Chapter 445: The Way of Evolution

In the dim cavern, it was practically pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

If Li Qi had used his original eyes, he definitely wouldn't have been able to see anything, only relying on sound to pinpoint locations.

The Merfolk probably did the same, using both their eyes and sounds, because Li Qi noticed that Lei Fang's hearing was excellent, even better than his.

Perhaps this was a racial talent?

Of course, now with the Pupil Worm, Li Qi could clearly see these nests.

These nests, the Merfolk's occupation, and that 'rent', might be connected.

As Li Qi thought this, he saw a large group of Merfolk swimming towards him.

He counted them; there were actually over twenty, all led by Lei Fang, and they quickly arrived before Li Qi.

"Sir, this is my home, and these are all my family members. These are my brothers and sisters, and these two are my parents!" Lei Fang seemed to want to introduce her family, so she swam around in front of the many Merfolk.

To be honest, Li Qi found it very difficult to distinguish between male and female Merfolk.

They all looked like delicate young women, regardless of gender, with smooth, slender bodies. Since they didn't need to breastfeed, they had no secondary sexual characteristics, and their lower halves were uniformly fish tails, revealing no primary sexual characteristics either.

Moreover, they weren't a race with solid muscles; they didn't need those in the water, so both male and female bodies were the same, even their long hair had no difference.

It was really… hard to tell.

Especially when introducing her parents, Li Qi couldn't figure out which was the father and which was the mother.

Also, the Merfolk's reproductive ability seemed very strong... this one family, with just one pair of parents, had over twenty children. They could really reproduce.

However, why were there no elderly people?

Was it because Merfolk had long lifespans, so they hadn't reached 'old age' yet?

It was very possible; Li Qi had read about this in books. Merfolk had quite long lifespans, around a thousand years, which, while not immortality, was very long compared to the Human Race.

It was said that their oil, refined into lamp oil, could keep a candle flame burning for a thousand years.

Li Qi hadn't used it, but it was likely true; people had indeed refined oil from Merfolk.

"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I was merely curious and came to see the Merfolk's dwelling. I apologize for the disturbance and hope you can forgive me," Li Qi immediately said, cupping his hands.

However, these Merfolk quickly shook their heads and waved their hands, speaking over each other to say it wasn't necessary. Some even panicked, and a few were about to swim back but were caught by their other siblings.

Lei Fang quickly swam forward: "Please excuse us, Sir. Everyone just didn't expect someone to come home, after all... it's really a bit humble. Please forgive us, Sir, and don't blame us."

"Is that so? Is this considered humble? In other words... your economic situation isn't very good?" Li Qi couldn't tell if the Merfolk's home was humble or luxurious, so he asked.

Lei Fang seemed surprised by how quickly Li Qi's thoughts jumped and paused for a moment.

However, she quickly reacted and replied: "It's true it's not very good. We pearl farmers... don't do very well. The rent is very high, and East Isle's taxes are not light either."

"Oh... so that's why you run to the outskirts of East Isle to sell pearls. Are those people like you, all the same as you?" Li Qi asked.

"More or less, they're all the same. The front of East Isle has a good location, with many people coming and going, so everyone is there," Lei Fang nodded and replied.

Li Qi nodded thoughtfully: "So that's how it is... have you finished your business?"

"Finished, finished! Where to next? Please instruct me, Sir!" Lei Fang immediately replied.

The other Merfolk, seeing this, also wanted to withdraw. They had originally come to pay their respects to a noble, but they seemed less bold than Lei Fang, so they stammered as if afraid to speak.

Although their race was Merfolk, their temperament was no different from the old farmers of Baiyue.

Perhaps... their social status was actually that of old farmers among the Merfolk? And tenant farmers at that, because they still had to pay rent.

Li Qi watched these people leave, barely interacting with them from beginning to end, because Li Qi knew that if he spoke, it might bring them more unnecessary burdens.

After Lei Fang's family had all left, Li Qi looked at Lei Fang, who was floating beside him, and said: "Let's go. You first take me to tour the Merfolk's area. There should be more than just your family here, right?"

"...? What's there to see in these places, Sir...? There are many shops on East Isle. Many things from the depths of the East Sea are transported out and sold in the East Sea. There are more good things there, ah... I apologize." Lei Fang realized halfway through speaking that she shouldn't be making decisions, so she slapped herself and immediately corrected: "I'll take you to see this vicinity now. Shall we start from the pearl fields here?"

"Don't be so reserved. Let's talk as we go," Li Qi shook his head.

The hierarchy in the East Sea seemed very strict.

Someone like Lei Fang was actually considered bold?

As Li Qi mentally sketched out the situation in the East Sea, he and Lei Fang left the nest and headed to a pearl farming area not far away.

He swam along, seemingly casually asking: "By the way, how is your family's rent collected?"

"Rent? It's collected... these past few years, it's been seven-tenths of the harvest, a bit heavier than in previous years. They say it's because of a war, but there's no feeling of war, it's more like the people above found an excuse to raise the rent..." Lei Fang said beside him, unable to resist complaining a little.

However, she immediately realized she shouldn't be saying such things and stopped herself in time.

"Seven-tenths, huh... regardless of the harvest, always seven-tenths?" Li Qi asked again.

"No, there's a fixed land rent to be paid first, and then after the harvest, another seven-tenths is collected. They say this is to prevent us from being lazy and not cultivating after renting the land," Lei Fang explained.

"With such heavy rent, don't you protest?" Li Qi asked.

"Protest? Hmm... is there a need? After all, the land really belongs to them, and besides, the pearl oysters we cultivate are all rented from them. If we didn't have the oysters cultivated by the Oyster Mother, we wouldn't be able to do this, so it's actually quite normal, right?" After correcting herself, Lei Fang began to defend the landlord again.

"The pearl oysters are all cultivated by the Oyster Mother?" Li Qi was startled.

"Otherwise? I heard that in my grandfather's generation, they cultivated their own oysters, but it's not possible now. The oysters we cultivate aren't good; their pearl production rate is low, production is slow, and the quality of the pearls produced isn't good. So everyone uses oysters produced by the Oyster Mother now. Although the rent is much higher, overall, the income has increased quite a bit compared to before," Lei Fang explained.

Li Qi nodded.

Landlord and tenant farmer-style production, and then the monopolization of seeds...

The peculiarity here was what exactly the 'Oyster Mother' was.

As it seemed now, if it was literal, these pearl oysters were all offspring produced by the Oyster Mother. So, for the Oyster Mother, was this something it wanted to see? One must know that pearl oysters in cultivation environments are completely different from natural environments. To extract pearls, one must first pry open the pearl oyster, which directly leads to its death.

If not...

Then could the Oyster Mother be some kind of biological production factory?

Such a method reminded Li Qi of the Human Dao.

Coupled with the fact that Li Qi had seen the Dao of Reason registering visitors earlier, requiring them to record their Qi when entering the city...

Was this an encroachment from the Human Dao?

Not necessarily, he should observe more.

Thinking this, Li Qi began to observe the Merfolk's living area.

As he observed this lower region, based on Lei Fang's introduction, Li Qi also began to gradually understand this giant mechanism.

It turned out that East Isle was also divided into upper and lower districts.

"The upper level is where you, Sir, went. The lower level is generally where we natives live. This is where the Merfolk race lives in the lower level," Lei Fang said.

This 'upper' and 'lower' were literal. The upper level was the East Isle familiar to ordinary people, mainly serving tourists, merchants, and people from other parts of the East Sea who came to rest.

This was also Li Qi's initial understanding of East Isle's purpose: to serve as a haven and landing spot for those in the East Sea who were not good at swimming, so that not everything had to be settled at sea. It also facilitated the management of these people, allowing them to have a few fixed points for gathering and dispersal, exchanging goods with each other, and bringing things from the outside world into the East Sea, which could bring many variables to this area of the East Sea, preventing it from becoming stagnant.

But a giant mechanism like East Isle also needed maintenance.

A massive mechanism must also rely on every small part to operate; it cannot appear out of thin air. Li Qi had already understood this principle when he comprehended the concept of boundaries.

Difficult things in the world must be done easily.

Great things in the world must be done in detail.

Therefore, the Sage never strives for greatness, thus he can achieve his greatness.

And the lower level of East Isle was where these small parts were maintained and produced.

Lei Fang continued: "Most of our luminous pearls are sent to the Smelting Furnace (Hong Lu). The nobles will buy all our pearls, so we only need to cultivate them and don't have to worry about sales. This is also better than before."

"Nobles? Smelting Furnace (Hong Lu)?" Li Qi noticed two terms.

As for the Snailfolk, he knew about them; they were also a race of the East Sea.

"Nobles are the ones who rent land to us. They are also Merfolk, but their cultivation is much, much higher. We just don't know their specific rank. Perhaps an existence like you, Sir, could inquire about it..."

Li Qi nodded slightly, no wonder...

When he went to see Lei Fang's family earlier, their trembling and fearful appearance, he thought it was due to fear of something, but it turned out to be because of the term 'noble' at the time.

In other words, at that time, he was treated as a 'noble'. No... judging by Lei Fang's attitude towards him now, she also treated him as a 'noble'.

This meant that 'noble' was not limited to race; it wasn't just Merfolk who were 'nobles'.

At this moment, he heard Lei Fang continue.

"As for the Smelting Furnace (Hong Lu), that's the Snailfolk's place. Luminous pearls are sent to the Smelting Furnace (Hong Lu). The Snailfolk are skilled at forging Spiritual Artifacts, so they have always maintained the Smelting Furnace (Hong Lu). Luminous pearls are their energy. The nobles let us cultivate luminous pearls, then buy our luminous pearls and sell them to the Snailfolk," Lei Fang explained.

"It seems the Snailfolk and Merfolk don't engage in material production. What do you eat then?" Li Qi asked curiously.

"There are herdsmen, Sir. Didn't you see the herdsmen before?" Lei Fang said.

Li Qi recalled; indeed, he had seen herdsmen in the sea earlier, raising fish schools.

"So that's how it is. Does each ethnic group occupy a part of East Isle's area and social function? This is a bit like Baiyue. By the way, have the nobles ever said why it has to be this way?" Li Qi pondered as he spoke.

Lei Fang didn't know what Baiyue was, but... judging by this noble's tone, it shouldn't be a good place. However, she immediately answered the question: "Well, the nobles seemed to have said something about... ecological niche?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi's eyes suddenly widened.

His previous contemplation was directly illuminated by this single term!

Ecological niche!

Yes, that's it!

So that's how it is, so that's how it is!

So this is it!

Li Qi immediately understood why there was such harsh exploitation, such a huge disparity between rich and poor, and such a clearly stratified social structure.

The Dao of Heaven’s Evolution, is this the True Dragon's 'Dao of Heaven’s Evolution'?

Complete free competition.

Unrestrained survival of the fittest.

Unbridled expansion, arbitrary occupation of ecological niches, ultimate freedom without any constraints or supervision, and at the same time, ultimate unfreedom!

Survival of the fittest. Only by finding one's suitable position and surviving in the cruel competition is one qualified to gain a foothold in the East Sea.

You can be weak, because the food chain allows for the existence of the weak, but then you must bear the responsibility of being 'food'.

You might be strong, but even a strong Dragon Lord died without a burial place, and no one avenged him. His corpse, like a whale fall, became food for countless weaker beings, simply because he lost in the 'strongest competition'.

Unrestricted death competition!

Every link must exert its utmost effort. Either die, or strive to adapt oneself to this arena, whether adapting as food and nourishment, or adapting by becoming an existence at the top of the food chain.

Is this the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution?

Then... standing at the peak of the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution, is the True Dragon?

Now Li Qi understood.

Why all things in the East Sea aimed to become a True Dragon, and why the True Dragon was so powerful, why it possessed such terrifying talent.

If Li Qi's conjecture was correct, then... the True Dragon was a perfect being, the ultimate product of the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution.

No weaknesses, adaptable to all conditions.

No wonder that 'Dragon Lord' back then could simultaneously adapt to a Divine Dao divine position and a Human Dao official position, and could even refine the East Sea without suffering any backlash himself. Was this the foundation of a perfect being taking effect?

Was the foundation of a perfect being sufficient to allow him to adapt to the conflicts of various Dao paths?

Li Qi suddenly realized the immense help the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution might provide him.

Could this adaptability, combined with the Dao Sect's 'Ultimate Dao', completely solve the problem of conflicting Dao paths within his body?

Li Qi took a deep breath.

However, at this moment, Lei Fang, the Merfolk beside him, saw Li Qi lost in thought and asked: "Sir? Sir? Someone is coming towards us."