26: Contributions and breakthroughs

"A remnant Formation's protection? An inheritance from predecessors?" Elder Lin Qingsong's gaze was like lightning, scrutinizing Lin Feng.

Although this explanation was a bit fantastical, Black Reef Island was remote, and indeed, many Cultivators had fallen or hidden there in earlier years, so leaving something behind was not impossible.

Most importantly, Lin Feng's cultivation appeared to be merely Qi Refining 4th Stage, his aura steady but by no means astonishing; he didn't look like someone who could Cultivate such Spiritual Plants.

Lin Feng was now at the Qi Refining 6th Stage Realm, but if a Quadruple Spiritual Root Cultivator cultivated too quickly, he would certainly be suspected.

Lin Feng, who followed the Dao of Gou, naturally kept a low profile, operating the Breath Concealment Art at all times.

"Good! Good! Lin Feng, you've made a great contribution!" After a moment of surprise, Elder Lin Qingsong no longer delved deeper.

After all, everyone has their own secrets.

A rare smile appeared on his face, "These three azure jade spiritual peach trees are rich in Spiritual Qi and are at least a hundred years old! The jujube pear trees are also rare treasures! And this jade emperor honey is even more precious! The Family will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

He immediately waved his hand, granting Lin Feng a huge amount of Family contribution points, enough to exchange for several first-tier top-grade Magical Artifacts or Cultivation Techniques!

Given the Family's current predicament, these ten azure jade spiritual peach trees can bear fruit once every three years, yielding ten to twenty fruits each time.

Each fruit can sell for fifty Spirit Stones, meaning at least 5,000 Spirit Stones here, while the crimson flame jujube pear trees bear fruit every five years, also yielding ten to twenty fruits each time, meaning at least 2,000 Spirit Stones here.

If cultivated well, one harvest could bring in 10,000 Spirit Stones, which is nearly one-third of the Family's annual income.

After speaking, he took Lin Feng to meet the Clan Chief.

The Clan Chief was one of the Family's only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and also the eldest of the 'Bo' generation within the Clan.

Speaking of which, Lin Feng had some Bloodline connection.

Lin Feng's grandfather, Lin Boping, was Clan Chief Lin Bozheng's full brother.

Grandfather Lin Boping was harmed by a Yao Beast overseas, and it had been ten years since then.

...

After passing through several buildings, Lin Feng and Lin Qingsong arrived at a crucial Family location—the Ancestral Hall.

Clan Chief Lin Bozheng happened to be inside.

"Qingsong! Why are you so flustered?" Lin Bozheng stroked his snow-white beard.

He was now one hundred and thirty years old, possessing the strength of the Foundation Establishment Peak, which was a prime age for the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Reporting, Clan Chief, great news!" He listed the good things Lin Feng had brought out one by one and handed over the Storage Pouch.

Upon seeing the three Spiritual Qi-rich peach trees with gnarled trunks and unripe fruits, and a vibrant jujube pear sapling, he showed an expression of disbelief.

"Good, good, good!"

A moment later, the Clan Chief exhaled.

"Good child!" Clan Chief Lin Bozheng beckoned to Lin Feng, who stepped forward.

"Clan Chief!"

"Why call me Clan Chief! Lin Feng, why are you so unfamiliar after not seeing me for a few years?"

The Clan Chief looked at Lin Feng with displeasure, his expression unhappy, much like an old mischievous child.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, memories from his past life suddenly surged forth.

"G-Grand-uncle!" Lin Feng seemed a little shy.

"Good child!" The Clan Chief's anger turned into a smile, and he looked at Lin Feng kindly, "You have made a great contribution to the Family!"

...

Something had indeed happened to the Family, but it wasn't told to Lin Feng, as his current 'Qi Refining Middle Stage' Realm on the surface was truly not enough to be considered.

"If the sky falls, we old bones will hold it up.

You just Cultivate well.

When you reach Qi Refining Late Stage, I'll tell you!" The Clan Chief looked at him with a benevolent expression.

Alas! What kind of situation was this?

Next, the Family bestowed a pile of contribution points.

Lin Feng looked around but found nothing worth exchanging for.

He only used a portion of his contribution points to exchange for a copy of the Hundred Fruit Spirit Brewing Recipe from the Family's treasured collection.

This recipe recorded various secret methods for brewing spirit wine using spiritual fruits and spiritual honey, which was the best way for him to process the large quantity of azure jade spiritual peaches and jade emperor honey he had.

He temporarily saved the remaining contribution points, as the Family's treasury currently had nothing he urgently needed.

Back on Black Reef Island, Lin Feng had no more worries.

He took out the Hundred Fruit Spirit Brewing Recipe and studied it, then began to try brewing the first batch of "Azure Jade Honey Peach Brew" using ripe azure jade spiritual peaches and ordinary jade emperor honey.

Although the process was unfamiliar, under the precise control of his powerful Spiritual Sense, it was completed smoothly, now only awaiting the passage of time.

In the following days, Lin Feng's life became even more focused.

His daily Divine Power allocation: one day for Gather Beast to attract Yao Beasts, engaging in combat for tempering and absorbing feedback energy; one day for Rain Prayer, maintaining the vitality of the spiritual fields, ripening spiritual fruits, and nourishing the bee colony; for the remaining time, half was used to circulate the Solid Foundation Method to repeatedly temper and compress Spiritual Qi, and to Cultivate the "Rock Body Tempering Art"; the other half was used for drawing Earth Prison Talismans, studying "Elementary Formation Arts" to attempt more complex Formation patterns, or studying the "Hundred Fruit Spirit Brewing Recipe."

Resources were no longer a concern.

He drank jade emperor honey like water, crimson flame jujube pears nourished his Spiritual Sense, and the pure energy obtained from hunting was like a powerful tonic.

The barrier to Qi Refining 6th Stage had long been broken through by his extremely pure Spiritual Qi; he was now at the Qi Refining 6th Stage Peak, his Spiritual Qi profound and condensed, far surpassing others at the same stage.

His Body Refining Realm had also steadily risen to the 6th Stage Peak, his muscles and bones like iron, his Qi and Blood like mercury.

...

Two years passed.

There, the two azure thunder bamboos were no longer saplings, but had grown to nearly two zhang tall!

Their stalks were thick, their entire bodies a jade-like azure-green, with dense lightning patterns between the nodes, and visible wisps of azure electric arcs leaping and intertwining along the stalks, emitting faint crackling sounds.

The aura they emitted had clearly reached the Second Stage Peak!

Pure and violent Gengmu Thunder Qi permeated the air, even subtly inducing a small-scale Spiritual Qi tide.

A thousand years of heritage, coupled with the nourishment of the Rain Prayer Divine Ability and the strained support of the Spiritual Vein, allowed their recovery speed to far exceed expectations.

"The Spiritual Vein... it can't hold on much longer." Lin Feng sighed inwardly, feeling the faint and struggling pulsation from the first-grade Spiritual Vein underground.

These two azure thunder bamboos were like two giant Spiritual Qi whirlpools, frantically devouring the already sparse Spiritual Qi on the island.

He had tried planting a few more azure jade spiritual peach trees or jujube pear trees, but the growth rate of the new saplings significantly slowed, and the existing Spiritual Plants also appeared to lack Spiritual Qi.

If he forcibly planted more, it might truly damage the Spiritual Vein Origin, leading to more harm than good.

He could only helplessly maintain the status quo.

And Lin Feng...

The accumulated foundation from two years of arduous Cultivation finally reached its Peak on a deep night when the sea winds howled!

Inside the stone house, Lin Feng sat cross-legged, his aura like a boiling ocean, or a volcano about to erupt!

Within his Dantian, the Spiritual Qi, repeatedly tempered and compressed to the extreme by the "Solid Foundation Method," surged and roared like mercury, impacting the invisible barrier of Qi Refining Late Stage!

At the same time, his Qi and Blood rumbled throughout his body, the "Rock Body Tempering Art" operating at its maximum, as if countless small snakes were swimming beneath his bronze-colored skin, his muscles and bones resonating, emitting faint but tough crackling sounds!

"Break!"

Lin Feng roared in his heart, his will like a blade!

"Boom!"

It was as if thunder exploded within his body!

The barrier of Qi Refining 7th Stage shattered in response!

His Dantian Qi Sea instantly expanded, and even purer, more condensed Spiritual Qi surged out like a broken dam, filling his limbs and bones!

His powerful Spiritual Sense also surged, instantly penetrating the stone house, clearly "seeing" the texture of the reefs and the undulations of the waves within a radius of several tens of feet!

Almost simultaneously, his Body Refining Realm also naturally broke through to the 7th Stage!

A tremendous surge of power erupted from the deepest part of his body; his muscle fibers seemed to be reshaped, the density of his bones and muscles increased again, and the bronze color of his skin became more subdued and deep, faintly gleaming with a tough luster!

His Physical Body strength and power dramatically increased!

Qi Refining 7th Stage! Body Refining 7th Stage!

The Double Seven Realm!

Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze brilliant, as if containing a sea of stars.

He felt the surging, vast power within his body; whether it was the total amount of Spiritual Qi, its purity, his Physical Body strength, or the range of his Spiritual Sense, all had undergone earth-shattering changes!

Compared to when he first arrived on Black Reef Island two years ago, it was now a world of difference!

He got up and walked out of the house.

Under the moonlight, the reefs were rugged, and the dark sea churned.

Nearly ten thousand Jade Emperor Bees rested quietly in their hive, restrained by the Jade Emperor Bee Queen.

The two azure thunder bamboos swayed in the night wind, their leaves rustling softly, with faint, fragmented electric arcs leaping, seemingly only one opportunity away from breaking through to the Third Stage.

Lin Feng stood with his hands behind his back, the sea breeze rustling his simple gray Daoist robe.

Two years of dormancy, of silent cultivation, finally saw a Breakthrough today.

Black Reef Island, this former place of exile, had truly become his perfect foundation for pursuing the Dao of Gou, longevity, and accumulating power.

And the path ahead, with the improvement of his strength, seemed to become even broader, but it would also inevitably be accompanied by greater storms.

His gaze was calm as he looked towards the deep darkness where the sea met the sky, a resolute curve forming on his lips.

Qi Refining Late Stage was only the beginning.