Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Yu Daniu's Opportunity
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Chen Jianghe burst out of the lake, using his qi to hover in mid-air. He looked at the layer of small green fish and various aquatic creatures floating on the surface.
"See? They're all dead, hehe~"
Xiao Hei floated on the lake's surface, half of his turtle head exposed, winking at Chen Jianghe. "Everyone's three years of hard work went down the drain. Doesn't that make you feel a little better?"
"What kind of logic is that?"
Chen Jianghe rolled his eyes, a laugh escaping him, half in amusement and half in exasperation at Xiao Hei's words.
His own small green fish were dead, three years of work wasted. His mood was terrible. How could he possibly feel better just because everyone else's fish were dead too?
"Master, that smells amazing. Can we eat these green-scaled fish?"
Xiao Hei sniffed the aroma wafting over the lake—a mix of grilled fish and the delicate scent of boiled shrimp and crab.
His beady eyes, barely open, stared intently at the cooked small green fish. The fragrance and spiritual energy had completely merged, making them even more tempting to Xiao Hei. Drool involuntarily trickled from his mouth.
"Let's wait a couple of days and see."
Chen Jianghe didn't know why the Yun Clan hadn't cleaned the lake's surface. With so many dead fish and shrimp, if they weren't dealt with soon, the entire inner waters would be engulfed in a foul stench.
But even so, he didn't dare let Xiao Hei sneak a bite of the dead small green fish.
Among the top three prohibitions for advanced Fishery Farmers in the inner waters were forbidding the use of Immortal Spirit Rice to feed personal spirit beasts and forbidding the consumption of small green fish.
In fact, the outer waters had a similar rule: junior Fishery Farmers were forbidden from eating large green fish. The penalty was having one's dantian crippled, legs broken, and being expelled from Mirror Moon Lake.
The Fishery Farmers only had the right to raise the green-scaled fish and trade up to ten of them with the white egrets.
Beyond that, even if a green-scaled fish died, it had to be reported to the Yun Clan.
And they had to present the body as proof.
"Thankfully, my black-canopied boat is fine."
Chen Jianghe returned to his cabin, took out a brush and paper, and wrote a letter to Yu Daniu, subtly inquiring about the Yun Clan's situation.
He didn't mention Yun Bufan directly.
But if Yun Bufan had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, Yu Daniu would surely mention it in his reply.
After finishing the letter, he placed it in a message tube.
He walked to the bow, whistled to summon a white egret, gave it a grain of spirit sand, and instructed it to deliver the letter to number thirty-two, Fumen Residence.
The white egrets, like the Black Crystal Mystic Turtles, had first-grade bloodlines. However, their intelligence was slightly higher than other beasts, and with simple training from the Yun Clan, they could understand written words.
However, the egrets had a brighter future than the Black Crystal Mystic Turtles.
There were many examples within Mirror Moon Lake of white egrets obtaining vast resources by delivering messages, eventually advancing to become spirit beasts.
Once a white egret became a spirit beast, it qualified to be served on the dinner table.
The next day.
Chen Jianghe had expected to wait a few days for Yu Daniu's reply, but surprisingly, it arrived today.
After reading Yu Daniu's letter, a look of joy appeared in his eyes.
Yun Bufan had successfully reached Foundation Establishment.
From now on, the Yun Clan would be a top-tier immortal clan with two Foundation Establishment Ancestors, holding absolute authority in the eastern region of the Tiannan Domain.
The increase in security was reason enough to be happy.
As for the day of Yun Bufan's breakthrough, the demonic cultivator Lan Tianxiang had come for revenge, only to be stalled by numerous late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Yun Clan who sacrificed their lives.
In the end, with Yun Bufan's successful breakthrough, the four Foundation Establishment Ancestors turned their attention to Lan Tianxiang.
Unfortunately, the demon managed to escape again.
"One ninth-level Qi Refining elder, fifteen eighth-level Qi Refining house masters and deacons... the Yun Clan's core strength has been almost completely wiped out."
As Chen Jianghe lamented this, he also felt happy for Yu Daniu.
With their core strength severely depleted, the Yun Clan would surely focus all their efforts on cultivating the younger generation to replenish their ranks in the short term.
The prosperity of a clan depends on many factors.
Resources, descendants, top-tier combat power, and core strength—not one could be missing.
Plenty of resources but few descendants wouldn't work.
Few resources but many descendants wouldn't work either.
Having only top-tier combat power without a core strength was even worse.
The Yun Clan occupied eight hundred li of territory around Mirror Moon Lake, possessing enough resources to support the cultivation of over two hundred clan members.
But if the number of clan members grew any larger, the Yun Clan's resources would be stretched thin.
They had previously recruited sons-in-law because too many direct descendants had died, forcing them to bring in new blood.
Once the number of Yun Clan descendants reached a certain point, they would control the birth rate.
Only by doing so could they maximize the clan's interests.
You cook as much rice as your pot can hold, and carry only as much as your hands can manage.
Now, with another Foundation Establishment Ancestor, the Yun Clan would be able to claim a larger share of resources in the eastern region of the Tiannan Domain.
The Yun Clan's "pot" would grow larger, allowing more descendants to cultivate in peace.
Therefore, with the lack of core strength, the Yun Clan would focus on cultivating the younger generation to fill the void.
Yu Daniu had five children, all boys, who would now be among those the Yun Clan would focus on cultivating.
Even Yu Daniu and his wife would receive special cultivation support from the Yun Clan.
"With Yun Bufan's successful breakthrough, everything in the Yun Clan should return to normal. Yun You'niu will probably be able to have his spiritual roots tested in a few days."
As long as Yun You'niu was found to have spiritual roots, and if just one of his third, fourth, or fifth sons also had them, Yu Daniu's resources for breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining would be secured.
While Chen Jianghe was lost in thought, a hundred-zhang-long ship appeared on the lake. It was the large vessel used for distributing fry and collecting fish.
This great ship sailed along the lake's channels, pausing briefly at each aquaculture zone it passed.
About an hour later, it arrived at Chen Jianghe's waters.
"Zone C, Water Area Twelve, Chen Jianghe."
"Greetings, Manager."
Chen Jianghe stood at the bow of his black-canopied boat and replied with a cupped-fist salute.
"Mm, your boat is undamaged. In that case, we'll just be distributing fry. Come and collect your one hundred fish fry."
The manager on the large ship glanced at Chen Jianghe's fishing boat, then told him to come aboard to count and receive the small green fish fry.
Chen Jianghe said nothing more. After counting them, he released the small green fish fry into his aquaculture zone under the watchful eyes of the manager and several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
Instantly, the small green fish fry smelled the scent of blood. The savage aura around them flared as they swam rapidly toward their dead kin.
They began to tear and devour them frantically.
"With the dead small green fish and the spirit-infused aquatic creatures as food for the fry, they should be fully grown by the end of next year. We will come to collect them then."
The manager of the large ship said this to Chen Jianghe before steering the vessel toward the next aquaculture zone.
Chen Jianghe had a sudden realization.
No wonder the Yun Clan hadn't cleared away the scorched carcasses of the aquatic creatures. They were meant to be nourishment for the small green fish fry.
It made sense when he thought about it. The small green fish were inherently savage; when alive, they would resort to cannibalism if they weren't fed enough, let alone feasting on the dead.
"Master, come down."
Xiao Hei's voice echoed in Chen Jianghe's spiritual consciousness. His obedient tone, calling him "Master," instantly made Chen Jianghe feel like he was being eyed by a thief.
With a 'plop,' Chen Jianghe dove into the lake and came face to face with Xiao Hei.