Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun had seen this title in the old records of the Link family.

At that time, he was still in the lower city of Saint Laurent, groping around for the path after the third tier. Even the fourth tier seemed like a tower in the fog, distant and blurry.

Now, he has actually arrived at a place where there may be sixth-level powerhouses.

Xiren took a deep breath.

There is still a slight stinging sensation in my lungs.

His injuries were much better than they were more than six months ago. The decaying aura of the evil god's remains was sealed deep within his flesh and bones by the Xuan Yin coldness and black feathers, and his Storm Bloodline was gradually awakening amidst the tides of the Chaotic Sea.

But he did not look down on him because of this.

The further you go, the clearer you become of your own narrow-mindedness.

The ocean is mysterious and boundless.

Beneath the ocean tides lie countless terrifying sea monsters, as well as countless precious resources.

The resource density here is even more astonishing than in many places on the mainland.

The Chaotic Sea is mostly ocean, and if a small island can survive for a long time despite the tides, storms, and sea monsters, it must have its own foundation.

It's not surprising that the Prisoner Star Islands possess such strength.

Xilun withdrew his gaze and took out a neatly folded house deed from his pocket.

That was an unexpected gain he received from Bishop Pavel.

White Tide Harbour, 17 Grey Gull Street.

This property is not located in the innermost part of Star Ring Island, but near the outer port, not far from the pier. It has an attached underground storage room, which is sufficient as a temporary place to stay.

However, Siron did not go to his residence immediately.

What he needs now is not a house.

It is a road.

Before settling in, it's best to make contact with a powerful force first.

At least look at the conditions.

The port's gate leading into the city was extremely wide, flanked by towering stone pillars carved with sea creatures, waves, star rings, and anchors.

Several queues formed at the city gate. Outsiders had to undergo inspection, while locals could pass quickly by presenting iron, silver, or other credentials.

Xilun followed behind the crowd, his expression calm.

The inspection was not particularly rigorous.

The gatekeeper merely checked his temporary identification and his luggage, without asking any further questions.

However, it was a row of wanted posters on the wall next to him that caught Xilun's attention.

The wanted poster was eroded by rain and sea breeze, and the corners were curled up, but the portrait and reward were still clearly visible.

"Captain of the Bloodship, bounty of seven thousand three hundred pounds."

"The Red Hook Witch, bounty of six thousand one hundred pounds."

"The One-Eyed Whale Slayer, bounty of eight thousand pounds."

"Leader of the Black Coffin Pirates, bounty of twelve thousand pounds."

There was an even larger notice next to it.

The Ten Demon Thieves of the Chaotic Sea.

The ten most ferocious pirates who sailed the entire Chaotic Sea.

Each of them was offered a bounty of over five thousand pounds, some even shockingly high.

Xilun stood in front of the wall and looked at it for a moment.

Five thousand pounds.

This is an enormous sum of money that ordinary people could hardly imagine in several lifetimes.

Even now, including the money he received from the Ront family, Pavel's silver coins, and his own miscellaneous savings, he only has about eight or nine hundred pounds on him.

And these pirates, their heads alone are worth such a high price.

Bounties are never just about the amount of money.

It represents power, danger, influence, and the blood debt behind it.

To have a bounty placed on someone like this in the Chaotic Sea, they must be at least a third-tier villain, or even involved with fourth-tier individuals.

After reading it, Xilun didn't linger.

He passed through the city gate and officially entered Star Ring Island.

The streets inside the city were much wider than those on the outlying islands, and there were special drainage ditches on the stone-paved roads, where rainwater mixed with filth and blood flowed into the ground.

The area is lined with shops on both sides, including shops selling marine animal materials, medicine shops, weapon shops, nautical equipment shops, taverns, gambling arenas, post offices, and employment agencies—almost everything imaginable.

In the distance, you can even see the suspension bridge and steam elevator, connecting the lower port area with the upper inner ring.

Xilun walked and observed.

He didn't rush to reveal his abilities, nor did he rush to talk to anyone.

The more bustling a place is, the more attention it attracts.

If a stranger who has just arrived from a remote island appears too eager, his true nature will be easily revealed.

After walking two streets, Xiren stopped at a secluded corner and took out a small tag from a hidden pocket inside his clothes.

The sign is grayish-blue with rounded edges and is engraved with a wave and five stars.

This is a token obtained from the Ronte family.

According to Horn, this item was originally obtained through their connections with material suppliers, and it allowed them to undergo an entry test at one of the five major powers.

These tokens are released in considerable quantities every year, so they are not considered extremely rare.

After all, it only represents an opportunity to be tested.

Whether one can truly become an apprentice still depends on one's own qualifications, background, and abilities.

If a true genius is unable to enter the sect because the price of the token is too high, it is also a loss for these powerful forces.

Therefore, the threshold for tokens of trust will not be raised too high.

Xilun ran his fingertips over the cards, recalling the intelligence Horn had given him.

He knew the names of the five major powers, but he didn't know much about them.

Sea Demon Temple.

Holy Light Monastery.

White Pagoda Alchemy Society.

Tidal Warband.

Star Ring Business Alliance.

The strongest, oldest, and most revered by the locals is undoubtedly the Sea Demon Temple.

It is said that the Sea Demon Temple is rooted deep in the Star Ring Island, possessing a large number of sea beast bloodline techniques and ancient breathing methods. It is even rumored that the path to becoming a sixth-tier Apocalypse Knight is passed down within its walls.

Of course, it's hard to tell whether such rumors are true or false.

But in any case, it's worth a try.

Xilun put away the token and walked towards a higher point in the city.

The terrain of Star Ring Island rises in concentric rings, and the higher you go, the cleaner the streets, the fewer the crowds, and the more solemn the buildings become.

In the afternoon, Xilun finally arrived at a high platform overlooking the sea.

There stood a deep blue palace.

The temple lacks the intricate and ornate carvings of the Saint Laurent Cathedral; instead, it resembles a colossal structure carved directly from the underwater reef.

The walls are rough, carved with images of waves, whales, spirals, sea serpents, and knights holding halberds.

Above the main entrance, a huge, dark blue stone eye looked down at the visitors.

Sea Demon Temple.

Xilun stood at the bottom of the steps and glanced at the stone eye.

Whether it was his imagination or not, his blood and lightning spirit moved very slightly, as if he heard a deep echo coming from the deep sea in the distance.

There were several guards in dark blue armor at the entrance.

Their auras were not weak; they were all at least at the first level, and one of them vaguely appeared to be at the second level.

Xilun stepped forward and took out the token.

"Coming to participate in the test."

The guard lazily took the sign, didn't look at it much, and simply made a note on the stone table next to him.

"name."

"Silon".

"Where did it come from?"

"Prisoner's Edge Island, recommended by the Langte family."

The guard's expression did not change when he heard about the Ront family.

Clearly, these marginalized families are not worth a second glance here.

He tossed the token into an iron box and pointed to the corridor beside him.

"Go wait over there."

Xilun nodded and walked down the corridor.

Several people were already sitting in the corridor.

There was a burly man with a full beard, a well-dressed teenager, and two young people who looked like siblings.

The group looked each other over but remained silent.

Xilun found a spot against the wall to sit down and closed his eyes to rest.

Time passed little by little.

The sea breeze blew into the long corridor from outside the palace, carrying a damp and chilly smell.

Several more people arrived and were brought here one after another.

Xilun was not in a hurry.

He simply adjusted his breathing quietly, suppressing the profound yin chill to its deepest point, making his own aura appear stable.

After a long while, a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe finally came over.

"Follow me, everyone."

Everyone stood up.

The middle-aged man led them through several stone gates to a damp room.

There were no windows inside, and several whale oil lamps hung on the walls, casting a dim, bluish light.

There were already several people waiting inside.

Including Xilun, there are a total of eight or nine people.

Xilun glanced at it.

These people have different auras.

The strongest among them, like him, are all third-tier extraordinary beings.

One of them had a cold and hard face, fine black scales on the back of his hands, and a calm and composed demeanor.

The other was wearing a gray leather jacket, with a short axe hanging from his waist, and had sharp eyes.

The weakest among them had no cultivation at all; he was just a thin boy of thirteen or fourteen, who nervously clenched the hem of his clothes.

In the middle of the room sat a man dressed in the attire of the Sea Demon Temple.

The man had a broad forehead, deep-set eyes, and skin that was pale from years of not seeing the sun.

He glanced at the crowd, his expression indifferent.

"Since you have obtained the token, you should know the rules of my temple."

The room fell silent.

The man's voice wasn't loud, but it weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

"What our Sea Demon Temple values ​​most are exceptional talent, a pure heart, and youthful innocence."

"Only such people can begin to cultivate the Dharma of my Holy Temple from the very beginning, progressing step by step from the first level, without being contaminated by miscellaneous methods or swayed by the forces of heretics, and ultimately have the opportunity to cultivate the perfect Dharma."

As he said this, a hint of arrogance crept into his voice.

"If one can truly reach the end, it is even possible to gain a sliver of power and become a sixth-tier extraordinary being, a Knight of Revelation."

The breaths of everyone in the room hit a slight pause.

Knights of the Apocalypse.

Even on Star Ring Island, this is a title that most low-level extraordinary beings would look up to.

The thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy couldn't help but look up and timidly ask, "Sir, what is a Knight of the Apocalypse?"

The man glanced at him but did not reprimand him.

Perhaps it was because the boy was young enough that he was more appealing to the temple.

"In ancient mythology, a god descended to earth, accompanied by four knights who served him; these were the Knights of Apocalypse."

"Uphold the will of the gods, master the power of the gods, follow the laws of nature, cultivate your true self, forge a sacred body, and tap into the power of your bloodline."

The man slowly said, "The first three levels are just the beginning. Only from the fourth level onwards can one truly touch the gate of calamity. The Apocalypse Knight is one of the highest levels that a mortal body can reach."

Xilun listened quietly.

These words corroborated what he had seen in the old documents of the Link family.

Forging the sacred body.

Power and authority.

Divine revelation.

Sixth-tier Apocalypse Knight.

Previously, in the lower city of Saint Laurent, no one would talk about high-level paths like this.

It's not that they don't want to talk, it's that they've never actually seen it.

The man didn't say much more.

He quickly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the crowd once more.

A moment later, he raised his hand and pointed out three people.

"You, you, and you, come out."

Xilun was among them.

He remained expressionless and followed the other two out of the damp house.

Behind them, the young people were left behind to undergo other tests.

Xilun already vaguely understood.

These three are probably not the type that the Sea Demon Temple prefers.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man led the three to another, even smaller room.

Inside the room was only a black stone tablet about half a person's height, with many fine grooves on its surface, like a dried-up riverbed.

The examiner who led the way closed the door, looked at the three of them, and spoke in a much more casual tone than before.

"You all look quite old, don't you?"

"Is he over fifteen?"

Of the three, the man in the gray leather jacket frowned slightly.

The man with black scales on the back of his hand said in a deep voice, "Twenty-seven."

Xilun nodded calmly.

"It's too much."

The examiner was not surprised and asked, "What extraordinary paths have you all taken?"

The man in the gray leather jacket is Tier 2, the man with black scales is Tier 3, and Xilun is also Tier 3.

After listening, the examiner's gaze lingered on Xilun and the black-scaled man for a few more moments.

"A third-tier extraordinary being is not at the bottom even among the disciples of my Holy Temple; they have some cultivation."

"You have brought this token here, which means you trust the temple."

He then changed the subject.

"However, I need to give you a warning first."

"The temple does not value cultivators like you who have only recently begun their cultivation and whose bloodlines and strengths are already mixed."

The man in the gray leather jacket's expression darkened slightly.

The examiner seemed used to it, his tone completely calm.

"If you wish to join us, you will first serve as a miscellaneous monk for three years."

"During these three years, I had to do manual labor, patrol at night, clean up the carcasses of sea monsters, polish tools, and copy basic classics."

"Only if your performance is satisfactory after three years can you be considered a formal disciple. If you are also selected by the branch temples, you may be able to be taught more profound teachings."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.

A third-tier extraordinary being is enough to make an entire family bow down in welcome on a remote island.

But when they arrived at the Sea Demon Temple, they were only candidates for miscellaneous tasks.

Xilun did not speak.

He felt no anger, only reluctance.

It's not surprising that the rules are so strict.

The strongest forces will always be selective in their personnel.

But three years of miscellaneous tasks is too long for him now.

His body also contains the remains of an evil god, the tent left by the Black Raven, the mystery of the Stormbloodline, and the blood debts that have yet to be settled in Victoria.

He can't wait.

But it would be a pity to give up now.

After all, the Sea Demon Temple possesses internal resources and high-level techniques that are probably among the best in Star Ring Island.

With such powerful backing, many paths in the future will be much easier to traverse.

Seeing that the three remained silent, the examiner did not urge them on.

He pointed to the black stone tablet.

"Since you have already practiced the Dharma, let's first measure the purity of your energy."

"If the purity is acceptable, it's not impossible to succeed in the market."

"If your practice is too mixed, you are destined to suffer greatly in the future. It is better to find another way out as soon as possible."

Xilun looked up at the stone tablet.

Let's test it first.

He didn't step forward first, but let the man in the gray leather jacket try it on first.

The man in the gray leather jacket placed his palm on the stone tablet, channeling his inner strength into it.

A moment later, three colors lit up in the groove of the stone tablet.

A streak of gray-white, a streak of dark red, and a streak of cyan.

The examiner frowned slightly and made a note of it.

The man with black scales then stepped forward.

The stone tablet lit up in two colors, with dark blue making up the majority and black only making up a small portion.

The examiner's expression softened slightly.

"It's acceptable."

It's West Lun's turn.