’1.5 million in just two months!’

Feng Shan’s eyes lit up instantly.

’This business is worth a shot.’

"If—and I mean ’if’—I were to buy a boat right now, could I start commercial crabbing?"

Alvin was utterly speechless but answered bluntly.

"The Gray-eyed Snow Crab season is about to end, but the Emperor Crab season has just begun. What’s more, Emperor Crabs are primarily found in the Bering Strait, the Aleutian Islands, and Alaska Bay—all very close to Saint Paul Island."

"Dude, you interested in taking a gamble?" The more Feng Shan thought about it, the more convinced he became. ’If I just put the Totem Fire on the fishing boat, catching Emperor Crabs and Gray-eyed Snow Crabs will be a cinch.’

’Take a gamble!’

’Spending millions on a Crabbing Boat just to ’take a gamble’?’

’What kind of joke is this?’

Alvin stood up from his chair on the spot and started to leave.

But Nash stepped in front of the balcony door, reached into his bearskin coat, and said coldly, "Khilla didn’t say you could leave!"

!!! Alvin was speechless.

’What is this supposed to be?’

’So if I don’t play along, you pull a gun? Does that make any sense?’

’No wonder everyone says the Northern People are savages. It’s really not a joke.’

"Nash, what are you doing!" Feng Shan shot up, pretending to be angry as he pushed Nash aside. He then pulled Alvin back to his seat and said earnestly, "Mr. Alvin, I’m not joking. I truly intend to get into the commercial crabbing trade."

"Of course, you don’t have to put up any money. How about I hire you as captain? Two options: one is a fixed salary, the second is a base salary plus a cut of the profits."

’Just be the captain? I don’t have to put up my own money?’

’That’s worth discussing.’

Alvin thought for a moment, then looked at Feng Shan. "Are you serious?"

"As real as gold." Feng Shan’s expression was sincere. "I’ll handle buying the Crabbing Boat. You’ll be in charge of managing the vessel, the crew, and the catch. I won’t interfere with anything else. How does that sound?"

At that, Alvin stood up again and extended his hand.

"Boss, Alexander Sergeyevich Alvin, at your service."

’Smart man.’

Feng Shan smiled and extended his hand. "Feng Shan, owner of the Crown Territory."

After the two shook hands, the atmosphere relaxed.

They began planning the purchase of a fishing boat.

There were no boat dealers on Saint Paul Island; to buy a fishing boat, you had to go to Anchorage.

However, Feng Shan had no time to leave Saint Paul Island. His main mission was still to capture the murderer. What if he left and that damned bird-man happened to come back?

Of course, Franklin was a miracle worker.

As long as one was willing to pay, he could provide the service.

On Alvin’s recommendation, they contacted the Benz Group Shipping Company. According to him, the company had a very wide range of services. One of their specialties was manufacturing and modifying Crabbing Boats, and they held a 60% market share of Alaska’s commercial fishing fleet.

When the Benz Group Shipping Company received the call and learned Feng Shan needed to buy a Crabbing Boat, they immediately agreed to send someone to meet him on Saint Paul Island the next morning.

With the boat settled, Feng Shan didn’t need to worry about the crew. Since he had delegated authority to Alvin, he had to trust him.

Besides, creating a vessel for the Totem Fire was more important.

The materials for a Totem Fire were typically wood, metal, or stone.

’It needs to be easy to move around on the fishing boat, so the material can’t be too big or heavy.’

After a moment’s thought, Feng Shan decided to carve it from wood.

As for the design, although the tribe’s Fire Seed couldn’t contact deities, Feng Shan decided to stick with the form of the Houtu Tribe’s god out of respect for his ancestors.

A human head on a serpent’s body, holding spirit snakes in its hands, with seven arms.

After seeing Alvin off, Feng Shan found Lady Margaret, borrowed a few pieces of wood, and returned to his room.

Under the puzzled gazes of Nash and Wawa, he took out his Hunting Knife and began to carve the wood.

The Hunting Knife glided across the wood, making a soft SHUSH-SHUSH sound.

Wood shavings fluttered down, gradually revealing the outline of the Houtu god.

Before long, a 30-centimeter-tall Totem Wooden Statue was complete. Although it looked rough and simple, even still having splinters, it exuded a primitive, mysterious aura.

Nash and Wawa watched quietly. The wooden statue’s face was a blank, but an inexplicable sense of awe rose in their hearts.

Feng Shan reverently held up the Totem Wooden Statue, chanting a Spell from his ancestors’ dreams in a low voice.

The low, mysterious syllables echoed in the air, as if crossing through time and space to connect with an ancient power.

The next moment, a gentle breeze swirled up inside the room.

The breeze was soft and nimble, like a gentle caress, quietly brushing against everyone’s faces.

It brought a hint of coolness and an ineffable sense of tranquility.

The wind circled the room as if it were alive, dancing lightly around the Totem Wooden Statue.

Nash and Wawa’s eyes widened, shock and awe mingling on their faces.

Their gazes were fixed on the Totem Wooden Statue held reverently by Feng Shan, and on the breeze circling the room, as if they were witnessing an incredible miracle.

Immediately after, the two fell to their knees on the ground, their movements swift and resolute.

They pressed their foreheads tightly to the floor, showing extreme piety and humility.

Their bodies trembled slightly, their hearts filled with awe for the Spirit of All Things and reverence for the sacred object.

Far away in the Crown Territory, thousands of miles away, the night sky was already shimmering with the aurora.

Brilliant, colorful lights danced across the night sky, like a dreamlike scroll slowly unfurling.

Zhang Kai and the others were sitting by a river on the Tundra, drinking beer and enjoying the peaceful moment.

The water of the Ice River gurgled melodiously, as if playing a beautiful symphony in concert with the aurora.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying a hint of coolness, caressing their faces and making them feel incredibly comfortable.

It should have been a beautiful night.

Suddenly, the flickering flame within the tribe’s Fire Seed surged violently upward.

The originally faint glow instantly became bright and scorching, as if a bucket of gasoline had been poured on it.

The flame danced violently, making a WHOOSHING sound.

Zhang Kai and the others were stunned by the sudden change in the flame, staring blankly at the fire pit.

Just then, a cluster of the fiercely burning flame suddenly broke off, shot straight into the sky, and disappeared into the vast night.

That ball of flame was like a brilliant meteor, instantly streaking across the dark curtain of the sky.

Its speed was so fast that it left only a dazzling trail of light, giving no one time to react.

Then, the flame returned to its original state, as if the previous scene had never happened. It now burned quietly again, its faint light flickering gently in the night wind.

Zhang Kai and the others stared wide-eyed, their faces full of astonishment, at where the flame had vanished.

"Brother... Brother Kai, that wasn’t a UFO, was it?!" Su Ziweng asked excitedly.

SMACK!

Feng Yang casually slapped his nephew on the back of the head. "You’re so ignorant. What UFO? Didn’t Xiaofeng tell us there’s shale gas under here? It was probably a sudden leak causing a deflagration."

’Deflagration?’

’Leave it to the simple, honest guy to come up with such a high-level explanation.’

’Since when does a gas deflagration fly sideways?’

Zhang Kai gave an awkward, dry laugh. "It’s late. Let’s go back to sleep. Whatever it was, it has nothing to do with us."

"I’m tired, I’m going to get some rest!" Sun Jia faked a yawn and turned towards the camp’s wooden cabin.

Seeing that both of them were leaving, Su Ziweng complained unhappily, "Hey, hey, why is everyone leaving? We were having a good chat. You guys are no fun."

"Let’s go. You talk too much."

"Fourth Uncle, stop pulling my ear! Ouch, ouch, ouch!!"

Feng Shan, far away on Saint Paul Island, was unaware of what had happened in the Crown Territory.

Instead, he was holding the Totem Wooden Statue, lost in confusion.

’The Spell and Soul Power should have been fine, so why isn’t the totem reacting?’

’Did I mess up a step somewhere?’

Just as Feng Shan was racking his brains, a ball of fire streaked down from the night sky, passed through the window, and crashed straight into the Totem Wooden Statue.

The fireball came so suddenly and so swiftly, like a meteor falling from the sky.

Carrying a scorching glow, it instantly shattered the tranquility of the room.

Feng Shan stared at this scene in astonishment, momentarily unsure how to react.

The moment the fireball collided with the Totem Wooden Statue, it let out a dull boom.

An intense light illuminated the entire room, making it impossible to open one’s eyes. Nash and Wawa, who were kneeling on the floor, felt a dazzling flash sear their vision. Tears streamed uncontrollably from their stinging eyes.

Instantly filled with terror, their bodies trembled slightly, and they quickly squeezed their eyes shut.

Afterward, the light gradually faded, and the room returned to calm.

Now, the Totem Wooden Statue was glowing brilliantly.

Its originally rough and simple wooden surface, as if injected with magical power, emitted a soft, mysterious light.

The form of the human head and snake body was more vivid and lifelike, and the posture of holding the spirit snakes in its hands also appeared more majestic and powerful.

Feng Shan carefully probed the Totem Wooden Statue and saw a small Fire Seed at the center of the statue’s brow.

That Fire Seed emitted a mysterious glow, like a tiny sun, illuminating Feng Shan’s face.

And above the Fire Seed, a faint thread disappeared into the void, pointing in the direction of the Crown Territory.

Feng Shan gazed at it, a question rising in his heart.

’A subsidiary tribe has been created?’

According to the ancestors’ dreams, the Fire Seed of a subordinate tribe could not only be used for protection, but also to transport Soul Power to the main tribe. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

’Should I test it?’

Driven by curiosity, Feng Shan tried to send the Soul Power from his Witchcraft Bone Ring into the Totem Wooden Statue.

The next moment, the Fire Seed within the Totem Wooden Statue flared brightly. The originally weak flame shot up, and the faint thread above the Fire Seed flickered with a faint red light.

That faint red light was like a beating pulse, a mysterious channel disappearing into the void.

Feng Shan immediately broke the connection with the Totem Wooden Statue and instead connected with the Crown Territory’s tribal Fire Seed.

Likewise, above the tribal Fire Seed, a thread extended from the void. A faint red light was flickering intermittently as wisps of Soul Power sprinkled down upon the tribal Fire Seed.

’So this is the purpose of a subsidiary tribe!’

Even with a 20% loss during the Soul Power transmission, Feng Shan’s heart surged with intense shock and emotion.

He finally understood why his ancestors in the dream could expand continuously, with subsidiary tribes sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain.

These subsidiary tribes were like critical nodes, connected by Fire Seeds and threads to form a vast network.

They provided a continuous supply of Soul Power to the main tribe, like a solid foundation.

Unfortunately, the tribal Fire Seed could currently only create three Fire Totems. He had used one for Saint Paul Island, leaving two slots open.

Feng Shan severed his connection with the tribal Fire Seed and had the totem retract its fiery glow, returning it to its original state.

After doing all this, he turned and saw Nash and Wawa still kneeling on the floor, and deliberately put on a puzzled expression.

"Oh, my. What are you two doing kneeling on the floor?"

Tear tracks were visible at the corners of Nash and Wawa’s eyes. They stood up, their gazes toward Feng Shan filled with reverence, as if they had just undergone a baptism.

...