Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 265: Liao Yetian of Golden Shrimp Island

Wang Hao’s expression darkened instantly. To encounter a mortal threat right on the doorstep of their new home was a terrible omen.

If Third Rank Demon Beasts were common around Giant Turtle Island, the Wang family’s future would be spent living in constant fear.

Moments later, three streaks of light tore across the horizon—two yellow beams fleeing desperately, pursued by a relentless blue radiance.

Wang Hao cursed silently. A Golden Core cultivator and two Third Rank Demon Beasts.

The defensive formation on the sea vessel hummed to life, and every clansman on deck gripped their magical artifacts, knuckles white with tension. However, against this level of power, the ship’s array was paper-thin. Even Wang Guang’an, an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, would struggle to protect them in a chaotic melee.

Suddenly, a booming voice rolled across the waves like thunder.

“Fellow Daoist ahead! I am Liao Yetian of Golden Shrimp Island! Assist me in blocking these vile beasts, and I will offer a generous reward!”

Wang Hao and Wang Guang’an exchanged a glance. They had studied the intelligence on the Red Butterfly Sea before departing. The region was ruled by four Golden Core factions—two clans and two sects. The Wang family was about to become the fifth.

The Liao family of Golden Shrimp Island was their closest neighbor.

Wang Guang’an made a split-second decision. They were newcomers here; establishing good relations with the neighbors was critical. Although both clans were technically vassals of the Ye family, the Ye clan only policed Demon Beast tides. They rarely interfered in the squabbles between vassal families—even if one wiped the other out.

“I will go out and assess the situation,” Wang Guang’an commanded. “You take the helm. Move the ship away from the blast zone!”

“Yes!” Wang Hao didn’t argue. With his current strength, interfering in a Golden Core battle would only make him a liability. Putting distance between the ship and the fight would free Wang Guang’an to fight without distraction.

Wang Guang’an stepped off the deck and rose into the sky, his robes snapping in the wind.

“Fellow Daoist Liao!” he shouted, his voice amplified by Qi. “I am Wang Guang’an, the new tenant of Giant Turtle Island!”

“Oh? A new neighbor!” Liao Yetian’s voice brightened. “Fellow Daoist Wang, please lend a hand! These beasts slaughtered my kin and have been terrorizing the seas. They must be eradicated!”

“Agreed. I have no desire to have such neighbors either!”

The two beasts were Yellow Fishhawks. They were Low Grade Third Rank Demon Beasts, known for their massive beaks and speed. Fortunately, they appeared heavily injured; otherwise, Wang Guang’an would not have agreed so readily.

Wang Guang’an summoned his Suppression Ruler. With a hand seal, the artifact expanded against the wind, growing into a massive monolith of spiritual light. He swung his left hand down, and the ruler crashed toward the fleeing hawks like a falling mountain.

Simultaneously, Liao Yetian drew a crimson longsword and slashed. Dozens of sword shadows screamed through the air, cutting off the beasts’ escape routes.

On the deck of the retreating ship, the Wang clan watched the distant battle with bated breath.

“Brother,” Wang Wenyue whispered, clutching her artifact. “The ship has cannons. Should we fire in support of the Ancestor?”

“The ship’s artillery is effective against Second Rank beasts, but it would just tickle a Third Rank,” Wang Hao explained grimly. “The best help we can give the Ancestor is to run. If we are safe, he can fight—or flee—without worry.”

Wang Hao kept his eyes locked on the battle. Wang Guang’an and Liao Yetian clearly had the upper hand. Liao Yetian was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator; he had likely ambushed these beasts earlier and chased them here. Anyone daring to solo-chase two Third Rank beasts had to have a trump card.

His prediction proved accurate.

Wang Guang’an’s heavy strikes slowed the hawks down significantly. Within a few exchanges, Liao Yetian blasted one of the hawks out of the sky.

The beast plummeted toward the ocean. But before it could even hit the water, the sea boiled.

Two massive, slimy tentacles erupted from the depths, wrapping around the falling hawk with bone-crushing force. With a spray of foam, the tentacles dragged the screeching bird into the abyss.

Boom!

The spiritual pressure radiating from the tentacles was unmistakable.

“A Third Rank Spirit Beast!” Wang Hao’s pupils constricted.

So this was the foundation of an established Golden Core clan.

Years ago, Wang Hao had procured an Ice-Eyed White Tiger to serve as the Wang family’s guardian beast. But decades later, the tiger hadn’t even reached the Second Rank. Compared to the massive octopus serving the Liao family, or even Wang Hao’s own Spirit Beast, ‘Little White,’ the gap was embarrassing.

It wasn’t that the clan mistreated the tiger; they just couldn’t afford to feed it spirit pills like candy, as Wang Hao did. Normal Spirit Beast growth was glacial—raising a beast to the Third Rank often took centuries, sometimes a millennium.

With one beast down, the remaining Fishhawk was doomed.

Some clansmen urged Wang Hao to stop the ship and wait, but he refused. He didn’t know Liao Yetian’s character. If the man turned hostile, distance was their only defense. Besides, with Wang Guang’an’s speed, catching up to the ship would take seconds.

As the ship sped away, the battle became a blur on the horizon. Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, Wang Hao saw a colossal sword shadow cleave through the remaining hawk’s wing.

The beast spiraled, losing its balance. Wang Guang’an seized the opening, slamming his Suppression Ruler into the creature’s chest with a sickening crunch.

The hawk was flung backward like a broken kite. It tried to recover, spitting volleys of water blades to sever the grasping tentacles reaching for it from below, but it was too late. It flapped its remaining wing frantically, trying to limp away.

It didn’t get far. Liao Yetian’s crimson sword flashed, piercing the bird’s chest a dozen times in a blink. The hawk convulsed and fell dead.

Seeing the battle end, Wang Hao finally relaxed, though he kept the ship moving at full speed toward Giant Turtle Island.

High above the waves, Wang Guang’an stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

Liao Yetian approached, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. “Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Wang. Fate has been kind today; we have two Third Rank carcasses. Let us split them evenly—one for each of us!”

Wang Guang’an shook his head immediately. “Fellow Daoist Liao is too polite. I barely lifted a finger; this victory belongs entirely to you and your formidable Spirit Beast. I cannot accept such a prize.”

“Nonsense!” Liao Yetian laughed. “Without your blockade, how could I have caught up to them? If I take everything, the world will call me greedy.”

He flicked his finger. His sword danced over the floating corpse of the Fishhawk, digging into its chest. A moment later, a yellow Demon Core flew out, glistening with energy.

Liao Yetian didn’t touch it. Instead, he slapped the air, sending the core floating gently toward Wang Guang’an.

“Take the core, at least. Consider it a greeting gift.”

Wang Guang’an caught the core, feeling its warmth. He smiled and nodded. “In that case, I would be disrespectful to refuse. My Wang family is relocating to Giant Turtle Island. In six months, I hope Fellow Daoist will honor us by coming for a cup of celebratory wine.”

Getting a Third Rank Demon Core for essentially standing in the way was a massive windfall. Several of the clansmen on the ship were already at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, but Wang Guang’an had drained the treasury to lease the island. He had no funds left for Foundation Establishment Pills. This core was a godsend.

“I will be there,” Liao Yetian promised. “I look forward to it.”

“My family is waiting. I will not delay you further. Farewell, Fellow Daoist Liao!”

“Until we meet again!”

Wang Guang’an caught up to the ship in minutes. He landed on the deck, beaming, and recounted the exchange to the inner circle.

“This Liao Yetian seems like a decent man,” Wang Guang’an concluded. “He should be an easy neighbor to get along with.”

Wang Hao, however, frowned. “I disagree. This area is already within the jurisdiction of Giant Turtle Island. For him to be hunting so brazenly in our territorial waters… I don’t see how that makes him ‘easy to get along with.’”

“You are too cynical,” Wang Guang’an chided gently. “Giant Turtle Island has been ownerless for years. The surrounding factions naturally poached resources from the area. In the vast ocean, boundaries are fluid. Many Golden Core cultivators seize islands without even paying the Ye family or the Demonic sects, and no one bothers them. Why make enemies over a misunderstanding?”

Wang Hao furrowed his brow but didn’t press the issue. It wasn’t the time to argue about geopolitics.

“We will have a mountain of tasks once we land,” Wang Hao said, changing the subject. “Ancestor, you won’t have time to refine pills. Why don’t you let me handle the Demon Core?”