’But Ling Qiyue was no sweet and naive idiot. Am I supposed to take on a bunch of useless hacks as apprentices just to appease the family’s so-called greater good? What do they take for?’
With a flick of her sleeve, Ling Qiyue rose and returned to her inner chamber.
Her gaze fell upon the handso, purple-robed young man still poring over a Jade Scroll Pill Scripture behind the desk, his eyes full of concentration. Ling Qiyue’s mood quietly brightened, and a hint of a smile touched her beautiful eyes.
’Only a promising talent like Ling Changqing, who possessed great Destiny and deep Blessed Fortune and was also willing to work hard, was worthy of her dedicated cultivation.’
’As for those worthless fools outside, they could get lost for all she cared.’
"Senior Sister, you’re back!"
Seeing her familiar, stunningly beautiful figure, Ling Changqing set down the Jade Scroll and stood up.
’He had just sensed another disturbance from the Era Star Palace, along with a new influx of Divine Soul Origin. It was most likely related to the family elders Ling Qiyue had just t with outside.’
Before Ling Qiyue could speak, a maid entered from the outer room to report, "Patriarch, Elder Tang has arrived!"
"Oh? She’s finally willing to co out?"
Ling Qiyue was clearly a little surprised. Tang Qiu Yao had been in cultivation in seclusion for the past six months, and it seed she was finally finished.
A short while later, on the scented consort couch in the inner chamber.
Two peerless beauties with graceful, radiant bearings and slender figures sat facing each other.
"Senior Sister, should I excuse myself?"
Ling Changqing spoke up at the opportune mont. The two won were most likely about to discuss family secrets, and it was clearly inappropriate for him to listen in. It was only proper for him to leave.
Ling Qiyue smiled. "That won’t be necessary. It’s fine for you to stay and listen. I trust you won’t go around gossiping."
’Since she had decided to nurture Ling Changqing, he would learn of these matters sooner or later. This was also an opportunity to further observe his character and temperant.’
Ling Changqing thanked her and sat back down.
"...You’ve been in seclusion for so long. What level is your cultivation at? It should be ti to consider breaking through to the Foundation Establishnt Realm, right?"
Ling Qiyue set down the sky-blue teacup in her hand and looked at Tang Qiu Yao, speaking in a languid tone.
Normally, once a cultivator’s cultivation reached the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer, they were qualified to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishnt Realm, provided they had all the necessary auxiliary resources, including the Foundation Establishnt Pill.
Of course, for those cultivators with less impressive Primary Cultivation Techniques or average Spirit Root Talent, it was better to wait until they reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer before attempting the breakthrough, as it would give them a greater chance of success.
The stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a sky-blue, flowing gown and exuding a profound, radiant aura, smiled and said:
"I’m almost there. But spending a bit more ti polishing my cultivation wouldn’t hurt. I’m not in any particular hurry, anyway."
Ling Qiyue couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her. "You’re not in a hurry?" she retorted playfully. "So you can just focus on your seclusion while I shoulder all the responsibilities alone, is that it?"
Tang Qiu Yao glanced at Ling Changqing, who was not far off, and said with a grin, "With our Little Junior Brother here to help you out, it doesn’t really matter whether I’m by your side or not!"
She hadn’t known beforehand that Ling Changqing had co to study the path of alchemy under Ling Qiyue, but now that she did, she was delighted to see it.
’With Little Junior Brother’s talent, plus his Luck and Fortune, it’s only a matter of ti before he becos a Top Grade Alchemist.’
’Perhaps in a few years, the Ling Family will welco its second Foundation Establishnt Alchemist? When that day cos, the family’s rise to prominence will truly be just around the corner!’
"In any case, you’ll have to work hard for the next year. There’s a lot of things I can’t handle without you!"
Ling Qiyue continued, "There might be a few capable people among those guys, but their loyalty is questionable. Every one of them is too selfish. I really can’t trust them."
Tang Qiu Yao nodded. "Alright then. Since you can’t take that next step yourself for the ti being, nurturing a few more Foundation Establishnt Cultivators isn’t a bad idea either."
Having a few more Foundation Establishnt Powerhouses to hold down the fort would have an imdiate and visible effect on the family’s strength, enough to make the surrounding powers hesitate to act rashly.
Ling Qiyue sighed. "It’s just that the raw materials for the Foundation Establishnt Pill are incredibly difficult to collect. Even if we’re willing to spend more Spirit Stones to buy them, it’s not easy to find them in stock at any of the nearby Marketplaces."
For the vast majority of small and dium-sized cultivation powers, the Foundation Establishnt Pill was an undeniable strategic resource. Whether it was the completed pill, the raw materials, or the Pill Masters capable of refining it, all were targets that the various factions spared no effort to compete for.
The dicinal ingredients Ling Qiyue needed the last ti she refined Foundation Establishnt Pills took her several years to gather.
Moreover, these materials couldn’t be found in ordinary places. One had to search in the Marketplaces within the territory of Major Sect powers, and even then, whether you could buy them or not was entirely a matter of luck.
Tang Qiu Yao said, "Can’t we place a high-priced pre-order for a batch through those few channels? It’s not like we’re short on Spirit Stones right now."
"We could, but the waiting ti is hard to estimate. It could be years before we receive the goods."
Ling Qiyue mused that the Major Sect powers, in order to protect their own interests and transcendent status, did not want to see too many Foundation Establishnt Cultivators erging from the smaller powers. Thus, their control over these resources was extrely strict.
Tang Qiu Yao glanced at Ling Changqing and said,
"We should get started on that as soon as possible, just to have it as a backup channel. Then, we can take Little Junior Brother to the Deep Sea Region to try our luck. We might find sothing there."
"Mm, that’s the only way to arrange it."
Ling Qiyue nodded. ’Currently, the only places where one could find a significant amount of unclaid resources are the Deep Sea, the ruins of Ancient Cave Mansions, perilous Secret Realms, and pocket dinsions beyond this world.’
’But without exception, these were all places of extre danger, where even Nascent Soul and Divinity Transformation Ancestors could not guarantee their absolute safety if they went in person.’
After a pause, Ling Qiyue suddenly smiled. "A few days ago, a couple of Loose Cultivators of unknown origin ca to our door. They said they’d gathered a set of materials and hoped I would refine a batch of Foundation Establishnt Pills for them. They said the paynt would be generous, but I haven’t given them an answer yet."
Tang Qiu Yao’s expression changed slightly. "Loose Cultivators? Are you sure they weren’t sent by one of the neighboring families?"
Although it would be an opportunity to improve her alchemy experience and earn a handso reward, every new Foundation Establishnt Cultivator that appeared in a neighboring family increased the threat to the Ling Family.
Therefore, such a request was absolutely unacceptable. It wasn’t the first ti other families or Loose Cultivators had approached Ling Qiyue with this matter, and she had refused them all.
Ling Qiyue said, "We currently have no way of confirming their true identities. But since I never planned to accept anyway, it doesn’t really matter."
Tang Qiu Yao’s fine brows knitted together. "If the neighboring families really have gathered the materials, even if you refuse, they’ll definitely find other Second Rank Alchemists to help them. So..."
"So, it’s only a matter of ti before new Foundation Establishnt Powerhouses appear in the neighboring families!" Ling Changqing interjected softly.
This ant that the slight advantage gained from Elder Yulu’s promotion would soon be nullified.
As for how many new Foundation Establishnt Powerhouses there would be, that was still uncertain. There might be only one, or perhaps two, or even three.
When that ti ca, the external strategic pressure on the Ling Family would once again beco severe. If the family couldn’t produce more Foundation Establishnt Powerhouses of its own in ti, it would be inevitable that the surrounding powers would join forces against them.
Tang Qiu Yao gave him an appreciative glance and asked with a smile, "Since that’s the case, Little Junior Brother, what do you think we should do to handle this?"
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