In the dim seawater, more than an hour quickly passed.
In a "forest" of lush seagrass, a rock several zhang wide had been shattered into dozens of pieces by Ling Changqing's Short Sword, revealing a massive nest beneath.
Enveloped in a faint blue barrier of light, Ling Changqing was currently placing palm-sized, five-colored, jade-like sea shrimp into his Storage Pouch one by one, his movements crisp and efficient.
These were Rainbow Shadow Shrimp, one of the most famous delicacies among First Rank Demon Beasts. Rich in blood, qi, and Spiritual Qi, their value surpassed even that of the Silver-Whiskered Snowflake Fish.
Although Rainbow Shadow Shrimp were First Rank Demon Beasts, their combat ability was not particularly outstanding. With Ling Changqing's current strength, he was more than capable of handling them.
Thus, when he discovered a Rainbow Shadow Shrimp habitat deep in the seagrass forest, he immediately wiped out the entire nest, capturing all the adult specimens.
As for the juveniles that hadn't fully grown, Ling Changqing chose to let them go, adhering to the principle of not draining the pond to catch all the fish.
In any case, as long as he remembered the location, he could return after some time to harvest another wave.
'Hmm, fifty-six Rainbow Shadow Shrimp in total. Not a bad haul! I'll turn in half and eat the rest down here…'
Ling Changqing finished his count, pondering with satisfaction.
In a restaurant in the Marketplace, a dish of Rainbow Shadow Shrimp was far from cheap. Even Late stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators would have to think twice if they wanted a taste.
Seeing that his Storage Pouch was more than half full, Ling Changqing decided to rest for a while before getting back to work, and to consume a portion of his haul in the meantime.
With practiced ease, he swam out of the seagrass forest. At the base of a giant reef nearby, Ling Changqing swam into a deep, empty cave.
Ever since Ling Changqing had cleared this place out a month ago, he had been using it as his personal, temporary resting area. Whenever he grew tired, he would come here to hide and recover his stamina.
Compared to the other miserable Pearl Gatherers, Ling Changqing was now more than capable of handling himself underwater. As long as he didn't go out of his way to provoke any powerful and vicious creatures, he would be fine.
'...If only I could go and see the Deep Sea Region, a hundred or even two hundred zhang down. The treasures there must be much better, but alas...'
He calmly peeled a shrimp, popping the delicious Rainbow Shadow Shrimp meat into his mouth as he mused to himself.
The main area of operation for the Ling Family's Pearl Gatherers was the shallow sea, not far from land and at most several dozen zhang deep.
This area contained many of the ingredients and Cultivation Resources the clan needed, but the number of aggressive sea fish and Sea Beasts was relatively low, which was why it could be developed into one of the clan's resource-gathering zones.
However, in the deep waters beyond one hundred, or even two hundred, zhang, not only was the water pressure more terrifying and the cold poison in the seawater more severe, but the number of various deadly creatures also rose sharply. They were far more dangerous, difficult to deal with, and impossible to guard against.
Forget Rank One and Two sea fish and Sea Beasts; even Third Grade (Core Formation) monstrosities were not uncommon—beings that not even Foundation Establishment Cultivators dared to provoke.
Therefore, Ling Changqing felt he shouldn't even think about it with his current level of strength, not unless he too could become a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator one day.
If one could return alive from a place no different from a demonic, hellish cavern, the rewards would naturally be extraordinary.
「At this moment, hundreds of zhang away in the seawater.」
Four Pearl Gatherers silently gathered, hiding in a deep pit behind a sea rock and communicating secretly with their Spiritual Sense:
"...Brother Xue, you've been observing for so many days. What's the situation?"
"Not good. The Ling Family is gathering and stockpiling resources on such a grand scale. That's not good news for our side."
"Indeed. The more resources they accumulate, the greater the pressure on us will be when war eventually breaks out!"
"What should we do then? Should we take measures to stop them? We could arrange a surprise attack with our clan's elite forces!"
"That's right. If we can slaughter a few hundred of their Pearl Gatherers, they won't dare to go out to sea so recklessly anymore!"
"It's a good idea, but I'm afraid that would trigger an early war between our two families. That doesn't align with the Patriarch's and the Elders' original intentions."
"Then let's spend some Spirit Stones to hire a group of Tribulation Cultivators to do the job. As long as we keep it clean, the Ling Family won't be able to blame our Wu Family afterward."
"That makes sense. It's worth considering..."
The relationships between Cultivator Clans were like those between nations; competition and strategic games were ever-present. As long as it could hinder an opponent's development, any sort of dark and dirty tactic might be employed.
Annexing the Ling Family's foundation had been the Wu Family's unwavering strategic goal for the past century, and all plans, both overt and covert, had to serve this objective.
...
His belly full and his stamina and Spiritual Power restored to their Peak, Ling Changqing left the cave to continue his work.
He hadn't swum far when he faintly heard shrill screams and cries for help from behind a large reef.
Ling Changqing hesitated for a moment, but still decided to go take a look, his legs kicking lightly through the water.
A few breaths later, he saw the scene behind the reef.
Two Sea Monkeys had seized an unlucky Pearl Gatherer and were frantically tearing him apart, turning his flesh and blood into their meal.
The Qi Cultivation 2nd Layer fellow hadn't yet breathed his last, but his Protective Talismans were all used up. Escaping from two Demon Beasts was now impossible.
"Help... help me!"
Seeing another Pearl Gatherer approach from a distance, the man, as if clutching a final, lifesaving straw, immediately struggled with all his might to send a telepathic cry for help.
However, Ling Changqing merely shot him a cool glance before swimming away. 'We're complete strangers. Who would risk their life to save you?'
"Fellow cultivator, please wait!"
The man grew desperate and hurriedly shouted via telepathy, "I'll give you all my harvest, and my Spirit Stones! Half... no, I'll give you all my savings! Please save me..."
'Idiot!'
Ling Changqing scoffed. 'Once you're dead, won't your things be mine anyway? It's not like the Sea Monkeys need Spirit Stones!'
It was just that Pearl Gatherers were the poor wretches at the bottom of the Cultivator hierarchy. They had next to nothing on them. It was doubtful this guy even had a few grains of Spiritual Sand.
Ling Changqing swam to one side, hiding under a few clumps of seagrass to wait patiently.
In just a short while, the man's screams grew fainter and fainter until they ceased completely.
After waiting a bit longer, seeing the two sated Sea Monkeys leave, Ling Changqing slowly swam out and cautiously approached.
Only a pile of incomplete white bones and tattered clothing remained.
Ling Changqing took a look and, as expected, found that the man didn't even have a Storage Pouch. Spirit Stones were out of the question. There was nothing worth salvaging.
'Truly poor...'
Ling Changqing shook his head. After a moment's hesitation, he still used his Short Sword to dig a pit in the seabed and buried the pile of bones.
He didn't do it for any other reason than for his own peace of mind. In any case, he didn't expect the dead guy to be grateful.
Having done all this, Ling Changqing departed quietly, continuing his search for suitable prey.