Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

At one point, Xilun suddenly opened his eyes.

It's not dangerous.

There was a cold and unfamiliar shadow in the water outside, silently gliding past the hull of the boat.

The sea at night is like a piece of silk soaked in ink.

The Tulip sailed through the darkness, its bow lights casting a shimmering golden glow.

Further out, the sea rose and fell, with occasional glimpses of silver light flashing across the crests of the waves before being swallowed by the night.

There weren't many people on the deck.

Apart from the sailors on night watch, only a few sleepless passengers leaned against the wind and smoked.

Amidst the flickering glow of their cigarettes, they whispered crude jokes and discussed gambling, their voices ripped apart by the sea breeze.

Xiren put on his coat and walked onto the deck.

The wind was cold, carrying damp salt grains that felt like tiny pebbles on my face.

He gripped the railing, his gaze falling on the seawater below his starboard side.

The shadow is still there.

It sometimes hulled close to the ship's hull, sometimes sank deeper, moving slowly but always following the Tulip.

To the average person, it would just look like a clump of seaweed or a piece of driftwood.

But in Xilun's perception, the thing exuded a cold, festering, and plague-like stench.

It's not the high-level pollution like that in Nuerles.

More crude, more savage.

Like a corpse that has rotted in the sea and then learned to swim again.

Xilun watched quietly for a moment.

He didn't want to cause trouble.

His body hadn't fully recovered, and the safest course of action before heading to the Prisoner Star Islands was to minimize unnecessary battles. But the way that thing moved in the seawater piqued his interest.

Deep-sea submersible navigation.

It moves extremely nimbly underwater.

This kind of talent is very valuable to him.

More importantly, he needs to test how much of his strength he can still exert now.

Xilun unbuttoned his coat.

A sailor on night watch noticed his movement and immediately frowned: "Sir, don't stand too close to the railing at night. If you fall, there might be no one to help you..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly saw Xilun step onto the bottom edge of the railing.

Another passenger who was smoking suddenly changed his expression and blurted out, "Watch out! There might be a water ghost down there!"

The moment the words "water ghost" left his mouth, Xilun had already lightly stepped on it.

His body went over the side of the ship.

There were no screams, no struggles, and no clumsy fall.

He was like a black feather blown away by the wind, gently falling onto the sea.

The people on the deck were instantly stunned.

The sailor on night watch rushed to the railing, about to call for help, when he saw the sole of Xilun's boot lightly touch the crest of a wave.

The seawater was slightly concave.

He did not sink.

The black coat was lifted by the sea breeze, and Xilun slid forward several feet using the recoil from the water.

As he raised his right hand, a layer of coldness condensed into a thin white mist in his palm. The eerie shadow beneath the water seemed to sense the danger and suddenly twisted and burrowed into the depths.

too slow.

At least in Xilun's eyes, it was too slow.

He clenched his five fingers downwards.

The surrounding seawater suddenly tightened, as if an invisible hand was gripping the shadow from all directions.

The next instant, Xilun pressed his palm down.

boom!

A deep, muffled sound came from underwater.

A ring of white waves exploded on the sea surface.

The eerie figure was forcefully knocked out of the water, revealing a humanoid upper body.

Its skin was pale and swollen, its mouth was split to the roots of its ears, its teeth were as fine as needles, and its hair was stuck to its face like rotten seaweed.

Its chest and abdomen lack intact skin and flesh, instead bearing rows of gray gill openings that are spewing out black water with a fishy smell.

It let out a sharp screech.

The sound was not like that of a wild beast, but more like the drawn-out last breath of a person drowning underwater.

A collective gasp of astonishment came from the deck.

"What a water ghost!"

"When did it catch up?"

"Damn it, call the crossbowmen!"

The water ghost was struck by Xilun's palm, causing half of its body to shatter, but it still did not die.

It slapped the water hard with its claws, and its body turned back at an odd angle, actually rushing towards Xilun's ankle with the wave.

Those two claws have transparent membranes at their tips, with edges as sharp as knives. If they grab someone, they'll probably drag them into deep water immediately.

Xilun looked down at it.

He did not draw his gun, nor did he use his cane.

He simply stomped his right foot lightly on the water.

A ring of dark blue chill spread along the ripples.

The water ghost's lunging motion suddenly froze, half of its body covered by a thin layer of ice.

But this thing is extremely resilient; it spews out foul-smelling hot air from its gill openings, managing to crack the ice layer.

"It's definitely not an ordinary beast."

"Silen said in a low voice."

He bent down and pressed his five fingers on the water ghost's head.

The next moment, three wisps of black energy slowly emerged from his mouth and nostrils.

"Breath of the Styx!"

The scene was extremely bizarre.

The black mist was not like smoke, but more like long, soft tentacles, carrying a kind of cold and greedy instinct, wrapping around the water ghost along with Xilun's breath.

The water ghost seemed to sense a higher level of fear; its fierce screams suddenly turned into struggles, its body twisting wildly, its claws leaving streaks on the sea surface.

But it couldn't break free.

The black mist seeped into its eye sockets, mouth, and gill openings on its chest and abdomen.

The water ghost's swollen body quickly shrank, something was forcibly drawn from under its skin, and something else was brutally crushed by the black energy.

After a few breaths, its struggles weakened, its sharp teeth fell out one by one, and the black water gushing from its gill openings turned into grayish-white foam.

Xilun's eyes turned slightly cold, and he immediately activated the Profound Yin Breathing Technique.

A chill seeped from between his bones, freezing the three wisps of black energy and forcing them back into his body.

The water ghost stopped moving completely.

A faint stream of heat emanated from deep within the corpse, flowing into Xilun's body through his palm.

A familiar feeling arose.

His senses seemed to sink briefly into the deep sea, the light around him disappeared, and pressure squeezed from every inch of his skin.

But in the next instant, certain subtle parts of the body began to adjust; a slight itch came from the lungs and eardrums, and the sense of touch between the ankles and toes became more acute with the flow of water.

[Talent: Deep-sea diving]

[Source: Resentful Water Ghost]

【Features: Allows for unimpeded underwater movement】

It's not powerful, but it's very practical.

Xilun slowly opened his eyes.

He picked up the water ghost's corpse and stepped onto the crest of a wave.

The seawater seemed to be supported by an invisible force beneath his feet, and every step he took created tiny ripples.

After a few leaps and bounds, he returned to the Tulip, grabbed the hanging rope ladder with his left hand, and with a gentle push, climbed onto the deck.

The whole process took only a few moments.

The people on the deck, however, seemed to have witnessed a ghost story.

The sailor on night watch opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time. The cigarette butt in the smoker's hand burned his fingertips, making him flinch before he suddenly came to his senses.

"You...you killed it?"

Siren threw the water ghost's corpse onto the deck.

The bluish-white, rotting humanoid sea monster splattered a pool of foul-smelling water, and a chill spread along the wooden planks, causing several people nearby to instinctively retreat.

"Is this the water ghost?" Xilun asked.

The passenger who first reminded him nodded vigorously.

"Yes, it's a water ghost, a type of sea monster."

They mimic humans, sometimes pretending to be drowning victims, and sometimes tapping on the bottom of boats at night.

As soon as someone looks over their shoulder or lowers a rope, they drag that person into the water, and once they're gone, not even their bones can be found.

The sailor on night watch added with a grim expression, "Water ghosts don't usually appear alone; there might be others nearby."

Xilun looked out at the sea.

Water flow sensing is being deployed.

After a moment, he shook his head: "Not for now."

These words made the people around him inexplicably breathe a sigh of relief.

Although they didn't know Xiren, what they had just witnessed was enough to convince them that, at least when it came to underwater matters, he was more reliable than most of the people on the ship.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from behind.

"What happened?"

Several businessmen rushed out of the cabin door, led by Karl Land.

He hurriedly threw on his coat, clearly having been awakened by the noise.

Upon seeing the water ghost's corpse on the deck, his expression changed slightly. Then, seeing Xilen standing calmly beside him, his shock deepened.

"Mr. Sir Lun?"

Siren nodded: "It followed the ship for a distance."

Carls strode over and crouched down to examine the water ghost's corpse.

Instead of touching it directly with his hands, he took out a pair of thin leather gloves from his pocket, put them on, and examined the corpse's chest, abdomen, and claw membranes. After a moment, he took a breath.

"An adult water ghost, nearing the peak of the first tier, capable of even killing an ordinary second-tier monster during an underwater ambush, and you actually managed to take it down by yourself, sir?"

Xilun didn't explain, only asking, "Is this kind of thing valuable?"

Karls paused for a moment, then said, "It's worth something. The claw membranes, gill pouches, and ear bones can all be sold."

The gill sacs, in particular, can be used as an adjunct to underwater breathing agents; however, this corpse has been damaged by force, and the flesh is decaying, so its value will be reduced.

Xilun looked at the water ghost's corpse.

"It's yours."

Karls was stunned.

The young guard beside him couldn't help but say, "This is worth at least ten pounds, and even more if it's dismantled properly..."

Karls immediately raised his hand to stop him, looking at Xiren: "What does sir wish to exchange?"

"Let's continue," Siren said. "About the Prisoner's Isles, about the Guiding Lands, about the assessment you didn't finish earlier."

Karls remained silent for a few moments.

The sea breeze blew across the deck, suppressing the stench of the rotting corpses, but still making people feel nauseous.

The night watchman had already gone to inform the captain, and more and more passengers were gathering around, but no one dared to get too close.

Karls looked at Xilen, his eyes initially filled with surprise and doubt, but gradually turning into a solemn determination.

"Mr. Siren, since you've asked, I'll be frank."

He stood up, took off his gloves, and spoke in a much more formal tone than during the day.

"The Langte Trading Company is indeed in trouble, or rather, the Langte family is in trouble."

Xilun did not urge them.

Karls continued, "Our Langte family has been operating on Prison Star Island for three generations. In the early years, we made our fortune by selling sea salt, dried fish, and sea beast materials. We also once owned two decent places for gathering magic."

However, more than a decade ago, the family's main fleet encountered a tidal surge, and most of its elite ships perished.

Later, squeezed out by several large trading companies, business declined year after year.

When he said this, the young guard and several of his men lowered their heads.

This was clearly not a small loss in ordinary business, but a wound that had led to the decline of a family.

"The Prisoner Islands undergo a power assessment every few years."

The assessment covers many aspects, including taxes, fleet, storage, and records of exterminating sea monsters, but the most crucial element is the combat against extraordinary beings.

Karls looked at Siron.

"For the land of the Sea of ​​Chaos is not held by documents, but by people."

Even if a power is given a place to gather demons, it cannot defend it if it does not have enough extraordinary individuals.

Following the evaluation, each player will redistribute portions of the Guiding Lands, near-shore resource gathering rights, and island defense zones according to their rankings.

Xilun understood.

"The Ronte family is short-staffed."

"Yes."

Karls made no attempt to hide it.

"Our second-tier elder died in the sea monster tide three years ago, and another elder was poached by our rivals last year at a high price."

Currently, the family only has a few Tier 1 and ordinary gunners. If we lose this assessment again, our last piece of Demon Gathering Land will be taken back.

By then, the Ronter family would be left with only a few warehouses and an old signboard; a comeback would be virtually impossible.

He paused for a moment, as if weighing the weight of his words.

"Mr. Siren, you are at least a second-tier extraordinary being, and a very powerful one at that. Even..."

Karls did not utter the words "third order".

In the chaotic sea, it is impolite to arbitrarily judge the level of a powerful stranger.

Especially when the opponent might be stronger than you imagine.

"The next evaluation will be in six months." Kars took a deep breath.

"We had already given up hope, but we went out to try our luck and see if we could invite a second-level retainer."

But the underwater abilities you just demonstrated already surpass those of an ordinary Tier 2 cultivator.

Several members of the surrounding merchant guild looked at Xilun.

There was anticipation, but also trepidation.

Karls bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Siren, on behalf of the Ronte family, I would like to request that you serve as the family's honorary elder."

There was a moment of silence on the deck.

The onlookers reacted in various ways upon hearing the words "honorary elder".

There was envy, surprise, and some people secretly scoffed, as if they thought the Ronte family was grasping at straws in desperation.

Xilun paid no attention to the others.

"condition."

Karls, as if he had thought of this countless times, immediately said:

"During the evaluation period, you will represent the Langte family in battle and, when necessary, help the family resist sea monsters and protect the assigned territory."

If victory is assessed, the Demon Gathering Grounds obtained by the family can be set aside for you to cultivate in peace and stability for a long time.

Aside from that, while family resources may be limited, manpower, warehouses, and general intelligence channels are readily available for your use.

He added, "We will process your Prison Star Island residency certificate and honorary elder certificate, which will be valid as long as the Ronte family exists."

This is exactly what Xiren needs.

Identity.

The Land of Gathering Demons.

Local manpower.

There was also an entrance that would prevent him from bumping into walls like a rootless driftwood as soon as he arrived on the island.

As for risk assessment...

Judging from Karls's tone, a powerful second-tier character would have a chance.

Although Xilun was still recovering from his injuries and had many hidden health problems, he was confident that he could handle ordinary second-tier opponents or those who had just advanced to the third tier, as long as they were not fourth-tier opponents.

Of course, we can't reveal our full strength too early.

The Chaotic Sea is not a safe place. It is unwise to reveal your true strengths to everyone as soon as you arrive in a strange place.

"Is the assessment allowing outsiders to participate in the battle?" Xiren asked.

"Permitted, but with a contract and guarantee," Karls replied. "Honorary elders are the usual practice. As long as you don't serve an opposing force simultaneously, it's not against the rules."

"How strong is the opponent?"

"It depends on the participants at the time. Generally, small businesses are mostly at the top of the first or second tier."

Mid-tier forces may have experienced Tier 2 members. Tier 3 members rarely participate personally, unless it involves large areas of demon-gathering lands.

But our Langte family is only aiming for the lowest tier now; just keeping a cultivation site is enough for us.

The lowest tier.

This made Xilun feel more at ease.

"I need freedom," he said. "I don't accept being bound, I don't handle personal grudges for you, and I don't participate in things that are obviously suicidal."

Karls immediately replied, "Of course, an honorary elder is not a vassal; you only need to act within the scope stipulated in the contract."

"You need to check the Guiding Lands in advance."

"Yes, after we arrive at Prison Star Island, I will take you to see the old family burial grounds."

"I need to understand the local Buddhist practices, the market for marine animal materials, and the sources of materials for spiritual practice."

"The Ronter family will do their best to provide it."