14: Chapter 14 The Failure of Hybridization, the Insurmountable Barrier of All Arts

The wind and snow of Yunmeng Marsh finally welcomed a brief pause after experiencing a catastrophe.

On the shallows at the periphery of Reed Island, things were in full swing.

Those five hundred Mortal clansmen, whom Lin Ze had pulled back from the brink of death, burst forth with vitality.

This was thanks to the "Spiritual Liquid Water Area" that had been cleansed by the Major Achievement level "Pure Water Art."

Drinking from it daily, the Mortals not only dispelled the cold poison from their bodies but also became full of vitality and as strong as oxen.

Dozens of sturdy wooden row houses rose from the ground; the young and strong Mortals even used giant stones and Iron Reeds to build a simple breakwater against the wind and waves at the island's edge.

And in the center of the array.

Lin Ze sat cross-legged on a Profound Ice Stone, listening to the faint labor chants of the Mortals outside the array, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes.

"The Mortal infrastructure is on the right track. Next is the leap in my own foundation."

Lin Ze looked inward at his Dantian, where that drop of "Limit-Breaking Heavy Water" was slowly rotating, emitting pressure.

But he knew well that the gap between the Early Stage and Middle Stage of Qi Refining would take too long if he relied solely on bitter cultivation.

"I must earn a massive amount of Spirit Stones to buy high-grade breakthrough Medicinal Pills."

"But ordinary 'Green Jade Cold Fish,' no matter how high the quality, are ultimately only First-Order Low Grade."

"The Family market's purchasing volume is limited, and it's very easy to attract unwanted attention."

Lin Ze's gaze looked toward the depths of the cold spring.

"What if... I could breed the legendary 'First-Order Medium Grade' spirit fish?"

First-Order Medium Grade spirit fish were considered strategic resources in the periphery of Yunmeng Marsh.

Their fish bones and scales were excellent Materials for refining Medium Grade Magical Artifacts.

A single Medium Grade spirit fish was worth at least one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

If they could be mass-produced, Lin Ze alone could rival the foundation of half the Lin Family!

"I have the Major Achievement level 'Fish Rearing Technique,' and even more so its derived freakish traits: 'Bloodline Fine-tuning' and 'Spirit Blood Catalysis.'"

"The heavenly dao panel gives me the confidence to break convention. Why not try... cross-species hybridization?"

No sooner said than done.

He patted his Storage Pouch, and a Sealed jade box flew into his palm.

The jade box opened, and an extremely fierce and violent Demonic Qi instantly filled the entire wooden house.

Inside was precisely the heart's essence blood of that "First-Order Medium Grade Black-scaled Water Python" he had slain by leaping across ranks!

"Snakes are inherently lustful, and the water python is a water-system Yao Beast with extremely tenacious vitality in Yunmeng Marsh."

"If I can fuse this water python's violent Bloodline with the gentle and pure extreme cold Bloodline of the Green Jade Cold Fish..."

"It will surely catalyze a brand-new Medium Grade spirit fish that possesses both a powerful Physical Body and pure Spiritual Qi!"

Lin Ze took a deep breath, his eyes widening.

He pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly flicked toward the cold spring below.

"Splash!"

Two "Green Jade Cold Fish Kings," a male and a female, which were the largest and had the densest Spiritual Qi, were lifted by the water flow and suspended in mid-air.

"Major Achievement · Fish Rearing Technique... Spirit Blood Catalysis!"

"Buzz!"

Lin Ze's hands formed an ancient hand Seal.

Visible golden runes sank into the bodies of the two spirit fish kings.

Under the control of his magical power, two drops of fish essence blood containing the purest life Origin were slowly stripped away.

Next, Lin Ze flicked his finger, and that dark red drop of "Black-scaled Water Python" essence blood flew into the center of the two light blue drops of fish blood.

"Bloodline Fine-tuning, fuse for me!"

Veins bulged on Lin Ze's forehead as he instantly enveloped those three drops of essence blood.

In the microscopic vision of his "Water Wave Perception," a Bloodline slaughter was taking place!

The water python's essence blood wanted to devour those two drops of cold fish essence blood.

"Vile beast, you still dare to be arrogant even in death?"

"Limit-Breaking Heavy Water, suppress!"

The heavy water magical power in Lin Ze's Dantian crashed down.

Faced with absolute power, the water python's essence blood was crushed bit by bit and forcibly interwoven with the light blue fish blood.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

A "Mixed Spirit Egg" the size of a baby's fist, emitting a light that was an interwoven glow of deep blue and dark red, was slowly taking shape!

Through the translucent egg membrane, Lin Ze could even see a strange larva inside with fine snake scales but a fish tail, absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

"It worked?!"

"I can actually break species isolation."

Lin Ze was ecstatic, his eyes full of anticipation for the birth of a new species.

However, just as that hybrid spirit egg was about to stabilize completely and was ready to be born into the water!

"Crack!"

A sound of shattering.

A crack split open on the surface of the Mixed Spirit Egg.

Immediately after.

The water python's violent demonic power, which had been forcibly suppressed, and the extreme ice-cold power of the cold fish produced a rejection at the moment the larva took shape.

"Not good!"

Lin Ze's expression changed drastically, and he desperately urged his magical power to try and compensate.

But the collapse of the Laws of life was far from something that brute force could salvage.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, that First-Order Medium Grade hybrid spirit egg, which carried Lin Ze's infinite hopes, exploded in mid-air!

It turned into a cloud of blood mist and completely dissipated within the wooden house.

Lin Ze's attempt to use the Major Achievement level "Fish Rearing Technique" for cross-species hybridization to breed a First-Order Medium Grade spirit fish ended in a regrettable failure.

"Pfft!"

Under the mental connection, Lin Ze suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face as pale as paper.

He slumped onto the Profound Ice Stone, gasping for breath, looking at the dissipating blood mist with eyes full of unwillingness and shock.

"Why did it fail?"

"My control of magical power was clearly refined to the extreme, and my Fish Rearing Technique has reached the Major Achievement stage. Why was I still unable to reconcile these two Bloodlines?"

Lin Ze wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his brows tightly furrowed.

A long time later.

In the wooden house, Lin Ze let out a sigh.

"I was too idealistic."

Lin Ze shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Although the heavenly dao panel is strong and can increase proficiency just by grinding, allowing me to reach an unprecedented level in 'execution'..."

"But it cannot create 'theoretical knowledge' out of thin air for me."

"The higher the grade, the more it's like walking on a tightrope over a ten-thousand-foot abyss."

Alchemy requires extremely strict Pill Formulas, and Artifact Refining requires exquisite blueprints.

And this spirit pet breeding involves the Laws of life between heaven and earth.

Relying solely on brute force to mix things up, failure was inevitable.

"To truly breed a Medium Grade spirit fish of my own and establish a unique monopoly industry..."

Lin Ze stood up abruptly, his gaze passing through the light screen of the Water-Moon Heaven-Blurring Array, looking toward the depths of Yunmeng Marsh.

"I must leave Reed Island for a trip."

"Go to the outside world, to those black markets where Loose Cultivators gather."

"Or the markets of large Sects, to find those ancient 'Secret Tomes of Spirit Fish Breeding' and high-grade Spirit Medicines used to neutralize Bloodlines!"

With a clear goal, the sense of frustration in Lin Ze's eyes was swept away.

It was time to go and see the true Cultivation World on the periphery of Yunmeng Marsh.

Lin Ze changed into a set of pitch-black night-traveling clothes, turned around, and stepped into the wind and snow.