34: Chapter 34 The Tragedy of the Family, the Burden of Cultivating Two Arts Simultaneously

Feiyun Island, Linghu Lin Clan Ancestral Hall.

This majestic hall, which was only opened for sacrificial ceremonies, had its doors tightly shut at this moment.

Inside the hall, several of the Family's highest-ranking Elders sat together.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A fit of violent coughing ensued.

Sitting below The Old Patriarch, Lin Zhenhai, was an elderly man with gray hair and a frail, skeletal frame.

He wore a crimson Daoist robe. Although he tried his best to suppress it, a trace of charred, black, toxic waste blood spilled from the corner of his mouth with every cough.

This person was the Third Elder of the Linghu Lin Clan, Lin Zhenhuo.

At the same time, he was also the only High Grade Artifact Refiner in the Lin Family since its founding.

"Third Brother, your health..."

Seventh Great-Uncle the Instructor, Lin Zhenyuan, looked pained. He reached out, wanting to channel spiritual power into him, but was stopped by Lin Zhenhuo raising his hand.

"It is useless, Seventh Brother."

Lin Zhenhuo smiled bitterly and shook his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion and unwillingness.

"In my early years, in order to refine those defensive Magical Artifacts for the Family, I forcibly channeled the earth fire, and the fire poison has long since penetrated deep into my marrow."

"Coupled with the bloody battle against the Black Water Gang this time, where I forcibly drove my magic power... this remnant body of mine is nearing its end; I have at most less than two years of Lifespan left."

Once these words were spoken...

The Old Patriarch, Lin Zhenhai, sat in the main seat, his hands gripping the armrests of the grandmaster chair until his knuckles turned white.

"Clan Chief, the 'Heaven-Stealing and Day-Changing Array' on the Canghai Sect side has stabilized. The water ape Puppet under the waters of Reed Island is working day and night, and the raw Ore of the black water iron crystal has begun to be transported back to the secret treasury on the main island."

Lin Zhenhuo panted and took a heavy piece of iron Ore that emitted a blue-black, ghostly light from his Storage Pouch and placed it on the table.

"This is a top-quality material."

"But... but my Lin Family is now guarding this mountain of treasure, yet we cannot even forge a single Flying Sword capable of killing an enemy."

The old Artifact Refiner's voice carried a sense of despair.

If the Lin Family could only secretly sell the black water iron crystal as raw Ore to the black market, not only would the risk be immense, but it would also be a waste of heavenly treasures.

Even more fatal was that the two Second-Grade Low Grade "flying cloud wave-breaking ships" planned for the Family, which were sufficient to dominate the surrounding waters, required their core keels and armor to be personally crafted by their own Artifact Refiner to ensure absolute secrecy.

"What about those young Artifact Refining apprentices in the Family?"

"Can't we pick out someone capable of taking over?"

Lin Zhenhai asked in a deep voice.

"It is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Lin Zhenhuo closed his eyes.

"The path of Artifact Refining places the greatest importance on Divine Sense and Comprehension Ability."

"The control of heat, the engraving of Formation patterns, and the smelting of spiritual Materials—a tiny difference leads to a massive error."

"That bunch of little brats, it's one thing that they blow up furnaces all the time, but they can't even accomplish the most basic 'embryo condensation'."

"Once I close my eyes, the Artifact Refining Legacy of my Lin Family will be completely severed."

Silence returned to the hall.

This was the most fatal weakness of all low-level Cultivator families.

"Since that is the case..."

After a long time, The Old Patriarch, Lin Zhenhai, suddenly raised his head, and two flashes of resolute brilliance burst from his tiger-like eyes.

"Then let Lin Ze do it."

"What?"

"That must not happen!"

As soon as Lin Zhenhai finished speaking, the Elders in the hall exploded in an uproar.

Seventh Great-Uncle the Instructor, Lin Zhenyuan, was the first to stand up, his expression anxious.

"Clan Chief, please think twice."

"A great taboo in the cultivation world since ancient times is to be a jack-of-all-trades but master of none."

"Brother Ze himself possesses a pseudo-Spiritual Root of water, wood, and earth; his Cultivation is already fraught with difficulties."

"He is already dual-practicing spirit fishing and Formation, and even has to divide his attention to manage the Mortals on Reed Island."

"If we make him divide his attention again to learn that Artifact Refining path which consumes the most mental energy and resources..."

Seventh Great-Uncle patted his thigh.

"This is not nurturing him; this is destroying his Dao Heart foundation."

"Indeed, Clan Chief."

Another Elder quickly agreed.

"Greed leads to poor digestion; the technique of Artifact Refining requires vast amounts of time to trial and error."

"Although Brother Ze is gifted in Formation and fish farming, a person's energy is ultimately limited."

Facing everyone's strong opposition, Lin Zhenhai suddenly stood up.

A massive Spiritual Pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage spread out, forcibly suppressing all objections.

"Do you think I don't know this is walking a tightrope?"

The Old Patriarch's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice echoed in the hall like a great bell.

"But besides him, who else do we have?"

"He was on Reed Island, and it only took him one month."

"To grasp the entrance to the obscure and difficult Second-Grade killing Formation, the 'Canglang Sword Array'."

"This kind of 'Comprehension Ability', which can be called a Prodigy level, in the two hundred years since our Lin Family was founded, who could compare?"

Lin Zhenhai stared at everyone.

"My mind is made up."

"Even if we have to pile up resources, even if we have to exhaust all the Mortal iron and spiritual Materials in the treasury to let him blow up furnaces, I am going to bet on his Comprehension Ability."

"Tomorrow, I will go to Reed Island myself."

"If he is unwilling, I will never force him."

"But if he dares to take on this burden, he can squander all the Artifact Refining Materials of the entire Family."

...

The next day, the early spring breeze blew across Reed Island.

In the wooden house on the water.

Lin Ze sat cross-legged, and a drop of dark blue "Limit-Breaking Heavy Water" at his fingertips was rapidly changing shape.

Sometimes it turned into a sharp little sword, and sometimes into a heavy shield.

[Formation: "Canglang Sword Array" (Entry Level) 150/1000]

After this period of day and night deduction, Lin Ze's micro-manipulation of water-type magic power had reached a terrifying Realm.

"The power of the Canglang Sword Array is indeed immense, but currently, it can only gather swords from water."

Lin Ze frowned slightly.

"If I could have a real top-quality Flying Sword as the array eye Magical Artifact, the power of this Formation could at least triple."

"It's a pity that the Flying Swords on the market are too expensive, and I cannot sell High Grade spirit fish on a large scale to avoid suspicion..."

Just as Lin Ze was thinking.

"Hum..."

The Water-Moon Heaven-Blurring Array transmitted a palpitation.

Lin Ze scanned with his Divine Sense, stood up quickly, and went out to meet the visitor from the wooden house.

A long rainbow descended from the sky; it was The Old Patriarch, Lin Zhenhai, with a grave expression.

"Grand-grandfather, why have you come in person?"

Lin Ze bowed respectfully.

Lin Zhenhai did not engage in small talk, walked into the wooden house, and set up a sound-insulation barrier.

He looked at Lin Ze, seemingly brewing on how to speak.

"Ze'er, the Family... has encountered an insurmountable obstacle."

The Old Patriarch's voice was low as he revealed everything: Third Elder Lin Zhenhuo's dwindling Lifespan, and the desperate situation where the Family possessed a mineral vein but had no one to refine artifacts.

Listening to his grand-grandfather's account, Lin Ze lowered his eyes, and the expression on his face gradually became "grave".

But in reality.

His hands under his wide cyan robe were already trembling slightly because of extreme ecstasy.

Artifact Refining?

Among the hundred arts of cultivation, it was the most money-burning, but also the most lucrative ultimate craft.

What was Lin Ze lacking the most?

It was not Comprehension Ability, not time, but the [Proficiency Materials] needed for crazy trial and error in the early stages.

The Family actually wanted to give him the Materials of the entire Family for free to build?

How was this an insurmountable obstacle?

"Ze'er, grand-grandfather knows this is very selfish."

Lin Zhenhai looked at Lin Ze's "silent" appearance, a flash of guilt appearing in his eyes, and his tone carried a hint of pleading.

"Among the hundred arts of cultivation, Dual Cultivation is already the limit. If you also take up Artifact Refining, it is very easy to destroy your Dao Heart and drag down your Cultivation."

"However, that black water iron crystal vein cannot always be piled up in a sunless secret treasury."

He took two things out of his Storage Pouch.

The first was a dark red, heat-radiating First-Grade High Grade black flame artifact refining furnace.

The second was a strange piece of metal that was pitch black like ink, with water light faintly flowing on its surface.

As soon as this metal appeared, the water-type Spiritual Qi in the wooden house gathered towards it, emitting a humming sound.

"This is deep water cold iron, a top-quality Artifact Refining spiritual Material that I obtained in my early years by going deep into the inner sea of Yunmeng Marsh, at the bottom of a ten-thousand-year cold pool."

Lin Zhenhai looked at Lin Ze.

"It naturally fits water-type magic power and is the most coveted primer for refining water-type Flying Swords."

"This piece alone is worth thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones and is priceless."

Lin Ze knew the time was right.

He raised his head.

"Grand-grandfather..."

Lin Ze's voice was slightly hoarse.

"Grandson's Aptitude is dull; being where I am today is entirely due to the Family's all-out cultivation."

"Now that the Family is in a life-and-death crisis, as a descendant of the Lin Clan, how can I cherish my own feathers and seek comfort?"

"The Dao is difficult, and dual practicing the hundred arts is certainly extremely dangerous."

Lin Ze stepped forward and pressed his hands on the scorching black flame artifact refining furnace, letting the temperature burn his palms.

"But this responsibility of Artifact Refining, grandson accepts it."

"Even if I exhaust my heart's blood and my Dao Heart foundation collapses, grandson will definitely forge a path to the heavens for the Family."

These righteous words made The Old Patriarch, Lin Zhenhai's eyes turn red instantly.

"Good... good child..."

Lin Zhenhai was trembling with excitement, holding Lin Ze's shoulders with both hands.

"The Family will absolutely not treat you unfairly."

After leaving behind a huge Storage Pouch filled with a massive amount of Mortal iron Ore and countless Jade Slip blueprints.

The Old Patriarch left in a hurry, filled with emotion and expectation, to allocate subsequent resources for the main island.

The door of the wooden house slowly closed.

The sound-insulation Formation rose again.

Lin Ze, who had just been "sad and resolute", suddenly had his mouth curve upward crazily the moment The Old Patriarch's aura completely disappeared from Yunmeng Marsh.

He even couldn't help but stretch long, his bones making a burst of cracking sounds.

"Dao Heart foundation collapses?"

"Greed leads to poor digestion?"

Lin Ze looked at the priceless black flame artifact refining furnace in front of him, as well as the pile of Mortal iron Ore beside it, which was like a small mountain and weighed a full thousand catties for practice.

His consciousness instantly sank into his mind.

The golden, dazzling [Heaven Rewards Diligence] panel burst into a hum the moment it sensed the artifact furnace and the blueprints.

[Detected First-Grade High Grade Artifact Refining equipment, massive basic diagrams...]

[Hundred Arts · Artifact Refining module, officially activated.]

[Hundred Arts: Artifact Refining Technique (Not Entered) 0/100]

Looking at the cleared progress bar on the panel, ambition ignited in the depths of Lin Ze's eyes.

In his eyes, as long as there were enough Materials for him to grind.

Even if it were a piece of the most ordinary scrap iron, he could forcefully forge it into the attributes of a divine weapon.

"The sword array lacks Flying Swords?"

"I will tailor-make ten thousand top-quality Heavy Water Swords for myself, letting the power of the Canglang truly cover the sky and sun."

"The Family lacks warships?"

"Wait until I grind this Artifact Refining Technique to Major Achievement, or even Perfection..."

"I will let all the Sects of Yunmeng Marsh know what it means to be an iron behemoth armed to the teeth."

Lin Ze flicked his cyan robe and slammed his hand onto the furnace door of the black flame furnace.

"Limit-Breaking Heavy Water, turn extreme cold into earth fire."

"Open the furnace."