Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

"I've got the men ready!" Xu Tiande's voice boomed. "I found the fastest shuttle boat, and picked eight desperate swimmers from the death row inmates to be the oarsmen! That old fish bladder is also tied to the boat; he won't dare to try anything funny!"

Su Xuanji smiled: "The Ling family's mechanisms rely on skillful manipulation and utilize water power. The main shaft of the waterwheel must have a locking mechanism. We break the locking mechanism, not destroy the wheel. Once the locking mechanism breaks, the wheel spins in vain, and the mechanism stops on its own."

Lin Feng gave her a deep look. "I understand."

A few days later.

A dangerous spot on the upper reaches of the Blackwater River – Soul-Breaking Reef.

Before dawn, the wind was biting cold.

A jet-black speedboat, shaped like a spear, was moored at the shore. Eight shirtless, fierce-looking oarsmen were already in position. Old Fishbladder was hunched over at the stern, clutching the pole. Xu Tiande, dressed in black water armor with a repeating crossbow at his waist, stood at the bow like a guardian deity.

Bai Xiaohe had changed into rhinoceros-hide water armor, the tight leather outlining her slender yet agile figure. She was checking the short sword at her waist and several specially made "wedges" used to lock the mechanism.

Lin Feng said to Xu Tiande, "Brother Xu, you'll be in charge of steering the boat."

Xu Tiande was full of confidence, "Brother Lin, don't worry!"

Lin Feng looked at Bai Xiaohe: "Xiaohe, be careful."

Bai Xiaohe nodded slightly and walked to the side of the ship, her gaze calm and serene.

"Walk!"

The shuttle boat shot off like an arrow into the dark, murky waters. Soul-Shattering Reef lay just a few miles ahead, in that deadly water known as the "Ship Coffin."

Lin Feng stood at the bow of the boat, letting the cold wind blow against his face. He touched the two cold fragments in his arms—the ones obtained by the Di Rong tribe and the Ling family—and he was about to get the third one.

Broken Soul Reef lies silently in the misty haze, like a ferocious beast. The river forms a huge whirlpool here, making a dull "glug" sound, as if the beast is swallowing the water.

"This is it!" Old Fishbladder, huddled at the stern, pointed to the constantly collapsing and surging water. "The tide has gone out, and the cave entrance is right beneath the whirlpool!"

"Brother Xu, let's anchor the boat here." Lin Feng's voice drowned out the howling wind.

"Xiao He." Lin Feng turned to Bai Xiao He, who was already fully armed.

"I'll jam the spindle. When you break the mechanism, remember to avoid those connecting rod nodes; those are dead ends."

"clear."

"Get in the water!"

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously leaped into the icy river!

underwater.

The river water was murky, and visibility was extremely low. A huge whirlpool generated a terrifying suction force, pulling at the two people's bodies.

Lin Feng's arm muscles bulged as he desperately paddled towards the faintly visible black hole at the center of the whirlpool. Bai Xiaohe followed closely behind.

Finally, the opening loomed large before our eyes. It was an inverted, crescent-shaped stone archway.

Lin Feng was the first to enter the cave. Inside was not a dry cave, but a corridor filled with river water! Every few steps along the corridor, there was a stark white skeleton, its grotesque bones bared as if warning any intruders.

This is the death trap that has plagued the Ling family for three generations.

In the dim light, Lin Feng saw a huge bronze waterwheel in front of him. It was slowly turning with the flow of water, driving a complex set of gears around it. This was the power core that Su Xuanji had mentioned.

Lin Feng hurled the grappling hook at the main shaft of the waterwheel! The hook gripped the texture of the bronze shaft, forcibly neutralizing most of the rotational torque!

The water turbine's speed suddenly dropped, producing a metallic friction sound.

Bai Xiaohe understood the signal. Taking advantage of the momentary pause in the waterwheel created by Lin Feng, she rushed towards the intricate linkage mechanisms in the middle layer!

Her short sword pierced precisely at those joint points, driving specially made "wedges" into the joint gaps!

"Click, click..."

A series of sharp, clattering sounds of mechanisms jamming echoed underwater. Those massive, imminent blade gates, poised to strike, were frozen in mid-air just before their descent!

It worked!

The underwater corridor fell into a deathly silence for the time being.

Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe exchanged a glance, conveying a silent message in the dim light of the water.

Lin Feng tightened his grip on the grappling hook chain, anchoring his body more firmly to a protrusion on the rock wall, and signaled Bai Xiaohe to go forward and explore.

Bai Xiaohe nodded and slipped deeper into the corridor. Her short sword remained sheathed, ready to respond to any possible ambush.

Lin Feng maintained his anchored position, his sharp gaze scanning his surroundings. Although the underwater mechanism was blocked, no one could guarantee that the Ling family hadn't set up other backup measures. The stark white bones lining both sides of the corridor silently testified to the fates of those who had intruded throughout the ages.

After walking for about ten zhang, the corridor began to slope upwards. Bai Xiaohe's figure finally broke through the water's surface and emerged from a slippery stone platform.

She quickly looked around to make sure there was no immediate danger before sending a signal to Lin Feng behind her that it was safe.

Lin Feng then climbed up the rock face and along the chains.

The two were now in a relatively open cave. It resembled a purely functional storage cellar. The cave walls showed clear signs of artificial carving and were remarkably smooth. The air was thick with the pungent smell of water and a strange, metallic sweetness.

In the center of the cave, rows of sealed stone boxes were neatly stacked. These stone boxes were all the same size and shape, and their surfaces were covered with moisture-proof grease.

Deep within these stone boxes, on a solitary pedestal carved from a single block of black rock, lies a dark gold metal box.

"Be careful," Lin Feng whispered, approaching slowly alongside Bai Xiaohe in a pincer formation. His dagger remained aimed at the metal box, guarding against the final, deadly trap.

Bai Xiaohe, however, was more concerned about the stone boxes. She reached out and brushed away the dust and grease from the surface of one of the stone boxes. When her fingertips touched the edge of the lid, her expression changed slightly: "Guard, these boxes... are very light."

Lin Feng frowned and reached out to test the weight of one of the stone boxes. Sure enough, it was unnaturally light, as if it were empty. He gestured for Bai Xiaohe to step back, and then carefully pried open the lid with the tip of his dagger.

Contrary to expectations, the box contained only rolls of paper wrapped in special oilcloth, and... some scattered metal fragments, smaller and more irregular.

"This is..." Bai Xiaohe leaned closer and, using the faint light reflected from Lin Feng's dagger, made out the writing on the oilcloth—"Gengxu Mining and Metallurgical Records," "Qingming Mountain Map," "Shadowless Pavilion Contact Codes"...

Her pupils suddenly contracted: "The Ling family's three generations have hidden these mineral vein distributions, private forging records, secret files on their dealings with various forces... and these metal fragments, they seem to be remnants of failed smelting?"

Just then, a violent churning sound suddenly came from the water at the entrance of the cave!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several crossbow bolts shot out of the water, carrying a sharp gust of wind, and aimed straight at Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe in the back!

"Enemy attack!" Bai Xiaohe brandished her short sword, deflecting all the incoming arrows. Lin Feng, on the other hand, had already turned around like a cheetah, his dagger guarding his front.

The water parted, and three dark figures darted out of the water like ghosts.

They wore masks, revealing only their cold eyes. The weapons in their hands were different, but all emitted a poisonous, eerie light.

"Lin Feng, hand over the fragments and the secret box, and we'll leave you with your bodies intact." The leader of the shadowy figures spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Those scum from the Shadowless Pavilion, they're like ghosts that won't leave!" Lin Feng sneered. The three opponents possessed profound auras, clearly all top-tier experts.

"Attack!" The leader of the shadowy figures stopped talking and the three of them pounced at the same time! Their attacks were cunning and ruthless, targeting vital points, and were designed to kill with a single blow.