Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 2
This mysterious palace enveloped in clear radiance had been slumbering within Ling Changqing’s consciousness ever since his first arrival in this world. It was the core secret that enabled him to quickly adapt to this realm’s spatiotemporal laws and establish his foothold.
In his previous life, Ling Changqing was a small-town academic striver, toiling in the workplace while desperately studying day and night to pass the civil service exams, exhausting all his mental energy.
Just when success seemed within reach, he was inexplicably transported by the mysterious palace to this magnificent and wondrous world, reincarnated as one among the common masses.
Regardless of which world or era, life at the bottom remains exceptionally harsh. Before the mysterious palace awakened, Ling Changqing’s identity was that of a distant branch descendant of the Ling family, becoming a pearl diver on the Ling family’s territory at age twelve.
Compared to his carefree life in the previous world, the existence of a pearl diver could be described as utterly miserable.
Especially in this world where cultivators wield great power, the difficulty for those at the bottom without strength to rely on to reverse their fate and cross social strata was beyond imagination.
The instinct for survival gradually allowed Ling Changqing to adapt to his new identity. Coupled with the formal awakening of the mysterious palace half a year ago, faint glimmers of hope had begun to appear in his previously bleak future.
Calming his thoughts, Ling Changqing began to communicate with the mysterious palace. As pure, clear radiance spread, a familiar warm energy enveloped his consciousness, feeling as if his entire body was immersed in a supreme spiritual spring, indescribably comfortable and pleasant.
Messages imbued with profound dao charm silently emerged:
[Lord of the Epoch Star Palace: Ling Changqing]
[Bone Age: 14]
[Cultivation: Qi refining Second Layer]
[Destiny: 10+81]
[Fortune: 10+56]
[Physique: 9]
[Bone Structure: 8]
[Comprehension: 10]
[Spirit Soul: 12]
[Primary Cultivation Method: Water Control Art (Second Layer) 197200]
[Spiritual Root: Lower Human Grade, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Benefactor: Ling Zifeng]
“…This palace called the Epoch Star Palace, who knows what level of supreme treasure it is? It can actually display its master’s comprehensive qualities and cultivation strength in numerical form…”
“Perhaps… as my cultivation progresses layer by layer in the future, it might reveal even more divine and extraordinary powers?”
This wasn’t Ling Changqing’s first time communicating with the Epoch Star Palace. After extensive repeated exploration and experimentation, he had now preliminarily understood some of its marvelous functions.
Compared to when he first transmigrated, Ling Changqing’s physique and bone structure attributes remained unchanged, but his spirit soul had continuously increased from the original 8 to 12. Influenced by this, even his comprehension had risen from 9 to 10.
Then there was his spiritual root grade, Ling Changqing possessed all five elements of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, but only at the lower human grade level.
Spiritual roots were divided into several grades: Waste Grade, Mortal Grade, Human Grade, Earth Grade, and Heaven Grade, with each grade further subdivided into upper, middle, and lower tiers.
The higher the spiritual root grade, the better the cultivator’s innate talent and endowment, and the easier it was to break through cultivation bottlenecks. As long as resources weren’t a limiting factor, cultivation would naturally yield twice the results with half the effort.
There were rumors that this world also contained some rare spiritual roots, though the vast majority of cultivators never had the chance to encounter them.
As for the only cultivation method Ling Changqing had mastered, the “Water Control Art,” it had similarly grown from barely entry-level to its current second layer, just one step away from breaking through to the third layer. Next are luck and fortune, which originally were only at 4 but have now gradually grown to 10, representing the attributes with the most significant change.
The fluctuating values after the plus sign are actually brought by this mysterious hall called the Epoch Star Palace and cannot be considered Ling Changqing’s innate talents or endowments.
Of course, as long as the Epoch Star Palace is not taken by outsiders, it will not have any negative impact on Ling Changqing.
Lastly, there is the “Benefactor,” a special ability of the Epoch Star Palace that allows Ling Changqing to subtly influence specific targets he chooses, making them develop friendly and affectionate feelings toward him. This enables them to offer Ling Changqing some care and convenience without harming their own interests.
Working at sea is fraught with dangers. Performing poorly makes survival difficult, while performing too well may attract the attention and suspicion of those with ulterior motives.
Thus, the hidden ability of the “Benefactor” from the Epoch Star Palace becomes exceptionally important.
Under the invisible influence of this treasure, Ling Zifeng has always maintained a friendly attitude toward Ling Changqing, or rather, has taken a liking to him, without harboring any suspicion.
Of course, currently, this ability of the Epoch Star Palace can only affect one target, so Ling Changqing directly chose Ling Zifeng, who manages the entire pearl diving team, to maximize his own safety.
As for the future, perhaps this special ability could influence more targets as his cultivation level advances?
“What a pity… my cultivation is still too weak! To change my fate, I must improve my strength as quickly as possible. Otherwise, I might die an obscure death sooner or later…”
A short while later, Ling Changqing ended his meditation and slowly opened his eyes, beginning to ponder his next plan for cultivation advancement.
Cultivation cannot be separated from resources, and the demand for resources to rapidly improve one’s cultivation is naturally immense.
However, Ling Changqing is merely a low-level cultivator with no power or influence. Although he shares the surname Ling, he has no relation to the main lineage of the Ling family and is, at best, considered a distant branch member.
With his parents long deceased and a few close relatives also struggling as low-level cultivators, living in dire poverty, they are unable to offer Ling Changqing any help.
Thus, at the age of twelve, he was forced to join the family’s pearl diving team, laboring during ordinary times and risking his life at sea during busy seasons. Braving the constant danger of drowning in the ocean depths, he barely scrapes together enough resources to survive.
It is often said that enduring hardship leads to greatness. Yet, the harsh reality teaches people: enduring hardship only leads to more hardship!
As long as you can endure hardship, there will be no end to it.
Those at the bottom of society may toil their entire lives, yet they will most likely remain at the bottom. To defy fate and change one’s destiny, how could it be so easy?
“Never mind, relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself. As long as I move carefully and stick to the true essence of the cautious survival path, sooner or later I’ll have my day to soar.”
Ling Changqing thought to himself.
In this magnificent and wondrous world, the path of cultivation has evolved and developed over countless ages, forming a vast and comprehensive cultivation system.
The Qi refining realm is divided into nine minor stages, serving as the foundational phase of this world’s cultivation system. Beyond that lie Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation… and many other incredible major realms.
It is said that when a cultivator’s power reaches its peak and they successfully pass the trials of heavenly tribulations, they may even step into the legendary and elusive realm of immortals. From then on, they would share the longevity of heaven and earth, shine alongside the sun and moon, and enjoy eternal bliss and freedom.
Of course, all of this seemed too distant for Ling Changqing. Right now, let alone Foundation Establishment, even completing the remaining seven minor realms of Qi refining was an incredibly difficult task for him.
Although low-level cultivators in this world were as innumerable as the sea’s sands, those fortunate enough to break through the ninth layer of Qi refining and advance to Foundation Establishment were fewer than one in a thousand.
The Ling family was currently the foremost cultivation clan within a radius of several thousand miles of sea territory.
Including the family head, the clan only had three Foundation Establishment experts overseeing affairs, with not a single Golden Core powerhouse among them.
The senior elders of the Ling family and the most outstanding direct descendants were currently struggling through the middle and late stages of Qi refining, diligently managing their resources. No one knew when they would be able to accumulate the massive resources needed to break through to the next realm.
It was said that aside from the youngest family head, the other two Foundation Establishment experts in the Ling family were already advanced in years with no hope of forming a golden core, their remaining lifespan limited.
If these two Foundation Establishment elders were to pass away from old age without new Foundation Establishment experts emerging within the family, the Ling family’s high-level combat power would inevitably be greatly weakened.
Should external enemies invade at that time, it would be hard to say whether the Ling family could maintain their current foundation.
Certain forces with long-standing grudges against the Ling family had already begun secretly colluding and preparing, waiting for the family’s eventual decline to take advantage of their misfortune and add insult to injury.
Pulling back his wandering thoughts, Ling Changqing reached into his robe and took out a small jade bottle, unscrewing the cap.
Inside was a pill the size of a fingertip, white as jade with a translucent glow. A faint, refreshing fragrance spread from it, clearing the mind and lifting the spirits upon inhalation.
This was the Qi Replenishing Essence Pill, made from various low-grade spirit herbs and refined by an alchemist using an artifact-grade pill furnace. It could strengthen meridians, regulate organs, condense blood energy, and enhance cultivation – one of the few cultivation resources affordable for low-level cultivators.
On the market, each Qi Replenishing Essence Pill required at least thirty spirit stones. Given Ling Changqing’s meager resources, he had to use them with careful calculation.
In his previous life, without money one couldn’t move an inch; in this life, without spirit stones, it was the same…
Ling Changqing sighed, poured out the pill and swallowed it, then immediately began sitting in meditation to circulate his energy. His blood energy flowed through all his meridians as he quietly digested the medicinal effects.
After completing one cycle of energy circulation, when Ling Changqing opened his eyes again, faint popping sounds came from various joints in his body. His blood energy was vigorous, his spirit refreshed – the Water Control Art had already reached the third layer.