Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun slowly clenched his five fingers.

After his strength reached 70% of its full potential, his control over his power improved once again.

If I were to fight Lancelot again now, even without using the Thunder Eagle, I could steadily suppress him with my Overturning Sea Technique and spear skills.

However, each of the top ten in the inner courtyard has their own trump card.

The top five disciples, in particular, have almost all achieved perfection in both physique and strength, and are only one step away from the fourth rank.

With their current strength, they still aren't good enough to break into the top five.

He needs more real-world experience.

Xilun finished his training and returned to his room.

The fourth-order manuscript on the table remains exactly as it was last night.

The cave owner did not leave his name, but recorded the entire process of his breakthrough to the fourth level in the manuscript.

Xilun started reading from the first page again.

"After reaching the third level of the ultimate realm, one's energy permeates the bones, and medicine is used to open the sealed areas of the bone marrow."

"On the first day, I experienced severe back pain, but it was still bearable."

"On the third day, cracks appeared in the bones of both arms, which were forcibly stabilized with the Zhenyue Bone."

"On the seventh day, the medicine penetrated deep into the bone marrow, and the body weight increased by 20%, and the strength became uncontrollable."

"The ninth day..."

The handwriting gradually became messy.

"Wrong."

"The essence of Zhenyue Bone is condensed from the earth, but my strength belongs to the wind element. The paths clash, and my bones cannot bear it."

"The medicine is correct, and the technique is correct."

"I was the one who was wrong."

Turning the paper over again, large patches of dark brown bloodstains began to appear on it.

The last few pages no longer record the cultivation process, but rather the insights of a dying man.

"Advancing to the fourth rank is not simply about strengthening the bones."

"When the vital energy enters the bone marrow, the practitioner must determine his or her path."

"Water is water, and fire is fire."

"If you want everything, you'll only end up with different forces clashing within you."

Xilun's gaze paused upon seeing this.

His power was more complex than that of the cave's master.

The feat of overturning the sea.

The Golden Thunder Vortex Sutra.

A chilling, dark aura.

The Heart of the Thunder Dragon.

Ancient waters.

The severed limbs of the eight-armed evil god.

These forces counterbalance each other, allowing him to fight enemies across realms, but also meaning that the risks of advancing to the fourth rank are far greater than for ordinary people.

To condense the first wisp of divine power, he must first determine which power to use as the foundation.

The answer given by the Lord of Storms was storm.

The wind itself is invisible, yet it can carry thunder, stir up the sea, and transform into snow and ice with its chill.

From this perspective, the storm is indeed the most suitable path to unify the power within him.

What to do with the severed limbs of the eight-armed evil god?

That dark red and black aura was incompatible with any power.

Once the energy penetrates deep into the bone marrow, the power of evil gods may also take the opportunity to invade the whole body.

"To devour, not to merge."

Xiren recalled the summary left by the Lord of Storms.

The storm does not need to accept the power of the evil god; it only needs to tear it apart, crush it, and turn it into pure nutrients, just as the thunder eagle devours thunder ore.

To devour the remains of an evil god with a human body is suicidal; the slightest mistake could lead to utter destruction.

But this is the only path he can take.

Xilun closed the manuscript.

Before he can truly advance to the fourth rank, he needs to confirm his own shortcomings through more battles.

In the afternoon, Xilun brought the Canglei Spear to the east side of the inner courtyard.

A pure white, nine-story tower stands in the center of the square.

The tower has no windows and its surface is carved with a large number of intricate runes.

Silver bells hang from each eave, and even though there is no wind, the bells ring out crisply from time to time.

The exquisite tower.

The inner courtyard of the Holy Light Monastery is a place specifically used for practical training.

The array within the tower can read the aura of those who enter and simulate the battle projections of the inner court disciples from past generations.

The projection won't actually kill the challenger, but it will make them clearly feel the pain of injury and death.

The ranking of the inner courtyard also depends in part on the performance of the Linglong Tower.

When Xilun entered the square, the surrounding disciples quickly recognized him.

Discussions then arose.

"Has he recovered from his injuries?"

"You just got back yesterday, and you're already challenging the Linglong Tower today?"

What was Xiren's previous ranking?

"He hasn't officially broken into the rankings in a long time; his last record seems to be below forty."

"That's meaningless now. He defeated Herbert and Lancelot in the Blackwater Abyss, so he's at least in the top twenty of the Inner Academy."

Someone lowered their voice and said:

"It's not just the top twenty."

"Didn't you see the wounds Tinos sustained when he left Wonderland?"

The surrounding noise immediately subsided.

Xilun ignored everyone and went straight to the entrance of the Linglong Tower.

The gray-robed deacon in charge of recording the rankings looked up.

After seeing Xilun clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Identity Token"

"It's lost."

Xilun said:

"The head of the academy should have already arranged for it to be reissued."

The grey-robed deacon had clearly heard about his situation.

He opened the roster on the table, confirmed that Xilun had returned yesterday, and then took out a temporary wooden plaque from the drawer.

"The first five floors of the Linglong Tower correspond to the ordinary third tier."

"Starting from the sixth floor, the projection will be continuously adjusted based on the challenger's past battles."

"Since you've been here before, I won't explain further."

Which floor are you ready to challenge?

"Let's start with the sixth floor."

A low gasp rippled through the square.

Most inner court disciples need to familiarize themselves with the rules from the first three levels when they first challenge the course.

Even the most powerful senior disciples, who haven't entered the Linglong Tower for a long time, will first adapt to the fifth level.

Xilun, however, directly chose the sixth floor.

The gray-robed deacon did not object and placed the temporary wooden sign into the groove next to the entrance.

The tower gate slowly opened.

A burst of white light emerged from behind the door.

"Once inside, the weapons and potions will be simulated by the formation."

"Real-world wear and tear will not be carried into the tower."

"If you can't handle it, just admit defeat."

Xilun nodded and stepped into the white light.

A brief feeling of weightlessness came over me.

When his vision cleared again, he was standing on a gray-white stone plain.

The sky was overcast.

A cold wind swept across the ground, carrying sand and dust.

Xilun glanced down; the Thunder Spear was still in his hand, and the power within him was almost identical to that in reality.

A hundred meters ahead, a blurry figure slowly materialized.

He was a tall man dressed in old-fashioned inner court attire, holding a dark silver battle axe in each hand.

The man's face was expressionless, but six energy lines lit up on his chest.

The third-order physique is perfected.

The physical tempering is nearly 80% complete.

Judging from his aura, he is at least equivalent to a disciple ranked between the fifteenth and twentieth in the Inner Court.

Xilun raised the Thunder Spear.

The projection has no opening.

The next moment, the rock beneath the man's feet suddenly shattered.

He traversed a hundred meters, wielding two battle axes, one above and one below, aiming for Xilun's head and abdomen respectively.

Before the axe blade even fell, the heavy wind pressure had already cracked two trenches in the ground.

Xilun did not retreat.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique surged into the spear.

clang!

The Thunder Spear accurately blocked the first battle axe.

Ninefold surge of energy erupted along the gun barrel, and the man's arm visibly slumped.

The second battle axe, however, bypassed the gun barrel and slashed horizontally from an extremely tricky angle.

Xilun used the Canglang Step, his body turning half a foot to the side like flowing water.

The axe blade grazed the hem of her clothes.

He twisted his wrist, and the spear slid forward, brushing against the first battle axe, its tip instantly piercing the man's throat.

The man suddenly lowered his head, his forehead colliding head-on with the tip of the gun.

A layer of dark silver light covered the skin.

The spear tip only penetrated half an inch before getting stuck.

At the same time, the two battle axes spun around, blocking Xilun's escape routes on both sides.

A strange light flickered in Xilun's eyes.

The projection of the Linglong Tower shows no fear, nor does it hesitate when its vital points are injured. Techniques that can force an enemy back in reality may not be effective here.

This is precisely the value of the Linglong Pagoda.

Xilun stomped his right foot on the ground, and golden lightning patterns lit up.

boom!

A violent burst of lightning force erupted along the Azure Thunder Spear.

The dark silver defense shattered instantly.

The projected head was pierced by a spear, but the body still maintained the axe-swinging motion.

When the two battle axes were only a foot away from Xilun, the projection finally exploded into a sky full of white light.

A silver number appeared in mid-air.

six.

Immediately afterwards, the gray-white stone began to change.

The ground collapsed, and a large expanse of black water surged in from afar. More than ten figures slowly rose from the water, each exuding an aura no weaker than that of an ordinary third-tier extraordinary individual.

Xilun stood in the center, gun in hand.

He did not immediately use the Thunder Eagle, nor did he unlock the Blood Lock.

The significance of the Linglong Tower is not to win quickly with the strongest trump card, but to squeeze out the limits of conventional strength.

The projections in the black water rushed towards them simultaneously.

Gunshots and lightning flashed, instantly illuminating the gloomy sky.

Outside the tower.

The rune representing the sixth level lit up for less than a quarter of an hour before quickly going out.

Immediately afterwards, the seventh layer of runes lit up.

Before the disciples could even begin to discuss it, the seventh layer of runes changed once more.

"It's approved?"

"So fast?"

The gray-robed deacon watched the numbers on the stone tablet change and slowly sat up straight.

Siren's name begins to rise from the forty-seventh position.

Thirty-nine.

Thirty-one.

Twenty-four.

With each jump in the rankings, the noise in the square subsided a little.

Until Xilun's name stopped at seventeenth.

A moment later, the eighth layer of runes lit up.

Inside the Linglong Tower, Xilun wiped away bloodstains that weren't actually on the tip of his spear.

The white mist ahead dissipated.

A woman carrying a long sword and with an indistinct face slowly walked out.

Two other projections followed closely behind her.

The three people's auras merged, forming a complete battle formation.

Celen's chest rose and fell slightly.

Although the previous continuous battles did not deplete my physical strength, my mental exhaustion was no different from that of a real fight.

He gripped the Thunder Spear tightly, and three golden thunder patterns lit up in succession.

Behind him, a ten-foot-tall phantom of a thunder eagle slowly spread its wings.

"The eighth floor."

"Then let's see how far I can go now."

The Thunder Eagle let out a sharp, clear cry.

The next instant, the four figures vanished from their original positions.

The sound of swords rang out first.

The eighth layer of grayish-white mist was suddenly torn apart, and the woman carrying a long sword took a step out. Her figure seemed to fold in mid-air for a moment before appearing in front of Xilun.

She did not draw the long sword from her back.

Two long, slender fingers joined together, pointing forward slightly.

laugh!

An invisible sword aura burst forth from his fingertips, aiming straight for Xilun's brow.

The other two projections also separated at the same moment. One person wielded a shield and crashed into Xilun's left side, while the other person formed hand seals, and a large number of sharp stone spikes immediately grew from the gray-white stone plain beneath their feet.

The three men's strengths merged together.

Sword energy is responsible for attacking and killing.

The giant shield blocks movement.

The stone spikes completely cut off Xilun's last escape route.

In just one encounter, Xilun felt a pressure on the eighth floor that was completely different from the previous seven floors.

The projections here no longer rely solely on strength and speed in combat, but can coordinate with each other and even adjust their battle formations based on the challenger's reactions.

"Good timing."

Xilun's eyes were calm, but his chest swelled up in an instant.

Great Thunder Breathing Method!

A muffled thunderous sound exploded within his body, and three golden lightning patterns lit up simultaneously.

The phantom of the Thunder Eagle behind him suddenly flapped its wings, and a circle of lightning, mixed with golden light and bluish-white, swept in all directions.

The stone spikes that had just emerged from beneath their feet were shattered by the lightning.

Xilun gripped the gun with both hands, the tip of the gun rising from below, precisely striking the sword energy.

clang!

Although it was just an invisible force, it produced a crisp sound like metal clashing when they collided.

The sword energy was deflected towards the sky.

Using the momentum of the spear's fall, Xilun twisted his waist, and with the heavy force of the slam, he smashed the shield that was charging from the left.

First layer.

triple.

Sixfold!

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique is like the tides of the sea, layering up along the shaft of the spear.

The shield-wielding projection paused, and the gray-white rock beneath its feet split open behind it.

But it held firm against the giant shield, instead of retreating like a normal enemy, it bent its back and used its shoulder to bear the heavy blow from the spear's butt.

The female swordsman seized the opportunity to draw her sword.

The moment the sword was drawn, the surrounding cold wind seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand.

Dozens of gray-white sword shadows fell from above.

Xilun's thunderous eye between his eyebrows opened.

In Lei Yan's vision, every sword shadow was real; although the power contained within them varied in strength, they were all lethal.

He didn't take the hit head-on.

He used the Canglang Step, his body suddenly lowered, and he swept through the narrow gap created by the shield projection.

Dozens of sword lights followed closely behind.

The projection in front changed its hand seals, and the shattered stone spikes transformed into gray chains that wrapped around Xilun's legs from the ground.

The battle formations change extremely quickly, giving players almost no time to breathe.

Xilun lightly touched a stone chain with his toes.

Lightning erupted.

His body was lifted up by the force, and his whole body and the Thunder Spear were aligned in mid-air.

The Thunder Eagle emitted a sharp, clear cry and suddenly merged into the spear.

The bluish-white spear light tore through the gray mist, carrying nine layers of surging energy as it rushed straight towards the projection responsible for forming the hand seals.

Of the three, this person is the least skilled in close combat, yet he is also the core of the battle formation.

But the female swordsman seemed to have already seen through Xilun's plan.

She shifted to the side, her figure mysteriously switching positions with the person performing the hand seals, and thrust her long sword forward.

The sword tip and the spear tip collided precisely.

A visible shockwave spread outwards.

Xilun's wrist trembled slightly.

His opponent's strength was not as great as his, but the energy on the sword's edge was extremely concentrated, like a red-hot iron needle, which actually pierced through the outermost layer of the Overturning Sea Technique's tidal energy and went straight to his palm along the Thunder Spear.

He clenched his fingers and used his lightning power to crush the sword energy.

The longsword projected by the sword cultivator suddenly softened, coiling around the spear shaft like a silver snake.

The shield-wielding projection crashed in from behind.

boom!

The giant shield slammed solidly into Xilun's back.

A layer of dark, shimmering water appeared on the side of my body, absorbing most of the impact.

The remaining force still propelled Xilun forward several steps, causing a tightness in his chest.

The female swordsman drew her sword again.

This time, the longsword pierced straight into the heart.

Xilun did not dodge.

His right arm muscles suddenly swelled, and the power of the shattering gold pincers flowed into his palm, allowing him to grab the opponent's sword blade with one hand.

The sharp force sliced ​​open the palm, bringing pain indistinguishable from a real injury.

Xilun's expression remained unchanged.

He pulled hard, and the sword cultivator's projected body immediately lost its balance.

The Thunder Spear flew out of his hand, piercing through the chest of the shield-wielding man behind him like a streak of blue-white lightning.

Immediately afterwards, Xiren lunged forward into the woman's arms, smashing her jaw with an elbow, snatched the longsword, and plunged it into her forehead.

puff!

Both projections simultaneously turned into white light.