Ling Changqing lingered at the Bishui Pavilion for the entire day, only taking his leave after nightfall.
"...Senior Brother, you must co visit often when you have ti!"
At the entrance to the Cave Mansion Hall, the stunningly beautiful and radiant Ling Xueyu said in a soft, gentle voice, her eyes shimring.
"Mm, I will!"
Ling Changqing patted her fair hand and spoke gently, quite satisfied with the sincere hospitality shown by the mother and daughter.
Ling Xueyu’s lovely face flushed red, and she was overjoyed. ’As long as I can maintain a good relationship with this handso youth, my path of cultivation is sure to be promising.’ Moreover, Ling Changqing had a calm and agreeable temperant, free from any unsavory habits or cruel, perverse tendencies, which was why both she and her mother approved of him.
After a bit more conversation, Ling Changqing finally took his leave. Under the young woman’s watchful gaze, he turned and departed, riding the wind.
By the ti he returned to his Cave Mansion Hall, the lanterns were being lit.
"...Young Master, you’ve returned?"
Song Xuelan—with bright eyes and pearly teeth, dressed in a simple white embroidered long dress—and Ling nghuan ca forward, greeting him with beaming smiles and salutes.
"Did anything happen at ho?"
Ling Changqing took the teacup offered by the maid and asked casually.
Song Xuelan said softly, "Nothing else of note, but Elder Tang sent soone with a ssage. She said so of the family disciples are preparing to move, and you are among them, Young Master."
"It’s happening so soon? I thought we still had so ti."
Ling Changqing was lost in thought.
Song Xuelan said, "According to Elder Tang, the climate, environnt, and even the geological structure of the Changqing Continent have all begun to stabilize, so the plan has been moved up..."
According to the Ling Family leadership’s original plan, they would only consider a large-scale migration of mortals to settle and develop the area after another year or so.
However, the areas on the Changqing Continent with the few Third Grade Spirit Veins have already stabilized, so Ling Qiyue felt that the family disciples could be moved over ahead of schedule.
"That’s good, too."
Ling Changqing nodded. ’The sooner we plan the layout of the Spirit Vein Cave Mansion Halls on the Changqing Continent and build a large-scale Third Grade Protective Array, the more secure the foundation for the family’s rise will be.’
Ling nghuan glanced at him and asked timidly:
"Young Master, we should... be able to go with you, right?"
Ling Changqing said, "You are my attendants, so of course you can co along. The Cave Mansion Halls over there will need people to look after them!"
"Mm, that’s wonderful!"
The two won bead with joy. As long as they could stay by the Young Master’s side, they wouldn’t have to worry about anything else.
Ling Changqing set down his teacup and beckoned to them. The two won, their lovely faces blushing, understood imdiately and ca to sit beside him.
He wrapped his arms around their slender, smooth waists, and after a brief inspection, he said:
"You can’t slack off on your daily cultivation. Reach the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer as soon as you can, and I will prepare the resources for your Foundation Establishnt. Whether you can overco that hurdle will depend on your own fortune."
"Don’t worry, Young Master, we won’t disappoint you!"
Song Xuelan said quickly, and Ling nghuan nodded vigorously. Ten years ago, they would never have dared to imagine such good fortune.
Now, with the rise of the family’s status and influence—and more importantly, the rise in Ling Changqing’s own status and Cultivation—they had all benefited greatly.
Whenever she recalled the past, Song Xuelan felt incredibly fortunate. ’If I had served any other master, I would never have had such an opportunity. It’s true what they say: choice is more important than effort. It’s a golden rule.’
Of course, from Ling Changqing’s perspective, he wasn’t lacking resources, so sharing a small amount with them was no issue.
Ling nghuan gently bit her pink, alluring lips and whispered, "Young Master, let massage your legs for you?"
As she spoke, her supple body slid gracefully from the chair. With her head bowed, she began to carefully massage his legs.
" too!"
Song Xuelan, her Yu Yan flushing red, had a ripple in her gaze as she also ca over to help. The two won coordinated perfectly, their pressure and rhythm controlled just right.
Having spent so much ti together, the two won had gradually beco familiar with so of Ling Changqing’s habits and preferences, and naturally knew how to please him better.
Ling Changqing took a shallow breath, his hands subconsciously gripping the armrests of his chair. His gaze drifted to the exquisite patterns on the hall ceiling as he began to ponder the strategy for developing their territory on the Changqing Continent.
’With the help of a Third stage Spiritual Vein Cave Mansion, my own cultivation speed, as well as that of Tang Qiu Yao and Ling Qiyue, will reach a new level. Once Ling Qiyue reaches the Middle stage Golden Core, the three families’ hopes of turning the tables will beco even slimr.’
...
News that the Ling Family had signed a truce agreent with the Bai Family, the Yuan Family, and Yu Long Island quickly spread throughout the entire Feiyu Sea Region.
While the nurous smaller powers were surprised by this outco, they didn’t find it entirely unexpected.
Both sides suffering heavy losses, or even annihilating each other, only to let the other small powers swoop in and pick up the spoils? Only a fool would do sothing like that.
In a situation where neither side could defeat the other, ceasing hostilities to lick their wounds before another showdown was the most sensible choice.
Of course, given that the Ling Family was stronger and had a greater advantage, they were able to force the three powers to concede, obtaining a twenty-year trusteeship over the Changqing Continent.
Once the twenty years were up, the two sides would sit down again to negotiate whether to fight or make peace.
As things stood, the Ling Family’s strategic advantage was becoming increasingly obvious, and almost no power was optimistic about the future of the other three.
One step ahead, always ahead. As long as the Ling Family could stably manage the Changqing Continent for twenty years, trying to drive them out afterward would be nothing but a fool’s dream.
Under the watchful eyes of various powers, both overt and covert, the first batch of Ling Family disciples departed, split among ten Flying Ships and personally led by Ling Qiyue.
Traveling with them were twenty Tianzhou Skyboats, most of which were leased from the Xingyun sun Comrce Association, fully loaded with the materials needed to manage and build up the territory. Together, they headed for the core region of the Changqing Continent.
Two days later, the fleet of Tianzhou Skyboats arrived without incident. Thousands of Cultivators imdiately took up their respective duties and began to work with fiery enthusiasm.
Surveying the mountains and earth veins, drawing detailed maps, demarcating the coverage area of the Third Grade Spirit Veins, constructing Cave Mansion Halls...
Among these tasks, the most important and highest priority was to use the several main Spirit Veins as a foundation to construct a large-scale Third Grade Protection Array.
For the Ling Family leadership, only when this task was completed could they be considered to have truly established a foothold on the Changqing Continent.
Needless to say, the ones setting up the Array were the Array Masters from the Xingyun sun Comrce Association, and even the core materials were purchased from within the association.
Thanks to their relationship with Shentu Hong and Xue Qingtan, the price for the resources the Ling Family purchased was quite reasonable. But even so, the final cost was still an astonishing figure.
Fortunately, the Ling Family of today was not what it used to be and could fully afford it. At worst, they could go into debt for now and repay it slowly in the future.
After they secured the Changqing Continent, the leadership of the Xingyun sun Comrce Association had tacitly acknowledged the Ling Family’s developnt potential, deeming it worthy of further investnt. As a result, it was now quite easy for Ling Qiyue to borrow resources.
Under Ling Qiyue’s personal supervision and rushed schedule, the large-scale Third Grade Protection Array was completed and officially activated in just two months.
When they saw the thick, pale-blue curtain of light gradually form in the Celestial Vault, enveloping the Cave Mansion Hall where the family headquarters was located, the present Ling Family leaders finally breathed a true sigh of relief.
From this mont on, the Ling Family could be considered the true masters of the Changqing Continent, with complete control over this auspicious land.
"...Next is to build the Cave Mansion Halls!"
Tang Qiu Yao, dressed in an intricate and magnificent bright-red embroidered gown, adorned with a Cloud Hairpin Phoenix, and possessing a celestial beauty, said:
"Given the scale of these main Spirit Veins, we can create at least a hundred Third stage Spiritual Vein Cave Mansions. Aside from setting so aside to rent out in the future, the rest can be assigned to the clan’s Elders for their Cultivation in Seclusion."
Among the major Golden Core and Nascent Soul powers, one must at least reach the Pseudo Core master level to have a chance at obtaining a Grade Three Spirit Vein Cave Mansion Hall.
For powers with tighter Spirit Vein Cave Mansion resources, a Pseudo Core master would likely only have a Quasi rank Three or Second Grade Spirit Vein Cave Mansion available.
The Ling Family was a newly risen Golden Core power with more than enough territory and a limited number of experts in the clan, so they had an abundance of resources in this regard.
Ling Qiyue mused, "Those Elders’ Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishnt Level, yet they can get a Grade Three Spirit Vein Cave Mansion Hall for Cultivation in Seclusion? Isn’t that letting them off a bit too easy?"
Even if the family doesn’t lack these resources now, we can’t break the established conventions.
Otherwise, if more Foundation Establishnt Cultivators appear in the clan in the future and also demand a Grade Three Spirit Vein Cave Mansion Hall, should the Patriarch grant it or not?
If the limited number of Third stage Spiritual Vein Cave Mansions are all assigned, and later Foundation Establishnt Cultivators can only get Second Grade Spirit Vein Cave Mansions, wouldn’t they beco resentful?
Tang Qiu Yao nodded slightly. "Senior Sister is right. This matter certainly cannot be decided rashly. We should stick to the established conventions, shouldn’t we? It would be better to leave those Third stage Spiritual Vein Cave Mansions empty than to assign them casually."
Ling Changqing said, "How about this? We can let them live there temporarily, but they must pay an additional sum of Spirit Stones to the family as rent.
Furthermore, their term of use will be limited to fifty years at most, after which the family must reclaim it unconditionally—unless they break through to the Pseudo Core master level, in which case they can continue to reside there."
For an ordinary Foundation Establishnt Cultivator, breaking through to the Pseudo Core master level in fifty years is basically impossible, unless they co across so special opportunity.
Ling Qiyue smiled. "What Junior Brother says is not bad. Then... shall we settle on that?"
Tang Qiu Yao smiled. "However, I believe that you, Junior Brother, are qualified to receive permanent residency in a Third stage Spiritual Vein Cave Mansion. I’m sure no one will have any objections."
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