Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

"I had originally prepared a deer antler cream for Kanavi to refine the skin membrane."

He stood up, walked to the cabinet against the wall, squatted down, and pulled open the bottom drawer.

Deep inside the drawer, there was a flat black box.

Carlo presented it with both hands, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

"This might satisfy you."

"As for Kanavi, I will prepare a new one for him."

Xilun reached out and took the box.

His movement paused for a moment as his fingertips touched the lid of the box.

The box is not heavy.

But a very faint pulling sensation rose from my palm, running down my arm and into my chest.

It wasn't pain, nor was it heat.

It was more like a thirst—every muscle in the body was gently contracting towards the box, like parched earth smelling the scent of rain.

"Deer antler cream...a pound can only buy a fingernail-sized amount, a legendary tonic with extremely strong effects on the baptismal stage of extraordinary beings."

Xilun nodded slightly, put it in his arms with satisfaction, and stood up.

"In that case, I'll be leaving."

"You can handle the rest directly with the dock operators."

Carlo stood up, clasped his hands in front of him, and bowed slightly.

Thank you for taking care of our family.

Xilun shook his head.

"It's just a transaction."

He opened the door to the back room, and a cold wind rushed in.

Carlo watched his figure disappear into the coal smoke at the street corner, stood there for a long time, and then turned back to tidy up the teacups on the table.

......

Golden Rooster Hotel, Room 302.

Xilun closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh.

With my shoulders off my shoulders, I feel so much better.

He took off his shirt and threw it on the back of the chair, walked into the cramped bathroom, and turned on the tap.

Warm water washes away the day's sweat and coal dust.

Xilun closed his eyes and let the water pour down over his head, relaxing the muscles between his shoulder blades one by one.

After drying himself off, he pulled out an oil paper package from under the bed.

The blood of the earth dragon.

The paste was dark brown and had a strong fishy smell, like crushed mud mixed with rust.

He scooped out a piece and spread it evenly on his chest and forearms.

When the cream touches the skin, a stuffy heat seeps into the pores, and the muscle fibers feel as if they have been kneaded by an invisible hand.

Xilun took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to practice the Iron Wall Breathing Technique.

The energy flowed beneath the skin, and the skin surface felt slightly hot.

After repeating the process several times, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the black box.

The lid is open.

Inside was a semi-transparent, milky-white paste, much finer in texture than earthworm blood, with a faint herbal fragrance.

Deer antler cream.

Xilun dipped his index finger in the mixture and applied it to the palm of his left hand.

It feels warm to the touch, like melting ice spreading across the skin.

next moment.

The pale red data stream deep within the retina pulsed violently.

The progress bar for the Iron Wall Breathing Technique suddenly jumped forward.

In the blink of an eye, he jumped one step.

[Skill: Iron Wall Breathing Technique (Proficient)]

[Progress: 479/500]

Xilun froze.

He looked down at the thin layer of milky white ointment residue on his palm, then looked up at the progress numbers floating in the corner of his vision.

wrong.

He used the earthworm's blood for a while, applying it every day, and the effect was already very obvious.

But compared to this deer antler cream, the difference is too great.

Xilun applied another layer, this time to his forearms and chest/abdomen.

The moment the cream seeps into the skin, it's as if all the pores on your body open up at once.

A cool, refreshing energy seeped into my limbs along my meridians, gently stretching my fascia and sending a subtle tingling sensation deep into my bones.

The progress bar jumped again.

Extremely excited.

He became serious, adjusting his body to a special rhythm, his breathing possessing a mysterious cadence, and wholeheartedly absorbing this extraordinary substance.

Siren sat cross-legged, placed his palms on his knees, closed his eyes, and focused entirely on the cycle of breathing exercises.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Strength surged within him, like an underground river stirred by spring water. With each breath, he could feel his skin tightening, thickening, and inching closer to a certain critical point.

The sky outside the window changed from gray-blue to pitch black.

The footsteps in the hotel corridor gradually faded away.

Xilun remained motionless.

The sheets were soaked with sweat.

All night long.

Xilun's body was like a tireless furnace, with energy surging, burning, and forging between his skin and flesh.

Every breath was accompanied by a scalding heat.

Air enters the lungs through the nasal cavity, is heated by body temperature as it passes through the chest cavity, and is then slowly exhaled through the gaps between the teeth.

The muscles contract and expand continuously with this repeated breathing, and a fine blush appears on the skin's surface.

It's like a fire burning inside your bones.

This feeling reminded Xilun of the day he first developed a sense of Qi.

That day, he was also burning up, feeling as if his limbs were filled with molten lead, and every bone in his body was buzzing and trembling.

But tonight was even more intense than that day.

The changes came too fast and too drastic, so fast that he could clearly feel his skin thickening little by little.

It's like compressing two weeks' worth of progress into one night.

The combined effects of the deer antler ointment and the earthworm's blood acted like two hammers, repeatedly striking his body like an anvil.

Dawn was approaching.

Xilun opened his eyes.

He looked like he'd been pulled out of a river; his shirt clung to his body, so wet you could wring water out of it.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist.

The joints made a slight clicking sound.

It has plenty of power.

On the retina, a pale red data stream slowly emerged.

[Skill: Iron Wall Breathing Technique (Expert)]

[Progress: 0/1000]

Xilun stared at those two words for five seconds.

expert!

Reaching this level in breathing techniques means that he has already met the basic requirements for breaking through to the first-tier extraordinary level.

Theoretically, he could take the Frostwolf Potion now and attempt baptism.

The success rate is about 10%.

But no one would gamble on a 10% probability.

Most cultivators stop at this stage, spending a lot of time tempering their skin, honing their physique, and accumulating medicinal herbs to increase the success rate of baptism to a relatively safe level.

According to Mentor Ryan, after thorough preparation, the average success rate of Extraordinary Individuals taking the drug is around 30%.

%.

That doesn't sound low.

But what if we fail?

The backlash from the medicine will damage the flesh and skin of extraordinary individuals, reduce their strength, and damage their meridians.

It will take at least half a year to recover to a state where it can make another impact.

Mentor Ryan attempted it three times before successfully entering the first level.

three times.

This means that he suffered the consequences of failure in his first two attempts and then spent another year climbing back up.

Xiren sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting on her knees, looking down at the floor.

He now possesses an advantage that ordinary cultivators could never have—a crimson panel.

While others need talent and comprehension to explore the limits of breathing techniques, he only needs to repeat the process over time to fill the progress bar.

After the expert level, there is the master level.

Most cultivators can attempt to undergo baptism at the expert level, so what is the significance of the master level?

A higher success rate?

Or is it a further elevation after baptism?

Xilun frowned, unable to understand.

Call ~

He stood up, took off his soaked shirt and draped it over the window frame, letting out a heavy sigh.

The morning light peeked through the gaps in the curtains and shone on his bare shoulders and back.

The muscles were noticeably firmer than they had been two months ago, and the skin had a pale bronze hue under the light, like it was covered with a thin layer of rust.

"It seems like I've grown taller... by about 2cm."

Xilun turned and looked out the window.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and the streets were deserted except for a coal cart slowly making its way through the distance.

He didn't know what time it was.

There is an old clock in the hotel lobby, but it is not accurate. Sometimes it is ten minutes fast, and sometimes it stops working altogether.

Every time I go out, I have to estimate the time by looking at the sky, and if it's cloudy, I'm completely lost.

I should buy a watch.

Xilun looked away and pulled a clean shirt from the closet to put on.

Buttons were fastened one by one from bottom to top, the collar was turned up, and the brass badge was pinned to the inside.

He opened the door and walked into the hallway.

A breeze wafted up the stairs, carrying the aroma of oatmeal porridge being cooked in the hotel kitchen.