Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 50 - 48: The Final Glory

Zenxin Island.

Inside the Women’s Embroidery Tower, Ling Qiyue was organizing the various resources she had on hand. After tallying the quantities, she put them back into her Storage Pouch.

This haul was much more bountiful than the last, especially since they had brought back seven Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruits. This meant they had another chance at refining new Foundation Establishment Pills.

As for the rest of their gains, aside from the portion she would keep for her own use, she could sell the remainder at the Hanyue Continent Marketplace in exchange for resources the family needed to develop.

The beaded curtain rustled as the voluptuous and graceful Tang Qiu Yao, her eyes like spring water, walked in.

"Have things been properly arranged for our Little Junior Brother?"

Ling Qiyue asked, lifting her head.

Tang Qiu Yao nodded. "I’ve already prepared all the necessary elixirs and resources for him. He has gone back into Cultivation in Seclusion. I estimate he won’t be finished for another three to five months."

Just like last time, after returning, Ling Changqing received two hundred Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills, various other supplementary elixirs, and five thousand family contribution points.

For Ling Changqing, this was far more profitable than going out to sea with Ling Zifeng. A single trip earned him enough Cultivation Resources to last for a long time.

The only downside was the significant drain on his Luck and Fortune. Fortunately, it would slowly recover as long as he spent some time in secluded Cultivation.

Besides, this sort of thing couldn’t be done too frequently; once a year was about the limit for now. Perhaps he could do it more often after becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the future.

Ling Qiyue frowned. "Even though our Little Junior Brother is in seclusion, we can’t rest yet. We need to hurry and take care of these things."

Resources were hard to come by. Now that they had them, the proper course of action was to convert them into strength as quickly as possible.

Tang Qiu Yao mused, "That’s not a big problem. We can make a trip to the Hanyue Continent Marketplace first, sell off the resources we can, and then purchase the things we need to bring back."

For instance, they had to purchase the supplementary resources needed to go with the Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit before they could open the furnace to refine new Foundation Establishment Pills.

Ling Qiyue nodded lightly, her voice turning a little cold. "According to a message from our inside source, the Wu Family’s two Foundation Establishment Cultivators have taken a group of people and secretly set off for the Hanyue Continent Marketplace."

"Are they looking for a Second Rank Alchemist to refine Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Tang Qiu Yao understood instantly, her expression growing somber.

The Wu Family had secret informants planted within the Ling Family, but the Ling Family’s intelligence network was just as capable, allowing them to promptly detect any unusual movements on the other side.

"That’s most likely the case."

Ling Qiyue’s fine brows knitted together. It was definitely too late to stop the Wu Family’s move. They had probably already arrived at the Hanyue Continent Marketplace by now.

In that case, if all went as expected, the Wu Family should be able to obtain at least one Foundation Establishment Pill this time. If they were lucky, maybe even two?

Furthermore, to avoid any unforeseen complications, the Wu Family would most likely choose to rent a Second Grade Spirit Vein Cave Mansion from Hanyue Gate and have their own Qi Cultivation Stage Elder break through in seclusion there before returning.

So, before long, the Wu Family would have one, or perhaps two, new Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The pressure on the Ling Family would remain immense.

"Thank goodness we have our Little Junior Brother as a trump card. Otherwise, this would be really difficult to handle!"

Tang Qiu Yao said with feeling. With all the resources they had brought back from the sea, as long as they could convert them into power in time, the Ling Family’s strength would also rise, and they would have no reason to fear the Wu Family’s pressure.

Ling Qiyue had no objection to this. "The Wu Family’s success is only temporary. No matter how formidable they are, it will be impossible for them to gather the materials for a second set of Foundation Establishment Pills within the next decade or so."

The two women looked at each other and smiled. So what if the Wu Family suddenly produced two or three more Foundation Establishment Cultivators? They still wouldn’t dare to tear off all pretenses and start a war in the short term.

This was the Wu Family’s last chance to increase their strength. From now on, they could only watch helplessly as the Ling Family produced one Foundation Establishment Cultivator after another, completely crushing them.

"Let’s refine all the elixirs we can first and distribute a portion of them. After our Little Junior Brother comes out of seclusion, we can go to the Hanyue Continent Marketplace, shall we?"

Ling Qiyue suggested. Distribution within the family certainly wasn’t free; members had to exchange Spirit Stones and family contribution points for them. The only difference was that the cost was lower than buying from outside.

Tang Qiu Yao hesitated. "Our Little Junior Brother’s Cultivation is still a bit low. If he goes with us to the Hanyue Continent Marketplace, won’t it be risky?"

She understood Ling Qiyue’s intention was to use Ling Changqing’s Luck and Fortune to reduce the probability of accidents, but the Hanyue Continent Marketplace was, after all, within Hanyue Gate’s sphere of influence.

There were countless foreign Loose Cultivators there, a motley crew of good and bad. Heaven knew if someone possessed a Secret Technique or Exotic Technique that could inadvertently detect what was extraordinary about Ling Changqing.

If that happened, Ling Qiyue alone wouldn’t be able to fend off the covetous desires of outsiders for Ling Changqing.

Ling Qiyue was unconcerned. "We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Don’t worry, I’ll make the arrangements."

"Alright."

Recalling some of her Senior Sister’s hidden methods, Tang Qiu Yao no longer objected.

「The next few months passed peacefully.」

Ling Qiyue handled family affairs, opening the furnace to refine elixirs and distributing the newly created resources in a methodical manner, just as she always did.

By the fourth month, news finally came from the Wu Family. The Wu Family Cultivators who had gone to the Hanyue Continent Marketplace had returned, and there was a newly promoted Foundation Establishment Cultivator among them.

The upper echelons of the Ling Family, already mentally prepared, reacted calmly. After all, this merely returned the balance of power to its previous state.

Since neither side was confident they could swallow the other’s foundation whole, the two families would continue to coexist as they had before.

The Wu Family’s leaders, however, were ecstatic. They sent out wide invitations to friends and relatives, holding a grand banquet to celebrate the addition of another Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator to their ranks and the family’s growing prosperity.

Before long, a message from their inside source gave Ling Qiyue the full details.

The Second Rank Independent Alchemist the Wu Family had found was of barely satisfactory skill. He had refined two Foundation Establishment Pills, but one was a defective product with a success rate of less than twenty percent.

Thus, of the two Wu Family Elders who went into seclusion, only one succeeded.

Wu Canglang had already mobilized the family’s entire network to begin collecting materials for a second set of Foundation Establishment Pills, but this was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

"If nothing unexpected happens, this will be the last Foundation Establishment Cultivator the Wu Family can produce. Their final moment of glory! In twenty to thirty years at most, the Wu Family will be history!"

Tang Qiu Yao commented.

...

In the Cultivation Chamber.

Ling Changqing sat cross-legged on the Cloud Bed, his entire body shrouded in a dark Spiritual Light. A dense Profound Yin Water Essence Qi filled the space.

After a long time, he slowly awoke from a state of deep enlightenment.

In his sea of consciousness, a message carrying a mysterious Dao Rhyme silently appeared: 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

[Master of the Era Star Palace: Ling Changqing]

[Bone Age: 17]

[Cultivation: Qi Cultivation 6th Layer]

[Destiny: 33+122]

[Blessed Fortune: 31+100]

[Physique: 20]

[Root Bone: 19]

[Comprehension: 20]

[Divine Soul: 44]

[Alchemy Dao: 2130/5000 (Rank One Low Grade)]

[Primary Cultivation Technique: Profound Truth Black Water Scripture (2nd Floor) 5390/10000]

[Spirit Root: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Middle-rank quality 6578/10000]

[Benefactors: Ling Zifeng, Tang Qiu Yao, Ling Qiyue]

’My Luck and Fortune have recovered, and they’ve even increased compared to before. I can continue going out to sea for work in the future.’

’My Cultivation has indeed improved, but I’m still quite a ways from the threshold of the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer. It’s probably impossible to advance quickly after just one or two sessions of seclusion like before.’

Ling Changqing mused to himself. The difficulty of advancing in the late stage of Qi Cultivation had clearly increased significantly.

However, for the sake of long-term development, it wasn’t wise to overuse rank-breaking elixirs, as it could create the hidden danger of an unstable foundation.

The direct lineage descendants of some great figures, those with poor Spirit Root Talent who were unwilling to endure hardship, could still be piled up to the Foundation Establishment Realm by relying on a massive amount of resources.

But that would be the limit of their achievements. Trying to forcefully pile their way up to the Golden Core Realm was exponentially more difficult. It wasn’t a problem that could be solved just by having enough resources.

Therefore, Ling Changqing was not in a hurry. He wasn’t even twenty years old yet. He had plenty of time to grow steadily and establish a Perfect Dao Foundation. There was no need to be so eager for quick gains.

A moment later, Ling Changqing got off the bed, deactivated the Array Restrictions one by one, and then opened the door and walked out of the Cultivation Chamber.

"...Young Master, you’re out?"

The two maids waiting outside looked overjoyed. On Tang Qiu Yao’s orders, they had been taking turns standing guard outside all this time.

Ling Changqing nodded and asked gently, "What is Senior Sister doing now?"

"She’s been back for a while. We estimate she’ll be heading out again soon. Young Master, this is the perfect time for you to see her,"

one of the maids said.

Ling Changqing then left his courtyard and went to the flower hall in Tang Qiu Yao’s inner courtyard. There, he indeed saw the stunningly beautiful woman, voluptuous and graceful, with skin fairer than snow.

A sumptuous banquet was laid out before her, filled with all sorts of exotic delicacies from the mountains and seas, which she was enjoying by herself.

"You’ve come at just the right time,"

Seeing the familiar figure of the handsome, purple-robed youth, Tang Qiu Yao put down her chopsticks and said with a beaming smile, "Come and have some."

Ling Changqing agreed and sat down on a chair a maid brought over.

Tang Qiu Yao waved her hand, and all the maids present bowed and withdrew.

"Go on, eat. After you’ve had your fill, we’ll go see your Senior Sister Ling. I reckon we’ll be leaving on a long journey very soon!"

Only after activating a Shielding Restriction did Tang Qiu Yao whisper to him.

Ling Changqing’s expression grew somber. "Where are we going?"

"The Hanyue Continent Marketplace."

"..."