Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 36 - 35: Eating Soft Rice?

Naturally, Ling Changqing couldn’t possibly agree to Ling Bingyun’s proposal right now.

But before he could speak, a handsome young man fanning himself with a folding fan squeezed through the crowd, his tone slightly rushed.

"Bingyun, this is no small matter for you. Wouldn’t it be better to consider it more carefully?"

The look he gave Ling Changqing was filled with well-hidden jealousy and hostility. His intentions were obvious.

However, Ling Changqing couldn’t be bothered to even look him in the eye. With a light flick of his sleeve, he said, "Since Miss Bingyun is occupied, perhaps we can speak another day!"

With that, he ignored the beautiful woman’s attempts to stop him, turned, and gracefully departed.

Ling Bingyun’s expression instantly turned cold. "Ling Yang, what is the meaning of this?" she asked, her tone harsh. "Are my affairs any of your business?"

The young man named Ling Yang looked somewhat embarrassed and explained in a low voice,

"Bingyun, I’m just looking out for you. Choosing Dual Cultivation Companions is a matter that affects your entire cultivation path. How can you decide so rashly?"

He had admired Ling Bingyun for a long time, dreaming that one day he could have her as his Dual Cultivation Companion. Unfortunately, his own aptitude was lacking; past the age of thirty, his cultivation was still only at the Qi Cultivation 4th Layer.

Such qualifications would naturally not satisfy the elders supporting Ling Bingyun, so his wish had never been granted.

"Is that so? And what do you think you are?"

Suppressing the fire in her heart, Ling Bingyun said coldly, "I have no interest in arguing with you. You can explain yourself to the Ancestor!"

Several guards with stern expressions silently approached and restrained him without a word.

"Uh, this..."

Ling Yang’s face went pale. He finally realized the gravity of the situation. ’This must be Celestial Harmony Ancestor’s will. I’ve ruined it. How could that Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator possibly spare me?’

But in his eyes, Ling Changqing was nothing but a distant branch disciple before. He had only become a member of the Direct Lineage thanks to the Patriarch’s favor. ’On what grounds could he compare to me, someone from a pure, established line?’

The guards, however, weren’t about to reason with him. They roughly dragged him out of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Ling Changqing continued to stroll about. During this time, several young and beautiful clan women tried to strike up conversations with him, but he tactfully handled them all.

Nearly an hour later, as noon approached, Ling Changqing returned to the lakeside pavilion. Tang Qiu Yao was still there, sitting quietly and sipping her tea.

Her ornate and splendid bright yellow dress outlined a seductive, graceful, and curvaceous figure. The full, swelling bodice and the bottomless, snowy-white ravine beneath her bright red bustier were plain to see.

"You’re back?"

The stunningly beautiful woman set down her teacup, her smile radiant. "I thought you might have taken a liking to one or two of the clan girls. With so many pretty young women here, was there truly not a single one who caught your eye?"

Aside from the two branches of Ling Tianque and Ling Tianhe, which were unsuitable for consideration, Tang Qiu Yao did not object to Ling Changqing interacting with the clan women from other branches.

This was especially true for the Patriarch Ling Qiyue’s own branch, which had several clan women of outstanding character and appearance. If they could grow closer to Ling Changqing, Tang Qiu Yao would naturally be happy to see it.

Ling Changqing shook his head. "I really didn’t feel anything. It’s best not to bring this up again in the future."

’As long as I haven’t reached Foundation Establishment, I’ll never be free. How much say do I even have at the Qi Cultivation Stage? Am I not just a pawn in the eyes of those old-timers?’

Tang Qiu Yao nodded slightly. "Being devoted to the Dao is indeed a good thing. However, if fate comes knocking, there’s no need to deliberately push it away."

"You’re right, Senior Sister."

Ling Changqing nodded and said no more.

「That afternoon」

The small, internal family auction was held as scheduled.

This time, it wasn’t just the younger generation of disciples in attendance; some clan elders who hadn’t been seen in a long time also came, because it was rumored that several Longevity Elixirs would be up for auction.

For those old-timers whose time was running out and had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, the chance to live a few more years was an irresistible temptation.

"...Senior Sister, are most of the Longevity Elixirs here made by the Patriarch herself?"

In a corner of the stands, Ling Changqing secretly communicated with Tang Qiu Yao using his Spiritual Sense.

"Of course,"

Tang Qiu Yao replied discreetly.

"The various Rank Breaking Elixirs for the Late Middle Stage Qi Cultivation, Longevity Elixirs, and even the Second Grade Spirit Pills needed for daily cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage are now almost all personally refined by the Patriarch."

This was the advantage of having a high-level Pill Master presiding over the family. In the past, the Pill Masters cultivated by the Ling Family were of average skill, which meant that high-value elixir resources had to be primarily purchased from outside sources.

As a result, more than half of the family’s annual surplus income ended up lining the pockets of outside merchant guilds and Sects.

After Ling Qiyue took over the family, if nothing else, the supply of high-grade elixirs became much more abundant. This earned her the support of the vast majority of the clan, allowing her to easily consolidate her authority as Patriarch.

It is difficult for Small Clans and Minor Sects to grow and strengthen, and one key reason is their heavy reliance on external purchases for strategic resources. It’s inevitable that they will be constrained and controlled by others.

’From the looks of it, the Ling Family’s hidden strength is far greater than I previously estimated.’

On the surface, the two Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, Ling Tianque and Ling Tianhe, were nearing the end of their lifespans, and the family’s prospects seemed grim. However, with Ling Qiyue around, this was not actually a major problem.

No wonder the surrounding powers were so wary of the Ling Family. With the passage of time, the Ling Family’s power was indeed steadily increasing.

If this continued, even if Ling Qiyue didn’t become a Golden Core Powerhouse, the Ling Family would still produce several more Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators. Suppressing the neighboring powers would be a simple matter.

"It seems with the Patriarch here, the family’s prosperity is just around the corner!"

Ling Changqing remarked with emotion. A high-level Pill Master was an undeniable strategic asset.

With Ling Qiyue’s abilities, her status would not be low even in Major Sects presided over by Nascent Soul Ancestors.

Tang Qiu Yao glanced at the handsome, purple-robed youth beside her and said, "But having a Pill Master isn’t enough. You can’t be lacking the key raw materials for alchemy either! After all, even the most clever housewife can’t cook without rice."

Others might not know, but she understood Ling Qiyue’s predicament. The raw materials for certain High-grade Elixirs were incredibly difficult to gather, especially for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

If this bottleneck could be solved, the number of High-grade Elixirs Ling Qiyue could refine each year would increase by at least two or three times. The positive impact on the family would be self-evident.

Ling Changqing was silent for a moment before replying, "I will do my best to help the Patriarch with this matter."

Due to the perils of the Deep Sea Region, some of the rare resources that grew there were likely the only ownerless treasures not yet controlled by the Major Sects and great powers.

Although they had their own Foundation Establishment and even Golden Core Great Cultivators who traveled to the Deep Sea to explore, the ocean was simply too vast for anyone to completely monopolize its resources.

This was especially true for the regions more than ten thousand fathoms deep, where Great Demon Giant Fiends from the Primordial Era were said to lie dormant. The danger there was so terrifying that not even Nascent Soul or Divinity Transformation Ancestors dared to tread lightly.

A strange light flickered in Tang Qiu Yao’s beautiful eyes. "After the gathering is over," she said in a soft, charming voice, "how about I take you to see the Patriarch to discuss a plan to travel to the Deep Sea?"

’As long as I help Ling Qiyue achieve her goal, my own future benefits will be substantial.’

「A moment later」

A soft pillar of azure light appeared on the high stage in the center of the venue, and the entire hall instantly fell silent.

A clan elder with a dignified expression slowly walked onto the stage. After a brief opening remark, he announced the start of the auction.

The first item was the Qingyuan Cloud Dew Pill, a Rank Breaking Elixir used for the Middle stage Qi Cultivation. It was said that six Qingyuan Cloud Dew Pills would be auctioned off this time.

Compared to market prices, this kind of internal family auction was usually offered at a discount.

"This is something you could use right now. Would you like your Senior Sister to bid on one for you?"

Tang Qiu Yao asked with a charming smile.

Ling Changqing politely declined. "No, thank you. I haven’t encountered any cultivation bottlenecks, so I don’t need it."

Although he had a good relationship with this stunningly beautiful woman, Ling Changqing couldn’t bring himself to accept such a gift from her with a clear conscience.

It would make him feel like a freeloader, though he had to admit, being kept by Tang Qiu Yao wouldn’t exactly be a loss.