Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 47 - 45: Strategic Pressure (Part 2)

’But Ling Qiyue was no sweet and naive idiot. Am I supposed to take on a bunch of useless hacks as apprentices just to appease the family’s so-called greater good? What do they take me for?’

With a flick of her sleeve, Ling Qiyue rose and returned to her inner chamber.

Her gaze fell upon the handsome, purple-robed young man still poring over a Jade Scroll Pill Scripture behind the desk, his eyes full of concentration. Ling Qiyue’s mood quietly brightened, and a hint of a smile touched her beautiful eyes.

’Only a promising talent like Ling Changqing, who possessed great Destiny and deep Blessed Fortune and was also willing to work hard, was worthy of her dedicated cultivation.’

’As for those worthless fools outside, they could get lost for all she cared.’

"Senior Sister, you’re back!"

Seeing her familiar, stunningly beautiful figure, Ling Changqing set down the Jade Scroll and stood up.

’He had just sensed another disturbance from the Era Star Palace, along with a new influx of Divine Soul Origin. It was most likely related to the family elders Ling Qiyue had just met with outside.’

Before Ling Qiyue could speak, a maid entered from the outer room to report, "Patriarch, Elder Tang has arrived!"

"Oh? She’s finally willing to come out?"

Ling Qiyue was clearly a little surprised. Tang Qiu Yao had been in cultivation in seclusion for the past six months, and it seemed she was finally finished.

A short while later, on the scented consort couch in the inner chamber.

Two peerless beauties with graceful, radiant bearings and slender figures sat facing each other.

"Senior Sister, should I excuse myself?"

Ling Changqing spoke up at the opportune moment. The two women were most likely about to discuss family secrets, and it was clearly inappropriate for him to listen in. It was only proper for him to leave.

Ling Qiyue smiled. "That won’t be necessary. It’s fine for you to stay and listen. I trust you won’t go around gossiping."

’Since she had decided to nurture Ling Changqing, he would learn of these matters sooner or later. This was also an opportunity to further observe his character and temperament.’

Ling Changqing thanked her and sat back down.

"...You’ve been in seclusion for so long. What level is your cultivation at? It should be time to consider breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, right?"

Ling Qiyue set down the sky-blue teacup in her hand and looked at Tang Qiu Yao, speaking in a languid tone.

Normally, once a cultivator’s cultivation reached the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer, they were qualified to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, provided they had all the necessary auxiliary resources, including the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Of course, for those cultivators with less impressive Primary Cultivation Techniques or average Spirit Root Talent, it was better to wait until they reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer before attempting the breakthrough, as it would give them a greater chance of success.

The stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a sky-blue, flowing gown and exuding a profound, radiant aura, smiled and said:

"I’m almost there. But spending a bit more time polishing my cultivation wouldn’t hurt. I’m not in any particular hurry, anyway."

Ling Qiyue couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her. "You’re not in a hurry?" she retorted playfully. "So you can just focus on your seclusion while I shoulder all the responsibilities alone, is that it?"

Tang Qiu Yao glanced at Ling Changqing, who was not far off, and said with a grin, "With our Little Junior Brother here to help you out, it doesn’t really matter whether I’m by your side or not!"

She hadn’t known beforehand that Ling Changqing had come to study the path of alchemy under Ling Qiyue, but now that she did, she was delighted to see it.

’With Little Junior Brother’s talent, plus his Luck and Fortune, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a Top Grade Alchemist.’

’Perhaps in a few years, the Ling Family will welcome its second Foundation Establishment Alchemist? When that day comes, the family’s rise to prominence will truly be just around the corner!’

"In any case, you’ll have to work hard for the next year. There’s a lot of things I can’t handle without you!"

Ling Qiyue continued, "There might be a few capable people among those guys, but their loyalty is questionable. Every one of them is too selfish. I really can’t trust them."

Tang Qiu Yao nodded. "Alright then. Since you can’t take that next step yourself for the time being, nurturing a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators isn’t a bad idea either."

Having a few more Foundation Establishment Powerhouses to hold down the fort would have an immediate and visible effect on the family’s strength, enough to make the surrounding powers hesitate to act rashly.

Ling Qiyue sighed. "It’s just that the raw materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill are incredibly difficult to collect. Even if we’re willing to spend more Spirit Stones to buy them, it’s not easy to find them in stock at any of the nearby Marketplaces."

For the vast majority of small and medium-sized cultivation powers, the Foundation Establishment Pill was an undeniable strategic resource. Whether it was the completed pill, the raw materials, or the Pill Masters capable of refining it, all were targets that the various factions spared no effort to compete for.

The medicinal ingredients Ling Qiyue needed the last time she refined Foundation Establishment Pills took her several years to gather.

Moreover, these materials couldn’t be found in ordinary places. One had to search in the Marketplaces within the territory of Major Sect powers, and even then, whether you could buy them or not was entirely a matter of luck.

Tang Qiu Yao said, "Can’t we place a high-priced pre-order for a batch through those few channels? It’s not like we’re short on Spirit Stones right now."

"We could, but the waiting time is hard to estimate. It could be years before we receive the goods."

Ling Qiyue mused that the Major Sect powers, in order to protect their own interests and transcendent status, did not want to see too many Foundation Establishment Cultivators emerging from the smaller powers. Thus, their control over these resources was extremely strict.

Tang Qiu Yao glanced at Ling Changqing and said,

"We should get started on that as soon as possible, just to have it as a backup channel. Then, we can take Little Junior Brother to the Deep Sea Region to try our luck. We might find something there."

"Mm, that’s the only way to arrange it."

Ling Qiyue nodded. ’Currently, the only places where one could find a significant amount of unclaimed resources are the Deep Sea, the ruins of Ancient Cave Mansions, perilous Secret Realms, and pocket dimensions beyond this world.’

’But without exception, these were all places of extreme danger, where even Nascent Soul and Divinity Transformation Ancestors could not guarantee their absolute safety if they went in person.’

After a pause, Ling Qiyue suddenly smiled. "A few days ago, a couple of Loose Cultivators of unknown origin came to our door. They said they’d gathered a set of materials and hoped I would refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills for them. They said the payment would be generous, but I haven’t given them an answer yet."

Tang Qiu Yao’s expression changed slightly. "Loose Cultivators? Are you sure they weren’t sent by one of the neighboring families?"

Although it would be an opportunity to improve her alchemy experience and earn a handsome reward, every new Foundation Establishment Cultivator that appeared in a neighboring family increased the threat to the Ling Family.

Therefore, such a request was absolutely unacceptable. It wasn’t the first time other families or Loose Cultivators had approached Ling Qiyue with this matter, and she had refused them all.

Ling Qiyue said, "We currently have no way of confirming their true identities. But since I never planned to accept anyway, it doesn’t really matter."

Tang Qiu Yao’s fine brows knitted together. "If the neighboring families really have gathered the materials, even if you refuse, they’ll definitely find other Second Rank Alchemists to help them. So..."

"So, it’s only a matter of time before new Foundation Establishment Powerhouses appear in the neighboring families!" Ling Changqing interjected softly.

This meant that the slight advantage gained from Elder Yulu’s promotion would soon be nullified.

As for how many new Foundation Establishment Powerhouses there would be, that was still uncertain. There might be only one, or perhaps two, or even three.

When that time came, the external strategic pressure on the Ling Family would once again become severe. If the family couldn’t produce more Foundation Establishment Powerhouses of its own in time, it would be inevitable that the surrounding powers would join forces against them.

Tang Qiu Yao gave him an appreciative glance and asked with a smile, "Since that’s the case, Little Junior Brother, what do you think we should do to handle this?"