Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 425 - 246: Shangguan Qingying: Shameless Scoundrel...

Of course, such places were certainly guarded by colossal Demon Kings, making them immeasurably perilous. Even great figures like Qin Mengxuan and Liu Ying Ziyi dared not venture there lightly.

For Ling Changqing, seeking opportunities in such a dangerous land was out of the question in the short term.

"Alright, let’s go down and take a look together!"

Ling Changqing smiled, as he too wanted to test his own limits.

And so, the couple continued their descent, arm in arm. They crossed several dark, looming undersea mountain ranges and avoided the habitats of certain powerful, fierce creatures, venturing ever deeper.

About an hour later, Ling Changqing had successfully descended to a depth of 3,500 zhang, and he was already nearing his limit. The several Middle to Upper Grade Defensive Magical Treasures on Ling Qiyue were also showing signs of being overwhelmed.

"Alright, this is far enough!"

Ling Qiyue transmitted via Divine Thought. Although her Cultivation would allow her to go deeper, the circumstances no longer permitted it.

No matter what, Ling Changqing’s safety could not be compromised. Her primary mission was to protect this young man of hers.

"Alright."

Ling Changqing agreed. He focused his mind, sensing the environment around them as he quietly activated his Secret Method of Celestial Secret Calculation.

Their current location was an undersea plain. Vine-like seaweed, about a zhang in height and emitting a faint red glow, danced slowly, stretching from beneath their feet to the edge of their vision.

This type of seaweed was called Abyssal Mandala. It contained a potent poison and could be used in concoctions or for refining certain Poison Pills with less-than-reputable uses, making it a favorite among many Evil Sect Cultivators.

Ling Qiyue’s brow furrowed as she glanced around. She could faintly sense numerous fierce and hostile auras lurking deep within the seaweed—beings that were best not provoked.

This was the key reason why High-Rank Human Race Cultivators were reluctant to seek opportunities in the Deep Sea Region; it was simply too dangerous and unpredictable.

A Nascent Soul True Monarch wouldn’t think much of facing one or even a few native deep-sea beasts. But if a massive, fearless swarm of them launched a frenzied siege, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would be in for a major headache.

Thus, the Deep Sea environment was far too hostile for Human Race Cultivators. High-Rank Cultivators of the Dragon Race, however, were like fish in water here, the undisputed overlords of the vast seafloor.

"Let’s head that way."

After a moment of calculation, Ling Changqing had finally selected a direction.

Ling Qiyue naturally had no objections. The two of them hovered several dozen zhang above the seabed and swam gracefully toward the northwest.

...

「Deep Sea Dragon Palace.」

Without any warning, Queen Bai Qingyi announced that she was entering death-seclusion for a period of one hundred years.

Furthermore, all the high-ranking members, including the Dragon Race Leader Luo Du, only learned of the news after the fact.

By the time Luo Du and a group of Dragon Race Elders arrived, they found the royal chambers completely sealed, shrouded in a radiant glow and protected by layers upon layers of Array Restrictions.

The royal chambers themselves were an Ancient Pocket World Spiritual Treasure. Once sealed, no one could even think of entering unless the owner opened it from the inside.

A forced assault would not only be a great deal of trouble, but it would also damage the dignity of the Dragon Race’s leadership.

After all, Bai Qingyi was the matriarch of the Dragon Race. To use harsh measures to coerce her without any justification would be difficult to explain, both internally and to the outside world.

"...The Queen has gone too far. She must know her daughter’s whereabouts but refuses to tell us, so she’s using this method to avoid our attempts to persuade her."

Supreme Elder Luo Qi said coldly.

As a hidden pawn of the Outer Heaven Golden Dragon Race, she was more desperate than anyone to find Ling Changqing.

The upper echelons had already confirmed that the Long Nu, Luo Qingxuan, had run away from home to find the Child of Destiny, Ling Changqing. And Queen Bai Qingyi was the only person who knew her whereabouts.

Finding Luo Qingxuan meant finding Ling Changqing.

That was why, for some time now, the Dragon Race’s leadership had been trying to persuade—or rather, pressure—Bai Qingyi to compromise for the sake of the bigger picture.

As for how many of these high-ranking members were spies for other major powers, it was impossible to know.

Therefore, Bai Qingyi had no intention of yielding. She had used this method to make her stance clear, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Leader, I propose that all the Supreme Elders join forces to refine and forcibly open these royal chambers! We cannot allow the Queen to be so willful!"

Luo Qi said through gritted teeth.

This simple and brutish proposal unsurprisingly drew sideways glances from many of the other Elders.

Supreme Elder Luo Cangli spoke slowly, "Ling Changqing’s whereabouts are of grave importance. The Queen’s actions... are not necessarily a bad thing!"

The Dragon Race Leader Luo Du pondered for a few moments, then nodded slightly. "What the Elder says is reasonable. The Deep Sea Dragon Race should not be pushed into the eye of the storm and become a target for the numerous major powers of the Human Race."

"Leader, what do you mean by that? Are we to simply let the Queen act so recklessly, disregarding the greater interests of the Dragon Race...?"

Luo Qi demanded, displeased.

Luo Du shot the beautiful woman a meaningful glance and said softly,

"I am seventy to eighty percent sure the Queen isn’t in her royal chambers at all. She... has probably gone out to find young Qingxuan, don’t you think?"

"..."

At this, it wasn’t just Luo Qi; the expressions of nearly all the Dragon Race Elders changed.

"Then what should we do now? All the leads are gone. How are we supposed to track down Ling Changqing’s whereabouts?"

Luo Qi asked, her expression turning grim.

Luo Cangli chuckled. "Whether we track him down or not isn’t so important anymore. Ling Changqing has one of our Dragon Race women with him. That in itself is the most ideal outcome."

"Indeed. Elder Cangli speaks wisely."

The Elders mulled it over for a moment and immediately understood.

These old foxes were all shrewd individuals. As long as the mother-daughter pair of Bai Qingyi and Luo Qingxuan were by Ling Changqing’s side, the Deep Sea Dragon Race would have a sliver of hope for survival in the future great calamity of heaven and earth.