Chương 96: The Petty Second-Generation Heir, Killing Intent Stirred

Twenty meters… Thirty meters… Forty meters… Every time Su Zhe dove another ten meters, he carefully searched the area and captured the Weapon-Tempering Water Essence at that depth.

"An ordinary fourth-grade martial artist would probably be reaching their limit around forty meters."

"Good thing my body is strong, my martial foundation is solid, and my aptitude isn't bad either." Feeling the cold at forty meters down, Su Zhe muttered inwardly. If he had to describe it by temperature, even Su Zhe could not say how many degrees below zero it was. But before entering the Cold Lake, Ou Zizhen had briefly explained the different levels of cold beneath the water. From the surface of the lake down to nine meters, as well as the area surrounding Weapon-Tempering Lake, was known as the Frost Realm.

At that level, one's breath turned to frost. Ordinary people and first-grade martial artists would find it unbearable, and regular people might even freeze to death if they stayed there too long. From nine meters to twenty-nine meters underwater was known as the Ice Soul Realm. From thirty meters to fifty-nine meters was the Snow-Congealing Realm. From sixty meters to eighty-nine meters was the Profound Ice Realm. And from ninety meters to ninety-nine meters was the Extreme Cold Realm.

The Profound Ice Realm could freeze a martial artist's thoughts and divine soul. Even a Martial Dao Yang Spirit, if it stayed there too long, would be frozen solid and lose its power. The Extreme Cold Realm was also called Absolute Extreme Cold. Not even the five manor lords had ever broken through to that level. By now, Su Zhe's Essence-Collecting Pouch was already bulging. The Weapon-Tempering Water Essence inside rammed around wildly, trying to break free.

But restrained by the Essence-Collecting Pouch, they could only struggle in vain. The area between forty and fifty meters was filled with Snow-Congealing Realm Weapon-Tempering Water Essence, and they were quite pure. As for the Weapon-Tempering Water Essence from the Ice Soul Realm and Frost Realm, Su Zhe did not think they were worth much. If he captured too many of those, the other martial artists might end up failing miserably in the second trial at Weapon-Tempering Lake.

That would affect Zhu Jian Shanzhuang (Forging Sword Villa) as a whole. For the sake of Zhu Jian Shanzhuang's reputation, Su Zhe was willing to hold back. But at the level of the Snow-Congealing Realm, he could not care that much anymore.

"They're all money!"

"Here I come!" Su Zhe connected his consciousness to the Good Fortune Immortal Cauldron and decisively swapped a full set of water-attribute equipment into his six great immortal apertures. All sorts of water-attribute tags enhanced his body. In particular, the Fire-Refining Furnace had a fifth-grade tag called Warding Cold And Preserving Warmth. The Fire-Refining Furnace itself had originally been fourth-grade, but it had been an item used by the Blacksmith Ancestor.

Part of its power was merely sealed for the time being. After more than a month of tempering it with precious blood, Su Zhe had successfully undone one layer of the seal on both the Fire-Refining Furnace and the Forging Hammer, raising them to the fifth-grade level. With so many water-attribute tags stacked on him, Su Zhe's ability in water increased tremendously. The Fire-Refining Furnace's Warding Cold And Preserving Warmth also greatly boosted his resistance to the cold.

Throughout the Snow-Congealing Realm beneath Weapon-Tempering Lake, Su Zhe moved through the water with ease. Every piece of Weapon-Tempering Water Essence that entered his sight was swept into his possession.

"This thing has extraordinary effects and is worth quite a lot. Once I enter Zhu Jian Shanzhuang, I'll be able to make a fortune off it." Su Zhe was secretly delighted. He felt that Weapon-Tempering Lake was truly his own blessed paradise. … While Su Zhe was happily busy collecting everything in sight, another person quietly dove down as well, reaching the same depth of the Snow-Congealing Realm.

"It's Su Zhe!" Inside the Cold Lake, Qin Tian saw Su Zhe moving through the currents like a flood dragon. His eyes widened, and shock filled his face. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"How is that possible… This bastard… how is he so good in water?"

"In the Snow-Congealing Realm… my speed and strength have dropped drastically…"

"I'm at the peak of fourth-grade, while judging from Su Zhe's aura, he's only around the middle stage of fourth-grade…"

"How can he be more at ease than me?" Qin Tian was dumbfounded. He was so shocked that he even opened his mouth, and a mouthful of bone-piercing lake water rushed in. It nearly froze his lungs and organs. This was simply unbelievable. The Qin family Qin Tian came from was one of the Five Gates and Seven Great Houses of Zhu Jian Mountain City. Among the Qin family, there was a prodigy who had entered the tutelage of the manor lord of Bingxuan Manor (Weapon Pavilion Manor).

After eight years of training, that prodigy had been accepted into the true disciple sequence. That Qin true disciple had spent many years in Zhu Jian Shanzhuang, so he naturally knew that Weapon-Tempering Lake was a blessed land of natural fortune within the villa. In past disciple recruitment ceremonies held by Zhu Jian Shanzhuang, the first trial had always been different. But the second trial had always been the Weapon-Tempering Lake trial.

That also gave the disciples of the Five Gates and Seven Great Houses some "room to maneuver." For example, they could cultivate water-attribute or fire-attribute martial arts in advance, or carry cold-resisting martial weapons. The higher-ups of Zhu Jian Shanzhuang naturally knew about this "unspoken rule." They simply turned a blind eye. Qin Tian was exactly such a case.

He had cultivated fire-attribute and water-attribute martial arts in advance, and he was also carrying a Water-Repelling Pearl that the Qin family had spent a fortune to obtain. That was why he had the confidence to capture Weapon-Tempering Water Essence in the Snow-Congealing Realm. But Qin Tian had never imagined this. Su Zhe was nothing more than a country bumpkin from some remote place. Yet in the Snow-Congealing Realm of Weapon-Tempering Lake, he was actually even more at ease than Qin Tian.

"The Black Iron Passage in the first trial was shocking, but it was still understandable."

"After all, although this brat comes from a humble background, his master is Manor Lord Yushen. And Manor Lord Yushen is famous for being a monster who can break ten thousand techniques with brute force alone."

"If Su Zhe was born with divine strength, then that performance wouldn't be too impossible to believe."

"In the end, luck played a part too… But this Weapon-Tempering Lake… this is far beyond common sense!" Qin Tian's mind gradually calmed down. A venomous light flowed through his eyes as he began to think. Manor Lord Yushen was arrogant by nature. Even if he taught Su Zhe martial arts, he would never deliberately help his own disciple cheat the way the clans of the Five Gates and Seven Great Houses did. Qin Tian naturally understood that much.

Besides, with Su Zhe's strength, capturing Weapon-Tempering Water Essence in the Frost Realm and Ice Soul Realm should not have been a problem. As Qin Tian thought it through carefully, he suddenly felt that something abnormal had to be hiding a secret.

"Diving through the cold of Weapon-Tempering Lake may not count as innate talent, but the higher-ups of Zhu Jian Shanzhuang still value it highly."

"This bastard already stole my spotlight in the first trial."

"Now he wants to take first place again in the second trial?"

"I'll make sure you're buried forever in Weapon-Tempering Lake!" Qin Tian narrowed his eyes, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Killing intent suddenly surged. … As Su Zhe captured Snow-Congealed Water Essence, he continued diving deeper. After passing fifty meters, even Su Zhe began to feel a bit of pressure. The cold not only hindered his limbs and physical body, but even the circulation of inner strength within him started to grow sluggish.

"Martial Fire!" Su Zhe held his breath and focused his mind, sinking his qi into his dantian. Within the Purple Mansion of his dantian, the five streams of inner strength began circulating in a special pattern, transforming into Five Spirits Martial Fire. As the Five Spirits Martial Fire condensed, the chill within his body was gradually forced back. Even the stiffness in his flesh was dispelled by a considerable amount.

"The Ancestor really is godlike! This method really does help against the cold while diving in Weapon-Tempering Lake!"

"After all, the Ancestor was a disciple of Zhu Jian Shanzhuang a thousand years ago. Of course he had arrangements for Weapon-Tempering Lake!" Su Zhe laughed inwardly. In his heart, he shouted, "Long live the Ancestor!" Behind him, Qin Tian followed, killing intent on his face. In Weapon-Tempering Lake, there were often disciples who misjudged their own condition, pushed themselves too far out of greed, and died as a result. Moreover, Weapon-Tempering Lake contained an intent of extreme cold.

Even powerful seventh-grade Martial Dao Yang Spirits found it difficult to use their Yang Spirits to probe the situation inside the lake. Qin Tian was certain. Weapon-Tempering Lake was the perfect place for Su Zhe to die. After all, if it were anywhere else, Su Zhe had the protection of Manor Lord Yushen. For Qin Tian to kill him would be as difficult as climbing a ten-thousand-ren peak. At this moment, Qin Tian followed Su Zhe down into the region below fifty meters. His body had already reached its limit.

Blood began seeping from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. But the moment the blood emerged, it froze into bloody ice.

"He's finally slowing down!" Seeing Su Zhe's speed decrease, Qin Tian thought Su Zhe had reached his limit. Joy rose in his heart. He forcibly drew in a breath, circulated a martial art that concealed his aura, and approached Su Zhe. Splash! Su Zhe's movements had only stalled for a moment. Three breaths later, his skin began to turn crimson. With one powerful movement, he dove several meters deeper. He was not affected in the slightest!

"What?!" Qin Tian, following behind him, felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His entire body seemed to turn to stone. He… How could he… Still dive deeper?

"What kind of cultivation method has this bastard practiced? It's actually more profound than my Qin family's inherited martial art, which was specifically designed to resist the cold of Weapon-Tempering Lake?" Qin Tian roared inwardly. Though he found it impossible to believe, the truth was right in front of his eyes. He had no choice but to accept it. The repeated blows made Qin Tian's state of mind nearly spiral into madness. No! No!

I, Qin Tian, am destined to become part of the true disciple sequence in the future. I will never lose to some country bumpkin! Qin Tian's eyes began to turn bloodshot. Red veins spread across his pupils, making him look like a madman. A heart demon had begun to grow, and signs of insanity were already appearing.

"Burn my martial artist essence blood! I'll risk it all!" The thought flashed through Qin Tian's mind. The Qin family possessed a secret art that could temporarily burn a martial artist's essence blood, greatly increasing their strength. But this method harmed the user almost as much as the enemy. Afterward, one's vitality would be severely damaged, and it could even endanger one's martial foundation. But Qin Tian could no longer care about that. He still clung to one hope.

Quickly approach Su Zhe, then ambush him from behind and kill him. If Qin Tian insisted on capturing Snow-Congealed Water Essence himself, even if he did not die, his martial foundation would be badly damaged. But Su Zhe had plenty of Snow-Congealed Water Essence in his hands! As long as Qin Tian killed him quickly, seized Su Zhe's Snow-Congealed Water Essence, and then rushed back to the surface…

Although burning his essence blood would damage his martial body, the consequences would still be mostly within control. In the blink of an eye, Su Zhe had already dived to fifty-nine meters. His gaze was fixed tightly on a piece of Snow-Congealed Water Essence whose cold essence was incomparably pure. It looked as if he had not noticed at all. Qin Tian was closing in on him from behind…