Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

"Third Uncle!"

Ross hissed hoarsely, "Kill him! Give me all the Blood Elixir!"

A terrifying glint suddenly flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes.

"it is good."

Before he finished speaking, the old man's figure vanished into the snowstorm like a dark, gloomy wind.

Amidst a maze of shadows, the old man moved with incredible speed, completely exceeding the visual limits of a first-tier extraordinary being.

Even though Xilun kept most of his attention focused on the old man, he could hardly see how the other man crossed the distance of more than ten meters.

Dangerous warnings were exploding wildly in my mind.

Xilun immediately lifted his body, touched the ground with his toes, and tried to fall backward to create distance.

"You think your petty tricks are worthy to be shown off in front of an old man like me!"

The old man snorted coldly and appeared beside Xilun like a ghost, his withered and sharp claws landing mercilessly on the alloy gun.

Sparks flew everywhere.

Using the momentum, Xilun steadied himself, his violent blood and qi suddenly erupted, his waist twisted, and he thrust his spear with an extremely ruthless throat stab.

The old man merely snorted disdainfully at the bullet that was powerful enough to pierce through a steel plate.

He slammed down with his claw, his palm surging with the terrifying shockwave unique to a second-tier extraordinary being.

Snapped!

The spear was deflected, and Xilun seemed unable to withstand the immense force. His lower body suddenly weakened, and he staggered.

His breath hitched, and his hands trembled violently as he tried to put the gun away, but he completely lost his balance and crashed into the dark, icy lake behind him like a meteorite.

thump--!

Huge splashes of water, mixed with ice shards, shot skyward, and Xilun's figure vanished instantly into the icy lake water.

The old man stood by the lake, slightly taken aback.

He frowned and looked down at his palm.

The force with which he struck the gun was clearly calculated, intended to cause the opponent to lose balance and crash onto the hard ice, thus capturing him alive.

Why did the force suddenly veer off course?

It was as if... that kid had used his own power to deliberately hide inside the frozen lake.

However, the old man was not flustered.

His cold gaze swept quickly across the violently churning water. Without any hesitation, he leaped into the icy lake like a cormorant hunting its prey.

A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped Rox.

As a second-tier extraordinary being who has crossed the threshold of the life level, his adaptability to this extreme underwater environment is more than three times stronger than that of a first-tier baptized being.

In the extremely cold lake water, his skin spontaneously secreted a thin layer of spiritual oil, perfectly preventing the loss of heat.

Even if he stays underwater for more than ten minutes without breathing, he can easily persevere by relying on his internal circulation.

He was absolutely confident about the effects of extreme cold on his physique.

With his powerful physique at the second level, he could definitely last longer than that teenager.

Actually, under normal circumstances, he would prefer to wait on the lake shore, watching his prey suffocate or freeze to death and float to the surface.

Unfortunately, this is an unknown wonderland.

No one can predict whether there are hidden currents or outlets connecting to other areas beneath this vast icy lake.

If Siren jumps into the icy lake but escapes through an ice hole elsewhere, that would be a complete disaster.

Not only was he unable to complete the killing mission assigned by the young master, but more importantly, Xilun was carrying so many precious Blood Spirit Ointments.

If he could kill him, as an elder and a meritorious person, he could rightfully receive a generous share of the tribute.

The wages of avarice is death.

Rox's eyes flashed like lightning, quickly scanning the dim, icy lake.

Despite the chilling air and murky lake water, he still managed to spot Xilun's figure rapidly descending dozens of meters below, thanks to his second-tier heightened senses.

"They acted quickly, but unfortunately it wasn't very useful."

Rox snorted inwardly and kicked the water hard with his legs like scissors.

boom!

A visible undercurrent burst open underwater, and the old man's figure shot out like an arrow, moving at an astonishing speed, instantly closing the distance between the two.

Below, Xilun maintained its unhurried pace.

He exhaled slightly in the cold water, his pores opening gently. With the help of the membrane breathing ability brought by the "Great Ocean Whale Guiding Technique", he easily completed the breathing in the water without any pressure.

He poured all his strength into his legs, like a nimble black shark, and frantically dived into deeper and more complex areas.

Rox is fifty-six years old this year. He has experienced countless life-and-death battles in his life and is extremely experienced.

He naturally understood the importance of being cautious and careful, knowing that one could easily capsize in a ditch.

However, he really didn't feel he had anything to worry about when facing a commoner who was not yet twenty years old and whose cultivation level was only at the first level.

In the Empire's records of extraordinary individuals, there is never an outrageous record of a second-tier extraordinary individual being directly killed by a first-tier extraordinary individual.

The gap in strength between the two is like an insurmountable chasm.

Rox narrowed his eyes, aiming at the direction where Xiren was diving.

His withered arm suddenly plunged into the water, and the second-tier power within his body surged forth.

The surrounding icy lake water was drawn in, compressed and condensed wildly, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a two-meter-long, crystal-clear ice spear that exuded an aura of death.

go with!

Rox's arm twitched.

The ice spear, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, rapidly parted the water, leaving a white vacuum trail in the water, heading straight for Xilun's back.

Such casual attacks are completely ineffective against extraordinary individuals of the same level; they can't even break through their defenses.

However, it is very effective at bullying low-level extraordinary individuals, enough to pierce them instantly.

The ice spear roared silently in the water, rapidly approaching Xilun.

Given its current high-speed movement, it would be extremely difficult for Xilun to make significant evasive maneuvers in the water with its immense resistance.

boom!

A dull thud echoed underwater.

The ice spear pierced Siren's back.

However, the scene of blood gushing out and prey dying miserably that Rox had envisioned did not occur.

The sharp ice spear only penetrated an inch before it seemed to have struck an indestructible dark gold iron wall.

Immediately afterwards, the flesh on Xilun's back began to writhe in a chilling, eerie way.

The talent of "Golden Tortoise Cicada Shedding its Shell" was instantly activated.

The ice spear that had pierced his body was forcefully ejected by his powerful muscles, shattering into countless ice shards in the water.

The wound, deep enough to expose bone, was covered in granulation tissue growing at a visible speed. The wound healed completely in an instant, without a single drop of blood spilling out.

This fatal blow had no impact on Siren's operations.

Rox, watching from behind, was suddenly startled, his eyes widening slightly.

"What kind of monstrous physical defense is this?!"

Just as he was about to muster more strength to launch a second round of attacks, he suddenly noticed that Xilun's figure suddenly sank.

Using the counterforce of the water flow, Xilun suddenly turned at an extremely strange angle and fled towards the complex terrain on the left side of the glacial lake.

Rox gritted his teeth and quickly kicked the water to catch up.

After chasing for a while, Rox suddenly realized an extremely serious problem.

Even though he was a second-tier extraordinary being, how come even when he was unleashing his full speed underwater, he didn't seem to close the distance with Xilun by even an inch?

How could the other creature be so incredibly fast underwater? It's even more agile and free-flowing than those aquatic alien species!

A strange sense of crisis welled up in his heart, and a sense of unease began to creep into his mind.

Just as I was pondering this, the water in front of me suddenly splashed loudly.

Large swaths of mud and air bubbles were stirred up, obscuring the view.

When Rox rushed out of the bubble area and looked closely, he was shocked to find that Xiren's figure had vanished into thin air.

He looked around and realized that he had unknowingly been led by Xilun to a rocky area at the edge of the frozen lake.

Dozens of huge, solid ice blocks, each the size of several people, float on the water's surface, while underwater, reefs abound, creating an extremely complex terrain.

They had no idea which ice layer Xilun was hiding behind.

Rox floated in the cold water, his heart pounding faster as his worry amplified.

He felt that things had completely spiraled out of his control and beyond his expectations.

After a moment of quiet contemplation underwater, Rox's mind was instantly filled with the series of unusual actions Xiren had taken on the shore.

At the very beginning, he was extremely sarcastic and unscrupulously ridiculed Young Master Ross.

After successfully provoking the opponent, he struck Ross with a swift and decisive blow.

Then, he deliberately revealed in front of the two of them that he had a large amount of Blood Spirit Ointment.

When he made his move, he deliberately feigned weakness, using his own strength to fall into the icy lake in a seemingly natural way, luring himself into the water to chase after him...

All of this was a textbook example of luring the enemy deep into their territory!

"Could it be...?"

Rox froze, his eyes bloodshot with extreme fear.

A diversionary tactic!

He suddenly paused, and the image of young Master Ross lying alone on the shore, seriously injured and weak, flashed through his mind.

"Young Master!!!"

Rox let out a muffled roar underwater, frantically twisting his thin body and swimming back frantically in the direction he had fallen into the water.

……

at the same time.

On the other side of the frozen lake shore.

Although Ross's breathing was weak, he was no longer in serious condition.

He endured the excruciating pain in his lower back and abdomen, barely managing to climb out of the snowdrift. Shivering, he pulled a bottle of high-level healing potion from his pocket, uncorked it, and drank it all in one gulp.

The warm medicinal properties spread throughout his body, and Ross's pale face regained some color.

He leaned against a boulder, watching the lake gradually calm down, and thought smugly to himself:

"With Third Uncle personally taking action to hunt him down, that lowly mortal Xilun will definitely not last five minutes underwater; he will surely die."

"However, the fact that this person had so much Blood Spirit Ointment on him is truly a stroke of luck."

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Ross's mouth.

"Now, all these precious resources are going to benefit me. With these Blood Spirit Ointments, my chances of breaking through to the second tier are much greater!"

He took a short breath and pondered:

Since the murder and robbery are progressing smoothly, Uncle Three should be able to come out soon with Xilun's head and the Blood Spirit Ointment.

The next step is to officially begin exploring this wondrous place and seeking opportunities.

He fumbled around and took out the parchment map again.

With the combined efforts of several generations of the Ocheri family, and his own two experiences entering the Wonderland, this map is undoubtedly an extremely detailed and precious item among the many trial participants.

Using the dim light, Ross began to carefully analyze the route.

"Although there are some special species in this frozen lake, it's hard to say whether there are any high-level resources."

Moreover, underwater dangers are unpredictable and the environment is harsh, so it's best not to go.

"As for that great snow-capped mountain..."

Ross looked at the towering mountain peaks marked on the map. "According to the experience of our family's predecessors, some ice-attribute wonders should be able to be nurtured deep within the snow-capped mountains."

"For example, snow trees, snow fruits, or snow-like variants; if you're lucky, you might even encounter the legendary snow lotus or something."

But when he recalled the records in the clan's secret scrolls, his brows furrowed again.

"However, after many explorations, the vast majority of people returned empty-handed, without any substantial gains."

He pondered for a moment, then drew an X on the map with his finger.

"Seeking opportunities in the snow-capped mountains is too unrealistic; the risks and rewards are completely disproportionate."

"Why don't we go to the other side?"

His gaze fell on a marker in the south of the map. "There's a huge canyon here, where many extraordinary materials naturally grow for use by second-tier extraordinary individuals. If you go south, the wind and snow will be blocked by the terrain, and the temperature won't be so extreme."

"Rumor has it that there may be some ancient man-made structures, such as towers and fortresses, deep in the canyon."

Some speculate that it contains the legacy of an ancient, enigmatic scholar.

Just as Ross was basking in the glow of his plans for future opportunities, a sudden change occurred.

thump!

Suddenly, the surface of the icy lake not far away exploded.

Ross looked up in surprise, thinking that his third uncle had returned in triumph.

However, when he saw the figure emerging from the water, his blood seemed to freeze instantly.

A young man in black, carrying a large spear in one hand, emerged slowly from the icy lake like a demon from the abyss.

Xilen casually wiped the water off his face, turned his chiseled, cold face, and fixed his gaze on the dumbfounded Ross.

He grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Ross."

Ross's face instantly changed from rosy to deathly pale with fear.

He retreated in a panic, not even having time to pick up the precious map that had fallen to the ground. He struggled to his feet and gripped the cross-blade tightly in his hand.

The blade was trembling violently.

"How...how could you possibly get rid of Third Uncle?!"

Ross's teeth chattered, and he stammered, shrinking back. "You...you stay away! I'm the heir to the Ocelli family!"

Xilun completely ignored his weak and feeble threat.

As he drew nearer, the mockery in his eyes was completely replaced by a cold-blooded murderous intent.

boom!

The heavy spear, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, thrust straight out without any fancy moves.

Ross screamed in despair, gripping the cross-shaped knife tightly in front of his chest to block the attack.

An overwhelming, unstoppable force emanated from the blade, causing his arm bones to creak and crack. He managed to stagger back a few steps and coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Before he could regain his footing, Xilun used the momentum to suddenly exert force from his waist and abdomen.

Another powerful sweeping motion followed, the spear shaft lashing out like an iron whip.

Ross was completely overwhelmed by the terrifying force. He stumbled backward, slipped, and fell backward onto the snow.

Xilun's eyes were icy cold, and his blood and qi surged like boiling water.

"The water flow has stopped."

He gave a low shout.

An extremely dense burst of energy instantly surged from the shaft of the spear.

This energy was compressed and condensed wildly at the tip of the spear, transforming into an indestructible dark silver ray.

Chi!

With a single step, Xilun unleashed his spear like a venomous dragon emerging from the sea, piercing Ross's chest with unparalleled power.

The sharp spear tip shattered his heart, pinning him firmly to the frozen ground.

Ross's eyes widened, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets.

He stared in disbelief at the fatal wound in his chest, his mouth agape, making meaningless gurgling sounds in his throat.

pat.

His prized cross-blade slipped from his powerless hand and fell onto the cold snow.

With a blank expression, Xilun twisted his hands together and suddenly pulled out the spear.

Ross lost his balance and collapsed with a thud, blood gushing out and spreading beneath him.

Xiren then stepped forward, raised his right foot, which was clad in heavy combat boots, and kicked Ross hard in the neck.

Crack!

A sickening cracking sound rang out as Ross's neck was snapped, extinguishing his last glimmer of hope.