Chapter 157: Third Dao Fruit, Water Escape Technique

Shen Ke looked a bit haggard, her expression filled with melancholy and helplessness.

Lin Jian had dived into the water three times, and three times he had returned empty-handed. Deep down, she knew that if they couldn’t find a way out, they would both die here!

No one could remain perfectly calm and composed when faced with impending death.

Shen Ke was just an ordinary woman. Knowing that her death was imminent, how could she possibly be in a good mood?

Lin Jian, on the other hand, was truly unfazed. After their passionate kiss, he even hummed a little tune as he unrolled his clothes and took out the seven Seven-Star Spirit Stones hidden inside.

The moment the seven Spirit Stones appeared, Lin Jian’s eyes lit up. His Dao Tree had already sent him a signal.

These seven Spirit Stones were exactly the nourishment it needed.

Obviously, although all seven Spirit Stones contained Spiritual Qi, they had been significantly depleted, leaving very little behind!

However, Lin Jian knew it was enough—just about enough for another Dao Fruit to drop.

He sat cross-legged and picked one up.

HUM.

The moment his palm closed around the Spirit Stone, he sent out a probe with his Thought. Instantly, the residual Spiritual Power within the Spirit Stone was absorbed by the Dao Tree!

HUM, HUM, HUM.

The third fruit began to tremble, showing signs of turning red!

Seeing that it was working, Lin Jian grabbed the second one, then the third...

By the time he absorbed the sixth stone, the third Dao Fruit was already teetering on its branch.

Sitting beside him, Shen Ke was utterly baffled.

Lin Jian’s behavior was a bit... off.

He would pick up a stone and grin from ear to ear, then put it down, pick up another, and grin again. He acted as if he were possessed, giving her the creeps.

Fortunately, when he grasped the seventh Spirit Stone, he finally closed his eyes. His breathing slowed down, and he seemed to enter a deep trance like a meditating monk.

At that exact moment, without any suspense, the third Dao Fruit dropped and was instantly absorbed!

Right then, Lin Jian’s Thought had already extended further outward!

In a flash, his Thought broke past the one-hundred-meter mark, then two hundred meters.

At two hundred and seventy meters, he took a deep breath.

It was indeed a threefold increase again.

The range had extended by another two hundred and seventy meters!

In other words, his Invisibility duration had now reached a staggering twenty-seven minutes!

Twenty-seven minutes—this was absolutely thrilling! With twenty-seven minutes, he could accomplish so much!

He thought, "Right, let’s see if any new Superpower has appeared!"

Lin Jian’s main goal was to discover new abilities.

Invisibility was one ability, Power was another, and Thought was yet another. There was also Mind Control.

He firmly believed that the Dao Fruit offered more than just these few abilities; there had to be other Superpowers he hadn’t yet perceived.

However, he sat there for a full half-hour without discovering anything new.

Frustration washed over him again. He wondered if he had guessed wrong. Were there really no more new Superpowers?

"Lin Jian?"

Shen Ke suddenly pinched his arm.

Startled, he quickly opened his eyes.

Since she hadn’t turned on the flashlight, it was pitch black. Still, Lin Jian could see the worry on her face. Her eyes were red, indicating she had just been crying.

"Ke, were you crying?" Lin Jian pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her. "I was cultivating just now. Sorry for making you worry."

"Oh, do you practice Ancient Martial Arts too?"

Shen Ke nodded. The fact that Lin Jian had killed that Innate Realm assassin meant he was also a practitioner of Ancient Martial Arts, and a high-level one at that.

"Yeah, that’s why I was practicing my Breathing Technique." Lin Jian leaned in for a kiss. "Come here, let me pass some Inner Strength to you."

"No, you’re so naughty..."

Shen Ke lay in his embrace, shaking her head playfully. But as she shook her head, their lips soon met.

Shen Ke instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, while Lin Jian’s hands began to roam, leaving her breathless and her chest heaving heavily.

It wasn’t until a full seven or eight minutes later that they reluctantly pulled apart. Lin Jian comforted her again, "I’ll go down and take another look. I should be able to find the exit this time. Wait for me here."

"Mhm."

Shen Ke was very understanding. She nodded and stepped aside.

Lin Jian dived into the water once again!

SPLASH.

The moment he entered, he darted forward along the current like a fish.

However, after swimming for a few dozen seconds, he noticed something strange.

He didn’t feel as cold as before, and countless tiny bubbles had formed, clinging tightly to the surface of his skin.

Then, sensing his body with his Thought, he realized that all of his pores were breathing.

"This..."

Lin Jian was stunned. Suddenly, a possibility struck him.

Slowly, he tried opening his mouth and took a light sniff through his nose.

Before he did, he had fully braced himself to choke on the water!

But a miracle happened!

His sniffing was essentially inhaling underwater!

Yet, at this moment, not only did he not choke, but he actually drew in a breath of incredibly refreshing and pure oxygen.

After all, there was oxygen in the water itself. It was just like the fish—though they lived underwater, they survived by extracting the oxygen within it. Fish in an aquarium or a fish tank needed an aerator to constantly supply oxygen to survive. If there were no oxygen in the water, the fish would die very quickly.

But now, Lin Jian seemed to have become a fish himself. He could breathe underwater, absorbing the purest oxygen the water had to offer.

Lin Jian laughed heartily underwater. "Ha, hahaha! A new Superpower! I knew it!"

The third Dao Fruit had unlocked the Water Escape Superpower—an absolute unexpected delight!

SWISH.

Not only could he use Water Escape, but fueled by the steady supply of oxygen, he no longer felt the cold. Even his Speed as he swam matched that of a fish, and he quickly vanished into the depths!

Meanwhile, Shen Ke kept checking the time.

Lin Jian had been down there for five minutes. Previously, he had always resurfaced within three or four minutes.

But now, five minutes had passed without a single sign of movement!

She knelt by the water’s edge, waiting anxiously.

However, another minute ticked by, and Lin Jian still hadn’t returned.

Six minutes—anyone would drown after that long.

She was so worried she was on the verge of tears, taking deep breath after deep breath to steady herself.

She decided to wait a little longer. If Lin Jian didn’t return in one more minute, she would go look for him, because he must have run into trouble.

At the seven-minute mark, Shen Ke jumped into the water without hesitation.

However, the moment she plunged in, someone suddenly wrapped their arms around her.

"Lin Jian!"

Shen Ke twisted her body and immediately threw her arms around his neck!

Lin Jian carried her out of the water. As soon as they broke the surface, Shen Ke burst into tears.

She had been terrified, completely convinced that something had happened to him. Seeing him return safely finally broke the dam on her suppressed emotions.

"Ke, don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s my fault for making you worry. I’m sorry..."

Lin Jian carried her out in his arms, wrapping both of their clothes around her to keep her warm.