Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 213 - 161: The Snipe and the Clam Fight, the Fisherman Profits
Her own cultivation was at the late stage of a Golden Core Master, so she had to seal a portion of it before she could enter the valley.
At this moment, over fifty Cultivators followed the Dragon Race Princess, including Liu Qin, Jin Wan’er, Yang Feifei, and Chu Xinlan.
They had run into Luo Qingning along the way and decided to travel together after a discussion.
The reason was simple: the situation in the Dragon Soul Valley had changed. Cultivators from the Nine Great Families were all hunting for Ling Changqing and showed no mercy to any Dragon Race Cultivators they encountered.
For the sake of the bigger picture, the various factions of the Dragon Race could only temporarily put aside their differences and stick together. Their first priority was to ensure Ling Changqing wasn’t snatched away by outsiders.
"Huh? Was there just a fight here? Why are all the dead Cultivators from the Feng Family?"
Liu Qin asked, her expression surprised.
Luo Qingning glanced over and said dismissively, "Never mind them. Let’s hurry to the peak of the main mountain. He might be there!
By the way, other than you girls, did Sixth Sister really not arrange any other protection for him?"
Liu Qin nodded. "She didn’t. The Prince Consort’s current status is sensitive. He’s probably traveling alone."
"Hmph. If Sixth Sister wasn’t so possessive, would the situation be this much trouble?"
Luo Qingning said, annoyed.
’If Luo Qingxuan had just agreed to let us join earlier, we could have combined all our sisters’ forces to protect Ling Changqing. Then those Noble Families would never have had the chance to cause trouble!’
Liu Qin and the other three exchanged glances. They didn’t dare comment on that.
"Forget it. Let’s go! I hope we can still make it in time!"
Luo Qingning knew this wasn’t the time for complaints. The priority was to find Ling Changqing.
And so, the group of Dragon Race Cultivators continued on their way.
...
Meanwhile, after traveling for over an hour, Ling Changqing encountered another group of Cultivators, this time from the Cui Family.
They failed to see eye to eye, and after a flash of blades and swords, a dozen more corpses littered the ground.
’If I have to fight my way to the summit like this, it’ll be too draining,’
Ling Changqing said to Gong Ling after cleaning up the battlefield.
Although he had plenty of Elixirs and Talismans, the back-to-back, high-intensity battles were still putting an incredible amount of pressure on Ling Changqing.
’If I run into the chosen prodigies of those Noble Families, I might not be able to kill them so easily. I could even end up being suppressed.’
"In that case, Master, you can simply consume another portion of your Lifespan to completely conceal your presence,"
Gong Ling said.
"Alright, deal."
Ling Changqing agreed. ’As long as I can avoid these pointless fights and reach the summit in peak condition, it’ll be worth it.’
A layer of faint, imperceptible flame that was neither black nor white enveloped Ling Changqing’s body once more. Waves of weakness washed over him, originating from every part of his being.
Under the refining flames of the Life Essence Tribulation Fire, Ling Changqing clearly felt his maximum Lifespan drop once again, only stopping when it hit 320 years.
In his sea of consciousness, a message suffused with a mysterious Dao Rhyme silently appeared:
[Master of the Era Star Palace: Ling Changqing]
[Bone Age: 34 / 320]
[Cultivation: Late stage Foundation Establishment]
Simultaneously, Ling Changqing’s figure rapidly faded until it vanished completely.
His aura and even the trajectory of his fate vanished along with him. Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would have difficulty sensing anything amiss if they were standing right in front of him.
"...As long as you don’t actively attack, you can maintain this state for three days without any issues,"
Gong Ling explained.
If he couldn’t resist attacking, all his efforts would be for nothing.
"Okay, I understand."
Ling Changqing agreed. ’I just want to get the opportunity. I never planned on going on a reckless killing spree.’
’But my Lifespan really can’t take this kind of drain. If this happens a few more times, won’t I die young?’
’Plus, in this state, I can’t even kill the local Fierce Beasts to replenish what I’ve lost. Just thinking about it is depressing.’
The rest of the journey was much smoother. In his invisible state, Ling Changqing passed one group of Cultivators after another without drawing the slightest bit of attention. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
The native Fierce Beasts that periodically emerged from deep within the forest also acted as if Ling Changqing wasn’t there.
More than half a day later, Ling Changqing successfully arrived at the summit of the main peak in the Luoying Mountain Range.
The only downside was that over a hundred Cultivators had already arrived and were locked in a tense standoff.
The summit, a plateau hundreds of yards across, was perfectly flat and barren, as if someone had sliced it level with a single sword strike.
In the very center of the summit, someone had carved out a jade pond roughly the size of a small field. Mist swirled within it, and auspicious energy billowed upwards.
The pond contained a pool of golden Spiritual Spring. The Crystal Pearls, which could improve a Cultivator’s Spirit Root Talent, were formed in the eye of this spring.
Still invisible, Ling Changqing observed for a moment before silently moving to the edge of the plateau, deciding to see how things would play out.
The hundred-odd men, women, young, and old, were split into six factions, belonging to two separate Yu Families, as well as the Feng, Hao, Mu, and Yin Families.
Ling Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. ’At least there are no familiar faces. Otherwise, things could get tricky.’
"...Fellow Daoists, the eye of the Spiritual Spring has only produced three Crystal Pearls this time, yet all six of our families want them. This puts us in a difficult position."
Yu Piaoyue said from the front of the Yu Family’s contingent, her lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile.
Before the Mu Family’s group, an old man with a salt-and-pepper beard said coldly,
"Since no one is willing to back down, then we’ll have to let our strength decide!"
Forget three pearls—even if there were six, the Cultivators present would never have been content to split them evenly.
Who would be willing to part with a Heavenly and Earthly Treasure capable of raising a Cultivator’s Spirit Root Talent to the Top Rank of Earth Grade?
Standing before the other Yu Family’s group was a youth in a brocade robe with a simple, honest-looking face. He was somewhat stout, and an unremarkable silver axe was tucked into his belt.
Even in this tense, murderous atmosphere, his expression was relaxed. He stroked his round belly and blinked his small eyes, his gaze constantly roving over the faces and figures of the Female Cultivators.
"I think it’s best if we all prioritize harmony,"
the youth said with a chuckle, patting his stomach. "For example, if you, my friend from the Mu Family..."
Before he could finish, his stout figure abruptly vanished.
By the time the surrounding Cultivators reacted, the youth from the Yu Family had already sauntered back to his original spot.
The silver axe in his hand dripped with blood. In his other hand, he held the head of the Mu Family elder.
Only then did the Mu Family elder’s headless body collapse, spilling blood across the ground.
"Yu Qingyang, you damn bastard!"
The remaining Mu Family Cultivators erupted in fury. A barrage of Flying Swords and an assortment of Divine Techniques surged toward him.
The Yu Family Cultivators, naturally, would not show weakness and immediately counterattacked. The two sides instantly clashed.
Soon, the Cultivators from the other four families also joined the fray, and the scene descended into utter chaos.
As time passed, more Cultivators would undoubtedly continue to stream in, making the situation even more complex.
The Cultivators present couldn’t afford to delay. Since negotiations had failed, their only option was to resolve this with decisive, lightning-fast action!
In a short time, less than half of the hundred-plus Cultivators on the plateau were still standing. The rest were either dead or gravely wounded.
Just then, the eye of the Spiritual Spring in the jade pond suddenly erupted in a great cloud of rainbow-colored light. The faint, tinkling sound of flowing water echoed in their Divine Souls.
"...What’s going on?"
Yu Qingyang, now covered in blood, demanded in shock and disbelief.
The field fell silent for a moment before one Cultivator said weakly, "Just now... I think someone took the Crystal Pearls?"
