Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 467: Chapter 264: Xia Qingying: You Are to Be With Me...

With these words, Xia Qingying had dropped all pretense.

I want what you have, and I want you, too.

It was pure dominance, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ling Changqing studied her for a long moment before speaking. "With your Cultivation as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, you can’t just do whatever you want here, can you?"

Xia Qingying smiled faintly. "A Nascent Soul True Monarch can’t, but what about someone at the Divinity Transformation realm? Or even... a Refining Void Great Power?"

Ling Changqing nodded. "That would certainly be enough. But what’s the point? A mere Golden Core Master hardly seems worth someone of your status going to such lengths, does he?"

Xia Qingying answered candidly, "In my travels over the years, I’ve discovered several individuals reincarnated with the Ancient Star Mystery, as well as a few Immortal Seeds blessed by providence. I have already taken them all back to be carefully nurtured.

As for you, you must be one of them as well, right? Now that I’ve found you, how could I possibly let you slip away?

My Da Xia Divine Dynasty is desperate for talent. Since you are a man favored by destiny, why waste your life in a place like this? Come with me, and the Divine Dynasty will spare no effort in nurturing you!"

Ling Changqing remained silent for several breaths before using his Divine Thought to ask, "If I’m not mistaken, you must be the current Goddess Empress of the Da Xia Divine Dynasty, correct? What brings you here to Yuzhou?"

Qin Mengxuan had once told Ling Changqing about the major, well-known powers surrounding the Yuzhou Continent, and the Goddess Empress of the Da Xia Divine Dynasty was among them.

Xia Qingying’s rise to power had been anything but smooth. At the time, several factions within the Royal Family had fought so fiercely over the throne that their conflict nearly led to civil war and a fractured dynasty.

In the end, all sides compromised, resulting in the enthronement of a new Divine Emperor and her appointment as the Regent Princess.

Of course, she and the faction backing her were not content. They still sought to make her title a reality, and after centuries of scheming and plotting, they finally brought down their largest rival faction, successfully placing Xia Qingying upon the throne.

Xia Qingying’s face broke into a smile. "To observe the providence of the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm, of course. And to see if I can seize a few opportunities along the way. As it turns out, you’re one of them."

Ling Changqing shook his head. "Clearly, you have the wrong person. I’m not who you’re looking for."

With Gong Ling’s help, it was impossible for Xia Qingying to discern his true identity; at most, she was merely suspicious.

"Whether I’m right or wrong... I can take my time verifying that after I bring you back."

Xia Qingying gazed smilingly at the handsome, black-clad young man before her. "So, will you come with me now? I don’t care about the outcome of the battle here, and I’m sure you don’t either."

It was better to be wrong than to let a potential prize slip away.

Besides, the Divine Dynasty was vast and wealthy; supporting one more idle person was hardly a burden. And in any case, Xia Qingying didn’t believe her intuition was wrong.

Ling Changqing said thoughtfully, "Since I’ve taken their payment, I should fulfill my responsibility. Let’s talk again after this battle is over, shall we?"

Xia Qingying’s delicate brows knitted. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Fine! I’ll just treat this as a little outing. But you have to stick with me. If you were to get injured on the battlefield, I would be heartbroken, you know!"

"It’s a deal!"

Ling Changqing nodded, thinking to himself, ’If I were determined to leave, I doubt you could stop me.’

With Gong Ling’s help, the Bian Wujian Gate could tear through the void and whisk him away at any time, leaving Xia Qingying completely helpless.

Failing that, Bai Qingyi was currently hidden away in the Era Star Palace’s Grotto Heaven Blessed Land. If he needed to, he could release her, and Xia Qingying wouldn’t necessarily be her match.

An hour later, the banquet ended on schedule.

Once again, numerous female cultivators in colorful skirts came over and handed each Loose Cultivator an Azure Jade Token. Then, they led them out to board a Flying Ship, which headed toward the city walls.

The Azure Jade Token was a specially crafted Magical Artifact used to identify friend from foe and to record battle merits.

Ling Changqing had Gong Ling inspect it. Only after confirming there were no issues did he begin to refine it, ensuring it couldn’t be stolen or used by an imposter.

The Flying Ship was swift, and before long, it arrived at the barracks area near the city wall, which was already swarming with numerous Cultivators.

After landing, Ling Changqing and nearly a hundred other Core Formation Cultivators were formed into a single unit. They followed a military path up the towering city wall, which stood over three hundred meters tall, and were assigned to a designated section for guard duty.

The wall was a staggering seventy yards thick, its outer face engraved with dense, complex, and profound Array Patterns and Restrictions. They flickered with Spiritual Light, emanating an awe-inspiring pressure.

Once activated, these Array Patterns and Restrictions became a crucial part of the City Defense Array, capable of unleashing unimaginable defensive power against an assault from tens of thousands of Cultivators.

Moreover, the City Defense Array’s Defense was one-way, protecting against external threats but not internal ones. This meant Cultivators inside could attack their enemies outside, while the vast majority of the enemy’s attacks would be blocked by the array.

At this moment, through the thick light barrier of the Grand Array, one could see thousands of Cultivators outside. They were launching probing attacks with various Magical Treasures, the light of powerful Divine Techniques and Magic flaring up one after another.

However, the Grand Array’s light barrier was incredibly thick and resilient. Attacks of this intensity only caused faint ripples to spread across its surface; a true breach was still a long way off.

Ling Changqing glanced over the enemy forces and saw they were mostly Cultivators at the Pseudo Core realm. The number of True Pill and Golden Core cultivators was small, and Nascent Soul True Monarchs were few and far between.

The main force of the invasion had not yet arrived; these troops didn’t even count as an appetizer.

The city wall was lined with Cultivators. There were legions directly under the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty, the fully armored and stern-faced City Guard Army, and numerous Daoist Soldier Puppets.