Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 158 - 126: The Legend of the Child of Destiny

Changqing Continent.

This vast continent, born a mere decade ago, was crossed by several large, east-west mountain ranges. The main ranges, in turn, gave rise to numerous smaller, branching mountain chains.

Usually accompanying these mountain ranges were all sorts of rare Spirit Ore resources, along with a multitude of Spirit Vein Blessed Lands of varying sizes, Spiritual Springs, and Spirit Lakes.

The plains and hills between the mountains, in particular, could be developed into vast Spirit Fields, orchards, Pastures, and Forest Gardens, as long as they were nourished by a Rank One Spirit Vein.

As for land nourished by a Second Grade Spirit Vein, it could be turned into Medicinal Gardens and mountainsides for cultivating precious Spirit Medicine and Spiritual Herbs.

The various types of Spirit Rice and Spirit Grain that served as the staple food for Cultivators; the Spirit Fruits and Flowers used for winemaking and concocting medicines; and the Spirit Beasts raised as livestock and poultry.

And Spirit Wood, which could be used for Refining Magical Artifacts and high-end furniture—all of these were resources in extremely high demand in the lower to middle tiers of the Cultivation Realm.

In the plains between the mountains, hundreds of thousands of able-bodied mortals were hard at work, directed and assisted by several hundred Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators.

After more than a month of their continuous labor, hundreds of thousands of acres of newly cleared Spirit Fields had been successfully sown, and young shoots were already sprouting.

Meanwhile, even more Spirit Fields, orchards, medicinal mountains, and pastures were being developed across Changqing Continent. No land nourished by a Spirit Vein would be left idle.

From high in the Celestial Vault, a Flying Ship wreathed in Spiritual Light drifted gracefully closer, slowly descending as it drew near.

"...This place has excellent feng shui!"

On the foredeck of the Flying Ship, Ling Changqing, clad in magnificent purple robes and possessing an air of noble grace, leaned against the white jade railing.

His warm and gentle gaze surveyed the surrounding terrain and the extent of the Spirit Vein's coverage.

Miles away, a great river hundreds of feet wide meandered past, branching into numerous tributaries. Cultivators had diverted its living, Spiritual Qi-infused waters to irrigate the nearby Spirit Fields.

Reservoirs converted from natural lakes, along with a system of canals and waterwheels for irrigation, were all in place. When necessary, Cultivators would periodically visit to perform the Cloud Rain Technique, ensuring the normal growth of the Spirit Rice crops.

"Excellent? It's more than just excellent! Compared to a place like Zenxin Island, this is a hundred times better!"

Qin Yun's soft, enchanting voice rang out.

This stunningly beautiful woman, as graceful as she was alluringly foxy, was dressed in a bright red gown today. Her hair was swept up in a high coiffure, adorned with a shimmering, tasseled golden hairpin. Her fair, jade-like face was free of makeup, yet it did nothing to diminish her soul-stirring beauty.

With light, graceful steps, she walked over and took Ling Changqing's arm, speaking in a soft, gentle voice.

"Back on Zenxin Island, our Spirit Field acreage was limited and the Spiritual Qi Environment was mediocre. Our annual yield of Spirit Rice and Spirit Grain was less than a thirtieth of what we can produce here, and the quality was poor. It was nowhere near enough to meet the Ling Family's needs."

Even the situation on Longhuan Island was much better than on Zenxin Island. Of course, even those two places combined couldn't compare to the environment here on Changqing Continent.

Beside them, Xue Qingtan, clad in a snow-white Magical Robe that made her look as pure as ice and jade, smiled and pursed her lips. Her gaze drifted toward the vast, untamed lands in the distance as she spoke.

"The Spiritual Qi Environment on Changqing Continent is indeed excellent. Among Golden Core powers, it's already in the highest tier. But to fully develop it, we'll have to keep working hard for several more decades."

"That's only natural." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ling Changqing nodded slightly. 'Managing a foundational territory is no small matter. Besides clearing these Spirit Field Medicinal Gardens, establishing mines, pastures, Marketplaces, and shops, and forming an ocean-faring trade fleet—none of it can be accomplished overnight.'

'Of course, the most important thing is the plan for cultivating new talent within the family. Only with a constant influx of new blood can the family continue to grow and strengthen.'

In Ling Changqing's view, they shouldn't invest too heavily in developing the new territory at this stage. Instead, they should prioritize using their resources to cultivate new talent and enhance the family's strength.

After all, strength was the foundation of their security. If they built up a territory but lacked the power to defend it, they would only be paving the way for others.

Xue Qingtan pondered for a moment, then turned her beautiful head to look at Ling Changqing.

"These Spirit Fields and orchards will have a harvest by the end of this year, but the Medicinal Gardens and mountainsides will take a few more years. Besides, the initial investment is an astronomical sum."

"How are the family's finances this year? Can we hold out? If it's not enough, should we borrow more Spirit Stones from the merchant guilds?"

The various investments required to develop a new territory were enormous. It was like pouring out money like water.

In particular, to compensate for the Ling Family's lack of manpower, they also had to support a force of several thousand Loose Cultivators, as well as those Honored Guest Elders at the Foundation Establishment Level.

As a result, the Ling Family's current monthly expenses were already several hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones for daily necessities alone, not to mention the costs of labor and materials, and it was still rising.

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're the one managing the household.

Ling Changqing wasn't currently managing the household, but having seen and heard so much, he deeply understood the sentiment.

Ling Qiyue's and Tang Qiu Yao's skills at managing the family's affairs were truly impeccable. If someone less capable were in charge, they probably would have been unable to continue long ago.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Sister, but it shouldn't be necessary for now."

Ling Changqing replied with a smile. The numerous resources they had brought back from the Immortal Mansion Ruins last time could, if used sparingly, more or less guarantee the family's finances would break even for the next few years.

The prerequisite was that they didn't get into any large-scale external wars; otherwise, the expenses would be incalculable.

Xue Qingtan's beautiful eyes lingered for a few moments on the graceful, enchanting, and utterly captivating Qin Yun, before she lowered her voice and said to Ling Changqing: