Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

46: Giant Wood Dragon Wall, Border CrossingWith the brother and sister of the Angry Dragon Clan leading the way, the journey was much faster.

The two had grown up here and knew the dense swamp forest like the back of their hand, always finding the safest path.

Traveling at a fast pace, Li Yinglong did not miss this rare opportunity, often conversing with Aya and asking about local customs.

Aya was lively by nature, and seeing that this old man, though dignified, had no airs, she was happy to tell him stories.

”We, the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border, are not just our Angry Dragon Clan, you know!”

She counted on her fingers, listing them off like treasured possessions:

”To the west, there’s the Black Gu Clan, most skilled at raising Gu and poisoning. Their villages are hidden in deep ravines, outsiders can’t find them at all. To the south, there’s the Flower Barbarian Clan, whose women are all beautiful and can grow many pretty yet dangerous Spiritual Plants. There’s also the Mountain Ghost Clan, living on the highest and coldest cloud peaks, who can command large eagles. The men of the Chi Jie Clan are the easiest to recognize, covered in red mud, with the greatest strength, able to wrestle wild boars bare-handed...”

Her voice was clear and crisp, like a bird in the forest:

”Each clan has different languages, customs, and beliefs. Like our Angry Dragon Clan, we worship the Ancestral Dragon, and when we make offerings, we throw jade rice into the Angry Dragon River. The Black Gu Clan, on the other hand, believes in the ’Gu God,’ and on the first day of every month, they feed Gu with blood...”

Li Yinglong listened quietly, but a ripple began to stir in his heart.

These vivid, specific insights were completely different from the vague overview he had read in the Jade Slip of the records of strange tales of the universe.

The Jade Slip only stated, ”The Southern Border has many barbarian clans, skilled in Gu poison, worshipping spirits, and fierce in nature.” How crude such a record was!

The true Southern Border had numerous tribes, diverse Legacies, and people and Cultivators intermingled, living together, each with their own survival wisdom and unique skills, far from being summarized by the words ”barbaric wilderness.”

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly:

To read ten thousand books, one must ultimately travel ten thousand miles.

Even the written records of predecessors, though authored by Cultivators, are bound to miss much or be biased.

To know the true world, one must experience it firsthand.

These seemingly trivial pieces of knowledge were crucial for survival and formed the basis for potential future interactions with the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border.

Thus, traveling day and night, with minor scares but no real danger, in less than two days, the surrounding scenery quietly began to change.

The swamp’s humidity gradually receded, the trees grew taller and more ancient, vines intertwined, and occasionally, giant trees that required several people to encircle appeared, their canopies blocking out the sky.

The air was filled with the scent of flowers and a peculiar mineral, and the Spiritual Qi also seemed a bit richer than around Linhai City. Though still far inferior to isolated islands overseas, it possessed a raw, vibrant vitality.

”We’re almost there!”

Aya pointed forward, her tone filled with the joy of returning home.

Li Yinglong looked up, his gaze sharpening.

On the horizon ahead, a towering giant shadow stretched across the heavens and earth!

It was an incomparably massive wooden wall!

The wall was made of countless thick, dark logs, each requiring several people to embrace, deeply planted side by side and tightly fitted. Looking up, it soared into the clouds, probably no less than twenty zhang high, and extending to both sides, it snaked like a giant Dragon, disappearing into the distant mountain mist, with no end in sight.

The surface of the wooden wall was smooth as iron, emitting a faint cold glow, as if specially treated, resistant to wind, rain, water, and fire.

Its presence was grand and heavy, carrying a sense of ancient, wild oppression, starkly dividing the land ahead.

”This is our Wood Dragon Rampart of the Southern Border.”

Yan Gang said in a deep voice, his tone filled with deep reverence.

Aya reined in her smile and said seriously:

”Grandpa, Younger Sister Xiaowan, this is the border of our Hundred Clans of the Southern Border—the Wood Dragon Rampart. It’s built entirely from thousand-year-old ironwood, and the part buried underground is even deeper than what’s exposed. Plus, it’s been refined with secret methods, so it can’t be cut by swords or burned by fire!”

She paused, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes:

”I heard from the elders in the clan that over a hundred years ago, the Southern Border wasn’t like this. Back then, outsiders could come in freely, do business, learn skills, and even intermarry.”

”But later... many things happened. Some outsiders used flowery words to trick away treasures from the tribes, used fake medicine to steal precious Spiritual Plants, and some even abducted children and deceived women... The clans suffered greatly, and conflicts grew more frequent.”

”The leaders of the major clans at the time gathered, argued for three days and three nights, and finally unanimously decided: to build this Wood Dragon Rampart, to keep outsiders out, and to live their own lives in peace!”

Her tone was tinged with melancholy:

”The elders all say it was a last resort. It was to protect themselves, to avoid being tricked out of their bones by ’clever people’ from outside. But specifically... alas, too much time has passed, and many details are unclear. Anyway, since then, the Southern Border has been completely cut off from the outside.”

Li Yinglong listened quietly, his gaze sweeping over the majestic and solemn wall of the wooden rampart.

Protecting themselves? That was certainly one reason.

But such a massive project, requiring the combined strength of a hundred clans, likely spanning more than one generation, was it truly just due to anger from being deceived?

He vaguely felt that behind this might lie struggles over resources, secrets of Legacy, and even... the concealment of something that could attract outside covetousness.

Aya’s vague explanation suggested she might not know the exact situation either.

However, now was not the time for deep inquiry.

Aya continued:

”But the rules aren’t set in stone. After so many years, the Wood Dragon Rampart isn’t completely closed off, because the clans also need to live.”

”Many supplies that we don’t have in the Southern Border need to be exchanged with outsiders. So, now outsiders are allowed to apply for entry, but they must undergo inspection and registration, stating their purpose, duration of stay, and other details.”

”If there are too many people, or their purpose is unclear, or they don’t look like good people, they are not allowed in.”

She looked at Li Yinglong, her tone serious:

”When we reach the checkpoint later, my brother and I will vouch for you, saying you are friends of our Angry Dragon Clan, here to... to do business. The guards might question you closely, but they should be accommodating, however...”

She lowered her voice, with a hint of warning:

”The guards are all skilled fighters drawn from various villages, stubborn and strict with rules. If... if they just don’t allow it, please, both of you, swallow your anger and leave immediately. Absolutely do not get into a conflict! Otherwise, once the checkpoint alarm is raised, it won’t just be one or two people coming!”

Li Yinglong nodded:

”This old man understands. Thank you for your concern, young lady.”

How could he be an impulsive person?

His purpose for this trip was only to find the branch of the Thousand Mechanisms Hundred Know Sect and acquire knowledge, not to contend or fight.

A little impatience can ruin a great plan.

The four continued along the Wood Dragon Rampart for a moment, then saw an opening in the rampart ahead, about ten zhang wide, clearly a pass.

At the opening, multiple heavy wooden barricades formed four lanes, and each lane had a queue, roughly numbering several dozen people.

Beyond the pass, the outlines of buildings were vaguely visible, banners fluttered, and the atmosphere grew livelier.

”That’s the entry checkpoint.”

Aya said.

As they drew closer, the scene became clearer.

Those in line were varied, mostly dressed as outsiders.

There were fat merchants in silk robes, holding abacuses, with servants carrying chests behind them, anxiously wiping sweat;

There were herb collectors with weathered faces, carrying medicine baskets, carefully protecting items in their arms;

There were mercenaries with curved knives at their waists, scarred faces, and fierce eyes, surveying their surroundings;

And there were a few Cultivators dressed in Central Plains attire, but with cloaks covering their faces and slightly gloomy auras, standing silently at the end of the line.

The guards at the pass, however, distinctly showcased the style of the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border.

They did not wear unified uniforms but rather their respective tribal attire:

A tall, dark-skinned female guard, dressed in an indigo tie-dyed short skirt, revealing her strong long legs, her arms adorned with silver bracelets, a necklace of animal teeth around her neck, and a vermilion dot on her brow, was sternly inspecting a merchant team’s documents. At her feet lay a spotted cloud leopard, lazily yawning.

Next to her, a lean man was wrapped in a colorful bird-feather cloak, with blue butterfly patterns tattooed on both cheeks, twirling a bone flute between his fingers, his gaze sharp as an eagle, sweeping over the crowd.

Perched on his shoulder was a strange bird, only the size of a fist but with feathers as vibrant as a rainbow, its eyes darting around, occasionally emitting clear chirps.

There was also a guard as sturdy as a mountain, bare-chested, his bronze skin painted with dark red, eerie totems, muscles like iron, cradling an exaggerated bronze great axe, its blade glinting coldly.

Beside him squatted a large, ferocious wild boar with exposed tusks and bristles like steel needles, snorting white steam.

These guards included both men and women, some tall, some slender, some standing, some sitting, some patrolling back and forth, with varying attire, tattoos, and accompanying exotic beasts. All had strong auras, most likely possessing martial arts or unique skills, their eyes vigilant, maintaining orderly conduct.

They clearly belonged to different tribes but were integrated here, jointly guarding the border.

Li Yinglong observed silently, gaining a more intuitive understanding of the complexity and deep heritage of the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border.

Aya took a deep breath, tidied her hair, and showed a bright smile, saying to Li Yinglong:

”Grandpa, come with me, we’ll go to the far-right lane. I know the leader of that team, he’s from the Flower Barbarian Clan and is easier to talk to.”

She led the way, Yan Gang silently followed, protecting her like a mountain.

Li Yinglong and Lin Xiaowan exchanged a glance, tidied their robes, and further restrained their auras, completely transforming into a grandfather and granddaughter pair, then slowly followed forward.

The shadow cast by the immense Wood Dragon Rampart gradually enveloped the four figures.