Fen Tu Kuangge didn't hesitate for a second, saying, "I'll have two mouthfuls too." "I'll take three," Chekford's voice was simple and crisp. "Then I'll have four!" Duan Fengbu'er also raised his voice, as if competing to see who could shout louder. "I'll take five!" "I'll take six..."

Qian Jin watched the three of them speechlessly. Were they so bored on the road that even taking medicine had to turn into a competition?

A pot of medicinal concoction was quickly drained in the scramble between the three. Each of their stomachs felt slightly bloated. Qian Jin smeared the dregs onto the wounded areas of the three, "Are you children? Even competing over this stuff? Fortunately, this medicine has no side effects."

"The Fallen Angel bloodline cannot lose to other bloodlines." Chekford's face showed an inexpressible pride. Among the three great bloodline Battle-Mages of the Demon Race, this glorious, supreme bloodline—the only one capable of truly fighting the three ultimate bloodlines of the Zhence Dynasty—how could it concede to a non-bloodline warrior and a Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior?

"Fallen Angel bloodline is nothing! I'm going to be the first warrior to bring the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline to its ultimate awakening!" Duan Fengbu'er curled his lip, unwilling to be outdone. "When that happens, I'll kill Lucifer, the current Emperor of the Demon Race, just to show you!"

Fen Tu Kuangge looked silently at the two bloodline warriors. "The mission of the Fen Tu Clan is to surpass bloodline warriors. I will not lose."

"Damn it!" Qian Jin threw up his hand. "You three lunatics, keep being crazy! Tomorrow I'll brew you an even more foul-tasting potion and see if you're still this energetic."

The faces of the three heavily injured warriors changed simultaneously. They exchanged glances, and a surging battle intent erupted across their faces once more.

It was clear that these three young warriors, with their somewhat peculiar and special backgrounds, were locked in a fierce rivalry.

Qian Jin found an empty room, closed the heavy iron door, carefully bolted it, and lay down on the straw-covered bed, opening the Dou Realm to examine its contents.

A stack and a chest of dazzling, blinding gold—metallic materials unexpectedly obtained from a backstabbing incident between the Demon Race and merchants—along with the golden serpent gall and the Dark Division Two-Star identification token.

"I can't believe it's only been two years," Qian Jin clicked his tongue, taking out the Origin [Magic Hat] that had brought him all his changes. "Two years ago, I was struggling for copper coins. Now, I must have assets worth at least one hundred thousand gold." "I've been too busy lately to even enter the Endless World." Qian Jin closed the Dou Realm, lay back on the bed, pulled the magic hat over his face, and fell asleep, immediately returning to that familiar small village. After a few days' absence, it was still exceptionally quiet, completely unchanged.

Pushing open the door to Uncle Black's smithy, Qian Jin saw that Uncle Black was not hiding in the corner smoking his pipe as usual. This time, he was sitting at the rickety wooden table in the courtyard, leisurely puffing away.

Black glanced at Qian Jin, pointed his pipe toward the nearby forging station, and continued to smoke calmly.

Forging! Qian Jin picked up the hammer, pulled the bellows until the fire roared intensely, and once the iron bloom was scorching hot, he swung the second blow of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Edge, bringing it down upon the billet, unleashing sparks as brilliant as fireworks magic.

Qian Jin hammered continuously for three hours. As his hammer fell again, Uncle Black's rough hand shot out and snatched it away before the hammer even had a chance to dodge. "This..." Qian Jin looked up at the hammer in Uncle Black's hand, confused. "Go to West Mountain." Uncle Black tossed out a rough map. "Go kill that hundred-year Flame Demon and bring me its Demon Core."

"Hundred-year Flame Demon?" Qian Jin stared at the map in his hand. "Uncle, are you joking? Although a hundred-year Flame Demon is just an infant Ting Demon, a Flame Demon is still a Flame Demon. Can I really handle it?"

Black stared at Qian Jin with his cloudy eyes. "To be a Master Blacksmith, one must possess sufficiently strong physique. The Flame Demon is a test, and its Demon Core is a necessity for advancing to the rank of Master Blacksmith."

Master Blacksmith? Qian Jin looked at the stats for the Second Strike of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Edge. He hadn't even fully mastered this strike, yet he could become a Master Blacksmith?

Uncle Black pointed his pipe bowl toward the room behind him. "You've read many of the books in there; your foundation is sufficient. The Second Strike is exceptionally difficult to learn; that's normal."

"Pass this test? And learn one more thing, and I become a Master Blacksmith?" Qian Jin looked at Black in surprise. Master Blacksmith was no joke! Even if he didn't fully understand the specific system of the Zhence Dynasty's Blacksmith Guild, he knew that Master Blacksmiths were rare even within the Dynasty. Even a provincial Blacksmith Guild might not have one sitting there.

Any Master Blacksmith, even at the Central Blacksmith Union in the Holy Capital, would hold considerable status. If one defected to the Demon Race's Lucifer Dynasty, even His Majesty Lucifer, the current Demon Emperor, would probably grant a personal audience. As long as they could evade the constant assassins from the Zhence Dynasty, their quality of life in the Demon lands might not be much worse than that of Emperor Lucifer himself.

"Mmm." The dullness in Black's eyes lessened, replaced by more appreciation. "You are not the smartest I have ever seen, but you have the most talent and comprehension. And you are willing to endure hardship. I am somewhat surprised you are nearing Master Blacksmith status in just two years."

Qian Jin smiled. It seemed Uncle Black was quite happy today; even his speech was noticeably more plentiful than usual. "Can I choose a weapon?" Qian Jin glanced at the Dou Soldiers hanging on the weapon rack. None of them were forged purely from refined iron; instead, different types of metals were refined into essences, mixed, and then forged into weapons. The materials, techniques, and performance effects were incomparable to the Ji Du Zhan Ma Dao that slept in the Dou Realm. "Use them," Black nodded. "Using excellent Dou Soldiers more often will also help you better understand their principles, making your own future forging easier." "Thank you, Uncle." Qian Jin darted to the weapon rack, pulled down the original Ji Du Zhan Ma Dao, and infused it with the battle aura of the Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation. The courtyard instantly blazed with chilling light! "However, you cannot take these weapons out of the courtyard," Black returned to his table, puffing on his pipe, saying to himself. "You can use the weapons, but you cannot carry them outside."

Qian Jin stood frozen, holding the Ji Du Zhan Ma Dao. The light from the surging battle aura quickly faded. What kind of situation was this? Weapons couldn't be taken out of the courtyard? How was he supposed to take one to fight the Flame Demon? With the Ji Du Dao in hand, plus Black's forged [Purple Qi]5, and a few potions, sneak-attacking and killing the Flame Demon wouldn't be a major issue. As his forging skill grew, he understood increasingly the vast disparity between Dou Soldiers.

A child with a fine Dou Soldier couldn't kill a Demon Subjugation Warrior, but a Demon Subjugation Third-Tier warrior wielding an excellent Dou Soldier could win a confrontation against a Sixth or even Seventh-Tier Demon Subjugation Warrior. If he had Uncle Black's weapon...

Qian Jin was confident that with a true Pu Du Blade in hand, he would have a chance to fight head-on against a Bloodline Battle-Mage like Nila, who was a full major realm above him.

"It seems I have no choice but to study harder and forge my own weapon first..." Qian Jin held the Ji Du Zhan Ma Dao, examining it from left to right, intermittently channeling battle aura into it, feeling every resistance encountered during the transmission. Previously, he had only focused on the vast library of books in the room and had neglected observing physical objects.

Time flew by quickly. Qian Jin waited until it was time to go to Oulala's place to learn about mysterious potions. Only then did he put down the weapon and say, "Uncle, I'll come back tomorrow." "Mhm," Black nodded, continuing to smoke his pipe.

"You're here?" Oulala said as Qian Jin stepped into the room and immediately became ensnared by copper wires. "Come, I've prepared the newest type of mysterious potion for you. This one is called the Earthquake Volcano Potion."

The long-missed pain! Qian Jin began to miss the fists of Nila, the Giant Demon Bloodline Battle-Mage. Compared to this so-called Earthquake Volcano Potion, Nila's punches felt almost gentle. "Enjoy it slowly. Once you're finished, go read in the back." Oulala dusted off her robes and turned back to the testing bench to continue her experiments. "This time, I will research a potion that can turn even a pig into a god!"

While Qian Jin's body was wracked with pain, a wave of icy coldness rushed up to his mind. The outcome of researching this potion was always the same...

Boom! The earth shook violently. Oulala's house looked like a balloon that had burst. The walls and door panels flew everywhere under the impact of the potion's explosion. Qian Jin was not spared either; his body was blasted several meters into the air, tumbling into the ruins of the house.

Oulala patted her indestructible clothes, shaking off most of the dust, and sighed, "It seems I can't rush things." Qian Jin ached inside and out, thinking: Finally, she realizes rushing is a problem?

"I'll study the Eye-Changing Potion first," Oulala patted the slightly petite and sexy curve of her butt beneath her robes, swaying her body toward the relatively safe backyard. "Remove the good retina from the eye and transplant it onto the blind person's retina. I heard Adam's medicine can do that. But what I want to do is replace the entire eyeball! The retina can only restore sight, but it can't do more..."

"Replace the eyeball?" Qian Jin gaped open his mouth in shock. "Each person's eyeball is only suited for themselves. If transplanted onto someone else, it would be rejected by the host body, and it's simply impossible. Otherwise, if I encountered a bloodline warrior with pupil techniques, wouldn't I gain their ability just by digging out one of their eyeballs and attaching it to myself?"

In the Endless World, after the final second of sixteen hours passed, Qian Jin stretched, opened his eyes, put the hat back into the Dou Realm, ate a meal in the ruins where there was no sunrise or sunset—unsure if it counted as breakfast or dinner—and hurried straight to the pharmacy.

Granny Yao sat beside Qian Jin, acting like an elementary school student, occasionally posing questions about potions. He had initially hoped to get lucky and find a problem related to his own research, but he quickly discovered that no matter what question she asked about potions, he didn't know the answer to. During the time spent making potions, Granny Yao felt she had learned more than she would in a year at the Potion Guild.

"Granny Yao, I need to go deliver medicine to those three guys first. We'll chat later." Qian Jin dashed out of the pharmacy carrying the potions, excited. Today's potion tasted even worse than yesterday's; he didn't believe those three could still swallow it.

"Oh, alright." Granny Yao watched Qian Jin's retreating back, her wrinkled face spreading out like blooming flowers. "It was fortunate I left the Potion Guild of Zhuolan Province out of spite that day! Those money-grubbers who only know how to earn Yuan and not delve into potion research will one day pay for their greed! Luck! Pure luck to meet such a master here..." Granny Yao clicked her dry lips twice, a wry smile appearing on her face. "Master, calling him a master when he's so young feels genuinely awkward. Although he isn't a true Potion Master, his comprehensive knowledge of potions might even surpass that of a Potion Master. I wonder if Master Cromwell could compare his knowledge of potions below Level Seven with this kid?" "Gentlemen, your medicine is here." Qian Jin pushed the door open and saw a large sea-bowl placed before each of the three men.

When they smelled the noxious odor wafting from the pot, the faces of the three changed instantly. They exchanged glances, and an intense battle intent once again filled the entire bodies of the three 'brave' warriors.

"That's good too; drinking more means recovering faster," Qian Jin observed their faces turning green from the potion's taste, yet they still refused to back down, which earned his admiration. Perhaps if he were injured, he would be just like them? Did he not also yearn to surpass the bloodline warriors? If a Bloodline Warrior of the Elf King rank were here, wouldn't his fighting spirit be even fiercer than theirs? He absolutely could not lose to Leng Yi's Qian Family! Nor could he lose to that Qian Family which, the moment one activated their bloodline power, allowed them to step on the backs of their kneeling brothers and father to mount a horse! That Qian Family possessing the ultimate bloodline warrior, the Elf King Bloodline Warrior!

The ultimate bloodline warriors had their glory and pride. The dream of the Ten Great Bloodline Warrior Families was always to produce one warrior capable of truly challenging an ultimate bloodline warrior, while the goal of ordinary warriors was always the bloodline warriors themselves. Since he could only enter the Endless World for eight hours a day, Qian Jin took out a Battle Stone from the Dou Realm, absorbed it for two hours, draining all the battle energy within and incorporating it into his body, focusing his mind to think.

There was a realm stronger than the Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation; in the Demon Race's terminology, it was the Second Tier. Did it simply require accumulating enough battle aura to break through? If that were the case, the Iron Arm Mantis Bloodline Warrior from that day had long reached the peak of the Nine Battles of Demon Subjugation, yet he was supposed to have entered a stronger realm. Why did he remain unable to break through, eventually being forced to focus on the rotational speed of his battle aura instead?

Simultaneously, Nila, the Giant Demon Bloodline Battle-Mage, was one of the Ten Great Bloodline Battle-Mages of the Demon Race, and he succeeded! The Iron Arm Mantis Bloodline had once been one of the Ten Great Bloodline Warriors of the Zhence Dynasty, and ranked quite highly at that, yet he never achieved a breakthrough. Why was that?

"Battle aura, I will reach the peak one day, and it will be soon," Qian Jin gently shook his shoulders. Battle aura rotational speed was not only useful during combat; it also determined the speed at which battle aura accumulated during normal growth.

"I can't wait until I actually reach that point to think about it," Qian Jin rested his chin in his hand and sank into thought again. "Thinking about it then will be too late; it must be done beforehand. I need to find that secret from my past opponents. Nila that day..."

Qian Jin turned his gaze to the pitch blackness before him, his mind replaying the battle in the torrential rain: the dominating power when the bloodline power was unleashed, the desperate counterattack punch after being gravely injured.

His body seemed to awaken in that moment, and the feeling of being punched in the chest reappeared. The battle aura inside him responded accordingly! Qian Jin suddenly snapped his eyes open: "Yes! It was this strange feeling. If not for the two years spent in the Four Seasons Valley, I might have lost the courage to resist that punch! His battle aura wasn't pure battle aura; it contained something else."

"What exactly is it?" Qian Jin frowned deeply. "This is vexing. If Fabredis were here, it would be great! Perhaps asking him would yield the answer. Going to the War Academy was not without reason; having a teacher guide you is completely different from not having one."

"[Enlak Battle Aura Room]!" Qian Jin looked at the magic hat beside him, which he planned to enter later for the Endless World. "The village has more than just potions; the smithy also has the [Enlak Battle Aura Room]! It requires Level Eight Dou Jin to open. I couldn't open it before because my strength wasn't enough, and later, when I had enough strength, I was too busy and never went in. Perhaps I can find answers there?"

Qian Jin gently stroked the magic hat. The Endless World was truly a miraculous environment. In two years, not only had his battle aura increased, but his forging skills and potion mastery were close to master level. Setting aside his warrior status, he already had enough to live well.

"Not enough! Still not enough!" Qian Jin took a deep breath, his two strong eyebrows knitted together. "I want to become a great warrior! I want to return to the Qian Family as a warrior and bring my father out! Unfortunately, I still can't cultivate demonic arts. If only I could cultivate both warrior and demonic arts when I return, how wonderful it would be to take my father out! After this matter is concluded, I will immediately go back to bring my father out! Even if I haven't become a City Lord, I must bring my father out first! I cannot tolerate it! Every time I think of Qian Wushuang stepping on my kneeling father's back to mount his horse, I can no longer bear it!"

The iron door was met with a sound of fingers colliding with metal—a knocking sound. Qian Jin put away the magic hat, stood up, and walked to the iron door, asking, "Who is it?" "It's me, Hua Yanjian."

The iron door opened, and Qian Jin's eyes lit up instantly. She was still wearing that red warrior uniform, but now there was a white sash around her waist, which somehow added several points of allure to Hua Yanjian's figure.

If that fellow Luolin were still alive, seeing a woman like this... Qian Jin smiled, perhaps he wouldn't have pursued women like Zhu Lisi, and perhaps he would still be living the good life of sleeping until he woke up naturally and counting money until his hand cramped.