Fabreus’s chest rose and fell sharply, struggling to suppress the surge of emotion, forcing himself to slowly return to calm: “I have the Soul Weapon materials ready! Once we return to Oakland, I’ll go with you to Yongliu. That place is the center of the entire province, and I’m certain we can find notes on Soul Weapons there.”

“Lord Fabredis.” The Ten Battles of the Torrent spoke simultaneously, their voices perfectly unified as if issuing from a single source: “Soul Weapon materials are not easy to gather. You cannot simply trust Qian Jin because he claims to be a Forging Master.”

Fabredis glanced at the Ten Battles of the Torrent, then at Qian Jin. “This kid has never lied to me. I am willing to take a gamble on him this once.”

“Lord Fabredis…”

“Forget it.” Fabredis waved a hand dismissively. “Do you expect me to go grovel to those blacksmiths in the Iron Guild? Have you forgotten what those black-hearted bastards did? How did Zha Karos, the third of the Battle Hall Triumvirate, die? You want me to beg those wretches? You might as well kill me first!”

Hearing the name Zha Karos, the Ten Battles of the Torrent fell into a collective silence, rolling waves of hatred stirring beneath their placid eyes. The Battle Hall Triumvirate… The Battle Hall Triumvirate! Now, only the Battle Hall Dual Heroes remained, and both had withdrawn from the Warriors’ Guild because of what happened to Sun Zha Karos.

Fen Tu Kuangge watched Qian Jin’s dazed expression, and instantly his own face was clouded over. His knuckles cracked audibly as he clenched his fists. He had heard his grandfather mention the Battle Hall Triumvirate more than once; every time the topic came up, it was filled with endless regret and sorrow.

“Lord Fabredis, you are right.” One of the Ten Battles of the Torrent stood up. “But we cannot fully believe him just because of a few words from Qian Jin, can we? Shouldn't we assess him? I heard that some of your materials were gathered from the inheritance left by Lord Sun Zha Karos. You must be responsible to Lord Sun Zha Karos.”

“Yin Yang Mother-Son Sword, a third-rank Battle Weapon. The Son Sword is hidden within the hilt of the Mother Sword, its hardness even greater than the Mother Sword’s. It was forged around seventy-five years ago. This sword must have come to you through inheritance, not custom-forged by someone you hired.” Qian Jin picked up a broken branch from the ground, gently poking the grass, watching the rising member of the Ten Battles of the Torrent with a half-smile.

“You… you…” Unbelieving gazes flared simultaneously in the eyes of the Ten Battles of the Torrent. This was Yakos’s greatest secret; besides the members of the Ten Battles of the Torrent, almost only the dead knew it. Even Fabredis was unaware of this secret, yet Qian Jin had revealed it so casually.

Yakos felt his hands grow cold. The fact that the Son Sword was stronger than the Mother Sword was something even the other nine members of the Torrent didn't know. He himself had never shown the Son Sword to Qian Jin, yet the man had stated it as fact. Especially the forging time—seventy-five years! This Yin Yang Mother-Son Sword was exactly seventy-five years and three months old today!

“Hidden Edge Staff.” The dry branch in Qian Jin’s hand pointed toward the shortest warrior among the Ten Battles next to Yakos. “A fourth-rank Battle Weapon. It appears to be a simple staff, but it actually conceals an extremely sharp blade. This edge is incredibly narrow, only the width of three strands of hair stacked together. A single strike not only delivers the impact of a staff but also the slicing power of a blade.”

The Ten Battles of the Torrent collectively fell silent. The Hidden Edge Staff, just like the Yin Yang Mother-Son Sword, was a secret belonging to them, yet in Qian Jin’s presence, they held no secrets at all.

Qian Jin’s eyes swept over the others of the Ten Battles. “Do we need to continue? Some of your vambraces are also very…”

The silent Ten Battles of the Torrent simultaneously shook their heads, their gazes fixed straight ahead, as if incapable of turning. Such intimate details, even a Forging Master with rich experience and white hair would find it difficult to discern under these circumstances, especially the Yin Yang Mother-Son Sword—even holding it, one might struggle to discover the sword within a sword.

The dazed eyes of Fen Tu Kuangge suddenly seemed to ignite with fire. What kind of comrade was Qian Jin? A Demon Queller of the Ninth War, an alchemist mastering all disciplines, and now, a Forging Master across all disciplines too!

Fabredis held his breath, staring fixedly at Qian Jin. He had initially felt this young man was trustworthy enough to risk a gamble on, but now, watching his responses to the Ten Battles of the Torrent, he saw that Qian Jin struck the critical point with every word.

“About today…” Fabredis lowered his voice, glancing around as if afraid of being overheard. “Regarding Qian Jin being a Forging Master, you must not speak of it. Not until he breaks through the Demon Queller Ninth War and enters the Demon Subduing Warrior realm, or joins the Warrior Guild’s Torrent Fortress. Do not tell anyone outside, not even your closest kin!”

The Ten Battles of the Torrent nodded heavily in unison. Although the Zhence Dynasty was a union of various guilds fighting against the Lucifer Dynasty of the demon race, there was no true peace among them. A Forging Master who did not belong to the Iron Guild, and one so young—even the lofty Stars might not be able to fathom everyone’s true intentions.

As for the demon race? If they heard of such a young Forging Master, they would certainly dispatch members of the Shadow Division for an assassination! To be a Forging Master at this age—who could guarantee he wouldn't become a Forging Grandmaster in the future? Perhaps even the legendary Divine Craftsman, rumored to be capable of forging divine artifacts!

“Qian Jin, especially you,” Fabredis said with a grave expression. “For your own safety, you must never casually tell anyone else that you are a Forging Master.”

Qian Jin smiled. “Uncle, do you think I’m an idiot? It’s precisely because I trust every person here that I told you I am a Forging Master. Otherwise, I would have spoken to you privately.” Fabredis watched the excitement flickering in the eyes of the Ten Battles of the Torrent, subtly giving Qian Jin a thumbs-up, praising his skill. The Ten Battles of the Torrent were seasoned warriors; if someone had deliberately spoken such things, they wouldn't have reacted emotionally. But Qian Jin’s seemingly unintentional words, imbued with complete sincerity, managed to move them profoundly.

The power of genuine truth always carried far greater weight than the hollow words of politicians! Fabredis nodded inwardly while observing the trio of Fen Tu Kuangge, growing even more curious about how Qian Jin had spent those days with them beyond the frontier. Hearing Qian Jin speak, they showed little surprise, acting more like old friends who had just shared another mutual secret, nothing more.

This level of comradeship was more than a step beyond the camaraderie of the Ten Battles of the Torrent! Fabredis nodded repeatedly. If Qian Jin could continue his fierce progress on the warrior’s path, his future achievements would certainly surpass those of the Battle Hall Triumvirate!

That night, the Ten Battles of the Torrent slept poorly. Whenever they closed their eyes, they recalled Qian Jin’s demeanor, and the words he left before they retired to their quarters: Should I truly succeed in forging Soul Weapons in the future, and if any of you require one and possess the necessary materials, you may come to me.

Correspondingly, the Shengmen (Life Gate), the Sikou (Death Aperture) of the Life Aperture cluster, emitted a deep and steady surge of Battle Qi. Entering the Shengmen, it felt like a withered tree regaining its spring; as the Qi circulated, it grew increasingly active.

One body, two kinds of supreme sensation. Qian Jin closed his eyes, experiencing the difference. It was the same stream of Battle Qi, yet it carried a feeling of transition from death to life.

Eight thousand five hundred turns… Eight thousand eight hundred turns… Nine thousand five hundred turns… Ten thousand turns!

Crack! The Battle Crystal shattered! The one hundred and eight Death Apertures abruptly stopped connecting with the one hundred and eight Life Apertures. No matter how fiercely he urged the Blacksmith Breathing Technique, the Death Apertures, possessing the general breathing flow of the Life Apertures, could no longer synchronize.

Qian Jin exhaled a turbid breath, looking at the Battle Crystal in his hand, now fractured from depleted Battle Energy. He felt the ultra-high-speed rotation of ten thousand turns within his one hundred and eight Life Apertures, concentrating as he pondered the strange shift that had occurred moments ago in the Death Apertures due to an excess of Battle Energy.

A breakthrough! More than just a breakthrough! Qian Jin got out of bed and paced back and forth. Looking out at the night sky through the window, he realized that to fully understand the Blacksmith Breathing Technique and the Death Apertures, he would likely need to consult Uncle Black in the Endless World. To enter now would mean waking up eight hours later, making him easily discoverable.

“Forget it, I’ll ask him tomorrow.”

Qian Jin put on his warrior suit and pushed the door open. Having broken through into the Demon Subduing Warrior realm, he felt an irrepressible urge to test his new power.

Pushing aside the flap of the tent, Qian Jin looked up and saw that the flaps of several nearby tents were also open. The Ten Battles of the Torrent stepped out together, staring blankly at Qian Jin. Did this kid get a stomachache if he didn't terrify people first? Before sleep, he was a Demon Queller of the Ninth War; not even a full night had passed, and he had already broken through to the Demon Subduing Warrior ranks? That surging Battle Qi clearly originated from his small, solitary tent.

“My heavens…” Duan Feng Buried in Sleep rubbed his drowsy eyes. “Comrade, who exactly is the Bloodline Warrior between us? Your speed of breakthrough is too astonishing. You've reached the Demon Queller Ninth War level.”

Fen Tu Kuangge stared blankly at Qian Jin. The Fen Tu family was renowned as a god-of-war lineage among ordinary warriors, and every son received the strictest training from childhood, producing many geniuses among the common warriors. Yet, none in the family had reached the Demon Subduing Warrior realm at Qian Jin’s age. The previous geniuses of the family showed no signs of genius compared to Qian Jin.

“Demon Subduing Warrior…” Fabredis stood with his hands on his hips, his smile tinged with helplessness as he shook his head repeatedly. “The speed at which your strength is increasing is truly shocking. Honestly, I wonder if you never sleep at night? Do you use the time others spend sleeping to cultivate your Battle Qi?”

You actually guessed correctly! Qian Jin smiled and shrugged, thinking internally: Not only do I use the time I should be sleeping, but you sleep eight hours, and I’ve already trained fiercely for sixteen!

“You want someone to spar with, right?” Fabredis looked towards Yakos, the broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted member of the Ten Battles of the Torrent. “You are a Demon Subduing Warrior of the Second War. Go test Qian Jin, who is a Demon Subduing Warrior of the First War.”

Yakos passed his Mother-Son Sword to a comrade and strode into the open space between the tents. He took a deep breath and continuously elevated his Battle Qi. “I won’t hold back. Please don’t push yourself past your limit and get injured.”

Yakos spoke slowly, his expression grave, radiating a blade-like pressure.

Qian Jin stopped suppressing the excitement in his body, slightly bent his waist, and stepped out in one stride. The Wind and Cloud Battle Qi combined with the Raging Lotus Battle Skill erupted with sudden force. The hard earth beneath his feet violently exploded from the counter-thrust, blossoming like clusters of raging lotuses on the ground, the wind created by his sleeves tearing through the air whistling sharply!

It’s the first day of February! I ask everyone for their guaranteed monthly passes!

Soul Weapons! The Ten Battles of the Torrent were completely sleepless. Although they hadn't condensed a Soul Soul and were still far from that stage, which warrior didn't dream of possessing their own Soul Weapon?

Fen Tu Kuangge leaned against his bed, looking out at the moonlit night sky, lightly clenching his fist. “Perhaps the last piece of Soul Weapon material in the family really has a chance to become a Soul Weapon. Father or Grandpa might truly be giving up the chance to step onto that path to Sainthood—a path no ordinary warrior has ever trod!”

“Comrade,” Duan Feng Buried in Sleep muttered vaguely while turning over in his cot, “Give me another pack of cigarettes. Let me think, I think I have a very pretty cousin…” “Shall I introduce you?”

Qian Jin sat quietly on the cot, holding a Battle Crystal. Threads of Battle Qi wrapped around the crystal, constantly spinning, drawing out the pure Battle Energy within, which he madly absorbed into his body. The one hundred and eight Apertures spun at high speed, like one hundred and eight small hurricanes, devouring the Battle Energy entering his body, growing stronger bit by bit.

Just a little more… just a tiny bit more! Qian Jin unconsciously applied a bit more force to the hand gripping the Battle Crystal.

After these days of fighting in the frontier and the Endless World, the Battle Qi of the Demon Queller Ninth War was approaching its zenith. Qian Jin had witnessed the power of Soul Souls and suddenly realized that although he was certain the breakthrough would happen within the next ten days or so, he shouldn't passively wait for it.

Knowing the general timeframe for the breakthrough had paradoxically caused him to lose the fierce momentum he had in the ruins. This was a severely flawed mindset.

Advance! Once the target is seen, one should charge forward recklessly! Yes! I can do it! Tonight, I will definitely enter a new realm!

The Battle Energy in the Battle Crystal was frantically drawn out by the Battle Qi. The three hours he could draw per day had reached the limit. Drawing any more would cause too much Battle Energy to enter his body, assimilating the Battle Qi into Battle Energy, ultimately causing all his Battle Qi to dissipate from his body, rendering him an ordinary person.

Just short, just a little bit short! Qian Jin took a deep breath. If he stopped now, his body would adapt to this level, and it might take ten days to break through!

Battle Energy and Battle Qi converted within the Apertures. The rapidly spinning Apertures seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, and their rotation gradually slowed, the conversion of Battle Energy almost coming to a complete standstill.

Power, power! Qian Jin knitted his brow tightly. He needed just one more burst of power to accelerate the rotation of the Battle Qi in the Apertures and finally shatter the realm of the Demon Queller Ninth War.

Bang! All one hundred and eight Apertures vibrated simultaneously. Their rotation slowed to a snail’s pace, threatening to stop completely at any moment. Every tiny rotation of the Apertures, almost crystallized by Battle Energy, sent a needle-like pain through his body. Since leaving the Four Seasons Valley, Qian Jin had rarely felt pain. His brow twitched repeatedly as the rotation of the Apertures halted. The Battle Qi of the Demon Queller Ninth War began to be converted into new Battle Energy by the Battle Crystal’s power.

Demon Queller Eighth War… Demon Queller Seventh War… Demon Queller Sixth War! The conversion of Battle Qi to Battle Energy was extremely fast. In just ten minutes, the peak strength of the Demon Queller Ninth War Battle Qi plummeted to the Demon Queller Sixth War, and it was still aggressively surging toward the Fifth War.

Decreasing, decreasing, converting, converting! Qian Jin frowned tightly, unable even to throw the Battle Crystal from his grasp. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: I still have power I can use.

Blacksmith Breathing Technique, absorb! The one hundred and eight Death Apertures instantly opened like monstrous mouths in the ocean, greedily swallowing the Battle Energy from the one hundred and eight Life Apertures. In that instant, the Battle Qi ceased converting into Battle Energy; instead, it began converting Battle Energy back into Battle Qi.

The Death and Life sets of one hundred and eight Apertures, originally two completely unconnected cycles, now showed a connection due to the Battle Energy—each Aperture had a corresponding counterpart.

The Blacksmith Breathing Technique absorbed the airflow generated by intense heat, like a roaring flame rapidly incinerating the Battle Energy, turning it into pure Battle Qi which then rushed back into the one hundred and eight Life Apertures.

What is this? What’s happening? Qian Jin was astonished, observing the situation within his body. He had only intended to use the power of the Blacksmith Breathing Technique to force the Battle Crystal out of his hand and stop the influx of Battle Energy, but he never expected these two seemingly independent sets of Apertures to suddenly have corresponding links between them.

The Zhence Dynasty’s heritage spanned tens of thousands of years, and the history of warriors stretched back even further. Battle Qi, through the efforts and creations of countless geniuses and elites, had already formed a complete system. Every person possessed one hundred and eight Life Apertures, but the number one could cultivate depended on the specific Battle Qi secret technique.

One hundred and eight Death Apertures—these were the Si Dou Qiao (Death Apertures)! Whether one was an ordinary warrior, a bloodline warrior, or a bloodline warrior who had undergone ultimate awakening, they still possessed the Death Apertures, incapable of cultivating any power. Let alone having the Death Apertures connect with the Life Apertures.

Demon Queller Seventh War, Demon Queller Eighth War, Demon Queller Ninth War… Battle Qi surged back and climbed madly. The Battle Energy within the Battle Crystal seemed to be completely incinerated by the heat flow of the Blacksmith Breathing Technique at this moment. What surged out of it was no longer Battle Energy, but Battle Qi!

Battle Qi purer in quality than that refined at the peak of the Demon Queller Ninth War! This Battle Qi rushed wildly into the one hundred and eight Life Apertures, rapidly accelerating the rotation of the Battle Qi.

Three thousand nine hundred turns… Four thousand turns… Four thousand five hundred turns… Six thousand turns… Seven thousand… Eight thousand! Qian Jin felt all one hundred and eight Life Apertures suddenly vibrate simultaneously. The Aperture named Shengmen (Life Gate) at the center of his chest transformed into the central point for all one hundred and eight Apertures. What were once just Apertures connected by meridians were now all linked to the Shengmen. It was like the central point where a thousand roads converged, directing the flow of Battle Qi in every Aperture as the Shengmen's Battle Qi rotated.