Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 78 - 73: Traveling Merchants

「Longhuan Island.」

At the edge of the vast, lonely celestial vault, a dozen or so black dots appeared, flying rapidly in this direction.

As they drew closer, it became clear that it was a fleet of over ten Tianzhou Skyboats. A dark cyan light screen enveloped the hulls of the tower boats, exuding a faint, oppressive aura.

"...It’s only been two years, and Longhuan Island has already changed hands?" a seemingly simple and honest voice asked from within the flagship’s cabin.

"Well, if some major power from outside the region had made a move, this outcome wouldn’t be surprising. But the Ling Family’s strength... they’ve always seemed to be in a weaker position before..." another deep, raspy voice said.

"I heard their Female Patriarch had a breakthrough in her cultivation, which is why they were able to wipe out the Wu Family and annex their territory. It’s a pity about the Wu Family..." yet another cold, imposing voice added.

"It seems we won’t be getting back the resources we loaned to the Wu Family. However, since the Ling Family has shown such outstanding performance, switching to them as a partner wouldn’t be a bad idea."

"Makes sense. I’m curious to see how far this Ling Family can go. Their current strength... isn’t it about on par with the Mu Family of the Wilderness Islands?"

"The Mu Family certainly won’t just stand by and watch the Ling Family rise. They’re bound to make a move. A war between the two families is practically inevitable!"

"So... what strategy should we adopt between the two families? If one side wins, they’ll probably become one of the most powerful forces in the Feiyu Sea Region after the war, right?"

"Whether or not a single, dominant power emerges in the Feiyu Sea Region has little to do with our commerce association. We just need to focus on business."

"This time, we must meet with their Female Patriarch and have a proper talk with her. Compared to the Wu Family, she might be a more suitable partner, don’t you think?"

The people in the cabin seemed to be quite familiar with the situation in the Feiyu Sea Region. They spoke casually, yet they held unique insights into how the future might unfold.

The Xingyun sun Commerce Association was a famous nomadic merchant organization in Yuzhou. It specialized in business within the Cultivation Realm and had existed for several thousand years, trading with countless powers, both large and small.

While they bought and sold all sorts of Cultivation Resources, they also dabbled in intelligence gathering, assassination, the discovery and sale of Immortal Seedlings, and resource lending, among many other businesses.

Thanks to their good reputation and high-quality service, the nomadic merchant organization’s business had grown larger and larger. In recent years, there were even signs that they might advance further and become the number one commerce association in Yuzhou.

The vast Yuzhou Continent spanned hundreds of millions of li. It was rich in resources and home to many exceptional people, a truly fertile land on the Qingyao Continent.

Besides Yuzhou, there were eleven other ancient prefectures on the Qingyao Continent, such as Yaozhou, Xuzhou, and Haizhou. These territories had been demarcated by the great sages and powers of primordial times.

...

「In the Alchemy Room.」

A dark gold pill furnace stood in the center of the room, the space filled with the fragrant scent of elixirs. The high-temperature Spirit Flame at the base of the furnace had already been extinguished.

In a corner, Ling Qiyue and Tang Qiu Yao were counting the newly refined elixirs. Ling Changqing, with his majestic bearing and eyes as dark as lacquer, stood quietly to the side, a pleased look on his face.

"...Not bad. This batch yielded nine Foundation Establishment Pills, and two of them meet the standard for High-quality Foundation Establishment Pills."

Ling Qiyue, dressed in snowy white with a graceful and curvaceous figure, closed the jade box and spoke with a beaming smile.

As for the other Rank One and Second Grade Elixirs, the yield was also quite high, with a good proportion of high-quality ones.

It was this continuous supply of newly refined elixirs that served as the fundamental guarantee of the family’s continued growth.

Ling Qiyue glanced at the purple-robed young man beside her, mused for a moment, then took out a High-quality Foundation Establishment Pill and pressed it into his hand:

"Little Junior Brother, your contributions have been immense. So, you can have another one of these newly refined Foundation Establishment Pills."

"Alright, thank you, Senior Sister!"

Ling Changqing didn’t stand on ceremony, accepting it with a word of thanks.

He knew his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment were high and that he would likely only need one Foundation Establishment Pill. As for this extra one, whether to sell it or give it away was entirely up to him.

"Alright, let’s hold an internal family auction in two days!"

Tang Qiu Yao said, "We can put half of these elixirs up for auction. The rest can be deposited in the Merit Reward Hall for clan members to exchange for contribution points."

"Mm, it’s settled then!"

Ling Qiyue nodded. The family had grown, and its rules needed to be perfected and strictly enforced. Not even the Foundation Establishment Elders could be an exception.

Only with strict laws, clear rewards and punishments, could the organization develop in a stable and orderly manner and endure for a long time.

In the past, for various reasons, the Ling Family had been plagued by numerous hidden problems, which was evident from the meager treatment of the Pearl Gatherers at the bottom of the hierarchy.

However, in recent years, Ling Qiyue had carried out several internal reorganizations. After the family headquarters moved to Longhuan Island, many positions were completely restructured to ensure such problems would not happen again.

"...Patriarch, the envoys from the Xingyun sun Commerce Association have arrived!"

Elder Qin Yun’s voice sounded from outside the Alchemy Room.

Ling Qiyue’s expression remained calm. "They’re quick. I thought it would be a while before they showed up."

"All the better. Let’s go and see them together."

And so, after Ling Qiyue put away the elixirs, the three of them went to the Clan Assembly Hall together.

The envoys from the Xingyun sun Commerce Association consisted of three people—two men and one woman—who had been waiting for a short while.

As for the association’s fleet of Tianzhou Skyboats, it was currently waiting in the airspace outside Longhuan Island. Under normal circumstances, they were not permitted to enter the family’s territory.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

The three envoys from the commerce association stood and cupped their fists in greeting, their attitudes neither servile nor arrogant.

Ling Qiyue gave a slight nod, a hint of a smile in her eyes. "There is no need for such pleasantries, Fellow Daoists. Please, be seated so we may talk."

With that, she turned and gracefully took her seat at the head of the hall.

The three envoys nodded in acknowledgment and sat down as well.

To the side, Ling Changqing discreetly swept his gaze over them. The leader, a clean-shaven, elegant-looking old man in green robes named Shentu Hong, appeared to be at the early-stage True Pill realm.

The handsome young cultivator in white robes was Xue Yuchen, at Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation. The last one, a beautiful female cultivator in a bright red dress with crescent brows and almond eyes, was named Xue Qingtan, also at Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation.

However, in Ling Changqing’s eyes, all three envoys were likely concealing part of their cultivation. The senses granted to him by the Era Star Palace were never wrong.

"...Fellow Daoist Ling, here is a list of the resources our side can currently offer you, as well as a catalog of the specialty resources we wish to purchase long-term. Please take a look."

Shentu Hong spoke as he took out two jade scrolls that glowed with spiritual light. A nearby maid stepped forward to receive them and presented them to Ling Qiyue.

Ling Qiyue elegantly unfurled the jade scrolls to examine them. With her level of cultivation, it only took a moment for her to read through them completely.

The variety of goods listed in the jade scrolls was quite extensive. It included all kinds of resources, such as Rank One and Two arrays, talismans, elixirs, spirit companions, magical and spiritual artifacts, and Daoist Soldier Puppets. They even had an ample supply of the medicinal herbs needed for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

Of course, the prices were not the least bit friendly. Ordinary Foundation Establishment powers wouldn’t even dare to dream of acquiring the rarer types of resources.

Even with the Ling Family’s current financial situation, there weren’t many things they could afford, to say nothing of the small clans and minor sects in the surrounding area.

However, when she saw the procurement list Shentu Hong had provided, Ling Qiyue breathed a small sigh of relief internally.

Many of the resources she and Ling Changqing had brought back from the bottom of the sea were the very types the commerce association was specifically looking for, and the purchase prices were quite fair.

What followed was simple. Ling Qiyue and Shentu Hong discussed the details for a short while and quickly finalized the terms of the resource trade.

She would sell their surplus resources in exchange for what she and the family needed to develop. From this single transaction, Ling Qiyue would obtain enough resources to continue refining elixirs in her pill furnace for more than half a year.

Once all the transaction details were settled, Shentu Hong’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said meaningfully:

"It seems the Ling Family is already far ahead of many other family powers in its exploration of the Deep Sea Region. Even we are a little surprised."

Ling Qiyue replied impassively, "We’re just earning a bit of hard-earned money. I don’t deserve such praise, Fellow Daoist."

Shentu Hong chuckled, his gaze sweeping over each of the Ling Family elders present, including Ling Changqing.

After a moment of thought, he continued, "Since your side has the ability to bring back certain rare resources from the Deep Sea Region, why don’t we make this kind of trade a regular occurrence?"

"In the past, our fleet would typically only visit the Feiyu Sea Region once every three to five years. Now, for the sake of our cooperation, I will arrange for a Tianzhou Skyboat to visit once every year. I trust you have no objection to that, Fellow Daoist?"

Ling Qiyue’s fine brows furrowed slightly. She replied calmly, "That... once a year seems a bit too frequent. Why don’t you make it once every two years, Fellow Daoist."

’I can’t reveal my trump card, so I have to hold back, lest this old fox see through me.’

A glint flashed in Shentu Hong’s eyes, but he didn’t insist. "If that’s the case, we will go with your suggestion, Fellow Daoist."