Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

The gray fog, like a layer of dirty gauze that never dissipates, hangs heavily between the broken valleys.

"boom!"

Xilun stood at the end of the slippery stone beam, holding the Canglei Spear at an angle. A wisp of newly formed golden lightning on the tip of the spear flickered slightly, briefly reflecting the dim fog around him.

The three jet-black tentacles at the bottom of the valley had completely stopped moving.

The two stones were blasted apart by the lightning, and what flowed from the broken ends was not blood, but a thick, foul-smelling black liquid.

The last one was tightly bound by Elena's silver-gray rope. As the rope tightened, grayish-white blisters bulged on the surface of the tentacle, as if something was struggling inside.

Elena raised her hand and pulled.

Snapped!

The tentacles snapped under the immense force, and black liquid sprayed onto the stone wall, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound.

She frowned slightly and quickly took half a step back to avoid the splashing sewage.

"This thing doesn't look like a Black Soul Beast."

Xilun crouched down and used the tip of his gun to poke at the broken tendrils.

The inside of the tentacles is covered with densely packed suckers, and in the center of each sucker is a tiny gray-black eye, the size of a pinhead.

Although those eyes had lost their luster, they still rolled around unwillingly, as if trying to remember the person who killed them.

"It's something that grew out of the water," Xilun said calmly. "Or rather, it's the remains of a sea monster that was mutated by the black water."

Elena looked down.

The valley is extremely deep, its bottom swallowed by thick fog and darkness, with only a faint sliver of slowly flowing, dark water visible.

The water flow wasn't rapid; in fact, it was eerily quiet. Yet, those three tentacles suddenly shot out from it, moving with the speed of a venomous snake launching a sneak attack.

If Xilun hadn't noticed the subtle change in the water flow beforehand, the two of them would probably have been dragged to the bottom of the valley by now.

"The third gathering point is just ahead." Elena withdrew her gaze, lowering her voice. "The marker on the map is on the north side of the Broken Valley. However, Angel's map is an old map from five years ago, and many anomalies have occurred here, so we can't completely trust it."

Xilun nodded.

After his transformation, Lei Ying became much more sensitive to lightning, metals, mineral veins, and even the energy fluctuations around him.

As he approached the broken valley, he vaguely sensed dozens of intersecting auras ahead, some of which were incredibly powerful.

That wasn't the kind of oppressive aura that an ordinary Tier 3 cultivator could exude.

They are at least in the top twenty of the inner court.

There might even be someone even stronger.

Xilun looked up into the depths of the gray fog.

The third gathering point is located near the deep waters of the Blackwater Abyss, which is also a dangerous area marked with dark red ink on Angel's map.

There should have been an ancient stone beach there, but now, looking from the other side of the broken valley, all you can see is a faint black mist under the sky.

The air was filled with a mixture of dampness, decay, and rust.

The further you go, the more the power of the Overturning Sea Technique feels like it's slowly sinking uncontrollably, as if the entire world has turned into a deep sea, dragging your flesh, bones, and consciousness deeper and deeper.

Xilun practices the Great Thunder Breathing Method.

A deep, powerful breathing sound echoed in his chest.

A slight warmth rose from the Thunder Eye between his brows, and three golden lightning patterns lit up from deep within his flesh, suppressing the invisible heaviness.

"Something's not right," he said.

""

Elena looked at him: "Is it dangerous?"

"It's much more dangerous than the second gathering point."

Xilun did not deliberately hide it.

He had already witnessed the dangers of the Black Soul Beast gathering place during the previous battle in the Broken Mountains.

A beast king at the third-tier extreme realm and a horde of black soul beasts with perfect physiques are deadly enough for ordinary inner court disciples.

But now, the aura emanating from ahead caused the blood lock on his right arm to tighten subtly.

That wasn't the agitation of the severed limbs of an evil god.

Rather, it is the body's instinctive alertness to danger.

Elena was silent for a moment, then let out a soft breath.

"Then let's go back."

Xilun was slightly taken aback.

Elena lowered her eyes, looking at the silver-gray thread swirling in her hand. Her tone was not relaxed, but very clear.

"We've already obtained quite a lot: complete black crystals, perfect black crystals, Purple Thunder Bone Tempering Grass, lightning ore, and that Crimson Sun Soul Strengthening Grass. You're only one step away from the third-tier extreme realm. There's no need to risk your life for a place where you don't even know if you'll gain anything."

She paused, then looked up at Xilun.

"The atmosphere at the third gathering point is too chaotic. Since everyone is heading there, it means the news has already spread. A large number of people is not necessarily a good thing, especially in the Blackwater Abyss."

Xilun did not answer immediately.

He knew Elena was right.

The Blackwater Abyss was only open for seven days, and more than half of that time has already passed.

Those who have made it this far are far superior to the disciples on the outskirts who hunt ordinary black soul beasts.

Everyone carries with them the weight of their gains, but also the weight of their wariness and greed.

The closer you get to the final settlement, the more fighting will occur.

However, his old injury on his left shoulder had not fully healed, and his attempt to break through the fourth Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra had also failed.

At this moment, it would certainly not be a wise choice to deliberately step into the most chaotic area.

But when his gaze fell on the black mist in the distance, an indescribable feeling arose in his heart.

It was as if something was hidden beneath that black water.

It was not traction on the right arm stump.

It's more like the subtle resonance produced when the power of the Overturning Sea Technique faces the real deep sea.

After a few moments of silence, Xilun said, "Let's not go near the center. Let's check out the nearby camps first."

Elena looked at him.

"It depends on the situation?"

"It depends on the situation."

"What if there are any problems?"

"Leave immediately."

Xilun answered very readily.

Elena stared at him for a while, seemingly trying to discern whether he was being defiant or stubborn from his calm expression, but in the end she simply nodded gently.

"it is good."

The two did not cross the valley directly.

Xilun used the Thunder Spear to plunge into the rock wall and leap over the break, while Elena manipulated the silver-gray rope to wrap around the protruding black rock above, and swung across lightly.

When she landed, Xilun reached out and helped her.

Elena's palm landed on the back of his hand, touching his slightly cold skin. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately withdrew her hand.

"Your left shoulder is still bleeding," she whispered.

"It's stopped."

Xilun glanced at her.

Elena turned her head away, pretending to check the surrounding fog, but her earlobes were tinged with a barely perceptible red in the gray fog.

The two walked along the north side of the broken valley.

Along the way, messy footprints began to appear on the ground.

There were human footprints wearing boots, huge claw marks, and deep trenches left by dragging heavy objects.

The stone wall still bears traces of blade energy, frost, and cracks created by heavy hammer blows, indicating that a battle had recently taken place here.

After walking for about 15 minutes, the gray fog ahead gradually thinned out.

A relatively open rocky plain came into view.

Dozens of bonfires burned in the center of the stone plain, but the flames were not the usual orange-red, but rather had a ghostly blue hue due to the pollution of the Blackwater Abyss.

A makeshift tent, animal hide curtains, and a low wall made of stones were erected around the campfire.

At least a hundred inner court disciples have gathered here.

Some sat cross-legged to regulate their breathing, some tended to their wounds, and some placed the black crystals they had obtained in front of them to exchange for medicine and information.

Further away, several other teams stood at a distance, their breaths heavy, clearly unwilling to expose their backs to strangers.

This is the temporary camp outside the third gathering point.

Compared to the second gathering point, this place lacked the bustling activity of trading and instead exuded a repressive and cold-blooded murderous aura.

Every face bore the mark of fatigue.

They were also on guard.

As soon as Siren and Elena stepped into Ishihara, they were met with many stares.

Someone recognized Xilun, and a look of surprise flashed in their eyes.

"Is that Xilun?"

"The forty-seventh one in the Linglong Tower?"

"I heard he single-handedly fought off the three Bazel brothers in the Nameless Canyon, and even clashed with Lancelot..."

"Why is he here?"

The discussion wasn't loud, but it wasn't deliberately concealed.

Xilun remained expressionless, merely glancing over the camp.

He sensed several familiar presences.

One of the swords was as sharp as a knife, carrying a chilling aura, and belonged to Lancelot, who was ranked twenty-second in the inner court.

The other path is like a heavy mountain, with vigorous energy and blood, giving people a strong sense of oppression.

The man sat on a black rock, broad-shouldered and with a dark gold longsword stuck beside him.

Xilun recognized him.

Randall is ranked tenth in the inner court.

In fact, the two had met several times.

Randall clearly saw Xiren as well. He was taken aback at first, then raised his hand and waved.

"Silon, over here."

Siren and Elena walked over.

Randall was accompanied by seven or eight inner court disciples, some of whom Xilun had seen before during the Linglong Tower and the inner court competitions.

Lancelot sat a little further away, with only Fuya and Ronan beside him, his expression even more solemn than before.

"You didn't go to the third gathering point?" Randall asked.

"Just arrived nearby," Siren said. "Let's take a look first."

Randall gave a wry smile.

"Luckily you didn't rush over there."

He raised his head and looked towards the end of Ishihara.

There was a black slope that stretched downwards, its lower part shrouded in thick fog.

Even from this distance, Xilun could feel a suffocating pressure from the water.

"The third gathering point is just below that," Randall said. "Or rather, the true entrance to a tributary of the Blackwater Abyss is just below that."

Elena's eyes flickered slightly.

"A real tributary?"

"Um."

Randall lowered his voice.

"We initially thought the Blackwater Abyss was just that black river, but we later discovered that it wasn't at all. That river was just a tributary overflowing from the depths. Below is where the black water truly converges, like a dead sea suspended upside down from the earth."

His tone was unusually solemn.

"The things inside are more complicated than we imagined."

Someone nearby couldn't help but chime in.

"I heard that Tinos has arrived."

"And Hector."

"I just saw at least five of the top ten from the inner courtyard arrive, and there are quite a few other third-tier extreme realm cultivators as well. Is there any place in the entire wonderland more valuable than this? Everyone who could come has come."

The campfire crackled and popped.

Xilun gazed at the distant black mist, his eyes gradually calming down.

Five of the first ten people in the inner courtyard have arrived, and there are probably more on their way.

No wonder the atmosphere here is so chaotic and powerful.

The third gathering point has indeed become a true whirlpool in the Blackwater Abyss.

And in the deepest part of that black mist, something seemed to be waiting for all the greedy to approach.

The flames in the camp flickered.

The wind from the Blackwater Abyss blew in from afar, carrying a damp, cold, salty smell.

Whenever the wind swept across the stone plain, the campfire would tilt in the same direction, the eerie blue flames reflecting on everyone's faces, making their already weary expressions appear even more somber.

Xilun sat on a flat black stone, took out some jerky and chewed it slowly.

Elena sat beside him, her fingers unconsciously stroking the silver-gray disc.

The surface of the disc was much dimmer than when it first entered the wonderland, clearly indicating that the investigation into the pollution had taken a toll.

Randall leaned against the rock wall and took a sip of the potion.

I went there once yesterday.

As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes immediately turned to him.

Even Lancelot raised his head.

Randall is ranked tenth in the inner court, and his strength is beyond doubt.

Since he had ventured into the deep tributaries of the Blackwater Abyss, the news he brought back was naturally far more valuable than ordinary rumors.

"How far in?" someone asked.

Randall paused for a moment, then said, "Less than three hundred feet."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Only three hundred feet?"

"Even with Senior Brother Randall's strength, can't he hold on?"

Randall did not get angry because of the doubts of the crowd; he simply raised his hand and rolled up his left sleeve.

There was a hideous wound on his arm.

The wound had scabbed over, but it wasn't a normal blood scab; instead, it was a dark, hard shell.

Tiny water droplets remained on the edge of the hard shell, wriggling slowly like living things, trying to burrow into his flesh.

"Blackwater".

Randall said calmly.

"It happened after just a little bit. My cold wave energy can temporarily suppress it, but it hasn't been completely eliminated yet."

The surroundings became quiet.

Many people's expressions changed slightly when they saw the wound.

Most of them had practiced water-based, ice-based, or sea beast-based breathing techniques, and they thought they would have some advantage in the Blackwater Abyss.

Even a powerhouse like Randall was rendered so disheveled by a single drop of black water.

What exactly is down there?

Randall continued, "The pressure in the Blackwater is terrifying. The deeper you go, the more your body feels like it's being crushed by an entire mountain, and your energy circulation becomes sluggish. I practice the Frost Tide Blade Technique and the Ice Breathing Technique, so I was originally quite adaptable to deep water, but after reaching two hundred feet, even breathing became difficult."

"And there are more than just Black Soul Beasts inside."

A disciple wearing a gray hood whispered, "A sea monster?"

Randall nodded.

"A real sea beast."

"They are not the half-dead Black Soul Beasts from the Wonderland, nor are they ordinary mutants. They are things that swim out alive from the depths of the Black Water. They are incredibly large, can control water, and can hide in the Black Water, making them almost imperceptible."

He paused, his voice lowering.

"I've seen one."

"Only half of its body emerged from the black water, like a black eel covered in bone spurs. It merely flicked its tail, and the water surged towards it like a wall. Of the two people I brought, one had his sternum shattered on the spot, before he could even crush his identity tag. The other managed to escape, but he'll probably be crippled after leaving the wonderland."

The camp was completely silent.

The firelight reflected in everyone's pupils, trembling constantly.

The seven-day hunt in the Blackwater Abyss was originally an opportunity prepared by the inner court for third-tier disciples.

But once they arrived here, everyone truly understood how many corpses were hidden behind the so-called opportunity.

"So I stepped down." Randall looked at everyone. "I don't feel ashamed. I only have one life, and I can find more Black Crystals later."

Someone said with a wry smile, "Even you, Senior Brother, have retreated. Aren't we just throwing our lives away if we go in?"

Lancelot remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "I did originally intend to go and take a look."

His gaze fell on the black mist below, and his hand gripping the knife slowly tightened.

"But now it seems that without the strength of being in the top twenty of the inner courtyard, you probably won't even be able to protect yourself if you step in. Even if you are in the top twenty, you might not be able to come back alive."

Randall looked at him and smiled.

"So you're not going?"

Lancelot exhaled.

"I'm not going."

Fuya, who was standing next to him, visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ronan scratched his head and said in a low voice, "Lancelot, we've got enough. We even have the Perfect Black Crystal. There's no need to gamble with our lives anymore."

Lancelot did not refute, but simply nodded.

Soon, the people around also expressed their opinions.

"I'm not going either."

"I just came along to broaden my horizons."

"Come on, let whoever wants to go to Blackwater Tributary go ahead."

"The wonderland is almost over. We should find a safe place to guard it and wait for the teleportation back. That's the important thing."

In a short time, most of the people who were initially eager to go to the third gathering point had their backs down.

This is not surprising.

Greed can drive people forward, but most people will regain their senses after truly witnessing death.

Randall turned his gaze to Xiren, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Silen, what about you?"

Everyone instinctively looked over.

Elena also tilted her head slightly.

Xilun remained silent for a moment, gazing at the faint black light flowing deep within the black mist in the distance.

The shimmering water resembled a massive wound stretching across the earth.

He could sense an extremely profound and ancient aura of water there.

The Overturning Sea Technique circulated slowly within his body, even more smoothly than usual.

It was as if that black water was not merely a dangerous place, but a mirror reflecting his own cultivation.

He wanted to know why the Blackwater Abyss had formed.

I want to know what lies beneath that Sea of ​​Death.

More importantly, he couldn't accept that he was merely standing on the edge and then turning away because of the danger.

"I'll give it a try."

A calm sentence was uttered.

The camp suddenly fell silent.

Lancelot was stunned.

He believed he was quite strong and that he wouldn't easily admit defeat even against Xilun.

After listening to Randall's description, he clearly realized that the Blackwater tributary was definitely not a place he could touch at present.

And Xilun, they actually want to go?

Ronan couldn't help but say, "Senior Brother Xilun, didn't you hear me? Even Senior Brother Randall almost couldn't get out of there!"

"I heard you clearly," Xilun said.

"Then why are you still going?"

"So I'm just giving it a try."

Ronan opened his mouth, but remained silent for a moment.

Elena stared at Siren, her face slightly pale.

She knew that Xilen was never a reckless person.

He dared to say he would go, so he must have his own reasons. But that's precisely why she felt even more uneasy.

Xilun possesses a natural affinity for water, making him far superior to ordinary people in underwater maneuvers.

However, the terror of the Blackwater Abyss cannot be completely offset by simply being close to water.

"Silon," Elena called him softly.

Xilun looked at her.

She wanted to dissuade him, but when she met those calm, dark eyes, the words caught in her throat.

She knows him too well.

Once a person has made a decision, it is difficult for others to change their mind.

Moreover, he never takes risks just to act on impulse.

Elena was silent for a moment, then finally said only, "I'll wait for you outside."

Xilun nodded slightly.