Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 7
The night passed without incident.
At dawn, Ling Changqing, who had been cultivating all night, stepped out of his room and unexpectedly discovered that his soul strength had increased again, from the original 12 to 13.
“It seems… there are even more pearl divers who harbor ill will toward me? As a result, the soul essence passively harvested by the Epoch Star Palace has also increased accordingly?”
Ling Changqing pondered silently. The reason was likely that the news of Ling Zifeng agreeing to vouch for him and lend him cultivation resources had spread.
Such a thing was simply unavoidable. Those fellow bottom-tier pearl divers, who had already lost hope of advancing further, were unlikely to have any goodwill toward a young man like Ling Changqing.
They were all low-level cultivators, struggling to make a living by risking their lives in the depths of the sea. Why should you have the chance to leave this damned place in the future and rise above others?
Whether one understands it or not, this is human nature.
Sure enough, when Ling Changqing arrived on the deck, most of the pearl divers around him cast gloomy glances his way, some even filled with intense jealousy and malice.
Of course, there were also some cultivators whose gazes were fervent, carrying a sense of flattery and ingratiation, especially certain female cultivators.
Ling Changqing sighed inwardly with resignation. Steward Ling Zifeng’s attitude had essentially placed him in the line of fire.
He had originally intended to quietly follow the path of discretion, never expecting to become the focus of these people’s attention so soon.
What would happen next was something anyone with even a modicum of intelligence could guess with reasonable accuracy.
Yet Ling Changqing felt no regret. Those who are not envied are mediocre. He simply preferred to avoid trouble, but he was not afraid of it.
The path of discretion meant staying low-key, cautious, and developing steadily in obscurity, but it did not mean being a perpetual turtle that never sticks its neck out, always seeking to escape from everything.
If one fails to seize an opportunity to change their fate when it presents itself, they deserve to remain at the bottom of society forever, never seeing the light of day.
One must both conceal their brilliance and take decisive action, this is the correct way to walk the path of discretion.
“…Alright, everyone, hurry up and set off. The agreed-upon rewards are the same as yesterday!”
Steward Ling Zifeng instructed in a deep voice.
The pearl divers all acknowledged his orders and moved toward the ship’s side, descending the rope ladders to their small boats, where servants rowed them toward the distant sea.
Ling Changqing intentionally stayed behind until all the other pearl divers had entered the water before instructing the servant on his boat to depart.
“What a cautious and clever young fellow!”
Ling Zifeng, who had witnessed the entire process, smiled and took a large sip from the wine cup beside him.
Tian Wenhu remained calm and asked softly, “Those scoundrels below might harbor ill intentions. Since you’ve decided to lend this young friend a hand, should we intervene in advance?”
“Heh, no need to rush…”
Ling Zifeng chuckled. “The world of cultivation is one of great contention. Some things are ultimately unavoidable, and often, one must face them alone.”
“Whether he truly has the capability to change his fate and fortune remains to be seen.”
“If that’s the case… very well.”
Tian Wenhu swayed his paper fan, lost in thought.
Out on the sea, Ling Changqing deliberately had his boat row farther this time, mainly to avoid the areas where the other pearl divers were active. The sea was unusually calm today, the dark blue waters reflecting the vast, lonely sky. Occasionally, massive birds of prey could be seen swiftly darting across the horizon.
“Young master, shall we stop here?”
The boatman said, “Further out is the deep sea area, where those deadly underwater creatures will become increasingly numerous.”
“Alright.”
Ling Changqing agreed, adjusting the tools on his person before diving into the water and heading toward the depths.
Even with the combined effects of the Water Repelling Talisman and the Water Control Art, it was difficult to completely block out the bone-chilling cold of the seawater. An ordinary mortal’s physique would not last more than three quarters of an hour in such deep-sea conditions before freezing to death.
As the depth increased, the rugged seabed drew closer. Massive clusters of reefs resembled dormant sea beasts, their dark shadows concealing countless deadly creatures, a sight that sent chills down one’s spine.
Ling Changqing touched his waist. Today, he had brought two silver-woven nets and fifteen sealing talismans, which should allow him to capture several more Bathing Sand Clams.
Moreover, these resources were provided by the Ling family and did not require the pearl divers to purchase them out of pocket. However, if they were lost or wasted, a whipping upon return was unavoidable.
Moving his limbs nimbly through the water, Ling Changqing carefully avoided a migrating school of Spiral Scorpion Fish and skirted a large patch of Sand Man-Eating Seaweed. He then paused briefly on a reef to rest and recover his stamina.
The seabed terrain was not only complex but also teeming with unpredictable undercurrents and whirlpools. A moment of carelessness could lead to disaster, not to mention the myriad of bizarre and deadly creatures lurking about. For this reason, Ling Changqing dared not let his guard down for even a moment.
After briefly observing the surrounding terrain, Ling Changqing was about to leave when he noticed a faint indigo glow emanating from a crevice in the reef.
“Is this… a Moonlight Barnacle? What luck!”
Ling Changqing was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile. These creatures were delicious and highly sought after by wealthy cultivators as a premium ingredient. They could replenish vitality, refine spiritual power, and were also a key component in refining certain Elixir Pills.
In the past, the Ling family elders often tasked pearl divers with collecting Moonlight Barnacles. Finding one would earn a reward of sixty spirit sand grains.
Ling Changqing hadn’t been actively searching for them, but since he had stumbled upon some, there was no reason to pass them up. He immediately took out his artifact short knife and set to work, all while remaining vigilant of the movements in the surrounding waters.
He chiseled open the hard crevices in the reef, carefully extracting the fist-sized, pagoda-shaped Moonlight Barnacles one by one and placing them into the silver-woven net.
By the time he finished, the net contained sixteen Moonlight Barnacles, which could be exchanged for over nine low-grade spirit stones.
Ling Changqing stored the short knife and swam away gracefully, reaching the cave at the base of the next reef in just over ten breaths.
Once hidden, he glanced back unintentionally and saw a hideous Sea Monkey leisurely swimming toward the previous reef. Its blood-red eyes scanned the surroundings, and its sharp claws, comparable to artifact-grade weapons, glinted with a chilling gleam.
That was close…
Ling Changqing felt a surge of fear. If he had encountered this second-level demonic beast head-on earlier, his chances of survival would have been slim.
Fortunately, the creature hadn’t detected Ling Changqing’s presence. After lingering for a moment, it swayed its bulky body and swam away.
After waiting a while longer, Ling Changqing finally dared to move again, beginning his search for caves that might conceal Bathing Sand Clams.
“…If only I had a mid-to-high grade artifact sword, then I could directly kill it underwater and retrieve the pearl, saving me the trouble of bringing the entire Bathing Sand Clam back.”
Ling Changqing pondered, but unfortunately, mid-to-high grade magical artifacts weren’t common goods. Low-level cultivators couldn’t afford to equip themselves with such items, otherwise why would they go through all this trouble?
Although Qi refining mid-to-late stage cultivators possessed superior-grade artifacts, given their status, they were unlikely to personally dive into the sea for such laborious work, it would be beneath their dignity.
After a short while, Ling Changqing successfully discovered a cave hiding a Bathing Sand Clam. After repeatedly confirming there was no danger, he cautiously entered to search.
When he left the cave, the silver-thread net tied around his waist now contained a clam the size of a human head, faintly shimmering with a golden-red glow.
Time passed quietly…
By the time Ling Changqing had used up all his sealing talismans, though not without some close calls, over two hours had passed. The two silver-thread nets were now stuffed with ten Bathing Sand Clams.
There were also various miscellaneous harvests like Cloud Pearl Grass, Moonlight Barnacles, and Purple Blood Sea Flowers, all trophies he had discovered along the way.
Feeling his spiritual power nearing exhaustion, Ling Changqing didn’t hesitate any longer. He immediately took out and consumed the Spirit Returning Pill, then quietly began regulating his breathing.
The gentle medicinal effect transformed into a warm current that flowed through his organs and meridians, revitalizing his exhausted body and mind.
Looking at his harvest, Ling Changqing felt a slight regret. Wouldn’t bringing all this back be too ostentatious? It completely contradicted his principle of maintaining a low profile.
He could ignore the opinions of the other pearl divers, but what if Steward Ling Zifeng had other ideas upon seeing such exaggerated results?
Although the mysterious influence of the Epoch Star Palace ensured Ling Zifeng wouldn’t develop any malicious intentions toward him, he still shouldn’t be too conspicuous.
After weighing his options, Ling Changqing finally made a decision. Besides the Bathing Sand Clams that needed to be brought back, he would simply consume all the remaining harvest right here in the sea.
This way, he wouldn’t draw too much attention while simultaneously enhancing his cultivation, striving for an early breakthrough.
About half an hour later, a satiated Ling Changqing swam toward the sea surface.
Although the raw ingredients didn’t taste particularly good, his internal organs were filled with a rich, warm energy, creating an indescribably comfortable warmth.
Actually, the compensation offered by Steward Ling Zifeng was significantly different from the standard market prices.
However, as a family pearl diver, he had no say in the matter and wasn’t allowed to privately hoard his findings, discovery would result in severe punishment.
That’s why Ling Changqing chose to consume them himself. After all, what’s already eaten and digested couldn’t be detected by someone of Ling Zifeng’s capabilities.
When he surfaced, Ling Changqing found the small boat was quite far from him. He waited for a while before finally boarding.
“Young master Ling, you… you this…”
The two servants manning the boat were startled when they saw the filled silver-thread nets beside him, even stammering as they spoke.
“Don’t be surprised, hurry back! The steward is watching!”
Ling Changqing whispered. Now that they were on the surface, he no longer needed to worry about others having any ideas.
The servants nodded and rowed the boat toward the distant ship.
Shortly after, when Ling Changqing returned to the ship’s deck with his harvest, nearly everyone was stunned.
“…Bastard! How could he bring back so many? This… how is this possible?”
“Unbelievable, is he really just a second-layer Qi refining cultivator?”
“This kid… he’s simply, simply a freak!”
“Damn it, I can’t take this anymore, why should he…”
“Be careful, don’t let the steward hear you…”
……
The envious and jealous discussions among the pearl divers rose and fell like waves. Some individuals had bloodshot eyes – if Steward Ling hadn’t been present on site, they probably would have lost control and taken action.
“Alright, let’s open them up and take a look!”
Ling Zifeng instructed with a smile. Several Ling family disciples acknowledged and approached with their artifact knives.
As they pried open the Sand-bathing Clams one by one, none of them turned out empty-handed.
Finally, ten Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls of excellent quality and radiant brilliance lay on the jade plate before Ling Zifeng, making him beam with delight.
“Young man, your performance has been excellent, truly remarkable!”
Ling Zifeng patted Ling Changqing’s shoulder while speaking cheerfully. After a moment’s hesitation, he retrieved a sparkling short sword from his storage pouch.
“Take this. It’s a medium-grade artifact, temporarily lent to you for now. Don’t disappoint me!”
Ling Zifeng said as he placed the short sword in Ling Changqing’s hand.
“Thank you for your generous favor, Steward!”
Hearing that it was only a temporary loan, Ling Changqing couldn’t help feeling somewhat disappointed, but he quickly came to terms with it.
Medium-grade magical artifacts weren’t common goods. Even for someone of Ling Zifeng’s status, they were quite precious. The fact that he was willing to lend it to him was already an unexpected gain.