Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 60 - 57: Successive Breakthroughs

After their discussion, Qin Yun called Ling Bingyun over to give her some instructions before leaving with Ling Changqing.

By the time the two of them reached the Alchemy Room, the four Elders ahead of them had already come to an agreement with Patriarch Ling Qiyue and left, satisfied, with their Foundation Establishment Pills.

They needed to hurry back and enter seclusion to attempt their breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Inside the Alchemy Room, Qin Yun and Ling Qiyue conferred for a moment before Qin Yun took out all her Spirit Stones and other resources, along with the Jade Token that recorded her family merit points.

"...Elder Qin, according to the family’s internal exchange rate, you still owe 7,300 low grade Spirit Stones and 6,000 family merit points."

Tang Qiu Yao said gently.

Qin Yun’s expression was firm. "Then let’s establish a Spirit Contract. I guarantee I will pay off all debts within the next three years, including interest!"

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s ability to acquire resources was on a completely different level from that of a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator. This debt was naturally nothing to worry about.

"Then it’s settled!"

Tang Qiu Yao smiled, had her sign the Spirit Contract, and then handed over a palm-sized, exquisitely beautiful cyan Jade Box.

Qin Yun took it with a solemn expression and opened it carefully. On a snow-white satin lining rested a longan-sized, blood-red elixir shrouded in a halo of Spiritual Light. A peculiar, sweet fragrance filled the air.

This was the Foundation Establishment Pill refined with the Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit as its main ingredient. It differed slightly from a pill made with a traditional Pill Formula, but its effects were largely the same. In fact, the probability of a successful Foundation Establishment was even slightly higher.

A film of moisture quietly welled up in Qin Yun’s beautiful eyes as she stared, transfixed.

This was the Foundation Establishment Pill—an opportunity that countless Qi Refining Stage Cultivators dreamed of but could never obtain.

A successful Foundation Establishment didn’t just bring a fundamental boost to one’s physical body and Magical Power; the very essence of one’s life would undergo a complete metamorphosis.

A Qi Refining Stage Cultivator had a Lifespan of one hundred twenty years at most, while a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could live for two hundred fifty.

When the Ling Family first established itself on Zenxin Island, they had only a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator to watch over them. He sheltered the family’s children from the storm, ensuring the Ling Family’s peace for over a century.

In Ling Changqing’s past life, there was a saying that the gap between one person and another could be greater than that between a person and a dog.

In the Cultivation Realm, however, the gap between one cultivator and another was even greater than that between a human and an ant—it was even more extreme.

"Alright, these are the supplementary resources you’ll need for Foundation Establishment. Let’s just value them at one thousand Spirit Stones,"

Tang Qiu Yao handed over a Storage Pouch, adding, "Don’t delay when you get back. Hurry into seclusion and break through. The longer you wait, the more things can go wrong."

"Yes, thank you, Senior Sister!"

Qin Yun looked grateful. As a Foreign Clan Elder, her relationship with the family was naturally more distant than that of a Ling Family member by blood. Under normal circumstances, she would never have been in line for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, Ling Qiyue didn’t care about that. She and Qin Yun had been on good personal terms for years, so it was only natural to give her this opportunity.

’From her position as Patriarch, she had no need for a Ling Family Elder who constantly opposed her to reach the Foundation Establishment realm, only to continue making her life difficult.’

’Those disobedient Ling Family Elders and clan patriarchs should be left to waste away and die of old age in the Qi Cultivation Realm!’

"Senior Sister, once they’ve all completed their advancement, it will be at least three months from now, won’t it?"

Ling Changqing asked.

Of the five cultivators at the Peak of Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation, besides the Foreign Clan Elder Qin Yun, the other four were all male Elders from the Ling Family.

"More or less,"

Ling Qiyue said softly, "Zenxin Island’s Second Grade Spirit Vein can’t support five cultivators ascending to the Foundation Establishment realm at once. It would affect the stability of the main family compound’s Protective Array."

"So we’ve staggered their official breakthrough attempts. Two at a time, at most."

It wasn’t that more was impossible, but they had to leave some leeway to account for emergencies and keep the strain on the Spirit Vein within safe limits.

"The next three months will be critical. We can’t let our guard down!"

Tang Qiu Yao sighed.

Ling Changqing couldn’t agree more. To prevent any news from leaking out and, more importantly, to maintain stability both inside and outside the family, his two Senior Sisters and the few Foundation Establishment Elders would have to be on high alert.

"Little Junior Brother, you have nothing pressing to do now. Why don’t you go back into cultivation in seclusion?"

Ling Qiyue said to him. In any case, all the materials for refining elixirs were nearly gone. It was time for him to focus on improving his own Cultivation.

"No problem."

Ling Changqing naturally had no objections. He wasn’t far from the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer, and as long as he had the resources, his breakthrough was practically guaranteed.

Ling Qiyue took two hundred Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills and a pile of supplementary elixirs from her Storage Pouch and handed them to Ling Changqing. This was all considered his payment.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

A warmth bloomed in Ling Changqing’s chest. No matter how one looked at it, Ling Qiyue treated him exceptionally well and had never been stingy with resources.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Go on, get to it!"

Ling Qiyue shot him a playful glare, a faint blush creeping across her fair, jade-like cheeks.

"It might not be safe on the way. I should walk you back."

Tang Qiu Yao rose gracefully, walked over, and took Ling Changqing’s arm.

These were critical times, and Ling Changqing’s importance to the family was irreplaceable. Tang Qiu Yao didn’t dare let him return alone, even though his own manor was not far away.

And so, escorted by the stunningly beautiful woman, Ling Changqing returned to his manor. Without a moment’s delay, he entered his Cultivation Chamber and activated all the Restriction Arrays.

Meanwhile, Ling Qiyue had quietly ordered several Foundation Establishment Elders and her own personal forces from the Direct Lineage to go on high alert.

「Three days later.」

As the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around the main family compound began to fluctuate abnormally, the first chosen Ling Family Elder successfully crossed the threshold and achieved Foundation Establishment.

Thanks to the multiple concealment measures put in place beforehand, the spies hidden within the Ling Family didn’t react immediately. They merely assumed a cultivator in late-stage Qi Cultivation was breaking through a minor realm.

「Fifteen days later.」

Just as the first Elder emerged from seclusion, his new realm consolidated, the second Elder also successfully achieved Foundation Establishment.

And so, more than two months slipped by. By the time the moles realized something was amiss, Elder Qin Yun, the last to begin her breakthrough, had already achieved Foundation Establishment.

「A thousand li away on Longhuan Island.」

"...Damn it, how is this possible?"

Inside the Council Hall, Patriarch Wu Canglang, who had just received the report, had a face as cold as iron. He glared viciously at Elder Wu Jinghong and questioned him through clenched teeth:

"They produced four... or was it five... all at once? Where in the world did the Ling Family get so many Foundation Establishment Pills? Where?!"

Wu Jinghong’s face was pale as he said, lacking confidence, "We can’t investigate that on such short notice. But with that Female Patriarch’s methods, gathering the materials for two batches of Foundation Establishment Pills... it’s not entirely impossible!"

When he had first received the secret report from his informant, Wu Jinghong had also found it difficult to believe.

However, logic told him their informant wouldn’t joke about something like this. Thus, the Elder in charge of external intelligence didn’t dare delay and came to report to Patriarch Wu Canglang immediately.