Chapter 13: Breakthrough, Fighting the Iron-Claw Eagle

Song Changsheng settled into life on the Heart-Lake Island just like that. The thatched cottage was well-equipped, so he didn't need to worry about anything else.

However, the small patch of spiritual field to the left of the cottage was currently lying fallow, which Song Changsheng felt was a pity. As it happened, he had brought some seeds for spiritual flowers and herbs, which he could plant to earn a bit of extra income in the future.

While stationed here, the clan would issue him twenty catties of spiritual rice every month. Counting the fifteen catties he was entitled to as a minor, that made a total of thirty-five catties.

The allocation of spiritual rice was quite generous, so he didn't need to grow any himself; the value of spiritual flowers and herbs was actually higher.

He reclaimed the spiritual field, sowed the seeds, fetched water from the lake to irrigate them, and buried three spirit stones in the center of the field. That was all it took.

He was planting spiritual vegetation with short growth cycles, which could be harvested about once a year. When the time came, he could turn them over to the clan in exchange for a decent profit.

After finishing all this, Song Changsheng steered his small boat out to begin counting the spiritual fish. These fish were the focus of his work, and he could not afford to be careless.

"There are three schools of fish, totaling three hundred and twenty spiritual fish. One hundred and twenty are already ready for delivery. Since I only need to deliver two hundred per year, it seems this task really isn't very challenging."

After a round of counting, Song Changsheng had the general information about the schools of fish etched in his mind. Based on his projections, by the end of this year, there would be at least two hundred and twenty or thirty fish that met the requirements.

After subtracting the quota for the clan and accounting for some losses, there would certainly be some left over, and these would belong to Song Changsheng personally to dispose of as he pleased.

This could be considered a hidden benefit. He could choose to turn them in for contribution points, or he could eat or sell them; all of this was permitted.

It hadn't been like this over a hundred years ago. Back then, every spiritual fish produced belonged entirely to the clan, and anyone who disposed of them privately would face severe punishment.

This phenomenon only changed when the previous clan leader, Song Yunhan, ascended to the position, just after the clan's last Zifu-stage cultivator, Song Yungui, had passed away.

Song Yunhan took office during a time of crisis for the clan. She cultivated friendly relations externally, engaged in extensive intermarriage, and opened up the trade route to Luoxia City, which became the clan's new financial pillar.

Internally, she carried out sweeping reforms. Under her leadership, clan rules became much stricter, and she fully implemented the policy of "the capable rise, the mediocre fall."

The distribution of resources within the clan relied entirely on aptitude and ability. Whether you were the clan leader's son or an elder's grandson, everyone was treated equally.

This caused a great stir at the time, but somehow Song Yunhan managed to persuade the Council of Elders, and the reforms were implemented smoothly, lasting to this day.

The system she pushed went beyond that; one of the rules was the clear separation of public and private interests.

This "public and private" referred to the property of the clan members. No one was allowed to encroach upon a member's private property, and anything obtained outside of the clan belonged entirely to the individual cultivator.

If a cultivator chose to turn over their findings, they had to be paid in contribution points equivalent to the market value. If they didn't, no one could seize them; violators would be severely punished.

Furthermore, in work such as farming or planting, any surplus belonged to the individual cultivator; conversely, any shortages had to be compensated for by the individual.

As soon as this policy was issued, it received widespread approval from the clan's cultivators. From then on, they became more meticulous and patient in their work, and efficiency increased significantly.

It was precisely because of her sweeping reforms that the clan survived those most difficult years and gained the momentum to rise again.

It was just a pity that the battle with the Lieyang Sect had set them back to before the reforms overnight.

But the foundation of a strong clan had already been cast; the clan's resurgence was only a matter of time.

That was why Song Changsheng was particularly attentive to these spiritual fish—after all, it concerned his own interests...

Life on Heart-Lake Island was plain yet fulfilling, and Song Changsheng's cultivation progressed rapidly. In less than two months, he had broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining, less than a year since his last breakthrough.

Although this was closely related to the Earth-Milk Spiritual Liquid he had consumed, having such cultivation at the age of seventeen was already quite extraordinary.

Early in the morning, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged under the green plum tree. After absorbing the essence of the sun, he practiced his formations as usual.

Perhaps because he had borrowed the power of a formation to fight an enemy last time, his progress in the way of formations had been rapid during this period, and he had vaguely touched the threshold of a top-grade first-tier formation.

"Phew... Setting up a high-grade first-tier formation is now second nature to me. It seems it's time to find an opportunity to try setting up a top-grade one." Song Changsheng waved his hand to retract the formation flags, saying with great delight.

He stood up and noticed that the fruit on the green plum tree had ripened. Plums like emeralds were hidden among the lush branches and leaves, looking very tempting.

Song Changsheng waved his sleeve to pick a small handful and said with a smile, "After cultivating here for several months, I've finally managed to eat these green plums."

He picked one and put it in his mouth. A sweet and sour taste immediately spread through his mouth, carrying wisps of spiritual energy that made his mouth water—he couldn't stop.

"Mm, although the spiritual energy in this fruit is a bit weak, the taste is truly excellent. I'm in for a treat." Song Changsheng ate with a beaming smile, and the small handful was soon finished.

Licking his lips with a sense of lingering desire, Song Changsheng finally restrained his restless hands and walked to the lakeside.

The "Water" character appeared on his left hand. With a gentle beckoning motion, he gathered a large water ball. With a flick of his finger, the water ball flew toward the spiritual field. The moment it fell, it transformed into dozens of small water balls, precisely irrigating every sprouting spiritual plant.

This move looked simple, but for a Qi Refining cultivator, it was almost impossible. To achieve such control, one would at least need to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But because of his continuous practice of the [Water-Fire Control Method], Song Changsheng's control over the water and fire attributes was no worse than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Just then, a loud eagle cry reached Song Changsheng's ears.

Song Changsheng looked up and saw a steel-blue eagle diving down from the sky at high speed, its pair of talons gleaming with a cold light in the sun, looking quite intimidating.

"You beast, it's you again." Song Changsheng was furious. Since the third day he arrived here, this Iron-Claw Eagle had appeared from time to time.

At first, Song Changsheng was unprepared and, through a moment of negligence, had three spiritual fish snatched away, which pained him greatly.

Later, he learned his lesson and kept watch day and night, finally catching it in the act.

But this Iron-Claw Eagle had the cultivation of a peak first-tier beast, equivalent to a human at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and it possessed the ability to fly.

Although Song Changsheng had defeated it by relying on the advantage of his magical artifacts, it came and went like the wind, and he couldn't pursue it, having to watch helplessly as it escaped.

It hadn't appeared for a long time since then. Song Changsheng had thought it had fled after being injured, but he hadn't expected it to be so persistent as to dare to come back.

"My cultivation has improved again this time. Since you've come, stay here!" Song Changsheng's left hand shook, and two water dragons immediately surged from the lake, twisting toward the Iron-Claw Eagle.

The Iron-Claw Eagle was indeed formidable; it flapped its wings and escaped the range of the attack, then dove down again, unleashing several wind blades that directly shattered the water dragons.

It let out a provocative cry, but the next moment, a red and blue gourd appeared behind it, spraying a sheet of scorching flames. Caught off guard, the Iron-Claw Eagle was struck immediately.

The flames ignited its prized feathers and burned its body. It let out a series of mournful cries and flew away unsteadily toward the distance.

But it hadn't flown far from Mirror Lake before it fell like a withered leaf...

(End of chapter)