Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 281: Visiting Giant Crab Island

Wang Guang’an prepared to give chase, but the flock of Rank Two Short-beaked Cranes, obeying a final, desperate screech from their fleeing Rank Three alpha, suddenly turned and dive-bombed him.

“Courting death!” Wang Guang’an sneered. He unleashed the Heaven-Burning Fire once more. These beasts were Rank Two High Grade at best; they possessed absolutely no resistance against the overwhelming divine ability of a Golden Core Patriarch. In a single, explosive wave of golden flames, over twenty Short-beaked Cranes were incinerated, their charred husks raining down into the ocean.

Unfortunately, that brief delay was all the Rank Three alpha needed. By the time Wang Guang’an cleared the airspace, the beast had vanished over the horizon. Attempting to run down a fleeing Rank Three avian Demon Beast with his current flight speed would be a massive, exhausting endeavor.

Wang Guang’an clicked his tongue in genuine irritation. Had he managed to slaughter the alpha, he could have extracted its Rank Three demon core. That single core would have translated into six or seven additional Foundation Establishment Pills for the clan’s reserves!

Just as he prepared to return to the flying boat, a blinding crimson streak tore across the distant sky.

“Vile beast! You dare slaughter my Ji clan cultivators? Leave your life behind!” an ancient, furious voice thundered across the sea.

A crimson flying sword materialized from the newcomer’s mouth. Shattering the sound barrier with a deafening boom, the blade transformed into a lethal rainbow that chased down the fleeing Short-beaked Crane.

The flying sword’s speed was incomprehensible. It crossed the distance in mere breaths, instantly punching a massive hole straight through the Rank Three beast’s chest. The Short-beaked Crane died before it even realized it had been hit, its massive body tumbling lifelessly into the waves.

Wang Guang’an immediately dropped back onto Wang Hao’s flying boat, his Divine Sense flaring with absolute vigilance. He couldn’t read the newcomer’s cultivation base at all—this man was at least a mid-stage Golden Core Patriarch, if not higher!

Within moments, the crimson streak decelerated, hovering in the air before them. It was an elderly cultivator with snow-white hair and a flowing beard. He wore crimson robes, but the cyan crab crest embroidered over his heart was identical to the one on Ji Xiaomo’s chest.

Wang Hao instantly deduced the man’s identity. This was the absolute ruler of the Ji clan: Patriarch Ji Linfeng.

“Patriarch!” Ji Xiaomo gasped, his voice trembling with leftover terror. “If you had arrived a breath later, I would have been torn to shreds!”

The truth of the situation quickly became clear. For the past half-month, this specific flock of Short-beaked Cranes had been terrorizing the Ji clan’s shipping lanes, slaughtering several cultivators. Today, Ji Linfeng had personally led an extermination squad. However, their intelligence had been flawed; the flock contained two Rank Three alphas, not one.

Ji Linfeng had used a grand Formation to trap the first alpha, ordering Ji Xiaomo to lure the second one away. The Rank Three escape talisman on Xiaomo’s back had been personally crafted by Ji Linfeng to ensure the boy’s survival.

Ji Linfeng snorted, his eyes flashing with irritation. “This old man told you to kite the beast in circles! Why did you flee so far out of range? Had you not stumbled upon this Fellow Daoist, you would be dead meat! Where are your manners? Give your thanks!”

Ji Xiaomo scrambled to his feet, offering a deep, deeply sincere bow to Wang Guang’an. “Junior Ji Xiaomo thanks Senior Wang for his life-saving grace!”

“Fellow Daoist’s surname is Wang?” Ji Linfeng narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Wang Guang’an and Wang Hao.

His mind worked rapidly. They were currently deep within established Ji clan territory. While rogue cultivators occasionally passed through, they always kept their heads down and fled as quickly as possible. No one dared to casually unleash a Golden Core divine ability so close to Giant Crab Island without an underlying motive.

Wang Guang’an met his gaze evenly, his tone perfectly calibrated—polite, yet carrying the heavy, unyielding weight of an equal. “I am Wang Guang’an, Patriarch of the Qingniu Fang Wang clan. There is no need for your Junior to thank me. Fellow Daoist Ji’s tactical calculations are clearly flawless; you would never gamble a clan member’s life so carelessly. Even if I had stood by and watched, I am certain young Ji Xiaomo would have emerged unscathed, yes?”

“The Qingniu Fang Wang clan…” Ji Linfeng’s gaze slowly drifted past Wang Guang’an, locking onto the younger man behind him. “Could you be…”

Wang Hao stepped forward, clasping his fists in a flawless junior salute. “I am Wang Hao. Greetings, Senior Ji.”

“So it is you!” Ji Linfeng’s aura spiked dangerously, a clear undercurrent of anger bleeding into his voice.

Wang Guang’an casually stepped half a pace to the side, cleanly interposing himself between Ji Linfeng and Wang Hao. His expression remained utterly placid, but his own Golden Core aura flared in a silent, absolute warning. “Fellow Daoist Ji, we have come to your waters as guests. Even if our presence is unwelcome, there is surely no need for a Patriarch of your standing to make things difficult for a mere Junior.”

Before the tension could escalate, another streak of light appeared on the horizon. A large, heavily warded Ji clan flying boat rapidly descended toward them, carrying over a dozen cultivators.

Standing at the prow of the ship was Ji Xiaotang.

When she took in the scene—the dead crane, her Patriarch, and Wang Hao—her eyes widened in shock, followed immediately by a flash of deep, unmistakable worry.

She landed gracefully on the deck. After stealing one frantic, lingering glance at Wang Hao, she immediately turned her back to him and bowed deeply to Ji Linfeng. “Patriarch, the battlefield has been secured. All Demon Beast corpses have been processed.”

That single, fleeting glance was all Wang Hao needed. Her feelings for him hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

“The corpse of the second Rank Three Short-beaked Crane fell into that sector of the sea,” Ji Linfeng ordered sharply, pointing toward the horizon. “Go and dredge it up.”

“Xiaomo, assist her,” the Patriarch added.

Wang Guang’an immediately caught the underlying dismissal. “Hao’er, go and lend them a hand.”

Wang Hao bowed smoothly and departed. He was incredibly pragmatic; as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he possessed zero leverage to negotiate with a Golden Core Patriarch. This was a battle only Wang Guang’an could fight.

However, being dismissed gave him exactly what he wanted: a chance to speak with Ji Xiaotang alone. His mood instantly brightened.

As they flew toward the crash site, Wang Hao initiated a covert telepathic transmission. “It has been over ten years, Madam. Have you missed your husband?”

“Bah! You shameless rogue!” Ji Xiaotang spat back via transmission, though the fierce joy in her mental voice betrayed her completely. “If you dare call me that again, I will have the guards throw you off Giant Crab Island!”

Hearing the mock anger in her tone, Wang Hao grinned. He leaned in closer. “Judging by the density of Madam’s aura, you are fully primed to attempt Golden Core formation. Yet your poor husband is merely at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. I fear our union has only grown more impossible.”

At the mention of their marriage, the light in Ji Xiaotang’s eyes dimmed slightly. “It is not entirely impossible. A few months ago, the Patriarch intended to open the treasury and bestow Golden Core formation items upon me to aid my breakthrough. However, several of my clan uncles caught wind of the plan and vehemently blocked it. I suspect they are desperately trying to marry me off to secure political alliances.”

“But the final authority still rests solely with your Patriarch, does it not?”

Ji Xiaotang gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. “The Patriarch is ancient. He has less than two decades of lifespan remaining. Every decision he makes now is ruthlessly calculated to ensure the clan’s survival and internal harmony after his passing.”

Wang Hao’s eyes gleamed with cold logic. “Then the probability of him letting you go is actually significantly higher!”

“Hmph,” she scoffed, though her tone was laced with insecurity. “Does that mean you view my Dao path as nothing more than a bargaining chip?”

“Madam, please,” Wang Hao replied smoothly, his tone oozing pragmatic confidence. “I purchased two Dustfall Pills years ago. One serves as my betrothal gift to your Patriarch. The other is already reserved for you.”

Ji Xiaotang’s breath hitched, her feigned anger instantly melting into pure, unadulterated shock and joy. “You… you actually have a conscience! But a single Dustfall Pill is rarely enough to guarantee a successful breakthrough.”

“I will naturally secure additional Golden Core formation resources for you. That is a promise.”

The two continued to converse via hidden transmissions as they casually hauled the massive Demon Beast corpse from the sea, completely ignoring the other Ji clan cultivators around them. They moved with the synchronized arrogance of true protagonists, treating everyone else as mere background scenery.

Back on the flying boat, Wang Guang’an watched the two youths banter in the distance. He turned back to Ji Linfeng, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. “Fellow Daoist Ji, surely you do not intend to play the villain and tear these two apart?”

“Fellow Daoist Wang speaks with entirely too much levity,” Ji Linfeng replied coldly. “She is the premier Golden Core seed of my Ji clan.”

“If our two families unite in marriage, we naturally become staunch allies. Xiaotang marrying into the Wang clan does not mean she ceases to be an asset to the Ji clan.” Wang Guang’an casually tossed a jade slip through the air. “Fellow Daoist, I invite you to review this manifest. It outlines my Wang clan’s absolute sincerity.”

Ji Linfeng caught the slip and swept it with his Divine Sense. His stoic expression cracked instantly. “A Dustfall Pill. Fellow Daoist Wang… you truly possess terrifying audacity.”

Wang Guang’an chuckled, pressing his advantage. “If Xiaotang marries into my Wang clan, I will personally exhaust our resources to ensure she reaches Golden Core. With this Dustfall Pill in your hands, Fellow Daoist can simultaneously nurture a second Golden Core cultivator for your own ranks. Both our bloodlines rise in power. It is a flawless transaction. Why resist?”

If Wang Guang’an had offered mere Spirit Stones or artifacts, Ji Linfeng would have refused outright. He was no fool; losing a premier Golden Core seed was a catastrophic blow to the Ji clan, regardless of whatever mundane compensation the Wang clan provided.

But a Dustfall Pill? That changed the calculus entirely. Factoring in the intense, bitter political infighting currently fracturing his clan’s unity… Ji Linfeng hesitated.

His rigid posture softened slightly. “Fellow Daoist Wang… why don’t you reside on Giant Crab Island for a few days? Allow me the time to properly weigh this proposal.”

“To witness the grandeur of your noble clan firsthand? I would be honored,” Wang Guang’an agreed smoothly, sealing the diplomatic trap.

Ji Linfeng nodded slowly, his mind already spinning with new calculations. “I have heard the Wang clan boasts exceptional alchemical heritage. We have just acquired two Rank Three demon cores. Would Fellow Daoist be willing to refine them into Foundation Establishment Pills for us? Given your significant contribution to the hunt, we shall split the resulting Pills evenly. What say you?”

The Ji clan possessed a fragment of the ancient Danding Sect’s inheritance, meaning they had their own alchemists. However, centuries ago, an ancestor had unearthed a supreme Rank Three artifact refining manual. Consequently, the Ji clan heavily prioritized forging; Ji Linfeng himself was a Rank Three artifact refiner. While they employed several Rank Two alchemists, their success rate when brewing Foundation Establishment Pills was abysmal.

Ji Linfeng was a pragmatist. Having a guaranteed master alchemist refine the cores meant he would secure far more Pills than if he relied on his own subpar disciples.