Chapter Thirteen: Breakthrough—Battle with the Iron-Clawed Eagle

Song Changsheng thus settled down on the heart-shaped island in the lake. The thatched cottage was well-equipped, so there was little else for him to worry about. Only the small patch of spiritual farmland to the left of the cottage was still lying fallow, which struck him as a pity. Fortunately, he had brought along some seeds of spiritual flowers and herbs, which he could plant to earn a little extra income in the future.

As a guard here, the family allotted him twenty jin of spirit rice each month, and, factoring in the fifteen jin he was entitled to as a minor, the total came to thirty-five jin. With such an ample share, there was no need for him to grow spirit rice himself; the flowers and herbs would fetch a higher price anyway.

He reclaimed the field, scattered the seeds, fetched water from the lake for irrigation, then buried three spirit stones at the center of the plot. That was all it took. The plants he chose all had short growth cycles and could be harvested once a year. When the time came to submit them to the family, he could expect a decent return.

Once all this was done, Song Changsheng rowed his little boat out to take stock of the spirit fish—the true focus of his duties and something he could not afford to take lightly.

“There are three schools of fish, totaling three hundred and twenty spirit fish. Of these, one hundred and twenty are ready for delivery. The family only requires two hundred a year. It seems this assignment really is as easy as they said,” he mused.

After making his rounds, Song Changsheng had already committed the details of the fish to memory. Judging by the timeline, by the end of the year at least two hundred and twenty or thirty would meet the required size.

After handing over the quota and accounting for some losses, there would still be a surplus—these would belong to Song Changsheng personally, his to dispose of as he pleased. It was a hidden perk: he could exchange them for contribution points, eat them, or sell them, all within the rules.

It hadn’t always been this way. Over a century ago, every spirit fish raised belonged to the family. Anyone caught appropriating them would be severely punished.

This changed only when the previous Clan Head, Song Yunhan, ascended to her position, following the passing of the family’s last Violet Palace cultivator, Song Yungui.

Song Yunhan assumed leadership at a time of crisis. She forged alliances through marriage, opened up trade routes to Luoxia City, and established new pillars for the family’s finances. Internally, she spearheaded sweeping reforms. Under her guidance, the clan rules became more rigorous, and a policy of meritocracy replaced the old ways. All resources were distributed solely according to talent and ability, regardless of whether one was the clan head’s child or an elder’s grandchild—everyone was treated the same.

This caused a great stir at the time, but somehow Song Yunhan convinced the Council of Elders and managed to implement her changes, which have persisted to this day. Her reforms extended even further, including a strict separation between public and private property.

This separation referred to the clan members’ assets: private property was inviolable. Anything acquired outside the clan belonged solely to the cultivator. If a cultivator chose to hand it over to the family, they would be compensated with contribution points at the current market value. If not, no one could forcibly take it, and violators would be severely punished. In tasks like farming or breeding, any yield beyond the quota also belonged to the individual, while any shortfall had to be compensated by them as well.

This policy quickly gained widespread approval among the cultivators of the family, who became more meticulous and patient in their work, and productivity soared. Thanks to her bold reforms, the clan survived its darkest days and began to rise again.

Alas, the war with the Lieyang Sect undid all that progress overnight. Yet the foundation of a strong clan had already been laid, and their rise was only a matter of time.

Thus, Song Changsheng took special care with the spirit fish, since his own interests were now at stake…

Life on the island was peaceful and fulfilling, and Song Changsheng’s cultivation advanced at a remarkable pace. In less than two months, he broke through to the eighth level of Qi Refining—less than a year since his last breakthrough. While much of this progress was thanks to the spiritual elixir he had taken, reaching such a level at seventeen was already extraordinary.

One morning, he sat cross-legged beneath a green plum tree, absorbing the essence of the sun as usual, and then practiced his formations. Perhaps because he had relied on formations in his last battle, his progress in the art of array-crafting had also been swift—he was already on the verge of mastering a top-tier first-rank formation.

“Hah… Setting up a high-grade first-rank array is already second nature to me. It’s time to try my hand at a supreme-grade array,” Song Changsheng said, gathering up his formation flags with delight.

Rising to his feet, he noticed that the plums on the tree had ripened. Each fruit glistened like jade among the lush leaves, an irresistible sight. With a wave of his sleeve, he plucked a small handful, smiling as he said, “After months of hard cultivation, I can finally enjoy these green plums.”

He popped one into his mouth—a wave of sweet and sour flavor flooded his taste buds, tinged with a subtle spiritual energy that left his mouth watering for more.

“Hmm, the spiritual energy is a bit faint, but the taste is truly excellent. What a treat,” Song Changsheng grinned as he quickly finished the handful. Still craving more, he finally restrained himself and walked to the lake’s edge.

Raising his left hand, a character for “water” shimmered into view. With a gentle motion, he gathered a large sphere of water, flicked his fingers, and sent it flying toward the spiritual field. As it descended, it split into dozens of smaller droplets, each precisely irrigating a budding plant.

Though this looked simple, for a cultivator at the Qi Refining stage it was nearly impossible—such control was usually reserved for those who had reached Foundation Establishment. But thanks to his constant practice with Water and Fire Manipulation, Song Changsheng’s mastery of these elements rivaled that of cultivators a stage above.

Just then, a piercing cry of an eagle rang in his ears.

Looking up, he spotted a steel-blue male eagle diving from the sky, its talons glinting coldly in the sunlight, a fearsome sight.

“You cursed beast, it’s you again!” Song Changsheng fumed. Since his third day on the island, this Ironclaw Eagle had appeared from time to time. At first, caught off guard, he had lost three spirit fish to it—a painful lesson.

Determined not to let it happen again, he began keeping watch day and night, eventually catching it in the act. But with its cultivation at the peak of the first rank—equivalent to a human at the pinnacle of Qi Refining—and its ability to fly, it was a tricky opponent. Though Song Changsheng had bested it with the help of his magical tools, the eagle was quick to escape, leaving him helpless to pursue.

It hadn’t been seen for a long while since, and Song Changsheng assumed it had fled, wounded. Yet here it was again, undeterred.

“This time, my cultivation has advanced further. Since you’ve come, you won’t leave!” With a flick of his left hand, two water dragons surged from the lake, twisting toward the Ironclaw Eagle.

But the eagle was a formidable foe. With a beat of its wings, it evaded the attack, then swooped down, unleashing blades of wind that shattered the water dragons.

It let out a taunting cry, but in the next instant, a gourd of red and blue appeared behind it, spilling out a torrent of scorching flames. Caught off guard, the Ironclaw Eagle was struck head-on.

The fire ignited its proud feathers and scorched its body. Screeching in agony, it staggered away, fleeing toward the distance.

But it had barely crossed the edge of Mirror Lake before it tumbled from the sky like a falling leaf…