I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

As the morning light slowly spread across the eastern horizon, the silhouette of a flying boat emerged from the mist outside the walls of Qingfeng Gorge.

The spiritual light array at the bow of the ship was slowly operating, and the spiritual light layer at the edge showed a regular alternation of light and dark as the flight speed changed.

The airship carried Lin Che and Qin Yulin's formation team, as well as Lin Xinqing's reconnaissance team.

The reason no one was left at the breeding base was because it was located outside the Lin family's control area, and it was difficult to decide which resources to invest in protecting it.

If the Crimson Serpent Venerable were to arrive in person, the city would be too difficult to defend without the Undying Battle Soul. However, if the Undying Battle Soul were sent there, wouldn't the Lin family's stronghold, Chuyang City, be left without any defensive capabilities?

Since that's the case, we might as well not guard it for now. Anyway, the control token for the secret realm has already fallen into Lin Che's hands, and the other party can't get it without going through him.

So Lin Che withdrew everyone, leaving no one behind.

For now, let Xuanqing and the others thoroughly study the array inheritance left by the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. It won't be too late to reconstruct the array once they have a general idea for the repair and the materials are ready.

What we need to do now is figure out exactly what this Crimson Serpent Venerable is plotting.

Lin Che stood at the bow of the ship, watching Qingfeng Pass gradually approach. The mountain wind blew from the direction of the gorge, slightly rolling up the hem of his clothes, carrying a coolness from the depths of the Fulong Mountains.

His gaze fell on the outline of the gate wall that was gradually becoming clearer in the morning light. He pondered the next steps for the cultivation base and the strategies that the Crimson Serpent Venerable might take.

Just then, Lin Xinqing's voice came from behind: "Patriarch, shall we go down?"

Lin Che shook his head slightly: "No need, just take a look from afar. Let's go straight back to Chuyang City."

He did not personally visit Qingfeng Pass when it was completed a few months ago, and he was also in a hurry when he went to the cultivation base. This time, he slowed down on the way back. In a sense, this was his first time visiting Qingfeng Pass.

As far as the eye can see, the walls of this majestic pass are built of bluish-gray rock blocks, about ten zhang high, spanning the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, like a bolt nailed into the mountain.

The wall was covered with running array patterns, with fine lines outlined by silver-gray spiritual light, enveloping the entire city wall in a continuously flowing halo, making it look very magnificent.

But Lin Xinqing, standing behind him, froze, realizing that the family head had misunderstood.

"Master, this is the order: all spirit boats and caravans passing through Qingfeng Gorge must land and undergo inspection."

Before Lin Che could ask further, Lin Xinqing continued to explain, "This was proposed by President Xuan Dong. All spirit boats or caravans that want to pass through Qingfeng Gorge must go through Qingfeng Pass for inspection in order to prevent potential problems. Of course, the main purpose is to collect tolls."

"Toll tax?"

"Yes, in President Xuan Dong's vision, after we establish five new cities south of Chuyang City, a large number of commercial activities will be generated, and the trade of spiritual items in various places will become unprecedentedly prosperous. This is only internally."

Externally, if the Burning Bone Pass can be reopened in the future, merchants from the southern hinterland of the human race will be able to enter the five-city territory of our Lin family through the Green Wind Pass to conduct trade activities.

Even if the percentage of fees charged is low, once the scale is large enough, our Lin family can still earn a considerable amount of spirit stones every year.

Lin Che nodded after hearing Lin Xinqing's explanation.

From the moment the Lin family became independent, they needed to consider not only the development of their own small territory, but also the development of Chuyang City and the management of their future territories.

Lin Che didn't spend time following up on these minor details one by one, but instead entrusted them all to Xuan Qi and the others for discussion.

The proposed governance measures are implemented directly once they are approved by a vote of the core members. Only when they are unsure of the opinions or when there are significant differences of opinion among the members will they be handed over to him for judgment.

Clearly, the newly promulgated policy includes stopping ships for inspection and collecting customs duties.

This measure is very much in line with the suggestions that Xuan Dong could make.

Lin Che had a knack for business and could naturally discern the advantages and disadvantages involved.

This move would not only strengthen the Lin family's control over various regions, but also yield a considerable amount of spirit stones, making it a win-win suggestion.

Just then, a group of cultivators riding Azure Cloud Eagles and wearing uniform spirit armor flew in from the direction of Qingfeng Pass.

The Azure Sky Eagle has a wingspan of about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), and its silvery-gray feathers shimmer with a faint light in the morning. Each flap of its wings leaves a very faint trail of air behind it.

The cultivators riding on the backs of eagles wore dark blue standard spirit armor with a silver emblem embroidered on their chests.

Their voices could be heard from afar: "Please land and undergo inspection. This is the Trade and Inspection Office of Chuyang City."

Lin Che looked at Lin Xinqing, who immediately explained, "The Trade Inspection Bureau is a newly established department, specializing in customs inspection, tax control, and investigation of prohibited items. The people, goods, and spirit beasts carried on the spirit boat must be checked item by item, registered, and compared with the contents of the customs documents before they can be released. If any smuggling, concealment, or impersonation is discovered, they will be detained and handed over to the inspectors of the Inspection Bureau for handling."

He paused for a moment and continued, "They are a newly established unit, the Qingfeng Patrol Army, under the Trade and Inspection Bureau. They are specifically responsible for the daily patrol of the airspace within a radius of two hundred miles above Qingfeng Gorge, notifying caravans to accept inspection, and preventing those who refuse to land or accept inspection during high-altitude flights. If they encounter anyone who tries to force their way through despite warnings, they can be warned three times first. If they still do not cooperate, force will be used to intercept them directly."

After listening to the introduction, Lin Che nodded and said, "You did a good job. Go down and cooperate with the inspection. Our Lin family cannot break the rules we set."

"yes!"

Following the guidance of the Qingfeng Patrol Wing Army squad, the flying boat landed at the Spirit Boat docking point, ten miles north of Qingfeng Pass.

The docking area was a flat bluestone ground, about 100 zhang long and 30 zhang wide, with neat mooring lines drawn on the ground, leaving enough space between each line for the airship to take off and land.

Several fixed bases are embedded in the ground to stabilize the airship. Once the airship is stationary, those bases will release a weak gravitational pull to fix the hull to the ground and prevent it from being blown away by crosswinds.

As Lin Che stepped off the flying boat, a cultivator dressed in a blue uniform with a bronze badge on his chest quickly came to greet him.

He looked to be in his early forties, with a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level. He was rather thin, but his movements showed a nimbleness and sharpness honed from years of dealing with all sorts of merchant caravans.

He first quickly glanced at the specifications of the flying boat and the markings on its hull, his gaze lingering for a moment on the Lin family crest, before bowing and saying, "Greetings, everyone. Welcome back to Qingfeng Pass. According to the regulations of the Trade and Inspection Bureau, all spirit boats passing through Qingfeng Gorge must undergo registration and inspection here. We ask for your cooperation."

Lin Che nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the badge on the cultivator's chest. The edge of the bronze badge was engraved with the five small characters "Tourism Inspection Bureau," and in the middle was a simplified version of the Lin family emblem.

He did not reveal his identity, but simply stepped aside to make way for Lin Xinqing to handle the follow-up matters.

Lin Xinqing stepped forward, reported the flying boat's number, departure point, and destination, and showed the Lin family's travel documents.

The cultivator checked everything one by one, his movements practiced and swift, maintaining a professional and polite demeanor, without showing any special consideration due to the size of the flying boat or the attire of the accompanying personnel.

The entire inspection process lasted about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

After confirming that the airship and its passengers met the travel requirements, the monk in blue stamped a copper seal on the register and handed the registration receipt to Lin Xinqing: "Everyone, the inspection is complete. You may proceed now. Thank you for your cooperation."

The airship took off again, once more passing over the walls of Qingfeng Pass, and flew towards Chuyang City.

The return flight was short. As the surface of Shattered Star Lake began to appear in the field of vision, Lin Che's gaze passed over the clouds ahead and landed on the outline of the group of buildings in the distance, illuminated by the morning light.

After the flying boat slowly landed at the spirit boat docking point outside the Shattered Star Lake Complex, Lin Che did not delay and turned directly towards the council hall.

Upon his return, Lin Che immediately convened a family meeting.

Apart from Lin Xuanjing and Lin Xinyao, the two pioneers, the remaining core members of the Lin family who were near Chuyang City quickly returned.

"Dad, is there good news?" Lin Xuandong was very excited as soon as he entered the door. He walked quickly to his seat and asked before he even sat down properly.

That's the legacy of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect! The Lin family has lived in their shadow for so many years. To prevent their cultivation from being exposed, they have almost never shown their beast-taming skills to the outside world.

As for the instigator, they naturally learned a lot about the glorious achievements of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect in the past from various channels.

A spirit beast breeding base of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, its foundation is absolutely profound!

Lin Xuanqing and Lin Xinqing were equally curious.

The patriarch left the breeding base without saying a word, but now the unveiling is finally about to begin.

Facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lin Che smiled and waved.

A pale blue aura appeared, and the map that he had memorized slowly unfolded, hovering three feet above the long table, presented as a semi-transparent projection of aura.

The map marked the terrain where the cultivation base was located, the location of the entrance, and the general outline of the inner secret realm. The lines slowly rotated in the spiritual light, showing the layers and layout of the space from different angles.

"This cultivation base is a secret realm, and the spiritual veins within it have reached the fifth rank!"

"What!" Everyone looked at the map and were shocked to hear the patriarch mention a fifth-order spiritual vein.

That's a secret realm!

The meaning behind a secret realm completely controlled by the Lin family is self-evident!

Even the usually composed Lin Xuanqi showed a hint of excitement in his eyes. His pen, which was recording the key points of the meeting, paused on the paper, leaving a small blot of ink.

"So, in addition to clearing the land, we also need to develop this breeding base."

As he spoke, Lin Che took out the three jade pendants and first looked at Lin Xuanqi: "You need to make a complete development plan for this spirit beast breeding base. The basic formations inside the base are severely damaged, and only one-tenth of the internal buildings remain. All of these require a complete repair plan."

I've inspected the area this time. The main walls of most of those buildings are still usable, but the roofs are mostly collapsed. The internal spiritual pathways need to be inspected section by section. A complete assessment report is needed to determine which parts can be repaired and which need to be repaved.

Then Lin Che looked at Lin Xuanqing and pushed one of the jade pendants in her direction: "This contains the array inheritance of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. The array matters are entrusted to you and Master Qin."

You need to thoroughly study the entire sub-array system of the secret realm, as well as the sealing arrays in the egg chamber that have been maintained for thousands of years, before you can formulate a repair plan.

I've seen the structure of those array patterns, and they're very different from the array system we use now. I estimate it will take you quite a while to figure them out.

"Okay!" Lin Xuanqing nodded and carefully accepted the jade pendant.

Then Lin Che looked at Lin Xinyao: "Xinyao, this jade pendant contains detailed information on all the spirit beast species cultivated in the secret realm. You need to develop a detailed cultivation plan. These spirit beasts are all eggs, so there is no need to worry about them being out of control."

From hatching and raising the young to training them into adulthood, each stage requires a standardized process.

These eight main groups of spirit beasts each have different habits, diets, and training methods. You need to analyze their needs one by one and then formulate corresponding breeding plans.

These fifth-tier superior bloodline spirit beasts are completely different from the mid-grade and superior bloodline beasts we've cultivated before. It may take decades from hatching to adulthood, so each stage requires different care methods.

"Yes, Master!" Lin Xinyao solemnly accepted the jade pendant.

She understood how important her mission was.

Once those spirit beast eggs are successfully hatched and nurtured, they will directly change the existing structure of the Lin family's spirit beast system.

Then Lin Che gave them a detailed account of the current situation at the breeding base.

The functions of the three levels of the main hall, the stone platform that monitors the status of the spirit beasts in the entire secret realm, the jade slips on the bookshelves that are restricted and sealed, the distribution and layout of the egg chambers, the scale and status of the spirit crystal array, and the direction and general structure of the underground spirit road network.

Everyone spent the morning discussing various specific details, from the selection of repair materials to the steps for repairing the formation, from the timetable for hatching spirit beasts to the allocation plan for new mounts. Each link was carefully considered and a preliminary execution framework was formed before the specific execution steps were determined.

At the end of the meeting, Lin Che's expression turned serious.

"Although control of this secret realm has fallen into my hands, we still have a potential enemy, the Crimson Serpent Venerable, who is also located deep in the Fulong Mountains."

The spirit beast scout team we discovered this time is one of their people. They have obviously also noticed that breeding base. As for their specific plans, we don't know yet.

Therefore, we must not let our guard down and closely monitor the movements of the beast tide. We should also have our spirit beast scouts keep a close watch on any unfamiliar spirit beast auras appearing within our territory, and report them immediately upon discovery!

"Understood!" The voices of everyone rang out simultaneously in the council hall.