Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun took the document and flipped through it page by page.

Baichao Port.

Five major forces.

Sea Demon Temple.

Certificate of merit.

Behind these names lies a far more complex network of interests than the marginal islands.

But that's exactly where he needs to be.

Emerald Lake is quiet, but too small.

It can help him recover from his injuries, but it can't give him a path to continue moving forward.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Xilun closed the file.

Horn felt a sense of relief.

The fact that this information received such a comment indicates that it was at least useful.

He hesitated for a moment, then said:

"I will continue to clear the way for the fleet to ensure that you can board smoothly. I will also prepare medicine, sea monster ointment, purification powder, healing bandages, and some other miscellaneous items commonly used in the Chaotic Sea for you."

Xilun nodded.

He gazed at the calm lake outside the window and suddenly asked, "What other enemies are there?"

Horn was taken aback.

Xilun turned to look at him.

"I can take care of this for you before I leave."

The room fell silent.

Karls' eyes widened slightly.

Horn's face showed initial surprise, followed by an overwhelming joy.

This statement carries a lot of weight.

Celen will soon be leaving the Ront family, and once he's gone, Emerald Lake will still face the same old pressures.

Although the Battle of East Reef was enough to deter many people, the deterrent effect will eventually fade with time.

If they can eliminate a real threat before Celen leaves, the Ronte family will be able to breathe for at least a few more years.

Horn pondered for a long time.

Miluo family?

They do indeed have a grudge and have always coveted Emerald Lake.

However, the Miluo family is a local clan with many roots, and if they are wiped out directly, the subsequent troubles may not be small.

How many pirate groups?

It's dangerous in the short term, but not fundamental.

Finally, Horn seemed to have made up his mind, and his voice lowered.

"If you are willing to take action, please kill the local bishop of the Silver Church."

Karls's expression changed, but he did not stop them.

Siron asked, "The Church?"

Horn nodded slowly.

"Although the Sea of ​​Chaos does not have the absolute religious authority of the continent, there are still many churches of various kinds."

The Silver Church nominally worships Our Lady of the Silver and oversees matters such as relief, weddings, funerals, and adoptions. However, this bishop has long secretly coveted the Lande family's lands.

His tone carried a hint of disgust.

"After the family declined, he repeatedly tried to get us to donate a medicinal field next to Emerald Lake to the church, and secretly supported several collateral branches in an attempt to interfere with the family's succession."

Before the assessment, he even met with members of the Miluo family, but we lacked evidence and dared not act rashly against him.

Karls couldn't help but add, "This man is very good at disguising himself. He appears to be kind on the surface, but he is ruthless behind the scenes. Several children have died in the orphanage, but he has covered it up by saying they died of illness."

Xilun's eyes turned slightly cold.

church.

Containment.

child.

These words reminded him of the Third Charity Hospital in Saint Laurent, and of the poor people who were being screened for medicinal purposes in the homeless camps.

"name."

"Bishop Pavel."

Horn said, "The Silver White Church is located on the north side of the main port and closes at night. There are more than a dozen guards inside the church, two second-tier priests, and the bishop himself is suspected to be at the second-tier extreme realm, but he rarely makes a move in public."

Xilun put the document back on the table.

"it is good."

First-order or second-order, it makes no difference to him.

Horn was taken aback by his quick agreement.

Xilun continued, "Pack my things, prepare plenty of medicine, and choose sea beast materials that can replenish qi and blood, suppress pollution, and purify. There's no need to prepare any other useless gifts."

Horn took a deep breath, bowed his head, and said, "Understood."

Xilun waved.

"Go out."

Horn and Carls went outside.

Even after the door closed, Carls still felt a chill down his spine.

He whispered, "Patriarch, what about the Silver Church..."

Horn looked at the lake, his aged face showing little hesitation.

"Lord Siron is asking about the enemy."

Karls remained silent.

Horn said slowly, "Since we are enemies, there's no need to pretend to be neighbors."

That night, a torrential downpour began.

The rain in the chaotic sea came suddenly, pounding on the tiles like dense pebbles.

One by one, the lights along Emerald Lake went out, leaving only the main house warehouse still lit, as the Ronte family worked through the night to prepare supplies for Siron's long journey.

After midnight, an inconspicuous carriage left through a side gate.

The driver was an old man who worked alongside Horn; he was taciturn and only kept his head down as he drove the carriage.

Xilun sat in the carriage, draped in a dark cloak, with a golden spear at his waist, and carrying a cane, a short blade, and a Soul-Suppressing Nail.

The carriage rolled across the muddy road and entered the blocks on the north side of the main port.

The rain was so heavy that there were almost no pedestrians on the street.

The silver-white church stands on the slope, its spire blurred by the rain, with only the silver-white reliefs on the walls appearing to flicker in the lightning.

During the day, this place may appear sacred and peaceful, but at night it looks like a cold, hard tombstone.

Xilun knocked on the side of the car.

The carriage stopped.

The driver didn't turn around, but whispered, "Sir, it's just ahead."

"Wait here."

Xilun got off the car, his figure quickly disappearing into the rain.

The church doors were tightly shut.

The guards on both sides hid under the porch, dozing off while holding their spears.

Instead of going through the main gate, Xilun went around to the side wall, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and landed in the courtyard over the high wall.

Several silver-leaved trees were planted in the yard, and the raindrops pattered on the leaves, making a soft rustling sound.

Xilun closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.

Most of the atmosphere inside the church had fallen silent, except for a small building at the back that still had its lights on.

He walked along the shadows.

The closer you get to that small building, the stronger the faint scent of incense becomes.

The aroma is sweet and cloying, masking the smell of damp wood and old fabric, but it can't hide a hint of unpleasant staleness.

There were faint voices coming from a room on the second floor.

Xilun stopped outside the door.

Inside the room, a gentle and kind male voice rang out.

"Don't be afraid, child."

"Tonight I will personally preside over your baptism. After the baptism, you will be the pure child blessed by the Holy Mother of Silver."

Another young voice sounded uneasy.

"Your Excellency, I...I want to go back."

"go back?"

The man smiled softly.

"With such a strong wind and rain outside, where can you go back to? The shelter provides you with food and a bed; you should learn to be grateful."

Footsteps approached.

The man's voice was lower and softer.

"Take off your clothes and bathe in the glory of the Lord. Only when you are completely pure will the Virgin Mary see you."

The sound of fabric rustling came from inside the room, along with a child's suppressed sobs.

Xilun's eyes turned completely cold.

He pushed the door open and went in.

The room was brightly lit.

A thick carpet was laid on the floor, and a silver-white statue of the Virgin Mary was placed against the wall.

An obese middle-aged man, dressed in a loose white robe, stood beside the bathtub with a kind expression.

The little boy in front of him was only wrapped in a thin cloth, his thin shoulders were trembling, and his eyes were full of terror.

The man's hand was still on the child's shoulder.

Upon hearing the door open, Bishop Pavel turned around abruptly.

"Who?"

The kindness on his face instantly cracked, revealing panic and anger.

"Guards! There are thorns..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xilun had already walked up to him.

Just as Bishop Pavel's blood and energy surged, a cold hand gripped his throat.

"you--"

Crack.

His neck was broken.

The silver-haired bishop, who had been operating locally for many years, collapsed to the ground without even uttering a complete cry for help.

The little boy stood there, frozen in place.

Only when the body hit the ground did he suddenly come to his senses, hurriedly grabbing a towel to wrap himself up and stumbling towards the door.

Xilun did not stop him.

Chaotic footsteps and screams came from downstairs.

"Your Majesty Bishop?"

What was that sound just now?

Xilun raised his hand, and a chill wafted out from the crack in the door.

Several guards who rushed upstairs had just approached the corridor when their feet suddenly slipped, and they fell stiffly into a heap.

The chill sealed their joints and throats, temporarily immobilizing them, but without killing them.

Xilun turned to look inside the house.

Since we're here, we should at least see what this bishop has hidden.

He opened the desk drawer.

Inside were several ledgers recording medicinal herb fields, donations, and several sums of money of dubious origin.

Xilun casually flipped through them, confirmed that the Miluo family's name was among them, and then put them away.

The cabinet contained several bottles of medicine, a bag of silver coins, and several secret letters exchanged with local collateral branches.

Finally, he found a waterproof leather tube in a hidden compartment by the bedside.

Instead of gold pounds, the leather tube contained a neatly folded property deed bearing the emblem of the tidal wave.

Xilun unfolded it and glanced at it, then paused slightly.

White Tide Harbour, 17 Grey Gull Street.

A small, detached property located on the outer ring of the port of the central island.

Although it's not in the core area, the location is clean and suitable for long-term living, and it also comes with a basement storage room.

According to the price Horn previously mentioned, such a property would cost at least three or four hundred pounds, and might even require local connections to purchase.

A bishop from a peripheral diocese actually owns property on a central island.

An unexpected gain.

Xilun tucked the deed into his pocket.

The unrest outside is escalating.

The church bells were frantically rung, their intermittent clanging echoing through the rainy night.

The guards and priests ran around frantically, but they had no idea where the intruder was.

Xilun climbed out of the back window and left along the way he had come.

Before leaving, he looked back at the silver-white church.

The lights flickered in the downpour, like a white sheet about to be torn apart.

The parish will soon be plunged into panic after Pavel's death.

The priests, deacons, and collateral supporters below would fight for positions and property.

In the short term, they had no time to pay attention to the Ronte family, and dared not easily set their sights on Emerald Lake.

That's enough.

The carriage remained parked at the end of the rainy alley.

When Xilun got into the car, the driver only smelled a faint smell of blood, but didn't ask anything.

"Sir, shall we return to Emerald Lake?"

"No."

Xilun sat down and touched the property deed in his arms.

"Let's go around in a circle first, then go back."

The carriage drove back into the rain.

Before dawn, news of the bishop of the Silver Church's sudden death spread throughout the north side of the main port.

Some say it was an enemy infiltrating, others say it was an internal church struggle, and still others say they saw the silver statue of Our Lady shedding black tears last night, which they believe was divine punishment for the bishop's blasphemy.

The church is keeping the news under wraps, and priests are blaming each other.

The disappearance of Pavel's account books and secret letters kept many people up all night.

Meanwhile, at Emerald Lake, Siron returned to his house before dawn.

Horn personally delivered the first batch of prepared medicines and materials. Seeing that Xilen looked normal, he knew that the matter was already completed.

He didn't ask about what happened, he just bowed his head deeply.

"My lord, the fleet will arrive at the main port of Prison Star in three days. We will continue to prepare your luggage."

Xilun nodded.

"As for Evan, he broke through again on the fourth day."

Horn was taken aback, then gratitude welled up in his eyes.

He originally thought that after Xilun killed the bishop, he would no longer care about such a trivial matter.

Xilun, however, had already walked to the window and was looking at the Emerald Lake, which was shining after the rain.

The lake was clear, and the sea breeze was still blowing in the distance.

He is leaving.

Head to the central island, to the deeper seas of chaos, to the places where true knowledge, resources, and the secrets of the storms are held.

Emerald Lake was just the first stop.

But before leaving, he would make sure to settle all the loose ends.

A breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying the damp smell of the sea.

Xilun opened his palm, and a point of bluish-white lightning flickered quietly beneath his skin.

The Thunder Spirit seemed to sense the even wider storm in the distance, and lay quietly and hungry deep within his flesh and blood.

Xilun clasped his hands together.

"Central island".

He murmured the name to himself.

His gaze was calm, as if he could already see the surging black tides further away.

……

The ship shuddered slightly, and the heavy anchor chain fell into the sea.

Xilun stood on the edge of the deck, gazing at the gradually clearing harbor ahead.

The fog was torn apart by the sea breeze, revealing the outline of a massive city that hardly resembled an island city.

Layer upon layer of harbor bridges stretch outwards, like the ribs of a giant beast reaching into the sea. Countless sailboats, steamships, hunting boats, and merchant ships are moored at different docks, their masts densely packed, resembling a cold, eerie ironwood forest from afar.

Further away, the city rises along the ring of mountains.

White stone walls, dark blue spires, a massive lighthouse, and concentric rings of outer harbors and causeways encircling the island together constitute the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful city in the Prisoner Star Twelve Islands.

Star Ring Island!

The island is about the size of ten medium-sized cities on the mainland.

Xilun stepped down the ship's ladder, his boots landing on the damp, hard stone slabs.

The sea breeze, carrying the scents of fish, soot, spices, marine animal blood, and damp wood, wafted towards me, rough yet vibrant.

Compared to the oppressive atmosphere of Saint Laurent City, a mixture of steam and sewage, the atmosphere here is more savage and more complex.

He looked up and scanned the harbor.

The dock was packed with people.

There were sailors with tanned skin, porters with small scales on their cheeks, hunting teams carrying huge harpoons, and local merchants dressed in respectable robes with servants following behind them.

Many people bear obvious signs of alienation.

Some people had faint gill marks on their necks, some had thin membranes between their fingers, some had pupils that bulged like sea serpents, and some had shoulders so broad they were almost deformed, dragging the carcass of a recently deceased sea beast through the crowd, with blood flowing into the drainage ditch.

This is one of the centers of the Chaotic Sea.

Xilun felt a slight tremor in his heart.

While he was at Emerald Lake, he had already heard Horn and Carls talk a lot about the central island.

But seeing it with your own eyes is still a different matter.

The Prisoner Star Islands are already considered a medium-to-large island power. On the outlying islands, a third-tier extraordinary individual is enough to become the pillar of a family, while a fourth-tier individual can maintain order in a sea area.

However, Star Ring Island is different.

Surrounded by numerous islands, this area is the core of the Prisoner Star Twelve Islands.

Rumor has it that all five major powers have established a foothold here, and there may even be sixth-tier extraordinary individuals among them.

Sixth rank!

Knights of the Apocalypse.