"God... mysterious..." Panyun's hands clutching the waterskin trembled uncontrollably: "The potion... is that fabled mysterious elixir?"

Qian Jin managed a weak smile. Almost everyone disliked dealing with alchemists, viewing them as beings akin to madmen. Yet, when necessity struck, they desperately hoped those same mysterious potions, which could just as easily poison them to death, would actually work.

A mysterious elixir! Qian Jin let out a long breath. Ah, people! That's just how it is! Sometimes, what is easily obtained is not believed to be real. Instead, they cling to the conviction that only what is acquired through immense hardship, nearly costing them their lives, is truly valuable.

The Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Battle Form as living testimony, the mysterious elixir as material evidence! Panyun had no choice but to believe Duan Fengbu'er. He violently squeezed his eyes shut, brought the waterskin's spout to his mouth, and gulped down clear water with a series of hearty swallows.

The water slid down his esophagus into his stomach. Panyun kept his eyes tightly shut, creasing the corners of his eyes, his brow furrowed as tightly as if locked by a thousand-gold chain, waiting for that legendary agonizing pain that leaves one unable to live or die!

The mysterious elixir, through countless years of exaggerated propaganda by the True Strategy Dynasty, the Demon Race, and the Barbarian Tribes, had long become truly terrifying.

One second... two seconds... three seconds... Panyun suddenly felt as if the blood in his body had been set ablaze, every drop seeming on the verge of boiling over.

Here it comes! Panyun clenched his fists tight, his entire body taut and rigid as stone. A wild roar churned incessantly within his blood, surging directly into his cerebral cortex.

In an instant, even with his eyes closed, Panyun "saw" a gigantic Nine-Headed Serpent standing in the center of a battlefield engulfed in flames, surrounded by humans wielding various weapons, as well as familiar and unfamiliar magical beasts.

The Nine-Headed Serpent stood proudly at the heart of the conflict. Its nine serpent heads, each possessing completely different elemental attributes, spewed forth fire, toxic mist, frigid ice, and other distinct powers. These forces either condensed or exploded, transforming the battlefield into something resembling the apocalypse.

Scales! Jet-black scales began to surface on Panyun's skin. Needles sharp as blades sprouted from his fingertips, emitting a hissing sound as they cut through the air.

"Ah!"

Panyun threw his head back and let out a wild roar. His eyes turned as dark as midnight, and the strength of a Demon Quelling Warrior instantly enveloped him. The Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Battle Form was fully manifested in that single moment!

Two crystalline tears slowly tracked down from the corners of Panyun's eyes. He reached up to wipe away the moisture, tears born from feeling the ancient fury of the Nine-Headed Serpent being besieged by countless foes upon awakening his bloodline power.

"I..." Panyun looked down at the changes in his body, his dark eyes blooming with confusion and astonishment: "I... I really awakened the power of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline... I..."

The very next second! Panyun grabbed the partially consumed deerskin waterskin and once again drank deeply! A first-level awakening wasn't enough; drinking more would lead to a second-level awakening, then third, fourth... "Kid, are you that thirsty?" Duan Fengbu'er watched the greedy Panyun with his arms crossed, a lazy smile playing on his lips: "Let me tell you, drinking more is useless. This kind of elixir only helps with the awakening once. Otherwise, wouldn't the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline be able to punch the Elven King, kick the Three-Headed Golden Dragon, extinguish the War God bloodline with a spit, and wipe out all Martial Casters with a fart?"

Panyun awkwardly held the deerskin waterskin and realized that what Duan Fengbu'er had said was true; his body felt no surge of that dormant power within his bloodline again.

"Enough, give it back." Duan Fengbu'er raised a hand and "snatched" the waterskin back from Panyun: "How does it feel?"

Panyun stared blankly at Duan Fengbu'er, his heart a tumult as he looked at the unfinished waterskin. Returning this to the Clan Head would be a massive contribution!

"Trying to steal it?" Duan Fengbu'er grinned at Panyun: "Do you think you can beat me? Or perhaps you simply don't understand what gratitude means?"

Panyun startled, a flush of shame and awkwardness coloring his face. If it weren't for this man, he would still be trapped in the doorkeeper job—a role that looked respectable to outsiders but was filled with humiliation—perhaps fading away forever.

"Kid, what is your ability?" Duan Fengbu'er looked at Panyun with genuine interest.

Panyun raised his hand, causing a drop of green fluid to well up and flow along the blade-like nail, finally hovering and rotating gently at his fingertip: "Poison."

"Regarding today's business..." Panyun paused in thought, bowed deeply: "Rest assured. I swear upon the honor of the Panyun family's Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline, I will never speak of what happened today, nor will I expose any of you. Please forgive my momentary greed."

"Not speak of it?" Duan Fengbu'er's expression stiffened: "How can you not speak of it? We sought you out to help awaken your bloodline power specifically so you would speak of it."

Huh? Panyun stared dumbfounded at Duan Fengbu'er. This mysterious elixir was undeniably effective. If the family found out, handling the situation might not be simple; one misstep could lead to... Qian Jin moved closer to Panyun and sniffed deeply: "This poison isn't overwhelmingly potent. Warriors above the third level of Demon Quelling can force it out of their system completely within a second using Battle Qi." Support the high tower, click to subscribe and vote.

"Third level of Demon Quelling? Not bad!" Duan Fengbu'er slapped Panyun's shoulder encouragingly: "Kid, Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors are very unique. Our special abilities will increase in power as our Battle Qi grows. Of course, if the special ability you awakened could instantly poison a Demon Subduing Warrior right off the bat, that would truly be astonishing."

Panyun retracted his Battle Form, shaking his head gently. How could an ability awakened just now be that strong? Only with the aid of the clan's special altar might such a feat be possible.

"You really want me to tell people?" Panyun looked at Duan Fengbu'er, half-believing, half-doubting: "Once this spreads, it will be hard to control, likely..."

"The alchemist will be captured?" Duan Fengbu'er smiled at Panyun: "Let me ask you something. If I were an alchemist, and you captured me, forcing me to concoct mysterious elixirs for you. If I made one for you, would you dare drink it?"

A chill shot straight up Panyun's spine, making his scalp tingle until his hair nearly stood on end.

Don't be ridiculous. Who would dare drink an elixir brewed under duress? Was his brain broken? Who could guarantee the alchemist hadn't harbored resentment? For these madmen, succeeding in brewing elixirs for the user was rare, but brewing potions specifically designed to poison someone? That was their true expertise.

In an instant, Panyun also smiled. That's right! No wonder in the histories of the True Strategy Dynasty, the Demon Race, and the Barbarian Tribes, no one ever tried to force an alchemist; at most, they hired them with vast sums of money.

As long as a person still wished to live, they would never coerce an alchemist into crafting potions.

Qian Jin gently patted Panyun's shoulder: "Today, we are also seeking an audience with your Clan Head to discuss a transaction. I imagine you know what we intend to offer."

Panyun nodded repeatedly. Are you kidding! Unless he was a complete fool, at this moment he certainly knew what these people intended to provide.

"However, even if you go back now and tell them you succeeded in awakening," Qian Jin clicked his tongue twice, "they probably won't take it too seriously. Therefore, I hope you can do us a favor."

Panyun looked into Qian Jin's eyes, feeling a strange warmth in his chest. He hesitated for several seconds before realizing why.

In the Panyun family, ever since his bloodline awakening failed, all the gazes Panyun received were filled with contempt, disdain, and condescension.

In a clan of bloodline warriors, only by successfully awakening one's bloodline power would respect be earned! Panyun understood this deeply. Even his usually kind father would look at him with an expression Panyun could only describe as profound, unspeakable sighing.

That's right! That exact look! Panyun stared into Qian Jin's eyes. Regardless of his status as a doorkeeper or now as someone who had successfully awakened the bloodline warrior power, this man's gaze had never changed. In his eyes, there was only equality—pure, unadulterated equality!

This equality, which seemed piercingly sharp in the eyes of high-and-mighty bloodline warriors, felt incredibly warm to a commoner.

"What favor do you need me to do?" Panyun felt a surge of hot blood rush to his chest. He raised his hand and slammed his fist heavily against his breastbone, making it thud loudly: "As long as it doesn't harm the interests of the family, I am willing to help."

"How could we ask you to harm the family's interests?" Duan Fengbu'er draped his arm casually over Panyun's shoulder, adopting a brotherly air: "We just hope you can find more people like yourself—those who failed to awaken their bloodline power."

"You guys..." Panyun stared blankly at Qian Jin.

"Just letting one of you awaken your bloodline power..." Qian Jin wiggled his index finger, "isn't enough of a shock! Especially not for the Panyun family patriarch, the Serpent Emperor Pan Hongji. I only want to negotiate with your Clan Head, and only he has the authority to decide the matters I wish to discuss. Therefore, I need to shake him into action."

"Good! No problem!" Panyun's eyes shone with brilliance. This meant he would still be making a great contribution to the Panyun family! In the future, the resources like Battle Crystals and Battle Stones he received would increase substantially! Let's see who dares look at him with that disdainful look again.

One, two... three... four... fifty young disciples of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline family who had previously failed their awakening. On the very same day, four of them managed to awaken the bloodline power that was supposed to lie dormant in their bodies for life.

Panyun finally realized how fortunate he was. It turned out the water in that waterskin did not guarantee bloodline awakening simply by consumption. Out of fifty people, including himself, only four succeeded.

The number four—four newly awakened Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors—might not seem like much to a massive clan like the Nine-Headed Serpent lineage.

But four newly awakened Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors, all of whom had previously failed at the ancestral altar, made the situation entirely different!

Pan Hongqing stared, dumbfounded, at the four clan youths standing before him who had suddenly awakened their Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline power within a single day. His mouth hung open wide enough to swallow half a watermelon.