Pseudo Cores have limited combat power, so by the standards of the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm, they aren’t considered Core Formation Cultivators.

The plump elder grumbled, "That may be true, but the Ling Family’s power is growing far too quickly. In the long run, that can’t be good news for us, right?"

It hadn’t been that many years since the Ling Family’s first Golden Core Master emerged.

But then came Liu Chengbin, willing to serve as an Honored Guest Elder, followed by Tang Qiu Yao. Including Ling Qiyue, that makes a total of three Golden Core Masters presiding over Changqing Continent.

Such a situation is rare even among ordinary Nascent Soul powers.

’If a few more years pass, who knows if the Ling Family will produce a fourth Core Formation Cultivator?’

When the Ling Family of Changqing Continent first unified the entire Feiyu Sea Region, some of the neighboring Golden Core powers were quite dismissive.

’Just one Golden Core Master, trying to occupy such a vast territory? In the past, that would have been impossible.’

As a result, some with malicious intent schemed to cause trouble for the Ling Family, hoping to at least squeeze some benefits out of the newly risen clan.

However, Ling Qiyue’s methods were anything but soft. She decisively crushed their various attempts to test her, and some of them even paid a steep price in secret.

With the clandestine support of Xue Qingtan and Meng Feiyu, not to mention Fu Yin Xue who joined later, the Ling Family’s true strength was far greater than it appeared.

The young matron laughed. "The long run? That’s a problem for a hundred years from now, at least. Who’s to say if the two of us will even be stationed here then!"

The plump elder pursed his lips in thought for a moment before finally nodding. "You have a point. So... we just ignore it for now?"

The young matron said, "We just need to report it to the Sect. How to handle it is something for the Elders to worry about."

"Alright. Let’s do that."

The plump elder said no more.

Meanwhile, many spies from other powers in the Marketplace reached a similar conclusion.

What stance to take toward the Feiyu Sea Region and the Ling Family was a decision for their superiors. As spies, their only job was to relay information promptly.

...

Out in the open wilderness, newly cultivated Spirit Fields stretched as far as the eye could see, crisscrossed by a network of paths.

Hundreds of thousands of able-bodied mortals toiled in the fields. Of course, they were only responsible for the basic labor. The most crucial, core tasks still required Cultivators.

The development of the Changqing Continent had long since moved past its initial stages. Millions of acres of several staple crops, Spirit Rice and Spirit Grain, had been sown, and several harvests had already been reaped.

In addition, Ling Qiyue had also arranged for dozens of varieties of Spirit Gourds and Spirit Fruits to be planted, with each variety covering no less than a thousand acres.

A lotus-shaped Flying Magical Artifact drifted slowly through the sky.

Ling Changqing stood on its platform, dressed in magnificent black robes. With eyes as dark as lacquer and an august, commanding presence, he surveyed the thriving domain with a satisfied expression.

Under the direction of Stewards, thousands of Cultivators worked in the fields, and their efficiency was, needless to say, extremely high.

Their Cultivation was mostly at the Qi Cultivation Stage. They consisted of Ling Family disciples, recruited Loose Cultivators, and slaves who had lost their freedom in past wars.

Of course, there were also a number of burly Daoist Soldier Puppets, primarily responsible for simpler tasks like digging irrigation ditches, clearing stones, leveling the land, and building dams.

As for tasks like sowing seeds, applying fertilizer, summoning rain, and arranging simple Feng Shui Arrays, these were primarily handled by the lower-level Cultivators.

Among the bustling Cultivators, Ling Changqing also spotted Xiao Meiniang and the other three women, as well as the several hundred Immortal Seeds with superior aptitude. All of them were hard at work.

Ling Changqing’s expression was one of delight. ’They aren’t just pretty faces who only know how to entertain men. They can endure hardship and possess genuine talent.’

Of course, this was merely a trial to temper them; they weren’t required to toil in the fields every day. Their primary mission was still Cultivation—to raise their Cultivation level step by step.

Xue Qingtan, dressed in a snow-white Magical Robe that highlighted her transcendent beauty, stood beside Ling Changqing and spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

"...The Spirit Veins on Changqing Continent are mostly of high quality, and the Spiritual Qi is pure and abundant. This allows us to plant some of the more demanding Spirit Gourds and Spirit Fruits.

"These Spiritual Fruits and Vegetables might be difficult to tend to, but their flavor and value are indisputable. If planted on a large scale, the annual profits will be quite substantial.

"Furthermore, this isn’t limited to Changqing Continent. We can consider expanding cultivation to the islands in the Feiyu Sea Region that have Grade Three Spirit Vein Spirit Fields."

The higher the grade of a Spirit Field, the greater the variety of Spiritual Fruits and Vegetables that can be planted. In addition to our own consumption, certain high-value Spiritual Fruits and Vegetables can also be used for brewing wine or sold for profit.

Ling Changqing nodded. "That’s an excellent idea, of course. Speaking of which, the family is still short on manpower, so many of our Spirit Fields have to be left fallow for the time being."

"Also, darling, do you think you could get us some better seeds from within the commerce association? Price is no object."

The staple Spirit Grains currently being cultivated on Changqing Continent are Cloud Silk Spirit Tooth Rice and Snowspike Swallowtail Wheat.

The grains of these two crops are as plump as pearls, rich in Spiritual Qi, low in impurities, and have an exceptional taste. They are a Spiritual Food that is highly satisfactory for mid-to-low-level Cultivators.

Due to the vast cultivation area, after each year’s bountiful harvest, there is enough surplus Spirit Rice and Spirit Grain to sell externally after meeting Changqing Continent’s own needs. This has become a significant source of income for the family.

Of course, due to their high value, their requirements for the Spiritual Qi Environment are quite strict. They can only grow properly in Second Rank High Grade fields, or ideally, in Third Grade Spirit Fields.

Therefore, only a Golden Core power can cultivate them on a large scale. The same is true for the high grade Spiritual Fruits and Vegetables.

Xue Qingtan shot him a playful look, covering her mouth as she chuckled. "The seeds we’re using now are already excellent, you know? Wanting anything better isn’t a problem that can be solved just by spending Spirit Stones."

High-quality Spirit Rice seeds in particular are in great demand, as they are crucial for improving a Cultivator’s constitution. Major powers have always controlled them strictly and would never let them fall into outside hands.

Thanks to Xue Qingtan’s secret assistance, the seeds for Spirit Rice and Spirit Grain, as well as the seedlings for the various Spiritual Fruits and Vegetables that Changqing Continent purchases from the Xingyun sun Commerce Association each year, are already the best varieties a Golden Core power could hope to buy.

To get anything better, you’d typically need to be a Nascent Soul power. Besides, if the grade of your Spirit Veins and Spirit Fields isn’t high enough, you probably couldn’t cultivate them successfully anyway.

"Fine. This is good enough for now," Ling Changqing said. He knew developing a domain was a long-term process; it couldn’t be accomplished overnight.

As it stood, the Ling Family was already doing exceptionally well. Many newly established Golden Core powers couldn’t necessarily match the Ling Family’s progress even after a hundred years of effort.

"Actually... if you want to accelerate the domain’s development and increase our income, there is another viable strategy," Xue Qingtan said, hesitating.

Ling Changqing’s eyes glinted. He moved closer, wrapping an arm around her smooth, firm waist and stroking it gently.

"If you have an idea, just say it. There’s no need for secrets between us, is there?"

Xue Qingtan’s lovely face flushed slightly as she spoke in a low voice, "I was thinking... we could consider leasing out these idle Spirit Fields and islands. We could let other Cultivator Clans come and develop them. What do you think?"

This model of cooperation isn’t uncommon in the Cultivation Realm. Typically, a major power will lease out its idle Spirit Fields in their entirety, collecting a percentage of the yield as annual rent.

Changqing Continent could adopt a similar approach. We could find some Foundation Establishment Level Small Clans and Minor Sects and have them lease the idle Spirit Fields, islands, Spirit Vein Cave Mansions, and so on.

These leases could range from twenty to a hundred years. Once a lease is established, the other party effectively becomes a long-term tenant of the Ling Family, or, to put it another way, a vassal.

Manpower is what the Ling Family lacks most right now. The total area of the millions of islands, large and small, in the Feiyu Sea Region is already comparable to the domain of a Nascent Soul power. The only thing missing is a Grade Four Spirit Vein.

Therefore, to develop such a vast territory, even ten times the Ling Family’s current number of Cultivators wouldn’t be enough.

Ling Changqing’s expression grew solemn. He frowned in thought for a moment, then said, "The idea might be feasible, but implementing it won’t be that simple, will it?"

He was wary of allowing outside powers to enter the Feiyu Sea Region en masse, especially Changqing Continent, and then stay for decades or even centuries.

Xue Qingtan smiled. "Then how about letting our Xingyun sun Commerce Association handle it? I guarantee everything will be managed perfectly."

Ling Changqing nodded. "That’s fine. Let’s go back and discuss it with Sister Yue first."