"Do you have time?" Hua Yanbudian asked, shaking the umbrella she held, "Want to take a walk with me?"

Qian Jin looked at Hua Yanbudian with confusion. The black metal mask obscured her face, making it impossible to read her expression, yet a pair of captivating eyes radiated an invitation of utmost sincerity. "You don't look busy. Fine! Let's go for a walk."

Hua Yanbudian turned, her long black hair billowing slightly. A faint, elegant fragrance drifted to Qian Jin's nose, creating a stark contrast with her identity as a bandit. That subtle wildness, confidence, and dashing demeanor, combined with a woman's fiery figure and a young girl's delicate fragrance, constituted the unique Hua Yanbudian.

Qian Jin shrugged. The Battle Stones were unusable today anyway. If he pushed his Dou Qi to the absolute peak of the Demon Subduing Nine Fights, his state of mind might become impatient when seeking a breakthrough, leading to the counterproductive effect of stalling progress. Perhaps a walk outside would be more beneficial than sitting here overthinking.

The bandit responsible for keeping watch lifted the floor panel, peered through the periscope mounted on the wall for a moment, then turned the wheel. "No one outside. You can go."

As Qian Jin walked across the earthen floor, his peripheral vision caught the periscope on the wall a few extra times. The bandit chuckled proudly, "Kid, never seen anything this interesting, have you? Down here, you can see what's happening above ground."

"What's so strange about it? It's just a few reflections off some glass," Qian Jin pursed his lips. The Qian family's library wasn't just stocked with biographies of famous people and basic Dou Qi cultivation notes. The library accessible to the collateral branches held more miscellaneous texts. This simple principle might surprise others, but for a child who grew up clutching vast amounts of books, working hard for meager rewards to support the family, it was hardly worth curiosity.

The bandit blinked his sharp, curious eyes, shaking his head repeatedly as he watched Qian Jin's retreating figure, muttering, "How does he know that too? I spent ages researching that just to figure out the principle."

Hua Yanbudian opened the large umbrella, and the two walked side-by-side in the downpour. The eyes behind the iron mask fixed curiously on Qian Jin's face: "You seem to know everything? You can handle potions, you can fight, and you even understand the workings of that little gadget."

Qian Jin habitually scratched the back of his head. "Life forces you. I'd love to be someone who does nothing and just waits to eat and die, but life doesn't allow me to be that."

"You could be living very well right now," Hua Yanbudian stepped through the muddy water, her eyes fixed on the curtain of rain, speaking lightly. "A Pharmacist. And Granny Yao said you are an all-around Level Seven Pharmacist. It's possible that even the rare Apothecary Masters in the Dynasty might be inferior to you at the Level Seven stage."

Qian Jin smiled. If Apothecary Masters focused only on one specialized area, like pharmacists, while occasionally dabbling in research directions, then he might indeed surpass them in Level Seven apothecaries. "A Level Five Pharmacist—join the Pharmacist Guild, and you can live a good life." Hua Yanbudian turned toward Qian Jin again. "If you wanted to, you could have it."

"I don't want it," Qian Jin shook his head plainly. "I want to become a great Warrior! Not for anyone else, but for my father! If I become a Pharmacist, an Apothecary Master! Even a Grandmaster of Apothecary Arts! It would only allow my father to live well; it wouldn't let him hold his head high as a man! Since I was small, the belief that only Warriors are the greatest was instilled in him. Since I cannot change my father's mind, I will achieve what he could not! My destiny is to become a great Warrior!"

Beneath the black metal mask, those captivating eyes stared at Qian Jin for a long time, finally dissolving into a light, cheerful laugh. "Excellent! I worried the apothecary arts might distract you, but it seems your heart is firm. Your warrior spirit isn't lost because of your success with potions." "Success with potions?" Qian Jin gave a wry smile. He hadn't even truly started under Adams; how could he claim success?

Hua Yanbudian carefully observed the sincere and casual expression on Qian Jin's face, a faint bewilderment clouding her eyes. Level Seven Pharmacist isn't success? Yet, he showed no sign of false modesty, seeming genuinely convinced that being a Level Seven Pharmacist amounted to nothing. Then, what level of pharmacist constituted success in his eyes?

Qian Jin walked quietly, the dense patter of raindrops hitting the ground filling his ears, recalling the atmosphere of the battle against Nilah in that torrential rain. His Dou Qi stirred slightly without him consciously activating it. "Do you know why I helped you?" Qian Jin's eyes and lips parted slightly, revealing a smile of genuine confusion. "No."

A sly glint flashed in the beautiful eyes behind the metal mask. "You don't actually believe I helped you just because I'm infatuated with you, like Granny Yao and the others said, do you?"

"How could that be?" Qian Jin pursed his lips, a smile playing between his lips and the corners of his eyes. "If something like that happened to Cleft Liffit, I might believe it. But happening to me? That's less credible than telling me the current Emperor has fallen in love with Lucifer, the contemporary Great Demon King of the Demon Race."

"Cleft Liffit? That man prettier than a woman?" Hua Yanbudian shook her head. "A woman might like him at first glance, but any woman who truly dares to approach him is either exceedingly ignorant or exceedingly confident, or truly deeply in love. Otherwise, for a woman to stand next to a man only to be stunned by his sheer beauty—that really damages a woman's self-esteem."

"That's true," Qian Jin nodded repeatedly. "Even for a woman, standing next to Cleft Liffit would create immense pressure. It seems being overly handsome isn't always a good thing either."

"Let's talk about us instead," Hua Yanbudian stopped walking, looking toward the nearby river that had breached its banks due to the downpour, flowing ceaselessly like a roaring beast. "I saved three of your lives. In return, you owe me three favors." "Killing innocents—that kind of thing..."

"Have you ever seen our squad do such things?" The beautiful eyes behind the metal mask held a trace of displeased anger, underlying which was a hint of pride. "Though our squad belongs to the Black Wind, we have never done the things the former Black Wind did. Even those two scouts from last time were killed suddenly by the Tenth Commander." "My apologies." Qian Jin raised his right fist to his chest, making a slight bow and nod.

The anger in Hua Yanbudian's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by surprise and admiration. Warriors are always stubborn, even arrogant people, especially those at the Demon Subduing Warrior level or above; they often refuse to admit fault. Unexpectedly, this man admitted his mistake immediately, his attitude sincere and carrying an air of frankness, a frankness hinting at broad-mindedness.

Even though he was apologizing for a mistake, his sincerity and openness instead inspired respect. Hua Yanbudian clicked her tongue twice. The more she interacted with this young warrior, the more she realized how extraordinary he was.

"The things I ask you to do, if you find them incompatible with your principles, you can refuse at that time. If I cannot persuade you then, we'll just drop the matter. As long as you do three things for me, we will be even. How about that?" "I am only at Demon Subduing Nine Fights..." "You won't be just Demon Subduing Nine Fights forever!" Hua Yanbudian tilted her chin slightly toward the river. "I know I haven't misjudged you." "I hope so too," Qian Jin felt his curiosity about Hua Yanbudian's recent aid settle down, touching his chin. "Breaking through Demon Subduing Nine Fights is indeed difficult." "It is difficult," Hua Yanbudian raised her hand, pointing at the surging river. "The water in this river flows gently on an ordinary day; who could imagine it would become such a torrent today? And for a great river that already rushes forward, when joined by a dozen or even dozens of rivers like this one, who could imagine the ferocity of that great river's torrent? Many things are like this; you can't anticipate..."

"Rushing... converging..." Qian Jin's body trembled slightly, his eyes staring blankly at the surging river. The one hundred and eight Dou Acupoints within his body began to revolve. Dou Qi rolled along the Dou Meridians connecting the hundred and eight acupoints, beginning to erupt just as it had before! Erupt! And erupt again!

"No! This kind of eruption isn't the best method." Qian Jin shook his head lightly. The Dou Meridians inside the body are like the main river, and the one hundred and eight Dou Acupoints are tributaries. The impact generated by the simultaneous eruption of these tributaries is constant. If the acupoints could act like branching streams first... "Start by activating one acupoint first..."

Qian Jin mobilized the central Dou Acupoint in his body. Ten revolutions, thirty revolutions, fifty revolutions... one hundred and seventy revolutions... five hundred revolutions... The Dou Qi of the second acupoint also began to revolve, influenced by the rotation of the first, turning uncontrollably, just as if the wind had pushed a stationary windmill into motion, making the windmill generate even greater power.

When the second acupoint reached five hundred revolutions, the third was drawn along. Although the power was still five hundred revolutions, the resulting impact force had increased compared to before... The fourth, the fifth... Acupoint after acupoint was driven into rotation. Qian Jin felt that the impact force from the eruption of the one hundred and eight Dou Acupoints was fully fifty percent stronger than before! If he encountered an opponent like the Tenth Commander again, a single exchange would secure instant victory!

The eyes behind Hua Yanbudian's metal mask shone with threads of admiration. Breakthroughs aren't things that cannot be explained directly, but things explained entirely are often less truly realized than those grasped through inspiration from an event. She hadn't expected a few words to lead him to this level!

In just half an hour, the admiring look in Hua Yanbudian's eyes gradually shifted, and threads of astonishment shot out from her pupils. "Such strong control over the Dou Acupoints? It's only been half an hour, and he's managed to control the acupoint separation to this extent without repeated practice? For a single acupoint to control another, it must reach around five hundred revolutions, right? How long did it take me? Three days or five? I remember the first time I did this, when the first acupoint hit a hundred revolutions, the second started turning uncontrollably..."

"It seems the later the influence between Dou Acupoints, the better," Qian Jin stopped the eruption of the acupoints and silently began controlling the first one again. Five hundred... five hundred and ten, five hundred and thirty, five hundred and fifty, five hundred and eighty! The second acupoint began to turn!

"This..." Hua Yanbudian's eyes glazed over slightly. After activating the bloodline power, Bloodline Warriors always had superior control over strength compared to ordinary warriors. How could Qian Jin seem to reach six hundred revolutions on his second try? "I understand! I understand!" Qian Jin smiled, his eyes wide, and bowed deeply to Hua Yanbudian. "Thank you." "I thank you too," Hua Yanbudian nodded weakly. "Thank you for letting me witness what a monster is."

"A monster?" Qian Jin looked at his body; he didn't seem to have grown a third arm or anything.

"A monster," Hua Yanbudian emphasized the word. "Do you know? The first time I activated my bloodline power and tried to control it like you did, when the first acupoint reached one hundred revolutions per minute, the second acupoint would be affected and start turning on its own. It took me about five days to achieve what you did the first time—influencing the second one at five hundred revolutions. You were around five hundred revolutions just now, affecting the next one, right?" "Yes! Your first time was only as low as one hundred revolutions?" Qian Jin stroked his chin. Bloodline Warriors are naturally superior to ordinary warriors in all aspects; how could it be only one hundred revolutions? Could it be...?

Qian Jin slapped his forehead hard, realizing it! Blacksmithing! Potion making! Ordinary blacksmiths only shape metal, but Uncle Black's requirement involved controlling the force of every single hammer blow, even carefully managing the force as the hammer cut through the air. Mixing potions and mysterious potions also heavily emphasized control, especially mysterious potions! Mess up those mixtures, and they explode immediately; a moment's carelessness could easily mean death!

Two years of endless training in the Infinite World was equivalent to four years of practice in the True Counsel Dynasty, coupled with the agonizingly strict requirements of his three teachers—his control power had improved immensely without him realizing it. Hua Yanbudian handed the umbrella to Qian Jin, crossing her arms over her chest, which made her peaks jut out further.

"It's a bit cold; let's go back."

"Alright."

"Hey." Hua Yanbudian stood less than half a foot behind Qian Jin, hands clasped across her chest, looking at him. "It's a little cold."

Qian Jin stopped, holding the umbrella over Hua Yanbudian's head, nodding earnestly. "Yes, it's a little cold. Let's go back."

The beautiful eyes behind the metal mask shone with a faint, strange light. She tightened her crossed arms slightly and said again, "It's really a bit cold." "Yes," Qian Jin nodded repeatedly. "So, we should hurry back and drink some ginger soup to warm up."

Hua Yanbudian stood frozen, arms wrapped across her chest, staring at Qian Jin. Wasn't this kid just very smart a moment ago? After just a few words about rivers and great currents, he immediately grasped the operation method and technique of Dou Qi. Why—after I've said 'cold' several times, and I'm even crossing my arms—can't he figure out to take off his outer coat and lend it to me? "Oh! Oh oh!" Qian Jin's eyes widened, and he reached up to unbutton his outer coat. "I'm a bit hot; you hold this for a while?" "Okay." Hua Yanbudian's surprise transitioned into a hint of joy. "Since you're hot, I'll wear it for you for a bit." Qian Jin sighed repeatedly. Talking to women was sometimes harder than studying Dou Qi! "Still a bit cold," Hua Yanbudian's voice dropped significantly. She gently linked her hands around Qian Jin's arm holding the umbrella, as if talking to herself, "Warmer now."

Qian Jin turned his head to look at the female bandit beside him. He couldn't find any of the fierce aura of a bandit on her. Was someone like this truly suited to live in a bandit group where swords clashed, blood flew, and life could be lost at any moment? "I'm a bit tired; let me borrow your shoulder for a rest." Hua Yanbudian's words sounded more like an order than a request. She rested her cheek against Qian Jin's shoulder and walked on quietly.

Tired? Qian Jin nodded gently. Perhaps more so mentally fatigued? Even a Bloodline Warrior would feel tired surviving in a bandit group, right? If she also refused to kill or rob indiscriminately, the pressure of being a woman in a bandit group must be unimaginable. The quiet ruins were like a completely slumbering city, waiting for someone to wake it.

Qian Jin sat cross-legged on the bed for four hours. His clothes were already soaked with sweat. Five hundred revolutions or six hundred revolutions weren't particularly difficult, but pushing higher became exceedingly hard. After a full four hours, the speed only managed to increase to a thousand revolutions. "Looks like practicing more today will only yield this result. Being tense constantly is starting to cause numbness. If this state of mental numbness persists, the effect of practice will be very poor."

Qian Jin looked at the magic hat in his hand and murmured to himself, "Time for a break, then I should enter the Infinite World."

He sat cross-legged in meditation, achieving no results after an hour. Qian Jin sighed, "For someone like me with no talent in magic, there must be very few, right?"

Since he could remember, he had been practicing meditation, even during his time in the Four Seasons Valley, yet not the slightest progress. "Dual cultivation of Martial and Magic arts—truly enviable," Qian Jin flopped onto the bed, placing the magic hat over his face to avoid thinking about magic. He returned to the Infinite World. "Uncle Black, I need to go get some metal materials first. I don't have enough here to forge weapons." "Mm, go ahead." Black waved his pipe, his eyes regaining their usual haze. [Enlace Dou Qi Manual]

Standing outside the door, Qian Jin looked up at the plaque above the house. He had passed by here many times but never had the time to go in and look. Taking this opportunity, he decided to take a look.

Level Eight Dou Strength was no longer a restraint. Qian Jin pushed open the thick wooden door, revealing a spacious, bright training ground paved with pine floorboards before his eyes.

On the wall opposite the main entrance, a large character, [Dou], was inscribed. Beneath the powerful, vigorous brushstrokes, there was an indescribable sense of rigid strength, giving off an immediate feeling of never retreating.

Beneath the character [Dou] sat a middle-aged man, slender as a blade, his eyes slowly opening to release a glare as sharp as a sword.

Qian Jin perceived the sword-like glint of light, and the Dou Qi in his body nearly reacted involuntarily, beginning to rotate in preparation for combat.