76: Chapter 76 Underwater Treasure Hunt: A Hidden Pearl Emerges from a Hidden Ditch

Night in the Yunmeng Great Marsh; the river winds stilled, and frost covered the water's surface. The surroundings were quiet and profound.

The quiet room in the wooden house on the water was sealed by layers of Formations. The "Heaven-Stealing and Day-Changing Array", which had cost hundreds of Low-Grade Spirit Stones to set up, was continuously drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to nourish the Spirit Beast egg at the center of the Formation eye, which possessed an ancient Wind-Thunder Bloodline. As the Formation patterns swirled, lightning arcs flickered, exuding an aura of primordial wildness.

Lin Ze pushed open the wooden door, meeting the early winter chill head-on.

His green robes fluttered slightly, and the thousand illusion mask faded away. Although his handsome face showed the fatigue of days spent setting up Formations, a bright fire burned deep within his eyes.

"The incubation of the Thunder Dragon is now on the right track; the next step is a slow, grinding process, and there is no need to rush."

Lin Ze stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, exhaling a puff of white mist.

In his Dantian Qi Sea, the "Limit-Breaking Heavy Water", refined and repaired by the deep sea ten-thousand-year marrow, rotated slowly, providing immense mana comparable to the Late Stage of Qi Refining. His mana was like an abyss, possessing Endless Vitality.

"The Inner Sea is treacherous, and the Sea Abyss Secret Auction is a bottomless money pit. I spent most of my available funds on that spirit egg. To stand firm in the grand gathering, relying solely on my current foundation is far from enough."

His gaze pierced through the mist, falling toward the Medium Grade Cold Spring Spirit Eye beneath the wooden house.

"It is time to inspect my true foundation."

Lin Ze's figure transformed into a blurry ink wash shadow as he leaped into the Cold Spring.

Splash.

The moment he entered the water, the "Water Spirit Affinity" trait of the Major Achievement level "Azure Wave Art" activated.

Hiss.

Just as he submerged, a low roar exploded underwater.

The water churned, and a mountain-like, dark ink-colored giant beast broke through the undercurrent and swam before him.

It was Xiao Xuan, the Black-Armored Water-Seeking Turtle, who had broken through to the Medium Grade and awakened the "Water Spirit Heavy Armor" talent.

Its back shell was covered with purple-gold Bagua patterns, emitting a heavy luster in the dark water. Its massive head affectionately nudged Lin Ze's palm, stirring up an undercurrent.

"You glutton, I haven't seen you for a few days, and your demonic power has become even more solid." Lin Ze smiled and patted Xiao Xuan's bone spurs before flipping onto the wide turtle back.

"Let's go, to the depths of the earth vein."

Xiao Xuan let out a low cry, its limbs acting like oars, carrying Lin Ze down into the Deep Water Undercurrent, a hundred zhang below the surface.

In the shadow of the man and turtle, a "Green-Scaled Cold Shadow Fish" quietly followed, guarding their flank.

The cold river water swept past, and the surrounding currents grew increasingly frigid.

The deeper they dove, the darker it became, and the water pressure increased violently.

Until they passed through a hidden screen of light—the "Heaven-Stealing and Day-Changing Array" set up by The Old Patriarch.

Inside the array was a profound cave.

The undercurrents were completely blocked here, leaving only the cold aura of the mineral vein.

Clang, clang.

Dull knocking sounds echoed in the deep river.

The "Water Ape Mining Puppet", specially crafted by the Canghai Sect, brandished its giant black iron claws, peeling the glowing black water iron crystal raw ore from the rock wall.

Lin Ze sat on the turtle's back, his Major Achievement level "Water Wave Perception" spreading like an invisible net, covering the periphery of the micro-mineral vein.

The trend of every inch of the earth vein and every trace of Spiritual Qi flow was reflected in his Sea of Consciousness.

"The mining progress is very steady. The Heaven-Stealing and Day-Changing Array has locked the Spiritual Qi tightly, and that Second Grade Great Demon deep in the earth vein is still sleeping."

Lin Ze withdrew his Divine Sense, intending to ride Xiao Xuan back to deduce the Incomplete Manual of the Second Grade Medium Grade spirit ship Formation patterns he had just obtained.

As long as he could comprehend it, the Lin Family's warships would undergo a qualitative leap.

However, the moment he turned around, the Xiao Xuan beneath him suddenly stopped.

"Hm?" Lin Ze sensed something unusual.

Hiss...

A hint of fanaticism flashed in Xiao Xuan's eyes.

Its instinct for sensing water veins had caught a certain aura. With its keen sense of smell, Xiao Xuan discovered something unusual in a hidden sea trench.

It turned its massive body, deviating from the course, and squeezed into a black sea trench filled with poisonous seaweed at the edge of the mineral vein.

"Something is strange!"

Lin Ze's eyes sharpened, the Limit-Breaking Heavy Water circulating on his fingers, ready to strike at any moment.

The sea trench was extremely hidden. If not for the Black-Armored Water-Seeking Turtle's innate intuition, the Divine Sense of a Late Stage Cultivator sweeping over it would only have dismissed it as a dead end.

The water temperature in the trench was several times colder than the Cold Spring outside. The rock walls were covered with black ice, and poisonous algae swayed in the water, exuding a foul, fishy odor.

Xiao Xuan's massive body squeezed through the narrow passage for half an incense stick of time.

The view suddenly opened up.

Lin Ze's breath hitched. At the end of the trench, a natural underwater cavern the size of half a mu was hidden.

There were no dangerous Great Demons at the bottom of the cave; instead, it was covered with a layer of giant clam shells emitting a milky white moonlight.

The shells were as large as washbasins, half-open and half-closed, swallowing and spitting pure water-type Spiritual Qi in the frigid undercurrent.

Accompanied by their breathing, pearls the size of dragon eyes flickered within the clam meat, illuminating the pitch-black cave as if it were a fairy palace.

"This is..."

Lin Ze gasped. Even as a wealthy island master, he was shocked by the sight.

"Moon-Tear Pearl Clam!"

The spirit creature recorded in the Family's "commentary on the yunmeng water classic" flashed through his mind.

However, the pearl clams before him were completely different from the Low Grade Moon-Tear Pearl Clams raised on the main island.

The pearls on the main island were as small as rice grains, and the shells were pale white.

But this group of pearl clams hidden deep in the sea trench had dense blue-black metallic textures on their heavy shells.

Lin Ze leaped off Xiao Xuan's back, swooping to the bottom of the cave, and approached the largest "Pearl Clam King".

His Major Achievement level Divine Sense probed inside, and ecstasy rushed to his head. He had thought there was nothing but iron crystals underwater, but he hadn't expected such a stroke of fortune.

"Mutation. This is a group of Moon-Tear Pearl Clams with deep Bloodline mutation."

Lin Ze's voice trembled slightly.

"They inhabit the deepest part of the mineral vein, not only absorbing the Origin of the extremely cold water element but also absorbing the metal and stone Qi of the black water iron crystal over the years."

"The convergence of fortune has allowed them to break their shackles, and the entire clan has evolved into a mutated spirit clam at the Peak of the Medium Grade."

Lin Ze pointed like a sword, and a drop of Limit-Breaking Heavy Water transformed into a microscopic water blade.

The water blade cut through the undercurrent, prying a dragon-eye-sized pearl from the meat of the "Pearl Clam King".

The pearl was heavy as a thousand jun and bone-chillingly cold.

Natural Formation patterns flickered on the surface, which were the water-type spiritual power circuits bestowed by the fortune of Heaven and Earth.

"Top Grade Formation core material, Black Moon Heavy Water Pearl."

Lin Ze stared at the bright pearl in his palm, his eyes burning with heat.

Ordinary Moon-Tear pearls could only be used as medicine or as currency for Loose Cultivators.

But this "Black Moon Heavy Water Pearl", containing natural Formation patterns, was a supreme treasure for refining Second Grade water-type Formation Plates and Top Grade defensive Magical Artifacts.

A single one sold at an auction house could fetch an astronomical price of dozens of Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The bottom of the cave...

Lin Ze's gaze swept across the scene.

Ten, fifty...

Hundreds of mutated Moon-Tear Pearl Clams lay in the silt.

"I'm rich..."

Lin Ze looked up and laughed silently.

Although the Black Water Iron Crystal Vein was large, the bulk had to be handed over to the Canghai Sect, and the Family took most of the rest, leaving him with only ten percent of the profits.

But this group of mutated Moon-Tear Pearl Clams was different.

They were hidden in a dead corner of the earth vein; they were his own private assets. Obtaining a long-term dividend asset that produced Top Grade Formation Materials for free—the satisfaction was immense.

This was a treasure basin that continuously produced Top Grade strategic resources.

Besides the spirit pearls, these clam shells covered in metallic textures were even better auxiliary Materials for Artifact Refining. If crushed and melted into the Second Grade outer armor of the "flying cloud wave-breaking ship", the warship's defensive power could at least double.

If used to refine the heavy armor for the Black-Armored guards, it would be even more like a tiger with wings.

"If Heaven gives you something and you don't take it, you will suffer the consequences."

Lin Ze waved his large sleeve, and dozens of dark blue Formation Flags shot out.

"Canglang Formation Patterns, Seal Heaven and Lock Earth."

Lin Ze's ten fingers flew, and the mana of the Fifth Level of Qi Refining (Middle Stage) poured out.

Utilizing the accumulated Materials, he forcibly set up a "High Grade Tier 1 · Illusion Water Spirit-Locking Formation" at the entrance of the cave, and Lin Ze decisively set up the Formation to keep them in captivity.

Hum!

The Formation took shape.

The moon-white fluorescence and the strange Spiritual Qi fluctuations within the cave were locked tightly in the depths of the sea trench, unable to leak out anymore.

From the outside, it still looked like the rock wall covered in poisonous seaweed.

After doing all this, Lin Ze let out a breath, his pores expanding with satisfaction.

He walked to Xiao Xuan's side and patted its rock-hard turtle shell.