Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 242 - 172: Secret Pursuit (Part 2)

The beautiful woman’s courtyard was located just behind the chamber of commerce branch, a short walk through a moon gate and down a corridor tens of yards long.

A moment later, as if walking on air, Xue Qingtan linked her arm with Ling Changqing’s and led him into her private chambers.

Outside the room, two pretty personal maids blushed as they activated all the Array Restrictions.

...

「The deserted island housing Dragon Soul Valley.」

After months of fruitless searching, the leaders of the Deep Sea Dragon Race and the Nine Great Families finally had to accept the truth.

After their elite forces reluctantly withdrew from the island, the leaders convened for another secret meeting.

In the end, they decided to combine their intelligence networks and launch a secret, indefinite search for the whereabouts of the Child of Destiny.

"...I believe ’Ling Changqing’ is likely an alias used by the Child of Destiny. His real name may be different. What are your thoughts?"

Inside the Secret Hall, Mu Yunzhong, Supreme Elder of the Mu Family, spoke.

Liu Ying Ziyi, Patriarch of the Liu Ying Clan, nodded slightly and said softly,

"Fellow Daoist Mu is right. Whatever the Child of Destiny calls himself, his Luck and Fortune, far surpassing that of any ordinary person, cannot be hidden.

Our search should focus on this, but we must be discreet. We cannot risk alerting the powers from other continents!"

Yuqing Lake, the Supreme Elder of the Yu Family, sighed. "It seems a public bounty is out of the question. But perhaps that’s for the best. We can just conduct the search ourselves, slowly."

In the vast Cultivation Realm, with its trillions upon trillions of mortals and an equally massive population of cultivators, there were far too many people who shared the same name.

That’s why a massive bounty, a normally foolproof method, was unsuitable for a special target like the Child of Destiny.

After all, any power or cultivator with any sense, upon capturing the Child of Destiny, would surely keep him for themselves rather than turn him in for a reward.

Luo Cangli, the Dragon Race Elder, spoke slowly, his expression cold.

"I believe the Child of Destiny will not be easily controlled by other powers. He is likely in Cultivation in Seclusion somewhere right now.

Unless he allows it, no one can capture him! So, where do you all think he is most likely to have gone?"

A moment of silence fell before the Tang Family’s Ancestor spoke hesitantly,

"With his limited Cultivation, he is unlikely to venture into the territory of other continents. For now, he has probably remained in Yuzhou."

No matter how extraordinary the Child of Destiny may be, a Cultivation at the mere late stage of Foundation Establishment was not enough to ensure his safety. The most logical choice would be to find a safe place to lie low.

It would be much easier for him to travel once he reached the Golden Core Master Realm, or even became a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

The Yu Family’s Ancestor mused, "If that theory is correct, should we then focus our search on Yuzhou itself and the surrounding sea regions?"

Yuqing Lake’s eyes glinted. She suddenly turned to the silent Bai Qingyi and asked gently,

"There’s one more crucial question: the Child of Destiny’s rate of growth. I wonder if Your Majesty the Queen could enlighten us?"

Of everyone present, she and her daughter had the closest relationship and the most contact with Ling Changqing, so they were the only ones who could answer.

Bai Qingyi shook her head, her tone frigid. "His Cultivation is indeed only at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and his true Bone Age is low. He must have arrived in this world only recently.

As for his growth rate, I cannot give a precise estimate. It certainly won’t take him more than a few years to reach the Golden Core Master Realm. Beyond that, to the Nascent Soul True Monarch Realm... it’s hard to say..."

Over the past millions of years, legends and records of the Child of Destiny have been endless, but no one has ever truly laid eyes on one.

So now, these powerful figures had no way of guessing what extraordinary secrets the Child of Destiny held.

The Yu Family’s Ancestor couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ’If the Dragon Race hadn’t been so possessive, if they had just agreed to share the Child of Destiny from the start and let everyone negotiate peacefully, maybe Ling Changqing wouldn’t have slipped away? But what was done was done. All they could do now was try to fix it. They had to find Ling Changqing first, and then they could discuss everything else.’

Bai Qingyi’s cold gaze swept across the room. She had already made up her mind: once she returned, she would arrange for her daughter, Luo Qingxuan, to go traveling.

’Since Qingxuan was lucky enough to meet Ling Changqing once and bring him back, she was bound to have a second chance.

This time, however, she would never let anyone else lay a finger on Ling Changqing. At most... she and Luo Qingxuan would share him...’

...

「Inside the private chambers.」

A woman’s undergarments and robes were scattered across the thick, white carpet.

Between the embroidered bed curtains, a blushing Xue Qingtan gently turned over. Her supple, jade-like arms wrapped around Ling Changqing, her beautiful eyes overflowing with tender affection.

’From now on, I’m his Dao Companion. The kind that stays for a lifetime, never to part.’

’The Dual Cultivation had gone perfectly. She could already feel her Destiny slowly rising. Maybe after a few more times, she would undergo a complete transformation?’

Xue Qingtan knew that with her own talent, the best she could have hoped for in her lifetime was to scrape her way into the True Pill Realm. Becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch was an impossible dream.

But now, everything was different.

’It seemed the heavens really did favor me.’

When Ling Changqing opened his eyes, he was met with the shy, bashful gaze of the beauty beside him.

Their gazes met for a moment, and Xue Qingtan’s face instantly turned crimson. Like an ostrich, she hastily buried her lovely head, with its waterfall of black silk, in his chest.

"In a month, my dear, you can enter seclusion!"

Gently caressing her smooth, fragrant skin, Ling Changqing said, "There’s no shortage of Third Grade Spirit Veins here, so you don’t need to return to headquarters. You can make your breakthrough right here!"

He was worried something might happen if Xue Qingtan left, and felt she would be safest by his side.

Once she formed her Golden Core, her status and influence within the chamber of commerce would rise accordingly, providing her with greater security.

"O-Okay!"

Xue Qingtan agreed softly. ’After all,’ she thought, ’I don’t lack for resources, and with my husband’s supreme Destiny protecting me, becoming a Golden Core Master is practically guaranteed, right?’

After a moment’s thought, Xue Qingtan suddenly lifted her head. She pressed her voluptuous body against his, her expression growing serious.

"Husband, I heard some rumors within the chamber of commerce a few days ago..."

Ling Changqing’s eyes glinted. "About me?"

"Mm, I think so,"

Xue Qingtan explained, "It seems some powerful figure led a group to a deserted island in the ocean and faced off against experts from the Nine Great Families of Yuzhou. They nearly came to blows..."

Although the matter was still supposed to be a secret, word had already gotten out. At the very least, quite a few people within the chamber of commerce knew about it.

"Correct. I’m the one they were looking for!"

Ling Changqing’s expression was calm; there was no reason to hide something like this from the woman he shared a bed with.

"..."

Xue Qingtan’s eyes widened. Even though she had her suspicions, hearing Ling Changqing admit it himself still sent a jolt of shock through her.

"Don’t worry. They’ll never find me unless I want them to," Ling Changqing said with a smile.

"But it’s still too risky! Husband, from now on... you can’t just wander around outside like this!"

Xue Qingtan murmured, her alluring arms tightening around him.

’She couldn’t bear to imagine what she would do if those powerful figures ever captured Ling Changqing.’

"Don’t worry, I won’t be so careless again!"

Ling Changqing said. Before Gong Ling awakened, such a risk had indeed existed.

But now, if he wanted to change his appearance, he could do so perfectly just by expending ten years of his Lifespan. His safety was now guaranteed as much as it could be.

Looking at the beauty’s dazzlingly fair and voluptuous body, the flames of desire in Ling Changqing’s heart flared up once more.

"Alright, my dear, let’s continue our Cultivation!"

Saying so, he embraced Xue Qingtan again.

She let out a coquettish protest, pushing against him weakly a few times before responding with fiery passion.

「Early the next morning.」

While Ling Changqing was still fast asleep under the brocade quilt, Xue Qingtan was already up, washed, and dressed.

The chamber’s branch affairs weren’t terribly busy, but they still required her personal attention as the Steward.

A moment later, Xue Qingtan, looking radiant in a bright red palace gown embroidered with mythical birds, glided gracefully into the front hall.

She had barely sat down when a subordinate came to report that a special envoy from headquarters had arrived and that she was to receive them.