Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The water pounded against my shoulders, back, and chest, bringing waves of heavy, persistent impact, like someone repeatedly pounding my muscles and skin with a heavy hammer.

If it were anyone else, they would have been smashed to pieces by that force, but Xilun only frowned slightly and continued to hold his breath.

The golden tortoise shell slowly repairs every tiny bit of damage within its body.

His adaptive internal organs allow his breathing to remain long and steady.

The coiled dragon supported his muscular frame, making him like a large stake driven into the stone platform, unshakable no matter how fierce the water flow.

Above all this, the Profound Yin Breathing Technique was slowly operating.

The waterfall's mist was thick, and the mountain air was still chilly. This place was actually more suitable for the Xuan Yin breathing technique than an ordinary quiet room.

A chilling aura was inhaled with each breath, then flowed along the meridians and settled in the lower abdomen.

Xilun could clearly feel that the Xuan Yin Qi in his body was gradually increasing, like a stream flowing into an invisible valley, showing signs of forming a vortex.

He suddenly opened his eyes and reached out.

A chill suddenly gathered in the rushing water.

With a click.

One of the small tributaries cooled down rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, then froze solid, turning into a sharp ice cone that pierced out diagonally from under the curtain of water.

The ice cone lasted only a moment before being shattered by the subsequent flow of water.

However, Xilun's arm immediately felt a stinging pain and emptiness, and his palm even turned slightly white.

He took a breath, withdrew his hand, but couldn't help but smile.

"Truly impressive."

"It's just that my strength is too weak..."

This Profound Yin Breathing Technique, though only at the beginner level, has already demonstrated considerable power. If one were to truly master it to a high level, the chilling sensation in one's palms would likely be far more than just freezing water into frost.

But the more this is the case, the more it means that resource consumption will be extremely high.

The most crucial element is the Yin Spirit Source Water.

Mountain springs, especially cold winter days, contain a source of pure, yin-nourishing water essence that money can't necessarily buy.

Xilun wiped the water droplets from his face and stood up from the stone platform.

"Go tell the butler."

"Collect as much Yin Spirit Water as possible, take as much as you can, don't worry about the money."

The servants waiting nearby quickly agreed and turned to go down the mountain.

When he returned to his study, several newly delivered letters were piled on the table.

Xilun dried his fingers, opened one of the envelopes, and his brow twitched quickly.

It was a letter from the Brotherhood headquarters.

In addition to congratulating him on his promotion to the second rank and stabilizing the situation in the St. Mary's Parish, Yuri also added a note in the letter: "If you have time, you can return to headquarters to report for duty. The A-rank medal and the treasure vault reward have been approved and you can collect them now."

After reading it, Xilun tapped the edge of the page lightly with his finger.

It's not that I can't go back.

The situation in the North District has now stabilized for the time being, and it is convenient to travel back and forth; it only takes a little over an hour by steam train.

Moreover, the A-level medal, the treasure vault rewards, and the attitude of headquarters... it's always better to see these things in person than to guess through a letter.

Thinking of this, he folded the letter and put it away, saying calmly, "Prepare the car, we'll go to the station tomorrow morning."

The steam train station in the early morning always carries a damp, rusty smell.

The black locomotive was parked at the platform, its belly-like boiler emitting a deep rumble, and puffs of white steam shot into the air like the fog that never dissipates in winter.

Xilun carried a small suitcase and made his way through the crowd to get on the bus.

The carriage was covered with dark carpet, the brass handrails were polished to a shine, and outside the window were gray brick walls, chimneys, workshops, tree shadows, and the gradually unfolding suburban plains.

Once the train starts moving, its rhythm becomes very regular.

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

Xilun leaned back in the soft seat, resting his chin on his hand, watching the scenery outside the window recede into the distance. He had a rare moment of free time and went through his cultivation system from beginning to end.

Currently, in terms of physical skills, besides the most basic and commonly used unarmed combat, the most important is the bone-forging iron armor ascetic training method.

This method is not fancy, but it is extremely hard-working, and its advantage lies in its stability.

Every extra minute you simmer is a real boost to your bones and skin.

In terms of breath control, the Xuan Yin Breathing Method and the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Method are used in parallel.

The former is externally refined, mainly related to cold, water, erosion, and freezing.

The latter's internal energy is characterized by thunderous sounds, vibrations, tempering, and purification.

One focuses on outward plunder, while the other focuses on inward consolidation; their combined potential is immense.

As for weaponry, at this stage, Natan's heavy gunnery is still the mainstay.

Xilun rubbed his temples, but he was not satisfied.

His marksmanship was adequate, but far from satisfactory.

When facing opponents of the same or even stronger level, I often rely on my fundamental skills and on-the-spot reactions to overpower them. But when I encounter seasoned second-tier veterans who have been honing their skills for many years, strength and breathing techniques alone are not enough.

Not to mention—that talent for accumulating electrical charge.

Xilun narrowed his eyes, thinking of the experiments he had conducted when he was at the first level of the extreme realm.

At that time, he used the special property of charge enrichment to calculate a set of external circulation burst techniques, and even achieved double circulation superposition for a very short time.

But now that he has advanced to the second tier, this path is no longer viable.

It's not that the approach is wrong.

The level of his talent in charge enrichment is already starting to fall behind.

After all, it was something plundered from lower-level alien species. It could be considered ingenious at the first tier, but at the second tier, its power level seemed too low, making it difficult to truly integrate with the current internal circulation.

"Or, we can find a higher-level lightning-type mutant talent to replace it later..."

"Either way, we need to find a way to thoroughly understand the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Technique."

Xilun muttered something to himself, then regained his composure.

The train traveled smoothly all the way.

Occasionally, someone would pass by him and instinctively slow their pace. Even though Xilun didn't deliberately exude any aura, the mere sight of him naturally created a sense of oppression that made people reluctant to get too close.

More than an hour later, the train arrived at the station.

As soon as Xilun stepped out of the car, he saw someone waving vigorously at him from a short distance away.

"Over here!"

The man, wearing an old trench coat, was smiling broadly; who else could it be but Yuri?

Xilun couldn't help but laugh, and quickly went downstairs. The two of them hugged each other tightly.

Yuri patted him hard on the back before stepping back, his face full of emotion.

"You're really something, kid."

"You've already advanced to the second tier without making a sound! You're the first person in the Brotherhood to truly achieve this in the past two years. I originally thought it would be Lothar or someone else first, but in the end, you're the one who's most impressive."

When he said this, his tone was completely genuine; he was truly happy.

Xilun laughed and said, "Not at all, I naturally still have to rely on Lord Yuri's whims."

Upon hearing this, Yuri's eyes widened immediately.

"Don't give me that! You're a governor now, do you think I'd let you rely on me? You're trying to flatter me to death."

He said that, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Now that you've been promoted so early, you're much more sought-after than me. As soon as the telegram from the North District arrived, headquarters was in an uproar. Several old guys spent ages looking at your file."

"I'm afraid it's not just me who wants to see you; the other members of the board also want to see what you look like."

Xilun's eyes flickered slightly.

really.

The headquarters reacted even faster than I expected.

As Yuri led him outside, he continued chattering, "By the way, did you receive the tea I sent you? It's my precious tea; I usually don't even want to brew it more than twice."

Xilun said, "It was put away a long time ago."

"I'm afraid you'll regret it someday and come to my door asking for it back."

"Get lost."

Yuri laughed and cursed, then reached out and snatched the suitcase from him, carrying it himself.

"You're a distinguished guest now, let me get it for you this time."

A black sedan was already waiting outside the station.

After the two got into the car, it slowly drove into the city.

The streets along the way are much wider than those in the North District, with tall and neat buildings. Coal smoke, GG signs, iron bridges, and steam pipes intertwine, creating the unique cold prosperity of this Victorian city.

Yuri lifted the curtain and glanced outside, then turned his head and lowered his voice.

"I haven't released too much news about your return yet."

"Some people in headquarters are gossipy and love to speculate about everything. Your current fame is not only a good thing."

Xilun nodded: "I understand."

Yuri was relieved and continued, "But don't be too nervous. The Brotherhood is a place where you earn your living by your skills. You can fight, you can defend the North District, and you even wiped out the Bonebreaker Gang. That's the greatest qualification."

Even if someone doesn't like you, you still have to give them some face.

Listening to this, Xilun suddenly asked, "Where's Hevil?"

Yuri was delighted.

"You still remember her. She's busy running around handling documents and delivering files now, almost like a head secretary. Just the other day she was saying that you've been making so much noise in the North District that her hand is sore from writing so much."

Xilun chuckled.

The car drove through two main streets and finally stopped in front of a very imposing gray-black building.

This is the Brotherhood headquarters.

The tall archway, the heavy stone pillars, and the dark luster worn by time on the window sills and railings.

Two rows of guards in dark uniforms stood in front of the gate, guns at their waists, their expressions cold and stern.

The lintel has no overly extravagant decorations, only a low-key yet highly recognizable fraternity emblem.

As soon as Xilun got out of the car, the eyes of several people at the door all turned to him.

Some of them recognized Yuri and were about to go up and say hello, but when their eyes fell on Xiren's face, they couldn't help but pause slightly, as if they were quickly matching a certain name with the real person in their minds.

"Governor."

"Governor of West London."

The address was quickly given.

Xilun nodded one by one, his expression calm.

After entering, the two went up the wide staircase to the second floor.

The corridor was filled with fraternity members carrying documents and briefcases, hurrying back and forth.

Some people recognized Xiren, and their eyes immediately showed more curiosity and awe; those who didn't recognize him couldn't help but take a second look because Yuri was personally accompanying him.

"See that?"

Yuri chuckled softly, "You're famous now."

"I hope it's not a bad reputation," said Xiren.

"What a load of crap."

Yuri pushed open the door to his office and put the box aside.

The interior was not luxurious, but it was very clean, with bookshelves, maps, filing cabinets, and a telephone.

There was a stack of unfinished documents piled on the table, and the coffee next to it had gone cold.

"Sit down, have something to drink first."

Yuri tugged at his collar, clearly having rushed over to pick him up without even having time to catch his breath.

Xilun had barely sat down when someone knocked on the door.

Hevi poked half her head in, paused for a moment when she saw Xiren, and then her eyes lit up.

"You really came back?"

She came in carrying a stack of documents, looked Xilun up and down, and couldn't help but click her tongue.

"The big shots in the North District are really different; they exude a much stronger aura."

Xilun said, "You've learned to make fun of people too."

Hevi snorted and put the file on Yuri's desk.

"It's your fault for not letting me have any peace and quiet."

"While you're making a big splash in the North District, Mr. Yuri is handling all the paperwork, pressing for applications, and chasing up for awards. I've practically turned the copywriting department upside down these past few days."

She complained, but her face clearly showed happiness.

After all, it's a good thing for everyone if the Brotherhood has another young Tier 2 who can truly make a name for himself.

Yuri waved his hand: "Alright, alright, leave the documents here, you can go now."

Just as Haiweier was about to leave, she remembered something and turned back, saying, "By the way, your A-level medal and treasury application have completed the procedures, but the official issuance may have to wait for the board of directors to give their approval and sign off."

"Also, it's best to change into something more formal for the evening."

As she said this, Chong Xilun blinked.

"I've heard that more than one person wants to see you tonight."

After saying that, she turned and left, clutching the remaining documents.

Once the door closed, the room became quiet.

Yuri walked to the table, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

Xilun sat to the side, undisturbed, only occasionally responding with "Yes," "Understood," or "The person has arrived."

After a moment, Yuri nodded slightly, put the receiver back, and turned around.

His smile faded slightly, and his expression became much more serious.

"See you tonight, board members."

"Get ready."

Xilun paused slightly.

It's evening.

Although he had vaguely guessed this would happen from the moment he received the letter from headquarters, he still couldn't help but feel a slight ripple in his heart when the words were actually spoken.

That's not fear.

It's more like an instinctive concentration before standing on a higher level.

He has met many formidable people and killed many who deserved to die.

But the board members who actually sit at the very top of the fraternity—

That's a different kind of weight.

Seeing his silence, Yuri didn't say much, but just walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

Don't overthink it.

"The fact that they want to see you means you are worthy of being seen."

"This is a good thing in itself."

Xilun nodded slowly.

"I know."

The sky outside the window was still bright, and the bronze bell on the distant clock tower had just rung past the afternoon hour. Sunlight streamed obliquely into the room through the high window, casting a long band of light on the floor.

Xilun sat in the chair, gazing at the light, and for a moment felt a strange sense of disorientation.

Not long ago, he was just a struggling apprentice at the South District Club, desperately trying to climb the ranks.

Further ahead, they were just ordinary people in the lower city who could be crushed at any moment.

And now-

Brotherhood Headquarters, Board Meeting, A-Rank Medal, Vault Access.

All of this happened very quickly.

It moves as fast as the street scenes rushing past the train window; a moment's distraction and you're already at another station.

Yuri sat back down at the table, opened the files, glanced up at him again, and smiled, "Go take a shower, change your clothes, and look more refreshed. If you're really nervous, just treat those old guys as another kind of enemy."

Xilun smiled too.

"That's a simple and straightforward suggestion."

"As long as it works."

Yuri shrugged.

Outside, footsteps echoed back and forth, and the phone rang occasionally. The entire headquarters was like a huge and sophisticated machine, never stopping for a moment.