Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Crack.

A thin crack suddenly appeared on the edge of the stone table.

The disciple's heart skipped a beat, and he realized that he had said the wrong thing.

Swain withdrew his hand, his expression remaining calm, but his tone turned colder.

"Don't rush to decide the fate of your fellow disciples until you see a body."

"Yes, disciple has misspoke."

Swain did not continue to blame him.

He stood up and walked outside the cave.

A cold wind blew in his face, causing his greyish-white robe to flutter.

Standing on the edge of the cliff and looking down, the vast buildings of the Holy Light Monastery are hidden in the clouds and mist, and only a blurry outline of the distant bell tower is visible.

He pondered for a long time and then slowly said:

"After the anomaly at Blackwater Abyss, the monastery sent people to search the surrounding area. If Siren had simply been swept away by the water, there wouldn't have been no trace of him at all."

"Spatial fluctuations..."

"It's not necessarily only possible to send him to the vicinity of the Wonderland."

The disciple behind him was slightly taken aback.

"Does the teacher mean that Junior Brother Xilun might have been teleported to a more distant place?"

"Just a guess."

Swain turned around.

"The Holy Light Monastery has made enemies with many forces over the years, including the Sea Demon Palace and the families in the Chaotic Sea that are affiliated with the Dark Church. They could all take advantage of the chaos to make a move."

Go and find out.

"Pay special attention to news outside Star Ring City. If any unfamiliar Tier 3 experts suddenly appear, skilled in lightning magic and spear techniques, regardless of whether their appearance is the same as Xilun's, report back immediately."

"clear."

The disciple bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left.

Swein remained standing on the edge of the cliff.

A mountain breeze blew through the pine forest, causing the verdant needles to ripple.

He looked in the direction of the Blackwater Abyss, a rare look of worry appearing in his eyes.

"Don't die in a place like that."

"At least don't die before you get to me."

……

At the same time.

Outside the north gate of Xinghuan City, dust swirled along the wide official road.

A black-feathered carriage sped towards them, pulled by four wind-maned horses.

The wheels rolled over the seams of the stone slabs, making a dense rumbling sound that caused caravans near the city gate to scramble out of the way.

Xilun sat inside the carriage, his palm resting on the Canglei Spear.

As the towering black iron walls of Star Ring City came into view, his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

After meeting up at Chitupo, Lan Ze'er and Lan Po drove back to Baisha Village as agreed.

Lancelot and Fuya accompanied him all the way here.

The boxes in the cliff cave were piled up at the back of the carriage. Inside, besides gold coins and a few old items, the most important items were the Rootless Leaf of Thick Soil, the Leaf of Nether Bone, and the tattered scroll of "The Mountain-Suppressing Bone".

Although he narrowly escaped death this time, he also gained unimaginable benefits from leaving the Blackwater Abyss.

The True Form of the Wind God.

The method to devour the remains of the eight-armed evil god.

In addition, there are Bone-Ming Grass, Nether Bone Leaves, and other medicinal materials needed to cultivate the Flawless Golden Body.

Once he has thoroughly digested these things, he is confident that he can push his foundation to a truly terrifying level before reaching the fourth rank.

Of course, the trouble he brought back was no less than the harvest.

Xilun looked down at his right arm.

Beneath the sleeve, thirty-six blood locks quietly coiled with dark red and black energy.

After these days of suppression, the seven blood locks that had loosened have stabilized again, but the influence left by the dark red eye deep within the sacrificial plate has not disappeared.

Whenever he enters deep meditation, he can still occasionally hear a very distant heartbeat.

ten years.

It's a long time for an ordinary person, but not enough for a high-level extraordinary individual.

Lancelot rode up to the car window.

"Go straight to the monastery after entering the city?"

"Um."

Xilun said:

"I still have a lot to report."

Lancelot glanced at him.

Along the way, Xilun only briefly recounted how he was swept away by the spatial turbulence, without mentioning the altar at the bottom of the Blackwater Abyss.

He could tell that Xilun was hiding something, but he didn't press the matter further.

Knowing too much about things that make Xilun so cautious is probably not a good thing.

After inspection, the convoy successfully entered Star Ring City.

The familiar roar of steam and the sound of steam whistles rushed towards us.

Shops line both sides of the street, and copper pipes extend along the brick walls, with white steam occasionally escaping from the edges of the valves.

Merchants in top hats, extraordinary individuals with weapons at their waists, and workers pushing carts mingled together, creating a cacophony of noise.

Xilun did not stop.

They changed to two ponytail horses at the carriage shop and then drove along the main street toward the Monastery of Holy Light.

More than an hour later, the magnificent white buildings of the monastery came into view on the horizon.

Gazing at the familiar tower and spires, Xilun felt a faint sense of disorientation.

When he entered the Blackwater Abyss, he never imagined he would return in this way.

The Black Feather Express stopped in front of the stone gate of the outer courtyard.

Two disciples on duty stepped forward to check.

One of them saw Lancelot first and was about to bow when his gaze fell on Siren, who was getting out of the car.

Xilun's appearance was still somewhat different from before, and he was no longer wearing the inner court attire.

However, the unique bluish-white lightning on the Azure Thunder Spear, and Lancelot's personal accompaniment, made the disciples on duty dare not be negligent.

"And this is...?"

Lancelot dismounted and laughed:

"Who have you been looking for these past few days?"

The two disciples were stunned at the same time.

One of them stared at Xilun for a moment, then his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Senior Brother Xilun?"

News travels faster than wheels.

As soon as Xilun stepped through the outer courtyard stone gate, the nearby disciples all stopped what they were doing.

Surprised, shocked, and incredulous gazes converged from all directions.

"Is it really Xilun?"

"Didn't he die in the Blackwater Abyss?"

"What nonsense! The elder never announced his death!"

"But he didn't come out when the wonderland closed..."

Whispers continued to rise.

Siren paid no attention to this, only asking Lancelot where Swain was, before picking up his gun and walking up the stone steps toward the back of the mountain.

Lancelot and Fuya did not follow.

The Blackwater Abyss is of great importance, and the following conversation was clearly not something they were allowed to eavesdrop on.

The stone steps on the back mountain meander upwards.

Xilun's steps were slow, but he did not stop.

When they arrived outside the cave on the cliff, the disciples who had been sent out to gather information earlier were returning from another mountain path.

The two met face to face in front of the stone gate. The disciple first gripped his weapon warily, then saw clearly the Thunder Spear in Xilun's hand.

He froze on the spot.

"Junior Brother Xilun?"

"it's me."

"you……"

The disciple opened his mouth, then suddenly turned and rushed towards the cave.

"teacher!"

"Junior Brother Xilun is back!"

The sound struck the cave walls, creating echoes.

The next moment, a steady and powerful spiritual force swept through the depths of the cave.

Xilun could clearly feel that the power fluctuated slightly the moment it touched him.

A moment later, Swain emerged from the cave.

He first glanced at Xilun's face, then at the Thunder Spear behind his shoulder, and finally his gaze settled on Xilun's right arm.

The two stood a few steps apart, neither of them speaking immediately.

Xilun bowed slightly.

"teacher."

Swain's brow, which had been furrowed for days, finally relaxed.

"It's good that you're back."

There are only four characters.

But the disciple standing beside him could clearly feel that the heavy atmosphere that had enveloped the entire cave for many days had completely dissipated at this moment.

Swain turned and walked into the cave.

"Come in."

Tell me everything that happened to you in the Blackwater Abyss, without missing a single detail.

Xilun followed into the cave.

The stone gate slowly closed, cutting off the mountain winds and the outside view.

The stone gate to the cave was completely closed.

Swain raised his hand and waved it, and several silver-white runes lit up from the stone wall, connecting with each other to form an invisible barrier that enveloped the entire cave.

Upon seeing this, the disciple who was standing guard voluntarily retreated to the outer room.

The whale oil lamp burned quietly.

Siren and Swain sat down facing each other.

Instead of immediately asking about what had happened deep in the Blackwater Abyss, Swain first extended two fingers and placed them on Siron's wrist.

A gentle yet profound power flowed into my body through my wrist.

Siren offered no resistance.

The force swept through the meridians, bones, and internal organs, eventually reaching the vicinity of the right arm, but stopped on its own before touching the thirty-six blood locks.

Swain withdrew his hand, his brow furrowing slightly.

"The spatial turbulence has caused considerable damage to your body."

"Although the meridians have been reconnected, there are still many tiny cracks. If the energy is circulated too quickly, these cracks will reopen."

"Have you been in a physical altercation with someone recently?"

Xilun said calmly:

"several times."

Swain glanced at the Thunder Spear behind him.

"More than a few times."

"Your strength still bears traces of the Cold Tide Blade Technique, bloodline secret arts, and earth-based potions. To be able to return to Star Ring City alive in this state is quite an achievement."

Xilun offered no explanation.

Swain then asked:

"How is your right arm?"

"The blood lock has been stabilized again and will not get out of control in the short term."

"short time?"

"Within ten years."

Swain's expression suddenly turned serious.

Explain yourself.

Xilun began to recount the events slowly, starting from the moment he entered the Blackwater tributary.

He did not conceal his encounter with Tinos, nor did he conceal the fact that he sent Roy out of the Wonderland and chased Tinos for two hours.

Swain's expression didn't change much when he heard this.

Compared to the infighting among his disciples, he was more concerned about why Xilun was able to remain unaffected in the depths of the Blackwater.

As Siron spoke of the abyssal vortex, the nine water veins, and the upside-down altar, Swain's fingers, resting on the stone table, slowly tightened.

"A six-armed, faceless sculpture?"

"To be precise, it should be an eight-armed evil god."

Xilun said:

"Two arms were missing from the carving, so it initially appeared to have only six arms."

Swain fell silent.

Xiren continued to recount the sacrificial plate, the dark red eyes, the ancient water breath, and the lingering obsession of the one who called himself the Lord of Storms.

As for the specific details of "The True Form of the Wind God" and devouring the remnants of the evil god, he only said that he had received a portion of the inheritance, without revealing the complete method.

This is not a matter of distrusting Swain.

Once a high-level inheritance involves divine power, divine body, and divine personality, its value far exceeds that of ordinary cultivation techniques.

The more people who know, the greater the chance of it being leaked.

In particular, the Lord of Storms explicitly stated that the eight-armed evil god is capable of devouring divinity, flesh and blood, and soul.

No one can be sure whether discussing its real name will attract some unforeseen scrutiny.

After listening, Swain remained silent for a long time.

The only sound in the cave was the occasional faint crackling of the whale oil lamp burning.

"Are you sure that obsession claims to be the Lord of the Storm?"

"Sure."

"What else did it say?"

"It says the seal can only last for ten years at most."

For the first time, a clear shock appeared in Swain's eyes.

He stood up and took two steps in the stone chamber.

"The Blackwater Abyss is not unique to monasteries."

"Hundreds of years ago, the Holy Light Monastery, along with several other ancient powers, discovered that wondrous place. According to the records preserved by the monastery, the Blackwater Abyss was originally just a ruined domain formed after the fall of a high-level water-elemental extraordinary being."

"Black crystals can temper the body, and precious aquatic materials can occasionally be found deep within the black waters."

"As for the seal and the altar, there is no mention of them in the records."

Xilun's eyes flickered slightly.

"Even the headmaster doesn't know?"

"I can't be sure."

Swain said:

"The monastery has a long history, and some secrets have only been passed down among the abbots. Even the inner elders may not be qualified to know everything."

"This matter must be reported immediately."

He walked to a corner of the cave and pressed down on a protruding stone brick.

The stone wall silently parted, revealing a small communication array behind it.

Swain took out a white crystal and placed it in the center of the array, his spiritual power rapidly surging into it.

A few breaths later, the crystal lit up.

A deep voice came from within the formation.

"Swain?"

"Master, Xilun is back."

A brief silence fell on the other end of the communication array.

"Let him come to the Holy Light Tower."

Swain looked at Xiren.

"Can you still walk?"

"Can."

The two left the cliffside cave and followed the stone steps behind the mountain to the deepest part of the monastery.

Along the way, disciples kept recognizing Xilun.

Some were pleasantly surprised, some were shocked, and some had a flicker in their eyes, turning around and quickly leaving, clearly to tell others the news.

The news that Xilun had returned alive would soon spread throughout the entire inner courtyard.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the top of the Holy Light Tower.

The room was simpler than Xilun had imagined.

A dark wooden table, two rows of bookshelves filled with files, and portraits of past abbots hanging on the wall.

The air was filled with the faint smell of old paper and ink.

The abbot sat behind the table.

He wore a plain white robe, his face was old, but his eyes were unusually bright.

Xilun bowed.

The academy director gestured for him to sit down.

"Tell me the story again."

Xilun did not hesitate.

This time he spoke in much more detail than before, even drawing some of the rune shapes from the sacrificial plate on paper.

The director took the blueprints and looked at them for a long time.

"This kind of rune does not belong to any current array system."

"The monastery was indeed unaware of the seal at the bottom of the Blackwater Abyss."

Swain asked:

"And what about that spatial rift?"

The academy master looked at Xilun.

Xilun said:

"After the altar's transformation, space began to collapse. I was swept into the spatial turbulence and escaped hundreds of miles away from Star Ring City."

"Didn't you encounter anyone else along the way?"

"no."

Why would the lingering obsession of the Lord of Storms choose you?

"Perhaps it's related to my bloodline."

Xilun gave a pre-prepared answer.

The head of the academy did not ask any further questions.

The Stormbloodline involves the relationship between Siron and the Storm Duke, and even within the monastery, few people know about it.

Moreover, lingering obsessions are difficult to fathom using common sense.

They may awaken due to similar bloodlines, or they may simply be randomly selected as an inheritor before they dissipate.