Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The Blackwater Abyss is a vast area.

If you happen to encounter one inside, it wouldn't be difficult to take care of a disciple ranked forty-seventh.

On the west side of the square, Samuel also saw Xiren.

To be precise, he was looking at Elena, who was standing next to Siren.

The two were not very close, and there were no intimate gestures between them. They only occasionally exchanged information about the map in hushed tones.

Yet this scene still caused Samuel's eyes to gradually turn cold.

He was the one who once stood beside Elena.

When Elena first left Star Ring Island to carry out a mission at her post, he volunteered to accompany her.

When they encountered sea monsters and pirates, he was the one who stood in front of them.

Many times, Elena didn't have to worry about danger at all; she could simply stay with the group.

But now, she has begun to rely on a newcomer who has been in the inner court for less than two years.

The defeat of the Sea of ​​the Dead remained a thorn in Samuel's heart.

After that battle, he used up all the potions he could to remove the decaying traces left by the Breath of the Styx.

Whenever my blood and energy are depleted late at night, that icy feeling of my bone marrow being permeated by deathly energy will resurface.

He hates Xilun.

Not only because of the defeat, but also because Xilun took away everything that originally belonged to him.

Reputation, ranking, and Elena's gaze.

Samuel slowly clenched his fist.

Since the conflict has accumulated to the point of being irreconcilable, let's resolve it completely in the Blackwater Abyss.

There was no Swain, no Head of the Correctional Institution, and no Inner Court rules to bind them.

He will prove to Elena that Siron relies solely on insidious means.

The only person Elena truly needed was herself.

If she continues to stand with others, then she is no longer the Elena he knows.

The third bell rang.

The discussion in the square suddenly subsided.

A group of elderly people dressed in white and gold robes walked from the direction of the main hall.

The old man at the front had white hair and beard, was not tall, and carried no weapons, yet he seemed to be surrounded by a soft glow.

He was the abbot of the inner court of the Holy Light Monastery.

Fifth-order extraordinary being.

The old man walked to the front of the square. He did not deliberately release any pressure, but simply raised his hand, and his voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Gentlemen, it's been three years since we last met."

A simple sentence, yet it's like warm morning light piercing through the dark clouds.

Xilun could feel that after the voice entered his ears, the last bit of fatigue left from last night's cultivation quickly dissipated, and even his breathing became much lighter.

Someone in the crowd gasped in a low voice.

"Is this Holy Light?"

"good."

An older disciple standing nearby had a complicated expression on his face.

"The fundamental principle of the Holy Light Monastery is that the abbot simply infuses his power into his voice to soothe the blood and spirit."

"If used for healing, the effects would probably be even more astonishing."

Xilun was also feeling that power.

Completely different from the cold and decaying Breath of the Styx, Holy Light contains an extremely pure life force.

Upon contact with the light within the sound, the blood lock on his right arm instinctively tightened.

If one could learn the complete Holy Light spell, it might truly eliminate the hidden dangers brought about by the return of life and the remains of evil gods.

The dean's voice continued to ring out from the front of the square.

"The Blackwater Abyss will be open for seven days."

"All the proceeds belong to the individual."

"The monastery will not interfere in your normal struggles; you must weigh the pros and cons of each struggle yourselves."

"Everyone must return to the entrance before noon on the seventh day."

"If any unavoidable changes occur within the strange realm, crush your identity tokens, and the power of the field will send you back. However, the field is not omnipresent, and it is not always possible to arrive in time."

The old man's gaze slowly swept over the crowd.

"Resources can be found again, but life is only given once."

"Now, open the Blackwater Abyss."

Several elders walked to the edge of the square at the same time.

The silver patterns on the ground lit up one after another.

At first, they were just tiny specks of light, but they quickly connected to form a massive array covering the entire square.

The dean raised his right hand and gently pressed his five fingers forward.

There was no thunder, nor any violent tremor.

The air in front of the square, however, was like a piece of black cloth cut by an invisible blade, silently splitting open with a vertical crack.

The gap rapidly expanded to both sides.

A deep, chilling aura emanated from it.

The light in front of Xiren suddenly dimmed.

Behind the rift, it seemed, was not another space, but a gigantic maw leading to a bottomless abyss.

A thick, watery vapor mixed with a putrid, fishy smell wafted over, along with some indescribable, demonic aura.

Elena gripped the longsword.

"Once inside, you may be randomly dispersed within the field."

"The distance between the entrances and surrounding areas will not be too far."

Xilun looked at her.

"They met at the foot of the hill."

"it is good."

The dean waved his hand.

"Entry."

The disciple at the front was the first to step into the rift.

The figures were quickly swallowed up by the darkness.

When it was Xilun's turn, he could clearly feel the space folding over his body.

The surrounding sounds vanished instantly, and it felt as if my feet had suddenly lost their support.

He did not resist, but simply gripped the Thunder Spear tightly.

After a brief period of weightlessness, a damp, cold wind blew in my face.

Xilun slowly opened his eyes.

He was standing at the foot of a desolate hill.

Dozens of feet away, Elena also appeared from the pale silver light, her feet landing on the dark brown soil.

The two looked up and gazed ahead.

The world was dark.

In the distance, low mountains resembled giant beasts crouching in the mist, and no vegetation could be seen on the ground, only large areas of black gullies eroded by flowing water.

Below the hill, a dark river flows quietly.

There were no ripples on the water.

The sound of water could not be heard.

It was as if it were not flowing river water, but a deep chasm stretching across the earth.

Xilun stood on the shore, looking down into the darkness.

"Is this the Blackwater Abyss?"

Elena came to his side, her expression much more serious than usual.

"To be precise, this is only the outermost edge of the Blackwater Abyss."

As soon as he finished speaking, a very faint ripple suddenly appeared in the depths of the river.

A huge, dark shadow swam slowly underwater.

The exposed back alone is several meters wide.

The dark figure quickly sank into the depths.

The black waters returned to calm.

Xilun did not rashly use his mental powers to investigate.

When that dark figure passed by, his affinity for water clearly allowed him to feel the water being pushed aside by the massive body.

The thing was at least ten feet long, but its aura was completely concealed by the black water, making it impossible to judge its strength with the naked eye.

"Are there sea monsters in the river?"

"have."

Elena stepped back a few paces along the riverbank.

"Although the Blackwater Abyss is a folded sea, its water veins are different from those of the outside world. Sea beasts that live in the Blackwater for a long time will have their flesh and blood tainted by demonic energy, and some of them can no longer be considered normal creatures."

She took a silver-gray disc from her waist.

The surface of the disc was originally smooth as a mirror, but when it was brought close to the Heihe River, a ring of gray-black spots quickly appeared around the edge.

"The pollution is worse than it was five years ago."

Xilun glanced at the disc.

"Will it affect your mental health?"

"Both mental and physical strength will be affected."

Elena put away the disc.

"If you stay near the Blackwater for a long time, your energy will gradually become more volatile. The closer you get to the center of the wonderland, the more pronounced the effect will be."

"What is black crystal?"

"The crystals left behind by the Black Soul Beast after its death."

Elena determined the direction and pointed to the north side of the mountain range.

"They are not true sea beasts, but rather half-alive, half-dead beings formed by the combination of the souls of sea beasts and the special aura of the Blackwater Abyss. They lack complete flesh and blood, but possess some of the power they had in life."

"After killing the Black Soul Beast, the Black Soul will dissipate, leaving behind Black Crystals."

"Most ordinary Tier 3 Black Soul Beasts leave behind incomplete Black Crystals. Only when they reach the level of physical perfection can the Black Crystals be complete. As for Tier 3 Extreme Realm Black Soul Beasts, perfect Black Crystals will be nurtured within their bodies."

Xilun seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are the effects of black crystals different?"

"The difference is huge."

Elena bent down and picked up a black stone, weighing it in her palm.

"A flawed black crystal can only refine a small portion of one's energy, and it retains a lot of demonic energy. A perfect black crystal is much purer, and one of them is equivalent to more than a dozen flawed black crystals."

"Perfect black crystal is even rarer. It can not only refine one's energy, but also temper one's aura, allowing the body and energy to truly become one."

At this point, she looked at Xilun.

"For extraordinary individuals with perfect physiques, a sufficient number of black crystals can greatly shorten the time required to reach the third-tier extreme realm."

"What might have taken three to five years could be completed in a few months if resources are sufficient."

This is exactly what Xiren needs.

His physique is now complete, and his power from the Overturning Sea Technique has accumulated to a sufficient level.

The distance to the third-tier extreme realm is not the total amount of power, but the final perfection.

There are still subtle gaps between physique, strength, and spirit.

If one relies on their own gradual refinement, it might take a year, or even longer.

Black crystals, however, can significantly shorten this process.

Xilun glanced down at the Black River.

The immense aura underwater had completely vanished, leaving only a few faint currents.

With his natural affinity for water, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage in water combat.

But Swain had already warned that many things in the Blackwater Abyss were incomprehensible. To plunge into the deep waters so soon after entering the wonderland would be unwise.

"Let's go find the Black Soul Beast first."

Xilun turned and walked towards the mountains.

Elena followed behind him.

Instead of choosing the ridge with its open view, the two proceeded along the gravel path between the foot of the mountain and the river.

There are many traces left on the ground.

Some resemble the trenches left by large sea monsters, while others are the footprints of inner court disciples.

Although the disciples participating in the hunt were dispersed by the area, they were still generally still near the entrance. Occasionally, figures could be seen flashing by in the distance, before quickly disappearing into the black mist.

No one approached them.

Once inside the Blackwater Abyss, everyone could be either a fellow disciple or a rival vying for the Black Crystal.

Xilun didn't mind this distance.

He focused his mental perception within a thirty-foot radius, while simultaneously using his affinity for water to sense the surrounding moisture and underground currents.

This place appears dry, but countless tiny water veins are distributed within the mountains.

Any large object passing by will cause changes in the water flow.

After walking about half a mile, Xilun suddenly stopped.

Elena didn't ask any questions, but simply followed his gaze to the rock wall on the right.

There are three fresh scratch marks on the rock face.

There was no gravel at the edge of the scratches, but instead a layer of viscous black mist remained.

"Black Soul Beast".

Elena drew her longsword.

As soon as she finished speaking, a deep roar came from the fog ahead.

The roar didn't sound like a real wild beast; it was more like countless chaotic sounds forcibly mixed together. Initially, it was a hundred feet away, but after a few breaths, it was already close to the foot of the mountain.

A black shadow flashed out from behind the rocks.

It resembles a seal in appearance, with a body length exceeding two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), but its limbs are covered with curved, sharp claws.

Its entire body was composed of translucent black mist, with a gray crystal occasionally flashing inside its chest cavity.

The Black Soul Beast did not immediately launch an attack.

It stopped twenty feet away, its empty eye sockets facing Xilun and the other two, as if sensing the life force of the living.

The black mist suddenly contracted.

Roar!

The Black Soul Beast suddenly pounced.

Its speed far exceeds that of ordinary second-tier sea beasts; when its claws sweep across the ground, they don't even stir up dust, as if its entire body has no weight.

"Ordinary Tier 3"

Xilun instantly sensed the other party's aura.

He is far inferior to him.

He didn't even take the Canglei Spear from his waist.

As the Black Soul Beast charged towards him, Xilun took a half-step forward with his right foot, and three lightning patterns simultaneously swirled deep within his flesh.

There was no obvious build-up of power.

He threw a punch.

boom!

The fist collided with the head of the Black Soul Beast.

The compressed air transformed into a visible white wave of air, abruptly halting the Black Soul Beast's forward momentum before it was sent flying backward at an even faster speed.

The black mist that made up the head dissipated over a large area.

It crashed into the stone wall more than ten feet away, causing the hard rock to cave in and large cracks to spread outwards.

Elena paused for a moment as she gripped her sword.

The Black Soul Beasts have no flesh and blood, making them particularly difficult to deal with because ordinary attacks rarely cause real harm. To kill them, one must gradually erode their Black Souls with sheer force.

But Xilun's punch not only shattered the black mist, but also directly vibrated the black crystal inside its chest cavity.

Before the Black Soul Beast could reassemble, Xilun had already appeared in front of the stone wall.

After the third lightning bolt pierced through the major tendons of his body, his explosive speed increased once again.

There is almost no lag when moving from a standstill.

The Black Soul Beast had just raised its claws when its second punch came crashing down from above.

boom!

The blue-white lightning exploded instantly.

The entire mountain wall trembled slightly under that punch.

Lightning spread along the black mist, tearing apart the chilling aura that made up the Black Soul Beast's body layer by layer. It opened its mouth and let out a piercing shriek, but its body melted away as quickly as a snowflake thrown into a raging fire.

A few breaths later, all the black mist completely dissipated.

Only a small piece of grayish-black crystal fell from mid-air.

Xilun reached out and caught it.

The crystal was not complete; its edges looked as if they had been forcibly broken off by something, leaving only the size of a fingernail.

A wisp of dark gray aura slowly wafted within.

This is the incomplete black crystal.

Elena walked closer, looked at the shattered mountain wall, and then looked at Xilun.

"You're that good now?"

Although she had witnessed the extraordinary phenomena when Xilun achieved the third transformation, she had never actually fought against the current Xilun.

The black soul beast just now possessed the aura of an ordinary third-tier extraordinary being.

If it were an ordinary inner court disciple, it would take at least dozens of moves to slowly erode its soul.

Xilun only used two punches.

Moreover, he never used the Thunder Spear from beginning to end.

"It's too weak."

Xilun looked down at the black crystal.

"It's only equivalent to a newly promoted third-tier extraordinary being."

"Even at its weakest, it's still a third-tier rank."

Elena sheathed her sword.

"When you were at the Linglong Tower six months ago, you would have needed to use your gun skills to deal with this level of illusion."

"A lot can change in six months."

Xilun placed the black crystal in his palm.

He could clearly sense that a special aura was trying to make contact with the power of the Overturning Sea Technique.

That aura was neither water nor death energy; it was more like a pure, honed power formed after countless years of sedimentation.

"How do I use the black crystal?"

"Refine it directly with your internal energy."

Elena cautioned, "The incomplete black crystals contain demonic energy, so you can't absorb too many at once. Ordinary third-tier extraordinary individuals can refine a maximum of five crystals per day, otherwise they are prone to auditory hallucinations and loss of control over their energy."

Xilun nodded slightly.

He didn't wait until night to rest; instead, he found a relatively flat rock and sat down.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique surged from his palm, enveloping the black crystal layer by layer.

Initially, the crystal did not change.

As the nine layers of tidal energy slowly accumulated, a tiny crack quickly appeared on the surface.

Crack.

The black crystal shattered in my palm.

A wisp of icy energy flowed into Xilun's body along with his strength.

In an instant, he heard a faint roar from a beast.

The mountains in front of us seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a pitch-black sea.

Countless deformed sea creatures fought fiercely in the deep water, their blood staining the surrounding seawater dark red. A grotesque seal, covered in wounds, was dragged into the trench by an even larger shadow.

The illusion lasted only a brief moment.

The Moon Memory Meditation Method operates on its own, isolating residual consciousness from the mind.

The Thunder Dragon's heart also beat once.

That wisp of demonic energy that tried to invade flesh and blood was instantly torn apart by the lightning force, leaving only the purest gray power to merge into the power of the Overturning Sea Technique.

Xilun guided the flow of energy for one cycle.

The gray power, like a fine millstone, repeatedly passes through the force.

The already extremely refined power of the Overturning Sea Technique was further solidified under this kind of tempering.

As it passed the third lightning pattern, the slight resistance lessened.

The effect is not obvious, but it is real.

A few minutes later, Xilun slowly opened his eyes.

Only a layer of gray-black powder remained on my palm.

"How is it?"

Elena stayed by her side the whole time.

"His strength has improved slightly."

Xilun felt the changes within his body.

"The lingering regret has disappeared and has no effect on the body."

"Your spiritual power and lightning-based energy can both suppress demonic corruption, so your speed in refining black crystals is indeed faster than that of ordinary people."

Elena was not surprised.

She had personally witnessed Xilun bring back the Nether Lotus from the Sea of ​​the Dead, and she also knew that he had a resistance to mental pollution far exceeding that of ordinary third-tier beings.

"If I have enough black crystals, I might be able to bring my strength close to the third-tier extreme realm within seven days."

Xilun stood up.

The effect of a single flawed black crystal is limited.

But when ten or a hundred are added together, it is enough to cause a qualitative change.

The Blackwater Abyss is indeed a rare opportunity.

"It's not that easy."

Elena shook her head.

"Ordinary Black Soul Beasts aren't difficult to kill, but there aren't as many as you might think. Most Black Soul Beasts at the Perfect Physique level gather near their lairs, and Extreme Black Soul Beasts rarely appear alone."

"Moreover, Black Soul Beasts do not have a fixed form. Some have inherited the talents of sea beasts in their previous lives, making them far more dangerous than extraordinary beings of the same realm."

"Let's find it first."

She did not change her mind because of what she said.

"As long as it truly exists in the Blackwater Abyss, you will always encounter it."

The two continued their journey along the mountain range.

After passing the first rock wall, the terrain gradually narrows.

To the left are black mountains rising upwards, and to the right is a bottomless river. Occasionally, a string of bubbles rises to the surface of the river, only to burst quickly.

The fishy smell in the air grew stronger.

Xilun always maintained a distance of twenty zhang from the riverbank.

Within half an hour, the two encountered three black soul beasts.