49: Chapter 49 Peak of Qi Refining Level 4, Looking to the Future

The wind and snow of the Yunmeng Marsh gathered and dispersed, seasons alternating.

In the blink of an eye, it has been nearly two years since Lin Ze arrived at this isolated Reed Island.

Inside the array, in the quiet room of the wooden house on the water, a bronze incense burner emitted curling blue smoke, making this small space seem filled with Immortal Qi.

Lin Ze, dressed in a green robe, eyes slightly closed, sat cross-legged on that Profound Ice Stone that emitted a bone-chilling cold.

At this moment, several jade boxes and Storage Pouches emitting astonishing Spiritual Qi fluctuations were placed in front of him.

Inside were the Spirit Stones he had saved, the mineral vein dividends sent by Great-great-great-grandfather Lin, and even that Tier 1 Medium Grade spirit fruit containing the ultimate water-element Origin... the "ice jade marrow fruit."

"The path of cultivation, it is now time for me to cross this threshold."

Lin Ze's thin lips parted slightly as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. With a wave of his hand, an "ice jade marrow fruit" fell into his palm and he swallowed it.

Boom!

The moment the spirit fruit entered his stomach, it washed through Lin Ze's entire body.

For Lin Ze's Aptitude of a four-element Pseudo-Spiritual Root consisting of water, wood, and earth, the efficiency of ordinary Spiritual Qi absorption was extremely low. However, under the accumulation of such massive resources regardless of cost, the so-called Aptitude barrier was forcibly smashed open with brute force.

"Azure Wave Art... rotate!"

In Lin Ze's Dantian and Qi Sea, the massive Heavy Water Vortex evolved from "Limit-Breaking Heavy Water" erupted with the deafening sound of a tsunami.

It was like a greedy black hole, swallowing the medicinal power and the surrounding water-vein Spiritual Qi without missing a drop.

[Detected that the host is forcibly breaking through the cultivation Bottleneck, resources are extremely abundant...]

Deep in the Sea of Consciousness, the characters on that golden, brilliant [Heaven Rewards Diligence] panel began to flicker.

With every circulatory cycle, Lin Ze's Meridians were widened a bit more, and with every drop of Limit-Breaking Heavy Water condensed, his foundation grew a layer deeper.

Over the past two years, he had tirelessly grinded fish breeding, Artifact Refining, Formations, and water purification techniques. That ultimate insight into the world's water veins transformed at this moment into the strongest blade to break through his shackles.

"Crack..."

As if some kind of shackle had broken deep within his Soul.

In Lin Ze's Dantian, the deep blue Heavy Water Vortex erupted with a vast Spiritual Pressure far exceeding before.

[Cultivation: Fourth-level Qi Refining (Middle Stage) → Breakthrough to: Fourth-level Qi Refining (Peak)!]

Whoosh...

A wave of Spiritual Pressure rippled outward from Lin Ze as the center, even making the sturdy ironwood walls of the wooden house hum.

Lin Ze slowly opened his eyes.

"Perfection..."

He raised his long, fair hands and slightly clenched his fists.

Although his Realm was only the Peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining, with the support of the Limit-Breaking Heavy Water's mana reserves—more than three times that of the same level—his current mana density was definitely enough to face a sixth-level Qi Refining expert head-on without being disadvantaged.

If combined with his superb hundred arts of cultivation and trump cards, he could be called invincible in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

Lin Ze stood up, his figure swaying slightly, a blue ink-like afterimage directly passing through the wooden house's window lattice and landing on the highest point of the water house.

The early summer breeze blew past.

Lin Ze stood with his hands behind his back at the Peak of the roof, gazing down at this "iron-clad territory" that belonged exclusively to him.

On the shallows at the edge of the array, a vibrant atmosphere of life greeted him.

Five hundred Mortal clansmen, led by Village Chief Lin Cang, had already built this place into an indestructible Mortal fortress.

These Mortal youths who grew up drinking "spirit liquid water" were all full of vitality and as strong as oxen.

They wore cold iron armor personally forged by Lin Ze using the black flame artifact refining furnace and held profound iron heavy crossbows in their hands as they patrolled along the water walkway.

That aura of sternness and prowess was by no means comparable to an ordinary Mortal army.

His gaze moved down to look at that Cold Spring Spirit Eye shrouded in Immortal Qi.

"Splash."

Amidst the rolling waves, hundreds of plump Green Jade Cold Fish were swimming happily.

Every single one contained extremely pure water-element Spiritual Qi; this was his inexhaustible living Spirit Stone treasury.

And at the deepest part of the school of fish, a "Green-Scaled Cold Shadow Fish" covered in emerald scales and emitting the terrifying demonic aura of a Tier 1 Medium Grade beast was patrolling its territory like an underwater ghost.

In the nearby deep water area, the Black-Armored Water-Seeking Turtle "Xiao Xuan" lay dormant at the bottom, the purple-gold profound patterns on its shell flickering faintly, radiating the absolute defensive power of Immovable as a Mountain.

"And then there's the trump card in the deepest part..."

Lin Ze's Divine Sense spread downward like spilled mercury, penetrating the deep underground river a hundred fathoms below.

Deep in the earth veins tightly concealed by the "Heaven-Stealing and Day-Changing Array," the Canghai Sect's "Water Ape Mining Puppet" was swinging its giant claws, peeling pieces of raw black water iron crystal ore from the rock walls.

This mineral vein was the destiny of the Linghu Lin Clan's rise and, even more so, Lin Ze's source of wealth.

Not to mention, beneath the water veins within a few miles of Reed Island, the Tier 2 Low Grade "Canglang Sword Array" composed of over a thousand Flying Swords he personally refined was like a dormant peerless Vicious Beast, ready at any moment to grind any incoming enemies into blood mist!

"Two years' time, from a low-level spirit fisherman struggling to survive to a powerful island lord holding heavy troops and controlling a mineral vein..."

Lin Ze looked up at the vast sky of Yunmeng Marsh, his chest swelling with immense pride.

He had already become the most significant core piece with real power on the Linghu Lin Clan's chessboard.

"Skree!"

At the edge of the horizon, a sharp cry of a spirit crane tore through the clouds of Yunmeng Marsh.

Lin Ze's brow twitched as he saw a Wind-Thunder Spirit Crane covered in bloodstains stagger through the passage of the Water-Moon Heaven-Blurring Array and collapse onto the water walkway.

In the crane's beak was an urgent transmission Jade Slip glowing with a crimson light.

"A blood-colored Jade Slip?"

"The Family's highest emergency message!"

Lin Ze's figure flashed, instantly appearing on the walkway.

With a wave of his hand, he drew the Jade Slip into his palm and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The next moment, the slightly weary voice of Patriarch Lin Zhenhai boomed in Lin Ze's Sea of Consciousness:

"Zeler, the situation has changed!"

"The 'Demon Extermination' battle previously led by the Wen Clan was originally a smokescreen to cover up the various clans' resource grabbing."

"But now, several surrounding families such as the Cloud Mist Wen Clan and the Cold-Rock Zhao Clan are envious of the top-grade spirit fish and high-level spiritual materials our Lin Family has been continuously selling in the waters, and they have secretly allied."

"Unable to find out the details of the Black Water mineral vein, they have locked their greedy eyes on your productive Reed Island."

"A hundred warships of the Three-Clan Allied Army have approached the outer waters in three groups under the guise of 'searching for Demonic Path remnants'."

"A 'Spiritual Vein War' sweeping across Yunmeng Marsh is now unavoidable."

"The forces on the main island have been pinned down; Reed Island can only rely on you."

"If things cannot be done, prioritize saving your life."

The light of the Jade Slip faded, turning into a pile of powder that scattered from Lin Ze's fingers.

"Envious of my output?"

"Allied to cause trouble?"

Standing at the center of the storm, Lin Ze did not panic; instead, he gave a cold laugh.

He slowly raised his hand, pointing his fingers like a sword towards the misty depths of Yunmeng Marsh.

The terrifying Spiritual Pressure of the Peak fourth-level Qi Refining, accompanied by a Tier 2 Formation Sword Intent as solid as substance, soared into the sky at this moment, directly shredding the thick clouds above Reed Island.

"Since you think I, Lin Ze, am an easy bone to pick..."

"Then today, I shall use the blood of the entire river to sacrifice to my Great Dao!"

"Xiao Xuan, prepare for battle!"

"Canglang Sword Array... prepare to drink blood!"