Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

It rained all night.

Outside the cave, a leaden-gray sky hung heavily over Blackwood Ridge, and drizzling raindrops rolled down the tips of leaves, striking the rocks and withered branches with a soft, monotonous sound.

A campfire was burning deep inside the cave.

As the damp firewood burned, it continuously emitted blue smoke, and the flames flickered, casting the shadows of the three people onto the rock wall, swaying slightly with the sound of the wind.

Xilun sat cross-legged on a flat rock, his Sea Demon Blood Cotton Clothes already removed, revealing his upper body wrapped in strips of cloth.

The old wound on his left shoulder reopened, and there were several cuts in his chest and abdomen from the spatial turbulence. But the most serious injuries were not these visible ones.

On his right arm, dark red and black lines writhed slowly beneath his skin, like living things.

He had forcibly broken a blood lock during his earlier fistfight with Terry.

That wisp of power originating from the remnant limbs of the eight-armed evil god was indeed terrifyingly strong.

With just a wisp of black energy, he was able to directly repel Terry, whose physique was at its peak, even when his body was on the verge of collapse.

But the cost was equally heavy.

Deep within the right arm, the severed limb, bound by thirty-six blood locks, seemed to have sensed the breath of freedom and continued to break through the blockade.

Each impact felt like a red-hot iron nail being driven deep into the bone marrow.

Xilun had his eyes closed, but fine beads of cold sweat were already seeping from his forehead.

"call……"

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

The Great Thunder Breathing Method cannot be used at full power; it can only vibrate the internal organs at the gentlest rhythm.

The Moon Memory Meditation Law is like a cool, clear moonlight, steadily suspended above the spiritual world, isolating those chaotic and evil whispers one by one.

But that black aura was just too stubborn.

It has already spread along the meridians of the right arm into the shoulder and is gradually spreading towards the chest.

The icy coldness condensed into fine ice lines, sealing it off layer by layer. The Thunder Dragon Heart also continuously released blue and white lightning to suppress it, but Xilun's body was too weak to mobilize all his power.

The injury, which should have only taken a few days to recover, has been completely aggravated by two consecutive forced actions.

The meridians were torn apart again, the internal organs were shaken, and the energy of the Overturning Sea Technique that had just been sorted out became chaotic and disordered again.

The most troublesome thing is that he not only borrowed the power of the evil god's remnant limb, but also let that power taste the feeling of breaking through the blood lock.

Once you've experienced something like this once, you'll want to do it again.

Once it fully awakens, Xiren even doubts whether he can maintain control of his body.

"Truly troublesome."

Xiren murmured to himself, his teeth slowly clenching.

He channeled his profound Yin coldness, forcing the wisp of black energy that had invaded his shoulder back half an inch.

This tiny bit of progress made his chest feel a sudden tightness, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer.

"puff!"

Xilun suddenly lowered his head and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The blood fell onto the rock, producing a slight corrosive sound, and wisps of white smoke rose up from it.

The previously oppressive atmosphere inside the cave suddenly tightened.

"Silon!"

Lan Po, who had been standing guard by the fire, hurriedly stood up.

She was still holding the wild vegetables she had just picked and washed. When she saw Xilun vomit blood, her face turned pale. She didn't even care that the wild vegetables had fallen to the ground and quickly ran to his side.

"Don't touch it."

Xilun opened his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse.

Lan Po's hand, which was halfway out, suddenly froze.

She looked at the strange dark red and black lines on Xilun's right arm, her eyes filled with fear, but even more so with worry.

"Would you like something to eat?" Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the terrible thing inside Xilun. "I cooked some dried meat and picked a few non-poisonous wild vegetables. Eating a little might make you feel better."

Xilun shook his head.

"Not for now."

His lungs and internal organs can't handle too much food right now; forcing him to eat will only add to the burden on his body.

Lan Po pursed her lips, slowly squatted down to the side, and said nothing more.

On the other side of the fire, Lanzel sat against the rock wall.

The scars on her face looked particularly gruesome in the firelight, and she held a piece of charcoal in her hand, sketching the condition of the wrecked convoy on the ground.

Of the dozen or so steam-powered vehicles, only three remained intact after the White Ape King's attack and the Black Soul Mercenary Group's looting.

More than half of the guards were killed or wounded, and most of the cargo was stolen by Terry and his men.

The family fortune they had painstakingly built up over the past decade vanished almost overnight.

Her face was as gloomy as the sky outside the cave.

There was hatred for the Dark Souls mercenary group, and regret for his misjudgment.

If she had heeded Xilun's warning before entering Blackwood Ridge, the caravan would not have encountered the White Ape King.

If she had believed the message Lan Po brought back during the night, the guards wouldn't have been able to sneak into the camp without even having a chance to react.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.

Lanzer gripped the charcoal tightly, his fingers turning slightly white.

She once thought that after ten years of struggling in the wilderness, she had developed a keen eye for danger.

Looking back now, her so-called caution seems laughable in the face of a true powerhouse.

What's even more ridiculous is that she mistook Xilun for a conman who swindled Lanpo out of his money.

If it weren't for this "liar," the sisters would have been captured by Terry and taken back to the Black Shark Pirates last night.

Lanzer raised his head and looked at Xiren, who was meditating.

He saved them.

Moreover, he risked his life to save them despite his own severe injuries.

Thinking of this, Lanzer gradually loosened his grip on the charcoal.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but being the tough woman she was never used to apologizing, she simply turned her gaze silently to the outside of the cave.

The sound of rain became more intense.

A gust of cold wind blew in, causing the flames to veer to one side.

Xiren closed his eyes again.

Once the injury has stabilized, I must quickly condense a wisp of divine power.

Fourth-stage bone cultivation, condensing divine power.

This is the path the Lord of Storms told him.

If he possessed true Storm God power, he could fundamentally suppress the evil god's remnant in his right arm and even gradually refine its power.

Otherwise, each time one uses the strength of a stump, it's like taking a step forward on the edge of a cliff.

However, advancing to the fourth rank is not easy.

He needs to completely refine his Qi and prepare materials such as Bone Nether Grass, Ice Spirit Elixir, and Fire Spirit Fruit to bring his physical condition to its peak.

These all require time and a lot of money.

And these are precisely the two things he lacks most right now.

Xilun suppressed his distracting thoughts and continued to regulate his internal energy.

Time passed slowly.

After an unknown amount of time, the faint sound of footsteps approached again.

Xilun didn't open his eyes, but he knew it was Lan Po.

The girl seemed to have stood in front of him for a long time, her breathing sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Only after Xilun completed a cycle of energy did she seem to finally make up her mind, taking out a wooden box tightly wrapped in coarse cloth from her bosom.

"Silon".

"Um?"

"I have something for you."

Xilun opened his eyes.

Lan Po squatted down in front of him and slowly opened the wooden box.

The firelight shone into the box, illuminating three neatly arranged pale blue vials.

Inside the slender glass bottle, the liquid crystals were clear and pure, with tiny bubbles occasionally rising from the bottom.

Xilun's eyes narrowed instantly.

"A third-tier healing potion?"

Moreover, it's not the kind of ordinary product commonly found on the market.

Judging solely from the color and purity of the liquid, these three potions, even if not as good as the Blue Soul Potion, must be among the best of the third-tier potions.

Each one costs at least around one hundred pounds.

"Where did you get this?"

Lan Po lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes.

"This morning, before the rain got too heavy, I went to the small town outside the mountains."

"I asked the pharmacy owner, and he said your injury requires a level three medicine. Ordinary herbs can only stop the bleeding, not treat the internal wounds."

She spoke very slowly.

Looking at her reddened eyes, Xilun already guessed the answer.

"Where's the money?"

Lan Po's body trembled slightly.

"I...I still have some."

"How many?"

"there is none left."

Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

Three top-grade Tier 3 healing potions, weighing a full three hundred pounds.

That was the money she had saved up little by little while working in the car team.

Xilun remembered clearly that the fifty pounds Lanpo lent her was money she had prepared to use to buy medicine and a quilt for her mother.

The three hundred pounds in front of her could only be the savings she had prepared to redeem her mother.

Lan Po seemed to avoid looking Xi Lun in the eye, and simply handed the potion forward.

"Use it quickly."

"The pharmacy owner said that it's best to take the medicine as soon as possible after opening it. Your injury is getting worse, and if you delay any longer, it may damage your health."

She turned her face away, her gaze falling on the rain outside the cave.

Tears, however, uncontrollably streamed down her face.

"Anyway... anyway, there's still a lot of money left for Mother's ransom. We've lost three hundred pounds, but I can save up more later."

By the end, her voice was trembling with tears.

Three hundred pounds.

For Xilun, this might just be the price of a precious herb or a few bottles of cultivation potions.

But for Lan Po, it was the hope she had saved up for countless days and nights.

It was the money she had to deliver goods through wind and snow in the wilderness, the little bit of money she had squeezed out after being extorted by pirates, and the confidence she held in her hands when she fantasized about bringing her mother home.

Now, she has replaced all of these with three vials of medicine.

Lanzer suddenly looked up.

She clearly only found out about this at this moment.

"Blue Soul, you..."

Lan Po turned her back to her sister and forcefully wiped away her tears.

"Sister, he saved us."

There is only this one sentence.

Lanzer fell silent.

Only the sound of rain and crackling firewood remained in the cave.

Xilun looked at Lanpo for a moment, neither refusing nor offering any meaningless words of comfort.

He picked up the first vial, pulled out the cork, tilted his head back, and drank it.

The cool medicine slid down his throat into his stomach, quickly transforming into a warm and rich life force that spread throughout his body.

The second one.

The third one.

Three top-grade, level-three healing potions were administered in succession, their surging medicinal power flowing like three clear streams, rapidly penetrating the damaged meridians.

Xilun immediately closed his eyes and began practicing the Moon Memory Meditation Technique and the Great Thunder Breathing Technique.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

The Thunder Dragon's Heart throbbed powerfully.

Driven by the heart, the medicine flowed throughout the body, the torn meridians began to slowly heal, and the stagnant blood in the lungs was gradually dissolved.

A fine, tingling tingling sensation came from the wound on my left shoulder, and the damaged flesh was growing at a visible rate.

Even the restless black energy in his right arm was temporarily forced back by the sudden surge of blood and energy.

Xilun did not waste a single drop of the medicine's potency.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique is like a large net, cutting the medicinal power into hundreds of fine streams and precisely delivering them to all parts of the body.

The previously scattered ancient water energy was also gathered back together and circulated along the meridians along with the vital energy.

once.

twice.

Ten times.

His breathing gradually calmed down from its initial weakness, and then slowly rose again.

The rain outside gradually stopped.

A beam of hazy sunlight pierced through a gap in the clouds, shining into the cave and leaving a pale white mark on the damp ground.

Lan Po remained crouched beside him, his hands clasped nervously together.

Lanzer had also put down the charcoal and was staring intently at Xiren.

Suddenly, a muffled sound, like waves crashing against rocks, came from inside Xilun's body.

The stagnation that had been blocking the meridians was broken up in one fell swoop by the power of the medicine and the strength of the Overturning Sea Technique.

Xilun's aura suddenly darkened.

It was as if a deep sea was silently unfolding inside the cave.

The flames of the campfire were suppressed by an invisible pressure, and the water droplets that had condensed on the rock wall trembled at the same time, then detached from the stone surface and floated in mid-air.

Lan Ze'er's expression changed slightly.

As a third-tier physique at its peak, she could naturally sense the terrifying power contained within Xilun's body at that moment.

That's not just simple strength.

Rather, it is a kind of harmony that is almost without any shortcomings.

Skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and strength are all closely intertwined.

The mere unintentional release of that oppressive aura gave her a suffocating feeling, as if she were facing a giant sea monster.

A moment later, all the water droplets fell at the same time.

Xilun slowly opened his eyes.

A flash of blue-white lightning disappeared from his eyes.

He looked down at his hands and slowly clenched his fingers.

Crack!

The air in his palm seemed to be crushed, producing a crisp popping sound.

The damage to the qi caused by the spatial turbulence was finally completely repaired by the three doses of medicine.

Although his left shoulder and meridians still need time to stabilize, and the evil god's black energy has not been completely cleared, he is already able to use most of his power.

More importantly, driven by the ancient water breath and repeated life-and-death battles, his strength has been tempered to 60%.

He is now even stronger than when he fought Tynos in the Sea of ​​Death.

"Tenth in the Inner Court..."

A thoughtful look appeared in Xilun's eyes.

Randall had been in the inner courtyard for more than ten years, and his strength was far beyond that of an ordinary third-tier perfect cultivator.

However, with Xilun's current Thunder Eagle, third-level Thunder Pattern, Overturning Sea Technique, expert-level Styx Breath, plus Water Breath and various exotic talents, if he were to fight Randall head-on, the outcome would be very close.

Even if a victory isn't guaranteed, it's very close.

As for Qi tempering, only 40% remains before reaching the true third-tier extreme realm.

Xilun let out a soft breath.

When he looked up, he saw Lan Po wiping away tears with his head down.

The girl cried quietly.

The caravan was in ruins, the guards were dead or wounded, the sister was seriously injured, and the mother was still suffering in the mines. Now even the last three hundred pounds of savings were gone.

These burdens, all at once, were ultimately too heavy for a girl in her early twenties.

Xilun got up and walked over to her, then gently patted her head.

Lan Po froze, raising her head with teary eyes.

"Silon..."

"alright."

Xilun's voice remained calm, but it was less cold and hard than usual.

"This farce is over."

Lan Po stared at him blankly.

Xilun withdrew his hand, his gaze passing over the cave entrance and looking towards the gradually brightening sky after the rain.

"I'll take care of your troubles from now on."

After saying that, he walked to the other side of the cave.

Lanzer sat there, the Thunder Spear resting horizontally on his lap.

Seeing Xilun approach, she instinctively tightened her grip on the gun.

Xilun stopped in front of her.

"Give me back my weapon."