10: Chapter 10 Azure Waves and Heavy Waters, A Bountiful Harvest

The qualitative change brought by [Cultivation Technique: Azure Wave Art (Limit-Breaking)] gave him, a bottom-tier Cultivator originally limited by a "False Spiritual Root," a terrifying foundation comparable to geniuses with Variant Spiritual Roots.

Just then.

Splash!

A huge splash suddenly erupted from the deep blue cold spring beneath the terrace.

A massive creature clumsily crawled out of the water onto the bluestone-paved shore.

It was none other than that Black-Armored Water-Seeking Turtle, Xiao Xuan!

Over the past five months, Lin Ze had been feeding it the flesh of the Black-scaled Water Python he had slain earlier, along with numerous other low-tier water demons.

In addition, he used the [Beast Taming Art] daily to refine its Bloodline.

The little fellow's size had exploded, growing three times larger!

Its originally dark green shell had now completely transformed into a dark gold color, as if cast from ancient bronze.

The natural Bagua patterns interwoven on its back seemed to contain some profound truth of the Earth and Water elements, exuding a terrifying aura.

Wuu!

Xiao Xuan affectionately crawled beneath the wooden house, lifting its head toward Lin Ze on the terrace and letting out a low growl, as if showing off the "invincible armor" it had gained over these past few months.

"You clumsy fellow, is your skin itching for a beating again?"

Lin Ze couldn't help but laugh.

He knew that since the little guy's shell had evolved and it had awakened a trace of the [Immovable as a Mountain] Bloodline trait, it was extremely eager to test its defensive power.

"Fine, I'll grant your wish today."

"Take a finger from me!"

Lin Ze didn't stand up; he simply pressed his index and middle fingers together. He didn't even use the Perfection-level Water Arrow Technique, instead just mobilizing a sliver of mana to form a gust of Qi, flicking it toward Xiao Xuan's shell.

Clang!

The sound of clashing metal boomed by the cold spring!

Sparks flew in all directions!

That finger Qi, powerful enough to pierce refined iron at the third level of Qi Gathering, only left a white mark on Xiao Xuan's dark gold shell!

And Xiao Xuan didn't even retreat half a step; it even squinted its small eyes as if enjoying the sensation.

Hiss... What a perverted defense!

Lin Ze sucked in a breath of cold air, but his eyes were filled with wild joy.

"With its current defense, even a Cultivator in the Middle Stage of Qi Gathering hacking with all their might probably couldn't break through!"

"With this meat shield standing in front, I, the 'Spell Cultivator Turret,' finally have a true environment to deal damage!"

With his spirit pet reaching such heights, his confidence surged.

His true trump card, the core of his frantic, sleepless efforts over the past few months... was that pond full of spirit fish!

Lin Ze slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the terrace, looking down.

His consciousness lightly swept over the panel in his mind.

[Art: Fish Rearing Technique (Major Achievement) 0/1000]

[Effects: Spirituality Stimulation, Bloodline Fine-tuning, Spirit Blood Catalysis]

During these long five months, Lin Ze had transformed into a soulless proficiency-grinding machine, finally forcing this common Fish Rearing Technique into the unprecedented "Major Achievement" Realm!

The awakened [Spirit Blood Catalysis] trait was practically a Heaven-Defying cheat that broke the common sense of the cultivation world.

Splash, splash...

With a thought from Lin Ze, his hands formed an ancient hand seal, and he pointed lightly toward the cold spring below.

The originally calm and deep cold spring instantly seemed to boil.

Hundreds of slender spirit fish, their scales shimmering like top-grade emeralds, vied to leap out of the depths of the spring water.

Plop, plop!

Each spirit fish was as thick as an adult's forearm.

Even more shocking was that as they leaped out of the water in schools, a cloud of Spiritual Qi actually formed above the cold spring!

This was a phenomenon of converging Spiritual Qi that only occurred when spiritual items were fully matured, their internal Qi filled to the limit, and their Bloodlines were pure!

"Green Jade Cold Fish... my first batch of fast-growing spirit fish has fully matured!"

Lin Ze's breathing instantly became hurried.

Under normal circumstances, it would take a full three years for Green Jade Cold Fish to grow from fry to this mature stage where they could be used for medicine or food.

Moreover, during those three years, they were extremely susceptible to changes in water quality, cold currents, and being devoured by Yao Beasts; a survival rate of forty percent was something to thank the heavens for.

But with Lin Ze!

Using his perverted panel and his Major Achievement-level Fish Rearing Technique, he had compressed that long three-year cycle into a mere five months!

Furthermore, due to the protection of the Water-Moon Heaven-Blurring Array, the survival rate was a terrifying eighty percent!

"The 'Spirit Blood Catalysis' of the Major Achievement Fish Rearing Technique didn't just accelerate their growth; it even subtly fine-tuned their Bloodlines."

"The quality of this batch of fish is definitely the best among a myriad of first-order Low Grade spirit fish!"

Unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, Lin Ze turned and walked back into the wooden house, taking out an account book and a cinnabar brush from his Storage Pouch.

In the 'Low-key Farming' style, what was the most satisfying moment?

It wasn't killing someone of a higher level or obtaining a divine weapon, it was... doing the accounts!

Lin Ze licked his dry lips, his brush tip flying across the paper.

"In the cold spring, there are currently a total of exactly three hundred mature 'Top-Grade Green Jade Cold Fish' surviving."

"At the Feiyun Island Family market's purchase price, it takes roughly three ordinary Green Jade Cold Fish to exchange for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone."

"But my batch of fish has fattier meat, purer Qi, and because they've absorbed my Major Achievement-level water-attribute mana year-round, they even carry a trace of a rare extreme cold attribute, making them excellent for refining water-attribute Medicinal Pills."

"If those old fellows in the Family's Alchemy Hall see this, they'll definitely pounce on them like sharks smelling blood."

"Conservatively estimating, each of my spirit fish is enough to exchange for half a Low-Grade Spirit Stone!"

"Three hundred fish means a total of one hundred and fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

One hundred and fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

When this number landed on the paper, Lin Ze's hand holding the brush couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"According to the rules set by The Old Patriarch back then, Cultivators stationed on islands for reclamation need to hand over eighty percent of the island's output to the Family."

Lin Ze shifted his brush and continued calculating.

"Even if I hand over eighty percent, I can still legally and rightfully keep twenty percent for myself!"

"That's a net profit of exactly thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Plus my double monthly stipend for being stationed on the island over these five months, and the Yao Beast Materials I saved from killing the water python and other beasts last time..."

Lin Ze sucked in a breath of icy air, his eyes as bright as the stars in the sky.

"My current total personal assets are approaching forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

This was definitely a huge sum that would drive even a Middle Stage Qi Gathering Cultivator crazy!

Remember, back at the Family square, that young master from the main branch who mocked him had a cultivation at the fourth level of Qi Gathering, yet his monthly stipend was only a mere three Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

To buy a first-order Medium Grade Magical Artifact, he would have to kowtow and plead with his elders and borrow money everywhere.

Even Sixth Aunt, with her fifth-level Qi Gathering cultivation, could only squeeze out ten Spirit Stones for him by living frugally.

And now, his net income for one month far exceeded the results of several years of bitter cultivation by those peers who stayed on the main island and called themselves geniuses.

"This is the charm of the farming style."

"No need to fight in dangerous places, no need to look at others' faces, and no need to scramble for those illusory opportunities."

"Just give me a piece of land, a spring, and a panel."

"I, Lin Ze, can pave a heavenly path with Spirit Stones right here in the depths of this marsh."

Lin Ze closed the account book and laughed toward the sky.

Dopamine secreted wildly in his brain; the ultimate thrill of "making a fortune in silence" and "dimensional reduction strikes" made every pore in his body relax.

With this sum of Spirit Stones.

He could go to the Family's Hall of Merits to exchange for the highest-grade Qi Gathering Pills, eating them like candy to forcibly break through the cultivation shackles of his Water-Wood-Earth triple False Spiritual Root.

He could buy first-order High Grade or even second-order Formations to turn Reed Island into a truly impregnable fortress.

"However..."

After his laughter, Lin Ze calmed down.

"An ordinary man is innocent, but carrying a treasure makes him guilty."

"Producing three hundred top-grade cold fish in five months—such a shocking speed would definitely not bring rewards if exposed directly to the Family's upper echelons, but rather endless suspicion and interrogation."

"They might even suspect I've been possessed by some old monster."

"The truth of the low-key path: only ever expose a level of 'Genius' that others can accept, while keeping your true trump cards buried deep underground."

"Three hundred is too many. The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind."

"I only need to show the Family two hundred fish."

"The remaining one hundred will be my top-secret private property, kept to be refined by myself later or to be sold secretly at a Loose Cultivator's black market in the distance when the Opportunity arises."

Having made up his mind.

Lin Ze didn't hesitate; his hands formed seals, and the Major Achievement-level [Spirit Net Technique] was instantly activated!

A giant net sank to the bottom of the water.

Under the control of [Water Wave Perception], he drove the three hundred fattest, largest, and most Qi-rich "fish kings" in the pond into the deepest part of the cold spring.

There was a hidden underwater karst cave leading deep into the earth's veins, which Xiao Xuan had secretly excavated.

After driving the three hundred fish kings inside, Lin Ze pointed his fingers like a sword, mobilizing that drop of "Limit-Breaking Heavy Water" in his Dantian.

"Seal."

A layer of hidden Restriction composed of heavy water mana sealed the entrance to the cave.

This Restriction could not only isolate Spiritual Qi fluctuations but also carried terrifying gravity; unless a Foundation Establishment Stage grand Cultivator personally went underwater and searched inch by inch, they would never find this staggering wealth.

Having finished all this, Lin Ze clapped his hands and looked at the remaining two hundred slightly more "ordinary" Green Jade Cold Fish in the pond, nodding in satisfaction.

"Two hundred fish as a five-month harvest."

"It shows my diligence in bitterly practicing the 'Fish Rearing Technique' day and night, living up to The Old Patriarch's regard, without appearing too monstrous."

"Just right."

Everything was ready, only the final touch was missing.

Next was waiting for the Family's "Inspection and Supply Ship," which came once every three months but was now delayed by over two months due to the beast tide and snowstorms.

"Calculating the time, it should be here within these few days."

Lin Ze stood on the terrace with his hands behind his back, his green robes fluttering in the breeze blowing into the Formation.

However.

At the very moment this thought flashed through his mind.

Wuu!

From within the vast wind and snow in the far distance of Yunmeng Marsh.

The sound of a conch horn suddenly drifted over.

A Spiritual Wood Tower Ship, ten zhang long and flying a large flag with the character "Lin," was breaking through the thick floating ice on the river, heading toward Reed Island.

Lin Ze's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Finally here."