Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 256: The Eight Directions Seeking Formation

Wang Longyou’s expression hardened into a scowl. “I sent you here to assist Wang Hao in clearing out the Demon Beasts, yet look at you—you reek of alcohol!”

“Let it go, Sixth Great-Uncle,” Wang Hao interjected, stepping in to defend his cousin. “Wencai worked hard all night; he handled all the low-grade Demon Beasts himself. Spare him the lecture.”

Wang Longyou huffed, his gaze softening slightly. “For Wang Hao’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time. But if it happens again, you’ll be confined to the clan grounds making puppets for the rest of your days!” He turned his back on the chastised youth, his demeanor instantly shifting to amiability as he addressed Wang Hao. “Come, let’s inspect the Purple Crystal Grapevines.”

As a second-grade spirit fruit critical to the clan’s future wine industry, the grapes commanded Wang Longyou’s full attention.

Wang Hao led the group to a stunted vine—a Low Grade Second Rank specimen. The elders crowded around for a closer look.

Wang Yanzong peeled back a strip of bark, studying it with a critical, practiced eye. “A pity,” he murmured, shaking his head. “The Spiritual Qi here is dense enough, but the sunlight is poor and the soil is thin. No wonder the yield is so low.”

“Wild spirit plants rarely find perfect conditions; one in ten thousand might be lucky enough to grow in a true treasure land. However, this place only needs a little terraforming to boost production.” Wang Hao gestured to the massive boulders obstructing the light and the dense forest encroaching on the side. “Clear those obstacles, haul in some high-quality spirit soil, and your problems are solved.”

“The Elder is right,” Yanzong conceded. “But the scale of the work is massive. These vines are scattered everywhere, making it a nightmare to plan a cohesive layout.”

“Transplant whatever can be moved,” Wang Longyou instructed decisively. “Whatever can’t be moved, we deal with later. The Wang clan intends to develop this entire ridge into orchards and spirit fields anyway. It doesn’t matter where they grow, as long as they grow on our land.”

The group continued their survey, hiking up to the northern peak where the spirit wine was stored.

Standing before the cave entrance, Wang Longyou’s eyes swept over the landscape. With decades of experience, he mentally mapped out the terrain in seconds. “South side: 100 acres of First Rank spirit fields, 20 acres of Second Rank fields. The northern slope will be the orchard; the sunlight there is aggressive, perfect for the Purple Crystal Grapes.”

He turned to the agricultural specialist. “Yanzong, what do you think?”

Wang Yanzong ran a quick mental calculation. “No objections. In fact, we might be able to squeeze in another 10 acres of First Rank fields.”

Wang Longyou nodded. “Done. I’ve already instructed Yanxing and Yanchong to recruit Rogue Cultivators for the labor. Once the manpower arrives, you can begin laying the spirit channels and tilling the earth.”

“Understood,” Yanzong bowed. “I will not fail the clan’s expectations.”

“Relax, no need for such formality. Come, let’s taste this famous wine!” Wang Longyou strode into the cave, his stride long and eager.

Wang Wenyu, the clan’s wine expert, had been vibrating with impatience. The moment they entered, he cracked the seal on a bamboo tube and took a gentle sniff. His face instantly melted into an expression of pure intoxication.

“Genuine Purple Crystal Grape wine…” he whispered. “This tube has been aging for at least 20 years.”

Wang Wencai, eager to redeem himself, quickly produced several jade cups. He poured for the elders, assuming the role of a gracious host. “The initial taste is deceptively mild,” he explained, “but the aftertaste is long and potent. The more you drink, the richer it becomes. Please, try it!”

Wang Longyou downed his cup in a single motion. His eyes widened, and he nodded in agreement, praising the Wang family’s fortune in seizing such a treasure land.

After a few rounds, Wang Hao set his cup down. “Wenyu, can you reverse-engineer the recipe?”

Wang Wenyu took a slow sip, eyes closed in deep concentration. After a long silence, he spoke. “I’ve identified the primary ingredients, but there are subtle notes I can’t quite place. I suggest we preserve the local flora for now. The monkeys likely used plants native to this ridge. If we clear-cut everything too quickly, we might destroy the very ingredients we need to recreate this vintage.”

Wang Hao frowned slightly. “The wine is excellent, but the development of the Spirit Mountain cannot be delayed.” He turned to Yanzong. “Will preserving the local vegetation hinder the reclamation of the fields?”

“Not significantly, Elder,” Yanzong replied. “We can catalog the local species and transplant samples of each into a preservation garden. It won’t slow down the overall progress.”

“A sound compromise,” Wang Longyou praised. “Then it’s settled. You three start planning the layout for the fields and orchards. But before any soil is turned, we must establish the Grand Formation.”

Chicken Cage Ridge bordered the dangerous Broken Yuan Mountain Range. Without a protective barrier, they were sitting ducks for wandering Demon Beasts. While Foundation Establishment cultivators like themselves had little to fear, the spirit farmers were merely Qi Refining disciples. Furthermore, the clan planned to migrate mortals here soon; a Grand Formation was a necessity, not a luxury.

Wang Longyou’s gaze fell upon Wang Wuyuan.

Wuyuan was the clan’s only true formation talent. Young, possessing three spiritual roots, and currently at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, he was the clan’s best hope in the field of arrays. Between the Wang family’s own archives and the inheritances from the pill sect, they possessed knowledge up to the High Grade Second Rank.

Wuyuan himself was already a High Grade First Rank Formation Master. Asking him to create a new array was impossible, but asking him to install a pre-made one was a manageable test.

If the Wang clan wanted to expand, they couldn’t rely on outsiders for their security. Cultivating their own master would save them a fortune in Spirit Stones. The clan was determined to see Wuyuan reach Foundation Establishment, even if they had to force-feed him pills and rare treasures to get him there.

Wang Hao had purchased a High Grade Second Rank array—the Eight Directions Enemy Detection Formation—from Ye Jingtao, along with a spare for future expansion.

Since Wang Hao had dabbled in formation theory himself, he would assist Wuyuan in the installation.

The Eight Directions Enemy Detection Formation was a dual-attribute array of Fire and Wood, perfectly syncing with the two spirit veins beneath the ridge.

Offensively, it was nasty work. It deployed durable vines to ensnare invaders, followed immediately by a surge of mystical fire. The flames would race along the vines, turning the trapped target into a torch. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would struggle to escape such a trap unscathed.

However, installing a sect-guarding formation was far more complex than tossing down a portable array disk used for hunting. It required the creation of ‘Formation Eyes’—anchor points inscribed with complex runes that tapped directly into the earth’s ley lines. This ensured a limitless supply of Spiritual Qi and maximized the array’s coverage.

Inscribing these runes onto spirit materials was the true test of a Formation Master. It would be a trial by fire for young Wuyuan.

Since the installation would take days, and the clan’s main force hadn’t arrived yet, security was thin. A few Foundation Establishment elders could protect themselves, but they couldn’t watch every corner of the mountain simultaneously.

They needed a perimeter.

Wang Hao decided to construct a preliminary wall to encircle Chicken Cage Ridge. While a physical wall couldn’t stop a High Grade Demon Beast, it would deter common wild beasts and low-level pests, saving the clan a headache.

And the best material for a quick, sturdy wall was vines.

Wang Hao retrieved a specific seed from his storage: the Iron Thorn Vine. These were the seeds of the Vine Demon he had slain in the mines. The species could grow to the Third Rank and was tough enough to be refined into magical artifacts like whips or bindings.

Using the time-dilation of his personal Farm and potent chemical fertilizers, Wang Hao had mass-produced a vast quantity of cuttings in a single day. All that remained was to plant them, infuse them with spiritual power, and watch the fortress grow.