Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

A flash of blue fire appeared in Tinos's eyes.

Allah, however, took half a step forward.

Purple lightning patterns slowly spread across the damp ground.

Tinos said nothing more and quickly left with several inner court disciples.

The oppressive feeling that enveloped the surroundings only gradually dissipated after their figures disappeared around the corner.

Allah turned to look at Samuel.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

Samuel's face stiffened.

He glanced at Elena, then turned his gaze to Hogg's corpse behind the carriage.

"Senior brother, this mission..."

"The mission results will be verified by the mission room."

Allah said calmly:

"If you achieve something, no one will take it from you. If you don't achieve anything, don't even think about taking it from someone else."

Samuel's chest heaved, but he eventually lowered his head.

"Yes."

He left with the remaining few people.

Roel walked at the back, stopping as he passed Siren.

His left shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages, and he was breathing weakly.

"Did you really kill Hogg?"

"I found it," Xilun said.

Roel paused for a moment, then gave a meaningful smile.

"Understood."

He didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded to Xilun.

"It's good that you came back alive."

Allah turned around only after everyone had left.

He looked at Elena first.

"How badly are you injured?"

"These are all external injuries; they will heal after a period of rest."

Elena sheathed her sword.

"Senior Brother, what are you doing here?"

"The mission room received news that five major villains had appeared in the Black Abyss Forest and sent me to provide backup."

Allah smiled.

"When I got halfway there, I heard someone say that the disciples of the disciplinary hall were to be torn to pieces."

"Tinos has become increasingly unruly lately. When I return, I will have the elders deduct a portion of his contributions."

After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Xilun.

"As for you, I remember you."

Xilun cupped his hands and said:

"I am grateful to my senior for giving me the opportunity during the entrance exam."

"It's not just me."

Allah shook his head.

"On the day you entered the family, it was my sister who brought you in."

"Angel?"

"Um."

Allah's smile held a hint of helplessness.

"After she came back, she showed off her recommendation reward to me for two days, saying that she could tell at a glance that I was no ordinary person."

Xilun thought of that lively girl.

Angel initially refused his check, but instructed him to mention her name when registering after passing the test.

It turns out she is Allah's sister.

Elena explained from the side:

"Angel is still young and is currently studying at the Holy Light Branch."

The eldest brother usually forbids her from using his reputation, so many people in the academy are unaware of their relationship.

"If she knew you brought back the bodies of the five major killers this time, she'd probably say she had good judgment again."

Allah walked to the back of the wagon and reached out to press his hand on the oilcloth.

An invisible force swept over the corpse.

"It is indeed Blue Sword Hogg."

A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"He had multiple injuries to his shoulder, sternum, and spine, and he had also used the Black Fiend Smoke. There must have been more than one person who killed him."

Elena remained calm.

"He was already dead when we found him."

Allah glanced at her.

Elena was the younger sister he had watched grow up.

He could tell at a glance whether the statement was true or false.

However, Allah did not expose him.

The Chaotic Sea is never a place where one can survive simply by following the rules.

Disciplinary disciples who go out on missions without even the awareness to protect secrets will not survive to reach the inner court.

"Since you found it, it's your luck."

Allah withdrew his hand.

"Hogg's right ear can be exchanged for a potion of boundless ocean energy."

"As for the ordinary pirates, have you gathered twenty?"

Xilun took out the leather bag.

That's enough.

Allah took the bag, and by simply weighing it in his hand, he determined the number of right ears inside.

"Over forty."

He looked at Xilun with slight surprise.

"There aren't many pirates in the Black Abyss Forest combined, but the two of you have killed quite a few."

"We were lucky," Siron said.

Allah laughed.

"If a person always has this kind of luck, then it's not luck."

He returned the leather bag to Siron.

"Go directly to the mission room to redeem your rewards after you get back."

"As for the inner court assessment..."

Xilun's gaze narrowed slightly.

This is one of the most important purposes of his trip.

According to the rules, twenty pirate right ears can only be exchanged for the qualification to apply.

To truly enter the inner academy, one still needs to complete subsequent assessments.

Allah simply waved his hand dismissively.

"They're just old, outdated customs."

"The purpose of these rules is to select disciples who are capable, have the willpower, and dare to fight the enemy, not to deliberately block those who are truly qualified."

"The fact that you two returned alive from the Black Abyss Forest, bringing back Hogg's body and forty pirate tokens, is enough to prove yourselves."

"I'll go back and speak with the elders to have the subsequent assessments waived."

Xilun was slightly taken aback.

Elena also looked surprised.

The number of places in the inner court involves a large amount of resources.

Even though she is Dean Klein's daughter, she must accumulate merits according to the rules and cannot arbitrarily skip the assessment.

But Allah resolved the matter with just one word.

This is the significance of being number one in the inner courtyard.

"Isn't this against the rules?" Elena said.

"The rules allow the chief disciple of the inner court to recommend disciples of the outer court for promotion."

Allah looked at her.

"I haven't used this qualification in either of my two Star Ring ranking matches. Now I'm recommending it to you. Who dares to say it's against the rules?"

He spoke casually, yet there was an undeniable air about him.

Xilun remained silent for a moment, then respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you, senior brother."

This favor is significant.

Once inside the inner courtyard, the materials, books, and places where he can gather magic will be completely different from those in the outer courtyard.

The Green Tide Vine Marrow, the drowned man's silver coins, and all the resources needed for the third level of the Overturning Sea Technique will no longer be out of reach.

"There's no need for that."

Allah laughed heartily.

"Elena is like my sister, and you're Angel's disciple. Besides, you're capable, so I'm just skipping some unnecessary procedures."

As he said this, he raised his hand and patted Xilun on the shoulder.

A gentle force entered his body through his shoulder, and in an instant, it bypassed his chest, abdomen, and limbs.

Xilun instinctively wanted to resist.

But that wisp of energy had no malicious intent; it was merely checking the injuries.

"Strength is sluggish, and the major tendons are damaged."

Allah quickly withdrew his hand.

"You haven't even completed the Yi Jin Hua Qi transformation yet, but you dare to engage in life-or-death battles with powerful enemies one after another. You certainly have a lot of guts."

"However, your physical foundation is quite good, and the various forces within your body are suppressed in different locations, so they do not completely conflict."

"Once we obtain the Boundless Ocean Elixir, we'll rest for a few days before attempting to cultivate the third level."

Xilun nodded.

"clear."

"Let's go."

Allah himself boarded the front of the chariot and took the reins from the driver.

The carriage headed back towards the monastery.

Night gradually fell.

In the distance, the towers of the Holy Light Monastery were lit up with a great deal of light, and the lake shimmered with a silvery-white hue under the moonlight.

Xilun looked out the car window at the familiar cluster of buildings.

Six months ago, he was just a rogue cultivator from out of town, rejected by the Sea Demon Temple and with mixed backgrounds.

Now, he has finally crossed the threshold between the outer and inner courtyards.

However, Xilun felt little joy.

Tinos's blue embers, Allah's purple mines, and the Star Ring Ranking Tournament three months later all made him more aware of his weakness.

Above the third-tier extreme realm, there is a fourth tier.

Above the fourth tier, there are the fifth and sixth tiers.

The road ahead of him is still very long.

The next morning, the monastery's bronze bell rang three times.

A new list was posted at the entrance to the inner courtyard.

There are seven names on the list.

Siren and Elena were prominently featured among them.

The news caused quite a stir within the correctional facility.

Many outer court disciples participated in the Black Abyss Forest mission, but only a handful returned alive with enough achievements.

Siren and Elena not only completed their mission, but also, through the recommendation of the First Allah of the Inner Court, were exempted from further assessments.

This kind of treatment makes many of the students from the outer academy who have worked hard to accumulate contributions envious.

However, once Hogg's body was brought into the mission room and the right ears of the forty pirates were verified one by one, the doubts quickly disappeared.

The Black Abyss Forest is littered with rotting corpses and musketeers.

Blue Sword Hogg is one of the five most notorious killers.

Regardless of whether Xilun personally killed the corpse, the fact that he was able to bring it back alive proves his strength.

Moreover, since the First of the Inner Court has personally spoken, no one would go to Allah's face to question him for the sake of two spots.

The day after the list was announced, Siron and Elena came to the inner palace together.

The temple was built on the hillside north of the monastery.

Unlike the open and bright outer courtyard, the inner courtyard is entirely constructed of dark gray stone.

The surface of the tall stone pillars is covered with patterns of tides and longswords, and dozens of white pneumatic lamps are embedded in the walls, emitting a cool light even in the daytime.

There were no guards at the palace gate.

Only two stone statues holding long swords stand on either side of the steps.

As Xilun stepped onto the last stone step, white light simultaneously shone from the eyes of the two stone statues.

An invisible aura swept across the waist token.

After their identities were confirmed, the palace doors slowly opened.

Several newly promoted inner court disciples were already waiting inside.

Some people were wrapped in bandages, and others were pale-faced; they had all clearly suffered serious injuries during the mission.

Samuel was also there.

He stood on the other side of the hall, wearing a brand-new inner robe, his expression somber.

Seeing Xiren and Elena walk in side by side, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he did not go forward to make things difficult for them.

Hogg's body and the pirate's right ear have both been verified by the mission room.

Allah himself recommended it.

Continuing to argue under these circumstances will only make him seem like a sore loser.

The person in charge of registration was a short, elderly man.

The old man had thinning hair, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had seven neatly folded sets of dark gray clothing in front of him.

"Is everyone here?"

He glanced at everyone and put down the document in his hand.

"After entering the inner courtyard, the original outer courtyard waist tag needs to be retrieved."

"Inner Court disciples can receive 30 basic contribution points per month, which grants them access to the Inner Court Library, Pharmacy, and training grounds."

"However, it only means you're eligible; it doesn't mean everything is free."

The old man raised his hand and tapped the table.

"If you want potions, techniques, and cultivation time, then exchange them with your own contribution points."

"In addition, inner court disciples must complete a task at least once every six months. If there is no task record for a whole year, their basic contribution will be suspended."

The group stepped forward one by one.

When it was Xilun's turn, the old man first took away his original wooden waist tag and then placed a black waist tag with silver edges on the table.

The name of Xilun was engraved on the front of the waist tag.

On the other side is a long sword cutting through the waves.

"A drop of blood."

Xilun cut his fingertip.

The blood fell onto the waist tag and was quickly absorbed by the black material.

The silver edge shimmered faintly, and a faint connection appeared in his mental perception.

"Two sets of inner courtyard attire, three medicinal bath vouchers, seven days of free access to the first floor of the library, and thirty basic contribution points."

The old man pushed over clothes and a thicker inner courtyard manual.

"The application for the Boundless Ocean Elixir has been approved. Hogg and the Right Ear of the Innocent Prince can each exchange for one. You and Elena can discuss how to distribute it yourselves."

Xilun turned his head to look at Elena.

They had previously agreed to split the spoils equally.

Therefore, one serving is given to each person.

The old man took out two dark blue metal boxes.

The box lid was engraved with an intricate seal, and inside lay a transparent medicine tube.

The liquid was a deep, dark blue, like the ocean.

With a slight shake, tiny ripples spread out inside, as if the tube contained not liquid, but an ocean shrunk countless times.

Siren and Elena put the metal box away.

After completing all the registrations, the old man asked again:

"What are your plans for the future?"

Elena spoke first.

"I'm ready to accept an overseas assignment."

"An extraordinary individual stationed there?"

"Um."

The old man opened the booklet.

"The monastery has seven outposts outside Star Ring Island that are short of staff: two in White Tide Harbor, one in South Reef, three in Gray Whale Town, and one in the Northern Trade Route."

"Go back and recover from your injuries. Come to the mission room in three days to make your selection."

"Yes."

The old man then looked at Xilun.

"And you?"

"Cultivation first."

Xilun answered very decisively.

He still has a lot of money on him.

The cash they had accumulated, plus the valuables seized from Hogg, the innocent prince, and the gray-haired old man, totaled nearly two thousand pounds.

This amount of money seems substantial, but if kept in the inner courtyard, it might not last long.

Xilun plans to spend all the resources that can be converted into strength first.

Once I've completed the third level of the Overturning Sea Technique and further cultivated the Breath of the Styx, I'll consider going out to take up a post.

The old man nodded.

"New disciples should indeed familiarize themselves with the inner courtyard first."

"However, don't just focus on cultivation. The competition in the inner academy is far more intense than in the outer academy, and contributions won't just come to you on their own."

"clear."

After collecting their items, the two left the palace.

Sunlight falls on the mountain stone path.

Elena changed into her new inner court attire. Her original silver-white outer robe had turned into a dark gray one, with an additional silver stripe on the cuffs, making her appear even more upright and heroic.

Xilun put the clothes into his bag without changing them immediately.

Are you really going out?

He looked at Elena.

"Um."

Elena raised her hand to tidy her blonde hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"I can't stand staying under that person's nose at the Sea Demon Temple any longer."

"Aldridge has been going too far lately, sending messages every two or three days. Samuel is also constantly nagging me, always talking about protecting me."

A clear look of annoyance flashed in her eyes.

"Instead of dealing with them every day, I'd rather take a post in a local area and get some peace and quiet for a while."

Xilun recalled what he had heard before.

The son of the deputy temple master of the Sea Demon Temple wants to marry Klein's daughter.

It's clear that the other party isn't simply pursuing Elena; it's more like they're using the marriage agreement to test the correctional institution's attitude and bottom line.

"Did the dean agree?"

"He'd love for me to leave Star Ring Island to avoid the storm."

Elena gave a soft hum.

"Besides, the resident extraordinary beings are not in danger. Their main tasks are to protect the monastery's property, deal with low-level alien species in the vicinity, and occasionally escort caravans."

"With my abilities, I can handle anything as long as I don't go to too remote places."

She turned to look at Xilun.

"And you?"

"Practice first."

"The third level of the Overturning Sea Technique?"

"There are others."

Xilun did not provide a detailed explanation.

The Breath of the Styx, the Thunder Spirit, the Flawless Golden Body, and the retraining of the Crimson Star Spear all require time and resources.

He seems to have many methods, but he can actually use very few without any scruples.

The battle in the Black Abyss Forest has proven that when facing a powerhouse approaching the third-tier extreme realm, one's biggest weakness remains one's foundation and ability to sustain combat.

If it weren't for Elena and Fisher working together to restrain him, he would never have been able to kill the innocent prince head-on.

"That's true."

Elena nodded.

"Now that you've just entered the inner courtyard, exchange all the available resources, especially the Green Tide Vine Marrow; the earlier you apply, the better."

She took a few steps, then suddenly turned back.

"Three months later, the Star Ring Ranking Tournament will officially begin."

"Remember to come visit your senior brother."

"I will go."

Xilun nodded slightly.

Elena smiled, said nothing more, and walked along another stone path toward the disciplinary building.

Xilun then returned alone to the No. 3 Quiet Room in East Lake.

For the next few days, he hardly left the inner courtyard area.

On the first day, Xilun went to the pharmacy to exchange for Qingchao Vine Marrow.

One serving of Green Tide Vine Marrow requires 120 contribution points.

Westren only has a base contribution of thirty points, and the remaining amount can only be made up with gold pounds.

Inner Academy contributions cannot be bought or sold at will, but newly recruited disciples can use gold pounds to make up for part of the shortfall when exchanging for cultivation materials for the first time.

In the end, he paid six hundred pounds for three small bottles of green vine marrow.

In addition, Xilun also purchased bone-strengthening powder, deep-sea fish maw, and two sets of medicinal bath materials.

The next day, he entered the first floor of the library.

The inner courtyard library was far more extensive than that of the outer courtyard.

In addition to complete annotations on the practice of the Overturning Sea Technique, it also contains a large number of notes left by high-level cultivators.

Xilun wasted no time.

He specifically searched for information related to Yi Jin Hua Qi, mixed Qi, old pollution, and the Styx Dharma.

He only used three days of the seven-day free reading period.

The valuable content from dozens of notebooks was firmly memorized into the core of the mind through the Moon Memory Meditation Method.

Late on the third night, Xilun took the potion of boundless seawater.

The dark blue liquid felt icy cold upon entering the mouth.

Once inside the stomach, it burst open like a heavy ocean tide.

The medicinal power surged from his chest and abdomen into his limbs and bones, gradually clearing away the blockages in his tendons caused by the repeated battles.

The pith of the Qingchao vine, like a supple and delicate thread, wraps around the wounded fascia, preventing the medicine from over-purifying it.

Xilun sat cross-legged in the underground stone chamber.

The Overturning Sea Technique operates at an extremely slow speed.

With each breath, the skin and muscles open and close.

The tendons, like riverbeds soaked by the tide, gradually regain their elasticity under the influence of the medicine.

The process was not easy.

Several times, the residual habit of the Great Thunder Breathing Technique attempted to disrupt the flow of Qi, and the evil god's severed limb on his right arm also showed a strong desire for the immense medicinal power.

Xilun remained clear-headed throughout.

A chilling, dark aura enveloped his right arm.

The breath of the Styx seeped into my lungs.

Lei Ling was restrained near his heart, preventing him from absorbing any excess energy.