42: Building a cave

They first spent half an hour touring the entire Bright Stream. Although Bright Stream was ownerless, it didn't mean there were no Yao Beasts. Among them were three Yao Beasts at the Mid Qi Refining Stage, occupying the Spring Eye, the Spirit Stone Mine, and the green jade mine respectively. They certainly had good Opportunity to possess such excellent locations despite their low cultivation, but with Gu Yuchuan's arrival, everything was about to change.

Occupying the Spirit Spring was a Clam Spirit at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. She appeared to be a Yao Beast as well; though only a Low-Grade Demonic Beast, it would be quite good if she could be subdued. Occupying the Spirit Stone Mine and the green jade mine were a Bullfrog and a Crucian Carp respectively, both at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer with Bloodlines that didn't even reach a grade. However, they at least possessed some cultivation. If they were willing to join, Gu Yuchuan was willing to take them in; they would still provide some combat power, and having them guard the Ore would be beneficial.

Now, they stopped above the Spirit Spring, which was also the place where they were about to establish their Immortal Cave. The Clam Spirit rushed out; she had a graceful figure, and her two large clam shells added a touch of exotic beauty.

"Who is this Senior? This is my territory. Our Cloud Sea Marsh has rules; one cannot simply kill Yao Beasts at will just because of their higher cultivation. Though my cultivation is low, I will not give up this Spirit Spring."

Bai Ming glanced at Gu Yuchuan and immediately understood his meaning. A Cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining was not qualified to speak directly to their King. Bai Ming stepped forward.

"Impudent! You claim this is your place, so it's your place? Our Great King Green Snake is the master of Bright Stream, personally enfeoffed by the Black Tortoise Demon General. If you have any sense, get lost immediately, and we might still spare your life. If you are reckless enough to continue occupying our territory, your end will be nothing but death."

As she finished speaking, Gu Yuchuan cooperatively revealed his seal. This was the proof of his enfeoffment. Within the territory of Bright Stream, he could use this seal to exert combat power thirty percent beyond his peak. It was a very powerful item; this method was passed down by the Yao Race Venerables and involved Luck and Fortune Dynasties, making it incredibly profound.

The Clam Spirit also knew how formidable this was. Although Yao Beasts could not attack each other at will, if she refused to leave, it would be considered a malicious provocation, or even disrespect toward the Demon General; it would only be right for the other party to kill her. However, she was unwilling to give up this Spring Eye. She only had a Low-Grade Demonic Beast Bloodline; though it was graded, it wasn't anything special. Without this Spring Eye, her cultivation speed would be much slower.

She looked at Gu Yuchuan with resentment, and Gu Yuchuan knew it was time for him to speak.

"Clam Spirit, I see that you have potential. Today, I am establishing a palace here. Your presence is a sign of fate. I ask you once: are you willing to join my banner and serve me? At that time, not only will you be able to live here, but you will also receive my guidance in your cultivation. Once the palace is built, I will set up a Spirit Gathering Formation and a spirit-gathering Magical Artifact here. The Spiritual Qi inside will be more abundant than you can imagine. I have said my piece; weigh it for yourself."

In fact, staying was the best choice for the Clam Spirit. Clam Spirits were not a race naturally skilled in combat, and she didn't have any powerful Magical Artifacts or Spells. Having a place to belong now was very good. She thought about it, her expression becoming steady as she knelt down.

"Pei Yu greets the Great King. Joining the Great King's banner today, I will certainly be loyal and serve the Great King in the future."

Gu Yuchuan smiled with satisfaction. Before the palace was even built, he had already recruited a subordinate with a Low-Grade Demonic Beast Bloodline at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. How could this not be considered a good start? Indeed, he was one lucky little snake.

He pulled out many Materials from his Storage Pouch and began to construct the underwater palace. In truth, aquatic monsters all had an obsession with underwater palaces because the sovereigns of their Aquatic Race were the Dragon Clan. Since the Dragon Clan lived in Dragon Palaces underwater, they naturally pursued such palaces as well.

However, those Dragon Palaces were built using Spirit Stones and spirit mines. He did not have that much wealth. He used bluestone and jade, with jade making up a significant portion. Jade wasn't considered valuable in the Cultivation World; he had plenty of it. With the support of his magical power, a white jade palace was soon constructed.

The palace wasn't too large; after all, the entire Bright Stream wasn't big either. Occupying too much area wouldn't be good; he had to leave some activity space for other aquatic creatures. He came to Bright Stream to be the King to manage it and lead it to become stronger together, not to leave them with no way to live. He viewed the creatures here as his wealth; once they grew up, they would either join his forces or offer him tributes. He understood sustainable development; this was the wisdom he brought with him from his Transmigration.

He named the palace the Flood Dragon Palace. Although he wasn't a Flood Dragon yet, he believed it wouldn't be long before he became a true Flood Dragon. That time would not be far off.

The palace was divided into four areas. The first was the reception hall, the place where they would hold meetings and receive guests. This was also the place with the most prestige. The ceiling was high, made of a single piece of white jade, shining brilliantly under the light of Night Pearls. The soft glow made it feel as if one had entered a fairyland. Below were some ornaments carved from jade, gold, and silver—cranes, divine dragons, and phoenixes—adding a lot of wealthy atmosphere. There were also many corals of various colors, looking extraordinarily grand. Gu Yuchuan liked it very much.

The second area was the storehouse. This place was more low-key and overall not very large. Their future wealth would be kept here. Gu Yuchuan used his magical power to set up a barrier over it, which was considered safe. In the future, he would definitely add some defensive Formations.

The third area was Gu Yuchuan's own Immortal Cave. It was built above the Spirit Spring, the place with the most abundant Spiritual Qi. However, his Immortal Cave was not built overly luxuriously; instead, it followed a minimalist style. He liked his cave to be grand, so for decoration, he only used white jade to carve a divine dragon. It was worth mentioning that he used a whole piece of bluestone to make a large bed, covered with soft silk, making for a very comfortable sleep in the future.

The final area was the subordinates' caves. Each cave wasn't large, but they weren't far from the Spirit Spring. Beneath the caves, there were even channels connected to the Spirit Spring to ensure their cultivation speed would be very fast.

Looking at the Immortal Cave, Gu Yuchuan was very satisfied. He placed his Spirit Gathering Jade Pendant under the bed. Instantly, the Spiritual Qi concentration of the entire Flood Dragon Palace increased by twenty percent, allowing everyone's cultivation speed to take another step forward.