"Over here, over here." Lucifer Flow descended from his warhorse in a fluid motion, patting its flank. The steed immediately bolted back down the path they had come, heading toward the Pan family estate.

Qian Jin vaulted off his mount, mimicking Lucifer Flow’s casual gesture by slapping his own horse's rear. These warhorses knew the route well enough; generally, even the bandits and mountain brigands of the True Strategy Dynasty wouldn't dare loot these riderless mounts. To steal a warhorse was akin to provoking the military—only a fool whose mind had snapped, or a fresh-faced young thief, would attempt such a thing. Even without a rider, they were almost guaranteed to find their way safely back to the Pan estate.

"This way."

Lucifer Flow took the lead, planting a foot directly into the Ancient Barren Sand Sea. He was the guide, the demon most familiar with locating sources of water in this desolate expanse.

Qian Jin gazed upon the boundless yellow sands, now long unseen, and the shimmering, rolling air currents. A faint stir arose within him. He had always known the cruelty of the Ancient Barren Sand Sea, yet he had never considered observing it from another perspective: as a breathtaking, naturally forming scroll painting, a place where power seemed to spontaneously generate everywhere.

"The desert... a desert that no one has ever conquered," Qian Jin murmured softly. "If someone's Dou Heart were set upon this, they would be formidable indeed. A pity—my Dou Heart is already decided."

Fen Tu Kuang Ge stared dumbfounded at the dust devils spiraling through the sands, the deafening roars echoing around them. The Dou Qi within his body began to move subtly, uncontrollably.

Qian Jin watched Fen Tu Kuang Ge's reaction with surprise. He hadn't expected his casual remarks to actually trigger some form of profound realization in another.

"Hurry up," Lucifer Flow called back repeatedly from up ahead. Lingering in such arid conditions was deeply uncomfortable; reaching the cave sooner would greatly benefit their skin.

With the air dry and the wind whipping abrasive sand, Pan Hongji wrapped a piece of goatskin around his body like a traveler in the deep night, deflecting the stinging particles. He frowned slightly—truly an unpleasant sensation. Every previous visit, had he not always deployed his Dou Qi barrier to keep the sand out?

But now? Pan Hongji shook his head helplessly. To secretly observe Qian Jin and these younger individuals, he absolutely could not let his Dou Qi leak externally. They were all highly perceptive young warriors; for now, he would just have to endure the discomfort.

The mineral-rich mountain peak, not overly tall, stood silently, never straying far amidst the sands of the Ancient Barren Sea.

Pan Hongji watched with envy as the young people entered the cave, escaping the wind and sand. He sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat resentful. He was, after all, the esteemed head of the Pan family, yet he was reduced to crawling in the sand sea, eating grit while watching the youngsters enjoy themselves.

"This True Key..." Pan Hongji raised a hand to brush some sand from his hair. "They aren't performing some special ritual inside, are they? Is there something different about it? Or should I wait a bit longer?"

After half an hour of waiting, Pan Hongji saw Qian Jin and the others emerge from the cave. Beneath the influence of Qian Jin's Dou Heart consciousness, the endless yellow sands slowly parted on either side, revealing a hole dug into the earth, not shallow by any means.

Fen Tu Kuang Ge took two iron swords from Qian Jin. With his increased strength, he no longer needed to rely on bronze metal to nurture his Dou Mai and Dou Qiao; he could now utilize better grades of metal.

Bury themselves? Pan Hongji’s eyes suddenly widened, but his pupils constricted to a third of their size. Burying oneself in such intensely hot sand? Was this some sort of suicidal Te Ji technique?

"Qian Jin, don't dig me out this time."

On the wind, Pan Hongji faintly caught Fen Tu Kuang Ge's voice: "I want to climb out on my own strength. If I don't even have the energy to emerge, I might as well die inside. The gap between me and you is widening; if I don't fight now, I’ll only fall further behind. I must catch up! I absolutely must catch up!"

"The Fen Tu Clan," Pan Hongji murmured, nodding slightly. "That is the tenacity of the Fen Tu lineage. I really should let the young people of the Pan family, who pride themselves on awakening their bloodline power, see what a true warrior is! What true Te Ji means!"

Lucifer Flow watched Qian Jin repeatedly shake his head at the newly dug pit and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Don't you usually leap right in?"

"The temperature isn't high enough." Qian Jin let out a long sigh, his gaze fixed toward the deeper reaches of the Ancient Barren Sand Sea. "The rumors say the closer one gets to the interior of the sand sea, the hotter it becomes. Is that true?"

"It is!" Lucifer Flow turned to look toward the depths of the Ancient Barren Sand Sea. "The last time I ventured not too far in, I could clearly feel the temperature rising. But now that you mention it, I remember something! I saw a piece of metal there, a strange metal I had never encountered before. I intended to retrieve it sometime later and see if any demon in the Palace recognized it."

A demon? The Palace? Pan Hongji's eyebrows twitched, concealing the killing intent deep within him as he stared at Qian Jin. Was this woman a demon? If she was a demon, how could Qian Jin still be associated with one? Could Qian Jin have... "Metal? What did it look like?" Qian Jin asked casually, his attention immediately returning to the insufficiently heated sand pit, contemplating how to raise the temperature.

"Entirely crimson, as if it were emitting heat on its own," Lucifer Flow said, adopting a look of deep concentration. "Last time, I was too preoccupied with luring demon beasts to kill you; I didn't pay it much heed."

Luring demon beasts? To kill Qian Jin? Thousands of tangled threads suddenly wove together in Pan Hongji's mind. What was this all about now? If they intended to fight, why were they now cooperating? The secrets surrounding Qian Jin seemed to be an endless tangle that could never be fully unraveled.

"Entirely crimson?" Qian Jin lightly tapped his temple with his index finger. Could it be such a coincidence? A material capable of forging a Soul Weapon—Yan Yang Iron Heart? A material that absorbs sunlight, stores heat, and is incredibly difficult to melt? Or was it just a piece of metal that had simply been scorched red by the sun?

"Did it have any other unique features?" Qian Jin focused his attention entirely on Lucifer Flow. "For example, were there any demon beasts or plants around it?"

Lucifer Flow removed the hairpin adorning her long hair, reverting to an even more stunningly beautiful and seductive appearance. She noticed that Qian Jin’s expression showed no trace of awe at her transformation, which brought a slight melancholy to her heart. Did her beauty matter less than a worthless piece of metal?

A demon? Pan Hongji fiercely suppressed the astonishment rising within him. This was a demon! A member of the Lucifer clan among the demons, and judging by her ornamentation, a member of the Lucifer Royal Family! Where did Qian Jin find a royal demoness? It seemed her name, Yuan Xunyu, was also a lie!

"Besides the Flame Violent Cactus..." Lucifer Flow placed her hands on her hips, further accentuating her slender waist and full, sexy bust. "There seemed to be only a few Flame Rats circling that piece of metal..."

"Flame Rats? Jiu Yang True Flame Iron?" Qian Jin shouted in ecstatic realization. "It wasn't Yan Yang Iron Heart after all, but Jiu Yang True Flame Iron! That's a top-grade material for forging fire-attribute Soul Weapons! If we had that back then, perhaps when Uncle Fabreidis ascended to Saint..."

Fabreidis? Ascended to Saint? A flash of clarity sparked in Pan Hongji's mind, causing his scalp to tingle. Even in this incredibly hot and dry Ancient Barren Sand Sea, his back was covered in icy cold sweat.

Could it be... could the Soul Weapon that allowed Fabreidis to ascend to Saint... be it! Pan Hongji felt his heartbeat becoming uncontrollably erratic, reaching a point where Qian Jin might discover it at any second.

A master forger was terrifying enough; a master capable of forging Soul Weapons... Pan Hongji felt cold sweat continuously streaming down his forehead. Soul Weapons could grant ordinary warriors the rank of Saint, and they were rare, precious armaments even for Bloodline Warriors. If used for the ascension ritual, they provided a significant power boost!

"Is it something good?" Lucifer Flow asked, pointing a finger toward her right eye, which was covered by a leather patch. "Because you gouged out this eye, I went looking for demon beasts to take revenge on you, yet I ended up helping you find a rare metal. How do you plan to thank me? Or compensate me?"

The eye was gouged out by Qian Jin? More chaotic knots twisted in Pan Hongji's mind. How could this pair's relationship be so complicated? What on earth was happening? Had he misunderstood, thinking Qian Jin had defected to the demons?

Demons and Humans.

In recorded history, unless political circumstances forced them together, only one scenario ever occurred: drawing swords and fighting until one side fell, losing all life. Or, both sides collapsing, dead, as the result of the clash.

Pan Hongji watched Lucifer Flow, hands on her hips, displaying her seductive figure and beautiful face, smiling sweetly at the human warrior Qian Jin, demanding thanks and compensation?

This was not a negotiation table between nations. Under any normal circumstances, how could a demon possibly demand thanks or compensation? Furthermore! This demoness lost an eye to Qian Jin—how could they be conversing so calmly?

Chaos! Chaos! Chaos! Pan Hongji lay in the sand, his entire forehead filled with churning curiosity. What was going on?

"I say, beautiful demon," Duan Feng Bu Er reverted to his usual roguish demeanor, crossing his arms with a wide, lazy smile directed at Lucifer Flow. "How does Qian Jin plan to thank you? Why don't you just let him take you as his wife? Thank you with his body? Since he did save you from that ** demon anyway, why don't you just settle down together?"

Qian Jin? Dug out this demoness's eye, yet saved her from a ** demon? Pan Hongji lifted his eyelids slightly, shaking off a significant amount of sand from his eyebrows. This relationship was even more convoluted than he imagined. If he blinded the demoness, why save her life?

Lucifer Flow’s single eye flickered toward Qian Jin. A faint blush rapidly crossed her cheek, but it was quickly replaced by the proud, more assertive bearing of a princess. Her single eye repeatedly scrutinized Qian Jin, and she nodded gently. "That's not a bad idea! What do you say, Qian Jin? Marry me? When I ascend to the throne of the Great Demon King, you will be the Empress."

Pffft! The mouthful of clear water Qian Jin had just taken splashed onto the scorching sand, instantly evaporating in the hot air.

The Empress? Pan Hongji was stunned. This... this demoness was truly of Lucifer Royal descent!

This was a truly peculiar combination.

Heh, I am very happy. Truly. I thought I was the most anxious about the Monthly Tickets, but it turns out there is a large group of people as anxious as I am, and these people aren't the authors—they are the readers! In the VIP group, many readers are even more anxious about the Monthly Tickets than I am. I am genuinely happy; this May Day holiday has been very enjoyable.

This is the second update; no more rambling. I want to shout loudly: I! WANT! MONTHLY! TICKETS! Everyone, please give your Monthly Tickets to me. Your one vote allows Chizha Fengyun to truly dominate the world! (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next...)