Cultivation begins in the endless sea.

Chapter 71 A Shade of Gloom

"We...come from the cloud..."

"Pfft—!"

It must have been because he had violated a restriction on the soul; the black-clad man's head instantly exploded, and he died...

"this…!"

Lin Canglan was also shocked and furious, a shadow of gloom instantly descending upon his heart.

However, not wanting to disturb Lin Qing at this moment, he waved his hand, putting the corpse into an empty storage bag. After cleaning up the scene, he paced back and forth with a gloomy expression, deep in thought…

Two hours later, Li Yunshang finally completed the initial deduction and modification. After explaining things to Lin Qing and Lin Kaihua and agreeing on a time, she left Linhexuan with her fellow clansmen.

"Finally, the first goal has been achieved."

Lin Qing felt relieved. Ever since the Nine Clans Alliance confirmed with Ancestor Su that the sea monster tide had broken out ahead of schedule, he had been making plans in advance.

The first step is to upgrade your equipment. Armor is the first step; the rest—talismans, potions, and tools—must follow.

The second step is to strengthen talent. Professional personnel should be assigned to provide systematic training to all eligible family practitioners to enhance overall combat effectiveness.

The third step is to forge strong alliances. In addition to the Chen family, it is also necessary to cultivate good relations with other major families as much as possible, so that they can help each other in critical moments.

……

The Foundation Establishment Ceremony concluded amidst great fanfare. Lin Shengyuan, Lin Yunyue, Bai Ling'er, and others had devoted a great deal of effort to preparing for the ceremony, making it a resounding success.

Firstly, the amount obtained from the celebration gift list has exceeded 150,000 spirit stones.

Secondly, the news that the Lin family had two members who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage and ranked third in the Nine Clans Alliance had spread quickly under the Lin family's deliberate guidance.

The benefits to Lin Hexuan in this way are self-evident.

Thirdly, Lin Qing herself has thus initially established a certain network of contacts...

Speaking of this, the Lin family will also be going to the Su family in six months to renegotiate the high seas resource allocation agreement.

Lin Qing sighed softly.

"That's how family cultivation works. In the early stages, the family provides for you, and at a certain stage, you give back to the family..."

"Sixth son."

Lin Canglan walked slowly to him, her brows furrowed with worry.

"That man in black..."

Lin Canglan then explained the interrogation of the man in black to Lin Qing in detail and handed over the round bead.

"These beads..."

Lin Qing's pupils contracted slightly as he suddenly recalled the mysterious scale-like magical artifact of the eagle-eyed man, and the small snail that fell out of the ear of the thin, dark-skinned old man during the battle of the market...

"Are they an organization?"

Lin Qing put away the precious pearl and laid out his guesses. Lin Canglan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"If it really is an organization, then today is probably just a coincidence? After all, our Lin family doesn't have anything that would make them go to such lengths."

"Um…"

"Ancestor, where is the Chen family in Moon Bay?" Lin Qing suddenly changed the subject and asked about the Chen family.

At today's trade fair, the "Golden Silk Sword Nanmu" traded by the Chen family patriarch looks very similar to a certain piece of wreckage from the "Chao Family Ancient Ship"!

When Patriarch Lin Canglan was inspecting the shipwreck's restrictions, he observed the traces left by the underwater currents on both sides of the ship and faintly revealed the character "Chao".

The character "晁" was then engraved on the golden nanmu wood!

That's why, when Chen Enzhi sent a telepathic message to Lin Qing at today's trade fair, asking him to visit the Chen family after he enters the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to help him complete a certain key task, Lin Qing readily agreed.

Afterwards, the grandfather and grandson returned to Wanling Island without stopping. Along the way, they each assigned tasks: the patriarch, Lin Canglan, would go to the Su family six months later to sign the contract. Lin Qing, on the other hand, would remain in Wanling to oversee mining, military training, and other matters…

Of course, after the two finally returned to the top of Tingyun Mountain, the grandfather and grandson took this rare opportunity to discuss cultivation techniques, alchemy, and other issues.

This time, however, it wasn't Lin Canglan narrating and Lin Qing listening. Lin Qing clearly had a superior understanding of the Chonglan Palm technique.

In terms of alchemy, Lin Canglan was still half a step ahead.

Having acquired the Hundred-Year Purple Spirit Grass at the trade fair, and with the addition of his clan's treasures, Lin Qing was now ready to begin further practice of the second-tier alchemy technique.

This time, however, without the massive resources provided by the ancestor, he couldn't squander them as he had the first time. Moreover, the effect of using a first-grade superior-level Yuan-One Cauldron to refine second-grade pills was completely different from using a first-grade mid-level Xuan-Yuan Cauldron to refine first-grade pills.

"Time, time, and more time..."

Alchemy…

Sword Condensation Technique…

Cultivation of the "Mysterious Spirit Beast Suppression Manual"...

Caring for marine mammal eggs...

The condensation of the profound true water...

And the advancement of various clan affairs...

Each and every one of these achievements requires the cultivation of time.

Lin Qing suddenly realized that even after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he couldn't stop his progress.

The grandfather and grandson chatted happily for more than an hour before returning to their respective caves to begin their secluded cultivation.

Lin Qing first used the Water Ball Technique in conjunction with the Gentle Breeze Technique to wash himself up briefly. Then, he sat cross-legged on the futon and took out the "Golden Silk Sword Nanmu", "Sword Stone in the Soil", and "Water Sword Stone" in turn to absorb the sword energy within them, storing it in his dantian and refining it into three-colored sword energy.

……

Meanwhile, in a vast island group nearly 30,000 kilometers from Wanling Island, its core island is shrouded in ethereal beauty, with pavilions and towers scattered in a picturesque and elegant manner…

In the very center of the island sits a spiritual vein of mid-grade fourth rank, brimming with abundant spiritual energy. A single breath of it can prolong life and transform a mortal.

The most spiritually concentrated spot in the mountain range was a huge cave. Inside, white jade covered the ground, and the mountain walls were crystal clear. Every now and then, strands of spiritual energy would drift into a small pool, only to transform back into spiritual energy...

Several water lily-like spiritual creatures bloomed in the small pond; these were the Spirit Lotus Immortal Blossoms, companion spiritual creatures of the fourth-tier spiritual vein.

Legend has it that it was one of the main ingredients in the elixir taken when one broke through the Purple Palace to obtain the Golden Elixir.

Beside the small pond is a three-meter-long and two-meter-wide thousand-year-old white jade bed, on which sits a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a purple robe with a full head of silver hair.

Her purple robe was embroidered with a sky full of stars, and her silver hair flowed and shone brightly; clearly, this white hair was not caused by the exhaustion of her lifespan…

The middle-aged Taoist priest narrowed his eyes slightly, his sword-like eyebrows flying into his temples, giving him an air of authority without anger, and a natural Taoist demeanor.

It was Fang Yuanchen, the current patriarch of the Starry Constellation Sect and a mid-stage Golden Core expert.

Suddenly, a strong voice came from outside the cave.

"Senior Brother Fang..."

Fang Yuanchen suddenly opened his slightly closed eyes, a star-like light flashing in them, making him seem even more mysterious. Then he slowly spoke:

"Are you Junior Brother Zhang? Please come in."

The newcomer was Zhang Yuesheng, another Golden Core cultivator from the Starry Constellation Sect who had recently broken through to the next realm.

Zhang Yuesheng strode into the cave, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings before he composed himself and bowed respectfully to Fang Yuanchen on the white jade bed.

"Senior Brother Fang."

"Junior Brother Zhang, you've only recently broken through to the next realm, why don't you consolidate your position in your cave?"

Fang Yuanchen swept the whisk in his hand, and a white jade stool appeared out of thin air, landing next to Zhang Yuesheng.

Zhang Yuesheng didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly, replying to the point: "Junior brother also wanted to go into seclusion to cultivate, but unfortunately, Junior Nephew Jiang Shoujing has already sent three Golden Message Talismans, so I had no choice but to break out of seclusion."

……