The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

In the dead of winter.

On the edge of Nanzhu Marsh, outside Cangwu Island.

The cold wind howled, swirling with snowflakes that swept across the reed beds.

Looking around, all that could be seen was a deathly white.

Xu Changqing tightened his gray-blue robe and exhaled a puff of white breath.

It's so cold.

The Nanzhu Great Marsh gathers water vapor from all over the world. The cold air here is so intense that even ordinary Qi Refining cultivators cannot withstand it for long, let alone mortals.

His gaze swept over the thick ice beneath his feet, finally settling on several figures working diligently not far away.

"Ding, ding, clang..."

Uncle Xu Dayou brought down his fine iron chisel with a heavy thud, sending ice shards flying everywhere.

He stopped, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, straightened up, and looked at Xu Changqing:

"Chieftain, this Dragon Bay is a notoriously stagnant pool. Even a spirit shrimp wouldn't swim here normally, so how could any spirit fish possibly cross over?"

"We've already spent two hours here. If we keep digging, we might not catch any fish, but people will get hurt first."

The two younger cousins ​​beside him also stopped. Although they didn't dare to say a word, their eyes were fixed on Xu Changqing, clearly indicating that they were also unsure of what to do.

In this icy and snowy environment, setting up the nets would consume a huge amount of manpower and resources.

Nowadays, every spirit stone in the clan has to be split in half to make a living. Even though Xu Changqing is the clan leader, Xu Dayou can't help but grumble about how such things are wasted.

Xu Changqing's expression remained unchanged. He ignored his uncle's bitter face and said calmly, "Keep digging. Set up the net right here."

Xu Dayou's lips twitched, he wanted to say something but swallowed it back, sighed, and raised the chisel to smash it down again.

"What a waste of time...it's all just pointless tinkering..."

Xu Changqing pretended not to hear the complaints.

This is the 30,000-li water area on the outer edge of the Great Swamp. Further in is the "Demon-Slaying Dike," which is said to be able to block all demons.

Beyond the dikes, deep within the vast marshland, endless monsters roam.

Thirty years ago, the Xu family was a glorious Foundation Establishment family. Later, the ancestor and the top combatants of the family did their best to resist the "Black Water Demon Tide", but they all perished in it.

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

Without protection, the Xu family could only migrate to Cangwu Island to eke out a living.

They were able to make a living by relying on the fish-raising skills passed down from their ancestors.

Unexpectedly, this year has been unlucky. The fish ponds that the family relied on for survival have inexplicably contracted a strange disease, and large numbers of fish have turned belly up and floated on the surface of the water, stinking.

With the end of the year approaching, the "annual tribute" of two hundred catties of first-grade low-level spirit fish to be delivered to the upper sect has yet to be settled.

If the annual tribute is not paid, the Cangwu Island garrison will be reclaimed.

At that time, the entire clan will be reduced to rogue cultivators, and on the edge of this man-eating swamp, there will only be one way out: death.

Fortunately, there's always a way out...

Xu Changqing's mind sank slightly, and a layer of mist slowly dissipated from the depths of his consciousness.

An ancient, weathered bronze mirror floats within, its surface shimmering with light, revealing a line of ancient seal script:

The simulation is complete.

[Deduction Time: Three Days (Completed)]

[Details of the opportunity: At 3:45 PM today, a warm current flowed into Huilong Bay, accompanied by a school of forty golden-scaled spirit fish.]

Tongtianjian.

This is what he relies on.

This mirror is connected to the family's fortune; one can consult it on all matters.

If you ask, "Should I step out with my left foot or my right foot first today?", the mirror will immediately reflect that question.

But if asked, "Where is the opportunity to become an immortal?", this mirror probably wouldn't be able to utter a single word even if it deduced the annihilation of the Xu family.

Firstly, the more specific and complex the problem, the longer it takes to deduce and manifest it;

Secondly, it is limited by the current level of the Xu family.

The Xu family is now just a Qi Refining family on the verge of collapse, belonging to the bottom of the cultivation world. Therefore, the Tongtian Mirror can only retrieve information at the "Qi Refining" level.

Xu Changqing never expected that this cheat ability, which had been dormant for more than 20 years since he transmigrated, would suddenly awaken three days ago.

For the past three days, Xu Changqing had been feeling quite uneasy.

He was afraid that there wouldn't be enough time, and he was also afraid that the answer the appraiser would give was a "bad idea," such as telling him to rob a road or sell himself into slavery.

Fortunately, it wasn't.

Xu Changqing glanced at the sky.

There was less than half a cup of tea's time left until noon.

This is the Xu family's chance to turn things around; they absolutely cannot afford to miss it.

But others don't think that way.

Xu Dayou couldn't hold back any longer. This awful weather was so cold that his hands and feet were numb, and his spiritual energy was almost depleted. If he continued to waste it, he would damage his foundation and shorten his lifespan.

He quickly put away his magic chisel, disregarding all hierarchy: "Clan leader, we can't waste any more time! If we don't go back soon, the cold air will seep into our bodies and cause serious trouble! We won't catch this fish anymore; I'll just go and ask those old acquaintances for some spirit stones!"

The two cousins ​​also stopped fighting and stared at Xu Changqing expectantly, clearly wanting to leave.

借？

Even in the bustling city, poverty goes unnoticed.

Given the current state of the Xu family, who would dare to lend them money?

Xu Changqing calculated the time in his mind.

almost.

We cannot retreat now; if we do, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

He didn't explain; there's no way to explain these things.

Is it a message from an ancestor in a dream? Or is it that you have a mirror in your head that can tell fortunes?

I'm afraid people will think I've lost my mind.

Xu Changqing rummaged through the storage bag at his waist for a while and pulled out three talismans that glowed faintly.

This is a "Qi Recovery Talisman," and one costs three low-grade spirit stones.

He walked over and shoved the objects directly into the hands of Xu Dayou and his two cousins:

"Everyone, perk up, affix your talismans, and prepare for battle!"

Xu Dayou's hands trembled as he held the talisman.

Why would they put talismans inside a fish that doesn't even exist?

They've gone mad, they've really gone mad.

"Chieftain, this..."

Xu Dayou wanted to persuade him, but looking into Xu Changqing's calm and somewhat frightening eyes, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

The two cousins ​​looked at each other, and finally obediently took the talisman and slapped it on their bodies.

Xu Changqing ignored their thoughts and looked up at the sky.

It's almost time.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the mournful sound of the cold wind whistling across the ice.

Xu Dayou sighed inwardly, just about to offer a few more words of advice to help the young clan leader face reality sooner.

"Click."

A very faint, crisp sound suddenly rang out from beneath the ice.

Xu Dayou was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously lowered his head.

The thick ice beneath their feet began to tremble, and a violent surge of water erupted from the ice hole that had been carved out.

Immediately afterwards, a visible plume of white heat shot out from the ice cave, dispersing the previously biting cold mist around it.

Xu Changqing felt a warmth on his face, and a great weight was lifted from his heart.

coming!

"The water...the water's hot?! It's a warm current!"

One of the cousins ​​exclaimed in surprise, his voice trembling.

Before anyone could react...

"Splash!"

A large, fat fish, its entire body gleaming with golden light, suddenly leaped out of the ice cave, leaving a golden trail in the air before crashing heavily onto the ice.

pat!pat!

The golden scales shimmered on the snow-white ice, dazzling the eyes.

Then came the second, the third...

In the blink of an eye, one after another, golden-scaled spirit fish leaped out of the water with the warm current, their golden light shimmering and dazzling.

Looking at the golden light covering the ground, Xu Changqing finally felt relieved.

The Heavenly Mirror is truly unfailing!

"Raise the net!"

Xu Dayou and his two cousins ​​were all dumbfounded. It wasn't until they heard Xu Changqing's shout that they snapped out of their daze, and their faces were no longer filled with any of their previous complaints and impatience.

Xu Dayou's face turned bright red, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"A Golden-Scaled Spirit Fish! It's a top-grade, first-tier Golden-Scaled Spirit Fish!"

Xu Dayou frantically activated his magic, completely disregarding the chill entering his body. He practically pounced on the attack, activating the silver net he had prepared beforehand, afraid that if he hesitated even for a second, these treasures would escape.

Cheers erupted across the ice.

Xu Changqing stood aside, watching his clansmen busily collect the fish, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Exactly forty tails, no more, no less.

This golden-scaled spirit fish has delicious flesh and contains extremely high spiritual energy. On the market, one pound can sell for two spirit stones, which is equivalent to four pounds of a first-grade low-level spirit fish.

As Xu Dayou stuffed the slippery fish into the spirit beast pouch, he turned to look at Xu Changqing.

This is too weird!

Turning a dead land into a treasure trove—what kind of insight does that require?

"Chieftain, you're amazing! This deadly place actually harbors schools of fish! And golden-scaled spirit fish at that!"

Looking at the spirit beast bag that was full, Xu Changqing casually made up an excuse and said, "Last night, while browsing through ancient books, I noticed that the terrain here is unusual. I suppose it's the blessing of our ancestors."