Chapter 464: Shuang Tu - Hen Fa, You Hid Them in Vain

Master Cai Jing stared at the metal door before him. Though disappointment gnawed at his heart, his expression remained composed, “At least this proves our strategy was correct.”

Ever since he'd altered his excavation approach and recruited numerous potion apprentices, progress on cracking the legacy left by Fan Sheng Za Zhong had accelerated dramatically.

Master Cai Jing exhaled a breath of stale air before calmly analyzing, "Thanks to the ice-preservation techniques you provided, we kept the grafted magic plants alive, allowing them to gain temporary recognition from the inheritance door. But precisely because of this, we ultimately failed at the final step."

Fan Sheng Za Zhong's assessment required the heir to master grafting techniques and cultivate grafted magic plants that met specific standards.

Master Cai Jing had not truly met this standard. He achieved results through extensive cultivation: first performing initial grafting on a large number of magic plants, then selecting the healthiest specimens for forced maturation and secondary grafting to produce inferior magic plants.

These plants were unstable and could not survive long-term. After a certain period, they would collapse, wither, or die on their own.

Da Bei proactively employed his ice-preservation alchemy, a relatively advanced technique within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Alchemy Guild. To a certain extent, this technique stabilized a life form's condition.

After applying the ice-preservation alchemy, the survival period of the grafted magic plants significantly increased, and their stability markedly improved.

During the inheritance door's inspection, the vast majority withstood the test, failing only at the very last moment.

Da Bei was still pondering the cause of failure when Master Cai Jing's words suddenly sparked an epiphany. He realized: "The yellow light represents the sun, containing restrained heat. Therefore, it counteracted the ice-preservation alchemy, causing the magic plants to reach their time limit prematurely and collapse automatically!"

Da Bei frowned as he spoke.

This was troublesome.

The ice-preservation technique stabilized a life form's condition using freezing principles. This approach directly conflicted with solar rays.

“We'll likely need to explore another direction to solve the final puzzle,” said Da Bei.

Zhong Bei suddenly suggested, “I think the bloodline stabilizer should work!”

“The reason Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong's grafting and cultivation techniques are unstable and prone to collapse is because the grafted magic plants have bloodline conflicts.”

“I've already discerned that Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong's purpose in grafting is to leverage bloodline synergies, either to enhance a specific plant or create intricate collaborations between multiple plants, achieving a positive feedback loop.”

"Take grafting Life Papyrus onto Earth Rootstocks, for instance. Life Papyrus doesn't lack fertility, but it still requires sunlight. So, he grafted on Shimmering Bead Flowers, drastically reducing Life Papyrus's need for sunlight, even allowing it to survive long-term in shaded environments."

"Our grafted magic plants collapse easily precisely because of bloodline conflicts. Wouldn't the bloodline stabilizer solve this problem perfectly? "

“Good.” Da Bei nodded, his gaze filled with satisfaction as he looked at his son.

Master Cai Jing remained serene.

The bloodline stabilizer was primarily a magic potion for those experiencing bloodline awakening or mutation.

Bloodline mutations were rare, but awakenings were quite common.

Among the lower and middle classes, bloodline awakenings were infrequent, yet they occurred relatively often among the upper echelons.

In large clans like the Li Jian Clan, bloodline concentration was exceptionally high. As clan members matured, their bloodline concentration often reached a threshold that triggered awakening. (Of course, post-awakening bloodline concentrations varied widely. 100% concentration was considered the optimal outcome.)

At this stage, using bloodline stabilizer offers them significant advantages.

Master Cai Jing stated, “I do not possess the formula for bloodline stabilizers. Even if I did, refining such a high level potion would consume far too much time

Zhong Bei's expression shifted slightly. He noticed Master Cai Jing showed no hint of surprise, clearly having already considered this option.

Suddenly, Zhong Bei understood why Master Cai Jing had invited him and his son to collaborate.

The next moment, Zhong Bei proactively suggested, “Crafting high level potions often requires extensive practice and significant investment of manpower and resources to achieve a certain success rate.”

“We don't have much time now. There's no need to attempt brewing it ourselves. We can simply acquire it externally.”

“Every major family requires this potion. While most clans keep some stockpiled, it's rarely found on the open market.”

“But if we're talking about the largest reserves, our Alchemy Guild holds the most.”

“With my father and I stepping in, we can contact the guild. Given our standing, we can secure a batch of bloodline stabilizers directly from the Alchemy Guild at cost price!”

Master Cai Jing smiled at Zhong Bei's initiative. "My collaborations with your father have always been pleasant. Young man, you're sharp-witted, quite impressive. Let's proceed this way."

“Money is a minor concern. The real question is: how many units should we acquire?”

"Too few, and we risk failing to secure the inheritance. Too many, and we risk triggering an investigation by the Alchemy Guild."

At this point, Da Bei knew it was his turn to speak.

He declared, “Then I'll put my reputation on the line this time. I'll secure the maximum number of bloodline stabilizers and delay any related investigation!”

Master Cai Jing laughed heartily, finally satisfied. He addressed Da Bei: "Then I'll leave it to you. Remember, the sooner the better!"

Having attained gold level, Master Cai Jing was no ordinary figure.

Through a legendary inheritance he hadn't yet secured, he borrowed the power of Da Bei and Zhong Bei, using the father-son duo as bridges to leverage the might of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Alchemy Guild. This would aid him in conquering the inheritance trial.

At the same time, in the wild duel arena.

“Watch out!” The spectating Spring Boxer couldn't help but utter a low cry.

From the waiting room, he stared intently at Lan Zao battling in the arena.

The environment of the wild duel arena had transformed into a fully submerged underwater setting.

Deep blue seawater churned violently as Lan Zao darted through it like a swift fish.

His opponents in this battle were two ferocious sharks of iron level and bronze level.

Yes, two!

One iron level, one bronze level.

Being of the same species, they showed no signs of infighting. They attacked Lan Zao in tandem, one from the front, one from the rear.

Lan Zao's precarious situation had Spring Boxer and many other spectators on the edge of their seats.

Of course, those who had bet on the sharks were abnormally excited.

Just as the vicious sharks were about to pounce, Lan Zao suddenly darted away, deftly evading them. Instead, the two sharks, charging with too much momentum, couldn't dodge in time and collided with each other.

Lan Zao seized the opportunity to swing his blade fiercely.

He targeted the iron level shark primarily, carving three fresh gashes into its body.

Blood spurted from the wounds, the searing pain driving the shark into a frenzied rage, its attacks growing even more savage. The surrounding seawater churned violently, forming chaotic, fleeting eddies.

“I can do this!” Lan Zao's confidence surged.

He danced with the sharks.

He skillfully harnessed the turbulent currents churned by the shark. He used the currents to accelerate his evasive maneuvers and even leveraged them to propel his curved blade strikes.

Spectators couldn't help but cheer. Such an exhilarating battle had many engrossed, some even gesticulating wildly in the viewing room.

To many, the blood-red water obscured their vision. The sharks coordinated seamlessly, constantly circling for surprise attacks. Lan Zao seemed to be walking a tightrope on the edge of a cliff—one misstep could cost him his life.

But in Lan Zao's perception, it was an entirely different story!

He felt steady.

No matter how chaotic the surrounding sea became, it was his ally. Since his awakening, his field of vision had expanded vastly. Even what lay blind behind him, the currents stirred by a shark's attack, warned him of impending danger.

At that moment, Lan Zao felt like a child of the water, this place was like his domain. Every enemy movement was within his grasp.

"The Fluid Perception talent may not be directly offensive, but it's incredibly useful! It's incredibly practical!" Lan Zao marveled.

Amidst his heartfelt admiration, Lan Zao delivered a fatal blow to the iron level shark.

As his body crossed paths with the vicious shark, the bronze level curved blade in his hand plunged into its flesh. It sank almost entirely, leaving only the hilt protruding from the shark's body.

A bronze level curved blade couldn't easily pierce an iron level shark, but Lan Zao's previous attacks had already inflicted numerous wounds of varying depths on the iron level shark.

He aimed precisely at one of the deeper wounds, thrusting the curved blade into the shark's body and accurately piercing its internal organs.

The vicious shark lashed out frantically in its death throes.

Yet the chaotic currents it stirred only enhanced Lan Zao's mobility.

Half a minute of frenzied struggle drained the shark's last ounce of vitality.

With the iron level shark gone, the remaining bronze level shark stood no chance against Lan Zao.

It didn't take long for Lan Zao to dispatch the last one.

Lan Zao was thoroughly satisfied with the outcome of the battle.

“Possessing the ability to sense currents makes fighting in the ocean feel like cheating.”

“Most crucially, I didn't expose my Air Cannon's new alchemy projectile in this fight. That trump card remains in my hand.”

To be honest, when the battle began, Lan Zao had felt uneasy facing the two sharks.

But after this fight, it was as if he had undergone a baptism, breaking through some invisible barrier and gaining immense confidence.

His bloodline had already shattered his former physical limits.

The psychological barriers, however, required him to overcome them one by one.

“100%”

“This is the power of 100% Fish Bladder bloodline. At this concentration, the Fluid Perception talent proves astonishingly potent.” Bing Xiao watched the battle with equal parts astonishment and delight.

The human ringleader remained expressionless: "It's still thanks to Hen Fa's innate combat talent that he could elevate his strength so rapidly. Of course, his newly acquired iron level leather armor proved invaluable in this fight."

The Bayonet Gang had been quietly looking out for Lan Zao.

Thus, they were well aware of how he'd won a piece of iron leather armor through a tavern wager.

The human ringleader continued, "Hen Fa has defeated his opponent again this time, securing considerable funds. The black market on Flower Skirt Island is about to open. He'll likely acquire more gear there. He's entered a positive feedback loop, breaking free from his initial period of weakness. If we let him develop like this..."

The human ringleader trailed off, his words hanging in the air.

Bing Xiao understood the unspoken meaning and nodded slightly. "We must indeed invest while he's still vulnerable. Once he grows powerful, our efforts will yield half the results with twice the effort."

Bing Xiao himself valued Lan Zao's talent and held him in high regard.

Not long ago, he received a reply from the Axe Gang. Their background check on Hen Fa had allayed most of his suspicions.

With Lan Zao's background cleared, Bing Xiao began his recruitment efforts.

“Recruiting Hen Fa now would significantly boost our underwater combat capabilities.”

"Though the Bayonet Gang once controlled Snow Bird Harbor, we didn’t have many genuine sailors. Now our numbers are even thinner."

“Per our current plan, we'll be developing operations on Flower Skirt Island for a while. That means frequent voyages and making our living on the water.”

“Hen Fa's future is assured. If he develops smoothly, he'll undoubtedly become a silver level ringleader.”

“Another point: Hen Fa has already made a name for himself through wild duels.”

“Recruiting him would boost the Bayonet Gang's reputation, earning the favor of more people on Flower Skirt Island.”

Bing Xiao instinctively began calculating the benefits of recruiting Lan Zao.

This was all thanks to Shuang Tu's scheming.

With Shuang Tu's covert assistance, Lan Zao grew rapidly, his recruitment value skyrocketing and making Bing Xiao even more eager.

Finally, Bing Xiao uttered words that satisfied the human ringleader: “Let Xiao Tan recruit Hen Fa. He holds a favorable impression of Hen Fa, especially after these last two wild duels.”

Bing Xiao had no intention of recruiting him personally.

The old gang leader was wholly focused on cultivating Spring Boxer.

In his vision, Spring Boxer was destined to become the future leader of the Bayonet Gang.

Having Spring Boxer recruit Hen Fa would prove far more advantageous for the future!

Meanwhile, in the observation room, Shuang Tu couldn't help but smile.

Watching Lan Zao retreat, he felt secretly satisfied: “Hen Fa never used his alchemy projectiles during this fight.”

“Excellent!”

“He's already learning to conceal his true strength.”

“Too bad he doesn't realize that the wild duel has always been under our control behind the scenes.”

“He seeks to conceal his trump cards, yet how could I possibly be unaware of his true combat prowess?”

"Therefore, his next opponent will still surpass him slightly. Let him push beyond his limits under precisely calibrated pressure!"

Shuang Tu truly poured his heart into cultivating Lan Zao.

The wild duel arena on Flower Skirt Island was precisely forged by the forces backing Shuang Tu. Such a venue, welcoming and sending off guests, accommodating all manner of people, offered far broader opportunities than Shuang Tu's clinic could ever provide. How could he possibly give it up?

Thus, Lan Zao had hidden his trump card for nothing, Shuang Tu knew his current combat strength inside out.

“Lord, urgent intelligence!” Just then, a subordinate rushed in to report.

Shuang Tu glanced at the message and leapt to his feet in shock: "What? Cai Jing and Da Bei failed at the last moment?"

“They were just one step away from obtaining the inheritance?”

Shuang Tu's expression shifted dramatically.

He hadn't anticipated that Da Bei and Zhong Bei's involvement would lead to such a massive breakthrough in the entire operation.

“They also intended to purchase bloodline stabilizers from the Alchemy Guild...” The informant Shuang Tu had planted gave detailed and accurate new intelligence.

“Things have taken a turn for the worse,” Shuang Tu said grimly.

He couldn't sit still any longer.

His primary mission was to stop Cai Jing and secure this inheritance for his side.

Yet, despite his desire to intervene, he found himself powerless to do so.

Cai Jing's side had two gold level magicians and one silver level magician, while Shuang Tu's strongest combatant was himself, a mere silver level.

Charging into battle would be suicide; Shuang Tu stood no chance.

“What should I do?”

“Damn Ba Qi! Where the hell did he go?”

Even now, he hadn't uncovered Ba Qi's whereabouts.

“In that case, we must seek outside help.” Shuang Tu gritted his teeth in resolve.

“Contact Qian Xing! He's a saint level pirate, a member of the Fire Beard Pirates!”

“We'll request aid in Ba Qi's name.”

Qian Xing's location was relatively close to Flower Skirt Island.

He was also the only external force Shuang Tu could currently rely on.

His saint level strength placed him above Cai Jing's faction. It was highly likely that Qian Xing would ultimately inherit the legacy of Fan Sheng Za Zhong.

But there was no other choice.

For now, Shuang Tu could only pin his hopes on drawing in a powerful third party, igniting conflict between Qian Xing and Cai Jing's forces to create chaos.

If opportunity arose amidst the turmoil, he would seize it!