Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 266: New Home: Giant Turtle Island

A Third Rank Demon Core was a versatile treasure. Beyond being the primary ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills, it was a high-value currency at auctions. Wang Hao initially considered hoarding it for trade, intending to use the Condensation Fruits from his Farm to refine the pills instead.

However, Wang Guang’an hesitated.

The Patriarch did the math rapidly. As a Low Grade Third Rank Alchemist, he could guarantee a yield of at least six pills per furnace. Wang Hao, despite his talent, was only a High Grade Second Rank Alchemist. The difference of even a single pill in the final yield represented a loss of over 30,000 Spirit Stones.

Wang Hao sensed his ancestor’s reluctance. “Old Ancestor, with the aid of my Third Rank Spiritual Water, my success rate has stabilized above sixty percent. Trust me.”

Wang Guang’an sighed, relenting. “Very well. I leave it to you. Wenxian, Wuyan, and the others are in desperate need of these pills to establish their foundations. We cannot afford mistakes.”

He handed the yellow Demon Core to Wang Hao, his expression grave.

Wang Hao accepted the core, sweeping it into his Storage Ring with a confident smile. “Rest assured. With a Third Rank furnace and my spiritual water, failure is impossible.”

With the matter settled, the two retreated to their cabins to meditate.

Five days later.

Under the bleeding light of a setting sun and the cry of seabirds, the fleet finally reached its destination.

At first, it was merely a smudge of ink on the horizon. Slowly, it expanded, rising from the azure waves until it dominated their entire field of vision.

Giant Turtle Island.

The island was oval-shaped, stretching over 300 li in length and 180 li in width. A peninsula extended from the southern coast like a tail, while a massive mountain range formed a spine running down the island’s center. Deep beneath that granite spine lay the heart of their new home: a Middle Grade Third Rank Spirit Vein.

From the deck, the island appeared lush, carpeted in dense vegetation. However, a closer inspection with Divine Sense revealed that while there were spiritual trees, most were young saplings—scraps left behind by the previous tenants who deemed them too worthless to harvest.

Cheers erupted from the deck as the Qi Refining disciples crowded the rails.

“We’re finally here! This is our home!”

“It’s massive! You could fit ten Wang Family Ridges in here and still have room to run!”

“Of course it’s big; it sits on a Third Rank Spirit Vein. It could support 3,000 cultivators easily.”

“3,000? Keep dreaming. Even if the mainland branch had that many people, the teleportation fees alone would bankrupt us.”

“You haven’t heard? The Old Ancestor and the Elders have decided to implement a ‘Fertility Encouragement Policy.’ From now on, every disciple is expected to take wives and concubines. We are here to breed.”

“Who told you that? What about those of us pursuing the Great Dao? Are we to be forced into marriage?”

“I said it.”

The chatter died instantly. Wang Guang’an and Wang Hao stepped out of the cabin, their presence silencing the deck.

Wang Guang’an swept his stern gaze over the assembly. “There is no harm in telling you now. The main clan cannot indefinitely bleed manpower to support this overseas branch. We must become self-sufficient. To survive and expand, manpower is the key. Therefore, we will implement the same fertility policies here as we did in Green Cattle Market. Detailed regulations will be distributed shortly.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. “You have enjoyed over a decade of peace and stability in Wanxiang City. Now, it is time to repay the clan. Currently, the greatest contribution you can make is to expand our lineage. The rewards for this will be significant.”

He straightened his back. “I shall lead by example.”

A ripple of shock went through the crowd. The Golden Core Patriarch was taking concubines?

“Of course,” Wang Guang’an continued, “everyone has their own aspirations. I will not force marriage upon those whose hearts are solely set on the Dao. However, understand this: those who choose to fight on the front lines will find their path harder than those who stay behind to raise the next generation. Future resource allocation—including Foundation Establishment Pills—will weigh familial contribution heavily. Do not harbor resentment when you find yourself at the back of the line.”

The disciples exchanged nervous glances.

“The Ancestor… is getting married?”

“If we don’t have kids, does that mean we can’t build our foundation?”

“Silence!” Wang Hao raised a hand, his voice cutting through the panic.

He stepped forward, projecting an aura of calm confidence. “Hard work will always be rewarded. Years ago, when the clan was poor, did I not establish my foundation despite having five spiritual roots? Conditions today are infinitely better. Your stipends are five times what they used to be, and the resources of the Open Sea are vast. Are you saying that without a handout from the clan, you lack the confidence to succeed?”

The disciples lowered their heads, shamed by the rebuke. Everyone chosen for this expedition had decent aptitude—certainly better than Wang Hao’s. If he could do it, what excuse did they have?

Still, anxiety lingered. Taking a wife was easy; birthing a child with spiritual roots was entirely up to fate. Some elders had fathered a dozen children without producing a single cultivator. It was a gamble.

“Enough,” Wang Hao commanded. “The Elders will brief you on the details later. Now, prepare for landing. This island has been abandoned for over a decade. It may be infested with Demon Beasts. Do not wander off. Do not act alone.”

“Yes, Elder!”

The ship drifted into the harbor. The pier was weathered, its wood gray and pitted by the relentless waves, but the structure held. It would need repairs, but it was functional.

Wang Guang’an disembarked first. He moved like a phantom, blurring across the island to hunt down any Second Rank Demon Beasts that might pose a threat. Only after the area was secured did the clan split into ten squads to sweep the terrain.

Their orders were simple: exterminate.

Normally, keeping low-level Demon Beasts for breeding or combat training would be a source of revenue. However, after a brief discussion, the leadership scrapped the idea.

40,000 mortals were arriving soon. A single First Rank beast could slaughter a village of mortals in minutes. With the clan aggressively pushing for a baby boom, the risk was unacceptable. The Wang family was short on people; they couldn’t afford casualties.

“Brother, look!” Wang Wenyue pointed excitedly at a grove near the shore. “Is that Golden Poplar Wood?”

Wang Hao followed her finger. Indeed, a forest of tall, shimmering trees stood swaying in the breeze. They looked to be about thirty years old—Middle Grade First Rank timber.

Golden Poplar Wood was known for its hardness and rapid growth. It was a staple material for construction and low-level artifacts.

“A pity,” Wenyue sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s not worth many Spirit Stones.”

“On the contrary,” Wang Wenxian interjected, running her hand over a trunk. “The family is about to begin massive construction projects. We need housing, furniture, and fortifications. This wood is exactly what we need. Look at the pier—the decking is made of this.”

Wang Hao nodded approvingly. “Wenxian is right. Logistics are just as important as cultivation resources. Team three, inventory this grove. Count the trees, estimate their age, and log it for the construction crews.”

“Yes, Fifth Brother!”

The survey was quick. There were over 500 Golden Poplars, mostly around thirty-five years old, with saplings scattered beneath them—likely natural growth from fallen seeds.

“Move out. Continue the sweep!”

It took the clan a full day to comb through Giant Turtle Island. By sunset, the local fauna had been purged, and a preliminary resource map was drawn.

The survey revealed two mines, three lumber groves, five medicinal gardens, over a dozen spirit fields, and two inland lakes.

The mines contained Red Iron and Yellow Copper—First Rank ores of low value. The excavation pits were shallow, suggesting the previous owner hadn’t bothered to exploit them fully, likely only mining enough for local repairs.

The medicinal gardens and spirit fields were in a sorry state. Weeds choked the plots, and the Spirit Soil had been stripped down to a thin, nutrient-poor layer. Rehabilitating the land would require significant time and fertilizer.

The inland lakes, however, held a pleasant surprise.

“Red Dragon Fish,” Zhu Shan reported, examining the catch. There were only a few dozen, but they were healthy. “It seems the Ye family assigns the same tribute task to every tenant. The previous owner must have stocked these.”

This was a win. With Zhu Shan’s expertise in aquaculture, these lakes could be turned into gold mines. They would easily meet the Ye family’s tribute quota, leaving the surplus for the Wang family’s own consumption and trade.