Protect Our Patriarch

...

As several big shots temporarily ceased hostilities and prepared to sit down for negotiations, Wang Anxin, who had observed the situation from afar, hurried over with a group of managers.

These managers were the elite cultivated by the Wang's Clan. The clan's educational system, though called Clan School, had essentially become a comprehensive higher education institution.

Within the Clan School, it had gradually been divided into four levels: elementary, intermediate, advanced, and the research institute. Additionally, the Wang's Clan had established village schools and town schools in various places to popularize basic education and select talents.

The elementary Clan School served as the enlightenment and early education for children under twelve, but they had to pass an assessment to enter the intermediate level. Currently, the Wang's Clan required their children to at least graduate from the intermediate Clan School.

As for the advanced Clan School, it wasn't mandatory, as it was quite challenging—even Wang Shouzhe found it extremely headache-inducing.

For exceptionally smart prodigies, they could skip grades quickly if they passed the assessments. For example, the family's famous "waste" Wang Ningxi entered the elementary school at seven, the intermediate at eight, and the advanced at ten...

However, individuals like Wang Lixian and Wang Zongkun, due to being Immortal Seeds, had a prolonged childhood and slower mental development. Therefore, they were still struggling in the intermediate Clan School.

Wang Lixian, being a tree, naturally grew and developed more slowly. If she weren't Wang Shouzhe's life-bound spiritual plant and grew wild, she might not even have reached the fifth stage by now.

Currently, although her strength had increased due to Wang Shouzhe's profound energy nurturing, her mental development was still slow.

Wang Zongkun was slightly better. Kun grew faster in the early stages, and his mental development was quicker.

However, due to his species, Wang Zongkun needed to eat a lot, consuming more in a year than Emperor Longchang. To save costs, the clan implemented a semi-pastoral system, with Wang Anye responsible for long-term fish herding. This not only fed Wang Zongkun but also allowed them to gather considerable wealth from the sea, achieving a win-win situation.

But because of this, Zongkun often delayed his studies due to foraging.

Originally, Wang Zongkun wanted to tag along with Wang Anye to the Great Swamp for fun. However, due to falling behind in his studies, Liu Ruolan forcibly kept him in the Clan School for remedial classes, even arranging several excellent teachers to give him "extra meals" at night.

If the intermediate Clan School was this challenging, one could imagine the difficulty of the advanced level.

The Wang's Clan highly valued the high-quality talents who graduated from the advanced Clan School, even investing resources to improve their qualifications, ensuring they at least had the bloodline of a small prodigy, enabling them to cultivate to the Celestial Realm.

The clan didn't expect them to fight; they just wanted them to live longer.

These talents supported the backbone of the Wang's Clan's various industries, and it was because of them that the clan prospered day by day. Otherwise, the clan's current scale couldn't be sustained by the limited number of clan members alone.

"Brother~" Wang Anxin greeted Anye as he approached, "Let my men handle the preparations for the negotiations. They've been idle lately, just eating without doing anything."

Since they were biological brothers, they didn't bother with formalities when addressing each other.

"(⊙o⊙?)!"

The managers all cast disdainful glances at Wang Anxin.

Wasn't it because of your incompetence as a leader that you couldn't resolve the dragon clan's disturbance? It seemed like you were also just idling around recently.

While they prepared the negotiation venue and etiquette procedures, Wang Anye and Wang Anxin casually chatted.

"Anxin, I heard you gave Ningxi a good beating? Kids, you know, are bound to make mistakes when they're young. Don't take it too seriously. Didn't you always have spats with your younger siblings when you were young?"

"It's mainly that little brat's lack of ambition, making our great-grandfather, at his age, run around for him." Wang Anxin sighed.

"Well, it's not too bad. Great-grandfather stays home all the time with nothing to do. Giving him something to keep busy with is good. You should pay more attention to your own issues." Wang Anye advised earnestly, "You're not young anymore, and your cultivation isn't weak, but your bloodline level is still too ordinary. You need to find ways to advance; otherwise, you'll be stuck at the Divine Realm for life."

"Sigh, I'm troubled about this too. It's too hard to improve the bloodline after reaching the great prodigy level. Recently, even great-grandmother hinted at whether I had any thoughts on the 'Yanshui True Technique.' Brother, you know what that means, right? Even great-grandmother thinks I have no hope and is ready to give up on me... It's really disheartening." Wang Anxin looked guilty and upset.

"Hang in there~ Maybe things will turn around. If not in a few decades, listen to great-grandmother and accept the 'Yanshui True Technique' inheritance. Just be a regular Divine Realm cultivator." Wang Anye patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Even Wang Anye had no good solution to elevate a bloodline from great prodigy to peerless prodigy. After all, his two wives and children were still at the great prodigy level.

It's not that you can't switch to the Lingxu Codex after learning the 'Yanshui True Technique,' but the inheritance of a true technique costs at least five million immortal crystals and only occurs once every five hundred years. Switching would waste a Divine Realm inheritance opportunity.

If Wang Anxin had the chance to reach peerless, they would have to find a way to get the codex. This inheritance opportunity could then be given to other clan members with the Primordial Water bloodline, or even sold for five million immortal crystals, which would be worthwhile.

The two brothers chatted about family matters, their expressions natural, not feeling there was anything wrong with their conversation.

However, the two Divine Realm cultivators present, along with the two ninth-order Yuan Shui Azure Dragons, felt their cheeks twitch, tempted to punch someone.

What did the Divine Realm ever do to you two?

The Divine Realm is a big deal, okay?

In their mouths, the once lofty Divine Realm cultivators seemed worthless and embarrassing, shattering their sense of superiority.

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy was even more speechless, cursing internally.

Damn it, is this a small local clan or a hidden super clan? Such arrogance!

No, no, even a super clan wouldn't be this outrageously arrogant. This is the tone of an outstanding junior from a true demon or true immortal family, as if reaching the Void Realm is the only way to be considered human...

"...You guys continue chatting. We'll come back when the negotiation venue and procedures are ready." Even the good-tempered Ao Jiuxiao felt he couldn't stay any longer.

If he stayed, he'd end up hitting someone.

After bidding farewell, he immediately dragged Ao Longtian and Ao Juechen away.

"Farewell, seniors." Wang Anye and Wang Anxin politely bid them farewell, "Once we're ready, we'll personally deliver the invitation."

Negotiations between forces were never rushed. They would take a few days, at least choosing an auspicious day before formally sending out invitations.

This also gave both parties a buffer period to make preparations in advance.

"Alright, let's do it that way."

The three Yuan Shui Azure Dragons soared into the sky.

Despite the appearance of three Yuan Shui Azure Dragons, making it seem like this dragon clan was thriving, in reality, dragons were notoriously scarce.

A dragon hatched from an egg had to go through the stages of snake, python (anaconda), and flood dragon, with many smaller stages in between, with countless being eliminated at each stage.

Moreover, they weren't considered true dragons until they reached the seventh stage of transformation. After all, no dragon would ever consider a python or flood dragon as its kin.

Thus, within the true dragon clan, the starting point was the seventh stage.

This resulted in the dragon clan being elite but overall weaker than humans.

...

After the dragons left, Wang Anxin and the others began organizing the negotiation work and drafting parts of the agreement.

The Wang's Clan had drafted many similar agreements before, with precedents to follow. They only needed to make slight modifications for the dragon clan's situation, and Wang Anxin and the others were quite adept at it.

Many of the adult men in the Wang's Clan could handle things independently without needing to report everything to the clan head.

Wang Shouzhe's current work mainly involved steering the overall direction and enjoying the joy of having many descendants.

In just seven or eight days, both parties formally entered the negotiation stage. This took place at a large pavilion temporarily built at the current "border." The location offered a wide view, allowing for quick retreat in case of emergencies.

However, somewhat unexpectedly, the dragon presiding over this negotiation was not the amicable Ao Jiuxiao but the "hawkish" Ao Juechen.

As Ao Juechen sat on the dragon clan's main seat, he exuded an aura of cold authority, clearly not intending to let the Wang's Clan easily succeed.

"Please don't mind, we've reported this matter to the Ancestor Dragon." Ao Jiuxiao said helplessly, "The Ancestor Dragon replied that we can negotiate, but the final decision rests with Elder Ao Juechen."

The Wang's Clan attendees' expressions turned serious. This was a bad start.

"No problem, no problem." Wang Anye replied politely, "I've heard that Elder Juechen is known for his fair and impartial conduct among the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon elders. If we can convince Elder Juechen, then no one in the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan will oppose."

Of course, Wang Anye was just being polite.

Among the elders, Ao Juechen was the most stubborn and rigid. Even with his own kind, he was extremely strict. His insistence on executing the traitor Wang Lilong showed how difficult he was to deal with.

"Haha~" Ao Jiuxiao laughed heartily, "Young man, you're quite confident~ Indeed, if Elder Juechen believes you humans can occupy the swamp, then no one in the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, not even the Ancestor Dragon, will have any objections."

"Unfortunately, that's not possible. You humans and the traitor will never set foot in the Southern Desolate Swamp again."

Ao Longtian, unable to transform into human form, floated nearby with Lilong, having shrunk his size.

As he spoke, he bared his teeth and glared fiercely at Lilong.

"With your intelligence, all you can do is talk tough." Wang Lilong rolled her eyes disdainfully, "Even the snakes in the corners of our Clan School have more foresight than you."

"Howl~ Traitor Wang Lilong, I will..."

"Silence."

Ao Jiuxiao and Wang Anye simultaneously shouted, suppressing the troublemakers.

Then, tea was served, along with various snacks. Only then did Wang Anye signal Wang Anxin to begin.

"Swish!"

Wang Anxin, prepared, hung a large map on the stand.

The map was densely packed with information and data.

Standing beside it, he pointed to the map's contents and spoke eloquently: "Based on the information we've gathered, the Southern Desolate Swamp is about two and a half times the size of Longzuo Commandery. Due to alternating droughts and floods, most species cannot survive, with only some amphibious and semi-aquatic plants able to thrive, making the overall resources quite scarce."

"Everyone, look at this map. This is the source of the An River, the ancient snowy mountains. It flows through Southern Qin and then to our Great Qian, rushing eastward to the East Sea. The upper reaches are mostly mountainous, but when it reaches the lower reaches, excessive rainfall in the upper reaches during the rainy season causes floods, inundating the surrounding plains and low-lying areas."

"The Southern Desolate Swamp, being low-lying, was formed by repeated flooding from the An River."

His clear logic, combined with the detailed map, quickly helped the dragons understand the origin of the Southern Desolate Swamp.

"Everyone, look at this map. This is the Great Swamp river embankment and water gates that our Wang's Clan began constructing over eighty years ago." Wang Anxin said, "Have you noticed that the water levels in the Southern Desolate Swamp have been decreasing over the past few decades? Many highlands have gradually turned into dry land."

"Goodness, so it's you humans causing this!" Ao Juechen slammed the table, his face extremely grim, "We were wondering why the water was decreasing, even our ancestral Dragon Swamp's water has become shallower by several feet, shrinking."

"Elder Juechen, please calm down." Wang Anxin said calmly, "In the past, the droughts and floods in the Southern Desolate Swamp were determined by nature, but this was not conducive to the development of the entire region."

"Drought or flood, our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan can survive, it's none of your human business." Ao Juechen was furious, not wanting to listen to these human nonsense.

He glared at Wang Anxin, then at Wang Anye, angrily saying, "Now, dismantle the embankment and gates immediately and get out of our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon territory. Otherwise, don't blame us for being rude!"

"You're right, Elder, survival, but just survival." Wang Anxin wasn't intimidated by his threats and continued calmly, "Our Wang's Clan conducted some minor intelligence investigations. The Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan currently has one eleventh-order Ancestor Dragon, two tenth-order dragons, and six ninth-order dragons, with the total number of true dragons from the seventh to eighth order barely over a hundred. It's barely enough to maintain the clan."

Such detailed intelligence made the three dragons' faces change drastically.

Over the past few millennia, the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan's numbers had indeed been declining. But how could these humans know so much?

"The Southern Desolate Swamp is vast, but the appetite of dragons during their growth is also large." Wang Anxin said, "Moreover, dragons in their snake and python forms are too weak, often becoming prey themselves during hunting."

"When they reach the flood dragon form, it's better, but due to the overall scarcity of resources, most flood dragons miss the best growth period, ultimately struggling to transform into true dragons. It's said that out of a hundred flood dragons, not even one might transform."

Ao Juechen's old face twitched twice: "Since ancient times, our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon lineage has grown this way. Only dragons that have undergone the harsh baptism of survival of the fittest are true dragons."

"No, that's because you're too poor." Wang Anxin's expression remained calm, but his words hit the dragon clan's sore spot, "This is a typical case of having too many offspring but not being able to support them, relying on internal competition for survival, euphemistically called 'harsh baptism.'"

Ao Juechen was so angry that smoke seemed to rise from his head, ready to explode, but Wang Anxin continued: "Elder Juechen, let me ask you one question. Do you want your Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan to have over a thousand dragons?"

"What? Over a thousand?"

Ao Juechen was stunned.

He momentarily forgot to explode, pausing for a while before reacting, angrily questioning, "You crazy kid, are you mad? How could the swamp support a thousand Yuan Shui Azure Dragons?"

"Elder Juechen, please look, this is a food chain diagram~"

As Wang Anxin spoke, he presented another diagram, pointing to its contents and explaining: "This is sunlight, this is the earth, and these are plants. Within our Wang's Clan, we refer to plants as 'producers.' They rely on sunlight, the earth, and some additional nutrients to produce pasture, grains, and legumes."

"Above them are herbivores like cattle, sheep, and some fish, which can digest various plants and seeds to grow."

"Above them are carnivorous predators like the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles."

"And above them are your Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan. Due to the geographical environment, your main food sources are the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles and some fish. The abundance of food determines the prosperity or decline of your clan."

"From this food chain, we can see that through enclosing the swamp, we can plant large amounts of pasture and legumes to raise more cattle and sheep. Simultaneously, we can concentrate on raising the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles and releasing fish."

"Based on our previous successful cases, in normal circumstances, a wild Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile requires hundreds to thousands of acres of swamp because there's not enough food. However, through concentrated breeding, unified feeding, and enriching the swamp with fish, we can raise one Fierce Crocodile per one or two acres."

"By utilizing the excess land through enclosing the swamp and expanding the breeding area for Fierce Crocodiles, we can ultimately achieve a hundredfold, even several hundredfold increase in the number of Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles."

The three dragons were dumbfounded, stunned.

But they understood one thing: they could have hundreds of times more Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles, which could support countless Yuan Shui Azure Dragons. At that point, having over a thousand dragons, even several thousand, was possible.

After all, their main food source now was the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles.

Just this information alone was enough for them to digest for a long time. At this moment, Wang Lilong shouted, "Anxin, are you done talking? I'm hungry..."

"Hungry?" Wang Anxin said, "In that case, let's take a break. Bring the food!"

With a command, large basins of roasted meat were brought in, all from fifth-order edible spirit cattle, originally a breed raised by the royal family. However, with the strengthening relationship between the Wang's Clan and the royal family, the Wang's Clan was allowed to raise some fifth-order spirit cattle, albeit at the cost of some spirit seed copyrights.

This beef...

The three dragons, under the Wang's Clan's enthusiastic invitation, began eating the fragrant, juicy beef. It wasn't their first time eating fifth-order spiritual meat, but it was definitely their first time tasting such delicious, tender spiritual meat.

So delicious! Such rich vitality!

"Howl~, if I could eat this once a year, it would be perfect." Ao Longtian said gratefully while eating, "Wang Anye, Wang Anxin, thank you for the Wang's Clan's hospitality."

"Young man, I appreciate your hospitality." Ao Jiuxiao said while eating, "Even if this negotiation doesn't succeed, I'll put in a good word with the Ancestor Dragon."

Even Ao Juechen, who had been scowling, looked slightly better. The Wang's Clan's hospitality was sincere, allowing them to feast.

Moreover, what they said... seemed...

While they were enjoying their meal, Wang Lilong, after eating two pieces, complained, "Wang Anxin, I'm tired of this meat. I eat this every day at home, and now I'm eating it here. Can't you come up with something new?"

"What!"

The three dragons paused slightly. What did that mean? Eating this every day and getting tired of it?

"Grandaunt Lilong, it's not that I'm not sincere." Wang Anxin quickly apologized, "But what good food is there in the swamp? How about I slaughter a fifth-order Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile for you?"

"No, no, although Fierce Crocodile meat has good vitality, it's tough and dry. I got sick of it when I was a Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon..." Wang Lilong said disdainfully.

The three dragons could relate; eating that stuff every day wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary for survival.

They envied Wang Lilong, who could eat fifth-order spirit cattle every day and even get tired of it? Impossible, she must be exaggerating.

"Grandaunt, don't make it difficult for Anxin. After all, the swamp's resources are indeed scarce." Wang Anye intervened to mediate, "I just returned from the sea and caught an eighth-order Dragon Whale with Grandpa Zongkun. I saved some of the tender parts for you, though there's not much, make do..."

"That's more like it. Grandaunt didn't dote on you for nothing. It's been a while since I had eighth-order ingredients." Wang Lilong happily accepted the Dragon Whale tender meat and called a chef to grill it on the spot.

However, she didn't eat it alone but shared it with Old Yao, the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, and the relatively friendly Ao Jiuxiao.

"Delicious, delicious, I've never tasted such a delicacy." Ao Jiuxiao, though having eaten many delicacies, didn't expect the tender meat of the eighth-order Dragon Whale to be so tasty. He was already contemplating going to the sea to catch one someday. However, he didn't know that Dragon Whales weren't easy to catch. Marine creatures weren't something you could easily capture just because you were strong.

Ao Longtian watched with drooling envy, but he couldn't bring himself to ask for some due to his animosity with Wang Lilong.

What kind of affluent and indulgent life were these humans living?

And Wang Lilong, whom they considered a traitor, was living a life of luxury among humans, eating so well that she got tired of fifth-order spirit cattle!

The three dragons, thinking about their recent days of eating dried Fierce Crocodile meat they carried with them, suddenly felt the overwhelming presence of their own poverty, suffocating them!

After eating their fill, Wang Anxin leisurely said, "Now let's start the second part of the meeting and discuss the specific cooperation framework and process. We'll be responsible for enclosing the swamp, developing, planting, and creating a complete industrial chain! Meanwhile, the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan will be responsible for managing the Fierce Crocodile population, as dragon might is beneficial for taming the Fierce Crocodiles."

The three dragons were no longer as dismissive as before, unknowingly listening intently to Wang Anxin's explanation of the specific industrial chain.

Ao Juechen kept telling himself that he wasn't compromising, wasn't compromising, but doing it for the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan. Having over a thousand dragons was something he didn't even dare dream of.

"Uh... are we already discussing specific cooperation plans?" The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy slapped her forehead, thinking these dragons were too easily swayed.

Her first job ended so easily. Before taking the task, she thought she might have to fight the dragon clan and was worried about exposing her techniques. But it turned out like this?

The money for this job came too easily, making her feel slightly guilty.

Wait, based on that food chain theory, was the Wang's Clan planning to not only raise Fierce Crocodiles but also include the dragon clan in their feeding and breeding plans?