55: On the banks of the Canglan River, swallowing cinnabar tastes like sugar.
The Canglan River traverses Southern Commandery with torrential waters.
Under the pitch-black night sky, the river surged like an enraged black dragon, roaring and crashing against the shore's rocks, churning up countless white waves. The water here was deep and swift, concealing countless ferocious aquatic Yao Beasts within its currents. Ordinary vessels dared not travel at night.
By the riverbank, within a concealed natural cave.
Lin Que sat cross-legged on a smooth bluestone, listening to the raging torrents outside, yet his mind remained as calm as an ancient well.
"Red-Clothed, guard the cave entrance."
"If any strangers approach, show no mercy."
Lin Que casually scattered a handful of Formation Flags (low-grade warning formations pilfered from the Demon Suppression Division's treasury), sealing off the cave.
"Yes, Master." The Red-Clothed Child Maiden transformed into a red silk ribbon, hovering at the cave entrance. Though instinctively fearful of the surging river, she dutifully widened her ghostly eyes.
Lin Que took a deep breath and retrieved from his chest the bottle of calamity breaking pills obtained from Iron Mountain's Storage Pouch.
As the stopper was removed, a rich medicinal aroma instantly filled the stone chamber.
Inside the bottle were three Medicinal Pills, crimson in color, with violent spiritual energy patterns swirling on their surfaces.
calamity breaking pills, second-grade supreme Medicinal Pills, specifically used to break through Bottlenecks when advancing from Kaiyuan Realm Perfection to the Spirit Sea Realm. Their medicinal potency was overwhelmingly fierce. Ordinary Cultivators only needed to take one pill, required protection from elders, and had to carefully refine it for three days and nights. The slightest misstep could shatter their Meridians.
"One pill? That's for Mortals."
Lin Que looked at the jade bottle in his hand, a flicker of madness flashing in his eyes:
"I cultivate the Secret Canon of Self-Sacrifice, treading the Heaven-Defying path of slaughter. How can a mere single pill forge a supreme Spirit Sea?"
He stood up and walked to the edge of the cave, where a subterranean river connected to the riverbed.
Lin Que flipped his wrist, cut his fingertip, and let a few drops of precious blood, infused with the essence of Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, drip into the subterranean river.
Splash! Splash!
The blood entering the water instantly attracted the frenzy of predators from the riverbed.
In mere moments, countless black waves churned at the entrance of the subterranean river.
Hundreds of Iron-Toothed Piranhas, with sharp serrated teeth and bodies covered in black scales, swarmed in. To compete for those few drops of precious blood, they frantically tore at each other in the water, churning the surface like boiling water.
"The bait has arrived."
A satisfied curve lifted the corner of Lin Que's mouth.
He sat cross-legged again, tilted his head back, and poured all three calamity breaking pills from the bottle into his mouth at once!
Gulp.
If an Alchemist from the Pill Tower witnessed this scene, they would likely faint on the spot.
Taking three calamity breaking pills simultaneously—how is that any different from swallowing explosives?!
Boom——!!
The moment the pills entered his stomach, it was as if a volcano had erupted within his Dantian!
The overwhelmingly fierce medicinal potency instantly transformed into three furious dragons, roaring as they surged into his Meridians. The force was too strong, too violent. Lin Que's incredibly resilient Meridians were instantly stretched to their limit under this torrent, emitting tearing sounds under the unbearable strain!
[Warning! Detected lethal-level spiritual energy turbulence!]
[Source: Overdose of calamity breaking pills (triple dose).]
[Drawback outbreak: Meridians shattered, Dantian self-destructs, body perishes and Dao dissipates!]
[Target locked: Canglan River Iron-Toothed Piranha swarm (malice value 100%).]
[Transfer initiated! Multiplier: Group distribution!]
At the instant before the energy burst that could blast him to pieces, Lin Que inwardly shouted:
"Transfer... NOW!!"
Hum!
Invisible Karma threads, following the subterranean river, instantly connected to the swarm of piranhas frantically fighting for food... underwater.
Those ferocious Iron-Toothed Piranhas were happily fighting over the food.
Suddenly.
Pop!
The strongest Leader Fish's body inexplicably swelled up, like a balloon being overinflated.
Before it could react.
Bang!!
Its body directly exploded, turning into a mist of blood!
Then the second, the third... Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
The originally pitch-black subterranean river was instantly filled with continuous explosions.
Hundreds of piranhas experienced simultaneous internal spiritual energy rampages, exploding one after another! The scene was like setting off the loudest string of firecrackers underwater. Blood instantly dyed the river red, severed limbs and broken pieces washed away with the current, a shocking sight... Inside the cave.
With the perfect transfer of side effects, the three furious medicinal dragons within Lin Que's body were instantly tamed into the most docile sheep.
Devoid of destructive force, only the vast, sea-like pure energy remained.
"Refine!"
Lin Que circulated the Secret Canon of Self-Sacrifice, guiding this immense energy to rush toward his Dantian's Qi Sea.
Crack!
The Realm barrier that had stumped countless Cultivators shattered like paper under the impact of this triple medicinal potency!
Within his Dantian, the originally mist-like True Qi began to frantically compress and rotate.
One drop.
Two drops.
Countless True Qi condensed into dew, converged into streams, and finally transformed into a pool of azure liquid True Essence!
Rushing——
A roaring sound, like a raging river, emanated from within Lin Que's body.
That was the phenomenon of the initial formation of a Spirit Sea!
His aura surged continuously, instantly breaking through the shackles of the Origin Opening Realm and stepping into a brand new world.
Spirit Sea Realm·Early Stage!
But this wasn't over yet.
The medicinal potency of three calamity breaking pills was too immense, coupled with the domineering plundering nature of the Secret Canon of Self-Sacrifice. After forming, Lin Que's Spirit Sea did not stop expanding.
One zhang... ten zhang... thirty zhang... until it expanded to the extreme limit of ninety-nine zhang, the medicinal potency gradually exhausted.
"Hoo——"
Lin Que opened his eyes.
Two three-chi-long substantial beams of essence shot from his eyes, directly blasting two deep pits into the opposite rock wall.
He slowly stood up, feeling his body as light as if it had no weight.
With a thought.
His feet slowly left the ground, and his entire body defied common sense, hovering in mid-air!
Soaring through the air!
This was the hallmark of a Spirit Sea Realm expert, the beginning of transcending the mundane and overlooking all living beings.
"This is the power of the Spirit Sea Realm..."
Lin Que clenched his fist, feeling the liquid True Essence surging like great rivers within his body, at least ten times stronger than during the Origin Opening Realm!
Now, if he encountered Patrolling Commissioner again, though he wouldn't dare claim certain victory, he definitely had the power to fight, and no one could stop him if he wanted to leave!
"Squeak!!"
At that moment, the Little Snow Ferret, who had been lying nearby protecting him (actually waiting for medicinal dregs), suddenly squealed, pointing at Lin Que's wrist.
There, the thousand changes multi-treasure pearl, transformed into a bracelet, was vibrating intensely.
It had finished digesting that quasi-fourth-grade spiritual material—star tear gold.
"You can't wait either?"
Lin Que smiled slightly, stroking the bracelet.
Hum!
A dazzling starlight instantly illuminated the dim cave.
The myriad treasures pearl flew into the air, continuously changing shape within that starlight, finally settling.
No longer a blade, nor a sword.
But a long-handled modao, entirely pitch-black, yet with starlight like crushed diamonds flowing along its blade edge!
The blade was slender and straight, five chi long, with a two-chi handle. It could be wielded with both hands for slashing or with one hand for defense.
The starlight on the blade wasn't decorative; it was the "Qi-breaking" attribute inherent to star tear gold—specifically designed to break protective spiritual light!
Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact (Supreme Grade)—starfall!
Lin Que reached out and grasped the hilt.
A feeling of being connected by flesh and blood transmitted, as if this blade was an extension of his arm.
He casually swung it.
Swish!
Without using any True Essence.
The massive bluestone ahead silently slid apart, the cut surface smooth as a mirror, even retaining a faint trace of starlight.
"Good blade."
Lin Que couldn't put it down.
Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, Spirit Sea cultivation, paired with this "starfall" blade specifically designed to break armor.
He could boldly venture into Southern Commandery City!
"Red-Clothed, return."
Lin Que sheathed the blade (the myriad treasures pearl transformed back into a bracelet) and called toward the cave entrance.
Red-Clothed drifted back. Seeing her master now hovering in mid-air with an aura as deep as the sea, she was so frightened she immediately knelt on the ground:
"Con... congratulations, Master, on achieving divine skill perfection! Ascending to the Spirit Sea!"
"Let's go."
Lin Que wasn't complacent, because he knew this was just the beginning.
He took out that tattered scroll of fallen treasures.
The vortex mark on the map was emitting a faint blue light, pointing to the depths of the riverbed right below this cave.
"The real Treasure Trove is still waiting for us down there."
Lin Que walked to the subterranean river, enveloped himself in a layer of azure spiritual energy shield (Water Avoidance Technique), and leaped in.
Splash!
Water splashed up.
That youth who had stirred up storms in Nanjun Outer City now, like a flood dragon entering the sea, dove into the unfathomable depths of the Canglan River.
Awaiting him would be the peerless Water Mansion left by the Previous Dynasty, and... that earth-shattering secret sealed away by time.