After finishing his conversation with Ling Zifeng, Ling Changqing returned to his cabin to rest and continue his cultivation.
Most Pearl Gatherers had cultivation levels around the Qi Cultivation 1st or 2nd Layer. Those who reached the Qi Cultivation 3rd Layer could be counted on one hand.
As for the Qi Cultivation 4th Layer, there might not be even one in several years.
Once a cultivator reached the Qi Cultivation 4th Layer, they would likely have the chance to choose safer assignments, no longer needing to risk their lives at sea.
However, in Ling Changqing's view, every family had its own troubles. Leaving the Pearl Gatherer profession didn't necessarily mean other jobs would be any better.
A safe job likely wouldn't pay well. And a high-paying job was always accompanied by high risk.
Only the Direct Lineage disciples and high-ranking Elders of the Ling Family, the true ruling class for thousands of miles around Zenxin Island, could live comfortable lives.
Inside the room.
Ling Changqing sat cross-legged on his bed, his mind sinking into his body to continue communicating with the Era Star Palace.
In his sea of consciousness, a message imbued with a mysterious Dao Rhyme silently appeared:
[Master of the Era Star Palace: Ling Changqing]
[Bone Age: 14]
[Cultivation: Qi Cultivation 2nd Layer]
[Destiny: 10+81]
[Blessed Fortune: 10+56]
[Physique: 9]
[Root Bone: 8]
[Comprehension: 10]
[Divine Soul: 12]
[Primary Cultivation Technique: Water Manipulation Technique (3rd Layer) ???\???]
[Spirit Root: Bottom Rank Character, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Noble: Ling Zifeng]
Compared to yesterday, his physical attributes hadn't changed. Only his Water Manipulation Technique had broken through to the 3rd Layer, but it could not be advanced any further.
The reason was simple. The version of the Water Manipulation Technique given to Pearl Gatherers was of this caliber—not only was it a trash-tier technique, but its contents were also incomplete.
If a Pearl Gatherer wanted the latter half of the Water Manipulation Technique, they had to exchange Spirit Stones or family merit points for it. The family wouldn't let you just freeload.
Ling Changqing sighed softly. 'Steward Ling Zifeng definitely has the complete Water Manipulation Technique, and most likely a higher-grade version at that.'
'Unfortunately, unless he sees a significant benefit, he'll never just give it to me. I'll have to find another way.'
'The mission for one hundred Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls is a bit troublesome, but it's acceptable. If I can really get the loan quickly with the steward's guarantee, breaking through to the Qi Cultivation 3rd Layer won't be difficult...'
Ling Changqing calculated silently. In a world dominated by the law of the jungle, raising one's cultivation as quickly as possible was always the primary goal.
The weak could meet with an accident at any time, and there would be no one to seek justice for them.
The various resource loans offered by the Ling Family Bank naturally had thresholds. It wasn't as if any Tom, Dick, or Harry, any worthless cultivator, could apply.
To put it bluntly, only young cultivators who appeared to have potential and a high probability of advancing in the future had a chance to obtain these resource loans.
Based on Ling Changqing's qualifications, he clearly met the requirements.
The advantage of borrowing for cultivation was obtaining necessary resources in advance. After breaking through to a higher cultivation realm, the difficulty of earning Spirit Stones to repay the debt would decrease accordingly.
According to Ling Zifeng's steward, borrowing for cultivation was already the norm in this world. It wasn't just the masses of low-level cultivators; even many Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators couldn't do without such resource channels.
For example, Foundation Establishment Loans, Golden Core Loans, Nascent Soul Loans... even greater figures couldn't avoid borrowing from all over due to a lack of resources when breaking through to a new realm.
Of course, loans of that magnitude could only be provided by certain ancient Noble Families or top-tier Sects in this world.
To stretch the point further, the great vows made by certain Great Powers in ancient legends to achieve enlightenment and transcendence were, in a sense, a form of borrowing—borrowing from the supreme and eternal Celestial Dao.
Therefore, borrowing for cultivation was in harmony with the Celestial Dao, a part of the world's system of laws.
As for trying to skip out on the debt, or using some Secret Technique to change one's identity and feign death in hiding, such tricks were basically impossible to pull off.
The Sects, families, and organizations that dared to offer loans were no simple characters. They naturally had numerous targeted measures to mitigate risk and would never give a borrower a chance to find a loophole and default.
At this moment, on the deck, Ling Zifeng was still drinking alone.
"Lord Steward,"
The old man in the white robe beside him, Tian Wenhua, fanned himself with a paper fan and asked softly, "This Ling Changqing seems to have a bit of destiny about him. Are you planning to recruit him for your own use?"
Ling Zifeng held his wine cup, his tone placid. "It's still too early to say. Let's first see if he can pass this test. If he really can pass the trial, it wouldn't hurt to form a good connection."
The white-robed old man looked thoughtful. As someone from the Patriarch's faction, Ling Zifeng naturally had a need to scout for talent to use and strengthen his own position.
'This Ling Changqing comes from a poor background and has no connections or resources to help him. Yet at such a young age, he already has a Qi Cultivation 2nd Layer cultivation. His talent and potential are clearly not bad. If he's willing to strive, perhaps he's truly worth cultivating?'
Ling Zifeng pondered for a moment, then turned to his steward and said, "After this assignment is over, find a way to recruit another batch of Loose Cultivator Pearl Gatherers from outside. It doesn't matter if the price is a bit higher. It's never a bad thing to stockpile more resources while the situation hasn't changed drastically."
The white-robed old man's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously lowered his voice. "The negotiations over there... still no result? Are we really going to war?"
Ling Zifeng snorted. "The Wu Family has always been full of wolfish ambition. They've been coveting our Zenxin Island's foundation for a long time. How could they possibly give up so easily?"
The white-robed old man fell silent. The Wu Family was a Cultivator Clan from a neighboring sea region. They had clashed with the Ling Family frequently for decades, and the conflicts had only intensified.
Originally, the two families were about equal in overall strength, so neither could do anything to the other. Now, however, the Ling Family was showing signs of lacking successors, while the Wu Family had added two new Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators. With this newfound confidence, they had become increasingly aggressive.
Following this trend, a war between the two families was almost inevitable. And once war began, it was unlikely to end until one side completely collapsed.
Thus, the situation the Ling Family faced was nothing short of severe. If the family couldn't produce more Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators in time, they would inevitably be at a disadvantage when war came.
The lower class had their hardships, and the upper class had their worries. In this world, no one truly had it easy.
...
That evening, having finished his cultivation, Ling Changqing left his room on time and headed to the dining hall for his meal.
The Lord Steward had not gone back on his word. The quality of dinner had indeed improved. The supply of low-quality Spirit Rice and Demon Beast Meat had been increased, and there was even low-quality Spirit Wine, much to the satisfaction of the many Pearl Gatherers.
At his table, Ling Changqing buried his head in his food, listening to the idle chatter of the other Pearl Gatherers:
"...Gouzai's luck was really rotten. He had almost gotten away, but a Ghost-eyed Octopus caught him and dragged him off. Sigh!"
"Yeah, including him, six of our brothers didn't come back today. Niu the Third's new wife just married into his family not long ago, and now she's a widow..."
"This job is no work for a man. Tomorrow, I've got to find someone and figure something out. I have to switch assignments, no matter what. I don't want to end up as a snack for those damn Sea Beasts..."
"Heard that guy Qian Guang got shit-lucky today and brought back three pearls at once. Even the Lord Steward praised him a bit..."
"Hmph, what's so great about that? Tomorrow, I'll bring back even more pearls!"
"Stop bragging. With those paltry skills of yours, you'd be lucky to make it back alive..."
...
By listening in, Ling Changqing got a general sense of the day's situation. Although more Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls had been brought in, deaths and attrition were an unavoidable problem.
However, the Ling Family's upper echelon didn't care about the life or death of these low-level cultivators; they only wanted more Jade Crystal Winter Beauty Pearls.
Ling Changqing's gaze swept across the crowd, and he was surprised to see that Chen Tong was still around. The guy had bad luck and had been whipped again today for returning empty-handed. His face was ghastly pale.
But the fact that he managed to come back alive every time was a small blessing in the midst of his misfortune.
Swallowing the last mouthful of Demon Beast Meat in his bowl, Ling Changqing had no intention of making small talk. He rose and left without a word.
'It's not that I'm cold. As time goes on, everyone here will sooner or later face their doom at the bottom of the sea. Building relationships now is just a waste of time.'
After leaving the dining hall, Ling Changqing felt the Storage Pouch in his robes and decided to visit the ship's trading area to buy some Elixirs for his cultivation.
For the vast majority of low-level cultivators, Spatial Magical Artifacts were a luxury. Normally, only cultivators at the Late Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation could afford to buy and use them.
Ling Changqing's Storage Pouch was an inheritance from his parents. It was of the worst quality, with a capacity equivalent to only two small boxes, just enough to hold a few Elixirs, Spirit Stones, and other small items.
The trading area inside the sea boat wasn't far. He passed through two doors and walked down a corridor about a hundred feet long to get there.
Inside the spacious cabin, dozens of small shops were arranged in neat rows. The walls and domed ceiling were inlaid with numerous Luminous Pearls and Fluorescent Gemstones, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.
Besides resources like Elixirs and Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and Array Devices, there were also taverns and brothels. The Female Cultivators inside were all bewitching vixens with seductive figures, and many Pearl Gatherers came here for pleasure.
"...Sirs, come on in and have some fun!"
Under the red lanterns at the entrance of a brothel, several scantily clad and alluring Female Cultivators called out with smiles.
A few Pearl Gatherers arrived together. Each one grabbed a woman and tumbled into the courtyard.
Under the pressure of their precarious existence, many low-level cultivators with poor aptitude and no hope of advancement chose to live for the moment. The Spiritual Sand they worked so hard to get during the day was all given to the women here at night.
Ling Changqing paid them no mind and walked straight to a shop selling Elixirs. The sharp-faced Shopkeeper saw him and immediately broke into an enthusiastic smile.
"Young man, here to buy Elixirs again?"
The Shopkeeper chuckled as he greeted him. "What are you planning to buy this time? Qi Nourishing and Essence Storing Pills again?"
Ling Changqing nodded. "Ten Qi Nourishing and Essence Storing Pills, one Muscle Healing Pill, and... add one Spirit Revitalizing Pill."
A Spirit Revitalizing Pill was an elixir for replenishing Spiritual Power and stamina. Even if a Qi Cultivation 3rd Layer cultivator was completely exhausted, a single pill could restore them to their peak state.
The Shopkeeper nodded. "Ten Qi Nourishing and Essence Storing Pills are three Low-grade Spirit Stones, the Muscle Healing Pill is half a Low-grade Spirit Stone, and the Spirit Revitalizing Pill is three Low-grade Spirit Stones. No discounts!"
Ling Changqing agreed readily, took out the Spirit Stones to pay his bill, and accepted the Elixirs from the Shopkeeper, stowing them away carefully. He surreptitiously scanned his surroundings and only left after confirming that nothing was out of the ordinary.