"Checkfort." Gan Jing turned his head to look at his Battle Domain: "Interested in taking a gamble?"

Checkfort revealed a look of confusion in Gan Jing's embrace. His handsome face, capable of eclipsing beauties, was filled with bewilderment. The Demonic Eye of Destruction was a rare special ability; not every Fallen Angel bloodline warrior possessed it—it depended on luck. Even after awakening their bloodline power, they might not awaken the Demonic Eye of Destruction.

"I can carefully remove your right eyeball and preserve it for you temporarily," Gan Jing walked slowly toward the cave, holding Checkfort. "Then, I will use a special method to transplant the eyeball I just seized from Lucifer Liushui into your empty socket."

Eye replacement? Checkfort stared blankly at Gan Jing. Duan Feng Bu Er even tripped and fell, looking foolishly at Gan Jing alongside Fen Tu Kuang Ge.

Whether it was the Zhen Ce Dynasty, the Demon Race, or the Barbarian Race, all had fanatical researchers of mysterious elixirs who, from time to time, would issue utterly insane declarations.

The replacement of bodily organs had been proposed several times by these mad elixir researchers, only to be immediately condemned as lunacy by countless others in different fields. Once a human organ was removed, it was useless! How could it possibly be installed into another person? Let alone removing special parts from a demonic beast’s body and installing them onto a warrior.

Duan Feng Bu Er slapped his forehead, remembering that Gan Jing was not only an alchemist but also researched the mysterious elixirs others deemed only madmen would touch. And this time, he opened the conversation with eye replacement!

"Gan Jing, are you kidding?" Duan Feng Bu Er wanted to lighten the mood, but found he couldn't even manage a smile. Removing an eyeball was simple enough; anyone could do it easily. Installing it back, however, was an immensely complex matter! Moreover, Checkfort was someone who trusted Gan Jing absolutely, constantly scheming to return to the Demon Race, kill the Crown Prince, and retrieve Princess Yunala. The power of the Demonic Eye of Destruction was something everyone had witnessed—it was far beyond ordinary strength. As power increased and bloodline awakenings occurred more frequently, the power of the Demonic Eye of Destruction would continuously grow. For someone like Checkfort, who yearned so fiercely for power, this invitation was incredibly difficult to refuse**!**

Indeed! Fen Tu Kuang Ge saw an intense excitement and desire in Checkfort's eyes, which had previously been injured and weary. It was more than just wanting to take a gamble; there was no hesitation! Although everyone trusted Gan Jing, Fen Tu Kuang Ge felt his own level of trust wasn't quite as immediate as Checkfort's, who agreed without a second thought. While he would undoubtedly trust Gan Jing eventually to undergo the supposed eye swap, that instant agreement felt slightly ahead of him.

"Gamble! Bring it on!" Gan Jing was startled by Checkfort’s reaction. That answer was far too swift!

"Let's wait a bit then."

Gan Jing grinned, "Replacing eyes also requires preparation. Not a single material or instrument can be missing."

"Fine." Checkfort closed his eyes, choosing rest decisively despite his severe injuries.

Gan Jing stepped on the thick sand, feeling the surging battle aura within him and the seemingly living heat flowing around them, which significantly improved his mood. "Let’s go take a look! If we can leave the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea alive, I'll give Qian Zhan Xuan's young bloodline warriors a good showing in two months."

The dark cave exuded damp air and a warm breeze. Duan Feng Bu Er lit a tinder wick and walked at the very front of the tunnel.

Gan Jing observed the walls. Although some sand had blown in, the amount was too small. The winds in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea were never fixed in one direction; if the wind blew south in the morning, it might blow north in the afternoon. By this logic, the cave entrance should have long been completely filled with sand, yet there was very little.

The tunnel soon ended, opening into a large pool. The circular pool had a radius of about three to four meters. The firelight shimmered gently on the water's surface, emitting a faint emerald glow even in the darkness of the cave.

"This water..."

Gan Jing squatted down. Duan Feng Bu Er and the others immediately grew tense.

He dipped his index finger into the rippling water and brought it to his lips. Gan Jing sipped it a few times, frowning slightly. "It seems to contain some special substance, but at least it doesn't appear poisonous."

Substance? Fen Tu Kuang Ge dabbed his lips with the water, then simply scooped up a handful and drank it bit by bit, feeling the sensation as it flowed into his body. He kept a fist ready near his lower abdomen, prepared to violently expel the water with a single punch if anything felt wrong.

Gan Jing also took a sip, finding the water slightly sweet with no other discernible issues.

"Heh heh, seems it's not poisonous after all." Duan Feng Bu Er squatted down, cupped the water in his hands, and laughed. "In the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, besides the most terrifying demonic beasts and the weather, water sources are a major problem. While Gan Jing's Battle Domain has waterskins, we don't have much. This water..." Ga...

The water entered Duan Feng Bu Er’s throat, and his fair face suddenly flushed crimson. He gripped his neck tightly, an expression of agony contorting his features.

What? Gan Jing was stunned. No one else had issues drinking this water; why did it seem to affect Duan Feng Bu Er so severely...

Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...

Waves of power swelled outward from Duan Feng Bu Er’s body. His battle aura spread like ripples from a stone dropped into water, expanding, spreading, and spreading further.

This is... Gan Jing stared blankly at Duan Feng Bu Er, unable to believe what he was seeing and feeling. This Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior, after taking just one sip of this water, was actually... actually about to undergo his second bloodline power awakening!

That’s right! This was the precursor to a natural bloodline power awakening! Gan Jing had witnessed someone naturally awaken near the entrance of the Gan Family not long ago, almost succeeding. He never expected Duan Feng Bu Er right here to be on the verge of awakening too! Just one sip of water? Gan Jing looked at the water source beside him. If it was truly this water, then letting Checkfort drink a mouthful later would trigger a bloodline awakening—a massive adjustment and reorganization of the body.

Legend held that a bloodline warrior, gravely injured in battle and on the brink of defeat, had awakened a new bloodline power. Their severe injuries recovered at a visible, rapid pace, and powered by the fresh surge from the awakening, they struck down their opponent.

"Suppress it... Suppress it!"

Duan Feng Bu Er fell to the ground, curled up like a shrimp, writhing continuously, murmuring incoherently. "I don't want to awaken now! I don't want power gained by gambling luck! I need to arrange my Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline's specialty myself—Poison! My new ability must be poison! Whether it’s serpent venom, scorpion venom, or any other toxin! Any poison will do!"

The impending awakening power, after a brief surge, was forcefully pushed back down by Duan Feng Bu Er. Sweat beaded on his pale face. Any bloodline warrior reaching the stage of awakening could forcibly suppress it, gaining self-control over when to trigger that power next.

The door had been opened! But it had been closed again by the person who opened it; for the one who knew how to close the door, reopening it became exceedingly simple.

"Heh heh... So close." Duan Feng Bu Er wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Almost caused trouble."

Gan Jing looked at him in confusion. "Why poison?"

"If I face an opponent I can't defeat instantly," Duan Feng Bu Er said with a smile, "then all I need to do is infect them with some poison, and then draw out the battle time. Who will be the victor then?"

Gan Jing was utterly speechless regarding Duan Feng Bu Er’s combat philosophy. It was a completely different school of thought. Having spent time in the Endless World and the Four Seasons Valley, he had grown accustomed to vigorous advancement, never retreating, fighting quickly, decisively, and cleanly! Defeating the opponent with a single strike and never needing a second blow!

Poison? Gan Jing thought for a moment. "There are two poisons that might suit you well. One is the Demon Core from the Sand Scorpion King we just encountered, and the other is the Moon Demon Flower Spider."

"The Moon Demon Flower Spider? That’s a rare treasure!" Duan Feng Bu Er’s eyes shone brighter than the burning tinder wick. "Gan Jing, you have the Demon Core of a formidable demonic beast like the Moon Demon Flower Spider? That's truly..."

"Dream on," Gan Jing shook his head. "I only know where the Moon Demon Flower Spider is located..."

"...This... that could be considered." Duan Feng Bu Er rested his chin thoughtfully on his hand. "You currently possess the strength of the Four Battles of Subduing Demons but have the awareness of the Battle Heart. Checkfort has strength above the First Battle of Subduing Demons, and I will soon push toward the Ninth Battle of Demon Descent, plus Kuang Ge’s strength. If we coordinate, we might be able to surround and kill a Moon Demon Flower Python..."

"I'm afraid we can't handle it," Gan Jing repeatedly shook his head. "I didn't know how strong that thing was before; I understand it better now. It's supposed to be only a Mid-tier demonic beast, yet it feels like much more."

"If all else fails," Duan Feng Bu Er snapped his fingers, "we ask Uncle Fabredis for help! I refuse to believe a Saint-level expert couldn't handle a Moon Demon Flower Spider."

Gan Jing nodded; that was true. If Fabredis took action, the Moon Demon Flower Spider would undoubtedly meet only one end: death.

Checkfort, leaning on Gan Jing’s shoulder, managed to squat down. He cupped the water in his hands just like Duan Feng Bu Er and took a drink. They were all bloodline warriors who had awakened their bloodline power; if the water worked for Duan Feng Bu Er, then...

It didn't work? Checkfort drank a mouthful but noticed no reaction in his body. He drank several more sips with no effect, then cast a confused glance towards Gan Jing. Among the four of them, while Gan Jing might be less knowledgeable about higher levels of combat, concerning most other knowledge, he was a mobile encyclopedia—there was almost nothing he couldn't explain.

Ps: This is the third update. I am borrowing three treasures from everyone: Monthly Tickets, Recommendation Tickets, and Member Clicks (Please log into your reader account and click on the first chapter of Gao Lou's public edition... It’s a featured push today, adding some member clicks will look good on the rankings too, right?) Gao Lou expresses his deep gratitude.