Strictly speaking, this period of time wasn't considered long. Typically, it would take decades for a Torch Ship Captain to break through with the Guidance Technique after their flagship was promoted to a Zhulu Warship.
Song Mingsong had managed to complete his breakthrough so rapidly not only because of his solid foundation but also due to the full support of his line.
According to what Song Chi knew, two years ago his second uncle had fortuitously obtained an eight-thousand-year-old Deep Sea Clam Pearl during an exploration in the Alien Star Domain. He then directly gave it to Song Mingsong. With the help of the Deep Sea Clam Pearl, Song Mingsong had been able to advance to Fourth Rank.
Thinking it over, Song Chi asked,
"Grandfather, have you decided which Law you want to pursue?"
Without any hesitation, Song Mingsong directly answered,
Without surprise, given Grandfather's character, Song Chi had already guessed this in his heart and wasn't worried.
In the Dragon Spine Secret Realm, there were six Law Steles, one of which was the Law of Fire Stele. The family ancestors had clearly achieved considerable success in the path of the Law of Fire, which spared Grandfather many detours.
"Speaking of Law Comprehension, Xiao Chi, your grandfather has already successfully transformed into the Divine Thought State Spiritual. I am just emerging from seclusion to prepare for entering the Dragon Spine Secret Realm. I intend not to venture out for the next ten years, so please pay more attention to matters within our line."
Song Chi nodded, hesitating for a moment before deciding to share the information about the Holy Dragon Continent with his grandfather.
The moment he heard about the Blood of the Evil God, Song Mingsong's eyes brightened. If he could absorb one or two strands of the Blood of the Evil God, it would undoubtedly help him in comprehending the Law of the Primordial Secret Realm. However, he quickly suppressed this thought and began to analyze the pros and cons from various angles for his grandson.
"From a normal perspective, it's naturally best for our Tenth Direct Vein to schematize alone and try to secure all the benefits of the Holy Dragon Continent for ourselves. But we can't overlook the forthcoming war of expansion with the Yaohan Kingdom. If our Tenth Direct Vein explores on its own, we can keep all the gains of the Holy Dragon Continent, but this would mean slow realization over the next hundred or even several hundred years."
"If we report this to the family, the members of our entire line may be able to increase their own strength over the next forty years or so, which could enhance their safety and profits in the upcoming expansion war. There are pros and cons to both paths; the specific choice is up to you, Xiao Chi."
Hearing his grandfather's further analysis, Song Chi already had an answer in his heart.
After all, besides these considerations, he had an invisible benefit, which was the Spirit Serpent Sect already organized by the Cold Moon Snow Python.
Song Chi learned through Mind Sound Transmission that after over two months of development, the Spirit Serpent Sect had become the only official church in the Black Soil Duchy.
Bolstered by a wealth of faith, the Cold Moon Snow Python, newly ascended to Fourth Rank, showed signs of further enhancement in strength. However, due to the limited population of the Black Soil Duchy, it wasn't enough to propel a substantive breakthrough.
The Spirit Serpent Sect had reached a limit at this stage and could only consider expansion towards neighboring countries. But the Black Soil Duchy's adjacent countries each had their own established churches. If the Spirit Serpent Sect spread rashly, it might provoke the enmity of the indigenous deities behind those sects.
With this in mind, once the Song family hunted down all those Evil Gods, there would be no restrictions to the expansion of the Spirit Serpent Sect. Song Chi could even imagine a future where the Spirit Serpent Sect became the largest cult on the entire Holy Dragon Continent.
Should that time come, the promotion of the Totem Spirit Columns would no longer be an illusion. The Cold Moon Snow Python might even break directly into Fifth Rank.
With these thoughts, Song Chi no longer hesitated. Both men stood up together and boarded the Cangqiong to head for Dragon Spine Divine Mountain.
Song Mingsong did not recall the Furious Battle Mad Lion. This trip was for comprehending Law and cultivating secret technique in the Dragon Spine Secret Realm; he wouldn't need a Torch Warship.
The Zhulu Warship was still parked over the Fourth Rank Origin Eruption Eye on Green Moon Island. It was suppressing the Origin Eruption Eye while autonomously refining the Primordial Blood within a Fourth Rank Peak Ancient Corpse.
This Fourth Rank Peak Ancient Corpse was something Song Chi had acquired from the Ancient Starry Sky Battlefield sixteen years ago. The Furious Battle Mad Lion had been refining it for the past sixteen years. Originally he brought out eleven bodies; now, over a decade later, seven remained.
As for the four drops of Fourth Rank Peak Primordial Blood extracted, they were now being kept on the Cangqiong. Including the first drop, Song Chi now had five drops in his possession.
Dragon Spine Divine Mountain, inside the Clan Ancestral Hall.
Song Mingsong had been taken to the Dragon Spine Secret Realm by Song Xuancang. Having just advanced to Fourth Rank, he was now in his Law Amplitude Phase. This was an opportunity that every Torch Ship Captain had only once in their life; it was naturally better to enter the Dragon Spine Secret Realm to comprehend the Law as soon as possible. Now, only Song Chi and the Prime Ancestor were left in the Ancestral Hall.
Upon hearing the words "Evil God" from Song Chi's mouth, even the two-thousand-year-old Song Shiyuan showed a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. The blood of a Half-Step Sixth Rank Indigenous Evil God was still effective even for a Fifth Rank Torch Ship Captain like him.
After confirming the authenticity of what Song Chi had said, he directly asked,
"A Fifth Rank Peak life-form Starry Sea Floating Land, containing a Half-Step Sixth Rank Indigenous Evil God, this is no small feat. What reward would you like?"