Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 192: Falling Phoenix Valley

The chaos had a silver lining.

As hordes of Rogue Cultivators swarmed the outer edges of the Broken Origin Mountain Range, they inadvertently pushed the boundary between human and demon territories deeper into the wild. For the Five Families of Green Cattle Market, this was a strategic windfall. If they timed their move correctly, they could annex a cleared Spirit Mountain with minimal effort.

Recognizing this, the Five Families chose a policy of non-interference. They allowed the migration to continue, focusing instead on aggressively expanding the Green Cattle Market to accommodate the influx of refugees.

However, as the population in Green Cattle swelled, local resources dwindled. Conversely, the Falling Phoenix Market—abandoned by most cultivators—saw its natural resources bounce back. It was this abundance that drew Wang Wenjiang’s team to make the dangerous trek.

Falling Phoenix Valley was a unique ecological zone. The Spiritual Qi within the canyon was thin, and the towering cliffs on either side cast it in perpetual shadow. This gloomy, low-Qi environment made it unattractive to powerful Third-Order Great Demons. Even Second-Order beasts were rare here.

This scarcity was precisely why Wang Wenjiang was anxious. Although the valley had few permanent residents, it attracted plenty of capable hunting squads. If another team stumbled upon the Wolf Den first, the Wang Clan would have no claim to it.

After a full day of travel through the canyon, Wang Hao’s group of six arrived at a sprawling sea of flowers.

Exotic blooms and rare herbs carpeted the valley floor, filling the air with a heady fragrance. Petals drifted on the wind like snow. Surveying the terrain, Wang Hao mused that this would be an ideal location to cultivate Spirit Bees. He had always envied Old Devil Han’s swarm of insects—scouting, killing, looting; they were the ultimate utility tool. Unfortunately, this valley was too far from the Wang Clan’s sphere of influence to establish an apiary.

Beyond the flower field stood an emerald-green peak, roughly a thousand feet tall. At its base lay a dark opening.

Wang Wenjiang halted. “Fifth Brother, this is it. The Cyan-Brown Wolf’s den is inside.”

Wang Hao inspected the entrance. It was unassuming—barely ten feet high and wide enough for three people abreast. Two ancient trees and overgrown weeds partially obscured it. Without a guide, he would have walked right past it.

“A well-chosen lair,” Wang Hao muttered. He checked his “Virtue-Deficient Map” (System Map). Only one skull icon appeared nearby—no hidden ambushes.

He nodded. “Let’s go in. Shields up. Stay sharp.”

The juniors obeyed instantly, retrieving their defensive Magical Artifacts and clutching stacks of Spirit Talismans. This was Wang Hao’s doctrine: If you can bury the enemy in paper talismans, never draw your sword. Ranged annihilation was always safer than a messy melee.

Wang Hao cast a simple protective barrier over himself and led the way into the darkness.

The air inside was cool, and the Spiritual Qi was noticeably denser than outside—a perfect nesting ground for a Spirit Beast. As they ventured deeper, the temperature dropped, and the Qi grew richer.

After a hundred meters, the tunnel hooked to the right. A moment later, it opened into a massive natural cavern, hundreds of feet wide.

The walls were smooth, polished by time. The sound of dripping water echoed in the silence. Droplets fell into a small, clear pool in the center of the chamber. Growing at the water’s edge were the prize: several stalks of Spirit Gathering Grass.

The pool itself seemed to be the source of the cave’s dense Qi.

Wang Hao scanned the room. The Cyan-Brown Wolf was nowhere to be seen, but his Divine Sense picked up its heavy, predatory aura. He glanced at several small tunnels branching off the main cavern and understood immediately.

He said nothing, wanting to test the juniors.

Wang Wenzhu relaxed visibly, a grin spreading across her face. “Looks like the beast is out hunting!” She winked at Wang Hao. “Fifth Brother, looks like we won’t need you after all. But don’t think we’re sharing the grass with you!”

Wang Wenjiang and Wang Wuxiang, however, frowned. Their eyes darted around the shadows.

“Fifteenth Sister, don’t be careless,” Wang Wenjiang warned, his voice low. “I can feel it. The beast is still here. If we go for the grass now, we’ll be ambushed.”

He glanced at Wang Hao. Seeing their leader’s impassive face, he confirmed his suspicion: this was a test.

Wenjiang and Wuxiang exchanged a nod. Simultaneously, they retrieved two monkey-shaped puppets and sent them scuttling into two of the side tunnels.

ROAR!

A bestial howl shook the cavern.

A blade of compressed wind shot from one of the tunnels, shearing the legs off one of the monkey puppets instantly.

Wang Hao glanced at Wang Wenzhu. She lowered her head, face burning with shame. He didn’t scold her; the lesson had been delivered.

“Attack!” Wang Hao commanded, his voice filling the cave. “I will handle defense. You focus on offense. Show me what you’ve learned!”

He summoned the Cloud Wave Shield, expanding it into a shimmering barrier around the group. A Second-Order Middle-Grade Wolf could chew on a High-Grade Spirit Weapon all day and accomplish nothing.

“Thanks, Fifth Brother! Watch this!” Wang Wenjiang laughed, his tension vanishing. He activated a blue short sword, sending it whistling toward the wolf emerging from the shadows.

Wang Wuxiang deployed another puppet, which unleashed a barrage of fireballs.

Wang Wenzhu, eager to redeem herself, unleashed her inner pyromaniac. She pulled out a thick stack of talismans and began hurling them like confetti. It was a chaotic, brute-force style that mirrored Wang Hao’s early days perfectly.

Wang Hao smiled. He remembered her as a little girl pestering him with questions. He hadn’t realized she’d modeled her entire combat style after his “Money-Throwing Jutsu.”

Wang Wenxue and Wang Wensheng joined the fray. The cave erupted with the clang of metal and the boom of exploding talismans.

Wang Hao hung back, letting them grind. He wanted them to feel the weight of fighting a Second-Order beast. The Cyan-Brown Wolf was tough; its fur acted like natural armor, absorbing the brunt of their attacks. Even under a five-man assault, it held its ground.

However, it wasn’t a turtle. It couldn’t tank forever. Wounds began to appear on its flanks.

The wolf howled in fury, spitting wind blades and slashing with its claws, but Wang Hao’s Cloud Wave Shield was an immovable wall. The beast’s attacks shattered harmlessly against the barrier.

After a while, Wang Hao decided it was too easy. They were treating it like a target dummy.

“Stop attacking,” he ordered.

The bombardment ceased. The juniors looked back at him, confused.

“Try to block a few hits on your own,” Wang Hao said calmly. “Don’t worry. If you’re about to die, I’ll step in.”

The five understood immediately. This was rare combat experience. They nodded eagerly.

Wang Hao dropped the Cloud Wave Shield. He stepped back and gave the wolf a mocking “come here” gesture.

The Cyan-Brown Wolf, realizing the invincible wall was gone, went berserk. It snarled, launching a volley of wind blades before charging the group with bared fangs.

Wang Hao gripped his shield, ready to intervene instantly.

But the juniors didn’t panic. They had hunted together for years; their teamwork was drilled into their bones.

Wang Wenzhu raised a jade bottle artifact. A stream of water shot out, expanding into a wall of liquid in front of the group.

Wang Wenjiang slapped an Ice Seal Talisman onto the water. Cold energy flashed, freezing the liquid instantly into a thick wall of ice.

The other three layered their own defensive spells behind it. In seconds, a triple-layered defense was erected.