Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 30 - Deep Sea
Deep within a sea cave.
Ling Changqing was currently hidden in the deepest part of the cave, sitting atop a slumbering sea turtle. He leisurely peeled the shell of a Rainbow Shadow Shrimp in his hand, then placed the snow-white, tender shrimp meat into his mouth.
The fresh, delicate shrimp meat was smooth, springy, and chewy, carrying a hint of sweetness. As he chewed, a faint, refreshing aroma filled the air, a truly worthy seafood delicacy.
As the shrimp meat slid down his throat, the vitality in his blood and qi grew increasingly abundant, and his nearly depleted Spiritual Power began to recover rapidly.
“…If we disregard the risks of working underwater, this kind of life is actually quite nice.”
Ling Changqing silently pondered. These seafood delicacies, rich in Spiritual Energy and full of benefits, were not cheap at the Immortal Flavor Workshop restaurant.
Even wealthy cultivators at the late Qi refining stage couldn’t afford to eat such delicacies regularly.
But here in the deep sea, Ling Changqing could feast to his heart’s content for free. The only challenges were the effort required to find and catch them, and the need to carefully avoid the deadly sea monsters.
However, as his cultivation level continued to rise, Ling Changqing now felt increasingly at ease in the deep sea, as if this were naturally his home ground.
“…Should I venture to depths beyond a hundred zhang? Perhaps there might be more rewards there?”
This thought surfaced in Ling Changqing’s mind. The usual activity area for pearl divers was generally within one hundred zhang of water depth.
Beyond one hundred zhang, certain chilling toxic energies in the seawater would become significantly more lethal to cultivators. Combined with the increasingly terrifying water pressure and the greater number of dangerous sea monsters, these factors made pearl divers hesitant to venture deeper.
But now, Ling Changqing had reached the fifth layer of Qi refining. With the various high-quality Talismans gifted by Tang Qiuyao, plus the high-grade artifact by his side, perhaps he could consider giving it a try?
To be precise, excluding various expenses and costs, Ling Changqing could currently obtain harvests worth about one hundred low-grade spirit stones per day.
This income level was comparable to that of a first-grade superior Talisman Master or artifact refiner, but still couldn’t match the earnings of superior Alchemists and formation masters.
As for other auxiliary professions like spirit plant masters, medicine masters, and beast taming masters, their income levels were far below Ling Changqing’s current earnings, assuming equivalent cultivation levels.
Of course, no cultivator in any profession could work continuously without rest. Especially when it came to secluded cultivation to improve one’s cultivation level, that would inevitably occupy the majority of one’s lifespan.
But for Ling Changqing, if he continued working underwater step by step like this, accumulating enough resources before returning for periods of secluded cultivation, he wouldn’t encounter any substantial bottlenecks at least until Foundation Establishment.
Provided he could ensure his own safety, if he could obtain more resources to improve his cultivation faster and better, Ling Changqing naturally wouldn’t refuse.
Moreover, the Jade Slip that Tang Qiuyao had given him recorded various resource types all located in seabeds deeper than one hundred zhang.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ling Changqing felt it was necessary to give it a try. If it proved truly impossible, he could always retreat. But if he could gain some harvest, he would have something to show Tang Qiuyao when he returned. After eliminating several dozen Rainbow Shadow Shrimps and organizing his belongings, Ling Changqing calmly swam out of the cave.
Identifying his direction in the water, he took out a second-grade Water Repelling Talisman and a second-grade Protective Talisman, attaching them to his chest before cautiously swimming toward the deep-sea region.
The surrounding seawater was far from tranquil. Schools of fish and sea creatures could be seen migrating from time to time, while aggressive predators would occasionally emerge from the shadows to hunt, causing localized chaos.
Ling Changqing paid no attention to this, his gaze cautiously scanning the surroundings as he maintained a safe distance from creatures exuding dangerous auras, gradually descending deeper into the sea.
As the water depth increased, the invisible pressure on Ling Changqing grew heavier. Even with the combined support of the second-grade Water Repelling Talisman, the Water Control Art, and the Xuanzhen Black Water Scripture, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.
Correspondingly, the seawater temperature slowly dropped. The bone-piercing chill seeped through the Water Spirit Shield and his high-grade artifact robe, making it somewhat unbearable for Ling Changqing.
The underwater ecosystem began to change subtly. The familiar species Ling Changqing knew gradually decreased, while unfamiliar, powerful marine creatures became more numerous.
A few meters away, underwater currents surged as a Ghost-Eyed Sea Serpent as thick as a bucket, adorned with colorful patterns, leisurely swam by. Its narrow, pale white serpentine eyes and terrifying aura sent shivers down Ling Changqing’s spine.
If such a creature targeted him, even a late-stage Qi refining cultivator would find it troublesome, let alone Ling Changqing in his current state.
He silently paused in place, scanning his surroundings while clutching a second-grade Water Escape Talisman in his hand, ready to activate it immediately if faced with an insurmountable threat.
Fortunately, the Ghost-Eyed Sea Serpent paid no attention to Ling Changqing, swaying its long serpentine body as it drifted farther away, disappearing behind an underwater mountain ridge.
Ling Changqing breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued onward in the determined direction.
Thanks to the strength of his Soul Essence, his perception of the surrounding environment was extremely sharp. Though he encountered frequent scares, he never faced any truly life-threatening dangers.
Hmm… now about 180 zhang (approx. 600 meters) below the sea surface…
After silently estimating the depth, Ling Changqing continued his descent without showing any outward signs of strain.
Though it was his first time venturing to such depths, he wanted to challenge his limits, at least reaching 200 zhang deep.
A moment later, as the pressure reached a certain threshold in his mind, Ling Changqing knew he had arrived at his destination.
The surrounding seawater remained bustling, filled with numerous recognizable and unrecognizable creatures.
There were seabed meadows, flat and glowing like untended spirit wheat fields, underwater vine forests resembling terrestrial woodlands, and astonishingly massive creatures like the mountain-sized Longbo Sea Cows…
These creatures did not coexist peacefully. Ambushes and counter-ambushes were commonplace, with brutal hunting and killing scenes unfolding constantly on the seabed.
Ling Changqing paused within a cluster of reefs and, after carefully surveying the area, quickly identified a suitable target with little effort.
It was an underwater cliff, standing just over 30 zhang tall. Its rough, uneven surface was covered with silver-white, wheel-shaped flowers, each as large as a sea bowl. Ling Changqing took out the jade slip to compare and identify, confirming that this was the “Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flower” specifically requested by the family head Ling Qiyue, one of the core raw materials for refining the Essence Condensing Pill, a breakthrough elixir for the late Qi refining stage.
Without hesitation, Ling Changqing repeatedly observed and sensed the surroundings, confirming there were no lethal creatures near the cliff before swimming decisively toward the target.
Upon approaching, Ling Changqing drew his high-grade artifact longsword, reached out to gently grasp a Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flower, silently channeled his Spiritual Power, carefully pried it from the firmly adhered rock wall, and swiftly stored it in his storage bag.
Next, Ling Changqing shifted along the mountain wall to approach a second Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flower and repeated the process.
Not far away in the seawater, a Bloodfin Shark swayed its slender, smooth body as it swiftly passed by. A short-tail frost-fish, caught off guard, was bitten in half with a single snap.
The spreading scent of blood quickly attracted more underwater predators, throwing the surrounding waters into chaos.
Ling Changqing paid no attention to the nearby fierce battles and chaos, quietly continuing to harvest the Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flowers along the mountain wall.
Amassing wealth discreetly was the core principle of those who followed the path of stealth.
In a short while, all twenty-plus Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flowers on the cliff had been thoroughly collected by Ling Changqing.