Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 84 Hidden Rivers Surge, Deep-Sea Fish Shadows

Mark laughed and said, "Just kidding."

"Some people on the boat are using spearguns to shoot from a distance. You use a harpoon to keep them from getting close to the deck."

Mark pulled a harpoon from the corner of the cabin and handed it to Siron.

The fork is made of iron and is quite heavy; the tips of the three forks are polished to a high shine.

"Monitor underwater and guard the ship's side."

Mark patted him on the shoulder and chuckled.

"Relax, there's usually nothing to worry about. Most of the underwater creatures will avoid our boat when they see it."

morning.

The boat slowly traveled on the river for more than two hours.

The wind and waves were not strong, and the ship rocked slightly. Xilun held onto the side of the ship for a while before getting used to the rhythm.

We didn't encounter any alien species, nor any big fish.

The net was cast three times, and all that was pulled up were river shrimp as thick as a thumb and white-scaled fish the size of a palm.

The man pulling in the net shook it open, and the fish and shrimp poured into the wooden bucket with a splash; they were of decent quality.

"I'm having a lucky day!"

The man grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth missing two teeth.

"This batch of white scales can fetch a good price."

Several people nearby joined in the laughter, and the atmosphere on the boat became much more relaxed.

As evening fell and the boat docked, Mark invited everyone to go under the shed for a couple of drinks.

Cheap ale was poured into a rough porcelain bowl, and a few dishes of boiled peanuts were placed on the table. The sailors sat around it in a circle.

Xilun doesn't drink much, but he didn't refuse.

He picked up the bowl and took a sip. The beer tasted bland, with a sour smell from fermenting grains.

"A toast to the new cross-armed man!"

The man who was pulling up the nets brought over a bowl, his face already flushed.

Xilun touched the glass and took a sip of the wine in his bowl.

Mark sat opposite him, peeling peanuts while sizing up Xilun.

"The first day went alright."

He threw the peanut shells on the ground and picked up the bowl.

"The ship will depart at 6:00 AM tomorrow as usual."

"We usually set sail in the morning, but sometimes it's in the evening, depending on the specific circumstances and the weather."

Xilun nodded.

He finished the wine in his bowl and didn't refill it.

The laughter and curses of the sailors around him mingled together; some slammed their fists on the table and told dirty jokes, while others made bets on the number of fish and shrimp.

Xilun sat in the corner, listening quietly.

The dark blue river flowed silently in the distance, occasionally something would turn over at the bottom, creating a ripple that would disappear in an instant.

boom.

On the third floor of the fight club, two sharp claws collided.

The force of the impact created a dull, reverberating sound that spread throughout the hall.

Xilun and the figure opposite each took half a step back. He gently clenched his palm, concealing the dark golden luster that appeared on his palm back between his knuckles.

"You lost!" Xiren said calmly.

Kench on the other side paused for a moment, then said, "I haven't lost yet."

Hughes stood to the side, arms crossed, and said indifferently, "Kenchi, you've already lost."

Kench lowered his head.

On the palm that had been touched, a thin crack was splitting along the skin, and fresh blood was seeping out from the crack, flowing down between the fingers.

He stared at the wound, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief.

After six months of practicing breathing techniques, plus the refinement materials that my family had painstakingly saved up, I had a solid foundation in the fourth group. Yet, I lost to a newbie who had only been practicing for less than three months in less than ten moves.

Kench clenched his fists, said nothing more, and turned to walk off the stage.

Xilun jumped off the training platform and picked up a rough cloth towel draped over the bench to wipe his palms.

The surrounding chatter was impossible to suppress.

"Five consecutive wins, right?"

"It was indeed a five-game winning streak, nine groups in total, winning all the way up to the fourth group."

"The groups were formed based on their physical strength. He and Fallon had only trained for eight weeks, while the people in the fourth group had been training for six months."

""

"Six months later, he still managed to tear me apart with a few claws. Isn't his progress in combat skills a bit too fast?"

"We'll play again tomorrow, and then we'll be in the top three groups."

Xilun ignored the noise, wiped his sweat with a towel, and glanced indifferently at the front row.

Irving sat on the bench, hands on his knees, his brows furrowed deeply.

Could I possibly lose to Xilun?

He had never considered this possibility.

I started learning on my own after six months, and then I started training from scratch with mentor Ryan. Although the resources weren't top-notch, they were definitely not bad either.

When Xilen joined the club, he had already been there for six months.

The results of it?

Kench was completely suppressed by those few claws, and had no chance to fight back.

If West Ham continues to climb tomorrow—

A student next to him leaned over and lowered his voice.

"Irving, you'd better prepare well tomorrow, because—you might lose to Xiren."

Irving scoffed, "I don't need you to remind me."

After finishing his sparring session, Xilun didn't leave. Instead, he practiced his claw techniques for a while in front of the wooden stake in the corner.

The force pushed outward along the metacarpal bones, the five fingers closed, and the familiar itching sensation between the knuckles appeared and disappeared.

He didn't suppress it, but instead gently guided it in that direction.

A layer of dark golden luster floated on the palm, and the temperature of the palm rose two degrees.

This feeling is becoming clearer and clearer.

After mastering the basics, you can perceive subtle changes with each claw strike—the flow of force becomes smoother, the timing of the strike becomes more precise, and the stability of the claw shape is continuously strengthened through repeated practice.

Applying this to the three levels described by Hughes, we can learn to train the form, the skin, and the bones.

Xilun made a comparison in his mind.

Practicing form is roughly equivalent to being proficient; practicing skin is roughly equivalent to being an expert; practicing bones is roughly equivalent to being a master.

Deep within the retina, a pale red data stream flickered.

The progress of the Dark Claw Technique is slowly increasing.

[Skill: Dorok Dark Claw Technique (Beginner)]

[Progress: 10/100]

"It will take about ten days to enter the physical training stage."

He retracted his claw form, stretched his wrists, picked up his coat, put it on, and left the training room.

night.

The night wind on the Greywater River was damp and cold. The river was dark and bottomless, with only a few oil lamps hanging on the bank swaying in the wind.

The ship splashed against the waves as Mark emerged from the cabin and exhaled.

"We'll take a night boat tonight."

Xilun nodded and stepped onto the boat using the gangplank.

The harpoon was stuck in the wooden frame on the side of the boat. He pulled it out, held it in his hand, and slowly rubbed his thumb along the shaft.

The tips of the three-pronged fork are polished to a high shine.

He had never used a harpoon before, but for operations on water, having an extra attack range is always a good thing.

Once it was completely dark and everyone was present, Mark gave the order, the mooring lines were released, and the ship slowly moved away from the shore.

Xilun stood on the side of the boat, looking at the river below.

It was dark and gloomy, with only the white foam rising as the bow of the boat cleaved the water.

The underwater world was quiet and still, with occasional bubbles rising from the depths and then bursting silently.

"Mr. Mark."

Xilun opened his mouth.

"Going out on a boat at night is very dangerous, isn't it?"

Mark leaned against the wheel, holding a brass flask in his hand, and took a swig after unscrewing the cap.

"Danger is certainly dangerous."

He screwed the lid on the wine jug and tucked it into his belt.

"But what job isn't dangerous for extraordinary individuals?"

The wind blew across the river, carrying a fishy smell, and Mark's voice was somewhat distorted by the wind.

"The Extraordinary Ones enabled me, a kid from the slums, to earn more money than I could ever earn in a lifetime."

"But if it's possible"

He paused for a moment.

"I hope my children can study and become doctors, writers, or other safe jobs in the future."

Xilun didn't speak, but listened quietly.

Mark continued, "The power wielded by extraordinary individuals means they have to walk the line between life and death to earn that money. Think about it, if a job is safe and well-paid, why would anyone choose an extraordinary individual?"

Xilun thought for a moment.

"I used to work as a foreman at White Crow Wharf, and it didn't seem dangerous."

Mark smiled.

"Since there's no danger, will your positions change?"

Xilun was taken aback.

He snatched his position as supervisor from Morgan.

Morgan is dead.

Recently, quite a few supervisors and district inspectors have died.

The Anhuo District Governor, killed by the serpentine aliens in the Greywater River, and the Xiusuo District Governor, killed by the Subel Bear, and one or two other district governors, are both dead.

So, the danger is indeed considerable.

Mark took another swig of wine.

"Our line of work is even riskier. We have to deal with wind, waves, and water obstacles; there are strange creatures underwater; and there are even pirates roaming the Greywater River."

"pirate?"

Xilun turned his head.

"How could there possibly be pirates on the Greywater River?"

Mark glanced at him.

"It wasn't there before, but it's appeared recently."

He lowered his voice, his tone cautious.

"A group of people were hiding in a sluice gate. Their boat was covered with brocade sails, and two baptized men were guarding it. They also had a cannon. They didn't touch the big boats or the small fishing boats, but only the medium-sized boats."

Xilun frowned.

"Is nobody going to do anything about it?"

Mark scoffed.

"Matters between extraordinary individuals can usually only be resolved among extraordinary individuals themselves. As for the authorities, they rarely get involved in these matters."

The lid of the wine jug was unscrewed and then screwed back on.

"The decrease in extraordinary individuals may not necessarily be a bad thing for them."

Xilun was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.

"Been taught a lesson."

The boat glided slowly across the river, the lights on both banks receding into the distance as darkness surged in from all directions.

Siren leaned against the side of the ship, his hand resting on the harpoon pole, his mind replaying the words he had just heard.

The extraordinary are a special group.

They are misunderstood, even feared, for possessing power, which allows them to obtain extraordinary salaries and status, but also carries corresponding risks.

Even among extraordinary individuals, there is no monolithic unity; they vie for fame and fortune, and scheme against each other.

So—

Extraordinary people and technology, are they truly stronger or weaker?

Technology was probably superior; at least the Extraordinary Ones did not rule Victoria.

Steam-powered exoskeletons, mobile fortresses, and artillery—these things are constantly diminishing the irreplaceable nature of extraordinary power.

Just then, a hand patted his shoulder.

Xilun turned back.

A burly man with a face full of scars stood behind him, holding a harpoon in his hand, looking somewhat displeased.

"We've entered deep water. Be careful and watch the surface."

Xilun nodded.

The man turned and walked away, muttering something under his breath.

"Why did they send a new person?!"

The boat drifted in deep water for more than half an hour.

The river was calm and there was nothing unusual.

Several crew members holding spearguns had sore arms, and the muzzles of their guns drooped slightly. Some of them leaned against the side of the boat, wanting to rest for a while.

boom.

The ship's deck suddenly shook.

Several people lost their balance and stumbled.

Mark stood up from beside the steering wheel.

"What happened?"

Xilun was already standing at the bow of the ship.

He gripped the harpoon tightly and stared intently at the water's surface.

We've hit a hidden reef.

Mark frowned.

"Why are there hidden reefs here?!"

Before he could finish speaking, a group of black fish swam past the bottom of the boat, their dense numbers slicing across the water and creating a shimmering expanse of silvery scales.

Xilun didn't look at the school of fish.

He stared at the shadow slowly approaching beneath the blackfish.

The others relaxed, and an elderly crew member with gray hair turned around, bent down, and prepared to pull in the net to check the situation.

Xilun, who was far away, called out.

"careful--

—

That's too late.

The net had barely entered the water when it got tangled in something.

The rope taut, and the old man was suddenly dragged out, plunging into the water with a splash.

Xilun rushed to the side of the ship, bent down and grabbed the old man's belt, pulling it upwards.

It can't be pulled out.

Something is pulling underwater, with ridiculously strong force.

The old man let out a low scream and struggled violently, his lower body already submerged in the water.

Mark also rushed over.

Xilun gritted his teeth and pulled desperately upwards, while simultaneously grabbing a harpoon with one hand and stabbing it hard at the dark shadow underwater.

The fork tip is stuck in something hard.

There was no broken skin.

Only a white mark remained.

Mark grabbed the old man's arms with both hands and pulled him up. The two of them pulled hard together, and the old man was dragged up halfway up, with only one arm left!

Clothing below the waist was torn, skin and flesh were ripped open, and blood flowed out along the ship's planks.

The old man has stopped calling out.

The crew member behind him with the speargun stared blankly at the water, his voice trembling.

"Strange fish————"

Xilun released his grip and stared at the water.

A black shadow emerged.

A fish.

It was much larger than he had imagined, with thick, long barbels that swayed slowly in the water like the tentacles of a living creature.

The fish lazily took a bite, then swayed its body and crashed into the side of the boat again.

Xilun raised his fork and stabbed down.

White marks!

Useless.

Mark rushed up and grabbed a fish whisker, pulling hard.

The muscles in his arms bulged, and his strength turned a light black color, with visible power flowing between his knuckles.

He grabbed the fish fin with his other hand and pulled it upwards with gritted teeth.

"This fish is almost a low-level mutant—it's extremely difficult to deal with underwater!"

Two harpooners rushed up, raised their crossbow-like harpoons, and pulled the triggers.

boom!

The barbed steel spear struck the fish in the back.

Mark gave a low shout.

"No!"

The steel spear only pierced the skin; it couldn't hold the spear in place at all.

The fish's black skin was incredibly slippery; the spearhead slipped as soon as it pierced an inch.

With a powerful flick of its body, the fish deflected the steel spear.

Mark stabbed downwards with the harpoon, which broke the skin and created a gash, but it still didn't kill him.

The fish struggled and broke free, the water churned, and the boat rocked violently.

It's going to run away!

Xilun speared it twice, confirming that the spear was ineffective.

He threw away the harpoon.

There are punctures on the back of the fish where it was speared.

He took a deep breath, focused intently, and pinpointed the location.

He joined his fingers into claws, a dark golden luster rising from his palms, and a familiar power surged from between his finger bones.

One claw fell!

The stench of decay and corruption emanated from his fingertips.

Five fingers pierced the fish's back, and the slippery black skin was torn open by the force of the claws, causing fish blood to gush out.

The fish thrashed violently, its tail slapping the surface of the water and creating waves half a person's height.

Mark stared at Xilen with wide eyes and shouted.

"I'll help!"

The surrounding men fired their muskets, aiming at the fish's eyes and belly.

The lead bullet pierced the fish's flesh, injuring it but not killing it.

boom!

The harpoon was fired again, piercing the fish's back.

The blackfish let out a painful cry, its body swaying, still clutching the old man's mangled body in its mouth.

The wound on its back, torn open by Xilun, was bleeding profusely as it struggled desperately toward deeper water.

Xilun took a deep breath and focused his mind.

The dark golden energy in his palm condensed again, even more concentrated and intense than before.

He aimed at the split back of the fish.

laugh-

A dark golden claw wave burst forth from between his five fingers, its sharp aura penetrating the wound on the fish's back.

The original crack instantly tripled in size, and the putrid smell seeped deep into the fish flesh.

The whole fish froze.

His body twitched twice and then stopped moving.

Xilun withdrew his hand, exhaled a breath of stale air, and his spirit visibly weakened.

"—Finally dead!"

Mark thrust his fork down and lifted the fish carcass onto the deck.

Everyone was stunned for several seconds.

"Captain Mark killed the monster fish!"

Mark stared at the horrifying claw mark on the fish's back and shook his head.

"This fish was killed by Xilun."

Everyone looked at Xilun.

A brief silence.

"—Mr. Siren killed the strange fish!"

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