Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

There were only five people this time.

The leader was a tall, thin man with a sallow complexion, wearing the gray-black uniform of the Black Shark Pirate Crew, with a silver shark badge pinned to his chest.

He glanced at the corpse on the ground, a flash of anger in his eyes, but he did not lash out on the spot.

"Lanzer, Blue Soul."

"Lord Hornach has agreed to see you."

"You may bring one person in, but leave the weapons outside."

Lanzer sneered.

Do you think that's possible?

The tall, thin man remained silent for a moment, then his gaze fell on the Thunder Spear in Xilun's hand.

Xilun was just standing there casually, but he had the illusion that a sharp spearhead was pressed against his brow.

"The master said that we can bring weapons."

The tall, thin man eventually backed down.

"However, once inside the stone fortress, everything must be done according to the rules."

Xilun stepped forward.

"lead the way."

Five pirates rode ahead on horseback, while three followed on foot.

The road from the village entrance to the mine is only two miles long, but it is extremely difficult to travel.

Everywhere there were tracks loaded with ore and abandoned machinery, and the air was thick with silvery-black dust that was almost impossible to dissolve.

Two steam gun emplacements stand at the entrance to the mining area.

The cannon muzzle can rotate along the gear track, allowing it to be aimed at both external enemies and the villages below.

Dozens of armed pirates guarded the high ground.

As the three entered the mining area, countless malicious gazes fell upon them simultaneously.

Lan Po's body tensed slightly.

Xilun didn't stop, only using the corner of his eye to record the location of the turrets, the number of guards, and several routes for evacuation.

Stone Fort is located in the center of the mining area.

It was a three-story building made of black rock, with thick walls, narrow windows, and two repeating steam crossbows mounted on the top.

Before entering the gate, Xilun suddenly smelled a faint sweet scent.

Almost simultaneously, Lei Jiao's heart trembled slightly.

poisonous.

The poisonous gas was slowly released from the cracks in the wall. It was colorless and invisible. If an ordinary third-level extraordinary person inhaled it, their energy circulation speed would decrease by at least 30%.

Lan Ze'er and Lan Po were clearly unaware.

Xilun did not give a warning.

He simply used the Xuan Yin Coldness to seal the tiny blood vessels near his mouth and nose, and then activated the Thunder Dragon Heart to directly decompose the small amount of toxins he had inhaled.

After passing through two long corridors, the three arrived at the backyard of the stone castle.

A long table was set up in the courtyard.

A burly man with a bare upper body is sitting behind a table eating meat.

He had a blood-red hooked shark tattooed on his right shoulder, and a thick-backed curved sword lay beside him.

It was Bloodhook Hornach.

To his left and right sat three pirates, each exuding a deep and imposing aura.

Two of them were third-tier extraordinary individuals, while the remaining person, although only second-tier, kept his fingers resting on a brass lever under the table.

There were also more than a dozen breathing creatures hidden around the courtyard wall.

Honnaught cut a piece of raw beef with a knife and slowly chewed it.

He didn't raise his eyes until the three of them reached the long table.

"Lanzel".

"What do you think of the conditions I offered you last time?"

Lanzer stared at him.

"We'll bring money to ransom them."

Honnarch swallowed the beef and wiped his mouth with a white cloth.

"sure."

Just as hope appeared in Lan Po's eyes, Honnach raised two thick fingers.

Two thousand pounds.

Not a penny less.

Lanzer's face darkened.

"You initially said one thousand pounds."

"The beginning is the beginning."

Hornach leaned back in his chair, his smile full of mockery.

"Slaves are hard to buy in the mines now. Your mother is getting old, but she can still sift sand and do laundry. She can earn me a few pounds every year."

"Besides, you sisters have been on the run for so many years, you should pay some interest."

Lan Po bit her lip.

"We don't have two thousand pounds."

"Then let's try another approach."

Honnarch's gaze fell on the two sisters, his desire undisguised.

"One of you stay here with me."

"Once I get tired of him, I'll naturally let that old man go."

Lanzel suddenly gripped the hilt of the knife.

The surrounding pirates all stood up at the same time.

The sound of gears turning came from above the courtyard wall, and several large crossbow bolts emerged from hidden holes, aimed at the three people.

Honnarch's smile widened.

"This is not a place for you to run wild."

"I haven't settled the score with you for killing a few of my men."

Just as the atmosphere was about to completely collapse, Xiren took a step forward.

"Honach".

Only then did Hornach turn his gaze to him.

"And who are you?"

Xilun gently placed the Thunder Spear beside him.

"Give me some face."

"Release them, and this matter ends here."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Then, the pirates burst into laughter, as if they had heard something extremely ridiculous.

Honnarch laughed too.

"Giving you face?"

"Is your face worth two thousand pounds?"

Xilun remained indifferent.

"It's worth it to save face for the inner disciples of the Holy Light Monastery."

The laughter gradually stopped.

Honnaki squinted and carefully examined Xiren.

The Holy Light Monastery's influence in the Star Ring Sea far surpasses that of ordinary organizations.

An inner court disciple may not be scary, but the teachers, companions and deacons behind him are enough to make the Black Shark Pirate Crew wary.

"You said you are an inner disciple of the Holy Light Monastery?"

"good."

"Where's your ID badge?"

Xilun paused for a moment.

His identity token had long been lost in the Blackwater Abyss.

Honnarch immediately caught the pause and a cold smile appeared in his eyes.

"No?"

"What about the inner court disciples' attire?"

Xilun glanced down at his Sea Demon Blood Cotton Coat.

In order to enter the Blackwater Abyss, he deliberately did not wear disciple's robes.

Then he encountered spatial turbulence, and apart from this outfit and the Thunder Spear, he had almost nothing left on him.

"No, not at all."

Hornach's smile turned completely cold.

"They had no identification badges, and no disciple's robes."

"You think you can just grab any good gun and pretend to be a disciple of a monastery in front of me?"

He slowly stood up, his burly body exuding a fierce aura.

"You really think I, Hornach, am easily intimidated?"

Identity is sometimes more convenient than fists.

Unfortunately, it doesn't make sense.

Since that's the case, then we have no choice but to fight.

"Let's do it."

The moment Honnarch's voice fell, the third-tier pirate standing to his left pounced forward.

This person was thin, and each of his hands was adorned with a sharp steel claw.

When you exert force with your feet, tiny steam rises from the soles of your shoes, and your speed increases dramatically, like a cheetah sprinting close to the ground.

With its two sharp claws, one above and one below, it reached for Xilun's throat and right rib respectively.

He was extremely ruthless.

If an ordinary third-tier extraordinary individual were poisoned by the stone fortress, their energy circulation would be sluggish, making it difficult for them to react in time to this attack.

But Siren didn't even blink.

The Thunder Spear still stood on the ground.

He only raised his right hand when the claws were less than half a foot from his throat.

The fingers precisely gripped the other person's wrist.

The skinny pirate's pupils contracted.

He felt as if he were being clamped by an iron clamp, and no matter how hard he tried, his arm could not move forward even half an inch.

"Too slow."

Xilun twisted his wrist.

Crack!

The skinny pirate's wrist bone broke on the spot.

Before he could even scream, Xiren had already pulled him forward and slammed his knee into his abdomen.

boom!

Physical defenses crumbled like thin paper.

The gaunt pirate arched his back, his feet off the ground, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets.

A series of cracking sounds came from his body, and then he was casually thrown out by Siren, smashing the long table and rolling to Hornach's feet.

The entire process took only one breath.

The expressions of everyone in the courtyard froze simultaneously.

The sneer on Honnappy's face faded a bit.

"No wonder you dared to come here."

He looked at the remaining third-tier subordinate.

The man was short and stocky, and wielded a warhammer covered in serrations.

Seeing his companion fall instantly, he dared not underestimate his opponent. He gripped the hammer with both hands, and a thick, earthy-yellow aura surged from his body.

As the force was poured in, large rock-like patterns appeared on the surface of the warhammer.

"Rock Crusher!"

With a roar, the short, stocky pirate stomped the ground, his warhammer slamming down on Xilun's head with immense wind pressure.

This time, Siron drew his gun.

The gun left the ground, but did not pierce the opponent.

Xilun simply held the Thunder Spear horizontally above his head.

clang!

The warhammer clashed with the gun barrel.

A piercing metallic clang echoed through the courtyard.

A visible shockwave swept outwards, overturning all the plates and glasses on the long table, and dust fell from the courtyard wall.

The short, stocky pirate's face flushed red, and veins bulged on his forehead.

He had pushed his physique and strength to the limit, but the warhammer felt as if it were pressing down on an underwater mountain, unable to fall even a little further.

In contrast, Xilun held the gun with one hand, his arm steady without the slightest tremor.

"impossible!"

The short, stocky pirate gritted his teeth and roared.

Xilun's eyes were calm, and he flicked his wrist slightly.

A surge of energy flowed along the gun barrel.

Then comes the second and third layers.

The continuous force surged back along the warhammer.

The short, stocky pirate's arms trembled violently, his tiger's mouth was instantly torn open, and blood flowed down the hammer handle.

The fourth surge of energy erupts.

The warhammer flew from his hand.

The fifth surge of energy followed closely behind, slamming into the chest of the short, stocky pirate.

boom!

His protective energy collapsed suddenly, his sternum caved inward, and he flew several feet backward, crashing heavily into the courtyard wall.

The hard stone wall is covered with cracks.

The short, stocky pirate slid down the wall, blood and foam constantly gushing from his mouth. He struggled for a moment before passing out.

Xilun holstered his gun and stood there.

In the shadows behind the courtyard wall, the breathing of those dozen or so people became noticeably rapid.

Honnarch's face turned completely grim.

He could tell that Xiren wasn't using his full strength.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the opponent did not even reveal the full aura of a fully-formed physique, nor did they utilize the terrifying lightning power contained within that spear.

"Impersonating a disciple of the Holy Light Monastery isn't entirely without merit."

"Honnage said coldly."

He gave a wink to the second-tier subordinate who was constantly holding the brass lever.

The man suddenly pulled the lever all the way down.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Simultaneously, the sound of numerous mechanisms turning could be heard from all around the courtyard.

The ground cracked open with more than a dozen holes, from which pale green poisonous fumes spewed out.

The steam crossbows hidden in the wall holes were fully cocked, and gleaming bolts locked onto the three people from all directions.

Lan Po's face turned pale.

Lan Ze'er quickly drew his sword and stood in front of her, holding his breath.

"Silon!"

"Stay where you are."

Xilun's voice was calm.

The next moment, the mechanism suddenly activated.

Whoosh whoosh!

Dozens of crossbow bolts tore through the air, shooting in from different angles.

Each of these crossbow bolts was as thick as an arm, with armor-piercing runes engraved on the arrowheads, enough to penetrate the qi defenses of an ordinary third-tier extraordinary being.

Xilun stomped his foot.

The Canglang Steps Turn.

His body left a blurry afterimage amidst the dense rain of arrows.

The first crossbow bolt grazed the hem of her clothes, and the butt of the Siron spear flicked upwards, striking the side of the bolt precisely.

The crossbow bolt immediately veered off course and collided with the second bolt.

Both crossbow bolts flew out at the same time.

Xilun then spun the gun.

The Azure Thunder Spear transformed into a dark blue-green circular screen, its tip striking out repeatedly in a very short time.

clang clang clang!

The sounds of metal clashing were so dense they almost blended together.

Some crossbow bolts were shattered directly, while others changed direction and shot back into the hidden holes in the courtyard wall.

Several screams came from behind the wall.

The pirate in charge of operating the mechanism was pierced by his own crossbow bolt and died on the spot.

Meanwhile, the green toxic fog had completely enveloped the courtyard.

Lanzer inhaled only a tiny bit and felt his limbs go weak, and his energy circulation slowed down significantly.

She hurriedly tore off a piece of her clothing to cover Lan Po's mouth and nose, and retreated with her sister.

Honnarch had already taken the antidote and stood in the poisonous fog, coldly watching Siron.

He didn't believe that Celen could hold his breath indefinitely.

Once the opponent inhales the poison gas, their strength will inevitably decrease significantly.

However, Siron did not hold his breath at all.

He breathed normally in the poisonous fog, his complexion remaining unchanged.

The green poisonous gas entered the lungs and was immediately solidified by the Xuan Yin coldness, and then torn apart by the lightning power released by the Thunder Dragon Heart.

Before the residual toxicity could even seep into the bloodstream, it was completely washed away by the ancient water.

"Too low toxicity."

Xilun commented.

Honnarch's expression changed slightly.

Xilun has already raised the Thunder Spear.

A streak of bluish-white lightning suddenly lit up the tip of the spear.

The phantom of the Thunder Eagle flashed past behind him.

The next moment, he thrust his gun into the ground.

boom!

The lightning spread in all directions along the stone slab.

A series of explosions came from below the ground, and the poison gas pipes hidden in the rock layer exploded at the same time.

The green poisonous fog was swept up by the blazing lightning and flowed back into the control room through the holes.

Panic-stricken screams suddenly came from behind the wall.

"Poison gas is flowing back in!"

"Shut the valve!"

"The antidote! Get the antidote now!"

The office was thrown into chaos.

Xilun swept his spear horizontally, and a golden lightning bolt, condensed into a thin line, swept across the courtyard wall.

Several gears controlling the crossbow broke simultaneously.

The crossbow mechanism emitted a screeching sound as it struggled under the strain, and then went completely silent.

From the moment the mechanism was activated to its complete dismantling, it took only a dozen or so breaths.

Lan Ze'er protected Lan Po and retreated to the corner of the wall, his eyes filled with shock.

She already knew that Xilun was very strong.

However, in the woods before, whether he killed the tall man in black with a single punch or repelled Terry head-on, Siren used some kind of bizarre power with extremely severe consequences.

Now, without unlocking the blood lock or letting the black line appear on his right arm, he easily defeated two third-tier extraordinary beings and broke the trap carefully set up by Honach in his normal state.

It was only at this moment that Lanzel truly realized something.

Siren's claim that he came from the Monastery of Holy Light may not be a lie.

Hornach had clearly thought of this as well.

His expression kept changing.

But now that things have come to this, even if Xilun is indeed a disciple of the monastery, he cannot bow his head and admit his mistake.

Moreover, the stone fortress contains the wealth he has amassed over the years, and if the three of them were to leave alive, the consequences would be unimaginable.

More importantly, we have another guest coming today.

He had to resolve this trouble before the guest arrived.

"You may all step back."

Jonathan drew the thick-backed scimitar beside him.

The blade is dark red with fine serrations along the edges, and the end of the handle is cast in the shape of a blood hook.

A salty, fishy smell slowly emanated from his body.

The poisonous fog in the courtyard was drawn in and condensed behind him into a blurry shark silhouette.