Chapter 581 - 316: Deep Sea (2)

The dim, silent depths of the sea teemed with hidden dangers.

In the deepest part of a trench nearly a thousand zhang wide, a massive golden radiance drifted slowly from the distance.

Within the golden radiance, more than a dozen otherworldly beauties—each with her own unique charm and style—surrounded a handsome young man in a magnificent purple robe, his eyes as dark as polished lacquer.

This place was thousands of zhang below the surface. The terrifying pressure of the boundless ocean was enough to make most Cultivators turn pale. Without powerful Magical Treasures and high Cultivation, no one would dare to linger here for long.

However, for Ling Changqing and his host of beautiful Dao Companions, this was hardly an issue.

The bottom of the trench was a silent, rugged world of grotesque, craggy rocks, exuding an air of desolate stillness.

Of course, this was merely the surface. With the Divine Thought of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was easy to discover countless bizarre, ferocious creatures lurking within the caves and deep beneath the sand and stone.

A subtle, baleful aura permeated this Undersea World. Any outsider who dared to trespass on their territory would be instantly swarmed and torn to pieces.

It was only due to the suppressive influence of Ling Changqing’s supreme Destiny that these Deep Sea monstrosities didn’t act rashly, choosing instead to lie in wait and watch from the shadows.

Any other Cultivator would have already faced one grueling battle after another, ultimately either being driven away in disgrace or left behind forever as food for the beasts.

After a moment, Ling Changqing came to a halt before an undersea cliff face as smooth as a mirror.

"This should be the place, right?"

he mused aloud.

Beside him, Qin Mengxuan, a peerless beauty with a radiant complexion dressed in a bright yellow, hundred-flower palace gown, took his arm and cooed,

"Husband, your Celestial Secret Calculation Technique has never been wrong. This must be the right place!"

The cold and bewitching Ling Qiyue observed for a moment before raising a delicate hand. Several sharp strands of Sword Qi crisscrossed through the water, instantly carving a web of grooves into the cliff face.

A few moments later, as large chunks of rock fell away, a metallic vein was revealed. It shimmered with a rosy glow and pulsed with rich Spiritual Qi. Its thickness was indeterminable, and it was shrouded in a breathtaking, iridescent light, making it a truly magnificent sight.

"This trip was definitely worth it!"

Ling Bingyun, Xue Qingtan, and Meng Feiyu beamed with joy.

This was Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold, a resource crucial even for experts at the Divinity Transformation Level. It had always been monopolized by top-tier powers, and very little of it ever appeared in any Marketplace.

"...I never expected to find a Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold vein of such high quality here."

Ling Changqing remarked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold was a key material for forging and Refining Fire Attribute Flying Swords and various offensive Spiritual Treasures.

A single jin of highly refined Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold could be exchanged for nearly a hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones. This kind of high-end material was simply never seen in the Marketplaces of ordinary Nascent Soul or Divinity Transformation powers.

By a rough estimate, this had to be an Upper Grade vein. The purity of the Ore was beyond imagination, making it an incredibly rare strategic resource even for major powers like the Xianyin Pavilion and Lu Hua Palace.

"Yes, and the reserves in this Spirit Gold Vein must be quite large. Even if we were to use it extravagantly, it would be enough to last the Family for a thousand years!"

The noble and elegant Tang Qiu Yao, dressed in a bright yellow palace gown embroidered with emblems of the sun, moon, and phoenix, smiled faintly beside him.

Although the Ling Family’s finances were already quite robust and they lacked for no Cultivation Resources, no one would ever complain about being too wealthy.

Meng Feiyu, bewitching as a fox yet dignified in her fiery red dress, frowned. "However, it’s not easy to get down here. If we want to mine this, we’ll have to do it ourselves. The sisters with weaker Cultivation couldn’t even make the attempt."

"Yes, that’s true."

Ling Changqing nodded. "But this vein is valuable enough to be worth the trouble."

"Alright. Let’s start mining now. We can handle the Refining and purification once we get back."

Ling Qiyue spoke and, with a wave of her hand, executed a Sword Technique. Dozens of highly condensed, bone-chilling streams of Sword Qi crisscrossed as they slashed viciously at the vein before them.

As the undercurrents churned, large chunks of Spirit Gold Ore broke away and were immediately drawn in by the women, who stored them in their large-capacity Storage Magical Artifacts.

In no time at all, everyone’s Storage Magical Artifacts, including Ling Changqing’s, were nearly full.

This High Grade Spirit Gold could be used by the family, or it could be traded with other powers for resources of equivalent value, further strengthening the Ling Family’s foundation.

Finally, Tang Qiu Yao took out a Jade Scroll that shimmered with Spiritual Light and used her Divine Thought to record the coordinates of this valuable vein, making it easier to return with others to mine it in the future.

"This is the eighty-seventh high-quality vein we’ve found. If we keep searching the surrounding waters, we should be able to find plenty more undiscovered resources!"

said Ling Bingyun, her alluringly curvaceous figure clad in a pitch-black Magical Robe, unable to contain her joy.

Over the past several weeks, Ling Changqing and his companions’ Deep Sea expeditions had been incredibly fruitful. However, they had made fewer than ten discoveries on par with this Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold vein.

It was clear that if these Deep Sea treasures were fully exploited, the Ling Family’s power would rise like a tide, reaching a whole new level.

The depths of the ocean were undoubtedly far richer in resources than the land—provided one had the ability to claim them. After all, the number of terrifying monstrosities in the Deep Sea was simply absurd.

Liu Ying Ziyi mused, "It wouldn’t be wise to sell large quantities of this Smoke and Mist Crimson Flame Gold on the open market. It would attract unwanted attention. Why don’t our families just divide it amongst ourselves? We can set a favorable price."

"Yes, that’s an excellent idea."

Ling Qiyue immediately agreed. The Ling Family had no use for such a high-end resource at the moment anyway, so trading it to Lu Hua Palace, the Liu Ying Clan, and Xianyin Pavilion was the perfect solution.

Qin Mengxuan and the other women conferred for a moment and quickly settled on a plan for distribution.

"Alright, shall I divine the next location?"

Ling Changqing said with a smile. The Ling Family now controlled a territory of twenty sea regions, an immense maritime domain. The variety and quantity of resources in the Deep Sea were both beyond imagination.

The depths of the ocean were treacherous and unpredictable, teeming with an endless variety of ferocious beasts and Demon Beasts that would deter any ordinary expert. For Ling Changqing, however, this was not a problem at all.

As a Child of Destiny, he was protected by the suppressive influence of his supreme Qi Fortune and Blessed Fortune. As long as he didn’t go out of his way to provoke the creatures of the deep, he could come and go as he pleased, freely collecting all sorts of valuable resources.

It was a unique advantage that even superpowers like the Da Xia Divine Dynasty, the Primordial Demon Palace, and the Buddhist Pure Land could not hope to match.

Taking out a snow-white Turtle Shell, Ling Changqing let a drop of his blood fall onto it. He then began to silently channel his Profound Skill, divining the location of the next valuable resource.

"Done. Three hundred li to the southeast, there should be a decent Qingyan Crystal Mine. Shall we go take a look?"