70: Infiltrate the fishing grounds

The defenses of this fishery were quite substantial; a second-tier Formation had been used to surround the entire place, making it very difficult for anyone to enter. However, this couldn't stump the two little snakes. After all, this was a body of water. While they might struggle to enter other areas, entering through the water was easy for them—this was the ability of the Dragon Kin.

However, they didn't go in directly. Instead, they observed the fishery from the outside for a day to see if they could learn anything. Yet, throughout the entire day, not a single Cultivator entered or exited the fishery. This was actually quite normal; since the fishery counted as a small outpost, it should have everything it needed. Without any pressing matters, people rarely came out, which was also a good way to maintain security.

Thus, they had to figure out a way to sneak in. As a fishery, there must be a huge pond inside, since Spirit Fish needed their own territory to survive. If it were too small, they couldn't be farmed well.

Furthermore, such a large pond certainly couldn't be stagnant water; otherwise, if the water quality wasn't sufficient, the Spirit Fish wouldn't survive. The more precious the creature's Bloodline, the higher its requirements for living conditions. For instance, a Phoenix will not land on anything but a parasol tree, and a True Dragon only lives in the depths of the ocean. Although Spirit Fish weren't anything exceptionally precious, they did possess the Bloodline of a High-grade Demon Beast, so they naturally required careful rearing.

Therefore, the pond inside the fishery was connected to a river called the Cloud River, though it was isolated by a Formation that allowed only water to pass through, preventing any other living creatures from entering. The two of them snuck into the Cloud River, attempting to enter from there to see if they could succeed. However, they had thought too simply; the defenses at this junction were very substantial. While they could break the Formation, they couldn't do so without causing a commotion.

Alerting the enemy at this moment would be truly bad. First, it would give the other side a chance to call for reinforcements—Gu Yuchuan hadn't forgotten that in the Simulation, they had been blocked when leaving precisely because of this. Therefore, this time, he kept telling the Serpent not to alert the enemy. Second, they weren't just looking to destroy this fishery; they also wanted to get a few Spirit Fish with good Aptitude to take back and raise as subordinates. If the other side decided to go down fighting and just killed all the Spirit Fish, their gains would be significantly reduced.

Thus, they still couldn't pass through there. However, being unable to go by land or water truly made them feel somewhat distressed, and for a moment, they didn't know where to go.

Gu Yuchuan looked at the river in front of him. Its flow seemed a bit off; a portion of it was going underground, which indicated that there was an underground river beneath it. His eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother Serpent, look in that direction. There must be an underground river beneath it, which likely can lead into the fishery. Shall we go and take a look?"

The Serpent thought for a moment and nodded: "Fine, but safety first. Be careful and enter slowly."

The two searched for a while before finding the entrance to the underground river. It was a very narrow waterway, but fortunately, both of them knew how to shrink themselves. They transformed into two little snakes and entered the underground river channel.

The underground river was pitch black and even somewhat cold. Having not seen the sun for years, the place was filled with cold air. However, none of this affected them. They slowly moved forward, feeling that they had entered the scope of the fishery. Sure enough, the Cultivators of this fishery had only set up Formations on the shore and the Cloud River; they hadn't bothered with the underground river at all, and they might not even have known about its existence.

The two continued forward, then stopped simultaneously. It seemed they had seen something unbelievable. In front of them, four Spirit Fish were playing and frolicking. It appeared they had all awakened their intelligence. They were milky white and looked like white jade; one glance was enough to tell they were very precious, though their cultivation was only at the first level of Qi Refining.

The leading Spirit Fish saw them blocking their path and, although it was trembling, it still shielded its kin: "Who are you? Did the humans above find us?"

Gu Yuchuan and the Serpent exchanged a glance. Although they didn't say anything, they roughly understood the scene before them. These Spirit Fish had clearly awakened their intelligence—High-grade Demon Beasts. Having awakened intelligence made them extremely precious. They had unintentionally discovered this underground river and fled here to survive; although the conditions were a bit harsh, there was no danger.

Gu Yuchuan stepped forward, doing his best to make himself look much more amiable: "Everyone, we are not the beast taming pets of the Human Race. On the contrary, we are of the Yao Race. This is the Serpent Demon General, and I am Great King Green Snake. We are both Great Yao from the outskirts of the Cloud Sea Marsh. Currently, the Yao Race and the Human Race have gone to war, and we have come to destroy this fishery. Anyone who enslaves the Yao Race must be killed by us."

They looked at each other in disbelief, and the leader spoke up: "Are you really from the Holy Land of the Yao Race? Then can you save us?"

Gu Yuchuan nodded: "That is naturally possible. A Bloodline like yours would be very precious even on the outskirts of the Cloud Sea Marsh. If you are willing to join our ranks, we can guarantee that we will raise you well, provided that you are loyal. If you are willing, then make your choice: two follow me, and two follow the Demon General."

Gu Yuchuan realized something and continued: "I will also be promoted to a Demon General within a month, so there is no essential difference in choosing either of us."

Eventually, the leader and the smallest one chose Gu Yuchuan, while the other two chose the Serpent. The Serpent took out a beast taming ring.

"We apologize for the trouble, but please stay here for a few days. We are going up to kill these Cultivators, and it might be dangerous for you here. Once we return, we will let you out."

They repeatedly said they didn't dare, then entered the beast taming ring. Gu Yuchuan and the Serpent were both very happy. These were High-grade Demon Beasts! If raised well, Foundation Establishment was not impossible. Their subordinates didn't have such talent, let alone two at once, so they were naturally very happy.

Gu Yuchuan felt like dancing. Now that he had established the Flood Dragon Palace, he felt that he didn't have enough subordinates. Now that he had added two, it could be considered as relieving an urgent need.

"Let's go, brother. Let's charge up and kill them all."

The Serpent shook his head: "It's already this late, so it doesn't matter if we wait a bit longer. Let's wait until night. By then, we can conserve our energy and wait for the enemy to tire, which will make it easier. A thunderous strike will leave them no room to resist."