Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 122 - 108: Qin Yun: She Also Wants to Make Progress...
Longhuan Island.
Inside the Spirit Vein Cave Mansion, Ling Changqing sat in a grandmaster’s chair with a serene expression. He wore a magnificent purple robe adorned with patterns of stars and clouds, his eyes as dark as polished lacquer, his bearing noble and graceful.
Sitting not far from him were Qin Yun, Ling Bingyun, and Tang Qiu Yao. All three women were dressed in their finest, looking absolutely radiant.
Ling Bingyun, tall and curvaceous in a crimson dress, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, seemed distracted. Her limpid eyes kept drifting toward Ling Changqing.
’Come to think of it, when I first met him, his cultivation was weaker than mine. Now, he’s already reached Foundation Establishment before me, and his foundation is incredibly solid. His potential is still immense.’
Many within the family now speculated that in a few decades, or perhaps a century, the Ling Family’s next Golden Core Master would very likely be Ling Changqing.
Ling Bingyun wasn’t sure how to feel. ’Trying to follow in his footsteps,’ she thought, ’is only going to get more and more difficult from now on.’
"...Changqing, do you think Elder Tianhe will succeed?"
Tang Qiu Yao looked at Ling Changqing with her strikingly clear eyes and asked in a gentle voice.
After the Xingyun sun Commerce Association delivered all the necessary resources, Elder Tianhe wasted no time, immediately entering cultivation in seclusion to make an all-out attempt at breaking through to the Core Formation Realm.
Ling Qiyue had therefore arranged for Ling Changqing, Tang Qiu Yao, and Qin Yun to stand guard during his attempt.
Ling Changqing paused in thought before speaking in a low voice, "That’s hard to say. Elder Tianhe should... at least be able to become a Pseudo Core master, right?"
Ling Tianhe didn’t have much of his lifespan left, his Spirit Root Talent was unremarkable, and his vitality and lifeblood were already in decline. Logically, it was highly unlikely he would succeed in Core Formation; at best, he could only hope to reach the Pseudo Core stage.
In fact, if the family weren’t in such desperate need of manpower, Ling Qiyue would have been reluctant to provide him with the Core Formation Resources. After all, the investment was immense.
But aside from Elders Ling Tianhe and Ling Tianque, the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Ling Family had only broken through in recent years. None had even reached the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, so there was simply no one else to choose from.
Tang Qiu Yao nodded gently. "That would be good enough. Given the grim situation the family is facing externally, having even one more Pseudo Core master would be a great help."
If a Pseudo Core master were holding down the fort at the family headquarters, their security would increase significantly, and Ling Qiyue could lead expeditions with her mind at ease.
Qin Yun chuckled softly, her plump, lustrous lips parting slightly. "Sister Qiuyao, your cultivation is advancing so quickly. You must be close to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, aren’t you?"
Tang Qiu Yao smiled. "Oh, that’s still a long way off. I’m in no rush."
’With my Spirit Root Talent, I normally wouldn’t even dream of reaching the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment without at least twenty or thirty years of arduous cultivation.’
’But ever since I started Dual Cultivation with Ling Changqing, I’ve found my cultivation speed has subtly accelerated by a great deal. Could it be a boost from his Qi and Fate Chart?’
Naturally, this development didn’t escape the notice of women like Qin Yun. Over time, the beautiful woman felt she had begun to vaguely grasp the truth of the matter.
Qin Yun’s gaze shifted, lingering on Ling Bingyun for a moment as she mused silently, ’This girl of mine is already at the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation. Breaking through to the 9th Floor in the future shouldn’t be too hard.’
’But aiming for Foundation Establishment... that won’t be nearly as easy. Unless... unless Ling Changqing is willing to lend her a hand.’
’Unfortunately, Tang Qiu Yao used her status, position, and superior cultivation to get in first, becoming Ling Changqing’s official Dao Companion. How could Ling Bingyun possibly compete with her?’
’Or perhaps... I could find a way to persuade Tang Qiu Yao to allow Ling Bingyun to become his concubine? But that would be doing my daughter a great injustice.’
Of course, Qin Yun had ambitions of her own. She wanted to advance, too.
’Originally, reaching Foundation Establishment was my life’s greatest wish. But now... isn’t there a place for me among the Pseudo Core masters?’
"Sister Qiuyao, when you have a moment some other day, how about I host a dinner for you and the Patriarch?"
After some deliberation, Qin Yun finally sent a secret voice transmission to Tang Qiu Yao.
"???"
Tang Qiu Yao’s fine brows furrowed slightly. Her gaze shifted to Qin Yun, then flickered to the handsome young man in purple beside her. In an instant, she understood most of what was being implied.
"Well, as for that... as long as the Patriarch has no objection, then of course it’s fine!"
Tang Qiu Yao smiled, her expression reserved as she replied.
"Then it’s settled!"
Qin Yun breathed a sigh of relief. A reply like that meant there was still room for negotiation.
’So what if I’m just a concubine? As long as I can stay by Ling Changqing’s side, official titles and status don’t really matter anymore.’
Ling Bingyun gazed at the handsome, purple-robed young man across from her with a complicated expression. She understood her mother’s intentions, of course. ’If this works out, then in the future, I’ll be... ’
Ling Changqing, looking thoughtful, offered her a slight smile. A blush crept up Ling Bingyun’s fair, lovely face, and she lowered her head, remaining silent.
...
Off the coast of the Changqing Continent.
In the vast, desolate Celestial Vault, a dark cyan Flying Ship over a hundred feet long lay hidden deep within the clouds. Like a venomous snake in the shadows, it coldly watched the newly formed continent below.
At present, the skies above the Changqing Continent were wracked with lightning and thunder. The climate was volatile, and with constant earthquakes and tsunamis, it remained a perilous region where ordinary people could not survive.
However, the Ling Family had already established numerous observation points and temporary outposts on the New Continent, arranging for their cultivators to stand watch in shifts.
Any outside cultivators who dared to trespass on the Changqing Continent were discovered immediately and driven away.
Bloodshed was, of course, unavoidable. In the days that had passed, countless outside cultivators had been killed or wounded.
Sometimes, Ling Qiyue would even patrol the area herself. Whenever she saw an unfamiliar face, she would slaughter them on the spot—no questions asked—and hang their corpses up as a public warning!
