Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

"Cough cough..."

Kemi struggled to sit up, rubbing his nearly broken ribs, and said with a wry smile, "You... were you raised on alien flesh?"

Xilun concealed his aura, walked over, reached out, and helped Cammy up.

"I'm lucky; my breathing technique has improved," Siren said casually.

"Has there been any improvement?"

Kemi's lips twitched. This is what you call improvement? This is practically a completely different person!

Just then, a round of applause came from the side.

"Slap, slap, slap."

Everyone turned to look.

There stood a short distance away, wearing his signature striped vest and holding a vine, watching Siren with a playful expression.

"good."

Renn walked over, his gaze sweeping over Siren as if trying to see through his skin. "Your strength is refined, and your power is penetrating. It seems you haven't been slacking off these past few days; your breathing technique has reached a level of mastery."

As a second-tier "Ripper", his insight is incredibly sharp.

Although the punch that Xilun threw just now was a basic move from police combat techniques, at the moment of exertion, he could clearly feel that the flow of Qi and blood in Xilun's body was extremely smooth, without any stagnation.

This indicates that Xilun's breathing technique has at least reached the level of "proficiency".

This pace...

"He's a promising talent," Renn thought to himself, raising his opinion of Siren even higher once again.

He turned around and looked at the roster he was holding.

"Since Kemi is no longer your match, this level of sparring is meaningless for you."

Ryan took a pen and made a mark on the roster.

"According to the club's internal performance rankings, Kemi is ranked eighth, while you were ranked seventh last week."

"But now it seems that this ranking needs to be changed."

Raine raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and landing on a man who was quietly wrapping bandages around himself in a corner.

"Feslow".

Upon hearing the name, the man slowly stood up.

He wasn't tall, only about 1.7 meters, and his build was as sturdy as a tree stump.

What's most striking are his hands; his palms are large and thick, his knuckles are so large they're almost deformed, and they're covered in thick calluses.

"Mr. Raine." Feslow's voice was deep and muffled, as if it came from his chest.

"Starting tomorrow, you and Siren will be in the same group," Raine said calmly.

Upon hearing this, a low gasp immediately rose from the surrounding crowd.

The trainees' gazes toward Xilun instantly turned to sympathy.

Feslow.

The "veterans" among this cohort of Iron Cross Club members are also recognized as formidable figures.

If Robert secured first place through talent and family background, then Feslow relied on sheer grit and long hours of hard training to fight his way to fourth place.

"Feslow has been with the club for six months."

Kemi leaned close to Xilun's ear and whispered, her tone tinged with apprehension, "He completely mastered the sense of Qi two months ago, and it's said that he can now guide his Qi 'anytime, anywhere.' His flesh has been tempered by Qi to the point of being as hard as cowhide. Fighting him is pure torture."

Under Mentor Raine, only four people have mastered the sense of Qi, and Feslow is one of them.

Silen narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Feslow.

The other person was looking at him too.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Feslow's eyes were blank, showing neither provocation nor contempt.

He nodded slightly to Xilun, then lowered his head and continued to wrap the bandages around his hands.

"Fourth place..."

Xilun silently recited this in his heart.

Mastering the feeling of Qi for two months allows one to temper their skin and flesh with Qi power.

This is indeed a formidable opponent.

But Xilun felt no fear; instead, he felt his blood warming slightly.

Only by fighting against strong opponents can you know where your limits lie.

"Alright, let's continue training!"

Raine swung the cane, breaking the tense atmosphere. "What are you all standing there for? Want to go clean the toilets?"

The training room was filled once again with the sounds of heavy hitting and heavy breathing.

……

Noon.

canteen.

Xilun, carrying his tray, found a corner to sit down.

The plate contained a large spoonful of stewed beef and potatoes until tender, two pieces of bread, and a bowl of vegetable soup.

He ate heartily, his chewing muscles moving rhythmically to quickly grind and swallow the food, converting it into the energy his body needed.

"I'll be there soon too."

A voice rang out from the other side.

Kanavi sat down with his plate in hand, a hint of undisguised joy on his face.

He looked around and said in a low voice, "These past few days I've felt a warm sensation circulating below my navel. Although I can't quite grasp it yet, Mr. Ryan said it's a sign of impending strength, and I estimate it will happen in the next day or two."

Xilun swallowed a mouthful of beef and nodded: "Congratulations."

"It's not easy."

Kanavi sighed, taking a big bite of bread. "My old man used up all his savings to get me here. If I still can't improve, I'll have to sell a kidney on the black market."

Xilun didn't reply, and lowered his head to think.

For the past few days, he has kept the "Pepperbox" pistol, which he seized from the Black Death cultists, hidden on his person.

During club training, the gear was hidden in the lining of his clothes and kept in the closet; he would wear his training clothes for regular training.

After practice, change back into your own clothes.

However, after using two bullets, there are now only four bullets left in the gun.

"Kanawi".

Xilun put down his spoon, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and asked casually, "Last time you mentioned that 'pepperbox' pistol, how powerful is it exactly?"

Kanavi was drinking soup when he heard this, so he looked up and gave Xilen a strange look.

Why are you suddenly interested in this?

Although Kanavi was puzzled, he still used his "know-it-all" talent to explain: "That old-fashioned smoothbore gun, how should I put it... its advantages are simple structure, cheapness, and great close-range lethality."

"But the drawbacks are also obvious."

Kanavi curled his lip. "The aiming is terrible. At a distance of seven or eight meters, where the bullet goes is entirely up to God. And if it gets damp, there's a small chance it will jam. It's only used by gangsters in the lower city."

Xilun nodded; this information was roughly what he already knew.

He hesitated for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Are bullets for this kind of gun easy to buy?"

"bullet?"

Kanavi paused for a moment, then lowered his voice, his eyes scanning the room warily, "Siren, you wouldn't be thinking of..."

"Just curious," Siren said without changing his expression. "After all, it doesn't hurt to know more."

Kanavi stared at Xilen for a while, then leaned closer and whispered:

"Forget about going through the proper channels. In Saint Laurent City, guns and ammunition are controlled items. If you want to buy bullets in a store, you need a gun license, which is only available to people of middle class or above with a clean record, and you also need two official knights to vouch for you."

"As for the black market..."

Kanavi shrugged. "They're not cheap. Ten of these old-fashioned pistol cartridges cost about two or three shillings. And the quality varies; some are made with inferior black powder, which is not only weak but also prone to misfires."

Two or three shillings, ten shots.

Xilun made a mental calculation.

This price is indeed not cheap. A dockworker toils away all day and only earns one or two shillings.

In other words, firing a few shots is equivalent to spending several days' worth of food money.

"How do those heretics, or underground gangs, get their own bullets?" Siren continued to press, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"them?"

Kanavi scoffed. "Gangs have their ways, usually trading with smuggling ships. As for the heretics... who knows what tricks they have up their sleeves? Maybe they made it themselves. With lead, saltpeter, and sulfur, hand-making gunpowder isn't difficult, it's just easy to blow yourself up."

Xilun nodded thoughtfully.

Make it yourself?

Thanks.

Xilun stood up, picked up his plate, and said, "I'm full, I'm going back now."

"Hey, wait for me." Kanavi quickly stuffed the rest of the bread into his mouth and followed after him, mumbling incoherently.

Stepping out of the cafeteria, the cold wind outside cleared Xilun's head considerably.