Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!

The moment before, we were still cursing each other, and suddenly, they vanished without a trace!

There was a few seconds of silence in the darkness, then a mermaid said, "They must have been deceived by that human cultivator! Think about it, we are the legendary mermaids! Exquisite creatures not found anywhere in the wilderness. That guy must have tricked the clan leader and then whisked away those foolish mermaids!"

"Makes sense! If there’s no profit, why would a human cultivator help them? They must have been deceived and then sold off."

"Tsk tsk, in that case, it seems we’ve actually benefited from this misfortune."

"Stop gloating here. What should we do next? We’ve lost everything!"

"We can’t starve to death here. Let’s first swim upwards towards the sea. The undersea world doesn’t want us; surely, there’s a place for us in the wilderness above the sea floor. Let’s find a way to survive..."

......

Consoling themselves, over a hundred destitute mermaids could only aimlessly swim upwards.

Meanwhile, in the city, on the plains, the exiled sea demons and great demon beasts finally lost their spirit—not that their anger had faded, but after a frantic assault, their lost treasures couldn’t be recovered, and their spiritual power was nearly exhausted.

With no spirit stone resources to quickly replenish spiritual power; the dark, icy sea water devoid of spiritual energy; surrounded by former rivals, they all feared losing their defense capabilities and becoming prey for others.

No one was willing to leave; no one could do anything about that layer of barrier, so they simply glared at each other in helpless anger.

Elsewhere, Jiang Yuan arrived at Conch Island, immediately flew to the north coast, and retrieved the Seashell Cave Mansion from his storage bag, placing it on the beach.

Leaving the underwater environment, surrounding the Seashell Cave Mansion, the long and slender white Celestial Pool Snow Spirit Grass began to emit a faint misty vapor, just as if it were in water. Occasionally, a large water bubble would float away with the wind, making the already fairy-tale-like large conch even more enchanting.

Mermaids swished their beautiful large tails among them, looking like an exquisite little magical kingdom from a distance.

Back when visiting the mermaid race, Yaoguang had introduced Jiang Yuan to these miraculous plants, whose seeds could be sown to plant crops and spirit fruits for mermaids to consume. As of now, with the lushness of the Seashell Cave Mansion’s snow spirit grass, self-sustenance for the mermaid race is easily achievable.

"Is this Mr. Jiang’s island?" The clan leader was bewildered because everything went black in a second, and as soon as it brightened, they’d already arrived at a peaceful and serene small island.

He didn’t know what happened in between.

He used magic to cover his fish tail with a layer of mist, pushed open the door and walked out, asking, "Is it safe? Are we allowed to go out? If not, I’ll restrain the clan members within the mansion, so as not to trouble you."

Jiang Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need for special restraints. This is my little island, it’s quite safe. The sea regions around the island are also safe, as long as everyone doesn’t wander too far."

He pointed to a general area, letting the mermaids understand their ocean territory, making sure they don’t cross the boundaries.

The clan leader offered a thousand thanks.

Tian Qu had a pale face, yet couldn’t wait to complete the transaction, exited the mansion, formed hand seals with both hands, and a water mist revealed a landscape with a simple design.

[Immortal Spring: A miraculous scene from the celestial realm, blessed with divine power by Sea Goddess Lu Ji. Every hundred years, a bowl of spring water can be condensed, drinking it can increase one’s lifespan by eight hundred years. After placement, farming and livestock productivity increase by 20% each.]

Wow! No wonder it’s a treasure from the celestial realm, it can simultaneously increase both farming and livestock productivity!

In contrast, the landscapes sold at the system mall can only manage one aspect.

"Thank you sir for your generosity, even though I haven’t received the Immortal Spring yet, I’m willing to protect the entire clan beforehand." Tian Qu bowed deeply, offering the Immortal Spring with both hands, "Your great kindness to the mermaid race will never be forgotten by us!"

I originally wanted to give more treasures to you, but unfortunately, my strength was lacking, nearly lost my life in the secret realm, narrowly escaped with an Immortal Spring and a Sea Demon-specific training gate.

The former I’m offering to you; the latter, I wish to gift to the mermaid race. For so many years, mermaids have been oppressed and driven away due to their inferior strength and weakness.

If everyone gains something from the training gate, we can unite better and become a formidable force, ensuring we won’t continue facing oppression.

Moreover, I plan to diligently cultivate to strive to advance one or two realms. Then, I’ll explore the family secret realm again, retrieve useful treasures for you, for compensating the protection you’ve given."

These words made the clan leader’s eyes turn red, and after Jiang Yuan accepted the Immortal Spring and kindly declined further treasures, he sighed, "Tian Qu is truly a sensible, understanding, and generous child. This time the entire clan received Mr. Jiang’s protection thanks to your efforts; even in times of life-threatening danger, you were still concerned about the clan’s weakness.

Even willing to contribute an ancestral, God-gifted training divine artifact to the clan. We all owe you a debt of gratitude! But upon reflection, the clan really has no treasure matching your contributions, how about..."

The clan leader turned to the High Priest, "From now on, Tian Qu will be the next clan leader of the merfolk. We will personally instruct him, and all clan members must remember his contributions. This matter will be personally inscribed on the merfolk stele by the High Priest!"

The merfolk stele is the most sacred entity within the clan, aside from the Sea God statue.