Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

But his eyes weren't as cold as the woman had imagined.

"If that's all there is to it."

"I'll think about it carefully."

The woman was stunned.

This is not a promise.

But it wasn't a rejection either.

At least, he is genuinely considering it.

The disappointment in her eyes was gradually suppressed, and then she nodded vigorously: "Okay."

"I'll think of another way."

"I will also tell you all the information about Bloodhook, including the shift change time of the Stone Castle guards, the location of the steam turrets, and the path that can bypass the mine outposts."

"Um."

Xilun held out his hand: "Money."

The woman instinctively hid the gold note behind her back, then realized what she had done, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You...you want to borrow it?"

"The red-rooted vine and white star leaves can nourish the meridians. If I delay for another two days, my injury will become more complicated."

Xilun opened his palm.

"Lend me these fifty pounds first."

"I'll repay you double when I get back to Star Ring City."

The woman looked at the gold note in her hand, then at Xilun.

That was money she had saved for a long time.

She had planned to buy her mother a cough medicine and a thick cotton quilt the next time she asked someone to go into the mine.

But now...

If the person before her cannot recover from their injuries, everything she said today will be meaningless.

After hesitating for a moment, the woman finally placed the gold note into Xilun's palm.

"I trust you."

Xilun closed his fingers: "This is nothing to boast about."

The woman did not understand.

Xilun offered no explanation.

Trusting someone you've only met for a day, who explicitly said he might kill her sister to take back the weapon, is hardly the mark of a smart person.

However, he will indeed pay it back.

Xilun turned and walked out of the alley.

The woman quickly caught up: "Are you going to buy medicinal herbs now?"

"The pharmacy is still open."

"But you're injured, let me help you."

"Need not."

Xilun didn't walk fast, but his steps were very steady.

Every vibration within the body disrupts the disordered meridians, bringing a fine yet sharp pain.

But compared to the feeling of having your body torn apart by spatial turbulence, this pain is nothing.

The two returned to the streets of the small town.

A gas lamp covered with green gauze hung in front of the pharmacy. The shopkeeper was about to close the wooden board when he saw Xilun return and stopped, looking impatient.

"Fifty-eight pounds, not a penny less."

Siron took out fifty pounds of gold notes and placed them on the counter.

"Red root vines are 30% less, white star leaves are 10% less, and iron bark resin remains the same."

The shop owner glanced at him.

"With less red vine, the medicinal effect is at least 20% weaker."

That's enough.

What Xilun needs now is not a one-time cure, but to stabilize the meridians and prevent the scattered energy from further tearing the wound.

The shop owner fiddled with the abacus for a while, reweighed the herbs, and finally pushed out three paper packets.

"Fifty pounds, just right."

Xilun picked up the medicine packet.

The woman behind her looked at the empty counter with a pained expression, but said nothing.

When I left the pharmacy, night had completely enveloped the town.

In the distance, a few lights were on in the yard where the convoy was parked. A dozen or so steam engines were lined up in two rows, the embers in the boilers still burning, and the metal pipes occasionally emitted a slight hissing sound.

Xilun looked up at the gloomy sky.

The clouds were thick, and the air carried a damp, cold, and fishy smell.

It may rain soon.

The image of the three iron and wooden crates the woman had mentioned, and the pirate leader who had been in perfect physical condition for many years, resurfaced in his mind.

Should we take out that pirate and make some money?

Once the thought took hold, it never easily disappeared.

The courtyard where the convoy stayed was located on the west side of the town.

The courtyard wall was not high, and in the corner were piles of split coal and dry firewood. A dozen steam cars were lined up in two rows under the awning.

After the guards had eaten dinner, two of them stayed behind to keep watch, while the rest went into their respective covered wagons.

Siren returned to the groceries-loaded van.

The carriage was cramped and covered with a layer of rough, dry straw. A kerosene lamp sat on a wooden box, its flame casting a dim, flickering yellow light around them.

The woman found him an old copper pot and brought him half a pot of water.

"How should these medications be used?"

"Chop the red vine and grind the white star leaves into powder. First boil the vine roots, then add the leaf powder."

Xilun opened the paper package and smelled the medicinal herbs.

The red vine is deep red in color, and the broken part emits a faint, sweet, fishy smell.

The white star leaves have been dried, and the surface of the leaves still has star-shaped silvery-white patterns.

The iron resin was wrapped in oil paper, and had a sticky texture with a smell similar to a mixture of pine and rust.

"What about the iron sheet resin?" the woman asked.

"For external application."

"Shall I help you?"

"No need."

The woman's gaze fell on Xilun's left shoulder.

His clothes were still covered in large patches of dried blood, and the spatial rifts on his face and arms looked particularly horrifying.

She hesitated for a moment and did not insist.

"Then I'll go get you a small knife."

"Um."

She turned and left.

Siren sat on the hay, leaning against the car wall, and closed his eyes to feel his physical condition.

The damage caused by the spatial turbulence is far more serious than it appears on the surface.

The old wound on his left shoulder, which had been pierced by the Abyss Talisman, had mostly healed, but after a fierce battle with Tinos and the subsequent riot of the evil god's limbs at the sealing node, the wound reopened one after another.

Finally, he was swept into the spatial turbulence, and his shoulder bone, which had not yet fully recovered, was damaged again.

The real problem, however, lies inside the body.

The several forces that were originally operating in an orderly manner were violently mixed together by the spatial turbulence.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique, the thunderous force of the Thunder Dragon Heart, the Xuan Yin chill, the ancient water breath, and the dark red and black energy deep within the Blood Lock were like several torrents stuffed into a narrow river channel, ready to collide with each other at the slightest prodding.

Multiple meridians were damaged, and the internal organs were also slightly displaced.

If it were an ordinary third-tier extraordinary individual, such injuries would be enough to keep them bedridden for half a year, or even leave permanent hidden dangers.

Xilun, however, remained calm.

His physique was already perfect, with tendons like dragons, and the Thunder Dragon Heart continuously repaired his flesh and blood.

Unless interrupted by external forces, the most dangerous phase has passed.

What we lack now is only time and healing medicine.

The woman quickly brought over a knife.

Xilun cut the red root vine into thin slices and boiled them in a copper pot.

As the water temperature rose, a rich herbal aroma gradually filled the wagon.

He then used the fine hand strength he had honed during his marksmanship practice to crush the white star leaf bit by bit.

Even after doing all this, the woman still did not leave.

She stood by the car door, seemingly wanting to say something.

Xilun looked up at her: "Is there anything else?"

"My name is Lan Po."

The woman whispered, "The 'blue' of blue, the 'po' of soul."

Xilun paused slightly.

"Where's your sister?"

"Lanzel".

"understood."

Lan Po waited for a while, and seeing that Xi Lun didn't reveal his name, he could only tentatively ask, "I still don't know how to address you."

"Silon".

"Mr. Xilun..." Lan Po murmured, as if trying to memorize the name.

"I'll compile the information on Bloodhook. I'll draw you a simple map of the area around Stone Fortress by tomorrow morning."

"Can."

"Then I won't bother you anymore."

She tiptoed out and closed the wooden door of the wagon.

Xilun looked at the gently swaying curtain and then looked away.

Blue Soul.

The name is rather unusual.

He didn't waste too much thought on this trivial matter.

After the medicinal soup was cooked, Xilun let it cool and drank it down sip by sip.

The warm, bitter medicine slid down my throat and into my stomach.

The medicine is very weak.

For an extraordinary individual with a perfected third-order physique, the effect of such ordinary materials should be negligible.

However, since Xilun is currently in a state of mental disorder and cannot use strong medicines, this mild medicinal soup is more suitable.

He took off his coat and applied the tin resin to several obvious wounds on his left shoulder and chest.

The cool, viscous resin gradually heats up upon contact with the skin.

Xilun's breathing gradually became steady.

The Moon Memory Meditation Method then commenced.

In the realm of the mind, a cold, crescent moon hangs above the darkness.

The scattered thoughts were gradually stripped away by the moonlight, leaving only the most subtle sensations of the body.

The medicinal properties penetrate along the meridians.

Xilun used his mental energy as a guide to carefully manipulate the outermost wisp of the Overturning Sea Technique's power.

As soon as he moved his strength, a tearing pain shot through his chest.

He felt a slight sweetness in his throat, but he didn't force it down or push it further. Instead, he let the wisp of energy stay at the edge of the damaged meridian, allowing the gentle medicinal power to slowly envelop it.

Time passes little by little.

It finally started raining outside the town.

Raindrops pattered on the roof of the covered wagon, making a fine, continuous sound. Occasionally, a night breeze would drift through the courtyard, making the awning rattle.

Siren sank into deeper meditation.

He didn't open his eyes again until two hours later.

The tightness in my chest has lessened somewhat.

The bleeding from my left shoulder has stopped.

At this rate, it will take about a week to repair most of the internal and external injuries.

If you have Blue Soul Potion or a higher-level healing potion, the time can be greatly reduced.

But Lan Ze'er had already taken the Blue Soul Potion, and he had no regrets about it.

That bottle of medicine was originally meant to save my life.

If Lanzel really brought him out of the wilderness despite his serious injuries and managed to get the caravan to avoid potential pursuers, then this bottle of medicine would not have been wasted.

As for the Azure Thunder Spear, that's a different matter.

Sheren never confused saving a life with taking possession of property.

He closed his eyes again, but his thoughts shifted from his injuries to the mine.

Kill Bloodhook.

They stole the treasure.

Rescue Lanpo and Lanze'er's mother.

They then returned to Star Ring City.

If the whole process goes smoothly, it won't even take too long.

Although the fourth-tier pirate commander was a potential threat, he couldn't possibly stay in a mine all the time.

As long as the information provided by Blue Soul is accurate, he can completely avoid fourth-tier extraordinary individuals.

Even if we really do encounter it...

A cold glint flashed in Xilun's eyes.

Given his current injuries, he has no chance of winning.

However, if his injuries heal and the ancient water essence is fully integrated into the Overturning Sea Technique, he will be able to truly step into the third-tier extreme realm.

Back in the Blackwater Abyss, he used the environmental suppression to defeat Tinos, who had completed the sixth stage of the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture.

While ordinary fourth-tier beings are powerful, they are not untouchable.

What's more, he also has the remains of the evil god trapped in the blood lock on his right arm.

Seven of the thirty-six blood locks are now loose, which is certainly dangerous, but it also means that he can unleash even stronger decaying power.

If necessary, even at a cost, it is enough to tear open an escape route.

Xilen did not make a decision immediately.

He focused his attention on his internal body.

After being nourished by the medicinal properties, the Qi of the Overturning Sea Skill was no longer as volatile as before.

Near the dantian, a dark, ancient aura slowly rotated, mixed with death energy brought out from the sealed black crystal.

This mass of water caused a significant change in the originally tidal flow of the Overturning Sea Technique.

The ancient art of "overturning the sea" was profound and enduring, adept at using the momentum of the water to amplify the force of the tide.

Now, every wisp of energy seems to have been infused with the true characteristics of the deep sea.

When calm, there is no ripple.

Once it erupts, it will bring with it an irresistible pressure from deep water.

Once it is fully integrated, his Overturning Sea Technique will likely cross the final step and reach a level where his energy is perfectly smooth and without any leaks.

At that time, he will be a true third-tier extreme realm expert.

However, the third-tier extreme realm is not the end.

Xilun's consciousness moved upwards.

The three golden lightning patterns on his chest and limbs had dimmed, and the fourth faint lightning mark had several small cracks due to the impact of the spatial turbulence.

The Thunder Dragon's Heart still beats powerfully.

Each vibration releases a gentle, thunderous energy that repairs damaged tendons, bones, and meridians.

He began to plan his future cultivation path.

First, repair internal and external injuries.

Based on the current situation, it will take about a week.

During this period, one cannot forcefully circulate the Overturning Sea Technique, nor can one mobilize Thunder Force on a large scale. One can only rely on the Moon Memory Meditation Method to organize one's strength, and then slowly recover with the help of gentle medicine.

Second, collect the materials needed to advance to the fourth tier.

He obtained the Bone-Dark Grass from the Blackwater Abyss.

The Bone Nether Grass grew in the lair of a powerful Black Soul Beast. Its roots and medicinal properties were perfectly intact, making it the most important main ingredient for refining Bone Nether Potions.

According to the recipe in his mind, as long as he collects one more key ingredient, he can try to refine the Bone Nether Elixir for advanced demon hunters.

However, the fourth stage is completely different from the previous three stages.

First-order baptism, second-order tearing, third-order distortion. Although each breakthrough is risky, it is still about transforming the mortal body.

The fourth-tier demon hunter then began to touch the first strand of divine power.

Just as the Lord of Storms left behind.

Fourth-stage bone cultivation, condensing divine power.

The fifth stage involves cultivating the internal organs and shaping the divine body.

The sixth level of divine cultivation establishes authority.

Only when you reach the fourth tier can you truly embark on the path of demon hunting.

Many extraordinary individuals, after achieving physical perfection, are unable to take this step throughout their lives.

Even with enough experience, the chances of an ordinary person getting promoted are less than 10%.

The cost of failure is not simply injury.

Fractured bones, mental corruption, loss of control over one's strength, and even direct mutation into a mindless monster are all possible.

Xilun silently calculated.

If one can gather both Ice Spirit Elixir and Fire Spirit Fruit, using two opposing medicinal properties to protect the bones and internal organs, the chances of success can be increased by about 10%.

Refining a complete Bone and Nether Elixir can increase its potency by another 20%.

Once the Overturning Sea Technique is fully perfected and the Golden Thunder Vortex has completed its fourth transformation, and the Wind God's True Form is used to condense the power of the storm, one can adjust their own state to a point where there are no obvious flaws.

With all preparations complete, he was about 50% confident of successfully breaking through to the fourth tier.

50%.

Compared to the previous three breakthroughs, this one is still much more dangerous.

But compared to the less than 10% chance of other extraordinary individuals, this is already a number that is enough to drive people crazy.

Xiren never believed in promotions that were absolutely guaranteed.

The greater the power, the greater the cost.