Chapter 117: Expanding Outward! (Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

“Oh my goodness, how long has it been? These three little ones have only hatched for a few days, yet they’ve already grown so big?” Wang Hu exclaimed as he arrived at the city lord’s manor and saw the three fledgling spirit eagles darting about on the ground.

Though the demon eagle eggs were sizeable—only a few times larger than an adult’s fist—the three youngsters before him each weighed over ten jin, significantly larger than a fully grown hen.

Only a few days had passed since acquiring the eagle eggs, no wonder Wang Hu was so astonished.

It wasn’t just him; the cultivators within the Ye Clan Immortal Village were equally surprised. However, their surprise was just that—mere surprise, without any deeper thoughts.

Originally warriors from the Great Six of Jiuzhou, these cultivators had only recently, through some twist of fate, become immortals. Their experiences were limited; none had ever witnessed the growth of spirit beasts.

Though the rapid growth of the three young spirit eagles was striking, it seemed normal enough. After all, fully grown demon eagles possessed bodies far larger than most cultivators.

“What do you know? Spirit beasts can’t be compared to humans; their initial growth is always extremely fast,” Mo Ling rolled her eyes as she stroked the golden feathers of a fledgling eagle, speaking quickly.

“So adorable!” Huang Yi’s eyes sparkled as she reached out to pet them.

The young eagles’ feathers were gradually developing, no longer as unsightly as when they first hatched. Their plumage shimmered gold, and their curious eyes made them appear utterly endearing.

However, the fledglings were very wary.

Before Huang Yi could approach, one eagle’s feathers stood on end, head raised high, eyes locked on her with a look as if ready to peck.

“So fierce! I didn’t mean any harm. How could Spirit Sister let me touch them?” Huang Yi stopped abruptly, murmuring in displeasure.

The young eagle paid no mind to her words, its sharp gaze fixed unwaveringly. None doubted that if she dared come closer, the little creature would surely attack.

“Haha, Yi sister, you have to feed them spirit food first. Only after befriending them can you stroke their feathers,” Mo Ling laughed, holding a handful of spirit grains and feeding one of the fledglings.

Only then did Huang Yi realize her impatience. She gathered a handful of spirit grains and offered them to the fledgling.

The young eagle let out a few tentative chirps, uncertain at first, but after a while, sensing no threat, it calmed, its feathers softening.

Soon, the three fledglings grew familiar with the cultivators in the Immortal Village. They accepted all kinds of food with eager delight, playing and frolicking in the courtyard, their excited cries filling the air.

Meanwhile, Ye Mo secluded himself in the city lord’s quiet chamber, breaking through in cultivation.

On the journey to the Aolai Sea region, he had already reached the peak of the third level of Qi Refinement, just a step away from the fourth.

Yet the leap from level three to four marked the boundary between early and mid Qi Refinement—a small bottleneck more challenging than the jump from first to second level.

Ye Mo had been accumulating vitality for the breakthrough.

In recent days, he sensed the signs of impending advancement.

He consumed several first-grade vitality pills to temper his body and bolster his spiritual power within his sea of consciousness, striving to break into the fourth level.

Hours later, the sea of consciousness roared, his eyes blazing with fierce light. A clear cry echoed, reverberating off the stone walls.

“Fourth level Qi Refinement.”

“The fourth level is truly different from the third. My divine sense has advanced greatly, and my magical power has increased far more than when breaking from second to third level. I’ve finally reached mid Qi Refinement. From now on, I am a mid-level Qi Refinement cultivator,” Ye Mo delighted in the subtle changes coursing through his body.

Only by fully adapting to this newfound strength could he elevate his combat power.

He became the first among the dozens of cultivators in the Ye Clan Immortal Village to reach mid Qi Refinement.

This was the greatest advantage of being a city lord’s cultivator.

With vast resources at his disposal, he could maximize his strength. Possessing the overwhelming power of the Immortal City, he was also the strongest among the cultivators.

Yet Ye Mo felt little excitement, instead gripped by urgency.

The other nine city lords of the Qingyun Immortal Academy were all mid-level Qi Refinement or above. He was merely catching up. Establishing a foothold in the fiercely competitive Aolai Sea region would not be easy.

Meanwhile, construction in the Ye Clan Immortal Village proceeded steadily.

The city defenses surrounding the valley, along with streets, pavilions, and shops within the village, were nearly complete.

Ye Mo tasked Gao Jian and the Immortal Guards to erect towering watchtowers along the coasts and mountain peaks of Ye Clan Spirit Island, establishing a surveillance network.

These watchtowers stood every five to ten li, providing comprehensive monitoring of the island.

These beacon towers, redesigned by Yang You and Wang Hu, served as early warnings, detecting distant enemies promptly.

Once an enemy was spotted, the watchtowers relayed information swiftly back to the city lord’s manor.

This network greatly enhanced the emergency response capability and security of the entire island.

Beyond this, the final major task within the village was the cultivation of spirit fields, overseen by Mo Ling.

The processes of clearing and sowing were straightforward, requiring no special cultivation techniques—ordinary warriors could handle them.

However, tending the spirit fields demanded cultivators skilled in Spirit Rain Technique; otherwise, the spirit grains would not flourish.

Spirit field cultivation was a long-term endeavor, not completed overnight.

The villagers were highly motivated, knowing the importance of spirit grains, which nourished both cultivators and spirit beasts.

Long-term consumption not only filled hunger but also enhanced cultivation and vitality.

A jin of first-grade spirit grain equaled one first-grade vitality pill in effect, retailing for about one spirit stone.

Watching the fields where seeds were sown, Mo Ling felt both excited and troubled. Excited because she was responsible for the fields, which gave her a sense of accomplishment.

Troubled because she had to manage the fields and arrange personnel, and the upcoming Spirit Rain Technique watering would be exhausting.

Huang Yi, understanding Mo Ling’s mood, smiled and said, “Spirit Sister, don’t worry. I’ll help. My Spirit Rain Technique is practiced too, though not as fast or extensive as yours, but I can share some of the workload.”

“My good sister, thank you! Why don’t you bring your Gao Jian over to my spirit plant workshop? Look, there are many spirit fields here, and more will come. You won’t lack work,” Mo Ling said, touched, then teasingly tried to poach Gao Jian from Huang Yi once again—a joke between them with little success.

“Dream on—I’m not working for you my whole life! Girl, all you know is recruiting for your workshop!” Huang Yi laughed, reaching out playfully.

The two beautiful female cultivators frolicked among the spirit fields, their laughter like silver bells, drawing the attention of many villagers.

After finishing sowing, Mo Ling began establishing a spirit wood plantation.

Though spirit woods grew slowly and required long maturation, it was a mistake to dismiss their worth.

Ye Clan Spirit Island needed to consider not only short-term gains but also long-term development. Although the island had many spirit trees, they would eventually be depleted. Early planning for orderly planting and harvesting would grant the Immortal City sustainable growth potential.

Inside the city lord’s study, the Ye Clan Immortal Village had settled into routine. Affairs were managed through task orders issued and submitted upon completion, with various rewards for different tasks.

Ye Mo had become a hands-off manager, receiving daily reports from Chang Fei, Gao Jian, and others, issuing task orders in his capacity as city lord.

On the desk before him lay a jade slip projecting a holographic map of the Aolai Sea archipelago. He studied the cluster of islands thoughtfully.

“City lord, I’ve come to submit the task order,” Gao Jian said respectfully outside the door. “I’ve led the Immortal Guards to search every inch of the spirit island and established watchtowers. All threatening beasts have been eliminated. Now, except for a few harmless common beasts, there’s no other wild animal activity. If the sea beast tide comes, we will receive prompt warning.”

In formal settings, Gao Jian had begun referring to himself as a subordinate, gradually embracing his role as captain of the Ye Clan Immortal Village’s Immortal Guards.

“Good. Just arrange proper guards on duty,” Ye Mo said, nodding as he took the task order.

“I’ll take my leave then.”

“Wait, don’t rush off. Chang Fei will be here soon; we need to discuss some matters.”

Soon after, Chang Fei entered the study.

“City lord, the island’s construction is basically complete. The main upcoming task is cultivating the spirit fields. Mo Ling and Huang Yi have done well; no extra effort is needed there. Other village affairs proceed under the respective workshop heads. But what should we do next?” Chang Fei asked, somewhat perplexed.

He assisted Ye Mo with mundane tasks and coordinated some plans, but this was the limit of his capability.

Having finished these tasks, he was at a loss about the next steps.

The direction for the Immortal Village’s development required Ye Mo’s own consideration.

“Do you remember? We were the first to arrive in this Aolai Sea region,” Ye Mo said, gazing at the map, addressing Gao Jian and Chang Fei.

“Yes, we set out from Donglai Immortal Village, arriving about half a month earlier than the other nine city lords from Qingyun Immortal City. We also arrived sooner than the village heads of the other thirty-six main Immortal Cities,” Gao Jian replied, eyes flashing.

“What do you mean by this, Ye brother?” Gao Jian asked.

“You mean we’ll be the first Immortal Village to complete construction?” Chang Fei still seemed confused.

“All the Immortal Villages are busy building their villages and defenses upon arrival. They’re not yet capable of expanding to other spirit islands. Now that our Ye Village’s construction is done, we can expand freely,” Ye Mo said, slapping the desk with his hand, voice cold and resolute. “Our target is to seize as many high-value resource islands in the surrounding archipelago as possible, ahead of the other Immortal Villages.”