Small Fry

The Lang River lies within the Mountain Spring Peak mountain springs, it flows south, its tributaries converging, and eventually emptying into the South China Sea. Many such rivers exist within the Ten-thousand-mountains; literally, they are springs of life, cascading from the mountain's spiritual veins, where demons and spirits gather. Lin Chen and his companions weren't there to fish for fun; their main reason was that the demons entrenched in the mountain caves had been wiped out, and venturing deeper into the mountains would be too dangerous.

So these Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators spend their time here at the water source hunting small demons, leveling up, and racking up points. This is part of the sect's daily routine, preventing these demons from wandering into the sect's medicinal fields and farms and causing trouble, thus contributing to the stability of the sect's core territory. Of course, they can also fish and relax on the side.

However, even fishing in the cultivation world requires skill. Li Fan flew over and saw the group of kids being attacked by a group of fish. If you look at the cause and effect, it's probably because these kids were fishing by the river, they threw in a basin of bait, but the fish ate it all. They didn't catch a single fish, and the fish weren't satisfied, so they came ashore to steal the food.

But you know what, these fish are really big and strong, they really do have three heads and six arms, just like some kind of newly evolved mutant...

"Help! Help me!"

"Little Zhong was dragged into the river!"

No wonder the two little foxes of the Yan family didn't bring their sister out fishing. Now they've been beaten black and blue by the fish, their ears and tails sticking out. It's quite an embarrassing sight.

"Brother Chen! I'll take care of it! You have to save him!"

With a loud shout, the young man Xiang Kong, wielding two swords, charged into the school of fish like a spinning top, relying on the speed of his swords. His swords flashed wildly, and he carved a bloody path through the fish, cutting a gap in the school.

"Catch!"

Lin Chen, wielding a long spear, didn't hesitate. He swung the spear in a circle, sweeping away the group of fish demons entangled around him. He then plunged into the water, leaped into the encirclement with a pole vault, and thrust the spear into the school of fish, allowing Yan Zhong to pull the spear out.

"We can't hold on any longer! Everyone get ashore! I'll unleash the Thunder Talisman!"

On the shore, Song Dayou, a young man holding a bow, shot down a group of fishmen with a rapid volley of arrows. When his quiver was empty, he abandoned the bow, took out a talisman, bit his thumb, and drew the talisman on it.

"Quick! Quick! They're out! Ah Kong, get ashore quickly!"

Lin Chen and Yan Zheng dragged Yan Zhong, who had been bitten on the buttocks and was howling in pain, ashore.

"Awoooooo!"

Xiang Kong slashed wildly with his twin swords and unleashed a flurry of chopping motions, carving a bloody path through the fish and plunging back to shore.

"Roaring Heavenly Might! Thunderous Aura! Five Tribulations Slaying Demons! Destroying Evil and Repelling Weapons! Heavenly Thunder Annihilating Monsters! So be it!"

"Bang!"

As Song Dayou exhaled a burst of Daoist Dao Breath, the Daoist talisman exploded, thunder roared in the clear sky, and lightning flashed in the white sun. A bolt of blue lightning crashed down, sending sand and gravel flying from the ground.

Well, although it missed, the sudden loud noise startled the fishmen, who instinctively scattered and didn't chase after it as closely.

"Why did you miss again, Dayou!"

"Is it possible, Da You?!"

"This is outrageous!"

"Is there any more, Da You?"

The boys, their heads covered in bumps, complained bitterly.

"Hey! Hey! Just chase them away! Hurry up! Wait, wait, wait! I'm out of energy! My legs are numb, come help me! Quick, quick, they're coming again!"

So Lin Chen and Yan Zheng rode Yan Zhong, Xiang Kong carried Song Dayou on his back. The five of them limped away. The fishmen reacted and, howling and splashing, chased after them ashore.

"..."

Li Fan stood on the treetop, watching helplessly as these good-for-nothing kids were chased around by dozens of fishmen.

I haven't caught a single fish today...

Well, look at the level of these five lads. If judged by the standards of Tianyu Mountain, their cultivation progress is actually above average, which is quite good.

Judging from their speed, stamina, and strength, these fishmen are basically on par with the Fiend Corpses. Their physical attributes overwhelm Foundation Establishment cultivators, and they are comparable to martial artists with Divine Hardness Body and even stronger. It would be quite difficult to fight if dozens of them surrounded them.

Needless to say, the fox brothers Yan Zhong and Yan Zheng are a pair of foxes. After all, they are from the spirit fox clan, and with the Yan family's <Guide to Ordinary True Qi Refining> as a foundation, as long as they live long enough, they will eventually be able to grow into celestial foxes with nine tails.

At this age, the young beasts primarily use their spiritual energy to power the jade Magic Treasure on their bodies and maintain their human form. Therefore, it's normal that they can't defeat other demons. If pushed too far, they can revert to their original form to protect themselves. So there's no need to have too high expectations of them; just make sure their tails aren't exposed.

The kid who threw the Thunder Talisman was Song Dayou, who saved Qingting Sou and gained entry into the sect. He had also Foundation Establishment Perfection. Although it was a bit disappointing that he spent so long casting the spell only to miss, for lightning magic, which relies on talent, the most important thing is whether you can actually throw the lightning. Other factors like casting time, cooldown, mana, accuracy, and power are secondary conditions that are just icing on the cake. As long as you practice diligently, you may very well become a master.

Lin Chen and Xiang Kong have both formed their Golden Core. At their age, although they have the advantage of favorable timing and the abundance of resources and ease of cultivation in Ink Bamboo Mountain, their progress is indeed quite fast.

Judging from the fact that they weren't wearing the black robes of the Inner Sect disciples of Tianyu Mountain, they probably hadn't passed the exam yet. However, their Body Domination Technique was already quite impressive, with a faint hint of internal force added by the gale. Xiang Kong's twin swords and Lin Chen's spear were clearly honed under the guidance of renowned masters and through battlefield combat. Just now, they had each fought seven or eight fish-man monsters alone without being at a disadvantage, which was truly impressive.

However, if we step outside the small circle of Ink Bamboo Mountain and evaluate it within the broader context...

They're completely unqualified.

Li Fan wasn't bragging. If he were in the Golden Core realm, he would have single-handedly slaughtered a horde of demons of this caliber. Just ask the Thunder Monkeys ghosts wandering the Bamboo Mountain.

Even excluding his overpowered example, the Death Sword Assassin of the North Star Guard, the Sword Attendant of the Sword Sect, the Altar Master and Protector of the Divine Sect, and the Golden Core Disciple of the Profound Sect—these are all Golden Core cultivators. Their level speaks for itself, doesn't it?

The resources Cultivation Method provided by Ink Bamboo Mountain, and the leveling opportunities offered by the Ten-thousand-mountains, are truly quite good. In this light, Xiang Kong and Lin Chen's aptitude is indeed a bit lacking; they can only be considered talents at the mortal level. Even if they were given more magic treasures and pills, and the sect provided strong support, their final achievements would probably not be better than Chen Asha's.

Xiang Kong the backing of his senior brother Mo Shan and the support of the Xiang Family, Xiang Kong will naturally have no problem cultivating to the Nascent Soul Stage. Whether he can reach the Transformation Stage depends on whether he follows the path of Mo Shan. If he chooses the Xuanmen Immortal Path, reaching the Divine Transformation will likely be somewhat difficult.

Lin Chen, after all, is still a descendant of a palace guard, and he is more skilled in martial arts. Although his arm has fully healed now, if he is not given special training, his future achievements will probably be limited, and he will at most reach the Martial God realm.

In short, judging from their current rudimentary skills—they can't even defeat a fisherman—they're at most two SR level, not even close to being competent. If we were to release them into the Central Plains now, they'd probably have a hard time surviving the battle royale. We should train them some more until they reach the Golden Core stage before taking them out to see the world.

Sigh, no wonder the higher-ups at Ink Bamboo Mountain showered him with all sorts of Heavenly Treasure and elixirs the moment they recognized his talent, practically worshipping him. It seems top-tier UR characters really are hard to pull...

Since he was already there, Li Fan simply leaped down and swept the fish-like group that was chasing after the boys into his sleeve.

"Thank you so much for saving me, Your Excellency!"

Seeing their backer appear, Lin Chen and the others breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

"You need me to save these small fry? You're so pathetic!"

Li Fan was also disappointed in them. He pointed two fingers from a distance and used his improved Heavenly Finger technique to disperse the blood stasis in their bodies. He then injected pure Dao Breath into their Inner Landscape to restore their energy and blood, reviving them on the spot. He then created an array on the spot to encircle everyone inside.

"I've divided the fishmen here among you. Each of you will take on one at a time, don't rush! Familiarize yourself with their attack patterns, find their weaknesses and vulnerabilities before killing them! Then you'll have to fight them in groups, observe their teamwork, use your brains, think of ways to win, and kill them all no matter what! If word gets out that the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain can't even beat fish, what kind of reputation will that be! You're not allowed to go back for dinner until you win!"

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty's order..."

That said, these three-headed, six-armed fish-men are indeed a bit strange. They don't seem to be aquatic creatures that cultivated themselves by Moon Worship. Not only are they thick-skinned and incredibly fast, but they also move swiftly and regenerate remarkably quickly, almost comparable to the undead. Moreover, they can cooperate with each other and lack the fear of ordinary creatures, daring to take blows head-on.

During the fierce battle just now, many fish demons had their limbs severed and half their heads chopped off by Xiang Kong's twin blades. If they were ordinary demons, they would have been scattered long ago, but these fish demons were like robots, still attacking relentlessly, as fearless as zombies and evil spirits. Thinking about it this way, it's not surprising that Lin Chen Xiang Kong, with three burdens, couldn't defeat these enhanced fish demons.

However, it's not certain whether they are 'demons' or not, because 'Demon Race' or 'Spirit Race' also cultivate their qi, but these fish-men have absolutely no spiritual or demonic qi within them, not even any malevolent aura. It's as if they were completely genetically mutated, forcibly grown into this grotesque form. It's as if they were manufactured... Could it be that they really were manufactured?

Li Fan frowned. So, the Legion's demon factory was in the Tianshan Mountains of the Western Regions, the company's clone army camp was on a space starship, and the mood system's fishing grounds were just built in the South China Sea.

Yes, over the past ten years, the cloned fish factory, or fish farm for short, on the system's side has completed its infrastructure construction, line laying, setup, and trial operation, and is ready to start mass production. The fish farm is located on E Shenyu at the mouth of Lei Marsh.

Back then, only the Shi Family guarded the seal of the Crocodile God. After the family was wiped out by the Demon Race, it became a deserted island inhabited only by pirates and demons. This island is accessible to the South Seas and can be Lei Marsh. The seal of the Crocodile God is hidden in the mountain, and there is also an ancient immortal demon-suppressing barrier that can be used. Therefore, the fishing ground was finally chosen to be E Shenyu.

Li Fan casually dealt with the demons on the island, set up an array barrier, raised golden-scaled fish on the outer island, and built a feed factory and laboratory in the Demon Sealing Cave on the inner island to produce enhanced Nascent Soul Stage fishman vehicles. He also found some Evil Coral collected from the Discipline Institute, studied and improved them, and planted these coral clones in the waters near E Shenyu. He used the Revered Heavenly Demon and arrays to suppress them, making them a great array to protect the island like an epiphyllum, and also providing raw materials for feed production.

Thus, Crocodile God Factory naturally became a branch base for Li Fan and the system, while the daily operation and management of the outer island fishing grounds were handed over to Mo Hainiang and Mo Qiongya, mother and daughter, who were rescued from Quanke Island.

The Mo family, having been rescued by Li Fan, knew that there would be no peace from then on, Ling King from the outer sea would continuously attack the South China Sea. So they seized the opportunity to curry favor with the Divine Lord and moved their entire clan from Quanke Island.

They were also professional fish and pearl farmers. With the protection of Li Fan, a divine lord, and the technical support of the aquatic system, as well as the secret manual of the Huan family's Golden Scale Fish, they quickly settled and developed on Crocodile God Island. They not only successfully raised Golden Scale Fish, which could meet the needs of the fish farm, but the Mo family also brought special products from Quanke Island, such as Bo Ke Ke and black pearl shells. Some Human Race who were unwilling to submit to the Ling King also joined the fish farm and lived symbiotically in Li Fan's Evil Coral.

As a result, E Shenyu quickly became a significant new force in the South China Sea. It not only provided a large amount of local specialties, but also had a deity protecting it behind the scenes. Pirates dared not invade this affiliated force of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Furthermore, it frequently traded with Ink Bamboo Mountain merchant caravans that came from Lei Marsh. As a result, it quickly attracted fleets from the Ten Continents and Seven Islands to the market, becoming a stable trading point and a window for Ink Bamboo Mountain in the South China Sea.

After giving the Ling King a good beating, the South China Sea was peaceful for a while. Moreover, with the Mo family in the spotlight, the fleet forces of the Ten Continents and Seven Islands have gradually been gathered together. They can keep a close watch on the movements of the Demon Race in the South China Sea and play a certain defensive role. In recent years, the waters near E Shenyu have been stable and peaceful.

The process at the fish farm is roughly as follows: First, from the golden-scaled fish cultivated by the Mo family, the seed fish with the best innate talent and spiritual awareness, and the potential to transform into Jin Qing, are selected. Then, these seed fish undergo a focused genetic modification project. While being fed feed formulated by the system to accelerate their development and quickly advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, their genes are coordinated to simulate the Dao bodies of the two fish, which can transform into human form. The Dao fish Dao bodies cultivated in this way can then be used as organic carriers for stowaways.

By the way, there have already been two groups of smugglers who have come to the Taiji Realm in the past two years. Those who choose to escape from a main world like 'Zhuānxū' all the way to a desolate border region like the Taiji Realm with a number of over 40,000 are mostly guys with serious crimes and murders on their hands.

The system is very careful when doing business with them, always transporting the prepared Daoyu vehicles to the open sea before letting them connect and access the system.

However, some of these customers came to escape disaster, while others came to undergo tribulations. But they all signed confidentiality agreements with the Mood System. Therefore, Li Fan, the fish farm owner, only sold the products to the system as an intermediary and had never met these customers.

Is it possible that these guests are secretly sabotaging things?

Or is it the fault of the fishing grounds?

After all, judging from the appearance of these fish-men, they were clearly unnatural beings, yet they had no connection with the Tai Chi Dao or the Tai Su Dao. Li Fan couldn't help but wonder if there was some problem at the fishing grounds that had polluted the environment, allowing genetically modified alien species to invade and affect the local aquatic species.

However, these fish-men were far inferior to Li Fan in level. They lacked intelligence, were not imbued with Dao Breath, and had extremely short lifespans. Li Fan could simply count from the fish's birth to its death with a casual gesture, without obtaining any useful information.

So now he wasn't sure whether it was these customers causing trouble or something went wrong at the fish farm. But to be on the safe side, he dispersed his Microdust Avatar, flicked his wrist and switched to his star clone, projected his divine projection, traveled between stars, and let divine light shine on the South China Sea to personally check the condition of E Shenyu Fish Farm.