Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 8

  Ling Changqing’s outstanding performance had convinced Ling Zifeng that he was worth further investment and cultivation.

  Tian Wenhu understood this perfectly well. With this mid-grade artifact in hand, Ling Changqing’s combat power would undoubtedly see a significant improvement. Moreover, this gesture clearly demonstrated Ling Zifeng’s stance.

  Those with ill intentions would have to think twice before attempting to scheme against Ling Changqing.

  Of course, Ling Changqing’s cultivation at the second layer of Qi refining was still somewhat low, and he might not be able to fully unleash the short sword’s lethal potential. Therefore, he needed to break through to the next realm as soon as possible.

  Along with the other pearl divers, Ling Changqing queued up to receive his day’s payment: three hundred spirit sands, equivalent to three low-grade spirit stones, plus ten Family Merit Points.

  The Family Merit Points were recorded in an artifact-grade Jade Slip. Ling Changqing’s accumulated merit points now exceeded four hundred, which could be considered a modest but not insignificant fortune.

  Taking the Jade Slip from Tian Wenhu, Ling Changqing expressed his thanks before turning to leave.

  This time, instead of heading straight back to his room, he went to the trading area, intending to purchase some Talismans for self-protection.

  Whether he liked it or not, Ling Changqing had now earned the resentment of many pearl divers. Thus, he had no choice but to do everything in his power to strengthen himself, leaving no opportunity for those with malicious intentions to take advantage.

  Trading Area.

  “Young master Ling, here to buy something again?” The shopkeeper of the Talismans store greeted him with a cheerful smile, his attitude quite enthusiastic.

  All the shops inside the sea vessel, including the brothels and taverns, were Ling family properties. Therefore, a large portion of the spirit stones the pearl divers risked their lives to obtain ultimately ended up back in the Ling family’s pockets.

  “I need a few protective Talismans, as well as Water Escape Talismans, Mystic Ice Talismans, and Thunder Talismans. Please give me several of each…”

  As he spoke, Ling Changqing took out the spirit stones he had saved up from his storage pouch.

  “Of course, of course. If you’re buying in bulk, young master, I can even offer you a discount,” the shopkeeper said with an unwavering smile, placing several stacks of glowing Talismans on the table for him to choose from.

  Ling Changqing smiled faintly to himself. It seemed these shopkeepers were well-informed. Yesterday, when he had come to buy things, he hadn’t received such treatment.

  Today, with Steward Ling Zifeng’s recognition, their attitudes had shifted slightly.

  In the end, after selecting the Talismans and paying, Ling Changqing left. The spirit stones and spirit sands he had saved up were now almost entirely spent.

  However, Ling Changqing had no regrets. No amount of external wealth could compare to his own safety. What was the point of hoarding spirit stones if he wasn’t willing to spend them? Wouldn’t that just benefit the scoundrels who might try to rob him in the future?

  As long as he could ensure his own safety, his cultivation would continue to improve, and earning more spirit stones wouldn’t be difficult. Such a choice was not hard to understand.

  Returning to his room inside the ship’s cabin, Ling Changqing locked the door securely, consumed a Qi Replenishing Essence Pill, and resumed his cultivation.

  The night passed quietly.

  As the sky gradually brightened, Ling Changqing opened his eyes on his bed and, as expected, discovered that his cultivation had broken through the second layer of Qi refining and officially stepped into the third layer.

Yesterday at the seabed, he had consumed quite a few valuable resources, and with the aid of the Elixir Pill, Ling Changqing finally succeeded in breaking through his cultivation realm.

  In his sea of consciousness, a mysterious and profound message silently emerged:

  [Lord of the Epoch Star Palace: Ling Changqing]

  [Bone Age: 14]

  [Cultivation: Qi refining Level 3]

  [Fate: 15+87]

  [Fortune: 15+64]

  [Physique: 11]

  [Bone Structure: 10]

  [Comprehension: 11]

  [Spirit Soul: 15]

  [Primary Cultivation Technique: Water Control Art (Level 3) ??????]

  [Spiritual Root: Lower Human Grade, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]

  [Benefactor: Ling Zifeng]

  [Benefactor: ?]

  All his key physical attributes had significantly improved, especially his Fate and Fortune, with even the shadowy numbers following the plus signs showing an increase.

  Only his Spiritual Root grade had yet to show any change, perhaps the conditions for advancement had not yet been met?

  Compared to before his breakthrough, the total amount and purity of his spiritual power had notably increased by roughly forty percent.

  Those direct descendants of the Ling Clan had access to superior cultivation techniques, scriptures, and resources, so their power boost upon breaking through must be even greater, right?

  Ling Changqing pondered thoughtfully. The cultivation technique he practiced was still too inferior. It seemed imperative to acquire a better cultivation method and scripture; otherwise, the gap between him and the Ling Clan’s direct descendants would only widen.

  Of course, for now, having advanced one cultivation level, his strength and fortune had improved, which was still a cause for celebration.

  It was worth noting that the Epoch Star Palace’s special ability, “Benefactor,” now had another vacant slot, meaning Ling Changqing could designate another cultivator for protection.

  However, the target’s cultivation could only be up to the peak of Qi refining for now, as it still couldn’t influence cultivators at the Foundation Establishment level.

  After some thought, Ling Changqing decided to wait a bit longer. He needed to find someone sufficiently significant first.

  Moreover, this mysterious ability wasn’t all-powerful, it could only function if there were no conflicts of interest between him and the target.

  After organizing his belongings, Ling Changqing got up, left the room, carefully locked the door, and headed to the dining hall for a meal.

  Once the meal was over, the pearl divers gathered on the deck. Ling Zifeng immediately noticed the blue-robed youth whose aura and spirit had clearly changed.

  “Hmm? Young man, have you broken through to Qi refining Level 3? Not bad, not bad!”

  Ling Zifeng chuckled with a hint of surprise. It seemed this kid truly had some luck, justifying the high regard he had for him.

  “Just by chance, and thanks to your favor, Steward!”

  Ling Changqing replied with a smile. In a way, this Ling Clan steward was indeed his benefactor, and maintaining a good long-term relationship with him was essential.

  Ling Zifeng nodded, looking increasingly satisfied. “Alright, keep working hard. I look forward to your future performance.”

  With that, he cast a meaningful glance over the pearl divers and said indifferently: “The same goes for all of you. As long as you perform well and refrain from scheming, the clan will not be stingy with rewards! Understood?”

  “Yes, Steward!”

  No matter how much jealousy and resentment they harbored inside, the pearl divers could only lower their heads and comply meekly.

  Ling Zifeng waved his hand, signaling everyone to start diving and working.

  Ling Changqing once again stayed behind until last, only setting off unhurriedly after all the other pearl divers had entered the water. In the bone-chilling seawater, the Water Repelling Talisman on his chest emitted a faint golden glow. Combined with the three layers of Water Control Art, it blocked most of the cold, sinister aura.

  After his cultivation breakthrough, Ling Changqing found it much easier to swim in the sea, no longer needing to hold his breath in constant fear as before.

  This was the confidence brought by increased strength. It was easy to imagine that as his cultivation continued to grow in the future, this confidence would only become stronger.

  Soon, Ling Changqing noticed his spiritual sense had become sharper, his instinct for danger more acute, allowing him to silently avoid several areas where dangerous sea creatures lurked.

  The complex seabed terrain teemed with countless bizarre life forms thriving here. Vast stretches of rugged, treacherous black reef clusters stood silently like underwater mountain ranges.

  Ling Changqing quietly paddled through the water, passing schools of brightly colored fish, menacing strange crabs, and slowly drifting giant kelp forests as he swam toward the base of a reef cluster.

  Within moments, he successfully discovered a cave hidden beneath a reef where sand-bathing clams dwelled. After confirming no abnormalities in the surroundings, he slipped inside with practiced ease.

  This time, he found only one sand-bathing clam inside. After probing it and confirming the presence of a Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl, Ling Changqing immediately deployed the sealing talisman.

  Moreover, now that he possessed a mid-grade artifact, he didn’t need to bring the entire clam back. Directly drawing the gleaming short sword, he channeled his spiritual power and thrust it precisely into the seam.

  With a flash of dazzling sword light, the razor-sharp blade easily pierced the hard shell, dealing a fatal blow to this quasi-demonic beast.

  Accompanied by a sharp, faint shriek, a slight stinging sensation vaguely reached his mind, though it no longer affected Ling Changqing.

  After a few breaths, a Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl emitting magnificent light and shadows appeared before him, which he promptly grabbed.

  He had to admit, this kind of smooth, satisfying harvest… felt truly wonderful!

  If there was any imperfection, it was that this mid-grade artifact’s consumption was slightly excessive, instantly depleting nearly half of Ling Changqing’s spiritual power.

  After meditating briefly to recover, Ling Changqing rose and left to search for the next suitable target.

  Unknowingly, over an hour slipped by.

  Ling Changqing’s storage pouch now contained eleven additional Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls, along with a large haul of Moonlight Barnacles, Cloud Pearl Grass, and Thorny Conches from his silver-mesh net.

  Especially the Thorny Conch meat, which had the effect of rapidly restoring spiritual power. Regardless of the taste, Ling Changqing chose to eat them all raw.

  Suddenly, Ling Changqing’s expression shifted slightly as he concealed himself behind a turtle resembling a small hill.

  Several dozen yards ahead, three indistinct figures quietly emerged, drawing closer.

  They were three pearl divers.

  “So, you couldn’t hold back any longer…”

  Ling Changqing sneered inwardly, though he felt no fear.

  As long as it wasn’t an ambush catching him off guard, the current Ling Changqing truly didn’t need to worry much about three lowlifes, at the very least, escaping unscathed wasn’t a problem.

  Covering himself with thick seaweed and suppressing all traces of his aura, Ling Changqing lay in wait motionless, watching as the three pearl divers gradually approached. Clearly, with the target not actively revealing himself, they were destined to find no clues at all, only circling the surrounding waters over and over again.

  “…Damn it, where exactly is that kid hiding?”

  “Not sure, he should be somewhere in this sea area…”

  “I refuse to believe it, the three of us working together can’t even find a mere youngster? He couldn’t have gone far!”

  “…Brother Chen, are we really going to do this? If this gets out, the steward might not be pleased…”

  “Hmph, I don’t intend to kill him. I just want to borrow a few pearls from him to complete our task. If he knows what’s good for him, nothing will happen…”

  “True, we’re already at the bottom of the barrel. Whether the steward is happy or not, let’s just get through this first!”

  …

  The three of them whispered among themselves, unwilling to give up as they circled the area repeatedly.

  Ling Changqing remained quietly hidden, feeling no urgency. His harvest for the day was already enough to satisfy Ling Zifeng.

  He was curious to see how long these three could keep up their futile search. He just hoped they wouldn’t accidentally attract the attention of some formidable sea creature.

  Unexpectedly, in just half a quarter of an hour, a strange, low howl echoed from the distant waters, causing the seabed rocks to tremble faintly.

  “This must be… the migrating school of Deep Sea Soul Nightmare Sharks, right?”

  Ling Changqing’s expression turned grave. He hadn’t anticipated that these elusive deep-sea predators would appear so suddenly and without warning.

  By then, the three pearl divers in the distance had also noticed something amiss. In flashes of light, they hastily activated various Talismans for protection and sped toward the surface.

  But it was already too late. The surrounding waters abruptly churned and boiled as dozens of terrifying shadows of varying sizes surged from the depths, instantly engulfing the three pearl divers.

  By the time the sea calmed again, not even a trace of their bones remained.