Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

After leaving the office area, Xilun continued walking along the pier to Captain Wall's workplace.

The door to Wall's room was open, and he was inside.

This weathered old sailor is not weaving fishing nets today.

He sat in the old rocking chair, yawned widely, and gazed at the distant, undulating ocean with cloudy yet profound eyes.

Hearing footsteps, Wall didn't turn around, but glanced at Xilen's boots out of the corner of his eye.

"Here I am." Wall's voice was still hoarse, with a strong sea salty taste.

"Hmm." Xilun walked into the house and found a stool to sit down.

Wall turned his head, took out the old pipe from his pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"It's not that I haven't considered the possibility that you'll get a better position."

As Wall watched the smoke dissipate in mid-air, a hint of emotion crossed his voice. "But I never imagined this day would come so soon. In fact, it hasn't even been half a year."

He extended his rough, tree-bark-like fingers and pointed at Xilun:

"You are the best swimmer and the most ruthless escort I have ever seen in all these years at this dock."

But I failed to promote you properly, leaving you on this shabby ship of mine.

Wall smiled, a smile of relief in it:

"That's fine. Your talents can't be fully utilized in this small dock. Perhaps there's a better space to showcase them in the chaotic North District."

Hearing the old captain's words, a rare ripple of emotion stirred within Siren: "Lord Wall, I..."

"Alright." Wall waved his hand, interrupting Xiren. "Since you'll be taking charge of a territory on your own in a few days, and your status isn't much lower than this old man's, or at least equal to mine, then stop calling me 'Sir'."

He tapped the ash from his pipe and looked at Xilen earnestly: "My name is Wall."

That's what my old buddies who used to go out to sea with me call me.

However, since I became this comfortable captain, very few people have dared to call me that anymore.

Xilun looked at him and nodded solemnly.

"Anything planned for tonight?" Wall suddenly changed the subject, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Xilun shook his head.

"Then stay for a drink," Wall said, pointing to the bottle of cheap rum on the shelf. "Keep this old man company while he drinks, won't you?"

Xilun remained silent for a moment, then finally shook his head.

Seeing this, Wall sighed with a wry smile: "You can't even drink... well, forget it then. Your self-discipline is terrifyingly monstrous."

He stood up, walked to the window, and waved to Xilun with his back to him: "You should leave early and prepare for your affairs in the North District."

Xiren stood up, bowed slightly to Wall's back, and then turned and walked out of the room.

As Xilun's footsteps faded completely at the end of the pier, Wall remained in that position, staring at the huge black reef in the distant ocean.

The sea breeze howled.

"Bang!"

A huge wave crashed heavily against the rocks, making a muffled sound.

Although it was instantly dispersed into countless white bubbles by the hard reef, after a short while, the undercurrents on the sea surface made it clear that the dispersed water flow would regroup and turn into a larger wave, which would crash heavily onto the original spot.

Continuous and endless.

Wall watched this scene, the firelight in his pipe flickering.

He finally realized that he was indeed getting old.

He saw off another exceptionally talented young man, destined to create a storm in the ocean. He could only stand on the shore, helpless yet gratified, watching him grow before gradually drifting away.

The next morning, the sky was so overcast it seemed to press down, and the air was filled with a biting chill.

Xilun did not rush to take up his post in the North District; he locked the parchment file in a drawer in his hotel room.

He put on a thick black overcoat, hired a carriage, and headed to the manor.

He planned to visit his teacher, Lund.

The carriage stopped outside the manor, and the gatekeeper, Savi, upon seeing that it was Xilun, immediately and respectfully opened the wrought iron gate and made way for him.

Passing through the neatly trimmed bushes, Celen arrived at the meadow behind the estate.

Despite the cold and gloomy weather, Lund was still dressed in thin clothes and lay casually on the withered grass.

His eyes were slightly narrowed, and his hands were behind his head, as if he was enjoying this moment of tranquility, or perhaps he was engaged in some kind of deep spiritual meditation.

Xilun walked over and, imitating his teacher, leaned against Lund and lay down.

The coolness of the grass seeped through the fabric, making one feel refreshed.

Lund didn't open his eyes, but he had clearly sensed that someone was beside him.

He casually stretched out a hand, making a gesture to shield his eyes from a non-existent sun, and lazily began to speak:

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working hard to recover and resume your cultivation during this time?"

Or is it that you've made a decision about those noble patronages and want to tell me?

Xilun gazed at the gray sky and said in a steady voice:

"Teacher, the Brotherhood needs to expand their territory in the North District and establish trade routes."

I plan to work there for a while.

Lund didn't seem surprised by the decision, and he didn't care about such worldly gang affairs at all.

"Go once you've made up your mind, no need to ask me," Lund replied casually.

"I've thought it through, so I didn't come here specifically to ask you, teacher."

Xilun turned his head to look at Lund's profile, his expression becoming serious. "I wanted to ask, if I reach the level of taking the Rejuvenation Potion and preparing to advance to the second-tier Ripper, what exactly is the subsequent cultivation path?"

Upon hearing this question, Lund finally opened his eyes.

He turned his head and looked Xilun up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"How far are you from the fifth qualitative leap of the 'Great Sea Whale Guidance Technique'?" Lund asked in return.

Silen silently estimated the recent rate of blood circulation and the endurance of his extreme physical body, and replied, "It will probably take another two months."

Lund raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised by the speed.

"Two months from now, we should be able to steadily advance to the fourth level," Xilun added.

Lund smirked, giving off a "I knew it" look, and said irritably:

"At your current pace, even if you reach the fourth level, it will take at least another six or seven months to reach the point where you can take the Rejuvenation Potion to break through to the second level!"

"You're worrying about this now; it's too early for you."

Lund propped himself up on the grass, plucked a blade of dry grass, put it in his mouth, and continued:

"Of course, because the 'Great Sea Whale Guiding Technique' you are practicing is extremely special, and your strength is far superior to that of others of the same level."

Actually, once you reach the fourth level, you can try to challenge the Ripper level.

Forcing your way through isn't entirely impossible.

Xilun sat up and listened attentively.

"Now that you have advanced to the ultimate stage of the Baptist, you should already know this ironclad rule."

Lund's expression turned serious. "The more perfect your basic breathing technique is, the more solid your foundation will be, and the greater your chances of breaking free from the genetic shackles and advancing to the second stage."

"If you can be patient and advance to the fifth level, and prepare your Qi, blood, and spirit to perfection, then with the assistance of high-grade spiritual incense, you can take that bottle of perfect quality rebirth potion..." Lund held up two fingers, "You have almost a 95% chance of success and steadily step into the second level."

"But if you are impatient and try it on the fourth level, your chances of winning will be no more than 50%."

If you fail, your Qi and blood will be damaged, and your strength will be depleted. Do not attempt a second breakthrough without two or three years of recuperation.

Xilun's gaze remained unwavering as he firmly stated, "I've made up my mind. I'll seek a breakthrough once I've fully reached the fifth level."

Lund spat out the dry grass from his mouth and clapped his hands:

"What else is there to say? It will be at least half a year before you reach the second tier."

This is even considering that you haven't fully refined the remaining two-thirds of the Red Heart potion within your body. Otherwise, it could take several years.

"You don't need to worry about things that far ahead."

Lund lay back down. "Maybe by the time you break through, you'll have finished all your work in the North District and come back."

Xilun shook his head and revealed his true purpose for coming today:

"This trip to the North District is different. Compared to the South District, it's a place of utter chaos."

My thought is that before I leave, I'd like to pick out two powerful martial arts techniques from you, teacher.

That way, we won't have to go through the hassle of running back and forth to the manor when we encounter a troublesome enemy later.

Lund rolled his eyes and smirked, saying:

"You brat, you ask for things without the slightest hesitation. You've got some nerve."

Xilun nodded readily and said, "Yes."

Lund was taken aback, and said irritably:

Have you considered what kind of intensive training you need right now?

Let me remind you, your heavy gun skills combined with your own extreme hand-to-hand combat skills are quite suitable for the current situation.

Don't try to do too much at once; if it's not necessary, just focus on practicing breathing techniques.

Xilun thought for a moment and said, "Let me see your collection, teacher."

If there is a suitable skill that can make up for my weaknesses, I will learn it.

If there really isn't any, then forget it.

Lund reluctantly got up from the grass, stretched lazily, and his bones cracked and popped.

"Sigh, teacher, I finally managed to take a break this afternoon, and you dragged me out of bed."

He made a sarcastic remark, then brushed the grass clippings off his clothes and led Xilun toward the main building of the manor.

After walking through the long corridor, the two arrived at Lund's private study.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, a scent mingled with the aroma of ink and the preservatives used to preserve aged paper wafted out.

When Xilun saw what was inside, even with his calm demeanor, he was greatly shocked.

In the spacious study, neat rows of mahogany bookshelves lined the wall.

On the bookshelf, in addition to regular books, the most central area was filled with fifty or sixty volumes of various sizes and materials.

Some were bound with sheepskin scrolls, while others were bound with hides of unknown origin.

Xilun truly had no idea how many precious and extraordinary methods this seemingly lazy teacher had secretly collected.

Lund walked to the bookshelf, put his hands behind his back, and pondered for a moment.

"In your current state, you have the suppression of gravity in hand-to-hand combat, the breathing technique of a giant whale, and your marksmanship has even faintly touched upon the essence of the art."

None of these three things are urgently needed.

Lund turned to look at Xiren, his gaze turning serious: "Have you practiced the art of weakness and suffering?"

Xilun was slightly taken aback.

“I’ve heard of that before,” Lund said to himself. “It’s rumored that before you became a Baptist, you practiced some kind of self-torture and weakness-inducing art.”

Celen did not deny it.

Lund walked to the bottom shelf and took out a tattered booklet bound with black hemp rope from a dusty wooden box.

"I once accidentally obtained an extremely powerful technique of suffering and weakness."

Lund gently brushed away the dust. "Originally, the cultivation conditions for this technique were extremely demanding, and almost no one could master it. I had long forgotten about it in a corner."

But now, seeing your grotesque body, I've actually picked it up.

"Perhaps, it would be extremely suitable for you to cultivate it."

Lund handed over the booklet.

Xilun took it with both hands, opened the yellowed cover, and saw the words boldly written in ancient Gothic script:

The Temple: The Ascetic Practice of Forging Bones and Iron Armor.

Xilun quickly flipped through the general outline.

This technique has a very significant origin; it was created by the fanatical Templar Knights of the ancient Middle Ages.

They used highly toxic drugs for soaking, combined with constant stabbing and hammering with blunt instruments, to completely destroy and then rebuild bones and muscles, thereby strengthening their bodies.

Later, through improvements by a master, once mastered, the bones and muscles of an extraordinary person would appear as if they were covered with a thick, high-density iron armor.

Swords and blades belonging to extraordinary individuals of the same level are utterly incapable of damaging their flesh in the slightest.

At this point, Lund crossed his arms and explained from the side:

"Your physique is already quite formidable."

But the most crucial aspect of this ascetic training method is that the stronger one's basic physique and the more abundant one's internal energy, the greater the defensive boost it provides!

"Of course, it also has an upper limit."

Lund objectively commented, "At the level of the Baptized, this technique is arguably the strongest defense."

Once you reach the second-tier Ripper, it's considered a moderate means of survival, and you can still use it.

"But if you reach my level as a mutant, and your physical body's rules change, this thing will be almost useless."

Xilun carefully read through the key points in the booklet, seemingly deep in thought.

The techniques for generating power and resisting pressure in this exercise seem to be very suitable for me.

Especially the characteristic of exponentially increasing strength and physique.

Once the fifth level of the "Great Sea Giant Whale Guiding Technique" that he cultivated was mastered, his blood and qi would be a level stronger than those of ordinary extraordinary cultivators.

If this "forged bone armor" were added on top, it would be truly terrifying. It would be practically a humanoid armored train.

Seeing Xilun's satisfied expression, Lund stroked his chin.

Normally, he wouldn't think that Xilun needed to learn more fighting techniques, since cultivation emphasizes quality over quantity.

However, considering that Xilun is going on a long trip to the North District, a place where it's easy to dodge open attacks but difficult to guard against hidden ones.

Moreover, he was aware of Siren's ability to comprehend things in battle.

Lund walked thoughtfully to another bookshelf and took out a thin blue booklet.

"You can try this one too."

Lund handed the blue booklet to Xiren, "It might be somewhat relevant to your current weaknesses."

Xilun looked over and saw the words "The Broken Wings of the Night Raven" written on it.