The sect moved with an efficiency that was breathtaking to behold. The Southern River Valley, once a forgotten corner of the sect's territory, was now teeming with activity. A massive, temporary encampment was established. Hundreds of disciples from the sect's construction and formation halls arrived, their flying artifacts and earth-moving spiritual tools transforming the landscape with a speed that defied mortal comprehension.
Li Yu stood on a high cliff with his core team as they were looking down at the controlled chaos. The ambitious blueprint he had drawn was slowly becoming a reality. The roar of earth-moving spiritual arts echoed through the valley as rivers were diverted, cliffs were flattened and the foundations for a massive central pagoda were laid.
"The scale of it all..." Uncle Wei murmured, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and nervous excitement. He clutched a scroll of detailed blueprints, his own hand-drawn designs for a series of interconnected, ecologically balanced lakes.
Li Yu turned to Brother Kai. "Brother Kai, once the main living quarters and the first set of ponds are complete, you will oversee the transfer of all our operations from the Azure Serpent Lake. All the beasts we have been raising there, especially our Azure-Jade Carp and the existing combat beasts up to Rank 4, will form the initial stock for our new home."
"Understood," Brother Kai replied, his mind already calculating the complex logistics of the move.
With his team dispatched, Li Yu knew it was time to begin his own work, separating the public face of his new division from its secret, beating heart. While the main construction was focused on the central plateau, he made his way to the newly carved-out lakes and coves.
He first turned his attention to the foundation of his enterprise: the mass-production farms. A series of large, interconnected lakes had already been dug out by the construction teams according to Uncle Wei's designs. Li Yu stood at the edge of the first lake and opened his beast storage bags. A river of life poured out as thousands of low-ranked, edible beasts he had acquired from the Golden Sea Guild tumbled into the fresh clear water. There were hardy Iron-Shelled Crabs, fast-breeding Silver-Gilled Minnows, and a dozen other species.
He then used his own unique life energy, a gentle emerald-green mist that flowed from his palms, to slightly enrich their new habitats, ensuring they would thrive and multiply at a slightly accelerated rate. The rate was extremely tiny but made the lakes just that bit more attractive to the new creatures. This would be the financial lifeblood of his new division, the part he would proudly show to the sect.
Next, he would need to populate the deeper, more secure public enclosures that would eventually house the sect's combat beasts. For now, they remained empty, waiting for the transfer from the Azure Serpent Lake and other areas. He would breed and raise powerful beasts here, for sale, for trade, and for the sect's own use. He wouldn't use the high rank beasts he got from Elder Quan as he already promised him he wouldn't but the other high ranking beasts in the sect. This was his duty.
With his public duties settled for the day, he retreated to an even more secluded, hidden cave behind the largest waterfall. A place that would soon be his private sanctum, protected by formations only he could control. He wanted to have a private space to himself. Here, with no one to see, he finally allowed himself to tend to his true army. He sat down and sank his consciousness into his Koi's Sanctuary.
He was watching how full of life this sanctuary had become. The size of it hasn't grown but the number of creatures living here has increased greatly.
Li Yu communicated with the new beasts through his koi and the effect was instantaneous. The violent, predatory instincts in their auras calmed, soothed by the pure life-giving Qi. The two Maw-Lurkers, recognizing a presence that was both overwhelmingly powerful and deeply nourishing, ceased their agitation.
They looked at Li Yu's spiritual avatar with their large, dead-looking eyes and a new sense of confusion and a dawning, instinctual gratitude appeared within them for letting them live here.
He had already spoken to his higher ranked beasts, they were allowed to hunt and eat some of the lower rank beasts that were meant for eating but they all agreed upon a set amount as to not destroy the populations.
As the population grew, the more they could eat so it was in their own interests to let them grow. The lower rank beasts would only grow in number, allowing for an infinite food supply over time. He had many different types now and would experiment with cross breeding as well.
His private army was assembled. Lirael, Crimson, the Turtles, the Hydras, the Crabs, the Squids and the Maw-Lurkers. All of them, hidden from the world most of the time, growing stronger with each passing day in a great environment, their power known only to him.
His final task was to release that strange fish he had gotten from the fisherman. He walked to the center of the great river that flowed through the heart of his new valley. He took out the small, rainbow-colored fish he had received from the young fisherman. It was still a juvenile, its aura weak but its strange connection to the world's spiritual energy was undeniable.
He knelt at the water's edge and gently released the small fish. He still didn't know what it was and from trying to communicate with it, no answers were found. The only thing he knew was that the fish wanted to swim far and wide and not be too confined so that's what he allowed to happen. He would simply wait and see what kind of surprises this fish would bring him if any.
The rainbow fish gave a happy flick of its multi-colored tail and vanished into the deep clear water.
Li Yu stood up and looked out at the valley, a vast sprawling construction site that was slowly but surely taking the shape of his vision. He had laid the first stones. He had planted the first seeds. He had a public-facing enterprise that would bring wealth and prestige to his sect, and a secret hidden army that would help guarantee his own survival. He had a team he trusted, a territory he commanded and a future to look forward to.