Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Can the location of the spatial rift still be determined?

"cannot."

Is the altar still in its original location?

"I don't know."

Does that obsession still exist?

"It has dissipated."

The academy director asked several questions in succession, but ultimately could not obtain any further clues.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"The Blackwater Abyss is now closed."

"The elders tried to reopen the entrance, but discovered that the coordinates of the wonderland had shifted. For the time being, no one was able to enter again."

"Based solely on a single experience and a few fragmented runes, it is impossible to determine the current state of that altar."

Xilun said:

"The seal can last for a maximum of ten years."

"I know."

The abbot raised his eyes.

"This matter ends here."

Swain frowned.

"Master?"

"It's not that we're ignoring it, but rather that we don't know where to begin."

The academy director calmly said:

"I will send the message to the Holy See and consult the oldest records in the monastery. Until the Blackwater Abyss reappears, any speculation is meaningless."

"Siren, from this day forward you shall not speak of the altar, the Lord of Storms, or that evil god to anyone else."

"As for why you left the Wonderland, just say that a spatial rift appeared on the seabed and swept you hundreds of miles away."

"I know nothing else."

Xilun was not surprised by this.

He nodded in agreement.

The eight-armed evil god is too high a level to be interfered with by a third-tier extraordinary being.

Even if the monastery knew that the seal was loosening, it was impossible for them to immediately send disciples to investigate.

Bringing the message back alive is the best he can do right now.

The abbot then looked at his right arm.

"Is what's inside you related to that evil god?"

Xilun's gaze narrowed slightly.

Swain also turned his head.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

After a moment, Xilun said:

"Just speculation."

"When it was summoned by the altar, it tried to leave my body."

The academy master remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his hand.

A ray of pure white light fell from his fingertips and stopped above Xilun's right arm.

Below the sleeve, thirty-six blood locks tightened simultaneously.

The dark red and black mist deeper inside seemed to sense a threat and began to slowly writhe.

The abbot immediately withdrew his power.

"The seal is exquisite."

"Forcibly removing it may disrupt the balance."

"Since it's currently under your control, let's leave it as it is. Come find me again when you're ready to advance to the fourth rank."

Xilun's heart stirred slightly.

"Does the academy master know how to condense the power of the storm?"

"have no idea."

The academy director stated frankly:

"But the monastery knows where to find the relevant records."

"The premise is that you can make it that far alive."

The conversation has now ended.

Siren and Swain left the Tower of Saints.

After walking a distance, Swain suddenly stopped.

"You've concealed part of the truth."

Xilun also stopped.

"Yes."

Swain looked at him for a moment but did not ask any further questions.

"What a higher being leaves behind is not necessarily all opportunity. You may think you are using it, but it may also be using you to accomplish some other purpose."

"I see."

"You'd better really understand."

Swain continued walking forward.

Just as we left the area where the Holy Light Tower was located, a tall figure emerged from behind a stone pillar.

Lancelot, holding the Frost Tide Blade, had clearly been waiting for some time.

"Are you done talking?"

"Um."

Can you tell me?

"cannot."

Lancelot was not surprised.

He walked down the stone steps side by side with the two men, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"There's one more thing."

"Tinos already knows you're back."

West Ham's progress has not stopped.

"Faster than I expected."

"There are eyes everywhere in the inner courtyard. Since you came back from the main gate, the news naturally couldn't be kept secret."

Lancelot lowered his voice.

"Although he has been recuperating in seclusion these past few days, the Tinos family has already sent him medicine. Given the severity of his injuries, he should be able to recover most of his health in two months at most."

"In the Blackwater Abyss, you defeated him by using the power of deep water."

"Are you confident you can win again if you leave that environment?"

Xilun pondered for a moment.

"Not at the moment."

Lancelot was somewhat surprised by this answer.

Given Xilun's personality, the fact that he could so directly admit he wasn't confident indicates that the gap between the two sides is indeed quite large.

That's why I reminded you.

"Tinos is not someone who will easily let go of hatred, especially since you caused him to lose the opportunity of the Hunting Day and forced him out of the Wonder Realm in front of so many disciples."

"Try not to leave the monastery alone during this time."

"He wouldn't dare kill you directly in the courtyard."

Xilun nodded.

"I've got it."

"Just to write it down?"

"Otherwise what?"

Lancelot was taken aback.

"At least act a little nervous."

"Being nervous won't solve anything."

Xilun said calmly:

"If Tinos comes to me now, I will concede defeat. I will wait until I have completed the remaining tempering of my energy before I go and fight him back."

Lancelot was momentarily speechless.

This sense of entitlement is more alarming than any grand pronouncement.

Xiren never thought that a single defeat would determine anything.

As long as you live, your strength will continue to grow. Those you cannot defeat now may not be invincible forever.

Moreover, he is only 40% away from reaching the third-tier extreme realm through tempering his remaining strength.

After returning to his cave dwelling on the cliff, Swain had two tightly sealed boxes brought to him.

The first box was made of cold jade. When it was opened, white cold air instantly spread across the table.

Inside the box were two slender-necked crystal bottles filled with a viscous liquid that shimmered like ice shards.

The second box was entirely dark red.

As soon as the lid was opened, a scorching heat immediately rushed out.

Three fist-sized, crimson fruits lay quietly on a black cloth, their peels covered with natural fire patterns.

"Ice Spirit Elixir, Fire Spirit Fruit."

Swain said:

"With the Bone-Dark Grass and Dark Bone Leaf in your possession, you now have all the main ingredients for refining the Bone-Dark Elixir."

"However, you cannot refine it immediately."

Why?

"Your strength is not yet fully developed, and your internal organs have been impacted by spatial turbulence."

Swain looked at him.

"The Bone-Refining Elixir is a potion prepared for fourth-order bone tempering, and its medicinal properties are extremely potent. If the proportions are incorrect, the first thing to be corroded will be the user's own bones."

"I need to restore my body to its peak condition before considering refining it."

Xilun carefully put away the two boxes.

"How long will it take?"

"With your recovery ability, half a month should be enough."

"Too long."

Swain gave a cold laugh.

"If you find it too slow, you can try drinking a bottle now."

"If your bones decay into an empty shell, I will find you a quiet burial place."

Xilun did not speak again.

He knew perfectly well that Swain was reminding him.

Advancing to the fourth tier is unlike any previous breakthrough.

Before reaching the third level, even if one fails in cultivation, the damage is mostly limited to the meridians and the backlash of energy.

The fourth level requires truly reaching the depths of the bones; one wrong step and the whole person may collapse from the inside out.

There's no point in being impatient.

By the time I got back to my lodgings, it was already dark.

Xilun pushed open the door to the house, which had been uninhabited for a long time.

There wasn't much dust inside, and the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, indicating that someone regularly came to clean.

A small bunch of dried blue wildflowers sat on the windowsill.

He looked at it for a moment and recognized it as the Soul Purifying Flower commonly found on the outskirts of the Blackwater Abyss.

It must have been Elena who put it here.

Xilun didn't touch it, but simply leaned the Thunder Spear against the wall, and then took out the items he had brought back from the mountain cave one by one.

Thick soil, no roots, no leaves.

Bone-Melting Grass.

Dark Bone Leaf.

Ice Spirit Elixir.

Fire Spirit Fruit.

Purple Thunder Bone-Tempering Grass.

The incomplete "Zhenyue Bone".

And a few pages of manuscript recording the process of that third-tier extreme realm expert's failed attempt to break through to the fourth tier.

Looking at the items covering the entire table, Xiren's next steps quickly became clear in his mind.

First, cultivate the fourth stage of the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture.

Second, complete the remaining energy tempering and step into the third-tier extreme realm.

Third, begin refining the Bone and Nether Elixir.

Fourth, study the insights left behind by the cave dwelling owner when he broke through to the fourth level.

Fifth, enter the Linglong Tower to hone your combat skills and strive for a higher ranking in the inner courtyard.

Top ten.

Even in the top five.

Xilun's gaze fell on the last page of the manuscript.

There was only one line of distorted writing on the yellowed paper.

"The skeleton never carries power, but rather the path of the extraordinary."

The lamplight flickered slightly.

He picked up the manuscript and began to read it page by page.

The lights in the room remained on until late at night.

early morning.

Before the first bell of the monastery rang, Siron had already arrived at the meditation room behind his residence.

The heavy stone door closed behind us.

The walls of the cultivation room were inlaid with lightning-guiding copper plates, and the floor was engraved with simple spirit-gathering patterns.

This place was originally only for practicing lightning-based combat techniques and could not withstand too much power, but Xilun is not prepared to go all out today.

He sat cross-legged on the central stone platform, placing the piece of purple-gold thunder ore that had not yet been completely depleted in front of him.

The ore was only half the size it originally was, and the natural gold patterns on its surface had become much dimmer.

However, as the Thunder Dragon's Heart beat, a faint response still emanated from the depths of the ore.

Xilun closed his eyes.

The first three cycles of the Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra operate simultaneously.

Boom!

The Thunder Dragon's heart throbbed powerfully.

A wisp of bluish-white lightning energy flowed from the heart, spreading along the meridians towards the chest.

Three golden lightning patterns lit up in succession, and the surrounding air instantly became scorching, with tiny arcs of electricity dancing on the surface of the stone platform.

The key to cultivating the fourth stage is not just condensing the fourth lightning pattern.

Each rotation of the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture requires the formation of a tiny thunder vortex within the body.

The first three vortexes correspond to flesh, tendons, and meridians, respectively, while the fourth one is located near the internal organs.

This is also why Xilun failed to break through in the Blackwater Abyss.

While his physique was indeed strong, his internal organs were still not fully adapted to the ferocity of Jin Lei.

If it is forcibly condensed, the fourth lightning pattern will not even take shape before the lightning power tears the heart and lungs apart.

Xilun did not rush to absorb the mine.

He first activated the Overturning Sea Technique, using ancient water energy to envelop his internal organs, and then dispersed the profound yin coldness into extremely fine cold currents, slowly spreading along the fourth rotation route.

The water's breath is gentle.

The chill has subsided.

The two forces seemed to be paving a narrow path for the impending thunder.

After doing all this, Xilun placed his palm on the purple-gold mine.

hum!

The golden veins inside the ore suddenly lit up.

A surge of pure lightning energy flowed into his palm.

Instantly, dense blue-white arcs of electricity appeared on Xilun's arm skin, and the lightning-conducting copper plates on the four walls of the training room trembled at the same time, emitting a low hum.

Lei Li rushed into his chest along the predetermined path.

A sharp, intense pain followed.

Even though he had already experienced it once, Xiren's breath still caught in his throat for a moment.

The lightning power of the fourth revolution was more condensed than that of the first three revolutions. Wherever it passed, it felt as if countless fine needles were piercing flesh at the same time.

Several meridian cracks that had not yet fully healed were stimulated, and tiny beads of blood immediately seeped out.

Xilun's expression remained unchanged.

The Moon Memory Meditation Technique is activated, and a silver moon hangs high in the spiritual world.

All pain was stripped from consciousness.

It's not that he can't feel it, it's just that he doesn't allow pain to interfere with his judgment.

Fifteen minutes later, the first wisp of lightning reached the heart and lungs.

The faint lightning mark on Xilun's chest lit up.

Fine golden lines, thinner than a hair, slowly extended to both sides.

Just as it was about to close, a heavy pressure suddenly came from the heart.

Boom!

The Thunder Dragon's heart pounded violently.

The violent force ripped open a crack in the ancient water, and a few streaks of lightning almost pierced through its lungs.

Xilun immediately stopped absorbing the substance.

The icy coldness suddenly contracted, freezing the scattered lightning at the edge of the meridians.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique followed closely, using layers of tidal force to push it back to the fourth rotation route.

The entire process lasted only a few breaths.

Xilun's back was already soaked with cold sweat.

If the reaction had been even slightly slower, the lungs would have been burned through at least several tiny holes.

He did not continue his attack.

The lightning energy within his body circulated through the first three vortexes, slowly returning to calm.

The fourth lightning mark on his chest was nearly twice as clear as before, but it still hadn't completely closed.

"Almost there."

Xilun opened his eyes.

After his first failure, he realized that he could not force his way through the fourth transformation using only lightning power.

The internal organs are the real limitation.

He needs to first refine his Qi to make the Qi of the Overturning Sea Technique completely smooth and round, and then use the Qi to nourish his internal organs.

By then, the required endurance for the fourth revolution will naturally be sufficient.

Xilun put away the mine, showing no impatience despite the failed breakthrough.

If you can confirm the direction, then you haven't wasted time.

After a short rest, he took out the incomplete black crystal he had obtained from the Blackwater Abyss.

These black crystals are mostly only the size of a fingernail, and their effects are limited when refined individually.

However, when more than ten are gathered together, they can still provide considerable assistance in tempering one's strength.

Xilun placed the black crystal in front of him and began to circulate the Overturning Sea Technique.

Deep blue energy surged from his palm, enveloping all the black crystals.

Crack!

The first black crystal shattered.

A chilling power surged into his body, accompanied by chaotic roars and the sound of seawater crashing.

A dark sea flashed before Xilun's eyes, where dozens of indistinct sea creatures were tearing at each other in the deep sea, their blood staining the seawater dark red.

The silver moon slowly turned.

All illusions shattered instantly.

The pure power remaining in the black crystal was drawn into the dantian by the Overturning Sea Technique and then dispersed to the limbs and bones.

Tempering one's physical strength is different from tempering one's physique.

A perfect physique means that the flesh, tendons, and bones have reached a certain stable limit.

To achieve a smooth and rounded flow of energy, one must eliminate all stagnation and blockage in the force, allowing each strand of energy to move freely at will.

For a normal Tier 3 Extraordinary being, it would take several years or even more than ten years to complete this process.

Xilun possesses the Heart of the Thunder Dragon and the Ancient Breath of Water, allowing him to recover his strength far faster than ordinary people. Having also experienced the extreme environment of the Blackwater Abyss, his tempering speed is already astonishing.

However, the closer one gets to the extreme, the slower the improvement becomes.

One by one, the black crystals shattered.

The deep blue energy repeatedly compresses and expands within the body, and each time it passes through the tiny meridians, it wears away some of the roughness.

Two hours later, the last black crystal turned into powder.

The aura of Xilun gradually subsided.

Despite the apparent lack of change, the power of the Overturning Sea Technique in his dantian was even calmer than before.

With a slight thought, a wisp of energy condensed in his palm, without dissipating in the slightest.

"Nearly 70%."