Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 271: Mortal City

“Where is Wenyue? Has she not emerged from Secluded Cultivation yet?”

“Before Wenyue entered Secluded Cultivation, she mentioned it might take her half a year to emerge. Hardly anyone has visited Haoran Peak these past few days,” Zou Yu said with a wry smile. She had never felt so isolated since joining the Wang Family. At least she’d had Wang Wenxian for company before, but after Wang Wenxian successfully reached Foundation Establishment, she had claimed her own peak. They had only crossed paths twice in the last four months!

“If the isolation is too much, you can move in with some familiar clan members. I spend most of my time in long-term Secluded Cultivation, and this peak doesn’t require much upkeep.”

“No need,” Zou Yu shook her head. “Everyone is busy with their own duties; who has time to spare? I need to become a High Grade Formation Master as soon as possible to serve the family!”

“Good. Keep that drive. I’m heading out to take a look around; carry on with your work.”

“Farewell, Master!”

To ensure the overseas descendants never forgot the Wang Family’s roots, Wang Guang’an had officially named the main peak of Giant Turtle Island “Qingniu Peak.”

The moment Wang Hao alighted outside the main hall of Qingniu Peak, Wang Guang’an’s voice drifted over.

“Wen Hao, you’re here. Perfect timing. I was just about to send for you.”

“Ancestor, what’s wrong?” Wang Hao asked, noticing the older man’s pallid complexion.

“It’s nothing serious. My progress with a new divine ability has stalled. Ah, never mind that. What about you? Have you reached the Novice stage in the Golden Eye Pupil Technique?”

Wang Guang’an still held high expectations for Wang Hao. The Golden Eye Pupil Technique was a formidable ability; he would have liked to cultivate it himself. Unfortunately, the Wang Family’s resources were stretched thin, forcing them to prioritize one person. Moreover, Wang Guang’an needed to dedicate his time to mastering his Golden Core abilities and advancing his cultivation realm to prepare for the Purple Void Secret Realm.

“I’ve reached the Novice stage. I can now see through first-order Formations and discern the structural flaws in second-order ones. It’s also highly effective against illusions and other veiling methods,” Wang Hao reported, a hint of regret coloring his tone. “It’s just a pity we only have a single Golden-Eyed Beast demon core. I won’t be able to sustain this training for much longer.”

“That is already an excellent result. It will greatly benefit your study of Formations. Hehe, to think our Wang Family would produce such a versatile talent—proficient in the four paths of Formations, artifacts, alchemy, and talismans, along with beast taming and puppetry. You could rival the core disciples of those massive Cultivation sects!” Wang Guang’an beamed. He held immense faith in Wang Hao’s Dao path, increasingly convinced by the abstract concept of destiny and fated fortune.

Wang Hao nodded. “Ancestor, you mentioned you were looking for me. Is there an urgent matter?”

Wang Guang’an turned to business. “Nothing too serious. I just received word that the City Lord’s Mansion has delivered the mortal populace. However, they specifically requested that you receive them. I have no idea why.”

“Since we have the time, let’s go see for ourselves,” he added.

The arrival of mortals was a boon. Over the past few months, the clan had largely completed the basic infrastructure on Giant Turtle Island, erecting the new mortal city. An influx of mortals would breathe life into the desolate island, finally allowing the Wang Family to implement their population-boosting policies.

Wang Hao and Wang Guang’an took to the skies, Sword Riding away from Qingniu Peak. Out on the ocean, a colossal sea vessel over three thousand feet long rode the waves. It dwarfed the Wang Family’s own ships by tenfold! Massive banners snapped in the ocean breeze, boldly displaying the characters for the “Four Seas Merchant Alliance.”

The ship’s bow was carved into a towering, ferocious dragon head that radiated an oppressive, startling wave of spiritual power.

Both men paused, momentarily awestruck. They had never laid eyes on a vessel of this magnitude; it had to be worth millions of Spirit Stones!

“Hmm? The Four Seas Merchant Alliance? I think I know why they’re asking for me,” Wang Hao murmured.

“Oh? You have ties with the Four Seas Merchant Alliance?” Wang Guang’an asked, his brow furrowing.

“I purchased a few Foundation Establishment Pills from Baoqing Pavilion,” Wang Hao explained. “They only had two in stock at the time, so I arranged for the rest to be delivered. I just didn’t expect them to arrive alongside the mortal transport.” He purposely omitted any mention of the Descending Dust Pill; while he trusted Wang Guang’an, a treasure of that caliber was simply too valuable and difficult to explain.

Wang Guang’an frowned slightly. “The Fated Chances you’ve stumbled upon over the years haven’t come easily. You cannot constantly subsidize the family out of your own pocket. We have enough Foundation Establishment Pills for now. Do not buy any more.”

“I understand, Ancestor,” Wang Hao agreed smoothly. “I merely sold off some treasures from the mines and picked up the Pills while I was at it. I likely won’t have the Spirit Stones to buy more in the future anyway.”

“I am Liu Xingyun, a steward of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance. Which of you is Wang Guang’an?” A gravelly voice echoed as an elderly man in dark, flowing robes materialized at the bow of the ship. The sheer, suffocating pressure rolling off his body marked him undeniably as a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator!

Wang Guang’an stepped forward, resisting the oppressive aura. “I am Wang Guang’an.”

“Fellow Daoist Wang, please open the island’s Formation so I may offload these forty thousand mortals. The officials of Wanxiang City specifically entrusted me with a message: the Wang Family must treat these mortals well,” Liu Xingyun stated formally, his tone carrying calculated diplomacy.

“Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Liu,” Wang Guang’an replied, cupping his hands. He rapidly formed a series of hand seals. The dense sea fog shrouding Giant Turtle Island roiled violently before parting to reveal a wide passageway. Beyond it lay a sprawling, flat beach more than capable of accommodating forty thousand people!

Liu Xingyun flicked his wrist, tossing a thick ledger toward Wang Guang’an. “This contains their backgrounds and the official roster.”

With a light clap of his hands, dozens of Foundation Establishment Cultivators sprang into action. They deployed flying boats to ferry the mortals from the colossal ship down to the sandy shore. Though sluggish, the flying boats boasted terrifying carrying capacities, each hauling two to three hundred people per trip. In mere moments, the entire population of forty thousand had been deposited onto the shores of Giant Turtle Island!

“Thank you for the escort, Fellow Daoist Liu. Please, come down to the island for a cup of wine so that I may properly host you,” Wang Guang’an offered politely.

“There is no need. I am merely following orders and have other pressing matters to attend to,” Liu Xingyun rejected the invitation flatly. “Fellow Daoist Wang, is Wang Hao present?”

Wang Hao stepped up. “This Junior is Wang Hao.”

Liu Xingyun appraised him with a curt nod before turning back to the older Wang. “Fellow Daoist Wang, I have business to discuss with Junior Wang privately. Would you mind stepping away for a moment?”

Wang Hao shot his Ancestor a reassuring glance. He had no lingering grievances with the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, and a late-stage Golden Core expert wouldn’t brazenly bully a junior in broad daylight—the resulting loss of face would be laughable.

Once Wang Guang’an had retreated, Liu Xingyun tossed over a sealed jade bottle. “Junior Wang, Fellow Daoist Baoqing entrusted me to deliver this. Inspect the goods.”

Wang Hao popped the stopper. Inside lay a perfectly round, yellow Pill. “Thank you, Senior. This is exactly what I requested.”

“Since the goods are verified, I will take my leave.” Liu Xingyun maintained his rigid, business-like demeanor, clearly uninterested in pleasantries. He spun on his heel and vanished into the ship’s cabin. The massive vessel slowly groaned into motion, rapidly accelerating until it breached the horizon and vanished from Wang Hao’s sight!

Wang Hao glided down to the beach, where Wang Guang’an immediately approached. “Did that Liu Xingyun cause you any trouble?”

“No,” Wang Hao shook his head. “It’s just protocol for the Four Seas Merchant Alliance. They only hand over the merchandise directly to the buyer.”

He produced the Foundation Establishment Pills he had prepared earlier and passed them over. “Ancestor, please secure these in the clan treasury.”

Glancing down the beach, Wang Hao noticed Wang Yanyuan and the others separating the confused mortals into distinct groups. “Ancestor, we only built one mortal city. Why are they dividing them?”

Wang Guang’an handed him the thick roster. “Read this, and you’ll understand.”

Wang Hao flipped through the first few pages, his eyes narrowing. A significant portion of the forty thousand mortals shared the same surname. While not entirely uncommon, the ledger revealed that they were the remnants of a fallen Cultivation family. Their island had suffered a catastrophic disaster, reducing them to refugees devoid of any Cultivation faction’s protection, until Wanxiang City bundled them together and shipped them here.