"Strong, because one of the bandits is our Sixth Commander," Hua Yanjian's expression grew grave. "He possessed the power to instantly kill a Tenth Commander with ease, yet he was felled by a single strike! Just one blow, and his head was severed! Judging by the corpse, he didn't even have time to react before he died."

The power to instantly slay a Tenth Commander, yet he was instantly slain by someone else! Qian Jing felt a surge of curiosity—just who was this terrifying expert?

"And that's not all. Rumor has it the Demon Race dispatched a squad of Dark Reapers into the Outlands to find you. When the Zhence Dynasty got wind of it, they released a contingent of Black Dragon Guards into the Outlands as well. This place is far more chaotic now than it was before," Hua Yanjian shook his head. "It was chaotic enough before, but now it's even worse."

"Especially concerning the person who killed our Sixth Commander. Based on the signs of the struggle, only one person was fighting; the other ten simply stood by and watched, then scattered. We don't know if they were looking for you, or if they were hunting the Dark Reapers."

Qian Jing frowned, bending down once more to scan the surroundings, speaking faintly, "Ten or so people? Whether they were looking for me or the Dark Reapers, the odds of them running into each other are quite slim."

"The Outlands are vast! The chances of an encounter are too small," Fabredis stood in the torrential rain of the Outlands, his Tianlu Sword dripping with crystalline raindrops. He tilted his head back to gaze into the distance through the downpour, his voice laced with a note of helplessness. "Where in the world has that brat Qian Jing hidden himself?"

Through the rain curtain, several figures ran swiftly toward Fabredis from different directions, one hand pressed to their heart in salute. "Sir, nothing found!"

Fabredis sighed. "Wait for the others."

In the rain curtain, several more figures emerged to report.

Fabredis looked at the warrior who approached him and asked, "Did you find it?"

"Found it!" Qian Jing shouted excitedly, looking at the man-sized giant sword carved from stone in the mist. "I found it!"

The giant sword carved from bluestone had endured an unknown passage of time, its blade exuding an aura of profound age.

Hua Yanjian scrutinized the stone sword embedded in the ground. It looked like an ordinary carving; he couldn't discern anything special about it, wondering why Qian Jing was so certain as he walked toward it.

"It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?" Qian Jing reached out a palm to gently stroke the surface of the giant stone sword, pacing slowly around it with a furrowed brow in deep thought. "I've seen plenty of stone carvings, but this is the first one with such a level of artistry."

"Level of artistry?" Hua Yanjian leaned closer to examine the stone sword. The carving didn't seem overly fine, nor did it possess any strange or deformed structure that the nobles called 'art.' Any stonemason pulled from the Zhence Dynasty could carve stone as well as this, if not better.

Qian Jing looked up at Hua Yanjian with just a smile. In terms of carving skill, this stone sword was probably at the level of an apprentice. If judged by the standard of 'art,' it probably wouldn't be worth a single copper coin. However, when viewed through the lens of forging, the scene changed entirely.

Stone sculptures traditionally focus on exquisite form, a consistent pursuit in both the Zhence Dynasty and the Lucifer Dynasty of the Demon Race.

This stone sword before him was completely different. Its rough carving technique lacked even a trace of aesthetic beauty; most people would deem it a failed piece of stonework.

But if viewed from the perspective of sword-making, this sculpted sword represented a completely different realm! Qian Jing rested his chin on his hand. Having read so many books on forging from Uncle Black, he recognized that although this was merely a stone sculpture, its proportions were far too perfect when compared to the standard geometry of an ordinary longsword.

Every weapon adheres to inherent proportional laws. No matter how enormous a weapon is, its fundamental ratios should not change much. Only exceptional experts, seeking to maximize their combat effectiveness, would commission a smith to create a weapon perfectly tailored to them; most other weapons are standardized issue.

In the eyes of many warriors, a sword is only distinguished by weight, size, length, and shortness—never by proportional variance. Only a true smith, especially one proficient in swordsmithing, possesses a unique sensitivity to proportion. Even the slightest deviation in the sword body's ratio would be instantly noticeable.

Perfect proportions! Qian Jing gazed at the carving and sighed softly. This sword body possessed perfect ratios! If a metal battle sword could achieve this level of proportion, the creator would truly be a Forging Grandmaster! Ordinary smiths could not control such precise ratios.

"A stone sculpture that doesn't pursue detailed refinement but instead pours immense effort into the sword body's proportions," Qian Jing chuckled to himself. "It's abnormal, far too abnormal. I can't believe I never noticed the proportions of this carving were unusual. If Uncle Black knew, he'd probably scold me again."

Hua Yanjian looked at Qian Jing in confusion. A mere stone carving, discussing proportions? Did he also understand the art of sculpture?

Qian Jing tightened his belt with both hands, squatted down before the stone sword, spread his arms, embraced the sword, and pulled upward with great force! Puu—

A significant portion of the sword body emerged from the earth, spraying a bit of damp soil outward.

Hua Yanjian stared blankly at Qian Jing. His burst of strength was indeed impressive, but that power was primarily for attack, not true leverage. This stone sword looked like it weighed at least five or six hundred jin, and having been buried for years, it was likely fused with the earth. To pull it free would require brute force of at least fifteen hundred jin!

Is this kid a Barbarian? Hua Yanjian closely examined Qian Jing; his face lacked the strange markings of the Barbarians, only the veins on his forehead pulsed intensely.

Qian Jing strained every muscle, internally calculating the force exerted. It probably took nearly two thousand five hundred jin. If not for Uncle Black and the two years spent immersed in the lakes of the Four Seasons Valley, he likely couldn't have pulled it out of the ground like that. Pupu—

The stone sword was slowly drawn from the soil. Qian Jing turned, holding the sword, took a couple of steps, and slammed it forcefully down onto the ground with both hands.

Bang! The stone sword violently struck the ground, and lines of cracks appeared across its surface. Qian Jing stepped forward and kicked hard at a fractured point, and the stone sword instantly shattered into dozens of broken pieces with a Kacha-cha sound. Jing— The quiet ruins echoed with the crisp sound of metal colliding.

Hua Yanjian stared, dumbfounded, at the semi-circular piece of metal that rolled out from the shattered stone sword, then stared blankly at Qian Jing. This was truly miraculous!

A stone sword that was unremarkable and held no special features, which anyone would easily overlook, yet Qian Jing actually managed to pull it out using brute force, then smashed it onto the ground, revealing a semi-circular piece of metal within.

"There really was something inside," Qian Jing clapped the dust off his body, squatted down, and picked up the metal. "I was just trying my luck; looks like my luck wasn't bad."

Hua Yanjian leaned in to examine the semi-circular metal in Qian Jing’s hand. From the exterior, it appeared to be a... no! It should be half of a wrist shield, one foot in diameter, meant to be worn on the wrist!

It should have been a complete circular wrist shield, but now only half remained, as if it had been sliced cleanly in half by some sharp weapon, or perhaps the shield's creator had only forged half of it.

Qian Jing gently rubbed the wrist shield with his fingers, feeling its thickness, his brow deeply furrowed in slight confusion. Was this an alloy? Several top-grade metals forged into something akin to refined metal essence, then perfectly fused together!

It was a pity... Qian Jing sighed softly. These metals were so thoroughly fused that it was impossible to discern what high-grade metals they were, let alone separate them for reuse. The essence of these dozen or even dozens of metals had already become a true whole; the forging technique was absolutely that of a true master!

Qian Jing’s index finger traced the edge of the wrist shield, and as it reached the straight line, his finger trembled slightly and jumped, his pupils instantly contracting, revealing a cold glint of surprise. "This is..."

It was cut! This wrist shield was definitely not half-made due to a lack of material; it had been brutally cleaved by a weapon of incredible sharpness!

What weapon could possess such sharpness and durability? Qian Jing looked down at the cut surface of the wrist shield. There was no trace of tearing around the edge; the wound looked as if a razor had sliced through soft tofu.

A shield forged from the perfect fusion of a dozen high-grade metal essences, combined with superior forging techniques! Qian Jing silently estimated that if he attacked it with his self-forged Jidu Horse-Slaying Saber, unleashing his strongest Demon-Subduing Nine Battle Qi strike, at best he might knock off a few beautiful sparks of metal—he probably couldn't even leave a scratch mark on the shield.

Cleaved in one blow? Qian Jing shook his head. What kind of weapon could cleave it? Even if the weapon was durable enough, without sufficient Battle Qi intensity, it likely couldn't have been split! This shield was absolutely a Master-level shield! "What is this?" Hua Yanjian pointed to the reverse side of the wrist shield in Qian Jing's hand. "It looks like a..."

Qian Jing quickly flipped the wrist shield over completely and examined the carving on it closely. "This... this should be a sea chart. These dots represent islands, but..." Hua Yanjian looked up at Qian Jing and picked up the conversation, "It looks like half a map."

Qian Jing nodded, staring very carefully and seriously at the sea chart, trying to find a similarity with charts he had seen before.

A shield forged from the fusion of a dozen indistinguishable high-grade metal essences, engraved with a sea chart—anyone with a modicum of intelligence wouldn't dare to belittle the value of this map.

Qian Jing spent over ten minutes recognizing the chart, searching through the maps he could recall, but he couldn't find any resemblance to this one. The ocean east and south of the Zhence Dynasty was simply too vast! Legends claimed the ocean's area far surpassed the combined territories of the Zhence Dynasty, the Demon Race, and the Barbarians!

Countless islands dotted the vast ocean; even possessing the complete shield with a detailed chart, one might not find the location indicated on the shield, let alone possessing only half a map.

"Half a shield, what kind of situation is this?" Qian Jing smiled wryly, turning the half-shield in his hand to look at Hua Yanjian. "This belongs to me; I assume you don't mind?"

"Of course not," Hua Yanjian spread his arms. "You found this, so it’s yours."

Qian Jing repeatedly turned the half-wrist shield over and found that only one component was missing on the inner side. If he could install the part that connected to the wrist bracer, it could still be used as a wrist shield—just an incomplete one. "You could buy a new one," Hua Yanjian suggested nearby.

Qian Jing chuckled and shook his head repeatedly. Even as only half a shield, it possessed astonishing defensive capability! Even his self-forged Jidu Saber, forged from refined iron essence, wouldn't leave a mark if used to strike it! Furthermore, the strange patterns on the shield's surface didn't seem to be mere decoration; they looked somewhat like the inscription carvings seen in the [Endless World].

If the patterns on the half-wrist shield were indeed inscription carvings, then this shield, worn by a Battle Soldier, was simultaneously a magic item! Containing mysterious power!

"Shall we continue exploring then?"

Hua Yanjian took the lead, walking toward the other stone carvings, raising his hand to tap each one.

Qian Jing put the wrist shield away and carefully surveyed the surroundings. "If I find the other half of the wrist shield, I might have a way to combine them. Perhaps not only will I understand what the sea chart means, but I might also decipher the meaning of these strange patterns on the shield."

In the quiet, orderly ruins, statues were toppled one after another, turning into scattered rubble, but no new hidden treasures emerged.

Hua Yanjian smashed the last humanoid statue, his interest in treasure hunting plummeting to rock bottom. He bid farewell to Qian Jing and left first.

Qian Jing sat amidst the ruins of broken stones, looking at the half-wrist shield he had first obtained. A forging skill of this level should at least be that of a Forging Grandmaster. At least, even if he possessed these metals now, he probably couldn't forge a shield of such caliber. Such a powerful shield could still be cleaved apart? Qian Jing stretched his legs out leisurely. "I really want to see the martial artist and the warrior who cleaved this shield apart."

Qian Jing opened his Battle Sphere and placed the shield inside. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and hurried toward his dwelling. He had spent quite some time treasure hunting; calculating the time, it should soon be time to enter the Endless World.

The more chaotic the situation in the Outlands became, the more powerful one needed to be for self-preservation. No one could guarantee that upon leaving this area, they wouldn't encounter the Dark Reapers by bad luck.

According to the Dark Reapers' habits, if a Two-Star was killed, they likely wouldn't dispatch a Three-Star Dark Reaper; instead, they would assign a member based on the combat traces found at the death site. Theoretically, it would be at least a Four-Star Dark Reaper, and even with a throwing knife as a last resort, it might not be decisive.

The village in the Endless World was as peaceful as ever. Qian Jing looked up at the Enlake Battle Qi Hall nearby, hesitated for a moment, then sighed and gave up the idea of challenging it again. The Battle Techniques he had acquired last time were merely memorized; he hadn't truly mastered them.

"I should go to the West Mountain to get some Hundred-Year Ice Iron Ore from the Flame Wolf Beasts first..." Qian Jing walked toward the village entrance, resting his chin on his hand. "Hmm, and I should swing by the Three-Headed Gale Tiger place as well, get some Wind-Fire Copper."

"Three-Headed Gale Tiger... Hmm... that's a problem," Qian Jing tapped his head. "Whether I can defeat it is an issue. Although it's not as ferocious as the Moon Demon Flower Spider, it's no ordinary monster."

As Qian Jing stepped out of the village, his two arms suddenly thrust forward in a burst of speed. A Three-Headed Giant Wolf, charging out from the grass to ambush him, had its middle head instantly shattered. Its massive body was violently flung aside, its four limbs twitching a few times before going still.

"I truly don't understand. Every time I kill you, the next time I leave the village, you reappear, just like the Flame Wolf Beast and the Three-Headed Gale Tiger. You show up again shortly after being killed," Qian Jing shook his arms. "It seems my [Earth-Shattering Slash] needs more practice. The scroll said one strike feels like a battle saber, capable of chopping enemies into pieces of flesh. Yet just now, I only managed to smash this wolf's head."

Qian Jing stepped into the grass, which was nearly as tall as a person. A gleaming blade light suddenly erupted from below him, and the surrounding chill instantly severed the dense grass, kicking up a cloud of debris. "It's you again!"

Qian Jing lifted his leg and stomped down on the head of the swordsman who was lying prone to launch an ambush, crushing the skull. He snatched the steel saber from the ground and walked directly into the depths of the grass. Without looking, he casually swung the battle saber to his right side, and two heads, spurting blood, flew high out of the grass.

Familiar! Too familiar! Qian Jing walked listlessly out of the overly familiar patch of grass. His eyes, which were about to close from drowsiness, suddenly snapped open with alertness.

The enemies encountered on the path from the village to this patch of grass never changed. Qian Jing was confident that even with his eyes closed, he could instantly eliminate any enemy that emerged.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the grass, this familiar territory ahead became unpredictable. Whether it was a destitute swordsman, some wild beast, or even a monstrous beast, they would never appear in the monotonous way they did in the preceding patch of grass.

Sometimes, this area would be a few cute little white rabbits performing a welcoming ceremony with their innocent, wide, red eyes. Other times, it would be incredibly ferocious monstrous beasts, sometimes more than one!

Qian Jing remembered one time when he emerged from the grass to find over thirty Centaurs lined up in neat formation, roaring deafeningly, wielding iron spears as thick as their arms like windmills, expressing their most fervent 'welcome' ceremony.

Facing one Centaur wasn't an issue; three to five Centaurs holding iron spears were manageable. But when the number rose to thirty, Qian Jing couldn't handle such an enthusiastic welcome. He could only turn tail and flee in disgrace.

Entering the West Mountain, Qian Jing looked up at the peak that was invisible to the eye, his pace gradually quickening. "There should be a stronghold not far ahead. Bypassing it would take longer than forcing a path through..."