Ling Changqing's outstanding performance had proven to Ling Zifeng that he was worth further investment and cultivation.
Tian Wenhua was well aware of this. With this Middle Grade Magical Artifact in hand, Ling Changqing's combat strength was sure to increase significantly. Moreover, this gesture was a very direct statement of Ling Zifeng's attitude.
Any ill-intentioned individuals would now have to think twice before scheming against Ling Changqing.
Of course, Ling Changqing's Cultivation at the 2nd Layer of Qi Cultivation was still a bit low. He likely wouldn't be able to unleash the full lethality of the Short Sword, so he needed to break through to the next Realm as soon as possible.
Along with the other Pearl Gatherers, Ling Changqing queued up to receive his daily pay: three hundred Spiritual Sand, equivalent to three Low-grade Spirit Stones, plus ten family merit points.
The family merit points were recorded in a Magic Artifact level Jade Scroll. Ling Changqing had now accumulated a little over four hundred points, which was a considerable sum.
Taking the Jade Scroll from Tian Wenhua, Ling Changqing offered a word of thanks and turned to leave.
This time, he didn't head directly back to his room. Instead, he went to the trade district, intending to purchase some Protective Talismans.
Whether he liked it or not, Ling Changqing had now incurred the resentment of many Pearl Gatherers. His only option was to strengthen himself as much as possible, leaving no opportunity for those malicious bastards to exploit.
「The Trade District.」
"Brother Ling, back to buy more things?"
The Shopkeeper of the talisman shop greeted him with a cheerful laugh, his attitude exceptionally warm.
These shops inside the Sea Boat, including the brothels and taverns, were all property of the Ling Family. Thus, the majority of the Spirit Stone income that the Pearl Gatherers risked their lives to earn ultimately ended up back in the Ling Family's pockets.
"I need a few Protective Talismans, as well as some Water Escape Talismans, Profound Ice Talismans, and Thunder Talismans. A few of each, please..."
As Ling Changqing spoke, he took out the Spirit Stones he had previously accumulated in his Storage Pouch.
"Of course, of course. If you buy in bulk, young man, I can even give you a bit of a discount."
The Shopkeeper's smile never faded as he spoke, taking out several stacks of Talismans that shimmered with Spiritual Light and placing them on the table for him to choose from.
Ling Changqing smiled to himself. 'It seems these shopkeepers are well-informed. I certainly didn't receive this kind of treatment when I was shopping yesterday.'
Steward Ling Zifeng's show of favor today had immediately caused a subtle shift in their attitudes.
In the end, Ling Changqing finished selecting his Talismans, paid his bill, and left. The Spirit Stones and Spiritual Sand he had accumulated were now almost completely gone.
But Ling Changqing had no regrets. 'No amount of external wealth is more important than my own safety. What's the point of having Spirit Stones if I'm reluctant to spend them? Am I supposed to save them for the bastards who'll try to rob me later?'
As long as he could ensure his own safety, his Cultivation would continue to rise. Earning more Spirit Stones wouldn't be difficult. The choice was easy to understand.
Back in his room within the ship's cabins, Ling Changqing bolted the door, consumed a Qi Nourishing and Essence Storing Pill, and resumed his Cultivation.
「A night passed quietly.」
As the sky gradually brightened, Ling Changqing opened his eyes to find, just as he'd expected, that his Cultivation had broken through the 2nd Layer of Qi Cultivation. He had officially stepped into the 3rd Layer of Qi Cultivation.
The various treasures he had consumed on the seafloor yesterday, combined with the aid of the Elixir, had finally allowed Ling Changqing to achieve a smooth Realm Breakthrough.
Within his sea of consciousness, a message carrying a profound Dao Rhyme silently materialized:
[Master of the Era Star Palace: Ling Changqing]
[Bone Age: 14]
[Cultivation: Qi Cultivation 3rd Layer]
[Destiny: 15+87]
[Blessed Fortune: 15+64]
[Physique: 11]
[Root Bone: 10]
[Comprehension: 11]
[Divine Soul: 15]
[Primary Cultivation Technique: Water Manipulation Technique (Third Layer), ???, ???]
[Spirit Root: Bottom Rank Character, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Noble: Ling Zifeng]
[Noble: ?]
His various important physical attributes had all seen a significant boost, especially his Destiny and Blessed Fortune. Even the phantom numbers after the plus signs had increased.
Only his Spirit Root Level showed no change. 'Perhaps the conditions for advancement haven't been met yet?'
Compared to before his breakthrough, the total amount of Spiritual Power in his body, as well as its purity and density, had increased by a remarkable forty percent or so.
'Those Direct Lineage disciples of the Ling Family have better Cultivation Method Scriptures and Cultivation Resources. Their power must increase by an even greater margin when they have a breakthrough, right?'
Ling Changqing was lost in thought. 'My Cultivation Technique is still too trash. It looks like obtaining a better Cultivation Method Scripture is imperative. Otherwise, the gap between me and the Direct Lineage disciples will only grow wider and wider.'
Of course, he had just advanced a layer in Cultivation, and both his strength and his luck had grown. All in all, it was something to be happy about.
It was also worth noting that the Era Star Palace's special "Noble" ability now had another vacant slot, meaning Ling Changqing could select a new Cultivator for patronage.
Of course, the target's Cultivation could only be at the Peak of Qi Cultivation at most; for now, it couldn't affect Great Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Level.
Ling Changqing thought for a moment and decided to wait. 'I'll hold off until someone of sufficient importance appears.'
Besides, this mysterious ability wasn't omnipotent. It would only work on the premise that there was no conflict of interest between him and the target.
After organizing his belongings, Ling Changqing got up and left the room, carefully locking the door behind him. Then, he headed to the mess hall for a meal.
Once the meal was over, the numerous Pearl Gatherers assembled on the deck. Ling Zifeng's gaze immediately fell upon the blue-robed youth, whose Essence, Qi, and Spirit had undergone a noticeable transformation.
"Oh? Little fellow, you've already broken through to the 3rd Layer of Qi Cultivation? Excellent, excellent!"
Ling Zifeng chuckled with a hint of surprise. 'It seems this kid really does have some luck on his side. My high opinion of him wasn't misplaced.'
"It was just a fortunate breakthrough. I must also thank you for your favor, Lord Steward!"
Ling Changqing replied with a smile. 'In a way, this Ling Family Steward really is my Noble. It's essential to maintain a good long-term relationship with him.'
Ling Zifeng nodded, his expression growing even more satisfied. "Alright, keep up the hard work. I look forward to your performance to come."
As he spoke, he swept a meaningful gaze over the crowd of Pearl Gatherers and said in a detached tone:
"The same goes for all of you. As long as you perform well and don't entertain any crooked ideas, the family will not be stingy with its rewards! Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lord Steward!"
No matter how much jealousy and hatred they harbored in their hearts, the Pearl Gatherers could only lower their heads and agree obediently.
Ling Zifeng waved his hand, signaling for everyone to enter the sea and begin their work.
Ling Changqing once again hung back, waiting until all the other Pearl Gatherers had entered the water before he calmly set off.
In the bone-chilling seawater, the Water Repelling Talisman on his chest emitted a faint golden glow. In concert with his third-layer Water Manipulation Technique, it insulated him from most of the frigid aura.
After his Cultivation breakthrough, Ling Changqing found that swimming through the seawater felt much easier. He was no longer on edge as before, to the point where he hardly dared to breathe.
This was the confidence that came with increased strength. He could only imagine how this confidence would continue to grow as his Cultivation advanced in the future.
Soon, Ling Changqing discovered that the perception of his Divine Soul had become more acute. His instincts for danger were sharper, allowing him to silently bypass several areas where dangerous Sea Beasts were active.
The seabed's terrain was complex. Countless strange and wonderful creatures thrived here, and vast, rugged clusters of dark reefs stood silently, like underwater mountain ranges.
Ling Changqing silently propelled himself through the water, passing schools of brightly colored sea fish, menacing crabs with bared claws, and slowly drifting forests of giant kelp, as he swam toward the base of a reef cluster.
After a few moments, Ling Changqing successfully located a cave at the base of a reef where a Yusha Clam was hiding. After observing the surroundings and finding nothing unusual, he expertly slipped inside.
This time, he only found a single Yusha Clam. Ling Changqing probed it, and upon confirming the presence of a Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl inside, he unhesitatingly activated a Sealing Talisman.
Furthermore, with a Middle Grade Magical Artifact in hand this time, Ling Changqing didn't need to bring the entire creature back. He directly drew the gleaming Short Sword, silently channeled his Spiritual Power, aimed for a gap in the shell, and thrust viciously.
With a flash of dazzling Sword Aura, the incomparably sharp blade easily pierced the hard shell, inflicting a fatal wound on the Quasi Demon Beast.
A high-pitched shriek echoed, and he felt a faint stinging pain in his mind, but it no longer had any effect on him.
A few breaths later, a Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearl radiating a magnificent, shadowy light appeared before Ling Changqing's eyes, and he snatched it up.
'Have to admit,' he thought, 'this kind of satisfying harvest... feels amazing!'
If there was one drawback, it was the slightly exaggerated consumption of the Middle Grade Magical Artifact. A single use had drained nearly half of Ling Changqing's Spiritual Power.
He regulated his breathing on the spot to recover for a few moments before getting up to search for another suitable target.
Unwittingly, more than an hour slipped by.
Ling Changqing's Storage Pouch now held eleven Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls, in addition to a large haul in his Silver Thread Net Bag containing Moonlight Vine Gourds, Yunzhu Grass, Thorny Lobsters, and more.
The meat of the Thorny Lobsters, in particular, had the effect of rapidly restoring Spiritual Power, so Ling Changqing, caring little for the taste, chose to eat them all raw.
Suddenly, Ling Changqing's expression flickered, and he hid himself behind a sea turtle that was the size of a small hill.
Dozens of yards ahead, three blurry, indistinct figures quietly emerged, drawing closer and closer.
They were three Pearl Gatherers.
'So, you couldn't hold back after all...'
Ling Changqing sneered inwardly, but he felt no fear.
As long as it wasn't a surprise ambush, the current Ling Changqing really didn't need to worry about three pieces of trash. Escaping unscathed, at the very least, would be no problem at all.
Covering himself with a large pile of seaweed and concealing his entire aura, Ling Changqing lay motionless in ambush, watching the three Pearl Gatherers draw closer bit by bit.
It was obvious that as long as their target didn't reveal himself, they were doomed to find no clues, able only to circle the surrounding waters again and again.
"...Dammit, where the hell did that kid go?"
"I don't know. He should be in this area..."
"I refuse to believe it! The three of us working together can't find one snot-nosed brat? There's no way he could have gotten far!"
"...Brother Chen, do we really have to do this? If word of this gets out, it'll be hard to answer to the Lord Steward, won't it?"
"Hmph, I'm not planning to kill him. I just want to 'borrow' a few pearls from him to meet our quota. As long as he's sensible, nothing will happen..."
"That's true. Our lives are worthless anyway. Who cares if the Lord Steward is happy or not? Let's just focus on surviving today's quota first!"
...
The three men conversed in low voices, stubbornly circling the area, unwilling to give up.
Ling Changqing remained quietly in hiding. He was in no rush; his harvest for the day was already enough to satisfy Ling Zifeng.
'Let's see how long these three can keep this up with me. Let's just hope they don't accidentally attract the attention of some powerful Sea Beast.'
Unexpectedly, after only about ten minutes, a strange, low roar echoed from the distant waters, causing the reefs on the seabed to tremble slightly.
'This must be... a migrating school of Deep Sea Soul Nightmare Sharks, isn't it?'
Ling Changqing's expression turned grave. He hadn't expected these terrifying deep-sea creatures, normally so elusive, to appear so suddenly and without any warning.
At that moment, the three distant Pearl Gatherers also realized something was wrong. Amid flashes of light, they hastily activated various Protective Talismans and sped toward the surface.
But it was too late. The surrounding water suddenly churned and boiled as dozens of terrifying black shadows of varying sizes shot up from the depths, swallowing the three Pearl Gatherers in an instant.
By the time the waters had returned to their calm, tranquil state, not even a single bone fragment remained of the three men.