Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Night fell outside the window.

Xilun stood in the center of the residence, the Thunder Spear silently thrusting out from his side.

There was no thunder.

There was no blast wave.

The candlelight in front of the spear tip suddenly went out, and a tiny white dot appeared on the wall behind it.

All the power was concentrated at the tip of the spear, with not a single ounce dissipating outwards.

Xilun rotated his wrist.

The thrusting spear was suddenly retracted, the shaft sliding past the arm, and the next thrust was raised diagonally upward from the side of the waist.

The gun's edge tore through the air.

A short clap of thunder immediately echoed in the room.

This time, the spear's momentum shifted from extreme stillness to extreme movement, with four golden lightning patterns flashing simultaneously.

The power of the Overturning Sea Technique erupted along the spear shaft, but the nine layers of tidal energy did not surge out immediately; instead, they were compressed layer by layer to a single point at the spear tip.

Until the tip of the gun landed on a black steel target used for practice.

Crack!

The black steel target, which was half a foot thick, split open from the center.

The inside of the crack was charred, but the outside was intact.

Xilun holstered his gun and stood up, exhaling slowly.

After five months of arduous training, his control over his power has reached a new level.

The lightning-summoning technique taught him to break violent lightning into tiny arcs of electricity, an experience that could also be applied to his marksmanship.

The Cang Lei Spear Technique originally emphasized the explosive and concentrated power of thunder.

In the past, he relied more on the Thunder Eagle and his own powerful strength to drive his attacks. Although his moves were fierce, they were not refined enough.

After encountering the mysterious gunsmith in the Linglong Tower, Xilun began to consciously correct these flaws.

Every time he practiced shooting, he would first exhaust all his strength.

Reactivate the Overturning Sea Technique to restore health.

After recovering, continue firing.

:

Once.

Ten times.

A hundred times.

His internal energy was rapidly depleted, but gradually replenished under the operation of the Overturning Sea Technique.

With each cycle, the experience gained from the Overturning Sea Technique will slowly increase, and the subtle stiffness in the spear technique will disappear.

The sky outside the window turned from black to white.

Xilun thrust his gun out again.

This time, the movements were extremely similar to the moves used by the black-clad gunslinger in the Linglong Tower that ultimately defeated him.

Release your right hand.

The black gun barrel rotated half a circle around his arm, and he caught the gun with his left hand, then thrust it forward from an extremely tricky angle.

The tip of the gun struck the center of the previously cracked black steel target.

哢哒.

It was as if some invisible barrier shattered in my mind.

All the gun techniques he had practiced in the past merged together at this moment.

From the first time he held a spear in the Fight Club, to fighting aliens at sea, to chasing Tinos in the Blackwater Abyss, and every clash with that mysterious spearman in the Linglong Tower...

A wealth of experience has come together.

The way of exerting force, which originally required conscious thought, has been completely transformed into a physical instinct.

A blurry message appeared before Xilun's eyes.

Thunderous Spear Technique, Master Level.

He closed his eyes and quietly contemplated for a moment.

A master is not someone who has learned more fancy moves.

Quite the opposite.

Many of the original complex changes have been discarded, making the remaining actions simpler and more direct.

Xilun opened his eyes again.

He thrust out the spear casually.

:

There was no activation of the Great Thunder Breathing Technique, nor did any thunder patterns appear.

The tip of the gun seemed to have instantly traversed several meters, retracting before the black steel target shattered completely.

A few breaths later, the entire black steel target collapsed silently, turning into more than a dozen metal fragments of almost the same size.

Xilun glanced at the Thunder Spear in his hand.

If he were to enter the eighth floor of the Linglong Tower again and face that mysterious gun cultivator, he still wouldn't be confident of victory.

But at least you can understand more of the opponent's shooting patterns.

Once you reach the master level in spear fighting, the efficiency of continuing to practice behind closed doors will gradually decrease.

To break through again, one needs to fight against a true master of guns.

However, there are more important things to do right now.

Before he knew it, six months had passed since he returned to the monastery.

Of the more than three thousand pounds of gold notes brought back from the Blackwater Abyss, a considerable amount has already been spent during the cultivation process.

Both the lightning technique and the qi tempering require a large amount of potions, and the remaining materials for the flawless golden body have not yet been gathered.

Instead of keeping the money in your hands, you should convert it into resources as soon as possible.

Xilun washed away the sweat, changed into a brand new set of inner courtyard clothes, and walked towards the west side of the inner courtyard.

The Monastery of Holy Light occupies a large area north of Star Ring City.

Besides the training grounds and inheritance sites, the academy also includes medicinal fields, alchemy workshops, forging workshops, and a treasure pavilion specifically for storing extraordinary materials.

The pavilion has five floors.

It looks like a gray-white square stone building, with doors and windows made of black iron mixed with anti-magic metal.

Two guards clad in silver armor stood outside the door, both exuding an aura of the perfect third rank.

Xilun presented his newly issued identity token.

After the guards have checked the area, they will allow you to enter.

"Inner court disciples can enter the first three levels."

"Some special items require the approval of the elders."

"The use of force or unauthorized touching of the sealed items is prohibited inside the treasure pavilion."

:

Xilun nodded and went inside.

A smell of herbs, metal, and old paper wafted towards me.

The first floor of the treasure pavilion is filled with a large number of ordinary and extraordinary materials, ranging from first-tier alien bones to second-tier potion ingredients.

Many outer disciples, accompanied by their deacons, carried lists and selected items.

Xilun didn't stop and went straight up to the third floor.

There were far fewer people on the third floor.

Rows of dark wooden cabinets extend along the wall, each cabinet enclosed by transparent crystal.

The interior contains Tier 3 potions, alien organs, rare ores, and special alchemical items.

Xi Lun walked slowly along the counter.

"Deep Sea Blue Marrow, extracted from the spine of a third-tier extreme-realm sea beast, can assist in the tempering of water-based energy. Price for inner court disciples: 180 pounds."

"Crimson Flame Lizard's life essence, enhances fire-type physique, 200 pounds."

"Thunder Source Pearl, formed by condensing the core of thunderstorms, can temper the body and assist in the cultivation of thunder techniques. It weighs 320 pounds."

Xilun stopped in front of the Thunder Source Pearl.

Inside the crystal case, a pale gold bead about the size of a thumb floats quietly, with tiny arcs of electricity flashing inside from time to time.

Ordinary Thunder Source Pearls still have some effect on him now.

However, the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture has already completed its fourth cycle. At this level, the thunder power can only be used to consolidate one's realm and is unlikely to bring about any significant improvement.

His gaze shifted to the brochure beside him.

Above the Thunder Source Pearl are even higher quality ones.

The highest-grade Thunder Source Pearl is collected from the core area of ​​a large thunderstorm, and it requires at least a fifth-tier extraordinary individual to collect it.

The internal lightning energy, after natural compression, is sufficient to help a fourth-order lightning magic practitioner temper their bones.

Xilun needs this kind of resource.

However, there was a line of small print next to the price.

Purchases are limited to core disciples and deacons within the academy.

"Core disciples..."

Xilun continued flipping through the pages.

:

The Purifying Essence Potion, which assists in refining Qi, can be purchased three times per year at the original price by core disciples.

The Star Silver Liquid, which can nourish bone marrow, requires an elder's guarantee for inner disciples, while core disciples can purchase it directly.

There are also some rare resources that are hard to find even at outside auctions. Core disciples not only have the right to purchase them, but can even exchange them with monastery contributions.

This is no longer just a simple price discount.

Rather, it was the Holy Light Monastery that truly began to open its inner resources to its disciples.

What qualifications are needed to become a core disciple?

Xilun looked at the butler behind the counter.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a monocle.

He looked up at Xilun, clearly recognizing this inner court disciple who was currently ranked tenth.

There are no fixed requirements for core disciples.

"Nominations are usually made jointly by the elders and the head of the academy, followed by the completion of corresponding assessments."

"Strength, potential, background, and contributions to the monastery will all be taken into consideration."

The middle-aged deacon adjusted his glasses.

"Currently, there are six core disciples in the academy."

"Allah is a fourth-tier extraordinary being who once single-handedly killed a fellow evil cultivator of the same tier in the Chaotic Sea."

"Although Tinos and Yormi are still at the third tier, they are young, have enough talent and background, and will soon be able to advance to the fourth tier."

"If you want to become a core disciple, you should at least maintain your ranking in the top ten of the inner academy."

Xilun seemed to be deep in thought.

Allah ranks first in the Inner Court and has already advanced to the fourth order.

Tinos was originally ranked second. Even though he was defeated by himself in the Blackwater Abyss, his physique and strength had already reached perfection, and his strength in normal circumstances was still extremely strong.

Yurmi ranked third, and was also a top genius of the younger generation.

The threshold for becoming a core disciple was higher than he had anticipated.

Xilun closed the brochure.

He didn't dwell on the top-grade Thunder Source Pearl. Instead, he selected a piece of Deep Sea Blue Marrow to stabilize his strength, and also purchased two kinds of materials to aid in thunder technique cultivation, as well as a third-grade top-grade medicine to nourish his internal organs.

The total cost was 680 pounds.

:

If purchased from outside sources, these items would cost at least 30% more, and it's not always possible to collect them all at once.

The status of an inner court disciple has already brought great convenience.

The privileges granted to core disciples will only become more astonishing.

Xilun packed up the materials and left the treasure pavilion.

The sunlight outside was just right.

Not far away stands a huge stone slab displaying the course schedule, which is updated daily with the teaching arrangements of the elders in the academy.

Xilun walked over and glanced at it.

Three days later, an elder who had been promoted to the fourth rank for many years would give a lecture on bone tempering techniques at the bottom of the Holy Radiance Tower. The course would cover the control methods when using Qi to penetrate bones, as well as the effects of different Qi attributes on the bones.

This is exactly what Xilun needs to know right now.

Although the manuscript left by the cave owner was detailed, it ultimately only recorded one failed experience.

To reduce the risk of career advancement, one must learn from the experiences of more successful people.

Xilun recorded the teaching time.

Just as he was about to leave, a heavy bell suddenly rang out from the direction of the central square in the inner courtyard.

Boom!

The sound of bells echoed through the layers of buildings, reverberating between the valleys and cliffs.

The disciples nearby all stopped in their tracks.

"Summoning bells?"

"What important thing happened today?"

"It's not an emergency bell; it should be an announcement about matters within the hospital."

More and more disciples rushed toward the central square.

After a moment's thought, Xilun followed the crowd toward the square.

When he arrived, hundreds of people had already gathered in the square.

A huge wooden notice board has been erected next to the central stone tablet, and two gray-robed deacons are pasting three sheets of white paper covered with writing on them.

At the very top is a line of bold text.

Assessment of candidates for core disciples.

:

The crowd immediately became restless.

"There are three people this year?"

"In previous years, there were at most one or two nominees, and some people didn't even get nominated for several years in a row."

Who are they?

The disciple standing in front read out the names.

"Randall".

"Hodgson."

"besides……"

His voice suddenly stopped.

The people next to them impatiently squeezed past.

"Who else?"

"Silon".

After a brief silence, a clamor of discussion erupted.

Xilun stood at the back of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over everyone and landing on the third notice.

He was also somewhat surprised.

The nomination of core disciples is usually communicated to the master in advance, but he had not heard any news from Swain beforehand.

Randall is currently ranked ninth in the inner court. His physique is already perfect, and his strength is also close to the limit.

Hodgson is the seventh in the Inner Court. Although he is a bit older than Randall, he has an extremely solid track record and has completed many dangerous missions with the Correctional Institution.

It is not surprising that these two were listed as prospective core disciples.

Xilun had only been in the inner court for eleven and a half years.

His cultivation level has not yet reached the third-tier extreme realm.

Many disciples' first reaction was disbelief.

"What gives him the right?"

"Because he forced Tinos to retreat in the Blackwater Abyss, and because he stabilized the tenth position of the Linglong Tower in just six months."

"Don't forget how old he is now."

:

"But core disciples don't face ordinary third-tier enemies. Without dual perfection, they can't even complete many of the assessments."

"Let's look at the assessment content first."

Several disciples squeezed to the front of the notice.

Randall's test was to achieve Qi Fusion within a year and single-handedly kill a designated Tier 3 Extreme Realm Aberrant.

Hodgson, on the other hand, had to complete a Class B disciplinary mission within nine months and endure half an hour on the eighth floor of the Linglong Tower.

Both are extremely difficult.

But when everyone saw the content of Xilun's assessment, the discussion paused for a moment.

The first item.

Within six months, he will cultivate the Overturning Sea Technique to perfection.

The second item.

Within eight months, he defeated the fifth-ranked disciple in the inner court.

The third item.

Within a year, he defeated the fourth-ranked disciple in the inner court.

The three assessments must be completed in sequence.

Failure in any one of these areas will result in immediate disqualification as a prospective core disciple.

"this……"

One of the disciples couldn't help but gasp.

"Perfecting the Overturning Sea Technique within six months is still somewhat possible. But can he defeat the fifth-ranked disciple of the Inner Academy in eight months?"

"Is Fifth already one foot in the fourth tier?"

"What's truly outrageous is the last one: defeating the fourth-ranked disciple within a year. That person was originally a prospective core disciple, but failed the final assessment and thus did not become a true core disciple."

"He is several years older than Xilun, has been cultivating for a longer time, and has no shortage of resources."

"This kind of assessment is not meant to make Xilun a core disciple, but is deliberately making things difficult for him."

Someone lowered their voice and said:

"Don't you know? The fourth one in the inner courtyard used to be Elder Swain's disciple, but later he betrayed the sect and joined another elder."

No wonder.

:

"But why should the feud between teachers and officers involve Xilun?"

All eyes gradually turned to them.

envious.

doubt.

pity.

There were also some gloating people waiting to see what happened.

Xilun's expression did not change much.

Six months ago, he had just entered the top ten when he conquered the Linglong Tower.

Now that the Golden Thunder Vortex has completed its fourth transformation, the pollution from the evil god's power has been removed, and the Azure Thunder Spear Technique has reached the master level.

Even though his strength was not yet fully restored, he was already much stronger than before.

The fifth-ranked student in the inner court is indeed very strong.

Fourthly, he was a top figure who was once qualified to challenge for the position of core disciple.

But a year is enough time for a lot to happen.

Xilun walked up to the notice and carefully read the rules at the end.

During the assessment, participants may use their own cultivation techniques, weapons, potions, and talents obtained from hunting alien species, but may not rely on external objects that exceed their own cultivation level.

The battle must be witnessed by at least three elders.

If the other party advances to the fourth rank before the assessment deadline, the assessment target will be replaced by the third-rank disciple with the closest ranking.

There are no obvious loopholes in the rules.

It's not so unfair that it's completely impossible to complete.

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