244: Chapter 244 The Crocodile Beast Clan Submits, Without Haste or Pain!

...

In the days that followed, the situation in the Northern Region completely stabilized.

After the Golden Crocodile formally submitted, the Crocodile Beast Five Branches no longer harbored hostility toward the Cultivators of White Cloud Temple. Although they could hardly be called friendly, at least they would not leap out to bite people at every turn.

The structure of the Crocodile Beast Five Branches was quite similar to that of the Five Bear Lineages under Shi Jian's command.

Led by the Golden Crocodile branch.

Under it were four sub-branches: the Iron-Armored Crocodile, Green-Scaled Crocodile, Mud-Spined Crocodile, and Red-Eyed Crocodile.

The Golden Crocodile branch had the highest cultivation base. Golden Crocodile himself was the only Golden Core, and there were as many as eleven Foundation Establishment Golden Crocodiles in the clan.

They primarily cultivated the Dao of the Physical Body, and their physical bodies were extremely powerful!

The Iron-Armored Crocodile branch excelled in defense. The great demons of their clan had thick hides and tough flesh, possessing top-tier damage-absorbing capabilities, with five Foundation Establishment Great Demons among them.

However, they had no clear primary Dao of cultivation. They usually practiced a chaotic mix of multiple Daos, possessed the most impure Bloodline, and were naturally hard-pressed to achieve a Breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.

Meanwhile, the Green-Scaled Crocodile branch excelled in water escape techniques, moving at extreme speeds. They had seven Foundation Establishment Great Demons, were skilled in water magic, and carried a trace of the Dragon Clan Bloodline.

Five hundred years ago, they had produced the last Golden Core of the Crocodile Beast Clan.

The Mud-Spined Crocodile branch specialized in earth escape techniques, capable of burrowing and hiding, moving freely through the swamp regions, with five Foundation Establishment Great Demons.

The Red-Eyed Crocodile branch was the most fierce and brutal, naturally bloodthirsty and combative with explosive tempers. Their combat strength was top-tier among the five branches, but they were also the fewest in number.

They primarily cultivated the Dao of Strength, with only three Foundation Establishment Great Demons.

In total across the five branches, there were thirty-one Foundation Establishment Great Demons, plus Golden Crocodile, who was a Golden Core.

If this force were placed in the human cultivation world, it would be enough to match an above-average Golden Core Sect. Their strength was by no means weak.

It could only be described as decent.

But in the Evil Water Marsh, they could only guard their own little territory in the Northern Region, making sure not to provoke anyone and just getting by quietly.

The first thing Golden Crocodile did after formally submitting was to call all the branch masters of the Crocodile Beast Five Branches together.

Thirty-one great demons gathered in a pool of water. Crocodile beasts of various sizes lay in a circle, with Golden Crocodile's massive body resting in the center.

"I called you all here today for only one thing."

Golden Crocodile swept his gaze around.

"From now on, the Northern Region of the Evil Water Marsh belongs to that bear."

The branch master of the Iron-Armored Crocodiles, an old crocodile covered in grayish-black scales, was the first to mutter, "King, although that bear is powerful, why should we..."

Before he could finish, Golden Crocodile whipped his tail, sending water and mud splashing right into the old crocodile's face.

"Why? Because I can't beat him."

The entire area fell silent.

Golden Crocodile continued, "Don't feel ashamed. Shi Jian is no ordinary Golden Core. That bear is incredibly cunning and definitely not someone to be trifled with."

"To tell you the truth, when he unleashed that move, I didn't even have time to register the thought of fighting back."

"If you're not convinced, you can go try him yourself."

"Anyway, he promised me he wouldn't beat you to death."

Hearing this, not a single crocodile budged.

What a joke. Even King Golden Crocodile was instant-killed in one move. Wouldn't they just be sending themselves to the slaughter? They didn't want to end up as fish food.

"Aside from that, I have agreed on some terms with him."

Golden Crocodile briefly repeated Shi Jian's rules.

"Live your lives as you usually do."

"When human Cultivators enter the Northern Region to develop it, you are not allowed to cause trouble for them, and they won't come to take your nests."

"Do you understand?"

Hearing their own Old Ancestor say so, the thirty-one crocodile demons all lowered their heads, indicating their agreement.

...

After the Northern Region of the Evil Water Marsh stabilized.

White Cloud Temple's development work entered the fast lane.

It only took one year.

Over the course of a whole year, several thousand Cultivators managed to completely clear the miasma from the core area of the Northern Region.

Looking down from a high vantage point—

The originally turbid, grayish-green swamp region had now completely transformed.

Three Spiritual Veins had been completely cleared, and spiritual water spread outward along newly dug riverbeds. Those puddles that were once filled with foul, toxic gas had gradually become clear after being continuously washed by spiritual water for several months.

Although it was not yet a crystal-clear azure, at least it no longer emitted a foul stench.

Occasionally, spiritual fish would leap out of the water, their silvery-white scales flashing in the sunlight. These were the Water-Purifying Spiritual Fish fry that White Cloud Temple had transported from Ming Prefecture.

After the Cultivators channeled water from the Spiritual Veins into the largest body of water, it spontaneously formed a great lake spanning twenty li.

The lake water was a pale green with shimmering ripples. Wisps of steam rose from the center of the lake, which was the residual heat emitted by the underground Spiritual Veins warming the water.

Standing on the lakeshore, Sun Qiming found the sight increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"If this were in Ming Prefecture, just this vast spiritual lake alone would probably fetch a good price of several hundred thousand Spirit Stones."

Rubbing his hands together, he was already planning how to build residences along the lakeshore.

To the east of the spiritual lake, the previously decaying swamp forest had now been largely cleared and transformed, appearing exceptionally beautiful.

Decaying wood was chopped down and burned, toxic weeds were uprooted, and in their place were artificially cultivated Spiritual Plants and medicinal sprouts.

Rows of Spirit Medicine fields stretched along the gentle slope. Tender green sprouts poked out from the fresh brown soil; though still small and delicate, they were growing beautifully.

Sun Chengzhu walked up from behind Sun Qiming and glanced at the distant medicine fields.

"Uncle, the soil quality has recovered by about seventy percent."

Sun Qiming handed over a brief report recorded over these past days. "If we nurture it for another year or two, we should be able to plant some Tier Two Spirit Medicines."

"You've done well, but there's no rush."

Sun Chengzhu took the report, glanced at it, and threw it into his Storage Pouch. "We must lay a solid foundation first. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Though he said this, anyone could see that Sun Chengzhu was in an extremely good mood.

In just one year, a muddy wasteland had been turned into a habitable place with a lake and fields, brimming with Spiritual Qi...

Once this achievement was reported, the Shangqing Sect would certainly hold them in higher regard.

Moreover, this was only the Northern Region.

The combined area of the Eastern, Southern, and Western Regions of the Evil Water Marsh was more than four times that of the Northern Region.

If they took over all of them...

When calculated on a larger scale, the numbers were mind-boggling.

However, thinking about it was easy, but actually doing it would not be so simple.

Up to now, none of the masters of the other three territories had submitted, and they were all watching like tigers eyeing their prey!

Shi Jian, however, was in no rush. Governing the Yao Race was like cooking a small, delicate fish; it could not be rushed, nor could it be delayed. Taking his time to handle them would work just fine.

...