Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 95 - 90
Within an exquisite and luxurious embroidery tower, shrouded in spiritual light.
"...The family has never had a training program for new seedlings on this scale before. I pray nothing goes wrong!"
Dressed in an intricate, magnificent bright red gown and with her hair in a Cloud Hairpin Phoenix, the dignified and alluring Tang Qiu Yao sat behind a desk, speaking softly as she slowly flipped through the Jade Scroll Book in her hands.
The family had recently selected over a hundred Immortal Seeds to nurture. The sheer amount of Cultivation Resources distributed to them each month added up to a rather staggering sum.
Even an established power like Hanyue Gate, a Golden Core Sect, would only accept a similar number of candidates whenever they opened their gates to recruit Outer Disciples.
Of course, they recruited Outer Disciples annually, but that was because their attrition rate was high enough.
"What’s the big deal? Herding one sheep isn’t much different from herding a flock. Isn’t this how all the Major Sects and great powers got their start?"
Her dress as white as snow, the cold and bewitchingly beautiful Ling Qiyue leaned back in her chair. She lightly bit her red lip, brazenly propping her stunningly long, rounded legs up on the desk. Her dazzling, snow-white skin and the full, moon-like curves of her rear were almost entirely on display.
’Anyway, with no outsiders present, Ling Changqing’s peculiar gaze from nearby didn’t affect her in the slightest.’
’After all, the guy had already seen everything he was going to see and touched everything he was going to touch. There was no reason to be shy.’
A little helplessly, Tang Qiu Yao reminded her, "Senior Sister, can you please pay a little attention to your posture and image? You are the family head, you know."
"I know!"
Ling Qiyue said dismissively, her beautiful eyes narrowed to slits.
Unlike the cold, aloof front she put on for outsiders, this was Ling Qiyue’s true self.
After a long while, having had his fill of the view, Ling Changqing finally looked away and spoke gently.
"The cultivation of this batch of Immortal Seedlings is now on the right track. Should we select another group?"
Tang Qiu Yao’s expression faltered for a moment before she shook her head. "Not yet. It’s not just an issue of resource expenditure. The more crucial problem is that we don’t have enough Elders to oversee and guide their cultivation."
Given the Ling Family’s current resources, there weren’t many Elders qualified to take on the responsibility of teaching the new members. It was already a strain for them to manage the current batch of Immortal Seedlings.
Moreover, this was a critical matter that couldn’t be delegated, and they especially couldn’t allow the outside Honored Guest Elders to interfere as they pleased.
Otherwise, if the Immortal Seedlings they had worked so hard to nurture were poached by outsiders, the loss would be immense.
Ultimately, it was because the Ling Family had risen too quickly, leaving them no time to properly address certain important issues.
Ling Changqing saw her point and said no more. Such problems could only be left to time for them to slowly adapt.
"Has there been any news from the Wilderness Islands recently?" Ling Changqing asked again.
The Mu Family’s leadership had made their hostility toward the Ling Family blatantly clear. There was no possibility of peaceful coexistence between the two families. Their future held only a fight to the death.
The victor would become the master of the entire Feiyu Sea Region. The loser would lose everything, not even granted the chance to become a vassal.
Ling Qiyue sneered. "Same old story. A constant stream of petty, underhanded tricks. They even started targeting my personal maids recently. They’re simply courting death!"
Ling Changqing wasn’t too concerned. Since a full-scale war was currently out of the question, these were the only kinds of schemes the Mu Family could resort to.
However, schemes and plots were ultimately minor tactics. In a standoff between two powers, the final outcome would be decided by true strength.
Tang Qiu Yao frowned. "We don’t have many agents planted on their side, so it’s hard to accurately track the movements of the Mu Family’s leadership. Of course, the same is true for them."
In the past, the Mu and Ling territories were quite far apart, so neither family was the other’s primary target. Consequently, their intelligence gathering wasn’t focused on one another.
Now, the leadership of both families found themselves in a difficult spot, unable to infiltrate each other’s ranks with many agents on such short notice.
Of course, this situation would change in a few years... assuming the Mu Family could hold out that long.
"Let’s not talk about this."
Ling Qiyue straightened her voluptuous, fiery body, her clear, beautiful eyes landing on Ling Changqing with an ambiguous smile.
"So, little junior brother, how was your Dual Cultivation with Senior Sister Tang? Was it thrilling?"
"Er..."
Ling Changqing’s expression shifted. He could acutely sense a dangerous presence drawing near.
He glanced over at Tang Qiu Yao. The peerless beauty’s cheeks were flushed, and she was overcome with embarrassment.
’Really, Senior Sister... How could she even ask a question like that? If she just tried it with him herself, she’d know everything, wouldn’t she?’
Tang Qiu Yao grumbled to herself, then smoothly changed the subject:
"I’ve noticed the resource reserves in the Clan Treasury are being consumed at an alarming rate. Our income and expenditures have been unbalanced for the past few months. Why don’t we... go out to sea and bring back some more treasures?"
"Yes, that’s an excellent idea, Senior Sister. I have no objections!" Ling Changqing chimed in at once.
’He realized that ever since they’d returned from exploring the Spirit Stone Deposit, he’d been so busy with secluded cultivation that he hadn’t been to sea to do any ’work’ for a long time.’
Ling Qiyue huffed, slightly displeased. ’Ever since her little junior brother became intimate with that slut, has he been getting a little full of himself?’
’That won’t do! I have to make that guy understand who his *true* senior sister is, and who treats him the best!’
"Fine, let’s go together!"
With that, Ling Qiyue gracefully rose from her seat and glided into the inner chamber to change.
Tang Qiu Yao also stood and followed her inside. Ling Changqing hesitated for a few moments before deciding to play it safe and stay out of it, lest he trigger an Asura Scene.
A short while later, the three of them, having finished their preparations, departed in silence.
With the power of a Grade Two Shifting Talisman, they appeared directly on the surface of the sea, over a hundred miles from shore. Without a moment’s hesitation, they submerged themselves.
"...This time, let’s head for the Deep Sea Region, at a depth of five thousand feet. There should be more treasures there."
Beneath the Glazed Yellow Umbrella, Ling Qiyue proposed, and Ling Changqing nodded in agreement.
’This wasn’t even as deep as they’d gone when they explored the Spirit Stone Deposit, so it should be much safer.’
As they descended deeper, the pale golden light barrier from the Glazed Yellow Umbrella began to slowly contract, but it remained tough and resilient.
Ling Qiyue and Tang Qiu Yao remained on high alert, but the feeling of their hearts being in their throats had faded considerably. After all, their little junior brother’s cultivation was much stronger now.
As they descended, they would occasionally see all manner of hideous, ferocious sea fish and Sea Beasts pass by. Gory scenes of slaughter and predation were a common sight.
For the most part, however, the creatures ignored the presence of Ling Changqing and his companions. Some of the more perceptive Second Rank Sea Beasts even gave them a wide berth from afar.
Finally, the Glazed Yellow Umbrella came to a slow halt at a depth of around five thousand feet.
Ling Qiyue’s Divine Sense spread out silently, effortlessly covering an area several thousand feet in all directions, a clear display of her power as a Golden Core Master.
Ling Changqing silently observed his own Luck and Fortune. Sure enough, its rate of depletion was significantly lower here. Barring any accidents, he’d have no problem staying for four or five hours.
Furthermore, he and his two senior sisters had each brought several large-capacity Storage Pouches this time, allowing them to carry home even more spoils.
"...We’re out of Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruits in the treasury. Why don’t we start by finding a colony of Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines?"
Tang Qiu Yao said, adding that the Ling Family still needed more Foundation Establishment Pills. Such a strategic resource was as good as hard currency anywhere.
Ling Qiyue agreed. She led the other two around a migrating school of Sea Beasts and past a cluster of undersea reefs, beginning her patient search.
It wasn’t long before she found her target in an undersea valley.
