Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 494: Chapter 274: Tribulation

News of the Primordial Demon Palace’s Envoy arriving in Yuzhou spread quickly, and all the major powers, including the Yu Family, heard the news.

In just a few short months, Yi Xuechen had visited every significant power in Yuzhou.

However, the upper echelons of nearly every power were highly wary of the Primordial Demon Palace and refused to respond favorably to his proposal.

This was understandable. As the infamous leader of the Demon Path, the Primordial Demon Palace’s past reputation and credibility were so poor that no one could speak well of them.

It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that Cultivators from the Primordial Demon Palace were universally despised.

Unless pushed into a truly desperate corner, no power dared to discuss cooperation with them. It would be tantamount to making a deal with the devil.

Furthermore, the Primordial Demon Palace was an outside force, fundamentally untrustworthy to the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm. The natural course of action was for everyone to band together and resist them.

Thus, after running all over Yuzhou, Yi Xuechen came away empty-handed.

"...These shameless bastards! They don’t know what’s good for them and can’t appreciate a gesture of goodwill! How dare they reject the benevolence of the Primordial Divine Palace? Aren’t they afraid of the Divine Venerable’s wrath...?"

Aboard the magnificent Tianzhou Skyboat, Yi Xuechen’s face was dark as he cursed viciously.

Even for a man like him—a Divinity Transformation Powerhouse, a Core Elder of the Primordial Demon Palace, and someone possessed of great self-control—such a setback was enough to make him burn with rage.

"Elder, since these people are so obstinate, should we pick one of them to make an example of? Teach them a lesson?"

a subordinate suggested. "Those who submit, prosper; those who resist, perish." This had always been the tyrannical way of the Primordial Demon Palace.

Yi Xuechen pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "That’s not a good idea. This is Yuzhou, after all, not our Shunzhou. If we go too far, they will surely unite against us."

He was, after all, still rational enough to understand that becoming openly hostile now would be extremely detrimental to the Primordial Demon Palace’s next move.

Although the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm wasn’t a unified power, and its overall strength couldn’t compare with Shunzhou’s, the influence of several other major surrounding provinces meant the Primordial Demon Palace couldn’t act with impunity.

Of course, if he returned empty-handed, Yi Xuechen would have no way to answer to the Demon Venerable. He had to accomplish *something*.

"How about... we secretly take control of a few small and medium-sized local powers in Yuzhou? We can then support their expansion and use them as pawns for our Primordial Divine Palace. They might prove useful in the future."

another subordinate suggested to Yi Xuechen.

This was another of the Primordial Demon Palace’s classic ploys. They had stirred up trouble in numerous major provinces, and countless powers had suffered at their hands in the past.

Yi Xuechen was tempted. After some thought, he said, "That’s worth considering. Let’s head to Yuzhou’s coastal region and have a look. We’ll pick a few to test the waters."

The situation in Yuzhou’s heartland was currently chaotic, with all the major powers watching it closely. It wasn’t a good place for the Primordial Demon Palace to make a move. It would be better to check the peripheral regions.

After a brief discussion, the group of Demon Cultivators turned the Tianzhou Skyboat and flew toward the coastal region of Yuzhou.

...

「Li Long Continent.」

Inside the Artifact Hall, beside a blazing Spirit Flame, Ling Changqing’s gaze was fixed as he focused on refining a slender, light-blue Flying Sword.

Despite a Shielding Array, the hall was still oppressively hot. Anyone with a cultivation below the Foundation Establishment Level would find it impossible to remain for long.

Dressed in a bright red palace gown, her skin fairer than snow, Su Qinglian watched from the side. Her eyes glistened as she occasionally offered a few words of guidance.

Liu Ying Meng Luan, Flow Shadow Ice Cicada, and Tang Qiu Yao were all present as well, each one meticulously dressed and looking as vibrant as flowers in bloom.

Before long, the Flying Sword—a High Grade Spiritual Artifact—was complete. Its elegant blade shimmered with spiritual light, exuding a biting sword intent.

"Well done, my husband!"

Su Qinglian took the Flying Sword to inspect it. Seeing nothing that needed to be modified or adjusted, she nodded with a satisfied smile.

This was no empty compliment, but the simple truth. Ling Changqing had been studying under her for less than two years, yet the speed at which his proficiency in the Artifact Dao improved was unbelievable.

"My husband, your skill in Artifact Refining... has it already reached the peak of the Third Grade high rank? How in the world did you manage that?"

Dressed in a snow-white gown, the radiantly beautiful Flow Shadow Ice Cicada blinked her lovely eyes and asked curiously.

This was a question all the women were curious about. Ling Changqing hadn’t been particularly skilled in the Path of Artifact Refining before, and only a few short years had passed since Su Qinglian’s arrival and began teaching him.

Normally, a Cultivator with a talent for the Artifact Dao would be considered a qualified student just for managing to grasp the basics in such a short period.

And yet, the proficiency in the Artifact Dao that Ling Changqing now displayed was no different from that of a Third Grade high rank Artifact Dao Grandmaster. It was utterly inconceivable, defying all logic.

Ling Changqing smiled. "Of course I have my own special methods. It has to do with my Destiny. It’s just... not something I can explain in a moment’s time. You’ll understand in the future."

This was all thanks to Gong Ling. Ling Changqing had sacrificed nearly a thousand years of his Lifespan, and in return, the Era Star Palace had raised his skill in the Artifact Dao to the Third Grade high rank—just as it had previously done for his Alchemy Dao, Array Dao, and Talisman Dao.

In any case, the lost Lifespan could be recovered by sacrificing Demon Beast Cores, so Ling Changqing wasn’t too concerned.

He wasn’t short on Demon Beast Cores. He could just perform a few more sacrifices whenever he had time, and the problem would naturally resolve itself.

However, not even Ling Qiyue and the others knew this crucial secret, let alone Su Qinglian and the other women.