Qian Jin clapped Fen Tu Kuang Ge on the back, his expression subdued. The weight of the Fen Tu Family's honor was a constant burden upon this young man's shoulders; it was astonishing it hadn't already crushed him or driven him to madness.

Fen Tu Kuang Ge suddenly lifted his head, surveying everyone present. His voice was laced with earnest pleading: "I don't want to be left behind by you all. I don't want to only watch your backs..." "Naturally!" Duan Feng Bu Er chuckled, replying, "We're heading to the Qian Family now. Once we settle this, we'll buy medicinal herbs and rush back to fight alongside you again! However, you’d better be prepared—we aren't so easy to catch up to..."

"Tch!" Lucifer Liu Shui let out a soft, derisive laugh, cutting off Duan Feng Bu Er. "A rookie from the Three Demon Subduing Battles."

A rookie? Duan Feng Bu Er raised an eyebrow. "The Demoness knows about the Nine Demon Subduing Battles, but just you wait! Very soon..."

Duan Feng Bu Er opened his mouth, staring blankly at the lightly smiling Lucifer Liu Shui. In her fair, beautiful hand, masses of golden sand were coalescing. There was no ethereal magical fluctuation drifting in the air; there was only the surge of Battle Qi! Within a one-meter radius centered on Lucifer Liu Shui, the very atmosphere seemed completely under her command!

Battle Heart! A Demon Slaying Warrior! What the Demon Race called a Third Tier Magic Martial Artist!

Lucifer Liu Shui smiled proudly. "Nine-Headed Worm rookie—did you see that? This Princess is now a Third Tier Magic Martial Artist!"

"This... this fast..." Duan Feng Bu Er gazed at the sand in Lucifer Liu Shui's hand. Even Bloodline Warriors found it easier to shatter bottlenecks, but just one month... this demoness was terrifyingly strong.

"Heh, I also thought it would take over a year," Lucifer Liu Shui dispersed the sand, her single eye fixed on Qian Jin. "I have you to thank for this! If you hadn't taken one of my eyes, shattered my honor and pride, and given my Destruction Demon Eye crucial preparation time—that opening, that fear—perhaps I'd still be wallowing in the arrogance of possessing the Nightmare Destruction Eye."

"I was scared," Lucifer Liu Shui looked straight at Qian Jin, "I truly was! I feared that without the advantage of the Destruction Demon Eye, I would lose my edge on the path to seizing the Great Demon King's throne. This panic unexpectedly triggered my breakthrough. Qian Jin! Let's fight again! I want to test it on you..." Qian Jin lightly raised his eyelids, his internal Battle Qi instantly surging to a super rotation speed of fifty thousand turns. The yellow sand beneath his feet seemed suddenly compressed by a heavy weight, forcing itself to recede to the sides. Eighth Stage Demon Subduing Warrior!

Pan Hong Ji's eyelids twitched violently. This was the true monster among this small group! To jump from the Fifth Stage Demon Subduing Battle to the Eighth Stage in just one month!

The Eighth Stage Demon Subduing Warrior usually stood no chance against a Demon Slaying First Tier warrior. Lucifer Liu Shui sighed softly and retracted the Fallen Angel Battle Form of the First Tier Demon Slaying Battle. Qian Jin’s Eighth Stage Demon Subduing was different from ordinary Eighth Stage Warriors; his Battle Qi burst power surpassed even that of a Fifth Tier Demon Slaying warrior.

"Let's go," Qian Jin slightly adjusted his attire. "We should head to the Qian Family and fulfill that agreement."

The Qian Family? The scene of Qian Zhan Xuan’s overbearing arrogance and underhanded viciousness outside the Qian Family gates flashed through everyone's minds. At the moment of attack, he had used his Battle Heart consciousness lock to forcefully bind Qian Jin's Battle Qi, making outsiders believe Qian Jin still possessed formidable strength. Yet, they were unaware that the Battle Qi in his internal channels was immobilized, rendering him incapable of unleashing any burst power.

A warrior with the strength of Battle Qi but unable to unleash its explosive power was, at best, only slightly more resilient due to the instinctual protective force of that Battle Qi. In any actual confrontation, it appeared Qian Jin would be relentlessly suppressed by his opponent, eventually suffering grievous injuries—allowing the Qian Family to claim a swift and clean victory.

Qian Jin turned toward the sea of sand behind him, bowing with a smile. "Thank you, Patriarch, for your protection during this time. I only just realized recently..."

Patriarch? Everyone was startled, only to hear Pan Hong Ji's hearty laughter echo across the sand sea.

"Interesting! I allowed a sliver of my presence to be known, and you noticed immediately?" Qian Jin smiled silently. If this Patriarch had truly wished to remain hidden, he likely wouldn't have been discovered even now. This gap represented the immense chasm in power; in the face of a difference between heaven and earth, no technique could bridge the disparity. Pan Hong Ji rose with ease, walking at an unhurried pace. The vast distance beneath his feet seemed to shrink to mere inches. Since Qian Jin's strength had reached such a level, it was worthwhile to establish a better rapport.

The demon beasts had not dared to press their attack that day! Qian Jin finally understood: it wasn't that Hai Qing'er's undead forces had shown mercy, but rather a deep apprehension of the continent's top expert standing behind him—the Heavenly Awakening Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Warrior, Pan Hong Ji! Qian Jin was certain that if Pan Hong Ji had wished it, none of those thousand Nightmare Beasts would have left this expanse of sand alive.

"I will forever remember the Patriarch's kindness in saving me," Qian Jin stated solemnly.

"A trivial matter, merely a small thing," Pan Hong Ji was quite pleased. Qian Jin had indeed understood the intent behind his deliberate exposure. Dealing with intelligent people was so much easier.

Qian Jin smiled without saying more. Since his conduct over the past days had been observed by Pan Hong Ji, his standing in the eyes of the Pan Family Patriarch would only increase, a beneficial situation for both parties.

"I just heard you are going to the Qian Family, is that right?" Pan Hong Ji’s expression returned to its usual placid calm. "Coincidentally, I haven't been out and about in a long time. Perhaps we could go together?" Qian Jin paused, instantly grasping the Patriarch's meaning. This 'together' was merely an offer to play the role of an escort, yet for the dignified Patriarch of the Pan Family to openly declare protection for a junior would sound unfavorable. Qian City was almost an independent kingdom to the Qian Family; intervening there to fight the younger generation of the Qian Family, regardless of victory or defeat, would likely lead to considerable trouble.

Qian Zhan Xuan was not a magnanimous person. For a powerful family occupying such a high echelon, there was genuinely no need for broad tolerance towards those in lower ranks. This so-called tolerance, in the eyes of many, was merely weakness. Decisive and ruthless, always safeguarding the Qian Family's interests—that was what outsiders considered a competent Patriarch. However, this 'competent' Patriarch was viewed entirely differently by those in conflict with them; perspective was dictated by allegiance.

Pan Hong Ji understood Qian Zhan Xuan well. This time, whether Qian Jin won or lost, the outcome could become troublesome. Only an expert of his caliber, backed by his influence, could ensure Qian Jin's safe withdrawal from Qian City.

"Then I shall trouble Your Excellency, the Patriarch," Qian Jin slightly inclined his waist. "I happen to have some unused Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Awakening Potions from before. If they sit any longer, their efficacy will surely degrade. I wonder if the Patriarch would be interested in helping me free up some space in my Battle Realm..." Pan Hong Ji smiled and nodded repeatedly. The Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Awakening Potion—this was something the Pan Family perpetually needed! It was the crucial cornerstone for the Pan Family to surge forward again, thoroughly suppressing the other Nine Bloodline Families in overall strength, and perhaps even standing alongside the Three Ultimate Bloodline Families.

As the Patriarch of the Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Family, Pan Hong Ji naturally held his own Battle Realm in high regard. When he manifested his Battle Realm before them, Qian Jin gasped in awe.

The Battle Realm was, to some extent, correlated with the warrior's strength. His own two-thousand-meter diameter realm was already considered massive, but before Pan Hong Ji's Battle Realm, it seemed small enough to not even qualify as a crude hut. Pan Hong Ji’s Battle Realm stretched endlessly! How vast was that expanse? Battle soldiers, equipment, gold bricks... all manner of materials were piled within it. Qian Jin's comparatively wealthy realm instantly looked like that of a pauper beside it. The only materials capable of rivaling those in Pan Hong Ji's realm were rare, nearly extinct treasures like the Nine Yang True Flame Iron.

Splash... splash... splash... Pan Hong Ji watched the clear water continuously pouring into his Battle Realm, his eyebrows twitching repeatedly. He was secretly puzzled: did this boy's realm not hold anything else? Why was he storing so much potion? Was his family's supply just well water, scooped up casually?

Qian Jin purged fully ninety percent of the clear water, finally feeling that the empty space in his Battle Realm looked much more pleasing—this vast emptiness could now accommodate other things.

So much? Pan Hong Ji calculated secretly. These were special potions that couldn't be bought even with a mountain of gold. If other Bloodline Families knew, they would likely go mad with envy. Even without achieving Ultimate Awakening, this could significantly boost the entire family’s strength! Pan Hong Ji looked at Qian Jin walking beside him, briefly entertaining the thought of acting as his bodyguard for a few years. If he could earn such rewards every time Qian Jin faced danger, how enormous would the benefits over several years be?

Pan Hong Ji forcibly suppressed the thought rising in his heart—it was best to just consider it! If he truly acted on it, his Battle Heart and Battle Soul would be completely clouded by profit, potentially causing his strength to decline instead of improve. While the occasional act might serve as a necessary adjustment to his mood, engaging in it long-term was perilous.

"Qian Jin, do you think that appearing at the Pan Family entrance and challenging the Qian Family's younger generation will startle that vicious Qian Zhan Xuan?" Duan Feng Bu Er rested both hands on the Er Bu Er Spear slung across his back. "Our growth over the past two months has been unimaginably rapid!" Qian Jin looked silently at the sand beneath his feet. The Qian Family was one that was ruthless to its enemies and equally harsh upon itself! Because they were capable of such cruelty towards themselves, they had cultivated the "King's Legion," a force that gave the Demon Race immense headaches on the Human-Demon Battlefield. Such a family was capable of anything! With their accumulation over countless years, they surely possessed many secrets unknown to outsiders; it was unlikely that their opponents in the upcoming encounter hadn't also seen substantial power growth in these past two months.

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