Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 111 First Escort Mission, Calm and Reputable

He recalled in his mind the list of materials for the first level of auxiliary cultivation from the back of the translation.

The annotation, which is tens of thousands of words long, clearly records several key medicinal materials required for the first level of the Giant Whale Guidance Technique:

Deep-sea algae mud, iron ore powder, and a low-level mysterious plant called "Blue Star Grass".

These things are not some extremely rare, high-level potion ingredients that cost hundreds of pounds.

Deep-sea kelp mud can be bought on the black market at White Crow Wharf. Sailors on ocean-going merchant ships often scrape kelp mud from the bottom of their ships to exchange for money for drinks. Iron ore powder can be ordered from ordinary blacksmith shops. As for Blue Star Grass, although it belongs to the mystical materials, it is only marked as "common" in the basic herbal medicine list that Daisy gave him.

"Fortunately, they're all cheap stuff." After washing himself, Xilun changed into a clean white shirt, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

He currently has about 45 pounds in assets, which, based on the average price of these materials on the black market, is more than enough for him to support the huge expenses of the first three floors.

Compared to those noble cultivation techniques that require hunting mid-level alien species to concoct potions, this Giant Whale Guidance Technique, which originated from the lower classes and only values ​​comprehension and physical endurance, is practically tailor-made for a rogue cultivator like him.

Xilun carefully kept the heavy booklet close to his body.

He opened the window, letting the crisp morning air dispel the stale air in the room.

As he watched the foggy city gradually awaken outside and listened to the distant whistle of a steam train, Xilun's eyes became incredibly deep.

The midday sun struggled to pierce through the year-round haze of the foggy city, casting dappled light and shadow on the uneven cobblestone streets.

Xilun carried a slightly heavy brown paper bag containing deep-sea algae mud and iron ore powder that he had just acquired from the black market.

He pushed open the somewhat rotten wooden door of the Golden Rooster Hotel, which made a dry, creaking sound.

He walked straight through the first-floor lobby, which reeked of cheap beer and barbecue, and returned to Room 302.

He had just put his things down when he took out a letter from the mailbox outside. The envelope was sealed with dark red wax and bore the fraternal crosshair emblem.

Xilun opened the letter, his eyes quickly scanning the short, bold cursive handwriting.

This is an order from Lord Wall regarding his first official post as a new Guardian.

The mission requirements are simple: go to Pier 7 of White Crow Wharf and escort a merchant ship from port into a safe open sea channel.

He folded the letter and put it in the inside pocket of his trench coat, walked to the washbasin, and splashed cold water on his face to wash away the dust he had picked up on his trip to the black market.

Water droplets dripped down his hard jawline, his eyes calm and undisturbed.

This was the first salary he earned as an extraordinary person after escaping his status as a lowly laborer.

When Xilun arrived at White Crow Wharf, the salty sea breeze, carrying the cries of seagulls, rushed towards him.

Beside Pier No. 7, a massive three-masted cargo ship was bobbing up and down with the waves.

The ship has a very deep draft, and the thick, dark wooden planks are covered with scratches from the years and marks from the peeling of barnacles.

A young sailor, wearing a linen shirt and with skin roughened by the sea breeze, was already waiting by the gangplank.

He saw Xilun approaching, his gaze sweeping over Xilun's tall figure and his well-tailored navy blue casual suit, and he immediately bowed respectfully.

"Are you the new escort, Lord Siron?" The sailor's voice carried a hint of awe and restraint.

Siren nodded slightly, his gaze passing over the sailors' shoulders and landing on the busy crowd on the deck.

"The cargo ship will weigh anchor and leave port in half an hour," the sailor added cautiously, afraid of disrespecting this extraordinary person who held the power of life and death.

"Am I the only escort?" Xiren asked, his voice low and steady.

According to the rules he knew before, cargo ships of this size usually require more than one layer of insurance.

The sailor quickly shook his head: "No, there is another escort, Lord Ceci. He is already resting in his cabin."

Xiren quickly reviewed the information Losas had given him in his mind.

Cecily, a seasoned escort who was baptized two years ago, spends most of his time in the gray waters of White Crow Wharf, earning a hefty salary of four pounds a week. He's a shrewd and cunning man who knows how to protect himself.

He waited quietly for half an hour in the cold wind at the dock. When the dull anchor bell rang, Siron, guided by the sailors, stepped onto the large ship through the creaking planks.

The cargo ship was significantly larger than the medium-sized fishing boat that Mark had previously worked on.

Especially the cargo hold at the top, which was completely covered by thick waterproof tarpaulin, with huge, bulging wooden crates vaguely visible underneath.

The heavy cargo made the ship appear somewhat sluggish and clumsy in the waves.

Xilun secretly assessed the ship's speed. Even if everything went smoothly from now on, it would probably be noon tomorrow before they could complete the handover in the open sea and return.

"What kind of cargo are you pledging that requires two first-order baptized beings to accompany you on board?" Siren asked casually.

The sailor looked embarrassed and waved his hands repeatedly: "Sir, how would we lowly laborers know these things? The cargo hold is locked; only the captain and the head of the merchant guild have the keys."

Upon hearing this, Xilun did not pursue the matter further. In the world of extraordinary beings, curiosity is often a deadly poison.

As the afternoon wore on, the sky gradually darkened, and the waves on the sea began to rise. Siron was respectfully led by the sailors to the luxurious restaurant located in the stern deck.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, the warm fireplace and CD player dispelled the damp chill of the sea breeze.

A long oak dining table was covered with a pristine white tablecloth, and the silver cutlery gleamed softly. A portly captain with a neatly trimmed mustache was raising a wine glass and warmly toasting a middle-aged man seated on the other side.

The middle-aged man, wearing a loose windproof coat, had a weathered look on his face, weathered by the sea breeze, and deep crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. It was Ceci.

"This voyage has been quite rough, and the waterways are complicated. We really need to trouble you two gentlemen." The captain smiled broadly, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, adopting an extremely humble posture.

"I know, once I take the money, I'll naturally keep you safe." Ceci cut a piece of tender steak with her fork, still bloody, and chewed it without looking up, her tone casual and nonchalant.

Xilun pulled out a chair and sat down, nodding slightly in response.

The meals were extremely luxurious, featuring spiced roasted meats from distant colonies, fine red wines, and fresh deep-sea caviar.

Xilun ate heartily without any restraint; the advanced breathing technique had transformed his body, giving him an enormous appetite and incredible digestive ability.

He needs a large amount of heat to maintain the circulation of qi and blood in his body.

After a hearty meal, Siron declined the cigars offered by the captain and returned alone to his assigned first-class cabin.

The cabin was tastefully furnished, but he had no interest in appreciating it.

He locked the cabin door and opened the paper package he had bought during the day.

He took a small brass medicine pot from his bag and lit the alcohol stove.

The deep-sea algae mud emitted a strong, fishy odor, but in Xilun's eyes, it was a treasure containing faint, mysterious elements.

He put the algae mud into the pot, and as the temperature rose, the mud began to boil and bubble.

He sprinkled the iron ore powder in with great precision in several batches, each batch igniting a burst of eerie blue flames.

After nearly an hour of simmering, a pot of thick, dark blue ointment finally took shape. The herbs used in total weighed less than a pound, enough for him to use externally for half a month.

Among the Baptists, who readily squandered tens or hundreds of pounds on potions, this was definitely considered a cheap and unrefined item.

But for Xilun, who follows the path of the great sea whale, this is the most solid foundation for forging his flesh and blood.

Xilun removed his shirt, revealing a lean, muscular body covered in light black scales.

He applied the scalding hot ointment evenly to his chest, arms, and back.

An intense, burning pain shot through me instantly, as if countless red-hot iron needles were frantically piercing my pores.

Xilun sat cross-legged on the wooden bed with an expressionless face, slowly closed his eyes, and began to circulate the "Great Sea Whale Guiding Technique".

As the unique breathing rhythm unfolded, the air pressure inside the cabin began to subtly distort.

Xilun was surprised to find that in this turbulent marine environment, on the sea surface surrounded by endless water vapor, the Great Ocean Whale Guidance Technique seemed to come alive.

With each breath he took, he could clearly hear the roar of the waves crashing against the ship outside the window, a sound that resonated strangely with the rhythm of his blood and qi.

The breathing became smoother and more efficient than ever before. The flow of qi and blood, which was originally as difficult as pushing a millstone on land, now flowed through the blood vessels like a rushing river, rapidly washing over the skin and flesh that had been stimulated by the ointment.

The iron and deep-sea factors in those cheap ointments were greedily absorbed and integrated into his tough muscle fibers.

As night fell, the storm at sea gradually subsided. Xilun slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long, hot breath.

He felt an explosive power coursing through his body, his blood and energy were abundant, and he felt no fatigue whatsoever.

He put on his trench coat, pushed open the cabin door, and stepped onto the empty deck.

The salty sea breeze ruffled his short hair. At the bow, another escort, Ceci, leaned against the railing, a half-smoked cheap cigarette between his fingers, its red glow flickering in the darkness.

Hearing footsteps, Ceci turned to look at Xilun, a slightly knowing smile on his face. "Is this brother also going on his first long voyage, too excited to sleep?"

"You seem to be in good spirits." Xilun walked to his side, looking at the pitch-black sea, and casually replied.

Cecily exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and sighed wistfully, "That's the good thing about extraordinary beings—they have vigorous blood and energy, they're not prone to illness, and they're full of vitality. I heard from Wall that you were on your first escort mission; how was it?"

Xiren braced his hands on the cold wooden railing, thought for a moment, and said, "I originally thought it would be very dangerous, and I would need to be ready to fight at any time."

Upon hearing this, Ceci chuckled, shook his head, and patted the sturdy gunwale.

"Young people, as protectors, we play a more preventative role, or rather, a silent deterrent. The truly dangerous situations where we have to risk our lives are actually rare."

Ceci flicked his cigarette butt into the sea, watching it be swallowed by the waves, and continued, "Firstly, the merchant guild's ships are sturdy and massive, and ordinary pirates can't even scratch them; secondly, the merchant guilds that can operate this route have already taken care of all the checkpoints and influence along the way. Very few foolish forces would dare to risk offending both the Brotherhood and the merchant guild by going head-to-head with us."

He turned around, leaned against the railing, looked at Xilun's young face, and said earnestly, "We escorts, to put it bluntly, are in a retirement industry. We stay on the ship peacefully every day, do less work, and focus on health. Protect this ship, sweep the snow in front of our own door, and use our generous salary to have a couple of drinks every month. That's the smart way to live."

Xilun nodded slightly in agreement, showing no dissent on his face, but he had a completely different thought in his heart.

In this world filled with bizarre creatures and madmen, comfort is often the prelude to death.

The warning from Mentor Ryan was still fresh in my mind: the path to extraordinary success is like rowing against the current; once you stop, you will be swallowed by the abyss.

As they were talking, a faint light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.

Immediately afterwards, the muffled roar of cannons drifted in on the sea breeze, breaking the stillness of the night.

Xilun was taken aback, his eyes instantly turning sharp.

Sisi, however, remained remarkably calm. He didn't even turn around to look closely, simply waving his hand casually: "Don't bother with them, lest you cause unnecessary trouble. This sea area is too chaotic; who knows which two factions are fighting over the spoils again? As long as the cannon fire doesn't land on our deck, just pretend we didn't see it."

After saying that, Cecily yawned exaggeratedly, tightened the collar of his coat, and turned to walk towards the cabin. "This sea breeze is making my bones ache. I'm going back to catch up on some sleep. You can do as you please."

Xilun stood alone on the deck, silently watching the flickering firelight and faint rumbling in the distance.

He pondered for a moment and judged that the fighting was at least a dozen nautical miles away from them and would not affect the cargo ship.

He withdrew his gaze, turned around and returned to the cabin to continue his qi and blood nourishment.

The cargo ship returned to White Crow Wharf without incident at noon the next day.

Xilun's first escort mission ended in this uneventful period of eating, drinking, and enjoying the breeze.

Apart from the faint light of the two ships' cannon fire seen late at night, no other substantial signs of danger were observed.

He took the extra allowance settled by the Chamber of Commerce and carried the empty medicine pot as he stepped off the gangplank.

For the next ten days after returning to the hotel, Xilun declined all social engagements and outings, completely isolating himself in room 302 to devote himself to practicing the "Great Sea Whale Guiding Technique".

He was surprised to find that since entering the first tier, he was consuming auxiliary materials at an astonishing rate.

The ointment, which was originally expected to last for half a month, was used up in just ten days.

Fortunately, the escorts' salaries and previous savings were enough to cover the expenses.

The high consumption resulted in a visible increase in strength, and the training efficiency was exceptionally fast. The experience points on the crimson panel steadily increased every day.

His flesh and skin were tempered and refined through constant exposure to the deep-sea ointment and the blood and energy of the giant whale.

Beneath his originally fair skin, the dark scales had become even more intricate and dense, and could unleash a terrifying force even greater than before his baptism with a mere pinch.

Xilun secretly pondered that the efficiency of his training that night at sea seemed to be one or two times higher than that in the hotel.

He speculated that this breathing technique, originating from the deep sea, had a natural amplification effect in terrain close to the ocean.

However, this was just speculation, and as an escort, he couldn't stay at sea for as long as a deep-sea sailor.

Ten days passed quietly in the monotonous yet fulfilling breathing exercises.

The wind and waves on the sea had been calm for ten days, and Xilun sat quietly in the cramped room of the hotel.

With each breath he took, the rise and fall of his chest carried a strange rhythm.

His every move exuded a profound and weighty aura, like a giant sea monster, as if a vast ocean lay dormant within him.

Besides his daily, unwavering practice of breathing techniques, he would occasionally practice the Doroc Dark Claw Technique and basic gun skills in a confined space to maintain his muscle memory for combat.

By the evening of the tenth day, the afterglow of the setting sun had turned the buildings of the foggy city blood red.