Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The iron shield charged first.

The iron rod followed closely behind, striking Xilun's waist and ribs from the left.

The short spear then thrust out along the ground, aiming straight for his knee.

The three attacks occurred in succession, effectively sealing off all escape routes.

As Xilun looked at the oncoming iron shield, he calmly raised his Thunder Spear.

"Is this all there is to it?"

The next moment, thunder roared.

Xilun did not retreat.

The Thunder Spear suddenly spun in his hand, and the surface of the spear shimmered with water, as if a small vortex was spiraling upwards along the shaft.

Bazel's iron shield was the first to come crashing down.

The shield was two inches thick and inlaid with a layer of black iron.

With the power of a fully-fledged physique, even a reef weighing several thousand pounds would be smashed to pieces on the spot.

However, the moment the iron shield made contact with the spearhead, Bazel's expression changed.

There was no violent collision as expected.

The Thunder Spear, like a long snake swimming in water, slid to the side, close to the shield.

The water surrounding the gun then wrapped around the iron shield.

Bazel felt as if he had crashed into a deep, dark current, his forward momentum being pulled away layer by layer, involuntarily veering to the left.

He staggered half a step, and a small gap appeared in the tight formation of the three.

At the same time, Balk's iron rod had already struck.

Xilun turned his foot, the Canglang Step unfolding naturally.

His body was propelled as if by the tide, just barely grazing the edge of the iron bar.

The heavy stick whistled through the air, lifting the hem of his clothes, but it couldn't even touch his skin.

Baron's short spear followed closely behind.

The spearhead struck upwards at an extremely tricky angle, aiming precisely at the point where Xilun would land after moving.

What's most terrifying about the triplets is their almost effortless teamwork.

Once one person makes a move, the other two will naturally block the opponent's changes.

Just as the short spear was about to touch Siren's knee, a piece of the spear butt fell first.

clang!

Barron's arms jerked violently.

He felt as if he had not stabbed a gun barrel, but an iron mountain rising from the seabed.

The ninefold surge of energy did not fully erupt; it only reached the fourth level before dissipating the power on his short spear.

The spear shaft bent violently, and the butt of the spear struck his wrist.

Baron groaned, and his hand split open on the spot.

The three's first combined attack was easily neutralized by Xilun.

Angel stood a dozen feet away, her eyes showing obvious astonishment.

She knew that Xilun had recently reached the 47th position on the Linglong Tower, and she had also heard that Xilun had mastered the third transformation of the Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra within half a year.

But rankings are just rankings.

It wasn't until she witnessed Xilun simultaneously repelling the combined attack of the three brothers that she truly realized Xilun's strength was far greater than it had been six months ago.

Elena, however, remained relatively calm.

She had witnessed Siren defeat Samuel and had also sparred with Siren at Thunder Bluff.

At that time, Xilun's physique was not yet fully developed, let alone the three golden lightning vortexes.

The triplets are probably not yet qualified to make him use his full strength.

"Don't hold back!"

Bazel shouted and forcefully steadied himself.

The three of them changed positions at the same time.

Bazel was in the center, while the other two walked around him on the left and right.

The three forces breathed in perfect unison, and a layer of gray-black light appeared on the surface of the iron shield, iron rod, and short spear.

"Combined Attack from Multiple Mountains!"

Bazel's arm muscles bulged, and he suddenly raised the iron shield above his head, slamming it down on Siron.

Balk swept his iron rod toward Xilun's legs, while Balen thrust his spear at Xilun's back from behind.

The upper, middle, and lower directions were blocked simultaneously.

Compared to their first attempt, the three of them clearly used real methods this time.

When the three forces converged, they created a special resonance that almost solidified the air around Xilun.

An ordinary third-stage perfect cultivator trapped in the middle would be severely injured by the other two attacks even if they managed to block one.

West Ham still hasn't backed down.

He gripped the middle section of the Cang Lei Spear, where three lightning patterns glowed simultaneously.

The Great Thunder Breathing Method is activated.

The Thunder Dragon Heart within his chest pounded heavily, and the blue-white thunder energy instantly pierced through all the major tendons of his body.

The Thunder Spear swept out horizontally.

boom!

The gun simultaneously struck the iron shield, iron rod, and short spear.

The three of them combined their strength to reach a single point, and the rock beneath Xilun's feet instantly shattered, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards.

A visible vortex of air dispersed the gray fog.

Angel instinctively raised her hand to cover her face, her sleeves fluttering in the strong wind.

She looked again, and her pupils immediately contracted.

Xilun remained standing in the same spot.

Aside from the rocks beneath his feet crumbling, he didn't take a single step back, and his hand holding the gun was so steady that there wasn't a hint of tremor.

In contrast, the triplets seemed to have been struck head-on by a giant deep-sea monster.

The iron shield in Bazel's hand trembled violently, and cracks appeared at its edges.

Balk and Baron were forced to retreat simultaneously, and with each step they took, a deep crater exploded beneath their feet.

They barely managed to stop after taking three full steps.

The three exchanged a glance, and for the first time, horror appeared on their faces.

"impossible!"

Balk looked down at his numb hands.

"You've only just reached the peak of your physical development, how could you possibly be so strong?"

Xilun loosened the slightly vibrating gun barrel.

The combined strength of the triplets was more solid than he had expected. If it were six months ago, he would have had a hard time suppressing them head-on based solely on their physique and marksmanship.

Now, however, he has refined the medicinal power of the Blood Pill, his Qi and blood are in perfect harmony, and he has also mastered the third transformation of the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture.

The enhancement brought by the three lightning patterns is not just about storing lightning energy.

Each lightning pattern repeatedly tempers the skin, flesh, and tendons.

After the Great Thunder Breathing Technique merged with the Thunder Dragon Heart, he was able to naturally draw upon the power of thunder with every move he made.

Although he has not yet truly entered the third-tier extreme realm, in terms of physical foundation alone, he has already surpassed most extraordinary individuals with perfect physique.

"If that's all the strength you have."

The tip of Xilun's spear slowly drooped.

"Then it's my turn."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bazel suddenly disappeared from his sight.

"Be careful!"

Baron was the first to sense something was wrong, and his short spear suddenly thrust to his right.

But Celeste was faster than him.

The third lightning bolt pierced through the major tendons of the body, while the power within the first lightning bolt instantly erupted.

Although the thunderclouds required to perform the Lightning Step have not yet been formed, the Canglang Step itself has been pushed to its limit by the power of lightning.

A streak of bluish-white lightning crossed more than ten feet.

Xiren appeared in front of Balk.

Balk only had time to hold the iron rod across his chest.

The Thunder Spear had already landed.

There was no spear thrust, just a simple horizontal sweep.

boom!

The iron rod bent into an astonishing arc from the middle.

The seven layers of surging energy contained within the gun body erupted one after another, each layer heavier than the last.

Balk's arms, which were protecting his body, first shook violently, and then shattered like a dam being breached by a wave.

The final surge of energy traveled through the iron rod and slammed into his chest.

Crack!

The sound of the ribs breaking was clearly audible.

Balk spat out blood, his body flew off the ground, and crashed heavily into the mountain wall more than ten feet away.

The falling rubble buried half of his body.

One shot, and one person was seriously injured!

"Second brother!"

Bazel's eyes instantly turned red.

He roared and charged at Siron with his shield, while Baron thrust a short spear from behind.

Xilun seemed to have anticipated this all along.

He drew a semi-circle in his hand with the Thunder Spear, the butt of the spear deflecting the short spear, while the tip of the spear touched the center of Bazel's iron shield.

A sudden burst of bluish-white lightning illuminated the scene.

The energy on the iron shield was torn apart by the lightning force, and a crack quickly spread from the center to the edge.

Just as Bazel was about to retreat, the spearhead had already pierced into the crack.

boom!

The heavy iron shield was shattered into pieces.

Countless pieces of iron flew outwards, and the momentum of the Siren Spear continued unabated, piercing through Bazel's shoulder.

Fresh blood spurted out.

Bazel groaned, his right arm suddenly losing all strength.

Xilun withdrew his spear and sidestepped Baron's short spear.

The distance between the two instantly closed to less than three feet. At such a distance, the spear should have been difficult to use effectively, but with just a slight flick of Xilun's wrist, the spear body curved into a slight arc like flowing water.

The advantages of the Water Vein Spear were on full display at this moment.

The butt of the spear circled around the short spear and struck Baron's chest precisely.

Thunder exploded.

Baron's protective energy collapsed instantly, his chest was charred black, and his body flew backward.

From the moment Xilun made his move to the moment all three fell, less than ten breaths had passed.

The depression fell silent again.

Only the lightning energy remained, moving among the rubble and making a soft crackling sound.

Angel gripped the broken sword, remaining silent for a long while.

She originally thought that even if Xilun could win, it would be a tough battle.

After all, the triplets once teamed up to draw with the 30th-ranked player in the inner court.

However, the battle before them was far from evenly matched.

With just one gun, Xiren crushed the three men's most prized combined attack head-on.

Elena watched Xiren's retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her.

It's gotten stronger again.

It has only been half a year since that sparring session at Thunder Cliff.

Although she was also cultivating, the distance between her and Xilun did not shrink, but instead grew further and further apart.

This speed of progress cannot be simply described as exceptional talent.

"Walk!"

Bazel clutched his shoulder and struggled to his feet.

His gaze toward Xilun contained both anger and an undisguised fear.

"Siren, we'll remember what happened today."

Xilun pointed the tip of his gun at his identification badge.

"Do you need me to help you get out?"

Bazel's face stiffened.

While crushing your identity card can save your life, it also means immediately withdrawing from the hunt.

Having just obtained a complete black crystal and knowing of several gathering places of black soul beasts, the three were naturally reluctant to leave.

"Let's go."

He dared not utter any more harsh words, helped up the seriously injured Balk, and quickly disappeared into the gray fog with Baron.

Xilun did not give chase.

The three men were rude and tried to snatch Angel's map; he had already taught them a lesson.

Killing them all here would only bring unnecessary trouble to Swain and Allah.

He coiled the Thunder Spear back around his waist and walked up to Angel.

What does "map" mean?

Angel finally came to her senses.

She glanced in the direction the triplets had gone, then looked at the calm-looking Xilen, and couldn't help but ask, "How much of your strength did you use just now?"

Xilun thought for a moment.

"Spear technique and three lightning patterns."

He did not answer the specific percentage.

He did not use the Breath of the Styx, the severed right arm, the return of life, or even the Thunder Spirit Burst when he was truly fighting for his life.

Angel understood his unspoken meaning and took a deep breath.

"No wonder they lost so quickly."

She took the map from Elena and spread it out completely.

"This map was drawn by my brother five years ago when he entered the Blackwater Abyss."

The animal hide map was marked with numerous mountains, rivers, and dangerous areas.

Many of the lines are somewhat blurred, but they are clearly more detailed than the publicly available maps in Xiren's possession.

Three of the locations were highlighted with dark red ink.

The closest one to them is an unnamed canyon northwest of Sunken Bone Beach.

The other two locations are marked as "Rotten Stone Forest" and "Blackwater Abyss" at the edge of the map.

Angel pointed to three dark red markers.

"Black Soul Beasts do not appear anywhere."

"The more powerful the Black Soul Beast, the more likely it is to appear in areas where large numbers of Black Soul Beasts gather, or near certain special environments. Those places often contain Black Crystals of higher purity."

"In addition, the environment that can nurture a Black Soul Beast with a perfect or even extreme physique may itself contain some kind of treasure."

Xilun's gaze lingered on the nearest unnamed canyon.

What's here?

"I'm not sure either."

Angel shook her head.

"Back then, my brother only sensed three Black Soul Beasts at the Perfect level outside the canyon. Since it was already the sixth day, he didn't risk going deeper and just noted down their locations."

"The triplets overheard me talking about the map with my companion, which is why they chased after me."

Elena pointed to the last marker.

"The Blackwater Abyss?"

Angel's expression turned serious.

"That's the most dangerous place on the map."

"My brother mentioned that there is a deep-sea whirlpool in the depths of the Blackwater Abyss that never dissipates."

Beneath the whirlpool lies some strange object, which emits an extremely heavy aura whenever the Blackwater Abyss opens.

"My brother once thought about infiltrating and exploring when he participated in hunting battles."

"But the current there is too strong, and the closer you get to the center of the whirlpool, the more terrifying the pressure on your body becomes."

Even after deploying his underwater minefield, he only submerged a short distance.

Finally, he seemed to sense an extremely profound aura deep within the vortex.

"That aura made him give up on his own and immediately retreat."

Xilun's eyes flickered slightly.

Allah was already a fourth-tier extraordinary being five years ago. If even he felt threatened, then what was in the deep-sea vortex was definitely not simple.

His teacher, Swain, had also warned him not to venture deep into Blackwater Cave.

Whether the two locations are related is currently uncertain.

But whatever is hidden inside, it's not something he should touch right now.

"Thank you for the map."

Siren memorized the route and markings on the map and then handed it back to Angel.

Angel didn't answer.

"You can take them."

"My companion has been injured by the Black Soul Beast and has crushed his identity token and left. I don't plan to go to these three places alone."

"Keeping this map with me will only cause more trouble."

She paused, then said, "Consider it repayment for the favor you did for me earlier."

Xilun did not make a pretense of refusal and put the map into his pocket.

Where are you going?

"Go back to the outer perimeter and hunt down a few ordinary Black Soul Beasts."

Angel waved the identity token in her hand.

"If things really don't work out, I should just quit early. I'm not so incapable of making that kind of judgment."

Elena checked the injury on her shoulder and was relieved to find it was just a bruise.

"Be careful on the road."

"rest assured."

Angel sheathed the broken sword and glanced at Xilun one last time before leaving.

"There's one more thing."

"This map is from five years ago. Now the Wonderland is unstable, and the terrain inside may have changed. In particular, those Black Soul Beast gathering places may be even more dangerous than they were back then."

"Don't underestimate this place just because you beat the triplets."

Xilun nodded.

"I know."

Angel said no more and turned to leave along the way she came.

Once her figure disappeared into the gray mist, Elena took out the map again.

"I've heard of these gathering places for Black Soul Beasts before."

"If Allah can discover this, then the other members of the inner court may also know it. Especially those disciples who participated in the last hunting war, they may have even more detailed maps."

"Then let's see who gets there first."

Xilun looked toward the nameless canyon.

Elena frowned.

"You don't seem too worried about meeting other people?"

"If it's just competition, I'm not afraid of them."

Xilun's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Elena glanced at him for a moment.

Six months ago, when Xilun reached 47th place in the Linglong Tower, he remained cautious when facing the top disciples of the inner court.

Now his tone is much more arrogant than it was back then.

Clearly, the enhancement brought about by the perfect physique and the third transformation of the Golden Thunder Vortex is far more terrifying than what was just shown.

Following the map, the two bypassed the original canyon and ventured deeper into the northwest.

The further you go, the denser the animal bones on the ground become.

In some places, the mechanisms that formed the magical realm still remain.

The seemingly flat black mud ground will spray out poisonous mist that can corrode protective energy when stepped on; between the stone pillars covered with gray and white moss, invisible wind blades will occasionally sweep by; and there is a low forest where all the branches sway in the same direction in the windless environment, as if luring intruders to go deeper.

Without a map, the two would inevitably spend a lot of time exploring.

Now, however, we can avoid it in advance.

More than an hour later, the mountains ahead gradually parted to the sides.

A deep canyon appeared at the end of the gray fog.

Before Xilun even got close, he could feel a thick, heavy spiritual pressure emanating from it.

The aura was like a boulder buried underground, heavy and cold.

Immediately afterwards, a second aura appeared.

A third aura also emerged.

The silver-gray disc in Elena's hand trembled violently, and a thin layer of frost quickly condensed on its surface.

She raised her head, her expression gradually becoming serious.

"Three heads."

"They are all at the level of perfect physical fitness."

Xilun gripped the Thunder Spear, his gaze piercing through the thick gray fog.

Three pale eyes slowly opened in different directions in the canyon.

The nameless canyon is flanked by towering mountain walls that close inward at the top, leaving only a narrow gap in the sky.

Dark red sunlight streamed through the gaps, cut into blurry beams by the gray mist.

The bottom of the canyon is covered with fine black sand, with many huge animal bones half-buried in it. Occasionally, bubbles rise from under the sand, releasing a stench like rotting seawater when they burst.

Elena did not enter immediately.

She pressed the silver-gray disc onto the ground and closed her eyes to carefully perceive it.

Dozens of tiny filaments of light extended from the edge of the disc, spreading along the black sand into the depths of the canyon.

A moment later, three blurry outlines appeared on the surface of the silver sheet.

The first black soul beast lay on the stone platform on the left. It resembled a sea lion, but had a row of curved bone spurs growing on its back.

The second one is hidden under a pile of bones in the center of the canyon. It has a slender body and six scythe-like limbs.

The last one is located at the deepest point.

Its aura was the most powerful, its body resembled a giant tortoise without a shell, and its head had three overlapping human faces.