Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 9

The miserable fate of the three unlucky souls didn’t cause the slightest ripple in Ling Changqing’s emotions, he simply regarded it as entertainment.

After the migrating group of second-tier demon beasts had moved far away, Ling Changqing slowly emerged from beneath the seaweed and continued his search for the Bathing Sand Clams.

More than two hours later, Ling Changqing returned fully loaded. Grasping the rope ladder, he skillfully climbed onto the foredeck of the sea vessel.

Then, in front of Ling Zifeng and the white-robed elder, he retrieved exactly twenty high-quality Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls from his storage pouch, along with several Moonlight Barnacles and over ten stalks of Cloud Pearl Grass.

Naturally, Ling Zifeng was beaming with joy. Ling Changqing’s performance had undoubtedly surpassed that of the most experienced and highly cultivated pearl divers, making him the top performer under his command.

“Excellent, you’ve already completed the task of thirty pearls. Keep up the good work with the remaining ones!”

Ling Zifeng said with a laugh.

Ling Changqing politely expressed his thanks and gifted the remaining Moonlight Barnacles and Cloud Pearl Grass to Ling Zifeng as bonuses.

Many of the pearl divers who had already returned wore gloomy expressions, but none dared to say anything.

Ling Changqing swept a cold glance over them before turning to leave.

If one’s life is as insignificant as an ant, they should expect to toil like a beast of burden; if one’s fate is as fragile as paper, they ought to know how to flatter and curry favor. If jealousy could change destiny, what would be the point of hard work?

However, Ling Zifeng’s behavior of “stirring up resentment” for him quietly allowed the Epoch Star Palace to harvest more soul essence.

Over time, Ling Changqing’s soul would grow increasingly powerful.

As night fell, all the surviving pearl divers gradually returned, while those who had met with misfortune would never come back.

The deaths of Chen Tong and his two companions, along with five or six other pearl divers who failed to return, caused no stir in Ling Zifeng’s regard. Only the white-robed elder Tian Wenhu patted the Jade Slip roster in his hand and murmured softly:
“The rate of manpower loss is rather alarming. We must quickly dispatch the newly recruited pearl divers tomorrow; otherwise, we won’t be able to handle the subsequent tasks of collecting underwater resources…”

Thus, Ling Changqing spent his days diving and working underwater, and his nights cultivating immortality, leading a remarkably fulfilling life.

Within just a few days, the task of collecting one hundred Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls was completed without any major scares, and along the way, Ling Changqing managed to feast on many delicacies from the seafloor.

Compared to the other struggling pearl divers, Ling Changqing not only performed exceptionally well and earned the most spirit stones, but his cultivation progress was also visibly rapid.

One evening, the emissary of the Ling Family head arrived once again.

Ling Zifeng had all the pearl divers herded into the ship’s cabins beforehand, ordering them not to appear randomly to avoid offending the emissary.

Only Ling Changqing was kept behind, dressed in fresh clothes, to welcome the emissary alongside the white-robed elder and a few other Ling Family disciples.

A magnificent flying boat, several zhang in length and gleaming with treasure light, swiftly approached from the horizon. It slowed as it drew near, eventually hovering above the sea vessel.

A beautiful woman in a goose-yellow dress, with features as lovely as flowers and the moon and a graceful figure, emerged from the flying boat. She descended as if riding the wind, landing steadily on the foredeck. Eighth level of Qi refining?

Moreover, her entire body radiated a brilliant glow, from her dress and accessories to her jade pendants, rings, and sachets, all seemed to be artifacts of decent grade.

With just one glance, Ling Changqing understood that this beautiful woman was no ordinary figure. As a trusted aide by the family head’s side, her strength was naturally not lacking.

Behind her followed two fair-skinned, bright-eyed maids in white dresses, both at the third level of Qi refining, their clothing also being low-grade artifacts.

“…Steward Qiuyao, you’ve arrived?”

Ling Zifeng stepped forward, cupping his hands with a smile. This was Tang Qiuyao, the family head’s confidante.

The two were clearly acquainted from before, so Ling Zifeng’s tone was relatively casual.

Tang Qiuyao nodded slightly, her mellow and pleasant voice ringing out: “Have the pearls been collected? The family head is waiting to start the alchemy furnace!”

“It’s all done, and we’ve even gathered over a hundred more than agreed upon. Please verify.”

As he spoke, Ling Zifeng took out a storage bag and handed it over.

Tang Qiuyao extended her fair jade-like hand, gracefully accepting it. After a brief inspection, she nodded in satisfaction.

“Well done, Steward Ling. You’ve worked hard. The family head will surely be pleased when she finds out.”

A hint of a smile appeared in Tang Qiuyao’s beautiful eyes. With the mission successfully completed, she wouldn’t face any reprimands upon her return.

“Then, regarding the next matter… does the family head have any further instructions?”

Ling Zifeng pondered for a moment before asking. In recent years, the Ling family’s external situation had been far from optimistic, and the higher-ups undoubtedly needed to prepare for rainy days.

Whenever a major conflict loomed, stockpiling various resources became a top priority, no sensible leader would overlook this.

Tang Qiuyao replied, “The family head does have arrangements. This time, I’ve brought a list of undersea resources specified by her. Take a look?”

As she spoke, she retrieved a Jade Slip from the storage bag at her waist and handed it over.

Ling Zifeng took it and skimmed through it quickly, frowning. “The quantity and variety are excessive. With the limited manpower I have and the high casualty rates, I’m afraid…”

The high mortality rate among the family’s pearl divers was common knowledge.

Given the resource list Tang Qiuyao presented, it seemed that even if all of Ling Zifeng’s pearl divers perished on the seabed, the task might still remain unfinished.

Tang Qiuyao said gently, “The family head understands your difficulties. She has permitted you to recruit more rogue cultivators for the work. Don’t worry about the required spirit stones and talismans, the family will allocate them to you on time.”

“That’s a relief.”

Ling Zifeng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could recruit enough manpower, completing the task on time shouldn’t be too difficult.

Moreover, with such a large-scale operation, if he could execute it flawlessly, securing a promotion afterward would become much easier.

After conversing a while longer, Tang Qiuyao prepared to take her leave.

“Wait a moment,”
Ling Zifeng quickly said, pulling Ling Changqing forward. “This is a young talent I’ve taken a liking to. Could I trouble Steward Qiuyao to take him to the family bank and help him secure a loan under my guarantee…”

“A loan?”

Tang Qiuyao turned around, carefully examining the handsome, clear-eyed youth in the blue robe before her. A trace of surprise flickered in her beautiful eyes: “This young man looks quite promising. For you to show him such favor, he must have something extraordinary about him, right?”

“Indeed…” Ling Zifeng briefly explained Ling Changqing’s situation.

Tang Qiuyao nodded her graceful head and agreed: “Since that’s the case, young one, you shall accompany me on this trip!”

“Yes, thank you, Steward!”

Ling Changqing bowed respectfully and accepted.

Thus, Tang Qiuyao brought Ling Changqing into the flying boat. This magical artifact immediately ascended and accelerated, heading toward the land at the edge of their vision.

The interior cabin of the flying boat seemed to be equipped with a small formation array, making the spiritual energy within the space quite abundant.

After some thought, Ling Changqing retrieved ten Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearls from his storage pouch, along with twenty Moonlight Barnacles, and presented them to Tang Qiuyao.

“A humble gift to show my respect, I hope the Steward won’t mind,” he said quietly.

“…”
Tang Qiuyao looked at him in surprise, somewhat amused: “I never expected you to have so many things hidden away? Does Steward Ling know about this?”

Ling Changqing explained: “He certainly knows. I only did this after obtaining his permission.”

Tang Qiuyao nodded reservedly: “Very well, then I shall accept them. You’re quite an interesting young fellow.”

Ling Changqing offered a few more compliments before retreating to a corner of the cabin with permission, sitting down to meditate with his eyes slightly closed, speaking no more.

Given their vastly different statuses and cultivation gaps, it was better to speak and interact less to avoid unintended consequences.

However, after secretly communicating with the Epoch Star Palace for a moment, the vacant spot for a benefactor had already been filled with Tang Qiuyao’s name. The extraction of her shadow aura was completed autonomously by the Epoch Star Palace, the entire process proceeding smoothly without incident.

Moreover, this ability worked subtly and wouldn’t show immediate effects, it would take some time.

Perhaps in one or two months, Tang Qiuyao would find this young man quite pleasing to the eye and feel more congenial toward him.

As long as no conflicts of interest arose between them, she wouldn’t develop any harmful intentions toward Ling Changqing and might even casually offer him some small favors.

The flying boat moved swiftly, entering the core territory of the Ling family in less than half an hour.

Looking out through the portholes, they occasionally saw patrol flying boats passing by, all carrying Ling family cultivators.

The land below was crisscrossed with paths, villages, towns, and cities visible everywhere, densely populated. The Ling family had painstakingly developed this area for hundreds of years to achieve their current foundation.

The Ling family’s main residence was located in the core area of Zen Heart Island, nourished by two second-order spiritual veins underground, making this the location with the best feng shui and most abundant spiritual energy within thousands of miles.

The family’s main residence was built magnificently and imposingly, covering an extremely vast area like an independent palace city.

In terms of exquisite luxury and masterful craftsmanship, even the imperial palaces of mortal dynasties couldn’t compare.

“We’ve arrived.”
Tang Qiuyao’s voice sounded: “I’ll go report to the family head first. You wait here!”

Ling Changqing acknowledged and remained on the flying boat practicing meditation, while Tang Qiuyao left with two maidservants.