Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 4

The next day.

At the first light of dawn, Steward Ling Zifeng urgently ordered all pearl divers to set out into the water to continue searching for the Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls.

This was because the family head had sent another messenger the previous night to press for progress. The messenger had hinted at impending external threats and the severity of the situation, leaving Ling Zifeng no room for further delay.
With his cultivation at the peak of the sixth layer of Qi refining, Ling Zifeng had held the position of steward for ten years. The benefits weren’t extravagant, but they were substantial enough to ensure he never lacked resources for cultivation and advancement.

Ling Zifeng believed that, given a bit more time, breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi refining wouldn’t be too difficult.

Then, with some spirit stones and resources spent on networking, he might even secure a more lucrative position?
But… if he couldn’t overcome the current crisis, even his current position as steward might be at risk.

At this thought, Ling Zifeng, standing on the deck, gritted his teeth, his face dark with frustration, and barked loudly:
“From now on, anyone who retrieves a high-quality Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl will receive twenty-five spirit sands as payment and an extra meal tonight! Spirit rice, meat, and spiritual wine will be provided in abundance. Everyone, put your hearts into it!”

The pearl divers gathered on the deck erupted in cheers. It was rare for the steward to be so generous.
Just by finding one Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl and making it back alive, they could feast tonight?

Among the crowd, Ling Changqing smiled faintly to himself. He had seen this kind of tactic, using empty promises to motivate subordinates to risk their lives, far too many times.
It was common knowledge that the standard set by the Ling family’s upper echelons was clear: for bringing back a high-quality Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl, the rewards and Family Merit Points far exceeded what Ling Zifeng had stated.

Yet, after layers of deductions, the pearl divers ended up with only twenty spirit sands and a pittance of Family Merit Points per pearl.
The pearl divers were well aware of this blatant skimming but could only seethe in silent resentment, resigned to their fate.
In Ling Changqing’s view, it was the same in any world: those who did the most arduous work always received the least benefits.
Meanwhile, those who did little or no work reaped the most rewards, and many saw this as perfectly natural.

He thought of the subcontracting system in his previous life, after layers of subcontracting and commissions, the money ended up in the pockets of middlemen, while the actual workers received mere scraps.
Sighing inwardly, Ling Changqing touched the Water Repelling Talisman tucked against his chest. Once the steward finished his speech, he made his way to the rope ladder at the ship’s side.

Numerous small boats were moored alongside the large vessel. Each pearl diver could choose one to board, and a servant would row them to a distant part of the sea. From there, they would decide where to dive.
To prevent conflicts among the divers, such as fighting over spoils or harming one another, each diver was assigned a different diving location and activity area. This arrangement couldn’t be said to be ineffective, but its impact was limited. After all, matters occurring underwater wouldn’t be questioned by the steward.

It was no secret that some pearl divers with deep-seated grudges would stealthily traverse long distances underwater to settle scores in the most brutal manner or plunder each other’s harvests.
Half of the casualties among pearl diving teams stemmed from such conflicts, while the remainder perished due to misfortune, encountering ferocious sea creatures.

Pearl diving was indeed a perilous profession where a single misstep could cost one’s life. Yet as low-level cultivators, their choices were severely constrained.
Compared to other backbreaking labor, underwater pearl harvesting offered relatively higher compensation, provided one could ensure returning alive.

“That lucky brat has already entered the water…”
Aboard the large vessel, Chen Tong’s sinister gaze fixed on the sea hundreds of yards away, watching as Ling Changqing adjusted his equipment, left the small boat, and gradually submerged.

Steward Ling Zifeng had returned to his cabin to rest, leaving only a few direct Ling clansmen with servants and guards on deck patrol.
“Brother, shall we descend too?”
A dark-skinned man beside him whispered, “That youngster truly has fortune’s favor, even the steward holds him in some esteem. I wonder if he’ll maintain his streak this time…”
“Or perhaps he’ll carelessly become sea creature fodder!”

Chen Tong sneered coldly, his heart seething with unconcealed jealousy.
Beyond the previous loan rejection, another unspoken reason fueled his resentment: Ling Changqing’s youth. Though currently weak in cultivation, who could guarantee the boy wouldn’t advance further?

If Ling Changqing truly exploded with luck, managing to cultivate to Qi refining fourth or even fifth layer, the steward might value him more highly, perhaps even assigning him to personal service?
Youth represented capital, embodying limitless possibilities.
Even among low-level cultivators, talented and clever youngsters naturally commanded greater respect.

Should that day arrive, their statuses would be instantly distinguished. Chen Tong would likely find himself forced to kneel, bow, and offer flattering smiles in the other’s presence.
Absolutely unacceptable!
“Enough, Brother Chen, let’s enter the water.”
His companion urged softly, “You’ve returned empty-handed for days now. Exercise extreme caution this time, you know the steward’s temper…”
Chen Tong reluctantly withdrew his gaze, gritting out, “Fine, we descend.”
Despite his cultivation base, the whip marks on his back throbbed with lingering pain, fueling his humiliation and fury.

Far below the surface, Ling Changqing had calmly descended dozens of yards to the seabed.
The Water Repelling Talisman against his chest emitted faint golden light, synergizing with his third-layer Water Control Art to withstand the immense oceanic pressure, preserving his mobility.

Jagged black reefs came into view, dense seaweed shimmering with iridescent hues as diverse marine creatures drifted leisurely nearby.
This seemingly beautiful, tranquil underwater realm concealed lurking lethality. Deadly threats could emerge without warning, leaving pearl divers utterly vulnerable. Therefore, Ling Changqing did not dare to be the slightest bit careless, his mind constantly tense as he vigilantly monitored every rustle and movement around him.

A short blade, a primary-grade artifact, one Water Escape Talisman, two Heavy Armor Talismans, two Thunder Control Talismans, and several Sealing Talismans, all of which were low-grade Talismans.
In addition, there was the silver-threaded net wrapped around his waist and a healing Pill hidden in his bosom. These were all the possessions Ling Changqing carried.

Compared to the unpredictable dangers of the underwater world, Ling Changqing’s limited cultivation and methods were insufficient to guarantee his safety.
If a ferocious sea beast targeted him, even the slightest misstep could leave him devoured without a trace of bone left!

Yet, this was the fate of all pearl divers.
From their first dive, most pearl divers would meet their end at the bottom of the sea within a few years to over a decade, with very few able to retire peacefully.
Of course, Ling Changqing now had some confidence. As long as he didn’t deliberately court death, it shouldn’t be difficult to survive until he could leave this place safely.

With the aid of the Water Control Art, Ling Changqing’s body floated lightly in the seawater, darting through countless oddly shaped reefs like a swimming fish.
At the base of those reefs, he occasionally spotted dark caves of varying sizes, exuding a bone-chilling, eerie aura that was indescribably unsettling.
Ling Changqing calmed his mind and swam unhurriedly, carefully sensing and distinguishing the auras among the many caves, searching for traces of the Bathing Sand Clam.

The Bathing Sand Clam was the seabed mollusk that nurtured the Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl. It was inherently alert and cunning, adept at camouflage and concealment. Although it didn’t quite qualify as a first-tier demon beast, it was still difficult to detect and capture in the underwater environment.

The Ling family’s higher-ups had considered artificially breeding these creatures to ensure a steady and abundant supply of Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls, but despite repeated efforts, they ultimately failed.

Any Bathing Sand Clam that had its pearl harvested once would never produce a new Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl again.
Subsequently, the Ling family abandoned this idea. Whenever their reserves ran low, they would send the family’s pearl diving teams to risk their lives at sea to meet the family’s needs.

After silently searching for nearly half an hour, relying on his significantly enhanced soul power and an inexplicable intuition, Ling Changqing finally locked onto his target.
It was a cave over three feet in diameter, utterly silent, with only occasional fine bubbles silently emerging.

If nothing went wrong, an adult Bathing Sand Clam should be hiding inside. With a bit of luck, there might even be two or three?
Of course, if his judgment was wrong and he stumbled into the nest of some deep-sea blood python, it would be like delivering himself as a meal.

Many inexperienced and unlucky pearl divers in the past had lost their lives in such a muddled manner.
Ling Changqing leaned against the cave entrance for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning up, down, left, and right, familiarizing himself with the surrounding terrain, especially watching for any other pearl divers approaching his territory.
He had no intention of letting someone else snatch his hard-earned harvest at the critical moment.

Gripping his weapon tightly, Ling Changqing slowly entered through the cave entrance. The light from the Water Repelling Talisman illuminated the uneven, wrinkled cave walls, where occasional clumps of fuzzy seaweed could be seen.
The icy, piercing seawater flowed past his sides as he gradually ventured deeper. After searching nearly a hundred feet, Ling Changqing finally discovered the hiding place of the Bathing Sand Clam. Half-buried in the thick gray-black sea sand was a sea clam the size of a human head, faintly shimmering with a golden-red luster and emitting a faint aura of baleful energy.

Moreover, according to Ling Changqing’s intuition, this Sand-Bathing Sea Clam contained a Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl, ensuring he wouldn’t be disappointed after all.

Ling Changqing let out a soft sigh. In his memories from his first year as a pearl diver, misjudgments were commonplace. Even when he managed to find an adult Sand-Bathing Sea Clam, the slightest carelessness could allow it to escape.
Alternatively, after finally catching a Sand-Bathing Sea Clam, it might turn out to be completely empty, with no trace of a Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl inside.
His current smooth progress was largely due to the enhancement of his soul power and a significant increase in his luck and fortune, resulting in unusually good fortune and rare failures.

At this moment, the Sand-Bathing Sea Clam seemed unaware that its doom was imminent. Its hard shell opened and closed slightly, silently releasing strings of fine bubbles.
Without hesitation, Ling Changqing took out a sealing talisman, locked onto the sea clam’s aura, and channeled his spiritual power.

“Buzz'”
A dark red light net flashed by. Before the Sand-Bathing Sea Clam could react, the sealing talisman was firmly attached to the surface of its shell.

Immediately after, a silver-woven net descended, tightly restraining it and leaving it unable to move. The entire sequence of actions was executed seamlessly.