Chapter 3305: Reading The Clan Like A Book

But what truly caught Lin Mu’s attention was the lagoon at the front of the settlement.

He stopped walking and extended his immortal sense toward the water. His eyes widened slightly as he saw what lay beneath.

The entire lagoon was teeming with life and industry. Dozens of wooden jetties extended into the crystal-clear water, each lined with ropes and pulleys. Beneath the surface hung hundreds upon hundreds of large metal cages, suspended in an orderly grid. Within them, faint glimmers of pearl-like light reflected off the shells of enormous oysters.

"This..." Lin Mu said softly, "this is a massive oyster farm."

Cattaleya leaned forward, shading her eyes as she peered down into the lagoon. "They’re cultivating oysters?"

"Not just oysters," Lin Mu said, his voice low with fascination. "Immortal-grade ones. Look at the density of immortal Qi in the water. These oysters must be producing pearls infused with it."

After a bit of observing Lin Mu matched these oysters to ones he had read about in a book about Aquatic Mollusks.

"These are Glazed Immortal Light Oysters if I recall correctly." Lin Mu stated.

Daoist Chu smiled faintly. "So that’s where they get their wealth. A clan built around the ocean would naturally capitalize on its treasures."

But Lin Mu wasn’t done observing. His gaze moved back to the towering coral spires that dotted the settlement. They seemed to pulse faintly, as though breathing in rhythm with the world itself. He focused on them, and his eyes narrowed.

"They aren’t just for decoration," he said finally. "They’re functioning as conduits. I can sense both pure immortal Qi and water-elemental immortal Qi flowing from them. There are invisible channels beneath the ground connecting the spires to the floating platforms and bridges, supplying them with power continuously."

Daoist Chu let out a low whistle of admiration. "Remarkable. They’ve created a self-sustaining network of Qi flow that maintains their infrastructure perpetually. I’ve seen such things only in the Zenith Dao Sect and the bases of the Immortal Courts."

Meng Bai gaped at him. "Just how much would it cost to make something like this?"

Daoist Chu chuckled softly. "Enough to bankrupt most sects. Even a mid-sized sect would find it difficult to fund something of this scale. The construction would require rare materials and countless high-tier formations. And maintenance would be a nightmare."

Cattaleya had been quiet until now, her eyes distant. She crouched slightly, pressing her palm against the soft sea shell and coral-strewn soil.

Her brows furrowed as she focused. "There’s something beneath us," she murmured. "The Qi here feels... concentrated. It’s not just from the arrays or the spires."

Lin Mu glanced at her, then extended his immortal sense downward. What he found made even him pause.

"You’re right," he said slowly. "There’s a massive source of immortal Qi underground. I can feel the currents flowing through it."

He frowned, deep in concentration. "It’s not just neutral immortal Qi either. There are traces of Water Dao mixed in... and something else, like an echo of a leyline."

Daoist Chu’s expression grew serious. "A leyline of immortal Qi?"

Lin Mu nodded. "Possibly. Or perhaps an Immortal Stone mine that’s been feeding their formation for centuries. Either way, it’s powerful."

The group exchanged glances.

If what Lin Mu said was true, then the Shanhu Coral Clan was sitting atop one of the most valuable resources in existence in the Immortal Worlds. And yet, from everything they had heard, this was supposed to be a declining clan... one whose influence and strength had waned over the centuries.

"How strange," Daoist Chu said quietly. "With such a foundation, they should have thrived. Even if their numbers were small, the sheer concentration of energy here should have produced many powerful cultivators."

Elyon crossed his arms, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "Maybe something happened. A curse, a sealing, or internal decline. Power like this doesn’t simply fade on its own."

As they spoke, the Shanhu Clan’s escort group grew increasingly uneasy. The leader, who had been trying to remain composed, now looked distinctly pale.

The cultivators exchanged nervous glances as Lin Mu and his companions continued discussing the structure of their entire homeland as if they were reading it from an open scroll. Their precision was frightening.

One of the younger men whispered to his companion, "They’ve figured out more in ten minutes than outsiders have in thousands of years."

Another muttered, "Do they even need us to guide them? They already know everything."

The leader forced a strained smile as he glanced back at the group. "Honored guests, you are... quite observant," he said, trying to sound polite. His voice trembled slightly. "Please, our patriarch will surely be eager to meet such distinguished visitors."

Lin Mu smiled faintly, the expression calm and unreadable. "Lead the way," he said softly.

As the group followed the escort deeper into the coral city, the Shanhu cultivators couldn’t shake off their unease. The strangers they had invited for help might just see more of their secrets than they had ever intended to reveal.

And with each step, Lin Mu’s curiosity grew stronger. Whatever mystery lay beneath the Shanhu Coral Clan’s glittering paradise, he intended to understand it.

As Lin Mu’s group followed the Shanhu Coral Clan’s escorts through the winding walkways and radiant plazas, the true vibrancy of the clan came alive around them.

The light of the sun refracted through the glassy coral structures, scattering a kaleidoscope of colors across the ground. The air smelled faintly of salt and blooming sea lilies, while the sound of flowing water echoed from the countless streams that trickled down from the upper platforms.

Their arrival had not gone unnoticed. Everywhere they went, clansmen paused to stare. The Shanhu Coral Clan was clearly not used to seeing outsiders, much less a group as striking as Lin Mu’s companions.

Children peered from behind glowing shell pillars while adults whispered among themselves.

Several cultivators stood mid-conversation, their words trailing off as the strangers passed. Some lowered their gazes respectfully when they saw Daoist Chu’s calm but immense aura, while others were drawn to Cattaleya’s towering, muscular form that radiated vitality and confidence.

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