Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 31 - Tang Qiuyao: I Have a Bold Idea
After harvesting the Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flower, Ling Changqing rested for a while. Only when his physical strength and Spiritual Power had recovered by more than half did he continue searching for new suitable targets.
“I can stay here for at most two more hours, assuming no unexpected incidents occur…”
Ling Changqing easily estimated his current limits, and this was under the condition of having pills and seafood ingredients continuously replenishing his consumption.
If it were ordinary independent pearl divers, even if they were at the same fifth level of Qi Refining Stage, their endurance would not compare to Ling Changqing’s.
Bypassing a pile of intertwined sea snake nests resembling a small hill and avoiding two Longbo Sea Cows fighting over a mate, Ling Changqing slowly approached a nearby undersea hill area.
Here grew hundreds of peculiar blood-red trees, each about twice a person’s height and three feet in circumference. The gnarled and twisted branches bore almost no leaves, with only a single green-skinned fruit the size of a chicken egg hanging at the tip of each branch.
Upon careful observation, the fruit emitted a faint crimson glow in the seawater, concentrated and unwavering, clearly indicating it was no ordinary item.
This was the fruit of the Sea Soul Wood. Consuming it directly could slightly enhance a Qi Refining Stage cultivator’s Soul Essence and heal injuries at the soul level.
If enough Sea Soul Wood fruits could be collected and combined with suitable spiritual herbs for alchemy, one could refine the Origin Return Pill.
The Origin Return Pill could strengthen a cultivator’s soul, stabilize their Dao foundation, and resist damage from certain soul-attacking divine spells. This was a highly sought-after pill resource for late Qi Refining Stage and early Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Ling Changqing surveyed the area. According to the information in the Jade Slip, there were about a hundred mature fruits in this Sea Soul Wood forest that met the harvesting criteria.
The remaining fruits were still in the growth phase and would require at least a dozen to nearly a hundred years before they could be harvested again.
However, a pitch-black Spirit Devouring Squid was currently lurking at the edge of the Sea Soul Wood forest, its long tentacles swaying aimlessly. It was a troublesome presence even among second-tier demon beasts.
Ling Changqing waited patiently nearby for quite some time. Only when the creature left to hunt for fish and shrimp did he seize the opportunity to swim over and swiftly begin harvesting.
Since Spirit Devouring Squids preferred to build their nests near Sea Soul Wood forests, Ling Changqing dared not linger. After harvesting the mature fruits, he quickly swam away.
This time, however, his luck wasn’t as good. Perhaps due to making too much noise, he caught the attention of a Jade Horn Dragon Whale.
The terrifying third-tier sea beast opened its massive jaws, parted the seawater, and charged fiercely toward Ling Changqing with precise and ruthless movements.
Ling Changqing instantly concluded that, even if he used all his means, he currently stood no chance against this third-rank sea beast.
“Enough…”
Ling Changqing activated the second-tier Water Escape Talisman in his hand. A surge of dark blue light emerged, transforming into a stream of radiance that enveloped his figure and vanished from the spot, causing the large creature to pounce on empty air.
After all, his storage bag was already filled with considerable gains. Even if he returned now, it wouldn’t be a loss.
When he reappeared, Ling Changqing found himself at the sea surface. The familiar azure sky came into view, and a sea breeze carrying a slight salty scent gently brushed past. In the distance, the servant rowing the small boat had already spotted Ling Changqing and immediately approached.
A short while later, Ling Changqing smoothly returned to the foredeck of the sea vessel.
Ling Zifeng was no longer surprised by the young man’s unusually good fortune and waved for the servants to come and help tally the gains.
Ling Changqing nodded, opening the storage bags on his person one by one and pouring out the spoils inside.
Of course, high-value resources like the Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flower and Sea Soul Wood fruits were not brought out, Ling Changqing intended to take them back and hand them directly to Tang Qiuyao.
After all the gains were tallied, Ling Changqing still ended up with over a hundred spirit stones and more than a hundred Family Merit Points.
“Changqing, the family’s higher-ups are holding a rather important gathering soon,” Ling Zifeng said, “All family disciples are allowed to attend. You’ve been out here for over a month now, isn’t it time to go back and take a look?”
According to him, such gatherings were held annually by the higher-ups to strengthen family cohesion and provide an opportunity for family disciples to engage in friendly exchanges and cooperation.
Exchanging cultivation insights, sharing experiences in training, trading resources, forming groups to venture out in search of fortuitous encounters, and even seeking suitable cultivation partners, all of these could be agreed upon during the gathering.
Ling Changqing pondered thoughtfully, “Did Senior Sister ask you to relay this?”
Ling Zifeng nodded, “That’s right. As a newly promoted direct descendant of the family, it’s rather inappropriate that you haven’t attended such gatherings yet. So, you should go and see for yourself!”
“Alright.”
Ling Changqing thought it over and found no reason to refuse, so he nodded in agreement.
After more than a month of hard work, he had accumulated another sum of spirit stone resources. It was time to return and go into seclusion for focused cultivation.
Two days later, when Tang Qiuyao came again to collect resources, Ling Changqing naturally hitched a ride, returning to Zen Heart Island with his captivatingly beautiful senior sister.
“Senior Sister, these are all for you!”
In the ship’s cabin, seeing that no outsiders were present, Ling Changqing took out a storage bag he had kept close to his body and handed it over to Tang Qiuyao.
“You’re already daring to venture into the deep sea? Ah! There’s so much…”
Tang Qiuyao exclaimed in surprise as she took the storage bag and opened it. Her starry, moonlit eyes shimmered with astonishment and delight.
Ling Changqing chuckled, “I just decided to give it a try on a whim. Luckily, I didn’t return empty-handed.”
“This is already an excellent harvest!”
Tang Qiuyao sighed softly. These Silver Ganoderma Tai Sui Flowers and Sea Soul Wood fruits were enough for Ling Qiyue to refine two batches of pills, though, of course, all the necessary supplementary medicinal resources would also need to be prepared.
“Alright, little junior brother, you’ve done well this time. How about I give you five hundred spirit stones and five hundred Family Merit Points as a reward?”
Tang Qiuyao asked with a cheerful smile.
Ling Changqing nodded, “Since it’s you who suggested it, Senior Sister, then let it be so!”
He wasn’t worried that Tang Qiuyao would cheat him. His Soul Essence power, far surpassing that of a Qi Refining Stage cultivator, allowed him to discern who harbored ill intentions toward him and who was a true friend.
Only Foundation Establishment Peak or even Golden Core realm experts would be capable of hiding their true intentions from Ling Changqing.
Tang Qiuyao smiled contentedly and took out five medium-grade spirit stones to give to Ling Changqing. As for the Family Merit Points, they would be recorded at the family treasury after returning to Zen Heart Island. Then, this stunningly beautiful woman inquired about the situation of the deep-sea expedition. Ling Changqing had nothing to hide and provided a detailed explanation.
“I can finally confirm now that your luck is truly far greater than others’,” Tang Qiuyao leaned her voluptuous and graceful figure closer, lowering her voice as she spoke: “When the family head took me to the deep-sea region to search for resources, the first few times we returned empty-handed, constantly harassed and attacked by various dangerous underwater creatures. It wasn’t until the fifth time that we found what we needed.”
Ling Changqing found this somewhat hard to believe: “Really? But I didn’t put much effort into searching either. I just followed my intuition and happened to discover these things.”
Thinking back carefully, he really hadn’t exerted much effort when searching for resources underwater.
If not for being limited to only two hours, and if not for being targeted by that Jade Horn Dragon Whale at the end, Ling Changqing felt he could have probably found more valuable items?
“How about this – next time I’ll try going to the deep sea again to see if I can get more harvest?” Ling Changqing said thoughtfully.
Being targeted by the Jade Horn Dragon Whale proved that his luck and fortune had limits, far from sufficient to guarantee he could do whatever he wanted in the ocean.
However, as long as he remained steady and didn’t stay in the deep sea for too long, he probably wouldn’t encounter any crisis he couldn’t handle.
Tang Qiuyao’s beautiful eyes shimmered with charm as she looked Ling Changqing up and down, smiling delightfully: “Little junior brother, I suddenly have a bold idea. What do you think about it?”
“What idea?”
Ling Changqing asked with slight confusion.
Just as Tang Qiuyao was about to explain, she reconsidered and changed her words: “There’s no hurry for now. Let me discuss it properly with the family head after I return before making a decision.”
“By the way, after you return this time, remember to attend the family headquarters gathering. Don’t miss it.”
“I’ll go. Steward Ling has already informed me.”
Ling Changqing agreed, thinking it was just a matter of showing up anyway.
As for getting to know some direct descendants, exchanging resources, or going on journeys together, he currently had little interest in such things.
Tang Qiuyao’s eyes sparkled as she suddenly said with a beaming smile: “I just remembered – among this generation of direct family descendants, there seem to be several quite outstanding female clan members!”
“None of them have found ideal cultivation partners yet. How about… I help arrange something for you, little junior brother? I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”
Ling Changqing’s expression changed slightly, immediately refusing: “That won’t be necessary. I’m currently busy with cultivation – how would I have energy to find a cultivation partner?”
The Epoch Star Palace needed to harvest Soul Essence. If Ling Changqing were to be paired with a female cultivator from the Ling family as a cultivation partner, how could he continue to reap benefits from the Heavenly Match Pavilion in the future?
Moreover, from Ling Changqing’s perspective, cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage faced difficult circumstances and challenging cultivation paths, coupled with limited lifespans. By all accounts, he shouldn’t waste time on female cultivators.
Even if he had such thoughts, wouldn’t it be better to consider them after Foundation Establishment? The range of choices would be broader then, wouldn’t it?
However, Tang Qiuyao didn’t share this view, maintaining her smile as she said: “Don’t be shy, little junior brother. Our family actually has Dual Cultivation Methods too. With a suitable cultivation partner, you can support each other, and your cultivation progress might actually speed up!”
“With your qualifications, even finding multiple cultivation partners wouldn’t be a problem. Whoever catches your eye, I’ll make the arrangements! What do you think?”
“……”
Ling Changqing shook his head: “I appreciate your kindness, senior sister, but right now I’m only focused on improving my cultivation as quickly as possible. Let’s discuss this matter another time!”
“Alright, you should go take a look first.”
Seeing the young man persistently decline, Tang Qiuyao finally relented, a subtle, unreadable expression flickering in her eyes.
At the Zen Heart Island family headquarters, the flying boat gracefully descended in altitude and landed smoothly on the plaza.