Sea Cultivation: Giant Ships and Heavy Artillery Knock on the Door to All Races

Chapter 177: The Zhang Family Submits to the Lin Family, a Fake Alliance, a True Subordination

The last day of autumn,
If calculated according to the actual weather conditions, winter has actually been here for half a month. Today, Yanglong Bay welcomed a special guest.

"Welcome, Fellow Daoist Zhang, to Yanglong Bay! Please!"

After refining the magic weapon prepared for him by his family, Lin Dayan, who had initially acquired the combat power of a golden elixir, received a secret visit from Zhang Chaoyang.

That’s right, it’s Zhang Chaoyang, the only golden elixir of the Zhang family on Yundu Island!
After careful consideration and observation of the development of the Yulong Islands and the behavior of the Lin family monks, his purpose of coming here was naturally not a daily visit, but a formal visit.

"Fellow Daoist Lao Lin is here!"

There are also strong and weak Jindan forces, and the difference between the strong and the weak is even huge. A few decades ago, the two families were of similar strength, but now the two sides are worlds apart.

As his sense of unease grew stronger and he became confused about the situation, Zhang Chaoyang decided to put aside his pride and look for an ally, or to put it bluntly, a strategic backer to become its subordinate.

The Yulong Lin family, which is close, powerful, low-key, and reserved, is obviously the best choice. If something happens on Yundu Island, the Yulong Islands will be the fastest to get there.

After learning about the Zhang family's purpose, Lin Dayan of course could not make a decision. Later, they met with Lin Haichao, the actual helmsman of the Lin family who was in the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm. Only then did Zhang Chaoyang fully express his thoughts.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, please have some tea and enjoy the snow, rest for a while, and allow us to discuss this matter."

"As it should be!"

Jindan forces generally have affiliated foundation-building forces under their jurisdiction. This kind of affiliated relationship is often deeply bound, with close exchanges, which can be adjusted or announced. They prosper together and suffer together.

The problem of a Jindan faction wanting to submit to another Jindan faction is much more complicated. The relationship between the two sides is unlikely to be as long-lasting and stable as that between the traditional second and third level superiors and subordinates.
Perhaps this generation of Zhang family members have indeed suffered hardships and can truly accept this subordinate relationship, but what about the future?
Would the Zhang family's descendants, who were better protected, acknowledge this relationship? Would the new Jindan masters of the Zhang family acknowledge this relationship? Would they accept it? Therefore, this kind of relationship was full of variables and difficult to sustain.

If one day in the future one party really has the intention to maliciously harm the other party, there is a high probability that a major accident will occur, and it will be difficult to prevent a stab in the back.

But the current situation is turbulent. More strength means more confidence, and more allies mean more stability. Moreover, the other party has come to pay their respects, and the Lin family is not arrogant enough to refuse.

After weighing the pros and cons, the three Jindan cultivators of the Lin family decided to accept the other party's allegiance. This way they could gain practical benefits, demonstrate their authority to the outside world appropriately, and reduce unnecessary trouble.

If they even rejected the first neighbor who came to their door, few people would be willing to get close to the Lin family in the future.

After getting the result, Lin Haichao formally met with Zhang Chaoyang again, and the two sides had a detailed bargaining on the details of the surrender.

In the end, the Zhang family and the Lin family successfully reached a strategic alliance and facilitated many collaborations. Although it was an alliance, the Lin family was the dominant one in the relationship, and from then on, the Zhang family would be the younger brother of the Lin family.

The first item of the alliance between the two sides is the exchange of inheritance!

The simple literal meaning is that except for a small number of core inheritances that are kept secret from outsiders, all other sub-core inheritances and ordinary inheritances are burned and opened to each other in equal amounts according to the corresponding levels.

The Lin family was established two thousand years ago, and the Zhang family was also established more than two thousand years ago. During this long period of time, both sides have collected a wide range of inheritances and knowledge of the world of immortal cultivation, which are extremely precious.

Some of these things overlap and can be bought on the market. After removing the overlaps, the non-overlapping parts are the essence for both parties and can make up for their respective shortcomings.

The four words "inheritance and perfection" in daily life generally refer to perfect coverage. For example, if the main practice of the Jindan forces covers all attributes of the superior practice, it can be considered to have achieved preliminary perfection.

However, there are different levels of perfection. There is still a big difference between three or five top-level fire-attribute cultivation techniques and thirty or fifty top-level fire-attribute cultivation techniques for new students to choose from, because everyone's adaptability is different, and the more choices the better.

The same principle can also be applied to the cultivation of immortal arts such as alchemy arrays, talismans, etc. A complete inheritance from apprentice to third-level alchemist is considered a third-level alchemy inheritance.
But on this basis, adding a few more different paths to verify each other, fill in the gaps, reduce the difficulty, and even sort out the path that best suits you/family has a completely different meaning.

Therefore, this inheritance exchange is of great significance to both parties. Generally, this cannot be achieved unless the relationship is extremely strong. This is also a shortcut to quickly deepen the relationship between the two sides and quickly bring the alliance closer.

This inheritance exchange seems fair and just, an equal exchange, but in fact the Lin family makes more money.
Because the Lin family is now larger in size, with a larger population, especially more newborns, the Lin family's utilization rate of inheritance will obviously be higher.
After the Zhang family experienced the sinking of the Giant Tooth King's ship, the pirate raid, and the looting of the Elderly Golden Elixir, the population of the family is now less than a thousand. Their birth rate is not as good as that of the Lin family. It will take longer to increase the utilization rate of the inheritance.
But no matter what, this is a mutually beneficial and win-win situation.

The second item of the alliance between the two sides is the adjustment of industrial focus!

Of course, the Lin family wasn't adjusting the Zhang family's focus, but rather the Zhang family was making adjustments based on the Lin family's specific needs. Subordinates had their own roles and responsibilities, and going forward, the Lin family would have priority in customizing and purchasing all products produced on Yundu Island. Only after the Lin family had selected them could they be sold outside.

For example, the Lin family now has a demand gap for more than a dozen second-level monster-hunting ships, and the Zhang family has a production capacity advantage in this regard. Therefore, the Yundu Shipyard will need to give priority to building monster-hunting ships to supply the Lin family, and correspondingly give up orders for some other second-level spirit ships.

For example, most of the huge amount of prey and some wild spiritual creatures collected by the Shield Mountain ship during its annual ocean hunting trip have to be taken to the Thousand Star City to be sold, but in the future the Lin family can give priority to purchasing some of the ones that are useful to the Lin family, such as wild spiritual medicines.

The above are just examples. In the future, Yundu Island will need to adjust its industrial focus to prioritize the needs of the Yulong Islands.

During this process, the Lin family will not deliberately lower prices or persecute their allies, but the Zhang family will inevitably suffer some losses.

The third item of the alliance between the two sides is marriage!

This was not an individual high-level marriage among core clan members, but a large-scale exchange marriage among ordinary clan members. Both sides selected thirty suitable Qi Refining Realm clan members for exchange marriage and formed sixty new families.

Both parties are family-based. The family system is a special system based on blood ties, and the centripetal force of the clan members is strong.
Although those who have undergone exchange marriages have objectively become the other party's people and given up their identities on this side, the education, concepts, and abilities they received in the previous decades all came from their original families. These will continue to radiate influence and strengthen communication and interaction between the two sides.

This move can be said to achieve multiple goals at one stroke.
It can eliminate long-term singles with normal sexual orientation, increase the marriage rate of the tribe, and produce thirty new couples at a time;

It can also increase the fertility rate. Families that are married are often willing to have children. It is both a mission and a high expectation for their offspring.
Although the sea route is long, it is possible to travel by second-class passenger ship, and visiting relatives can also strengthen bilateral exchanges and deepen relations.

This kind of marriage seems fair, but in fact it is the Lin family that benefits.

The descendants of an intermarried family carry the blood of both families. If anyone has good talent, he or she will generally receive special attention and training. If someone among them can achieve foundation building, using the foundation building cultivators as a bridge can further strengthen the relationship between the two sides.

Since the strength of the two families is not equal, these children, regardless of whether their surnames are Lin or Zhang, whether they are refining Qi or building a foundation, will unconsciously lean towards the more powerful Lin family in their hearts.

The fourth item of the alliance between the two sides is to make the alliance public!

Doesn’t the Zhang family understand the unfairness of the above?
got it!

Why does the Zhang family make concessions and offer benefits everywhere?
In order to obtain the public support and protection of the Lin family!
This will at least reduce the Zhang family's danger level by a large margin. Many of the problems they encounter openly will be solved. Even if someone wants to persecute them secretly, they will first consider how the Lin family will retaliate afterwards.

After all, the Lin family had no allies before. If the only ally was killed, the Lin family would need to do something to demonstrate its strength. Therefore, this move would invisibly help the Zhang family resolve some hidden malice.

And what did the Lin family pay in this process?

The only cost is influence!

The Lin family uses their influence as an endorsement, betting that no one will cause trouble, and betting that even if there are problems, the Lin family can solve them.

As long as this endorsement is not broken by anyone, the above-mentioned benefits can be said to be obtained at zero cost. This is the benefit brought by a force with a good reputation becoming stronger.

If the Lin family is stronger than it is now, and there are late Jindan people in the family, they can even protect multiple Jindan forces at the same time and establish an agreed alliance. Even if everyone does not live on the same island, they will still have a high influence.

Of course, this is just a hypothesis and a vision for the future.

As the two sides negotiated the details and agreed to maintain the alliance for at least 500 years, and to renegotiate after 500 years depending on the situation, and to use special means to turn the agreement into a contract, the matter was officially completed.

Afterwards, both the Lin and Zhang families used their own publicity channels to publicly announce the matter, letting the Western Regions know and making it a done deal.

Although this incident was beyond the outside world's expectations, it was also reasonable, because since the conscription began, many similar incidents have occurred in the four regions of the Inner Sea. Basically, two or three Jindan forces suddenly announced an alliance and advanced and retreated together.

This kind of alliance can actually improve regional stability and increase the risk/cost of crimes for thieves, so it is not an uncommon tactic.

The Lin family now obviously has the ability to protect a low-level Jindan force. Haven't you seen that some two neighboring low-level Jindan forces have also formed alliances? The Lin family's behavior is not considered to be conspicuous.

(End of this chapter)