Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The setting sun slanted down through the gaps in the stone wall of the inner courtyard, casting long shadows of the two people.

In the distance, disciples were still discussing today's Star Ring Ranking Tournament. Some were excitedly analyzing Aldrich's punch, some were expressing their indignation on behalf of Allah, and others had already begun discussing the list five years from now.

Those sounds seemed to be veiled by a layer of mist.

Elena stared at Siren for a moment.

She had long suspected that Xilun's rigorous training must be driven by some kind of burden.

But it wasn't until those two words actually came out of his mouth that she realized it wasn't just an ordinary grudge.

A person who is merely angry will not be as calm as Siron.

Only by suppressing hatred in one's heart for too long and enduring repeated pain can one speak of it so casually.

"Is your enemy very strong?" Elena asked softly.

"Very strong."

"Even better than Aldridge?"

Xilun paused slightly, the image of that tall figure sitting upright in the storm flashing through his mind.

The Storm Duke of the Southern Continent.

Power, lineage, and extraordinary strength all reside at a height that ordinary people cannot reach.

A moment later, he continued walking forward.

There's no need to compare now.

Elena understood what he meant.

It's not that it's inferior.

However, the current Xilun is not yet qualified to put that person on the same scale.

She didn't press for the enemy's identity, but simply blinked and deliberately spoke in a more relaxed tone:

"Then you'd better live a long time. It would be too much of a loss to die in the cultivation room before you've even taken revenge."

"I value life more than most people."

"You single-handedly stormed into the stronghold of over sixty pirates, and you call that cherishing your life?"

"I have confirmed the risks."

"You also spent seven days in the Sea of ​​the Dead."

"Well prepared."

"What about the Black Abyss Forest?"

"That was an accident."

Elena was speechless for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

The gloom that had been building up in my chest because of Allah's defeat dissipated somewhat with these few words of debate.

The two parted ways at the fork in the road.

Elena had to return to the Disciplinary Institute to handle the handover of her mission, while Siren returned to Thunder Bluff alone.

After the Star Ring Ranking Competition ended, the extraordinary outsiders gathered on Star Ring Island did not immediately disperse.

For several days in a row, the area down the mountain remained lively. In the tavern, people were reviewing their matches, and shops took the opportunity to sell weapons and potions. Even the same wristbands that Aldrich had used were being sold at exorbitant prices.

But none of this has anything to do with Xilun.

After returning to his cave, he resumed his cultivation.

After the third level of the Overturning Sea Technique, which involves changing tendons and transforming qi, the focus of cultivation shifts from simply accumulating qi to tempering the entire physique.

Fascia, flesh, bones, and internal organs all have to endure the repeated erosion of moisture.

That's not a process that can be accomplished overnight.

Every day before dawn, Xilun would wake up in the training ground below Thunderclap Cliff.

He first took the body-strengthening medicinal soup, then used the Great Thunder Sound Breathing Method to mobilize the heart of the Thunder Dragon, allowing the medicinal power to seep into his meridians along with the thunderous energy. After that, he circulated the Overturning Sea Technique, letting his energy sweep over his entire body like a tidal wave.

The tide rises and falls, in an endless cycle.

Each wash brings about subtle tearing and repair.

For an ordinary third-tier extraordinary individual, such intense hammering would only last for half an hour at most before requiring them to stop and rest.

However, Xilun possesses tendons as large as dragons and a heart of thunder dragon, and his tendon recovery is far superior to that of ordinary people, often able to maintain it for two hours.

After completing his physical training, he picked up the Thunder Spear.

Nine dragons cover the sea.

Canglang Step.

Both fighting techniques are recorded in the third level of the Overturning Sea Technique.

The Nine Dragons Covering the Sea Cover does not actually condense nine giant dragons, but rather divides the power of the Covering the Sea Technique into nine tidal forces that circulate throughout the body.

When attacked, the nine tidal forces can deflect the force layer by layer. As one layer breaks, the next layer immediately follows, just like nine dragons coiling around the body.

When he first started training, Xilun could only maintain three waves of energy at the same time.

Once the fourth stage is formed, the original energy circulation will interfere with each other, causing him to feel tightness in his chest and stiffness in his hands and feet.

He was not impatient.

Every day, he used wooden stakes, stone weights, and Bruno's heavy spear as practice, repeatedly adjusting the route of his energy flow.

Half a month later, he was able to maintain a stable level of five.

Two months later, the seven tidal currents began to rotate naturally.

As for the Canglang Step, it is completely different from his previous straightforward fighting style.

This footwork emphasizes riding the waves and borrowing momentum; every movement of the feet must be in harmony with the rise and fall of the body's tidal energy.

What appears to be a retreat may actually be a sudden, powerful lunge; what appears to be a dodge to the left may actually be a shift of weight to the right.

Xilun's talent of having large, powerful tendons made it twice as effective when practicing the Canglang Step.

On the training ground, his figure sometimes skimmed along the ground, and sometimes moved sideways by stepping on stone pillars.

As her clothes fluttered, she resembled a small boat lifted by the waves, seemingly light and airy, yet always able to unleash a powerful force when she landed.

Swain would occasionally stand on the edge of the cliff to watch.

He rarely uttered words of praise.

More often than not, he would only strike Xilun down with a wooden spear when Xilun was at his most triumphant, and then coldly point out his weakness.

"Footwork isn't for making your escape look good."

"Without a firm footing, any changes you make will only lead to your death."

"The Nine Dragons Covering the Sea is meant to deflect force, not to be attacked. If you can't even see where the enemy's gun is landing, even the ninetyth floor can't save you."

Every time he was knocked down, Xiren would immediately get up.

He didn't argue, he just noted down the mistakes.

The excitement surrounding the Star Ring Ranking Tournament gradually subsided.

The leaves on the mountain trees have turned from deep green to a light yellow, and the morning mist is heavier than before.

two months.

Three months.

Four months.

Siren's life remained almost unchanged.

Cultivation, eating, meditation, and shooting practice.

Occasionally, he would visit the library to consult the cultivation notes of his predecessors, or go down the mountain to buy materials for body training.

The money gained from the Blackwood Valley missions was decreasing at an alarming rate; bottle after bottle of potions, portion after portion of sea beast blood essence, all eventually turned into imperceptible progress in physical strength.

On this morning, dark clouds covered the cliffs.

Holding the Thunder Spear, Xilun stood on the slippery rocks, continuously thrusting the spear against the oncoming gale.

The tip of the gun pierced the rain.

Nine streams of surging energy circulated along his meridians, drawing in external moisture and forming nine faint, intermittent streams of water around his body.

Bruno stood a dozen steps away, gripping the heavy iron spear in both hands.

"Junior brother, be careful!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly shattered the stone slab beneath his feet.

The heavy spear, like a collapsing iron tower, swept across with a howling wind.

Xiren had no hard stop.

He took a half step back, his left foot stomping diagonally, and unleashed the Canglang Step. The heavy spear grazed his chest, the violent force causing his robes to flutter wildly.

The next instant, the Thunder Spear in his hand pressed against the shaft of the heavy spear.

The first surge of tide shattered.

Then came the second and third shares.

Bruno's power, enough to shatter the rock wall, was deflected by the layers of water force.

With a twist of his waist, Xilun rode the waves forward.

The butt of the gun, like a venomous snake raising its head, suddenly pointed at Bruno's throat.

Bruno's expression changed, and he hastily holstered his gun to parry.

boom!

It exploded with a muffled thud.

The two of them stepped back at the same time.

Bruno took three steps back, and Siren took five steps back.

"good!"

Bruno grinned, "Junior brother, your Nine Dragons Overturning the Sea Cover is finally starting to look decent. Last month, one of my shots could send you flying more than ten steps."

Xilun looked down at his slightly numb palm.

"The last two gusts of water still got out of control."

"You've only been training for a few months."

Bruno shook his head.

He had followed Swain for many years and knew all too well the difficulty of these fighting styles.

For an ordinary disciple to complete the cycle of the nine tidal forces of the Nine Dragons Covering the Sea, it would take anywhere from one year to three to five years.

Xilun, however, only took four months.

But I'm still not satisfied.

The sound of a wooden staff lightly touching the ground came from the edge of the cliff.

Swain appeared outside the training ground at some point. He was still wearing that faded gray robe, his expression indifferent, his gaze sweeping over the two men.

"Bruno, practice three hundred more shots."

Bruno's smile froze instantly.

"Teacher, I've practiced two hundred times today..."

"five hundred."

Bruno promptly shut up and silently walked to the other side.

Swain approached Xilun, took the Thunder Spear from him, and casually flicked it.

The gun barrel vibrated, and the rain was instantly shaken into a white mist.

"How's your physical development progressing?"

"It's about 20% better than it was four months ago."

Xilun answered truthfully.

Two percent may not sound like much, but the tempering of a third-tier physique becomes slower and slower as you progress.

His progress in just four months is enough to make many inner court disciples envious.

Swain threw the spear back to him.

"Once you reach the third stage, it's important to cultivate in seclusion, but it's equally important to go out and gain experience."

Xilun caught the gun barrel steadily.

"What you lack is not combat experience, but being stuck in one place for too long will cause your vision, mentality, and understanding of strength to stagnate."

Swain gazed at the churning sea of ​​clouds beyond the cliff. "When are you ready to go out?"

Xilun remained silent for a moment.

"I don't know yet."

"reason."

"I want to wait until my body is fully developed."

Swain turned his head and looked at him.

"A perfect physique isn't something you can achieve just by thinking about it. At your current pace, even with no shortage of medicine, it will take more than a year. If you encounter a bottleneck along the way, it wouldn't be surprising if it took three years."

"I see."

"It's good that you understand."

Swain did not force him, but left with the words, "Don't let caution turn into timidity," before turning and leaving.

Xilun stood in the rain, lost in thought.

He was not afraid to go out.

However, there is still clear room for improvement in the Overturning Sea Technique, Thunder Dragon Heart, and Azure Thunder Spear Technique.

Instead of running around everywhere, it's better to first fully digest the existing strength.

However, four days later, an unexpected guest interrupted his practice.

That afternoon, a light rain was falling in the mountains.

Elena carried a black leather suitcase and walked up the stone steps to Thunderclap Cliff.

After several months, she seemed to have lost some weight. Her long, silver-gray hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and she wore a black-trimmed robe from the disciplinary institution. The two swords at her waist clinked lightly with each step.

Xilun had just finished a round of cultivation and was sitting shirtless beside the stone platform.

White steam rose from his body, and the crisscrossing old wounds were faintly visible in the rain and mist.

Elena paused, her gaze shifting awkwardly to the side.

"You don't wear any clothes in your cave?"

"My clothes will be soaked with sweat."

Xilun picked up a black short-sleeved shirt from the side and put it on. "What brings you here?"

"We have a mission."

Elena walked into the stone pavilion and placed her suitcase on the table. "We'll be setting off in a month. The journey will take about ten days, but the mission itself might require us to stay for half a month. I found this rather unusual, so I came to ask if you were interested."

"What mission?"

"Searching for a lost idol."

Xilun didn't pay any attention to it at first.

The beliefs in Star Ring Island and the surrounding waters are complex. In addition to orthodox churches, many islands worship ancient sea gods, ancestors, and various totems of unknown origin.

Searching for idols sounds more like an archaeological or escort mission.

He picked up a towel to wipe the gun barrel and casually asked, "Who released this?"

"A declining noble family in the north."

Elena opened the suitcase and took out a yellowed parchment map and a few pages of files.

"It is said that the statue was brought back by their ancestors from a temple on a deserted island. More than 20 years ago, the ship carrying the statue was lost in a storm."

A while ago, a fisherman found a bronze nameplate from a boat on a reef after the tide receded, and the family then asked the correctional facility to retrieve it.

Xilun suddenly stopped cleaning his gun.

There were no signs whatsoever.

The long-dormant remnant of the evil god deep within the right arm twitched slightly.

It was as if an invisible thread was being plucked on the other side of a distant sea.

Xilun's eyes narrowed slightly.

The chilling aura of Yin flowed silently, immediately suppressing the restlessness.

"What does the statue of God look like?"

Elena noticed the change in his expression and looked down to open the file.

"There is no complete portrait, only the writings left by the family's ancestors."

She pushed one of the pages in front of Xiren.

The ink on the paper was mottled, and some words and phrases had been eroded by moisture and could only be barely made out.

Xilun's gaze swept across each line.

"...The statue had no face, was draped in a long black robe, and had six arms crossed over its chest..."

"...The second arm on the right side is missing, and there are dark red lines at the stump..."

"...Those who approach will hear whispers in the tide..."

Upon seeing the last sentence, his heart suddenly tightened.

The recurring nightmare seemed to flash before my eyes again.

The endless Black Sea.

The decaying throne.

A colossal evil god standing at the edge of heaven and earth, and limbs descending from the sky, dragging flesh and black mist.

He then felt a barely perceptible burning sensation in his right arm.

It's not a backlash.

It's more like a call.

return.

Return to the embrace of that being.

At that moment, Xilun even heard a distant murmur, as if countless drowning people across the deep sea were calling his name together.

A sudden burst of profound, icy coldness erupted.

A chilling aura traveled down his right arm, sealing the restless limb once more.

Elena frowned.

"Silon?"

Where is that reef?

Xilun raised his head, his expression having returned to calm.

"Near the far north shipping route, there's a place called the Starfall Coast." Elena looked him over. "Have you heard of this statue?"

"no."

"And what you looked like just now..."

"I just felt the task was not simple."

Xilun reviewed the file again.

While written descriptions cannot fully prove that the statue is related to the remains of an evil god, the internal reactions do not lie.

The severed limb seemed to yearn to approach, even actively conveying an impulse to return home.

This means that the statue may retain an aura that is the same as that of an evil god.

Danger is inevitable.

But this is also an opportunity.

The stump in his right arm remains the most unstable hidden danger; simply suppressing it will inevitably lead to problems sooner or later.

If more clues can be found, perhaps we can figure out its origin and even find a way to completely control it.

Xilun pondered for a long time.

"What about the reward for the mission?"

Elena's lips curled up slightly.

She is all too familiar with this kind of problem.

When Xilun asked about the reward, it meant he was already interested.

"The base reward is three hundred pounds per person, with an additional two hundred pounds for finding the shipwreck, and an extra eight hundred pounds for bringing back the complete statue. Any other spoils along the way, after deducting the commissioned items, will be distributed among the executors themselves."

How many people are there?

"The team is tentatively set at four Tier 3 Extraordinary Individuals, plus a navigator familiar with the sea area."

"Is the departure time confirmed?"

"One month later."

Xilun slowly rolled up the sheepskin map.

"I'll go."

Elena didn't immediately show joy; instead, she stared at him and asked:

"Are you sure? That area is close to the far north shipping route, the weather is unpredictable, and pirates and other strange creatures are often active there. The statue has been missing for over twenty years and has not been found. Things can't be simple."

That's why it takes a month to prepare.

Xilun got up and walked to the edge of the stone pavilion.

Raindrops fell slantingly over the cliff edge, and a thick sea of ​​clouds obscured the distant scenery.

It is unlikely that the Fuhai Gong technique will achieve a breakthrough in the short term.

Instead of continuing to invest the remaining money in body-strengthening materials, it's better to use this month to improve another trump card as much as possible.

Breath of the Styx.

He has been at the proficient level for quite some time.

If one can use the Sea of ​​the Dead to train it to the expert level, not only will its power be greatly enhanced, but its control over death energy and spiritual corruption will also be improved.

Moreover, the northern seas are fraught with danger.

Sometimes, an unseen breath of the Styx is more useful than a spear.

Xilun looked at the endless rain and spoke slowly.

"I need to go back to the Sea of ​​the Dead."

Elena's smile vanished.

"how long?"

"Until the money runs out, or the Breath of the Styx is broken through."

She remained silent for a few moments, then couldn't help but raise her hand to press her forehead.

"I knew it. After I came to find you, you would definitely do something more dangerous first."

Xilun corrected, "This is preparation."

"In your eyes, all danger is called preparation."

"At least I always come back alive."

Elena opened her mouth, but ultimately gave him a helpless glare.

Xilun, however, had already lowered his head to organize the necessary materials.

Drowned silver coins, rotten wood from the cold swamp, sediment from the dark river, ash phosphorus powder...

This time, he wasn't going to leave himself too much extra money.

Now that we've decided to set off, we must transform all available resources into strength within a month.

Neither of them noticed that inside the rolled-up file on the stone table, the edge of an old rubbing was slowly seeping out a barely perceptible dark red.

It was as if something that had been dormant for many years had finally caught a whiff of a familiar scent across a great distance.

-

The next morning, Siren left Thunder Bluff.

He first went to the pharmacy department in the inner courtyard.

The familiar scent of herbs filled the stone hall, and rows of wooden cabinets stretched all the way to the end of the wall.

The middle-aged monk in charge of registration was checking the ledgers when he heard Xilun recite a series of material names. He looked up at him.

"Twenty drowned silver coins, thirty pounds of rotten swamp wood, fifteen pounds of sediment from the Yin River, four cans of ash phosphorus powder, and two bottles of Moon Spring potion to stabilize your mind?"

"right."

"You plan to settle down in the Sea of ​​the Dead?"

The middle-aged monk put down his pen.

Although the news that Xilun had spent seven days in the Sea of ​​the Dead and mastered the Breath of the Styx had not spread widely, the Medicine Department had records of material purchases and naturally knew what he had done.

"Cultivate for a month."

"A month?"

The middle-aged cultivator frowned. "You should know that the Sea of ​​the Dead is not an ordinary meditation room. For a third-tier extraordinary being, staying for seven days at a time is already considered long. Entering repeatedly will allow the pollution to accumulate in your mind. It may not manifest immediately; perhaps several months later, you will begin to hear voices that do not exist."

"I will go ashore to rest every few days."

"Young people always think they can control everything."

The other party shook their head but did not continue to stop them.

Disciples in the inner courtyard have the right to choose their cultivation method. As long as they complete the registration and do not violate the rules of the monastery, the medicine department has no right to refuse to sell materials.