Chapter 376: Chapter 227: Serendipity in a Dream

Ling Changqing naturally had a plan in mind for the Ling Family’s future.

To the greater powers, the Ling Family might not seem like much, but it was a force that belonged entirely to Ling Changqing, and he would never abandon it.

In the foreseeable future, it was inevitable that Ling Qiyue would become a Nascent Soul True Monarch. The same was true for Ling Changqing himself, as well as Qin Yun and his other women.

The Ling Family would have to continue its outward expansion, securing more room for the entire family to grow by sweeping away all the powers, big and small, in the surrounding sea regions.

Therefore, war was inevitable. The mid-term goal for Ling Changqing and the family’s leadership was to expand their territory to the size of at least ten sea regions.

However, this meant it was only a matter of time before the Ling Family would clash with the Nascent Soul powers along the coast of Yuzhou.

A considerable number of Nascent Soul powers were scattered across the coastal regions of Yuzhou. Most of them only had one or two Nascent Soul True Monarchs overseeing them, barely meeting the minimum requirements to be considered part of that elite circle.

However, to the Golden Core powers in Yuzhou’s offshore regions, these were still behemoths they couldn’t afford to provoke. Normally, all they could do was curry favor with flattering words, or even offer tribute in exchange for being left alone.

The Ling Family now had two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, Luo Qingxuan and Yu Ruoshuang, but for the foreseeable future, their identities had to remain a secret.

Therefore, the Ling Family needed to produce its own open-and-aboveboard Nascent Soul True Monarch as soon as possible to ensure the safety of its foundation.

After a day and a night, Liu Xiuyan emerged from her seclusion, having successfully formed a Top-grade Golden Core Dao Fruit.

Liu Qianlan was naturally overjoyed and no longer harbored any doubts about Ling Changqing’s special abilities.

At the celebratory feast, Liu Qianlan finally saw the members of Ling Changqing’s "Female Army." Beyond her shock and astonishment, she gained a much deeper appreciation for the Ling Family’s hidden strength.

The presence of Luo Qingxuan and Yu Ruoshuang, in particular, made the Ling Family a de facto Nascent Soul power, one qualified to consider plans for further expansion.

"...There’s something I don’t quite understand,"

Ling Changqing said. "Shouldn’t the Nascent Soul powers from the coastal regions of Yuzhou have sent people to contact us by now? Why haven’t we heard anything?"

By convention, the Ling Family should have attracted the attention of those Nascent Soul powers the moment they became the sole masters of the Feiyu Sea Region.

And yet, to this day, the Ling Family hadn’t encountered a single Cultivator from any Nascent Soul power. It was as if they had completely forgotten about the matter.

"That’s because the coastal regions of Yuzhou have been at war for nearly a decade. The Nascent Soul powers are all tied up in a massive conflict, so how could they possibly have time for anything else?"

Xue Qingtan said with a smile. With the power of the Xingyun sun Commerce Association’s intelligence network, she was, of course, perfectly clear on the matter.

But since this had nothing to do with the Ling Family, Xue Qingtan had never brought it up before.

Ling Qiyue said with surprise, "It sounds like a massive war, if it’s still going on after all this time."

Xue Qingtan explained, "The cause of the war is quite simple. The ruins of an Ancient Cave Mansion emerged in the territory of the Songhe Sword Sect. Rumor has it that several decent Magical Treasures were found in its outer regions alone.

"The news leaked, attracting the covetous attention of a large group of neighboring powers. The Songhe Sword Sect wanted to monopolize the opportunity for themselves. After several rounds of fruitless negotiations, a fight inevitably broke out."

"I see."

Ling Changqing nodded, not asking any further.

In the Cultivation Realm, such events were commonplace. There were countless stories of fathers and sons, or husbands and wives, turning on each other for a fortuitous opportunity, let alone entire powers.

Of course, with the coastal regions of Yuzhou embroiled in war and their overall strength severely weakened, it was undoubtedly good news for the many Golden Core powers in the offshore regions.

"Husband, if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean our family can act sooner than planned...?" Tang Qiu Yao asked softly.

Ling Changqing pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Now isn’t the right time. The strength of our family’s mid-to-lower-level members is still too weak.

"Conquering territory is easy, but actually controlling and managing it effectively is another matter entirely. We can’t do it yet. It’s better to wait."

Even if the Ling Family were to take over one or two new sea regions right now, we wouldn’t be able to properly integrate and manage them. Far from strengthening the family, we would have to divert significant resources just to defend them. It simply wouldn’t be worth it.

"Mmm, you’re right, Husband. We’ll wait a while longer then," Ling Qiyue said gently.

The Ling Family still had too few Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment and Late-Middle Stage Qi Cultivation levels. Even counting the Independent Guest Elders who served the family, their numbers were still stretched thin.

’But,’ Ling Qiyue thought, ’give it another twenty years, once I become a Nascent Soul True Monarch, this problem will cease to exist.’

One hour later, the celebratory feast concluded.

Surrounded by his women, Ling Changqing returned to his private chambers to continue their joint Cultivation.

Liu Qianlan wanted to speak with her disciple, so she didn’t join them this time. Ling Changqing didn’t mind. ’She’s already here, after all. A few days sooner or later makes no difference.’

By the time the moon was high in the sky, Ling Changqing and his women, fully sated, had fallen into a deep sleep.

In a trance-like state, Ling Changqing found he had left the family headquarters and was floating alone, high above in the vast, clear firmament.

A vast, boundless ocean of tranquil and mysterious stars hung overhead. Countless streams of cold, magnificent, and elusive starlight rained down, and all was utterly silent.

Suddenly, a great and mysterious unknown force washed over him, propelling him across the sky at incredible speed. Like a dazzling star, he shot toward the coastal regions of the Yuzhou Continent.