Protect Our Clan Leader

"But I, Long Wuji, once I speak, even four horses cannot chase after my words! I will endure, I will, I'll endure you for one more year! Shouzhe, you must hang in there, wait for me!"

"I, Long Wuji, will definitely chase you down!"

...

More than a hundred miles outside Shouzhe Pass, there lies a vast lake that merges with the sky.

This body of water may not be as expansive and vast as the Great Wilderness Marsh, but its water storage capacity is considerably significant. Upon inspection, the lake's deepest part is more than a hundred zhang, and in terms of scale and water volume, it is far from comparable to the Zhuwei Lake near the family home.

This lake is one of the key projects in the Wang family's second phase of territorial expansion.

In the lake, there dwells a fierce type of Spirit Fish—the Swordtooth Carp. Generally, a Level Three Swordtooth Carp weighs three to four thousand jin and consumes a large number of common fish and other Spirit Fish each year.

South of Peace River, there is an abundance of water systems with numerous natural lakes, and a considerable number of small and mid-sized Spirit Veins are distributed underwater, which are very conducive to fish farming.

The Wang family had already started the research and study of cultivating Spirit Fish many years ago.

However, suitable economic species for aquaculture are certainly not top-of-the-food-chain predators like Swordtooth Carp. Despite being incredibly delicious and full of vigor, it is carnivorous, and the cost of raising it is too great, resulting in a low cost-performance ratio.

Therefore, the Wang family cleared out the Swordtooth Carps from the lake one by one and stored them in the Cold Crystal Storage as a food reserve.

During this period, Wang Shouzhe occasionally visited "Deep Taihu Lake" to take care of some matters.

The name of the lake was given by Wang Shouzhe. In his previous life, there was a Taihu Lake near his home, and upon seeing this lake, he couldn't help but think of Taihu. This lake, however, was much deeper than Taihu, and the capacity for water storage was more than tenfold. Therefore, he added a word, naming it "Deep Taihu Lake."

However, Wang Shouzhe's visit this time to Deep Taihu Lake was not for fish farming but for the Pearl Grass that parasitized within the clamshells.

Zhuwei Lake was too small, and it had no Spirit Veins; Spirit clams living there couldn't draw much nourishment and Spiritual Energy to sustain the Pearl Grass. When the Pearl Grass first stayed in Zhuwei Lake, it quickly became weak and even showed signs of degradation, prompting Wang Shouzhe to find it a new habitat.

And the most suitable place for the Pearl Grass to thrive, naturally, was Deep Taihu Lake.

After placing the Spirit clams on the Spirit Veins of Deep Taihu Lake, Wang Shouzhe, following routine, attempted to stimulate the growth of the Pearl Grass.

The result confirmed that although the Pearl Grass could parasitize, it was indeed a type of Spirit Plant.

Wang Shouzhe was now a Taoist Body, and the nurturing effects of his Bloodline were countless times stronger than before. With his full effort in stimulating along with the nourishment from the Spirit Veins of Deep Taihu Lake, the state of the Pearl Grass was changing day by day, growing at a rapid pace, and the time it needed to mature was significantly reduced.

In less than a year's time, this Pearl Grass had fully matured, transforming into a precious Rank Six Spiritual Medicine.

And with its maturation, three Pear Grass Spirit Seeds were also born, which was a pleasant surprise for Shouzhe.

It is known that Pearl Grass is one of the main ingredients for the Rank Six Spirit Communication Treasure Pill, which holds a very high economic value. If the Wang family could cultivate the Pearl Grass, they would own their own Pearl Grass industry.

However, Pearl Grass takes an extremely long time to grow, with thousands or even tens of thousands of years needed to mature. Even with the support of Wang Shouzhe's Bloodline Power, which had reached the Taoist Body, the growth rate could only be doubled at Level Five.

This truly was going to be a cultivation effort that could last until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.

However, if Wang Shouzhe were to reach the Purple Abode Realm and his Bloodline Power advanced to the next level, perhaps the cultivation speed could be much faster.

"Ao~~"

A massive Yuan Water Green Jiao arrived in response to a summons.

It smelled the ripe Pearl Grass and excitedly swam through the lake, creating a huge whirlpool. Many fish that couldn't escape in time were spun until they rolled their eyes back and passed out, all gathered together by the vortex.

"Awoo~"

The Yuan Water Qing Jiao swallowed hundreds of pounds of fish in one gulp, smacking its lips contentedly, its huge golden pupils eagerly fixating on the Pearl Grass in Wang Shouzhe's hand, almost drooling.

"Shut up." Just then, the petite and exquisite bodied Firefox Old Ancestor suddenly descended from the sky, stepping atop the Qing Jiao's head and scolded the Yuan Water Qing Jiao in a gentle voice, "Little Qingjiao, you must learn to respect your master."

After a year of training, the Yuan Water Qing Jiao had become significantly more obedient.

Upon hearing the scolding from Firefox Old Ancestor, it flashed a look of fear in its golden eyes, then bowed its head to Wang Shouzhe in a show of respect.

During this time, the Deep Taihu Lake needed to be cleared of Swordtooth Carps, so Wang Shouzhe had asked Firefox Old Ancestor to assist with the Qing Jiao, which served both work purposes and to further train it, getting it accustomed to cooperating with humans.

The Yuan Water Qing Jiao was quite intelligent and quickly adapted to the rhythms of humans.

Therefore, after ripening the Level Six Pearl Grass, Wang Shouzhe and Firefox Old Ancestor discussed it and decided to give it the opportunity to advance.

"Qing Jiao, eat this fruit and sign this Spirit Contract sworn with the blood of your ancestors." Firefox Old Ancestor worked in coordination with Wang Shouzhe's actions, "Then you can enjoy this Pearl Grass and transform into a true Yuan Water Azure Dragon."

The Yuan Water Qing Jiao, having long anticipated this moment, did not hesitate and consumed the fruit and signed the Spirit Contract.

Wang Shouzhe also kept his promise and gave it the Pearl Grass.

The medicinal nature of Pearl Grass was violent, and humans had to refine it into Spirit Communication Treasure Pills to moderate its potency, which could then be used to assist in breaking through to the Purple Abode Realm. However, with its robust constitution, the Yuan Water Qing Jiao had no such concerns and could directly ingest and digest the medicinal strength of the Pearl Grass.

After consuming the Pearl Grass, the Yuan Water Qing Jiao coiled into a ball, began digesting the medicinal power, and commenced its assault on the next realm. Meanwhile, Wang Shouzhe and Firefox Old Ancestor stood by as protectors.

It had to be said, the medicinal effect of the Pearl Grass was indeed immediate.

A few days later, the Yuan Water Qing Jiao successfully overcame the shackles and faced the tribulation necessary for breaking through from Peak Level Six to Level Seven — the Dragon Transformation Tribulation.

Wang Shouzhe and Firefox Old Ancestor quickly retreated to a safe distance, closely monitoring its tribulation, their hearts filled with some concern.

After all, if the Yuan Water Qing Jiao failed its breakthrough, all the previous investment would have been in vain.

Fortunately, with a solid foundation and exceptional bloodline, the Yuan Water Qing Jiao did not need Wang Shouzhe's assistance and managed to successfully endure the tribulation on its own strength, transforming into a Yuan Water Azure Dragon.

Just as described in the texts—jade armor, golden pupils, and double horns atop its head, it looked imposing and majestic.

Under the sunlight, the newly formed dragon horns on its head, though short, shone with a golden light, looking extremely regal. The color of the blue-green scales on its vast body deepened considerably, appearing thicker and more resilient than before.

"Awoo awoo~~"

The Yuan Water Azure Dragon excitedly roared up to the heavens and then looked down at Wang Shouzhe, actually speaking in human language, "I have finally become a dragon. You humans, you're not too bad."

That voice, so sweet and tender, was unmistakably that of an underage girl.

Wang Shouzhe listened in astonishment, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.

This, this, this Yuan Water Qing Jiao is female? And also, still underage?

…