47: Breaking through gold

Perhaps the battle of the Salu Archipelago had garnered some small fame, as no blind pirates came to attack along the way, and the fleet arrived smoothly at Iron Sand Island.

Linn, Morton, and the others had long been waiting at the pier to welcome them.

“Young Master, was this trip smooth?” Morton stepped forward to ask with concern.

“Smooth! Old Mo, have some of the grain moved to the warehouse. Take the remaining 2,000 slaves and the rest of the grain to Ironwood Island.” Linn felt that continuing to expand Iron Sand Town was too troublesome and decided to send them directly to Ironwood Island, where there was already a place to live.

“Yes! Young Master.” Morton took the order and, holding an iron whip, shouted at the slaves to unload the cargo.

“Shirei!”

“What are your orders, My Lord!” Shirei, who had returned with Linn, stepped forward and bowed.

“You have now reached Bronze High Rank, and I am giving you an opportunity. As of today, you are relieved of your position as Vice-Captain of the First Squad. Draw 50 veterans from the First Squad and select 250 able-bodied men from these two thousand slaves to form the Third Combat Squad on Ironwood Island. Additionally, requisition several experienced shipbuilders from Great Master Henry to establish a shipyard on-site, saving us the trouble of transporting ironwood back and forth. Do you have the confidence to take on this mission?”

“I will complete the mission even if it costs me my life!” Shirei's voice was powerful and resolute.

Clay looked at this eighteen-year-old boy and sighed inwardly: “Over a year ago, this boy was someone My Lord and I bought together, and now he can hold his own.” As his former teacher, Clay was very happy.

Evan, standing to the side, also excitedly clenched his fists; his brother could now stand on his own, and as long as he performed well, he would also have an opportunity.

“Karl, recommend someone yourself to be your deputy, and then fill out your squad.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Karl had no dissatisfaction with Linn's arrangements. The expansion of the territory's army was also a great thing.

After arranging the affairs, Linn took Elise back to the Lord's lounge.

“That fellow Nocturne's mansion was much more grand!” Linn lamented as he sat on his hard chair!

Elise thoughtfully poured a cup of water for Linn: “Young Master, why not expand Iron Sand Town? Our conditions in all aspects are now mature.”

Linn took the cup and said: “Iron Sand Island is just a transition; our focus isn't here. This land hinders the footsteps of our long-term development.” Linn shifted the topic: “By the way, I told Ocean to investigate the situation of the Shattered Star Archipelago before I left. Is there any news?”

“Young Master, Captain Ocean Jack went into seclusion after you left, wanting to break through to Gold Rank in one go. He sent Vice-Captain Hogan with a group of soldiers to the Shattered Star Archipelago, and there is no news yet.”

“Oh! Ocean Jack is actually about to break through to Gold Rank. That's truly good news.” When Ocean Jack breaks through, Iron Sand Island will have a Gold Rank expert guarding it, and then there will be basically no threat in this Salu Archipelago.

“Young Master! Captain Ocean Jack already has extraordinary talent, and with his unique ocean element blessing plus your fourth-level potion, it's not surprising he's breaking through to Gold Rank. You haven't praised me yet; I've already reached Silver Intermediate Rank.” Elise acted as if she were seeking credit.

Linn hadn't noticed, but using his Soul Power to investigate, he found that Elise had indeed reached Silver Intermediate Rank. “Not bad, not bad, none of you have disappointed me.” Linn dotingly tapped Elise on the head.

Elise did not dodge, her face wearing a continuous, silly smile.

Dismissing Elise and warning that he would be in seclusion for a period and should not be disturbed unless there was an important matter, Linn then turned and entered the breath of life space, sitting cross-legged by the spring.

Dolia immediately sensed Linn's presence and flew over. “Master, you've come. Are you prepared to break through to Gold Rank?” Dolia very much hoped Linn would break through to Gold Rank so she could briefly follow him out of the breath of life space to see the outside world.

“Yes, after using the fourth-level potion last time, I touched the threshold. Taking another bottle this time should allow me to break through.”

“Yay! Good luck, Master. Dolia will be your Protector.”

Linn immediately threw himself into refining fourth-level potions. He planned to refine two bottles as backups in case the elements were insufficient during the Breakthrough.

Linn calmed his heart and focused his mind, adjusting his state to the optimum. With the experience of successfully refining a fourth-level potion before, plus his urgent mindset for Breakthrough at this moment, his movements were even more fluid when he started again. His powerful Gold Intermediate Rank Soul Power meticulously guided the Fusion of the magic plant energy, and the aura of the breath of life naturally permeated it, tempering the violent medicinal properties.

A day later, two bottles of fourth-level 'Barrier-Breaking Potion,' emitting a deep luster and containing restrained energy, were successfully produced. Their medicinal power was even purer than the one he had taken before.

“Success or failure depends on this.” Linn took a deep breath and unhesitatingly tilted his head back to drink a bottle of the potion. Simultaneously, he operated the Meditation Technique he had inherited from Dolia's Legacy, fully absorbing the pure energy gushing from the spring eye in the breath of life space.

The potion entered his stomach and instantly turned into a flood-like heatwave, sweeping through his limbs and bones! Magic power, ten times more vast than that of the Silver Rank, began to surge wildly through his Meridians, impacting that solid and profound Gold Rank barrier. The veins on Linn's forehead bulged, his skin turned red all over, and the space around him slightly distorted due to the violent fluctuations of energy.

Dolia hovered nervously to the side, her small hands sprinkling dots of emerald light, guiding the surrounding life energy to more gently envelop Linn, assisting him in smoothing out that violent medicinal power.

Time passed bit by bit, and inside Linn's body, it was as if a fierce war was being waged. Magic power continuously condensed and impacted; every time, it caused fine cracks in that barrier, yet it was difficult to break it in one go. He felt his Soul Power was also being rapidly consumed, and waves of stinging pain came from his Sea of Consciousness.

Just as he felt his strength failing and the momentum of the impact was about to decline at a critical moment, Linn suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes and unhesitatingly poured the second bottle of 'Barrier-Breaking Potion' into his mouth!

“Boom—!”

Even more violent energy joined instantly, like a bursting flood peak, merging with the previous power to turn into an indestructible giant hammer that slammed ruthlessly against the tottering Gold Rank barrier!

“Crack...”

A crisp sound of shattering, seemingly originating from the depths of his Soul, rang out! That solid barrier that had obstructed him for so long broke upon impact!

In an instant, Linn felt his Soul as if it had broken free from some kind of shackle, suddenly sublimating. His perception became incomparably clear, and the elemental fluctuations within a radius of several miles were all within his grasp. The magic power in his body was no longer a rushing river but had turned into a more condensed, easily commanded power like liquid gold, flowing happily through Meridians that had widened several times over, containing power far exceeding what he had before!

A powerful aura involuntarily erupted from his body, and the pressure of a Gold Initial Rank Mage filled the breath of life space, causing the water of the spring eye to ripple and the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees to sway.

After ten or so days of seclusion, he had successfully broken through!

At the moment of Linn's Breakthrough, the entire breath of life space also underwent an earth-shaking change!

Rumble... The ground trembled slightly, and the boundaries of the space expanded outward at an unprecedented speed! The originally somewhat cramped space quickly expanded; mountains rose from the ground, hills stretched into shape, and a winding river appeared out of thin air, making a gurgling sound as it nourished the newborn land. The forest became denser and deeper, and various rare flowers and exotic plants grew and bloomed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a short while, the area of the space had reached a staggering thirty square kilometers! The ecological environment within it became increasingly perfect, and the terrain and landforms became more diverse, as if it had already become a miniature Small World full of vitality. Its scale and ecological integrity were almost on par with the Iron Sand Island outside!

And in the most core medicinal field area, the changes were even more significant. The life energy contained in the soil became increasingly rich, and the Law power of time acceleration was strengthened. Linn could clearly perceive that the ripening effect of the medicinal field had now increased to a terrifying twenty times! This meant that a magic plant that would take ten years to grow in the outside world would only take half a year to mature here! This would undoubtedly provide almost unlimited raw material support for his future potion refining.

“Congratulations, Master! Best wishes, Master! You have finally broken through to the Gold Rank! The space has also become much, much bigger!” Dolia flew excitedly around Linn, her small face full of excitement and joy. She could feel that with Linn's Breakthrough and the expansion of the space, her own power had also grown slightly, and she was even more eager for the outside world.

Linn slowly opened his eyes, and a golden light seemed to flash through his pupils. Feeling the surging Gold Rank magic power in his body and looking at this vast space that could already be called a paradise, a surge of grand ambition rose in his heart.

The Gold Rank was a threshold of qualitative change. By taking this step, he truly counted as having entered the ranks of the strong, possessing the fundamental strength to establish a foothold in this crisis-ridden Storm Sea Region and even realize greater ambitions. Coupled with the Heaven-Defying twenty-fold ripening ability of the breath of life space, the development of Iron Sand Island would enter an unprecedented fast lane!

He stabilized the aura he had just broken through, and his gaze became increasingly deep. It was time to prepare for the next step of action.