"What did you say?" Qing Jin's listless eyes suddenly brightened: "What did you say? You have a lot of bone-related medicinal herbs there?"

Sinneros was startled by Qing Jin's gaze; the other party had seemed completely uninterested, yet suddenly his eyes were brimming with eagerness.

"If you want to challenge me, that's fine," Qing Jin smiled, resembling a fox that had just discovered a nest of chicks. "You have complete control over the herbs you possess, right? If you lose to me, then every single herb you have will belong to me! That's how I'll compete with you."

All of it? Sinneros stared at Qing Jin. Did this brat even know how many medicinal herbs I have? Or how many precious ones? He dared to claim all of them? Never mind! How could he possibly defeat me!

Chedelphite sighed, glancing at his own empty Battle Realm. Qing Jin’s Battle Realm was already filled with the water he acquired from the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea; the herbs he won could only be stored in mine.

"Fine! Let's see how you win!" Sinneros's chest swelled with his sharp inhalation, his eyes shifting to Noreta. "Interested in joining?"

Noreta clutched the residue of the medicinal paste he had obtained from Qing Jin tightly in his palm, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Cowardly shade!" Sinneros twitched the corners of his lips. "This little thing, how old is he..."

Noreta bit his lip and shook his head again, his eyes showing a resolve never seen before. Compete with Qing Jin? That was a joke! I don't know if he was boasting about bone injuries, but at least when it came to external wounds, he hadn't boasted at all! This medicinal paste... this paste. If he were willing to be my Master, I would immediately kneel and kowtow to him.

Little thing? Qing Jin frowned. An apothecary should possess an apothecary's honor, but that pride shouldn't lead to such arrogance. He had merely said a few things to him, stopping him from examining Bu'er's injuries, and this was his reaction toward him?

Did he absolutely have to tear off Bu'er's bandages, cause further harm during the examination, and finally conclude that no treatment was needed—all just to showcase his ability?

"Elder Hongxuan," Sinneros shifted his attention. "I hope you can bear witness this time."

"Me?" Pan Hongxuan forced a strained smile onto his face. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? Perhaps it would be better to ask the Clan Head to be the witness."

"The Clan Head? Excellent!"

A flush of excited red spread across Sinneros's face. Even as a Guest Elder of the clan, he rarely had the chance to meet the Clan Head, especially the highly capable current Clan Head of the Pan family. If he could show off in front of the Clan Head, thoroughly humiliating this young man whom the Clan Head paid special attention to through the science of potions, he would surely gain further appreciation and more funds and resources from the Clan Head.

"Then I shall await the esteemed Clan Head's arrival in my alchemy chamber."

Sinneros walked away with an air of excitement, his steps quickening, his face already blooming with joy.

Situ Lei glared resentfully at Sinneros's retreating back. If it hadn't been for the appearance of this Guest Apothecary, he would already be following Qing Jin, seeking instruction in deeper, mysterious alchemical theories!

Pan Hongxuan watched Sinneros leave, then looked at Qing Jin, shaking his head repeatedly. What was happening to the Pan family today? Since Qing Jin arrived, the attitudes of these Guest Elders had been changing drastically! The two mysterious Guest Apothecaries, whom no one usually took seriously, stood beside Qing Jin as if they were primary apprentices just beginning their study of mysterious alchemy.

Noreta, the apothecary whom everyone dismissed, now looked upon the young Qing Jin with eyes of fanatical adoration. Even the Guest Apothecary specializing in internal injuries had returned immediately without looking back upon receiving Qing Jin’s message. Only this bone-injury apothecary, Sinneros, possessed a terrifying arrogance.

"What? Qing Jin is going to compete with Sinneros in alchemy? And specifically in the bone injury branch, which Sinneros excels at?"

Pan Hongji abruptly stood up from his Violet Vine Heart Chair, staring at Pan Hongxuan in utter shock. He deeply suspected that his hearing was failing him. Hadn't Qing Jin claimed to be an All-Path High-Level Apothecary?

"Yes," Pan Hongxuan replied, his own face bearing an indescribable look of strangeness. "That is what I witnessed. The three apothecaries showed distinctly different reactions to his behavior."

Pan Hongji slowly paced with his hands clasped behind his back. What was this all about? He had just managed to organize all his thoughts and formulate a new assessment of Qing Jin's youthful cohort, only to have it overturned instantly?

A High-Level Apothecary! That was a crucial resource any family would scramble to secure. Regardless of the research specialty, such an apothecary held immense value.

All-Path? A High-Level Apothecary? The brows of Pan Hongji, which had just smoothed out, knitted back together into the character for 'Chuan' []. He had never even heard of such a thing! At most, he'd heard of it in tales told by wandering bards—he never expected such a person actually existed?

And furthermore, he was a friend of Duanfeng Bu'er! A mere ordinary warrior under the age of twenty! Pan Hongji let out a long breath. This was simply too astonishing! How was it possible? If this were a dream, he should have been scared awake long ago.

Pan Hongxuan cautiously observed the expression on Pan Hongji’s face and sighed softly. This Clan Head had weathered so many storms that his composure had long been honed to the point where even if the Great Demon King of the Demon Race appeared before him, he wouldn't be surprised—he would just draw his blade and attack. Yet today... this young man named Qing Jin was truly too surprising.

"Good! Good! Good!" Pan Hongji slowly raised his head, his grave expression beginning to be replaced by a joyous smile. "Regardless of whether Qing Jin is a genuine All-Path Apothecary, based on our interactions so far, the boy acts and speaks with complete certainty. At the very least, he must be a High-Level Apothecary proficient in three paths..."

"Proficient in three paths..." The muscles around Pan Hongxuan's eyes involuntarily twitched repeatedly. If Qing Jin were a white-bearded old man, this might be understandable, but he wasn't even twenty years old yet!

It was genuinely hard to accept this fact... Pan Hongji turned to look at Pan Hongxuan, offering a wry smile. "Honestly, I share your sentiment. This news truly made me feel like I was dreaming. Don't forget, he also understands mysterious alchemy! Historically, mysterious alchemy and standard alchemy have always been antagonistic. Do you recall those two old sayings circulating about them?"

Pan Hongxuan nodded and walked toward the door alongside Pan Hongji. Indeed, there were two proverbs that had been passed down for countless years in the True Policy Dynasty, among the Barbarians, and even among the Demon Race. Anyone of moderate standing had heard these two sayings:

【Those who learn alchemy cannot comprehend mysterious alchemy.】

【Those who study mysterious alchemy will never grasp the science of alchemy in their lifetime.】

"Truly a peculiar young man," Pan Hongji mused, hands behind his back, speaking with endless contemplation. "Looking at this now, this young man’s future development will surely be vast. With so many abilities at his command, provided he doesn't perish on the Human-Demon Battlefield, or at the hands of the Qing Family or other enemies, he could very well establish his own familial power structure."

Pan Hongxuan stopped walking abruptly, gazing at Pan Hongji. Building a family from scratch was no easy feat, and whether such a newly founded family could achieve great development...

"There is no need to doubt it; he will likely succeed magnificently. At the very least, I hold high hopes for him." Pan Hongji turned back, smiling at his own older brother who had witnessed so much turmoil. "Hongxuan, you handle everything well, but your intuition is slightly lacking, and your judgment isn't bold enough."

Pan Hongxuan quickened his pace to catch up with Pan Hongji, staring silently at the ground. Intuition! Many people relied on so-called intuition, but more often than not, intuition led one astray. Only when a true leader possessed sufficient confidence did intuition become accurate.

"Qian Zhanxuan obtained too little data on Qing Jin. He will regret this later."

Pan Hongji chuckled. "Since we have acquired this much data, we must do what is necessary. Our relationship with Qing Jin is no longer about mere transactions..."

"No more transactions?" Pan Hongxuan looked at Pan Hongji in confusion. "Then what is it?"

Pan Hongji smiled faintly and opened his mouth, uttering softly: "Allies, partners."

Allies? Partners? Pan Hongxuan stared blankly at Pan Hongji’s slightly faster-moving back, still finding it hard to believe what he had heard. Was this truly something Pan Hongji, the Clan Head of the Pan family, would say? Pan Hongji, whom even Qian Zhanxuan looked down upon, held such a high estimation of Qing Jin?

Allies, partners! That implied an equal footing! Pan Hongxuan gazed numbly at Pan Hongji. Today, the Clan Head was treating this young man, Qing Jin, who possessed no discernible power base, as if he were the head of one of the Ten Great Bloodline Warrior Families.

"Both Qing Jin and Duanfeng Bu'er possess immense potential," Pan Hongji quickened his pace slightly. "Even if Duanfeng Bu'er ultimately doesn't qualify to inherit the Pan family, his existence will easily serve as a whetstone for the other two, won't he?"

Pan Hongxuan, lost in his daze, allowed a faint smile to emerge. That was undeniably true! In the past five years, besides Duanfeng Bu'er, two other young members of the Pan family had also manifested the Nine Shadows Phenomenon upon awakening their Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline power. Especially Pan Mengshen, known on the Human-Demon Battlefield as the Phantom Death God, was considered by most elders to be the next successor to lead the Pan family.

Every Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior who achieved the Nine Shadows Phenomenon upon awakening their power carried an innate, profound pride. Outside the family structure, Duanfeng Bu'er could indeed more easily become a whetstone for Pan Mengshen and Pan Mengling.

"Cooperate with them, become allies!" Pan Hongji strode forward. "We need Qing Jin, and Qing Jin needs us for those bloodline awakening potions. Qian Zhanxuan might not let Qing Jin off easily in just over a month. If Qing Jin dies, we lose access to more potions that awaken bloodline power, and the Pan family’s development cannot accelerate. Since that is the case, I will serve as Qing Jin's rear guard against the Pan family." (To be continued. For future developments, the chapters will be more potent; support the author and legitimate reading!)