Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 663 Celtic Anxiety

Moen did not lie about the number of fruits.

Xilun approached the Treasure Tree and carefully examined the surroundings.

Near the tree roots lay a layer of shed, dark red soft skin, its shape remarkably similar to the fleshy opening on the belly of a ferocious beast.

Several young, unhardened thorns still clung to the soft skin.

Clearly, the ferocious beast had undergone some kind of transformation due to its long-term consumption of the power emitted by the Thunder Spirit Tree.

This layer of soft skin is also an extraordinary relic formed naturally.

It has a significant absorption effect on strength and retains extremely strong toughness.

If made into close-fitting soft armor, it might be able to weaken the force of an enemy's attack.

Xilun carefully rolled up the soft skin and placed it together with the gastric stone.

Then, he took out a small jade knife and picked off the six Thunder Spirit Fruits one by one.

As soon as the Thunder Spirit Fruit left the branch, the electric arc on its surface quickly subsided.

The stone chamber was filled with a rich, refreshing fragrance. After taking a few breaths, Xilun's golden lightning vortex within his body began to operate at an accelerated pace.

Three of them are enough to work with the top-grade Thunder Source Pearl to attempt to advance the fifth transformation of the "Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture".

The remaining three can be kept as potion ingredients or exchanged for other cultivation resources.

As for the Thunder Spirit Tree itself, Xilun did not destroy it.

This exotic plant has extremely high requirements for its growing environment; forcibly digging it up will likely cause it to wither and die immediately.

Leave the roots behind, and perhaps it will bear fruit again decades later.

He organized everything, carried it back and forth several times, and piled it into two heavy leather bags outside the cave.

The sky was gradually darkening.

The sea breeze swept through the mountains and forests, dispelling the stench of blood from the hollow.

Xiren took one last look at the spot where Moen and the other two had disappeared.

The three of them had a pretty good plan.

The location, bait, escape route, and the division of the loot after the murder were all arranged in advance.

Their only miscalculation was that they mistook Xilun for an ordinary rogue cultivator who was injured and didn't understand the field.

The difference between hunter and prey can sometimes be a matter of a single thought.

Xilun slung the waist bag containing gold notes and medicine over his shoulder, and then used the sinews of ferocious beasts to bind the two large bags of materials.

The trip was far more fruitful than expected.

The package included the Whale Swallowing Technique, six Thunder Spirit Fruits, a ferocious beast's stomach stone, thorny soft skin, over thirty scales, and potions, materials, and gold notes worth thousands of pounds.

But the real problem has not yet been solved.

Although the fourth-tier extraordinary individual from the Copper Coin Merchant Guild was seriously injured, he did not die.

The young master they mentioned is most likely Celt.

There are still seven or eight months until the second assessment.

The Celts, however, could no longer contain themselves and even sent fourth-tier experts to intercept people in the wild.

Xilun gripped the Thunder Spear, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"We'll settle this score when we get back."

He dragged his spoils out of the valley.

Meanwhile, on a hillside shrouded in night in the distance, a gray-feathered messenger bird took flight and sped toward Star Ring City.

The grey-feathered messenger bird swept across the layered mountains, through the deepening night, and finally landed on the copper frame of a luxurious mansion in a mountain village.

The servant standing guard by the window immediately reached out and grabbed the messenger bird, untying the secret message from its thin leg.

A moment later, the study door was gently pushed open.

Celt was sitting behind a long black wooden table.

A silver wine glass sat on the table, its crimson liquid swirling gently with his fingers.

Several beautiful maids knelt quietly to the side, looking exhausted and pale.

"Young Master, news has come back from the north."

The servant bent down and handed over the secret letter.

Celtic casually took it, his gaze sweeping over the paper, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

The letter contained only a few lines of text.

The cloud-piercing eagle fell.

The target has been lost.

Lord Kaiyou's whereabouts are unknown.

Celt gripped the letter tightly with his fingertips, and the fragile paper immediately crumpled into a ball.

"Missing?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly made the atmosphere in the room feel oppressive.

The maids on either side lowered their heads, even their breathing became much more careful.

Celtic slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, lights twinkled, and white steam billowed from the steam pipes drifted over the eaves before being dispersed by the cold wind.

Kaiyou is a hidden fourth-tier extraordinary individual in the Copper Coin Trading Company, and also his uncle.

Although he has only recently advanced to the fourth rank and his foundation is not yet fully stable, the fourth rank is still the fourth rank.

The internal energy has begun to penetrate the bone marrow, and there is a fundamental difference in strength compared to the third rank.

The task he assigned to Kaiyou was not complicated.

Simply bring Xilun to the designated location, which is here.

A mansion he had previously acquired.

Manpower has already been deployed here. He will personally step in to defeat Xilun and make this new disciple chosen by Swain understand that so-called hard work in building a foundation is insignificant in the face of true talent and resources.

But now, the Flowing Cloud Eagle has fallen, Xilun has disappeared, and even Kaiyou has vanished without a trace.

"impossible."

Celtic uttered three words softly.

He didn't believe that Xilun could defeat a fourth-tier extraordinary being.

Even though Kaiyou has just broken through, he is by no means someone who can be contended with at the third rank.

Could something else have happened on the way?

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard.

The guards' exclamations followed.

"Lord Kaiyou!"

"Go get the healing potion quickly!"

Celt suddenly turned around in the study.

The next moment, the door was pushed open from the outside.

A disheveled figure staggered in, leaning against the doorframe.

The man's robe was so worn that its original color was no longer visible, and it was covered in mud and dried blood.

His right leg was wrapped in thick bandages, and his body would twitch slightly with every step he took.

His face was covered with small wounds, and his hair was stuck to his forehead with mud and water. He no longer had any of the composure of a fourth-level expert.

Celtic stood there, stunned.

"uncle?"

The man who entered was Kaiyou.

Upon seeing Kaiyou's appearance, Celtic's eyes flashed with undisguised surprise.

"How did you become like this?"

Kaiyou did not answer immediately.

He waved for the guards who were about to help him to leave, then dragged his injured leg to a chair and slowly sat down.

These few steps alone caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

"Give me a potion to restore my bones."

The servant dared not delay and immediately took a dark blue medicine bottle from the cabinet.

Kaiyou pulled out the stopper and drank the medicine in one gulp.

The cooling medicinal effect spread down his throat, and his pale complexion finally recovered a little.

The Celtics have run out of patience.

"Where is Xilun?"

They ran away.

Kaiyou raised her eyelids, her voice slightly hoarse.

Celtic paused for a moment, then wondered if he had misheard.

"What did you say?"

"I said, he ran away."

Kaiyou took a deep breath and recounted the entire story of what happened on the Flowing Cloud Carving.

From Xilun recognizing his identity, to demanding the Flowing Cloud Eagle descend, and then suddenly leaping from hundreds of feet in the air, using the Soul-Suppressing Nails...

He killed the Cloud Eagle, forcing the two of them to fall together.

Kaiyou spoke very slowly.

Whenever he recalls the sight of the Floating Cloud Eagle flipping over out of control, his right leg aches.

That's not a decision an ordinary person could make.

If Siren were to deliberately jump from a height of hundreds of feet, and his position were slightly too high, or if the treetops failed to absorb enough force, he would be instantly smashed into a bloody pulp.

But the young man did not hesitate at all.

Even before jumping, he had already planned how to drag him into a desperate situation as well.

"After I fell, my right leg broke, and the bone pierced through my flesh."

Kaiyou glanced down at her injured leg, her face grim. "He was clearly injured too, but he didn't run away. Instead, he came back to me on his own initiative."

"Does he dare to come back?"

Anger flashed in Celtic's eyes.

Kaiyou remained silent for a moment.

"He wanted to kill me."

The study fell silent immediately.

The scarlet liquid in the glass swirled gently, reflecting Celtic's somber face.

Kaiyou continued, "That kid's marksmanship has reached the master level, and his attacks are extremely ruthless. He never attacked my vital points, but kept his eyes on my broken leg and the wounds left from the fall."

"I have just completed the process of internalizing my Qi into my bones. If I forcibly activate my divine power, my foundation may suffer irreparable damage."

"If I keep fighting, I might be able to kill him, but I'll also be crippled."

At this point, a flash of annoyance crossed Kaiyou's face.

He, a fourth-tier extraordinary being, was actually forced to this extent by a third-tier being.

If word gets out that this happened, his prestige in the copper coin trading company, built up over many years, will surely be completely destroyed.

But he knew even more clearly that Xilun did not rely on luck.

The other party was calculating from beginning to end.

The terrain, the location of the fall, the injuries, the cost that both sides could bear, and even the fact that he had just broken through to the fourth rank and his foundation was unstable were all taken advantage of to the fullest extent.

"I smashed the trees to block his view and temporarily escaped his pursuit."

Kaiyou said coldly, "But that kid tore open my clothes during the fight, so he should have seen the merchant's mark."

Snapped!

The silver goblet was smashed hard on the ground.

The wine splashed everywhere, rolling across the smooth floor and landing near a maid's knee.

The maid trembled, but dared not move.

Celtic's chest heaved, and the anger in his eyes almost solidified.

"waste!"

"A mere Tier 3 has managed to outmaneuver us like this!"

He had barely finished speaking when he noticed Kaiyou raise her head.

His face, covered in mud, showed little expression, but his gaze turned cold.

Celtic felt a chill run down his spine.

Kaiyou was, after all, his uncle, and a genuine fourth-tier extraordinary being.

Even if things go wrong this time, he has no right to scold him like he would an ordinary servant.

Celtic suppressed his anger, snorted coldly, and turned around to kick over the chair next to him.

"I wasn't talking about your uncle."

"I'm talking about the search team. You were so badly injured, and they couldn't find a single clue!"

Kaiyou knew that this was just a face-saving remark, but she didn't pursue the matter further.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and felt the medicine seep into his broken bones.

"Xilun must have gone to the Fire Ghost Tribe."

"Before I came back, I had people in the vicinity search the mountains and roads. As long as he's still in that area, he'll always leave traces."

Celt paced back and forth in the room.

The soles of their shoes stepped over the spilled wine, leaving a trail of dark red footprints.

Things had completely spiraled out of his control.

He originally only intended to defeat Xilun in a secluded place and destroy his confidence, and did not intend to actually kill a prospective core disciple.

But now, the markings of the copper coin trading company have been exposed.

Anyone who isn't an idiot like Xilun could follow this clue and think of him.

"uncle."

Celt stopped and suddenly asked, "Just how strong is he?"

Kaiyou opened her eyes.

"Very strong."

That's not what I was asking.

Celtic stared at him. "Between him and me, who is stronger?"

The servants and maids in the study lowered their heads even further.

They have no right to hear these kinds of questions.

Kaiyou did not answer immediately.

He recalled the brief encounter in the woods.

Despite being severely injured, with broken ribs and unsteady breathing, Siren was still able to force him to retreat with his masterful marksmanship.

More importantly, his judgment regarding timing and the extent of his injuries was completely unlike that of a young man who had only been practicing for a little over five years.

If Xilun could be restored to its peak —

Kaiyou frowned slightly.

When Celt saw this, his heart sank.

"What, is it hard to answer?"

"no."

After a moment's thought, Kaiyou calmly said, "His Overturning Sea Technique should have completed 80% of its power tempering, but it's still some distance from the third-tier extreme realm. Although his spear technique is strong, his physical strength and mental power are still deficient."

"At present, he is three points worse than the young master."

This statement is not an exaggeration.

Celt has cultivated the "Blood Prison Heart Sutra Blade Chapter" to the point where his strength has been tempered to 90%, and he has also mastered the spiritual secret technique that his family obtained at a huge cost.

Celtic's fighting ability is indeed terrifying, but in a direct confrontation, Celtic still holds the advantage.

However, Celtic felt no relief after hearing this.

Instead, it made me even more irritable.

Three points away.

Was it really a three-point difference, or was Kaiyou just trying to save face by saying something nice?

Could someone who forced Kaiyou, who had just broken through to the fourth rank, to retreat in such a sorry state really be weaker than himself?

Even if Kaiyou wasn't exaggerating, Xilun is only three points behind him now. What about eight months from now?

Xilun completed the first assessment in just three months.

The other party has only been cultivating for a little over five years.

This rate of improvement cannot be measured by the standards of a normal genius.

Celt suddenly felt that the cold words on the test transcript were turning into an invisible hand, slowly choking him.

With each step Xilun took forward, that hand tightened its grip.

He once thought that he could easily sever Swain's last hope simply by standing still and waiting.

In retrospect, it seems that he is the one who has truly been pushed to the brink.

"no."

Celt muttered to himself.

He walked to the wall and pulled out the long black and gold sword that was hanging there.

His eyes were reflected in the blade.

Anger, fear, and resentment intertwined in those eyes.