Breakthrough, Battle with the Iron-Claw Eagle

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 hut still lay fallow, which Song Changsheng found rather regrettable. Fortunately, he had brought some seeds of spirit flowers and spirit herbs with him. He could plant them and earn a little more income in the future.

While he was stationed here, the lineage issued him twenty jin of spirit rice every month. Adding the fifteen jin he was entitled to as a minor, he received a total of thirty-five jin.

His allotment of spirit rice was ample, so there was no need for him to grow it himself. Spirit flowers and spirit herbs were worth more instead.

After reclaiming the spirit field, sowing the seeds, fetching lake water to irrigate it, and burying three spirit stones in the center of the field, the work was complete.

The spirit plants he grew 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 respectable return.

Once he had finished all that, Song Changsheng took out a 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, three hundred and twenty spirit fish in total. One hundred and twenty are ready to be delivered already. I only need to hand over two hundred each year. Looks like this task truly holds no challenge."

After making a full round of inspections, Song Changsheng had committed the schools' general information to memory. Judging by the timing, by the end of the year, at least two hundred and twenty to two hundred and thirty fish would meet the size requirement.

After deducting those handed over and any losses, there would certainly still be some left over. Those would belong to Song Changsheng personally, and he could dispose of them as he pleased.

This counted as a hidden benefit. He could hand them over in exchange for Contribution Points, eat them, or sell them; all of that was permitted.

More than a hundred years ago, things had not been this way. Back then, every spirit fish produced belonged to the lineage. Anyone who disposed of one privately would face severe punishment.

This did not begin to change until the previous Patriarch, Song Yunhan, took office. At the time, the lineage's final Purple Palace Cultivator, Song Yungui, had just passed away in meditation.

Song Yunhan took office at a time of crisis for the lineage. Externally, she cultivated friendly relations and forged marriage alliances widely, while opening up the Sunset City Trade Route as the lineage's new financial pillar.

Internally, she carried out sweeping reforms. Under her leadership, the clan rules became far stricter, fully enforcing the principle that the capable rose while the mediocre fell.

Within the clan, all resource distribution depended on aptitude and ability. Whether one was the Patriarch's son or an elder's grandson, all were treated equally.

This caused an enormous stir at the time, yet Song Yunhan somehow persuaded the Council of Elders and successfully implemented it, where it remained in force to this day.

And the systems she implemented did not stop there. One of them was the clear distinction between public and private property.

Public and private referred to the property of the lineage and its Clan Members. No one could encroach upon a clansman's private property, and anything acquired 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 the Cultivator chose not to hand it over, no one could seize it by force. Violators faced severe punishment.

Furthermore, in work such as breeding and planting, any excess belonged to the Cultivator personally. Correspondingly, any shortfall had to be compensated by the Cultivator personally as well.

As soon as this policy was issued, it won widespread approval from the Clan Cultivators. From then on, they became more meticulous and patient in their work, and efficiency rose greatly as well.

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, everything had returned overnight to how it was before the reforms.

Yet the foundation of a strong lineage had already been forged. Its resurgence was only a matter of time.

That was why Song Changsheng paid especially close attention to these spirit fish. After all, they concerned his own interests as well...

Life on Lake Heart Island was peaceful yet fulfilling, and Song Changsheng's cultivation advanced at a tremendous pace. In less than two months, he broke through to the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer. Less than a year had passed since his last breakthrough.

Though this was closely related to the Earth Milk Spirit Liquid he had consumed, reaching such cultivation at seventeen years old was already highly impressive.

Early one morning, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged beneath the Green Plum Tree. After absorbing the Essence of the Sun, he practiced a formation as usual.

Perhaps because he had borrowed the power of a formation to fight an enemy last time, his attainments in formations had also advanced rapidly During This Period. He had vaguely touched the threshold of First-Tier Peak Grade.

"Whew... Arranging a First-Tier High-Grade formation is now as easy as turning my hand. It seems I should find a chance to try arranging a peak-grade formation." Song Changsheng waved his hand and collected the Formation Flags, speaking with great delight.

He Stood Up and discovered that the fruit on the Green Plum Tree had ripened. Green plums, each like a piece of jade, hid amid the lush branches and leaves, looking most enticing.

Song Changsheng swept his sleeve and plucked a small handful. Smiling, he said, "After cultivating here for several months, I finally get to eat these Green Plum."

He picked up one and placed it in his mouth. A sweet-and-sour flavor instantly spread through his mouth, carrying wisps of spiritual qi. It made his mouth water and left him unable to stop.

"Mmm, the spiritual qi in these fruits may be a little weak, but they really do taste wonderful. What a treat." Song Changsheng ate until his brows arched in delight, quickly finishing the small handful.

Still wanting more, Song Changsheng licked his lips and teeth, but ultimately restrained his eager hands and headed to the lakeshore.

The character "water" Appeared on his left hand. With a light beckoning gesture, he gathered an enormous Water Sphere. With a flick of his finger, the sphere flew toward the spirit field beside him. The instant it descended, it transformed into dozens of smaller Water Spheres, precisely irrigating every sprouted spirit plant.

Though this move appeared simple, it was nearly impossible for a Qi Condensation Cultivator. To achieve such control, one needed to be at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

But because he had continuously 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 eagle's cry entered Song Changsheng's ears.

Song Changsheng looked up and, sure enough, spotted an iron-blue eagle diving down from the horizon at tremendous speed. Its pair of Claws, gleaming with Cold Light beneath the sun, inspired fear at a glance.

"You wretched beast, it's you again." Song Changsheng flew into a rage. 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 on guard. In a moment of carelessness, it snatched away three spirit fish, causing him no small heartache.

Later, having learned from the pain, he kept watch day and night and finally caught it.

But This Iron-Claw Eagle possessed First-Tier Peak Grade cultivation, equivalent to a human Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivator, and it could fly.

Although Song Changsheng defeated it with the advantage of his Magic Artifacts, it came and went like the wind. He simply could not catch up to it and could only watch helplessly as it escaped.

It had not appeared for a long time afterward. Song Changsheng had thought it fled after being injured, but he had not expected its thief's heart to remain unextinguished. It actually dared to return.

"This Time, my cultivation has improved again. Since you've come, then stay!" Song Changsheng shook his left hand, and two Water Dragons immediately surged from the lake, twisting toward the Iron-Claw Eagle to tear it apart.

The Iron-Claw Eagle's cultivation was indeed Not Bad. With a beat of its wings, it instantly escaped the attack's range, then dove down once more and unleashed several Wind Blades that directly shattered the Water Dragons.

It immediately let out a provocative cry, but in the next instant, a crimson-and-blue gourd Appeared behind it and sprayed out a sheet of blazing flames. Caught Off Guard, the Iron-Claw Eagle was struck at once.

The flames ignited the feathers it took such pride in and burned its body as well. It cried out mournfully again and again, wobbling as it fled toward the Distant Place.

But not long after flying beyond Clear Mirror Lake, it fell like a dead leaf...