24: Chapter 24 The Dragon Cave Seizes Fortune, The Mineral Vein Startles Mortal Hearts

Deep-water underground river.

Lin Ze sat cross-legged at the break where the demon python had been severed by the heavy water, his fingers stroking the Peak-stage demon core that was covered in cracks yet still flowed with a deep blue spiritual rhythm.

"Huff..."

He exhaled a long breath of turbid Qi. In his Sea of Consciousness, the once-dried drop of Limit-Breaking Heavy Water was emitting bursts of greedy vibrations under the nourishment of this abundant water-element Spiritual Qi.

"The clouds have parted to reveal the moon."

Lin Ze's gaze moved from the demon core to his side.

The water spirit profound fruit was swaying with a radiant glow; three crystal-clear blue fruits each emitted a refreshing botanical fragrance.

This fragrance penetrated layers of water pressure, reaching directly into Lin Ze's mind.

"A Medium Grade Rank One spiritual fruit, and a variant species nurtured by this demon python's natal essence blood for a hundred years..."

Lin Ze licked his dry lips, a flash of decisiveness crossing his eyes.

In this peril-filled deep-water underground river, every second of delay increased the risk of another lurking predator playing the mantis to his cicada.

Without the slightest hesitation, he plucked a water spirit profound fruit and swallowed it along with the deep blue demon core.

"Boom!"

The demon core entered his stomach and instantly transformed into a ball of extremely violent deep-blue ice flames, exploding within Lin Ze's internal organs!

That was the lifelong cultivation essence of a half-step Rank One High Grade great demon. Even though it was now broken, the power it contained was enough to make any Early Stage Qi Refining Cultivator explode and die.

Meanwhile, the medicinal power of the water spirit profound fruit transformed into ten thousand cool silk threads, attempting to repair the Meridians that had been riddled with holes by the impact of the demonic power.

"Azure Wave Art, break the limits... Suppress!"

Lin Ze let out a silent roar in his heart.

His already depleted Dantian transformed into a profound black hole at this moment.

That single drop of Limit-Breaking Heavy Water spun frantically, forcibly crushing and purifying the violent power surging into his body.

One breath, two breaths...

On the surface of Lin Ze's body, a layer of Impurities accompanied by black bruised blood was forcibly expelled, only to be instantly crushed into powder by the surrounding deep-water pressure.

Beneath his skin, a layer of deep blue divine light faintly shimmered.

At that moment, the Heavenly Dao panel in his Sea of Consciousness erupted with brilliant golden light.

[Cultivation: Level 3 Qi Refining Peak → Breakthrough!]

[Cultivation: Level 4 Qi Refining (Early Stage)!]

[Mana Qualitative Change: Limit-Breaking Heavy Water scale expanded, evolving into 'Heavy Water Vortex'!]

Lin Ze opened his eyes, and two deep blue divine beams shot out from his pupils, actually leaving two scorch marks an inch deep on the cave's rock walls.

Level 4 Qi Refining!

As a Cultivator enters the Middle Stage, Divine Sense is born and mana becomes like a stream.

Now, Lin Ze felt that his control over the surrounding water currents had increased by more than tenfold.

If he were to face the Blue-Scaled Demon Python in its prime again, he was confident he could suppress it to death at the bottom of the river within three moves.

...

Before the pleasure after the Breakthrough could subside, Xiao Xuan on Lin Ze's shoulder suddenly became restless.

"Hiss-woo!"

"Hiss-woo!"

The little fellow, who had already developed a hint of the Black Tortoise's appearance, was currently crouching by a pile of rubble at the deepest part of the cave, digging frantically with its claws and even turning its head to wag its tail desperately at Lin Ze.

"Hmm?"

Lin Ze's figure blurred, leaving behind an afterimage of water ripples as he landed beside Xiao Xuan.

With a slight flick of his finger, a bolt of heavy water Qi swept away the rubble.

The next moment, Lin Ze was struck as if by lightning, standing frozen on the spot.

In the cracks of the mottled rock wall, a blue-black Ore was actually revealed.

These Ores were like clusters of crystals, spreading layer upon layer deep into the earth's veins.

They required no firelight; they were themselves devouring the surrounding light, emitting a sense of heaviness.

"This is..."

Lin Ze knelt down and touched that patch of blue-black with his finger, extremely carefully.

The touch was bone-chillingly cold and heavier than ten thousand catties.

"Medium Grade Rank One spiritual material... Profound Water Iron Ore!"

Lin Ze's voice was somewhat raspy.

No, it wasn't just ordinary iron Ore!

In the gaps of the Ore vein, he saw a crystal.

"black water iron crystal!"

"This is a top-tier Ore vein that has produced refined crystals!"

Lin Ze roared in his heart.

Just this section alone was worth at least seventy Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

If it was hidden even deeper in the earth's veins, that would be a Heaven-Defying fortune.

A greed he had never felt before gnawed at Lin Ze's mind.

Lin Ze's hand pressed against the Ore vein.

He remembered the contempt of the young masters from the Lin Family's main branch, and he remembered Manager Lin Hua's gaze, which seemed flattering but was actually monitoring him.

If he had this Ore vein, why would he, Lin Ze, ever need to care about anyone's expression again?

He could even use these massive resources to forge those five hundred Mortals into a heavy-armored navy that could sweep through Yunmeng Marsh!

However, at the very moment his fingertip mana pulsed, ready to forcibly excavate.

His gaze fell upon Xiao Xuan.

And then upon the Blue-Scaled Demon Python.

"Something's not right."

Lin Ze's eyelid twitched.

This demon python had occupied this place for a hundred years; why had it never managed to break through to Rank One High Grade?

Why did it guard this Ore vein but only rely on that single water spirit profound fruit to advance?

Lin Ze closed his eyes, and the Water Wave Perception of his Major Achievement Spirit Net Technique followed the direction of the Ore vein, probing deep into the earth.

"Hiss!"

Lin Ze withdrew his perception, his face pale and his forehead seeping with a large amount of cold sweat.

The moment his perception touched the 'Dragon Head' of the earth vein, he detected the sound of breathing.

That was a rhythm belonging uniquely to a 'Rank Two Yao Beast.'

That demon python was nothing more than a watchdog for the outermost layer of this earth-vein Ore cave!

It couldn't touch this Ore vein at all, nor did it have the life to do so.

"With my current cultivation, if I forcibly excavate here and cause tremors in the earth vein, the monster will wake up within half an hour."

"When that time comes, let alone Reed Island, I'm afraid the entire outer perimeter of Yunmeng Marsh will turn into an asura field."

Lin Ze slowly loosened his grip, his eyes regaining clarity, even carrying a hint of lingering fear.

"Wealth moves the heart, but one must have a life to take that wealth."

Lin Ze stood in place, frantically weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Keeping it for himself meant walking a tightrope; once exposed, death was certain.

In that case, report it?

"Reporting it to the Family will mean giving up the vast majority of the benefits, but..."

A glint flashed in Lin Ze's eyes.

"What I need now is absolute protection and all the resources required for the Middle Stage or even Late Stage of Qi Refining."

"If I can use this Ore vein to trade for The Old Patriarch's 'Dao Heart Oath,'"

"Trade for the Family's promise to help me with all their might to charge toward Foundation Establishment, and trade for the legal 'Lordship' of the hundred miles surrounding Reed Island..."

That would be the true way to cash out!

In the eyes of the Family, the current Lin Ze was just a 'Genius who knows how to raise fish.'

"Great-Grandfather Lin Zhenhai is nearing the end of his Lifespan, but he values the Family Legacy above all else."

"Seventh Great-Uncle Lin Zhenyuan loves talent as if it were his own life."

"And Seventh Uncle Elder Lin Changfeng is upright and protective of his own."

Lin Ze took a deep breath.

He took out the silver Jade Slip of the Secret Method of Profound Water Spirit Cultivation, used his mana to temporarily Seal its original contents, and instead imprinted a segment of imagery.

It was a snippet he had captured in the cave: the fall of the Blue-Scaled Demon Python and a corner of the exposed Ore vein.

"Xiao Xuan, bury this place again,"

Lin Ze instructed.