Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The Blackwater Abyss opens only once every five years, and not only does it contain black crystals that hone one's strength, but it also contains many rare sea beasts and spiritual materials.

The list of names was posted in the Inner Court Mission Hall a month in advance.

Only those at the third tier of extraordinary ability are qualified to enter.

Participants can freely form teams, but most people still explore alone.

Once inside the Blackwater Abyss, all spoils belong to the individual.

The disciples at the top of the list began to prepare.

The furnaces in the weapons workshop burned all day long, the price of healing potions in the pharmacy department rose by 30%, and even the water-repelling amulets, which were usually ignored, were sold out.

Bruno was instructed by Swain to stay at Thunder Bluff and not participate in the hunt.

He was quite dissatisfied with this, and for three consecutive days, he slammed his gun into the ground, causing it to shake violently.

Genna is not strong enough and is also not qualified to enter the Blackwater Abyss.

Xilun had already registered his name in the Mission Hall.

He didn't rush to find teammates.

The situation in the Blackwater Abyss is unknown, and teaming up with unfamiliar people may not be safer than acting alone.

Moreover, he has many trump cards that cannot be easily revealed.

The Breath of the Styx, the Blood Lock on the right arm, and the ability to hunt sea beasts to gain talent—if exposed, these could bring dangers far exceeding those of the Blackwater Abyss itself.

In the fifth month, the nascent third lightning pattern had already pierced through the major tendons of his entire body.

Xilun's body also underwent subtle changes under the repeated tempering by lightning.

The most obvious difference is not strength, but explosive speed.

Previously, he needed to exert force from his waist, abdomen, tendons, and arms sequentially to go from a standstill to firing at full power.

Even if the process is extremely fast, there is still a sequence.

Now, the two stable lightning patterns and the third nascent pattern are mutually attracted. As long as there is a thought, the lightning energy stored in the flesh and blood will simultaneously stimulate the major tendons throughout the body.

When the Thunder Spear is unleashed, there is almost no visible charging of power.

In the center of the training ground.

Xilun held the Thunder Spear and stood in front of a newly installed iron stone spear post.

He didn't assume any starting stance.

The next instant, a clap of thunder echoed through the air.

The Thunder Spear had stopped on the other side of the spear post.

The spearhead did not touch the stone surface; there was still a half-foot gap between them.

Crack.

A smooth crack appeared in the center of the iron stone spear pile.

The upper half of the stone pillar slowly slid down along the crack and crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

Grena stood at the edge of the training ground, nearly dropping the wooden basin containing his breakfast.

"What just happened?"

Bruno stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking solemn.

"The lightning bolts on the gun were moving too fast, compressing the air in front of it."

"But Xilun hasn't mastered the Lightning Step yet."

"He practices with a gun, not footwork."

Bruno stared at the smooth crack.

"But the principle is the same."

"The Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture has made his lightning energy mobilization speed faster. Once the third lightning pattern is truly condensed, in terms of burst speed within three feet, there are probably not many people in the inner academy who can be faster than him."

Xilun sheathed the Thunder Spear and looked down at his hands.

That shot wasn't perfect.

The third lightning pattern was not yet stable, and the lightning force was slightly slower when it passed through the right leg, causing a very slight shift in the body's center of gravity.

Ordinary people cannot detect it, but it cannot escape his own perception.

With only a month left until the hunting day, he still wasn't in a hurry to complete the final cycle.

That afternoon, Swain summoned Siron to the back cliff.

A map of the Blackwater Abyss was laid out on the stone table.

The map was incomplete; large areas were covered by black fog, with only a few routes near the entrance clearly marked.

"The Blackwater Abyss is not a true abyss."

Swain pointed his broken gun at the center of the map.

"It is a sea area folded by spatial forces. There are islands, shoals and trenches on the periphery. The closer to the center, the darker the seawater and the stronger the demonic aura."

Where do black crystals usually appear?

"Sea monster nests, or caves untouched by the tides."

Swain tapped the west side of the map.

"This place is called Sunken Bone Beach. It used to have the most black crystals, but it also attracts the most sea monsters."

"If you want to make your strength more refined, you can go there."

"Just don't go deep into the black water caves below the beach."

Why?

"Twenty years ago, a fourth-level elder entered it and lost a hand when he returned."

Xilun's gaze narrowed slightly.

"A fourth-tier sea beast inside?"

"I don't know."

Swain shook his head: "The strange thing about the Blackwater Abyss is that it suppresses power above the fourth rank. When a fourth rank enters it, the small world will be strongly repelled, and the strength that can be exerted is even less than that of a third-rank extreme realm."

"Therefore, hunting days are usually attended by third-tier disciples, while elders only provide support from the outside."

"If you encounter anything you cannot understand inside, do not test it; leave immediately."

Xilun noted down the locations of Sunken Bone Beach and Blackwater Cave.

"Also, the Blackwater Abyss will only be open for seven days."

"At noon on the seventh day, the entrance will begin to close. Return before then, regardless of whether you have obtained the Black Crystal or not."

Swain put down the broken gun and looked at Siren behind him.

There were no obvious lightning patterns there, only a few burn marks that had not completely faded.

"Is the third cycle only one cycle away?"

"Yes."

"When do you plan to finish?"

"Before the Hunting Day".

"Which specific day?"

Xilun remained silent for a moment.

"Waiting for the thunderstorm."

Swein did not press the matter further.

The lightning needed to cultivate the Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra is not necessarily the stronger the better.

The final cycle of the third transformation requires a large amount of lightning power, but it cannot exceed the body's limit.

Thunderstorms may seem frequent at Minglei Cliff, but there aren't many truly suitable opportunities to experience them.

Xilun waited for twenty-seven days.

Three days before the hunting day, large patches of dark clouds finally gathered over Star Ring Island.

That evening, a fierce wind swept through the entire monastery.

The bronze bell on the tower was blown around and shook violently, while waves several meters high surged up on the sea.

Thunderclap Cliff was completely shrouded in dark clouds, with thick bolts of lightning intertwining within the clouds, occasionally illuminating half the sky.

Many disciples practicing the Thunder-type Dharma climbed the cliff in the rain.

Xilun did not go to the 400-zhang platform.

The final cycle of the third rotation requires absolute silence.

He closed the quiet chamber in the cave and adjusted the lightning array to the highest level it could withstand.

The dark gold ointment had been applied all over his body.

Two stable lightning patterns appeared on his left and right wrists respectively, while a third golden mark rose from the soles of his feet along his legs, through his spine and shoulders, and finally settled on his chest.

Only the last paragraph is needed to connect the beginning and the end.

Xilun sat cross-legged in the center of the formation and slowly closed his eyes.

Boom!

Before the first bolt of lightning struck, the entire quiet room trembled slightly with the thunder.

He didn't start immediately.

Take one breath.

No.

Take two breaths.

Still nothing.

On the ninth breath, the eagle-shaped Thunder Spirit suddenly raised its head and looked up at the thick rock layer above.

Simon opened his eyes at the same time.

coming.

boom!

A bolt of blue-white lightning, much thicker than during the previous two stages of cultivation, crashed down along the lightning rod.

Blinding lightning flooded the quiet room.

The stone slab beneath Xilun instantly cracked, and countless fragments were charred black by the electric arc before they could even fly.

The violent lightning penetrated the ointment and surged into the major tendons throughout the body.

The veins on Xilun's arms bulged.

The massive tendons, like dragons, were pushed to their limit, and a deep, resonant dragon's roar seemed to echo from within his body.

Ninth cycle, begin!

Thunder passed over his legs.

Xilun forcibly suppressed the instinctive exertion of the Canglang Step.

Passing through the waist and abdomen.

The Overturning Sea Technique transforms into nine layers of tidal energy, weakening the most violent power in the thunder layer by layer.

Passing through the spine.

The eagle-shaped lightning spirit swooped down, engulfing all the stray arcs of electricity.

Passing through the shoulders and neck.

The two stable lightning patterns rotated simultaneously, exerting a strong pull on the third nascent form.

Finally, thunder surged into his heart.

boom!

The Thunder Dragon's Heart pounded violently, almost causing Xilun's chest to swell outwards.

The bluish-white lightning, after transformation, was tinged with a very faint golden hue.

Once this power is channeled back into the legs, the third lightning pattern will be completely connected.

Just then, the blood lock on my right arm suddenly vibrated.

The remnant of the evil god obtained from the Sunset Coast seemed to sense the threat of thunder, with dark red and black energy seeping from the depths of its flesh and spreading towards its heart.

Xilun's expression remained unchanged.

He had already simulated this situation seventeen times.

A chilling aura descended from his right shoulder, freezing the black energy.

At the same time, Thunder Dragon Heart did not dodge, but instead actively released a wisp of thunder energy.

Dark red and black energy collided with blue and white lightning in his right arm.

A sharp pain shot through my brain instantly.

A fine crack appeared on the surface of the blood lock.

The cycle of West Africa continues uninterrupted.

He channeled the energy of the Styx into his right arm, using the same chilling death energy to block the remains of the evil god, and then forcibly sent the golden lightning power into his legs.

hum!

The third lightning pattern finally connected end to end.

Three golden vortexes spun simultaneously.

The stray lightning in the quiet room was drawn in and transformed into dense arcs of electricity that surged toward Xilun's body.

The first lightning mark is on the left wrist.

The second one is on the right wrist.

The third line travels along the major tendons of the body, eventually converging at the center of the forehead to form a closed golden vertical line.

Xilun's consciousness became slightly hazy.

It seemed as if an eye made of lightning had appeared between his brows.

He could clearly sense the changes in every arc of electricity in the quiet room, and could even detect the lightning that had not yet fallen outside the rock strata.

The third turn, it's done.

At the same time, footsteps could be heard outside the cave.

Elena, wearing a silver-gray rain cloak, stood at the entrance of the training ground.

The hunting day was about to begin, and she had originally planned to invite Siron to join her team to explore the Blackwater Abyss.

Bruno and Gna were not there.

Lightning flashed across the sky above the training ground, and the stone door to the meditation room was tightly shut.

Elena was about to knock on the door when she suddenly sensed a presence coming from inside, and her outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

"Is he cultivating?"

Blue-white lightning continuously seeped from the crack in the door.

Elena took a few steps back without making a sound to disturb them.

She knew that Xilun was practicing the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture, and that he had completed the second transformation in just one and a half months.

But at this moment, the aura of a third lightning pattern clearly appeared in the quiet room.

"impossible……"

For the first time, Elena's eyes revealed undisguised shock.

It has only been half a year since Xilun obtained the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture from the 400-zhang platform.

Six months, three job changes?

Allah also practiced the Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra.

It took him three years to complete the third transformation, but he later found that the fourth transformation required too much effort, so he gave up on his own initiative.

In the historical records of the Holy Light Monastery, there was also a fifth-tier elder with lightning-type talent.

The elder spent seven years cultivating the scripture to the ninth level, and indeed obtained a physical body capable of withstanding fourth-level attacks. However, after completing the ninth level, he left only one comment.

It's too costly and not worth the effort.

For decades afterward, no one truly mastered the Nine Revolutions technique.

Even a highly talented elder like Tinos, who had ample resources, only managed to cultivate to the sixth level.

Elena instinctively held her breath.

Inside the quiet room, three pale gold thunder patterns shone through the stone door.

The first two channels had stabilized, but the third channel was still trembling slightly at first, as if it might break apart at any moment.

A few breaths later, a deep heartbeat came from inside.

boom!

The third lightning pattern suddenly solidified.

The lightning above the training ground seemed to be drawn by some force, converging towards the meditation room.

Elena had to retreat again.

She saw an eagle-shaped phantom made of lightning pierce through the rock layers and spread its wings above the cave.

The phantom was several times larger than it had been six months ago.

The thunderclouds were drawn by it, forming a slowly rotating vortex.

What alarmed Elena even more was that the aura emanating from that eagle-shaped thunder spirit was no weaker than that of an ordinary third-tier extraordinary being.

That was not the power of Siron himself.

It's just a lightning spirit born from innate talent!

In the quiet room, Xilun slowly opened his eyes.

The golden vertical line between his brows spread out to the sides, resembling a cold, thunderous eye.

Through the heavy stone door, he could clearly sense the familiar presence outside.

"Elena?"

The Thunder Eye slowly closed, transforming back into a third golden line that sank deep into the skin.

The eagle-shaped thunder spirit also dissipated in the sky.

The stone gate opened.

Xilun donned a long black robe and stepped out from the still-lingering lightning.

Elena stood at the edge of the rain curtain, still staring at his brow.

"How long did you watch?"

"From when the third lightning pattern had not yet solidified."

Elena snapped out of her daze, her tone complicated.

"So, you really mastered the third transformation?"

"Just finished practicing."

Xilun raised his hand.

Three lightning patterns flashed simultaneously and then disappeared.

"It took a few days longer than expected."

Elena was momentarily speechless.

He even complained that he had used it for a few extra days after three rounds of work in six months.

"It took Brother Allah three years back then."

"Randall's second transfer took more than two years."

"I know."

"You know that, yet you still think it's slow?"

Xilun glanced at her.

"My body is different from theirs."

The answer was calm and matter-of-fact.

Elena was unable to refute it.

She had witnessed Xilun hunting down thunderous sea beasts and knew that he possessed a bloodline power capable of devouring thunder.

Even with exceptional talent, one cannot avoid danger during cultivation.

When the third lightning bolt condensed, she clearly sensed a chilling black aura. Xilun had obviously used the power of that evil god's severed limb again.

"You're always like this."

"What?"

"To talk about danger as casually as eating and drinking."

Xilun thought for a moment.

"I'm 90% confident this time."

"What about the remaining ten percent?"

"If it fails, the tendons will be damaged, and it will take about six months to recover."

Elena looked at him and suddenly felt a little glad that she hadn't known beforehand.

Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand quietly outside just now.

"The hunting day hasn't even started yet, and you've already transformed yourself into a lightning-type sea beast."

She exhaled softly and removed the hood of her cloak.

Her long, silvery-white hair, damp with moisture, clung to her cheeks.

"I came to find you to ask if you have already formed a team."

"no."

"Perfect, I don't have any either."

Elena walked into the stone corridor and placed a map of the outer perimeter of the Blackwater Abyss on the stone table.

"I obtained the past injury and death records of the correctional facility, and I also asked my father for an internal route."

"The Bone Sinking Beach is indeed the easiest place to obtain Black Crystals, but five years ago a third-tier sea beast that could conceal its presence appeared there. Going alone makes it easy to be ambushed."

"So, you want to team up with me?"

"What, you don't want to?"

"Can."

Xilun answered very decisively.

Elena's prepared words of persuasion were all in vain.

"Won't you reconsider?"

"You excel at sensing mental pollution and also have methods to restrain enemies. The Blackwater Abyss is a complex environment, and our abilities complement each other."

Xilun picked up the map and looked at the route marked on it.

"And you won't attack me from behind at a crucial moment."

This statement, though not a compliment, carries more weight than any polite remark.

Elena's lips curled up slightly.

"Then it's settled."

"After entering the Blackwater Abyss, first go to the Bone Sinking Beach to collect Black Crystals. If you encounter suitable sea beasts along the way, you can hunt them down, but you cannot chase them into the deep water cave."

"Before the sixth day, no matter how much you have harvested, you must begin to return."

"Can."

Xilun laid out the map and noted down several dangerous areas.

The torrential rain outside the cave gradually subsided, and the long, resonant tolling of the monastery's bronze bells could be heard in the distance.

The three chimes signaled the final call to assemble before the hunting day.

Xilun looked up at the sky above Thunderclap Cliff.

The dark clouds were dissipating, and the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, falling on the damp training ground.

Three lightning patterns slowly rotated within his body.

The Thunder Dragon's Heart beat more powerfully than ever before, and the Eagle-shaped Thunder Spirit also spread its wings deep within its spirit, radiating a powerful aura comparable to that of a third-tier extraordinary being.

The third-order physique is perfected.

The Golden Thunder Vortex has undergone its third rotation.

Expert-level Breath of the Styx.

Blood lock on the right arm.

In addition, the power of the Overturning Sea Technique is gradually becoming more refined towards the third-order extreme realm.

After six months of seclusion, his strength was no longer comparable to when he was conquering the Linglong Tower.

Xilun put away the map, and the Thunder Spear at his waist emitted a low, resonant sound.

The Blackwater Abyss will open in two days.

Within that Demon Gathering Wonderland, which had been dormant for five years, there was not only the black crystal that allowed him to reach the third-tier extreme realm, but also countless rare sea beasts that were hard to find in the outside world.

For the other disciples, it was a perilous hunt.

For Xilun, however, it was also a long-awaited opportunity.

Over the next two days, the Holy Light Monastery became incredibly popular at an astonishing pace.

As the hunting day approached, the main roads between the outer and inner courtyards were congested almost from early morning until late at night.

Steam wagons from various merchants in Starring City stopped outside the monastery gate, their wheels leaving two deep black tracks on the still damp stone road.

Medicines, weapons, talismans, and various sea beast materials were unloaded from the truck in boxes and were snapped up by the disciples in just half a day.

Dark red smoke hangs over the weapons workshop all day long.

The heavy clanging of hammering metal came from the underground furnace chamber, almost blending with the thunder on Minglei Cliff.

The pharmacy department was even more outrageous.

The queue stretched from the counter all the way to the door, with many disciples even bringing their servants to reserve their spots in advance.

The hemostatic ointment, which usually sells for only twenty-odd pounds, is now being sold for thirty-five pounds.

Tier 3 healing potions are extremely rare, and when new stock arrives, they are snapped up in less than 15 minutes.