Longevity starts with dual cultivation

Chapter 263 Xia Qingying: I want your things, and I also want you, what should I do?
When the gaze of this royal lady passed by, Ling Changqing felt some subtle sensation.

After a few breaths, the results of the spying from the Era Star Palace came back. Although the true identity of this beauty was unknown, her level of cultivation could not be concealed.

"What a coincidence! I can meet strong people of Qin Mengxuan and Liuying Ziying's level just by going out for a meal?"

Ling Changqing pondered silently.

Of course, the aura that this beauty publicly displayed was only at the early stage of Yuanying Zhenjun.

Otherwise, if an outsider who has reached the peak of the Divine Transformation realm were to openly wander around here, it wouldn’t take long before the top leaders of the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty would be alarmed.

Ling Changqing did not show any extraneous expression. He continued to sit there calmly, enjoying the delicacies and fine wines served by the maids.

In order not to attract too much attention from others, Ling Changqing's current cultivation level is only the late Jindan stage, which can avoid a lot of trouble. Those with lower cultivation levels dare not provoke him casually, and those with higher cultivation levels look down on him.

"…Master, is there something wrong?"

Beside the beauty, a pretty young girl in white with red lips, white teeth, and picturesque eyes and eyebrows tilted her head and asked quietly with her mind.

The Great Xia Goddess Queen pondered for a moment and responded secretly:

"There's nothing else to it, but I just feel that there's something wrong with the young monk in the private room next door. He feels very strange."

"A special feeling? Is it because of the Nine Dragons Clear Sky Mirror?"

The girl in white was slightly startled, with a hint of solemnity in her eyes.

The Nine-Dragon Haotian Mirror is a national treasure of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty. It has been wielded by successive divine emperors in turn and has many incredible uses.

Now the Goddess Queen is carrying this precious treasure, so she vaguely sensed the peculiarity of Ling Changqing, even though he has the Epoch Star Palace by his side.

The Queen Goddess nodded slightly: "I do have a sense, but it's rather subtle. After all, it was severely damaged and is far from its peak power. Otherwise, it would be able to easily see through all the secrets of the other party."

Another key reason is that the other party should also have a treasure on him, so he can block the detection of the Nine Dragons Haotian Mirror?
"Master, would you like to invite him over for a chat? I don't think he is a local monk."

The girl in white looked around the private room next door and asked quietly.

"Is it not necessary for now? They may not agree."

The Goddess Queen thought about it and decided to wait and see.

It is possible that the other party is also from a certain super power, hiding his identity and traveling, and his true cultivation is far from as simple as it seems on the surface.

In the private room, Ling Changqing remained calm and ate heartily.

"...Master, that woman also seems to have an ancient treasure in her body, so she has some doubts about you."

Gong Ling's voice rang out in the sea of ​​consciousness.

"An ancient heavy weapon? Is it the same level as yours?"

"No, he is one level lower than me, and his body is seriously damaged. It will probably be difficult to recover."

Gong Ling said that although the Jiyuan Star Palace has not recovered yet, it is still much stronger than the other party.

"Oh, that's all right!"

Ling Changqing felt relieved and continued to eat and drink. Since it posed no substantial threat to him, he naturally didn't need to pay too much attention to it.

Even if the woman's cultivation is strong enough, there is no reason for him to fight with her, so there is no need to worry about this.

Just when we were enjoying the meal, we heard faint exclamations from outside, and a layer of egg white-colored sky slowly emerged, then gradually became solid and heavy.

That was the activation of Jinchen County’s city defense formation.

"Is there an invasion by foreign enemies?"

Ling Changqing was slightly stunned, and silently used the secret method of heaven to calculate, and soon got the result.

There was indeed a large army of monks attacking, and they were not far from here.

Jinchen County, I’m afraid it can’t resist this time?
Ling Changqing seemed to be thinking about something. If the defense force of the city was tight, the city lord might have to recruit all the independent cultivators in the city to help?

There are many precedents for this kind of thing in the past. As long as the remuneration is adequate, many independent cultivators are willing to earn some extra money, provided that they are not deliberately used as cannon fodder.

He thought about it and decided to stay put for now and wait and see what happens before making any other decisions. After all, the city defense magic circle has been activated and he can't leave even if he wants to.

At this time, the beautiful lady next door also did not make any movement. It was unknown whether she really did not care or was staring at Ling Changqing's reaction.

A moment later, a team of strong and sturdy guards wearing gorgeous armor walked into the restaurant, led by several monks from the City Lord's Mansion.

There are many such teams on the streets. Wherever there are many independent cultivators, there will be cultivators from the City Lord's Mansion visiting them.

Ling Changqing smiled, lowered his head and continued to deal with the delicacies in front of him. After all, he had spent spirit stones and couldn't waste them.

After a while, a monk from Yew Shan with an elegant demeanor walked into the private room.

Seeing that Ling Changqing was the only one in the private room, he was not surprised. He bowed with a serious face, then took out a jade box, which contained an exquisite invitation with a faint spiritual glow.

"My fellow Taoist, I am Wang Yirong. Following the instructions of the City Lord, I invite you to the City Lord's Mansion for a banquet and to discuss helping to defend the city."

He was polite and authentic.

Ling Changqing took a glance and found that this cultivator named Wang Yirong also had the cultivation base at the peak of the Golden Core Realm and was only one step away from the Nascent Soul True Lord realm.

He hesitated for a moment, but still accepted the invitation, saying calmly: "Since you are helping to defend the city, how should the reward be calculated?"

Wang Yirong saw that he had no intention of refusing, and his expression was slightly delighted, and he quickly said:
"The City Lord has already made all the arrangements for this matter and will never let you down. How about you move to the City Lord's Mansion to have a chat?"

Ling Changqing nodded: "That's no problem, but I haven't paid for the food and drinks on my table yet, Fellow Daoist Wang..."

Wang Yirong said with a smile: "It's not worth mentioning such a small matter. I'll give you a free meal!"

The restaurant was originally the property of the City Lord’s Mansion, so Wang Yirong could still run it.

Ling Changqing nodded, stood up and walked out of the private room.

Next door, the beautiful lady in the green Taoist robe also came out with a group of maids and guards. A female Jindan cultivator from the City Lord's Mansion followed her closely with a respectful look on her face.

When she saw Ling Changqing, she nodded and smiled at him. Her beautiful face seemed to light up the entire space.

Ling Changqing didn't say anything and followed them downstairs silently.

On the street outside the main entrance of the restaurant, several richly decorated carriages were already waiting, all pulled by majestic snow-white horses.

Ling Changqing ignored everyone else and got on a carriage, and Wang Yirong followed him in.

Soon, several carriages, surrounded by guards, headed towards the magnificent mansion in the center of the city.

Along the way, there were quite a few such carriages, all of which were carrying the invited independent cultivators.

Of course, not all independent cultivators were willing to be recruited. Some of them were unruly and even clashed with the cultivators of the City Lord's Mansion.

The City Lord's Mansion would not tolerate such troublemakers and would suppress them with thundering means, forcibly detaining them and sending them to guard the city.

Since you are unwilling to behave respectably, the City Lord's Mansion will have no choice but to help you behave respectably.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I wonder if the enemy that attacked this time is from the Mu family or the Cui family?"

Ling Changqing asked.

Wang Yirong, who was sitting opposite, smiled and said softly:

"According to the scouts' report, they should be members of the Cui family, and there are also many cultivators from the Taiqing Divine Dynasty who have disguised themselves among them."

Ling Changqing was silent for a while, and whispered: "It seems that the Taiqing Divine Dynasty of Yaozhou is really going to take ruthless action against our Yuzhou cultivation world?"

"Isn't it? Those guys have always had evil intentions. Right now, they are just testing the waters. Hard times are still ahead!"

Wang Yirong sighed softly. Ling Changqing said nothing more. In the past two or three thousand years, the Yuzhou cultivation world was generally peaceful, although conflicts and wars between small and medium-sized forces continued.

But now it seems that this overall peaceful situation will soon end.

The wars between the big states are by no means the minor skirmishes of the past. The number of monks wounded and killed is probably in the millions, and it is unknown how many forces will have their inheritance cut off.

The carriage was moving at a fast speed, and after half an hour, they arrived at the magnificent City Lord's Mansion. The huge square was paved with golden bricks, and there were rows of jade buildings and carved archways. Everything was magnificent and noble.

Moreover, the underground of the city lord's mansion is where many fourth-level spirit veins converge. A special large-scale spirit-gathering formation is built, so that the spiritual energy in the space is extremely rich. The benefits of living here all year round to practice are self-evident.

Hundreds of gorgeous carriages have already arrived at the square. When the casual cultivators get off the carriages, beautiful, youthful female cultivators in colorful skirts will immediately come forward to greet them with a considerate and attentive attitude.

Ling Changqing looked around and saw that there were Jindan cultivators everywhere, most of them were True Dan and Golden Dan cultivators, and there were also a few Yuanying Zhenjun.

As for the cultivators at the fake elixir and foundation-building levels, their strength is limited and they can only be regarded as cannon fodder in the battle to defend the city. They are definitely not qualified to participate in the high-level banquet at the City Lord's Mansion.

There has been no strong man in the Spirit Transformation Realm found in the city so far. Even if there is such a person, the city lord probably wouldn't dare to use him.

"Fellow Daoist Ling, please!"

Wang Yirong spoke gently.

Two female cultivators in colorful skirts who were in the early stage of foundation building came over immediately. Seeing the handsome young man in black with a stern look and dark eyes, their faces turned slightly red and their voices became gentler when they greeted him.

Ling Changqing smiled indifferently and said nothing. He followed them into the main gate of the City Lord's Mansion.

The egg white sky above was rippling slightly and there were faint sounds of explosions in the distance. It should be the vanguard of the invading army that had arrived and was launching a tentative attack.

However, at this time, the city defenders were still able to cope with the situation calmly and did not need support for the time being.

Inside the mansion, the banquet hall was already crowded with guests.

The semicircular dome is inlaid with numerous luminous pearls of different lusters, illuminating the spacious and magnificent space as bright as day.

A large group of male and female monks in different costumes were led to the appropriate seats by female monks in colorful skirts. On the large table, all kinds of delicacies from land and sea and fine wines were served like water.

Because he had demonstrated the cultivation level of the late Jindan stage, Ling Changqing was arranged to be in an area close to the top, not far away from the positions of the Yuanying Zhenjuns.

The city lord himself and a group of important officials of the Shengyu Xian Dynasty were naturally seated in the upper area.

Ling Changqing looked up and found that the city lord was an unremarkable middle-aged man with eyes like lightning and a faint dark aura surrounding him. He was a powerful man at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

Around him, the important officials of the Shengyu Xian Dynasty also had impressive cultivation levels. Among them, there were four Yuanying Zhenjuns, and the rest were at the middle Jindan stage or above.

Seeing that it was getting late, the city lord named Qi Tianyue stood up, said a few polite words, and then announced the start of the banquet.

The beautiful lady in the green Taoist robe was sitting not far away at this time. Her beautiful eyes would look towards Ling Changqing from time to time, as if she wanted to come over and chat with him.

However, the maids and guards around her did not follow in. Except for the girl in white, the rest of them were resting in the side hall.

Ling Changqing didn't say much. He just sipped the wine silently and ate the delicious food in front of him.

Considering the scale of this banquet, the ingredients that can be used to entertain so many monks are naturally not ordinary ones. Not only are they extremely delicious, but they also contain abundant spiritual essence. If you don't eat them to your heart's content, you will be letting down your appetite.

The city lord Qi Tianyue was drinking wine leisurely, his eyes also looking around, quietly sizing up the many independent cultivators attending the banquet.

The main force of the Cui family's corps of monks will arrive in two days, and the pressure on Jinchen County will be very great. It is unknown whether the reinforcements from the Immortal Dynasty can catch up by then.

However, there are quite a few independent cultivators in the city, especially those with cultivation levels above True Dan. If they can help with all their strength, perhaps they can survive this crisis?
Qi Tianyue sighed secretly in his heart. The Taiqing Divine Dynasty was ambitious. With the Cui family and the Mu family as the vanguard, they attacked the Shengyu Immortal Dynasty, which actually consumed the vitality of the entire Yuzhou immortal cultivation world.

I don't know when this war will end in the future. I hope that by then the Immortal Dynasty can still retain enough national strength to deal with greater disasters in the future.

A moment later, as the dance and music in the hall stopped, a large group of female monks in colorful skirts poured in lightly, each holding a gorgeous tray inlaid with gold and jade.

Qi Tianyue, who was sitting in the main seat, stood up and clapped his hands. Many wandering cultivators in the hall stopped what they were doing, and all eyes were focused on the city lord.

"The war is about to come, and our Jinchen County's defense is tight. Fortunately, fellow Taoists can lend a hand and tide over the difficulties with the Immortal Dynasty.

I am extremely grateful and will naturally not be stingy with some resources. This is half of the agreed remuneration, and I hope you will accept it.

When we defeat the foreign enemies, not only will the remaining remuneration be paid in full, but I will also give a great gift to those who are willing to stay in the county city and help defend the city!"

Qi Tianyue said with a smile.

The monks in the hall exchanged a few symbolic polite words and then took the storage bags from the trays.

This is an established rule in the past. Every cultivator who helps defend the city can get half of the reward before the battle, and the remaining half will be paid after the defense of the city is over.

Of course, those monks who unfortunately died in battle will receive corresponding compensation, but that has nothing to do with them.

Ling Changqing looked at the female cultivator standing in front of him, raised his hand and peeled off the golden brocade on the tray, revealing an exquisite storage bag covered with flower cloud patterns.

He raised his hand and took the storage bag, and used his divine sense to examine it. Inside was a green jade pill bottle and fifty high-grade spirit stones.

The bottle contains two Yuling Shangyuan Pills, which are third-level life-extending pills. Taking one pill can extend the life of a Jindan Zhenren for forty years, but the effect is best only for the first time.

Ling Changqing smiled secretly in his heart. The reward offered by the city lord was indeed generous, but it was money to buy one's life. If the cultivator unfortunately died in the battle to defend the city, these benefits would be lost.

In addition to elixirs and spirit stones, there is also a jade slip in the storage bag, which contains a list of resource exchanges.

Elixirs, talismans, spiritual gold and medicinal materials, formation puppets, demon beasts' inner elixirs, etc., more than half of them are special resources only available in the territory of the Holy Yu Immortal Dynasty.

The items are all good, but if you want to get them, you have to fight bravely in the battle to defend the city, and then exchange them at the City Lord's Mansion with enough merits.

Ling Changqing silently evaluated that it would not be a problem for him to survive the war. He should be able to exchange some of the resources on the list, and he believed that the city lord would not go back on his word.

He looked up and around. The beautiful lady in green also got a storage bag, and the things inside must be better.

This is normal, the City Lord's Mansion is not a charity. The amount of remuneration that everyone can get is in accordance with their own cultivation level.

"...Fellow Daoists, you can enjoy a drink for an hour, and then go to the city to take up your duties, right? Don't worry, if you get injured in the battle to defend the city, the City Lord's Mansion will cover all the expenses for your treatment!"

Qi Tianyue said finally.

The group of independent cultivators were naturally happy to hear this. Besides toasting each other, they would also leave the table to chat with familiar friends, discussing how to act together when they went to the city to join the battle so that they could take care of each other.

"...This young man?"

A clear and soft voice came, like water seeping through broken jade.

Ling Changqing looked up and saw the beautiful woman in green holding a wine jar, standing in front of him.

"What's the matter?"

Ling Changqing said calmly: "We don't seem to know each other. What can I do for you?"

The beautiful lady in green pursed her lips and smiled, her beautiful eyes as bright as stars stared at him and looked him up and down:

"I am Xia Qingying, and I am a little curious about you, little brother, so...when we go to the battle later, why don't you and I go together?"

Ling Changqing shook his head: "Let's forget about this. I'm used to being alone, and I'm afraid I'll be a burden to my fellow Taoists."

"Really? That really makes me sad! How could a dignified Yuanying Zhenjun be rejected by a Jindan Zhenren?"

Xia Qingying's smile did not diminish. Ever since she began to govern the country hundreds of years ago, until she officially took the throne not long ago, few people dared to say no to her in person.

Ling Changqing looked at her and said cautiously: "You have a lot of strong guards around you, I don't think you really need me as a teammate, so don't use this excuse to fool people, right?
Just say you want the reward from me, it will sound more credible."

"Yeah, that's true!"

Xia Qingying nodded slightly: "It's just that I don't just want the things, I also want you, what should I do?"

Ling Changqing: “…”

(End of this chapter)