Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

A month later, the texture of Xilun's skin began to change.

It doesn't harden.

On the contrary, his skin looked finer and calmer, with a very faint sheen in its paleness.

Only he himself knew that the opening and closing ability beneath that membrane was much stronger than before.

When he stood by the lake, he could feel the moisture in the air falling on his skin without having to consciously activate his Water Splitting talent.

The wind came from the left, carrying the coolness of the lake water; the sunlight shone down from the right, causing the skin on his shoulders and neck to relax slightly; someone passed by in the distance, bringing with them a wisp of heat, which he could also feel on the very surface of his skin.

More importantly, in the past, when several powers within his body occasionally leaked out, it would make his aura appear cold, dangerous, and unapproachable.

Now the membrane acts like a breathing shore, containing much of the leaked air.

Xilun stood in the crowd, still pale and indifferent, but no longer like a weapon ready to be drawn at any moment.

This actually led to less attention being paid to him within the correctional facility.

He was happy with it.

At the end of the second month, Xilun began his attempt to achieve perfect skin tempering.

The so-called perfection does not mean that the skin is invulnerable to weapons, but that there are no obvious leaks in the skin, and that breathing can respond in unison.

The hardest part of this step is dealing with old injuries.

He had suffered severe injuries to his chest, right shoulder, ribs, and lungs.

The power of Fowles' punches, the tearing during the battle of gods, and the pollution of the fog of Nurles all left their mark on these places.

When the Qi of the Overturning Sea Technique reaches these areas, the skin membrane always reacts a beat slower.

Being a step behind means you'll miss something.

Xilun stayed up for seventeen nights straight for this.

Every night, he would sit in the underground stone chamber, drinking bowl after bowl of bitter medicinal soup, and then repeatedly washing away the edges of those old wounds with the Overturning Sea Technique.

The pain came in a very subtle, intermittent manner.

It wasn't like being hacked or chopped with a knife or axe, but rather like someone using an extremely thin needle to prick open the old scars one by one, and then letting the tide in to clean them.

Sometimes, he would think of Lund.

I remember the drafty windows in the old courtyard, the teacher sitting at the table cleaning his gun, and the calloused hand on his shoulder, saying, "Don't rush when practicing shooting, stand firm before thrusting."

Stand firm before stabbing.

These words were like heavy nails, repeatedly pulling Xilun back to where he started from pain and frustration.

On the night of the sixty-eighth day, it rained on East Lake.

Raindrops tapped on the window, on the lake, and on the white sand of the stone courtyard.

Xilun sat in the underground stone chamber, breathing slowly.

At one point, as he inhaled, a very faint sheen of water appeared on the surface of his skin.

It's not water.

Rather, it is the subtle luster formed after the skin resonates with the demonic energy.

From the top of the head, to the neck, to the shoulders and back, to the chest and abdomen, and then to the arms, fingertips, waist, legs, and soles of the feet, the skin membranes of the whole body open and close almost simultaneously.

When the tide comes, the shore responds.

As the tide recedes, various things emerge.

A wisp of extremely faint gray-black sweat mist was expelled from his pores, which was quickly frozen into fine frost by the Xuan Yin coldness and fell onto the stone slab.

Xilun opened his eyes and raised his hand to touch the back of his hand.

Skin is still skin.

But he knew that the first level was complete.

The outer layer of the body is finally no longer leaking air everywhere.

If we compare his body to a boat, these two months of tempering are like putting a new layer of skin on the outside of the boat so that it can sense the wind and waves.

The increase in combat power is not exaggerated.

However, his aura was more stable, less pollution leaked out, the coldness was controlled more subtly, and the backlash of the Styx Breath on his own flesh was also weaker.

It's about a little stronger.

Not much, perhaps only half a percent.

But this is only half of the foundation.

More valuable than simply having a little more brute force.

After completing the skin tempering process, Xilun did not rest for long before beginning the second stage of flesh tempering.

Refining meat is more painful than quenching skin.

Tempering the skin is just the first step in treating the body; refining the flesh is about allowing the energy to truly penetrate deep into the muscles.

The second level of the Overturning Sea Technique is based on the principle of "flesh as a layer of tide".

What appears to be a single wave on the surface of the sea actually harbors countless undercurrents beneath.

The same applies to human muscles. When an ordinary person exerts force, they only tense one muscle; when a rough cultivator exerts force, large chunks of flesh and blood burst forth together.

True muscle training requires each layer of muscle to rise and fall sequentially with each breath, using and releasing force from each other.

Xilun's physical strength in the past came more from the overall enhancement after the third-order distortion, as well as the strong support from the Xuan Yin coldness, the great thunderous sound vibration, and the evil god's stitching power.

If we're talking about fighting, he's strong enough.

If we're talking about meticulousness, he's not quite there yet.

On his first day of training, he almost aggravated his old injury by simply following the instructions to make his shoulder and back muscles rise and fall with his breathing.

The lingering vibrational habits from the Great Thunder Breathing Method are too deeply ingrained.

When he exerts force, his muscles instinctively strive for an explosive burst, like thunder exploding.

The requirement for the "Overturning the Sea" technique is that the tides advance, one layer pushing another, with gentleness and thickness, and with fierceness hidden within thickness.

The two are clearly in conflict.

Xilun could only suppress the thunderous sound to the lowest level, leaving only a slight vibration as a probe to sense the reaction of each muscle.

For the first few days, his shoulders and back ached slightly when he walked.

This is almost laughable for a third-order extraordinary being.

But Siron didn't find it funny.

He knew that his body was relearning.

He practices the simplest movements by the lake every morning.

Raise your arm.

Lower arm.

Turn your shoulder.

Twist your waist.

Stepping.

Throw a punch.

Every movement was as slow as an elderly person practicing health preservation.

Some ordinary disciples couldn't help but cast strange glances at them as they passed by.

If you didn't know he was a third-tier cultivator, you'd probably think he was some sickly newbie who had just started learning.

Elena once saw it from afar and stopped to watch it for a long time.

Xilun stood by the lake and slowly threw a punch.

The punch was thrown without any wind or air burst, and it didn't even have much power.

Elena could see that the muscles in his shoulders, back, waist, abdomen, and legs were undulating in a very subtle sequence.

Like the currents driving the surface of a lake.

"You've practiced very meticulously," she said as she approached.

Xilun withdrew his fist, his breathing steady: "It was too rough in the past."

Elena looked at him.

If these words came from an ordinary disciple, they might just be a sign of modesty.

It sounds especially real coming from the mouth of a third-order monk who has passed the Allah monks' test.

She asked, "How are you feeling?"

"It feels like my body is being disassembled and rearranged," Xiren thought for a moment. "It hurts, but it works."

Elena nodded: "The worst thing you can do in the flesh-refining stage is to force perfection. Many people find their strength increasing halfway through and start pursuing explosive power, resulting in only developing a large outer layer of flesh while the inner layer remains scattered. This defect will be very troublesome when you reach the third stage of tendon-strengthening and qi-transforming."

2 Siron.

Thank you.

Elena gazed at the lake, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "You are very patient."

Xilun did not answer.

Elena didn't seem to need his answer.

She was simply reminded of the recent whispers in the courtyard.

The son of the deputy temple master of the Sea Demon Temple sent another invitation, this time with even more frivolous words.

The father appeared calm, but in reality, he hadn't slept for several days.

The instructors at the disciplinary academy also began to secretly discuss how to deal with the situation, but everyone knew that without a strong enough backer, this matter would not end easily.

Elena did not want to bring these emotions to a newly admitted foreign monk.

She quickly regained her composure.

"Ten days from now, you can attend the general outline class for the third level of Yi Jin Hua Qi. Even if you haven't perfected your physical cultivation yet, it will be beneficial to understand the direction in advance."

"it is good."

Elena turned and left.

Xilun continued practicing boxing.

The meat-cooking process lasted nearly four months.

For the first two months, he mainly focused on his upper body and torso.

The chest and abdomen have the most old injuries and are the most difficult areas to train.

With each breath that penetrates deep into the muscles, a dull pain comes from near the ribs.

Fowles's punch nearly shattered his chest cavity. Although it was later stitched back together by the regenerative instincts of the evil god's severed limbs, the stitching was unnatural, like rough iron wire binding a broken piece of wood.

The purpose of the Overturning Sea Technique is to restore the flesh and blood outside these iron wires.

This is very dangerous.

Because if the disturbance goes too far, the remnant of the evil god will think that its body is on the verge of damage again and will actively release black energy to repair itself.

Xilun must act before it does, using the Overturning Sea Technique and the Profound Yin Cold Intent to stabilize the injury.

On several occasions, he coughed up dark gray blood clots.

The blood clot would wriggle slightly after hitting the ground, as if it were alive.

Xilun then sealed it in ice and disposed of it with purification powder bought from the disciplinary institute.

He never allowed servants near the quiet room, nor did he allow anyone to see these things.

In the third month, the flesh was refined deep into the limbs.

This step actually went more smoothly.

Although he had also suffered injuries to his arms and legs, his long-term training in shooting, water walking, and combat gave him an extremely solid foundation.

After the energy of the Overturning Sea Technique entered, it quickly combined with the existing power habits.

Especially the legs.

The Deepwater Diving Talent, Water Splitting Talent, and Storm Bloodline are all related to water.

When he worked his way up to his legs, Xilun noticed that his stability while walking on water had improved even further.

In the past, he was able to stand on the water by relying on his water-friendly control and strength; now his muscles are more sensitive to the subtle feedback from the water surface, and his leg muscles can adjust naturally when his feet touch the ripples.

This isn't another powerful killing move, but it makes him even harder to break the balance when fighting in water.

At the end of the fourth month, Xilun began full-body training.

This step requires both the skin and muscles to be moistened simultaneously.

During inhalation, the skin membrane first filters, then the muscles take in; during exhalation, the muscles first relax, then the skin membrane expels. If the sequence is disordered, external tightness and internal stagnation, or internal movement and external leakage will occur.

Xilun only trains three rounds a day.

At the end of each round, heat would rise from his body, which would then be suppressed into white mist by the Xuan Yin coldness.

One night, when he reached the deepest point of his practice, a very faint rumble of thunder suddenly sounded within his body.

It's not the Great Thunder Sound.

It is Lei Ling.

The long-dormant nascent form of lightning was awakened by the layers of qi and blood propelled during the body refinement process of the Overturning Sea Technique, and it flickered slightly.

Xilun stopped immediately, without being greedy.

He could sense that the Thunder Spirit needed to cultivate through breathing exercises and nourish itself with materials of thunder element. Forcing it now would only disrupt the body refining process.

He suppressed that trace of lightning intent deep within and continued to complete the Overturning Sea Technique.

Until the six-month period expires.

Fog rises over East Lake in the early morning.

The fog was very thin, floating on the water like a layer of white gauze.

Xiren stood by the lake and slowly deployed a basic gun rack set that Lund had passed down to him.

He didn't have a gun in his hand; he used his palm instead.

When the movement begins, the white sand beneath one's feet sinks silently by half an inch.

When turning around, the muscles of the waist and back surge like waves, with power originating from the soles of the feet, passing through the calves, thighs, waist and abdomen, spine, shoulders and arms, and finally reaching the fingertips.

The entire process proceeded without any obstruction.

He then pointed to the point in front.

A thin line suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake.

That wasn't ice, nor was it a water blade; it was just force falling from a distance, causing the water surface to part half an inch to both sides.

A moment later, the water line slowly closed.

Xilun stopped, closed his eyes, and felt the sensation.

The skin has been properly tempered.

Meat-making is complete.

These two levels will not bring about a dramatic improvement in his realm for someone at the third rank.

In terms of direct combat strength alone, he is probably only about 10% stronger than he was six months ago, or even less than 15%.

But he knew that his changes went far beyond just his strength.

My body is more stable now.

His breathing became even more restrained.

The chilling aura of the Dark Yin no longer emanates outwards constantly, and the breath of the Styx sinks deeper and is easier to conceal.

The severed limbs of the evil god are still dangerous, but they are separated by a new order formed by the skin and muscles, so they no longer rush to repair themselves at the slightest injury.

It's as if the Stormblood has found a more suitable vessel.

Although Lei Ling is still weak, he can quietly absorb a little bit of power in the Qi and Blood Tide layer.

Xilun opened his eyes and gently exhaled a breath of white air.

The white mist landed on the lake surface, but instead of dissipating, it rolled forward along the water for about ten feet before silently dissipating.

Several early-rising disciples in the distance saw this scene and paused in their tracks.

They couldn't understand the meaning behind that tone, but they felt that this outsider from the third level by the lake seemed quieter than when he first entered the hospital.

That quietness was not weakness, but like deep water, calm on the surface, yet carrying a tremendous weight beneath.

Xilun turned and went back to the quiet room.

Several sheets of paper were spread out on the table.

The first sheet is a record of his expenses over the past six months.

When he first arrived at Star Ring Island, he weighed over 900 pounds.

Joining the monastery, renting a quiet room, purchasing bathing materials, paying for lectures, researching materials, and a small amount of purification powder and medicine cost around three hundred pounds.

Later, he temporarily sold the deed to 17 Grey Gull Street to a reliable real estate agent, receiving four hundred pounds after deducting fees.

So, he still had about a thousand pounds on him.

This amount of money is a huge sum of money in the eyes of ordinary people.

It can be used in the third-level cultivation, but only for a short period of time.

The second sheet of paper is a list of materials needed for the Breath of the Styx.

He had already inquired about the rotten wood from the Cold Swamp through the disciplinary institution's exchange channels; it wasn't cheap, but he could buy it.

The sediment in the underground river also provides clues.

The most troublesome thing is the drowned man's silver coins. These involve the resentment of the dead and special waters, and are not common materials in the regular market.

The correctional facility's records mention that there are a few old sea burial associations south of Baichao Port that occasionally leak out, but it is difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake ones.

The third sheet of paper was Lei Ling's record.

Thunder Spirit is not simply a talent for lightning, but rather a nascent form of a spirit capable of absorbing and releasing lightning energy.

It needs to be fed with thunderous energy and can also grow naturally in stormy environments.

If properly nurtured, it might help him mobilize the Storm Bloodline in the future, and even allow him to touch the deeper shadow of power within the Storm Duke's bloodline.

The fourth sheet of paper had four characters written on it.

A flawless golden body.

Xilun stared at those four words for a long time.

After the pale golden petals of the precious tree merged into his palm, the Dharma remained hidden within him.

In the past, his injuries were too severe, so he dared not practice deeply and could only occasionally use some superficial techniques such as restraining his qi and closing his pores.

Now that he has perfected the tempering and refinement of his body, and looking back at his flawless golden body, he vaguely understands something.

The feat of covering the sea is to build the shore.

The flawless golden body is like forging the whole person into a seamless golden dam, preventing external evils from entering and internal energy from leaking out.

Although their directions are not exactly the same, they are complementary.

However, the resources required to achieve the flawless golden body are terrifying, and rashly cultivating it could backfire.

For now, Xilun can only figure out the principles; he cannot rush to force it forward.