Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

"The fault line you mentioned," Lund said slowly, "is not a technical problem."

Xilun frowned slightly.

"The focal point of the Crimson Star Spear is essentially an extreme form of compression."

Lund gripped the iron spear and slowly drew an arc in the air.

"You must compress all your energy—whether it's thunderous sound or profound yin—to a single point on the tip of the spear. The smaller that point, the greater the power. But the smaller it is, the more precise your control over your own energy must be."

He paused.

"Your problem isn't with the degree of compression."

"The problem is—you don't trust your own gun."

These words silenced Xilun.

Lund continued, "Your basic gun skills are already 97% mastered. The framework of Natan Heavy Gun Technique has long been integrated into your muscle memory, but Red Star is not an extension of Natan—Red Star is something else entirely."

He held the iron spear upright in front of him.

"Natan emphasizes strength and structure."

"Red Star values ​​willpower."

"You must concentrate all your will on the tip of the gun. At the moment of convergence, there can be no distractions in your mind—no thoughts of what to do next, how your opponent will react, or even the thought of 'I want to win.'"

"I don't want to think about anything."

"There's only that one point."

Lund's voice turned low.

"That's Red Star."

Xilun memorized every word of these words.

He took a deep breath.

"I see."

Lund nodded.

"Then let's practice."

He pointed to the hill behind the training shed.

"From now until the day you leave, at least ten hours every day."

Xilun did not hesitate.

He took an iron spear from the corner of the wall.

I weighed it in my hand.

Then he walked out of the training shed and headed towards the back of the mountain.

Behind him, Lund watched his retreating figure.

A moment later, he leaned the iron spear against the wall and slowly sat down in the old rattan chair.

The bandage on my left arm was already oozing a faint trace of blood.

He glanced down at it but didn't change it.

Just close your eyes.

Silently estimating in my mind—

How much longer can this arm hold up?

……

In the days that followed, Xilun was like a machine that never stopped.

I get up at four o'clock every morning.

First, go to the training room and practice the Profound Yin Breathing Technique for an hour, allowing the cold breath to slowly circulate in the bones and flesh, maintaining an expert-level high level of activity.

From 5 to 6 o'clock, practice the Great Thunder Breathing Method to temper the fascia and internal organs with the power of internal vibration.

At six o'clock, we ate breakfast.

Lund's manor has no cook; the meals are prepared by Siren himself.

Coarse bread, fried eggs, and a pot of strong tea.

There are no rules; we just eat and leave.

From seven o'clock to noon, marksmanship.

He no longer practiced the basic moves of Natan heavy gunnery—those things were ingrained in his bones.

He practiced the point-focusing technique of the Crimson Star Spear.

once.

once.

Again.

The iron spear traced a silver arc in the air, its tip gathering energy time and again, only to dissipate at the critical point each time.

In the instant of collapse, the excess energy would rebound along the gun barrel, causing his tiger's mouth to go numb and his fingers to turn white.

Xilun ignored it.

He simply shook his hand, gripped the iron spear again, and tried once more.

Lund would come to visit occasionally.

He leaned against the entrance of the training shed, silently observing every gathering point of Xilun.

Then, when Xilun failed, he coldly uttered a word or two.

"Your shoulders are too tight."

"His breathing rhythm was a beat slower."

"What are you thinking about?"

The last sentence appears most frequently.

Every time he heard this sentence, Xilun knew that he had been distracted again.

He took a deep breath, readjusted his mindset, and gathered his strength.

On the third day—

He started to feel something.

That "dot".

It's not a specific physical location on the tip of the gun.

It is a state.

A state where nothing exists except for this one shot.

On the evening of the third day, he touched the edge of that state for the first time.

It only lasted for a moment.

It was so short that he almost didn't even realize it.

But Lund noticed.

The old man sat up from the wicker chair and squinted at Xilun for a long time.

Then he only said two words.

"Again."

Xilun gripped his iron spear and continued practicing.

Fourth day.

Day .

Day .

New calluses formed on his palms. The old calluses broke, bleeding, and new calluses grew, only to be broken again.

Several new dents appeared on the iron spear shaft—these were left by the backlash of energy when the gathering point failed.

But that "point"—

It's getting clearer and clearer.

It is no longer a vague concept.

It has a specific shape.

A tiny, extremely bright spot of light, like a star.

He can see it when he closes his eyes.

It hovered right in the center of his mental world.

It is not far from the sacred bud of prayer.

But they are completely different.

The sacred bud is warm, growing, and spreading outward.

And that point of light—

It is scorching, introverted, and collapsing inward.

Like a star about to explode.

Seventh day.

early morning.

Xilun stood on the open ground behind the hill.

An iron spear was held horizontally in front of him.

His breathing was extremely slow.

It was so slow it was almost as if they had stopped breathing.

The internal shock force of the Great Thunder Sound and the cold breath of the Profound Yin flowed simultaneously through the meridians.

Two completely opposite forces—one hot and one cold, one hard and one soft—converged at his dantian.

Then--

Along the arm.

Fill the iron spear.

They surged toward the tip of the gun.

Compress it little by little.

Compress it again.

Compress it again.

The air began to vibrate.

In front of the spear tip—at a distance almost invisible to the naked eye—the space rippled like the surface of water.

Lund stood twenty paces away.

His gaze was fixed on the tip of the iron spear.

Staring at that which is invisible to the naked eye, but clearly perceptible to the senses of the extraordinary—

A spot of light.

It lit up.

Dark red.

Like the first star on the horizon before dawn.

[Skill: Crimson Star Spear (Beginner)]

[Progress: 0/1000]

【Characteristics: Penetrating everywhere, indestructible, selfless, and invincible!】

Xilun gripped his iron spear.

In his mind—

There was nothing there.

Only this one shot.

There is only this one point.

He stabbed it out.

The gun traced an almost invisible path through the air—because it was moving too fast.

It was so fast that the air didn't even have time to vibrate.

It was so fast that the sound couldn't keep up with the tip of the gun.

laugh--

The iron stake is fifteen steps ahead.

The point where the spear tip pierced—right in the center.

And the back of the iron stake—

It blew open a hole the size of a fist.

Fragments of iron flew everywhere.

Several pieces were embedded in the stone wall three steps away.

It was embedded half an inch deep.

Xilun put away his gun.

He stood still.

He slowly exhaled a long breath.

That breath condensed into white mist in the cold morning air.

At the edge of the white mist, a faint, dark red light flashed and disappeared.

Red star.

Lund's voice came from behind.

Very peaceful.

But Xilun could hear it—beneath that calm, there was a layer of barely perceptible relief.

"You've mastered it."

Lund said.

Xilun turned around.

His face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

That shot just now almost drained half of his mental energy and seventy percent of his vital energy reserves.

But his eyes were very bright.

"Thank you, teacher."

Lund stepped forward and reached out his right hand to touch the edge of the iron stake that had been pierced.

A trace of residual warmth lingered on my fingertips.

He withdrew his hand and looked at Xilun.

"After you master the Red Star technique, its power will increase in tandem with your total aura and mental strength. You can only unleash one attack now—and it will take at least half an incense stick's time to recover afterward."

His tone turned serious.

"Remember, until you can reliably fire a second shot, Akahoshi should only be used as a trump card. Don't use it unless it's a matter of life and death."

Xilun nodded.

"I see."

Lund hummed in agreement.

He didn't say anything more.

He turned and walked towards the manor.

After walking a few steps, they stopped again.

"Let's leave this afternoon," he said without turning his head. "Don't dawdle."

Xilun watched his teacher's retreating figure.

He smiled slightly.

It's very light.

But it's very real.

……

That afternoon, Siron packed his bags and left Lund's estate.

The carriage bumped along the road leading to the northern district.

The view outside the window gradually changed from the barren fields in the southern suburbs to the gray factories and chimneys in the northern district.

The smell of sulfur in the air grew stronger.

Xilun leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed.

His mental strength has recovered by more than half.

But the fatigue from this week of intense training still lingers in my body.

However, beneath that fatigue—

It was a sense of fulfillment I had never experienced before.

Red Star Spear, Beginner's Guide.

Natan's heavy gun technique has a penetration rate of 97%.

The cold breath of the Xuan Yin Breathing Technique has been refined to a new level due to the continuous compression practice over the past week.

The internal vibrations of the Great Thunder Breathing Technique are becoming increasingly coordinated with the cold breath.

His strength—

It is gradually approaching the limit of the second order.

The carriage stopped in front of the Brotherhood's mansion.

Rod was already waiting at the door.

The old butler's white hair made him look even older in the twilight, but his eyes remained sharp.

"Boss, you're back."

Xilun got out of the car and handed the iron gun and leather bag to Kusuo behind him.

"What's been going on lately?"

He asked as he walked toward the mansion.

Rod followed half a step behind, opening a small booklet in his hand.

"Nothing serious. Everything is stable in the North District. The armed insurgent party replied, confirming receipt of your letter and indicating they will maintain contact. Patrols in the South and East Warehouses have been operating according to the new plan for ten days, and there have been no abnormalities so far."

He turned a page.

"Rena reports—no one has inquired about Susie's whereabouts at the South Wharf. Also, the Whisper Choir has been unusually quiet lately, and our informants in the Dark Hall haven't sent any news either."

Xilun hummed in agreement.

"Is there anything else?"

"Regarding the prisoners. Victor is behaving well and has revealed a lot about the smuggling ring's past and communication channels. Chester's injuries are healing, but he remains silent. Monica... suddenly started talking the day before yesterday, but on the condition that she sees you in person."

Xilun walked to the study door and pushed it open to enter.

"There's no rush yet."

He sat down behind his desk and rubbed his temples.

Rod brought the tea over and stood quietly to the side.

Xilun took a sip of tea and put down the cup.

He stared at the map of the situation in the northern region on the table.

The map markings have been updated by Rena—the strongholds of the three major smuggling groups have been marked with an X, and the Brotherhood's control area has expanded considerably.

But Balk's stronghold—

The marker remains intact in the northeast corner of the map.

Like a thorn stuck in the flesh.

You'll never feel comfortable if you don't pull it out.

Xilun withdrew his gaze.

"If everything goes smoothly—"

He spoke slowly.

"Next, I have two things to do."

Rod pricked up his ears.

"The first matter concerns the Tusol family's autumn hunt, which will take place more than a year from now."

Xilun tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Although I don't know Austin's true intentions, I can't let this opportunity slip by. From now on, I need to make targeted preparations."

Rhodes nodded.

The Autumn Hunt—a grand event held by the Tusol family every three years.

It's called a hunt, but it's really a test.

Everyone connected to the family—whether direct descendants, collateral descendants, or members of other surnames—is eligible to participate.

Those who perform exceptionally well during the Autumn Hunt will receive preferential treatment in terms of family resources, and may even gain entry into the inner circle.

For Xilun—

This is an unavoidable point.

"The second item—"

Xilun's voice suddenly turned somber.

He looked up at Rod.

"Starting today, keep a close watch on Balk."

Rhodes paused slightly.

The old butler's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You're planning to...?"

"I can't wait to kill him."

When Xilun said this, his tone was as flat as if he were talking about the weather.

But Rhodes could tell—

Beneath that calm exterior lay a murderous intent that had been suppressed for far too long.

Balk.

A seasoned second-tier extraordinary being.

He was also the one who almost took Xilun's life back then.

Xilun secretly made a calculation in his mind.

Balk's strength is roughly equivalent to a senior second-tier cultivator, but not at the extreme level.

And myself—

After this period of training, his strength has reached the level of a senior second-tier cultivator.

The Great Thunder Sound Breathing Method, the Mysterious Yin Breathing Method, the Bone Forging Iron Armor, the Echoing Cavity...

In addition, there's the newly acquired Crimson Star Spear.

If they were to face off head-on—

The odds of winning are not small.

But it's not exactly insurance.

He didn't want to take risks.

I never thought about it.

Lund taught him a phrase—

"On the battlefield, only fools fight to the death with the enemy; smart people always win before they even make a move."

"Don't bother me during this time."

Xilun put down his teacup.

"I need to go into seclusion for spiritual practice. Every night, send me a summary of information that needs processing, and I will make decisions as best I can. Also—if there is anything important, please call me anytime."

Rhodes agreed.

He turned and left the study.

As I walked out the door, I glanced back.

Xilun had already taken out the thin notebook that Susie had left for him from his purse.

I turned to a certain page.

His gaze was completely absorbed in it.

Rod closed the door gently.

Xilun's seclusion officially began that night.

He opened up the passageway between the study and the bedroom, and set up a simple cultivation array in the bedroom—a few sticks of incense for purifying the mind were placed on a copper base, the curtains were drawn tightly, and only a dim oil lamp was left on.

The first thing to do was to study Susie's notes.

Life techniques for the purpose of comforting the spirit.

He opened his notebook and read it carefully, page by page.

Susie's handwriting was extremely small, but each rune was drawn with such precision that it was almost rigid.

She broke down the procedure into thirty-seven steps.

Each step is followed by her own notes—the language is simple, but the organization is clear and the logic is rigorous.

In some places, even small diagrams were drawn.

It's clear that when this girl copied this technique, she didn't just copy it verbatim, but truly understood every step.

Even if she herself is unable to cultivate.