disciples focus primarily on Techniques, supplemented by Body Refining. But that path required a tremendous amount of resources.

The Song Clan was just starting out and couldn’t afford for everyone to practice the Dual Cultivation of Body and Dharma. However, they could manage to support a select few.

"Theoretically, yes," Song Chang’an nodded. "And the stronger our physiques, the more Star Power we can bear, which will naturally make the Combined Attack Skill even more powerful."

"In that case," Song Changsheng declared with a grand wave of his hand, once again spending a small fortune, "from now on, each of you can collect three stalks of Phoenix Blood Grass and one thousand pounds of Demon Beast Flesh and Blood every month for your Body Refining. You may also use the Gravity Chamber and other training facilities as you please."

Phoenix Blood Grass was an excellent Spirit Medicine for Body Refining. After Song Changsheng had acquired it from the Black Market and carefully nurtured it, it had now grown into a large patch, enough to supply the clan’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators without much strain.

The critical issue was the Demon Beast Flesh and Blood. While the Song Clan had a few breeding farms, their output was low and could not meet the monthly demand of nearly ten thousand pounds.

This meant they had to rely on the Demon Hunting Teams to kill Demon Beasts, or spend Spirit Stones to purchase the flesh. Over time, this would accumulate into a considerable expense. If it had been that Iron Rooster, Song Luzhou, he would have sooner died than agree to it.