Song Changsheng settled down on Lake Heart Island just like that. The thatched hut was fully furnished, so he did not need to worry about anything else.
Only the small patch of spirit field to the left of the thatched hut still lay abandoned, which Song Changsheng found somewhat regrettable. Fortunately, he had brought seeds of spirit flowers and herbs with him. He could plant them there and earn a little extra income in the future.
While he was stationed here, the lineage issued him twenty jin of spirit rice each month. Adding the fifteen jin he was entitled to as a minor, that made a total of thirty-five jin.
His allotment of spirit rice was plentiful, so there was no need for him to grow any himself. Spirit flowers and herbs were worth more instead.
He reclaimed the spirit field, scattered the seeds, fetched lake water to irrigate it, then buried three spirit stones at its center. That completed the job.
The spirit plants he had cultivated all had short growth cycles and could be harvested roughly once a year. When the time came, handing them over to the lineage would bring him a decent return as well.
After finishing all this, Song Changsheng took out his small boat and began counting the spirit fish. These spirit fish would be the focus of his work from now on, so he could not afford to be careless.
"There are three schools, with a total of three hundred and twenty spirit fish. One hundred and twenty are already ready for delivery. I only need to deliver two hundred each year. This task really is not much of a challenge."
After making a full circuit, Song Changsheng had already committed the general details of the fish schools to memory. Judging by the timing, by the end of this year, at least two hundred and twenty or thirty of them would meet the size requirements.
After subtracting those handed over and a certain amount of loss, there would definitely still be some left. Those would belong to Song Changsheng personally, and he could dispose of them as he pleased.
This counted as a hidden benefit. He could choose to hand them in for Contribution Points, eat them, or sell them. All of that was permitted.
It had not been like this more than a century ago. Back then, every spirit fish produced belonged to the lineage. Anyone who disposed of them privately would face severe punishment.
This situation did not begin to change until the previous Patriarch, Song Yunhan, took office. At the time, the lineage's last Purple Palace Cultivator, Song Yungui, had just passed away in meditation.
Song Yunhan assumed office when the lineage stood at the brink of peril. Externally, she cultivated friendly relations and forged marriage alliances far and wide, while opening up the Sunset City Trade Route as the lineage's new financial pillar.
Internally, she carried out sweeping reforms with the force of a great blade. Under her leadership, the Clan Rules became stricter, fully implementing the policy that the capable rose while the mediocre fell.
The distribution of resources within the lineage depended entirely on aptitude and ability. Whether one was the Patriarch's son or an elder's grandson, all were treated equally.
This caused enormous turmoil at the time, but Song Yunhan somehow persuaded the Council of Elders, for she actually implemented it smoothly, and it continued until the present day.
Nor were the systems she implemented limited to that. One of them was the clear distinction between public and private property.
This distinction concerned the property of clan members. No one could encroach upon a clan member's private property, and everything obtained outside the lineage belonged entirely to the cultivator personally.
If a cultivator chose to hand something over, the lineage had to pay Contribution Points equal to its market value. If it was not handed over, no one could seize it either. Violators faced severe punishment.
Furthermore, in work such as breeding and planting, any excess belonged to the cultivator personally. Correspondingly, if there was a shortfall, the cultivator had to compensate for it personally.
As soon as such policies were issued, they gained widespread approval among the Clan Cultivators. From then on, they became more meticulous and patient in their work, and efficiency increased greatly.
It was precisely because of her sweeping reforms that the lineage endured those most difficult ages and showed signs of rising once more.
Unfortunately, after the battle with the Blazing Sun Sect, they returned overnight to the days before the reforms.
But the foundation of a powerful lineage had already been forged. Its resurgence was only a matter of time.
That was why Song Changsheng paid such close attention to these spirit fish. After all, they concerned his own interests as well...
Life on Lake Heart Island was calm yet fulfilling, and Song Changsheng's cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace. In less than two months, he broke through to the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer. It had not even been a year since his last breakthrough.
Though this was closely connected to the Earth Milk Spirit Liquid he had consumed, achieving such cultivation at the age of seventeen was already exceptionally remarkable.
Early in the morning, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged beneath the Green Plum Tree. After absorbing the Essence of the Sun, he demonstrated an array as usual.
Perhaps because he had borrowed the power of an array to fight an enemy last time, during this period he had also progressed rapidly in the path of arrays. He had vaguely touched the threshold of First-Tier Peak Grade.
"Whew... Arranging First-Tier High-Grade arrays is now as easy as turning my hand. It seems I should find a time to try arranging an Ultimate Grade array." Song Changsheng waved his hand and recalled the Formation Flags, speaking with great delight.
He stood up and discovered that the fruit on the Green Plum Tree had ripened. Green plums like jade hid among the lush branches and leaves, looking exceptionally tempting.
Song Changsheng swept his sleeve and plucked a small handful. Smiling, he said, "After cultivating here for several months, I can finally eat these Green Plums."
He picked up one and placed it in his mouth. A sweet-and-sour flavor immediately spread through his mouth, carrying wisps of spiritual energy. It made his mouth water and left him unable to stop.
"Mmm, the spiritual energy in this fruit is a little weak, but the taste is truly not bad. What a treat." Song Changsheng ate with beaming delight, and the small handful quickly disappeared.
Still wanting more, Song Changsheng licked his lips, but ultimately restrained his eager hands and walked to the lake's edge.
The character "Water" appeared on his left hand. With a gentle beckoning gesture, he gathered an enormous water sphere. With a flick of his finger, it flew toward the nearby spirit field. The instant it descended, it transformed into dozens of small water spheres, precisely irrigating every sprouted spirit plant.
This move appeared simple, but for a Qi Condensation Cultivator, it was nearly impossible. To achieve such control, one would need to be at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Yet because he had continually cultivated the Water-Fire Control Technique, Song Changsheng's control over the water and fire attributes was already not inferior to that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Right in that moment, a clear and resounding eagle cry entered Song Changsheng's ears.
Song Changsheng looked up and, sure enough, saw an iron-blue eagle diving down at tremendous speed from the horizon. Its pair of claws, gleaming with cold light beneath the sunlight, inspired fear at first sight.
"You wretched beast, it's you again." Song Changsheng flew into a rage. Ever since the third day after he arrived here, this Iron-Claw Eagle had appeared from time to time.
At first, Song Changsheng had not been sufficiently guarded. In a moment of negligence, it snatched away three spirit fish, which pained him greatly.
Later, he learned from the pain, keeping watch day and night until he finally caught it.
But this Iron-Claw Eagle possessed First-Tier Great Perfection cultivation, equivalent to a human's Qi Condensation Great Perfection, and it also possessed the ability to fly.
Although Song Changsheng defeated it with the advantage of his Magic Artifacts, it came and went like the wind, making it impossible to pursue. He could only watch helplessly as it escaped.
It had not appeared for a long time since then. Song Changsheng had thought it fled after being wounded, but he had not expected its thieving heart to remain undying. It actually dared to come again.
"This time, my cultivation has improved again. Since you've come, stay!" Song Changsheng shook his left hand, and two Water Dragons immediately burst from the lake, twisting toward the Iron-Claw Eagle to kill it.
The Iron-Claw Eagle's cultivation was indeed not bad. With a beat of its wings, it immediately escaped the attack range. Then it dived down again, releasing several Wind Blades that directly shattered the Water Dragons.
It immediately let out a provocative cry. Yet the next moment, a crimson-and-blue gourd appeared behind it, scattering a sheet of blazing flames. Caught off guard, the Iron-Claw Eagle was immediately struck.
The flames ignited the feathers it took such pride in and burned its body as well. It let out a string of mournful cries and fled shakily toward the distant place.
But not long after flying beyond Clear Mirror Lake, it fell like a dead leaf...
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