The words of Lei Zhen had not finished roaring when the massive axe spat out fierce Dou Qi. It cleaved downwards! Forcibly interrupting his speech, denying him even a sliver of a chance to ignite his fighting soul!

Almost simultaneously, the six Lei family warriors chose six different directions to break out! Facing the combined might of the City Lord and Mu Gui Wuxin, two Dou Soul powerhouses, escape was the only option for the six; even against the City Lord alone, the odds of victory were slim. Retreat!

Fall back first! Once they reached the Lei family estate, relying on its countless years of accumulation, its array of magic circles, mages, and combined warrior defenses, breaching the estate would demand a devastating price even from the three great factions combined! "Trying to leave?" Li Deyuoke let out a long roar.

His longsword seemed to merge almost entirely with his body, transforming into a massive, piercing beam of sword light aimed directly at the fastest fleeing figure. No hesitation! The strike was ruthless and swift!

Li Deyuoke knew clearly that having chosen to aid Qian Jin now, he absolutely could not afford to hold back; his future path to Sainthood depended entirely on this young man. The fleeing Lei family warrior suddenly swung his sword back! At nearly the same instant, one retreating warrior carved a semi-circular arc through the air, his battle saber slashing horizontally towards Qian Jin's waist.

Fast! So sudden! This attack was entirely unexpected!

Li Deyuoke hadn't anticipated that, facing total annihilation, someone would attempt to assassinate Qian Jin instead of focusing solely on escape. Was this the inherent strength of the Lei family mindset? Battle of Demon Eradication!

Heavenly Thunder Flash! The blade light swept low across the sky, as brilliant and fluttering as a massive feather, drifting horizontally toward Qian Jin’s waist. Qian Jin stood loosely in place.

The Dou Heart in his brow rotated slightly, dragging the First Dou Heart along with it. A subtle, unique gravitational pull developed between the two forces, causing their rotation speeds—initially a mere hundred thousand—to accelerate rapidly... one hundred thousand...

two hundred thousand... three hundred thousand... The surging Dou Qi, like steel needles, blasted away every trace of dried blood clinging to his pores, instantly cleaning his body significantly.

His two legs, though unwounded, strode forward into the path of the blade light. In his right hand, the hand with the minor fracture, now appeared a massive Zhanmadao (horse-slashing saber). I never provoked you, yet time and again you seek my death!

Retreat? That is no longer possible! Only battle remains!

An ineffable surge of fury filled Qian Jin’s chest. The Seven Forms of Blood Battle merged into one, transforming into a colossal saber gleam that fiercely collided with the horizontal sweep of the Heavenly Thunder Flash. Clang!

Where the two blades met, the collision of Dou Qi and metal sent sparks flying wildly. The Lei family's battle saber shattered instantly into two pieces. The Zhanmadao continued unimpeded toward the opponent's body.

The man jammed his feet deep into the earth, leaning his body back rapidly in retreat, his waist writhing in a series of feints as if he could evade in any direction. Within the radiant glow of the massive Zhanmadao, countless light butterflies erupted, flipping up and down; every saber shadow resembled a butterfly clinging to the evading man’s form. The man’s eyes saw only dancing blades between heaven and earth—how could this be possible...

Severing Gold, Continuous Slash! Hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss... The Zhanmadao flipped and sliced dozens of times before Qian Jin abruptly halted his control.

A piercing pain shot through the bones of his right arm. Behind him, the Lei family warrior dissolved with a crash, collapsing into dozens of pieces of flesh heaped upon the ground. A warrior attempting to follow up, seeing the fierce might of Qian Jin’s saber, involuntarily slowed his pace.

He tried to muster strength again but found a large hand clamped tightly onto his shoulder from behind. Without needing to turn, he could sense the aura of a dark realm overlord emerging from the blood-soaked chaos. "Attacking a heavily injured warrior.

Your Lei family truly has mettle." Jun Wudao flicked his hand, gripping the warrior's nape and abruptly applying force. The neck, which seemed capable of snapping trees, proved as fragile as a hatchling's—the body went limp, yielding to the pressure. A heavily injured warrior?

The other fleeing Lei family members cursed internally. Had they ever seen a severely injured Demon Eradication Warrior casually hack a Demon Annihilation Battle Warrior possessing a Golden Dou Heart into bloody mince? Was this what they called severe injury?

Qian Jin used his saber as a crutch, keeping himself upright, recalling the state of the Dou Hearts inside him just moments ago. If the First Dou Heart was forged from the Living Dou Vessel and Dou Apertures, then the Second Dou Heart, the Heart of Earth Fire, must be the peculiar Dou Heart forged from Dead Dou Apertures and Dou Vessels. Strictly speaking, the First Dou Heart represented life, and the Second represented death.

So, how should this third Dou Heart be explained? Uncle Black? Uncle Enlak?

Qian Jin realized that perhaps the only solution was to return to the Endless World and seek guidance from his two teachers. Although Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin would not betray him or leak his secrets, he likely couldn't explain this situation either, as the Heart of Earth Fire was too anomalous! In both the Zhence Dynasty and the Xifa Dynasty, and even among the Barbarians, the Dead Dou Vessel and Dou Apertures were absolute iron laws preventing the cultivation of Dou Qi or power.

Yet, the Heart of Earth Fire now existed in reality. Such a short time... such a short time...

Lei Guangming could not believe that the Lei family, which just before this day was immensely powerful and feared by every faction in Yongliu City—a family whose patriarch the City Lord himself treated with deference—could suffer such immediate, severe losses due to one supremely arrogant statement from Qian Jin. Lei Zhen, the old family patriarch of the Lei family who had only recently returned to prominence, had been defeated under the combined assault of Mu Gui Wuxin, Li Deyuoke, and Jun Wudao! Lei Zhen lay sprawled on the ground, both hands and feet broken, glaring fiercely at Qian Jin.

As the head of the Lei family, a man whose mere stomp could shake Yongliu City, he was now forced to face three top experts simultaneously attacking him because of a single sentence uttered by this young man—and he himself was already wounded. "Lei Zhen," Qian Jin strode forward slowly, "I will still demand reparations from the Lei family. I doubt you'll have time left to buy a grave plot." As Lei Zhen watched Qian Jin's foot rise high, the sky above him suddenly darkened, as if a thundercloud were rapidly descending from above.

Crack— Lei Guangming watched Lei Zhen’s neck as Qian Jin crushed it with a single stomp. The entire head rolled forward amidst a burst of blood, and a sudden rush of warmth flowed from his waist, down his trouser leg to his ankle, accompanied by a thick, pungent stench. Terrifying!

Lei Guangming had seen people killed, and had even taken a life himself, but never had he witnessed someone’s neck snapped by a mere stomp, blood spattering onto the trousers, all while the killer’s expression remained utterly unchanged, as if crushing an ant. The few blacksmiths who had never witnessed a killing felt a nauseating lurch in their stomachs, turning away simultaneously, hands covering their mouths, heaving violently. Chun Zhensheng, hands and feet icy cold, stole glances at Qian Jin.

He no longer dared to meet Qian Jin’s eyes. The patriarch of the Lei family—just like that, gone! That cold, decisive stomp instantly evoked the image of the blade on a guillotine!

Chun Zhensheng was afraid, afraid to meet Qian Jin's gaze. It wasn't an eye filled with killing intent, nor was it brimming with rage—it was indifference! It seemed like the look of someone truly accustomed to life and death, someone already desensitized to mortality!

It carried the scent of someone who regarded not only the lives of others but perhaps his own as well! "The Lei family..." Chen Motu slowly closed his eyes, squeezing two characters through clenched teeth: "...is finished..." The Lei family, finished? Lei Guangming shot Chen Motu a look of bitter hatred.

The Lei family still possessed formidable fighting strength, and immense reserves. Unless the Hongliu War Fortress, the Wudao Society, and the City Lord's faction were all prepared to sacrifice a large portion of their active personnel... "The Lei family..." Yun Xinghuisheng sighed softly, "is truly finished." Lei Guangming stared blankly at Yun Xinghuisheng.

His master's judgment was always sharp. Although just a blacksmith, his predictions regarding warfare were often more accurate than those of many military strategists. If he also declared the Lei family finished, then...

"No... it can't be..." Lei Guangming shook his head repeatedly, "No... our Lei family still has many resources..." "It's useless," Yun Xinghuisheng looked at his disciple of many years with calm eyes.

"The Lei family has suffered two successive, unnatural deaths of family patriarchs in a short span, both linked to Qian Jin. Do you honestly claim to face Qian Jin without fear?" Courage? Lei Guangming lowered his head silently.

Where was any courage left to face Qian Jin now? He dared not even look him in the eye; how could he possess courage? "You are the Vice President of the Blacksmith Guild, yet you dare not face Qian Jin.

What about the rest of the Lei family?" Yun Xinghuisheng raised a hand, patting Lei Guangming’s shoulder, and walked silently to the side. Qian Jin’s individual combat power might not be the absolute strongest right now, but without even realizing it himself, he had gathered the powers surrounding him through various means and abilities, aligning them for his use. This kind of ability...

Yun Xinghuisheng pondered deeply. Outside of observing it in some bloodline warriors, he had only read about similar situations involving Emperor Fu Long Zhence in history. Lei Guangming shuddered.

If he lacked the courage to face Qian Jin, how would the rest of the Lei family react upon hearing news of their patriarch's death, especially when faced with the combined forces of the three major factions? Even with vast resources, the speed of collapse and defeat would be extremely rapid. "Master...

I..." Yun Xinghuisheng turned back, looking quietly at the pleading Lei Guangming, who was about to speak. He sighed deeply. After teaching him for so many years, how could he not have feelings?

But as a master, he knew his disciple’s nature well. Even if he saved him from Qian Jin today, it was uncertain if he wouldn't secretly seek trouble with Qian Jin again once things settled down. Qian Jin looked at Lei Guangming.

He was also a member of the Lei family. According to the warrior's code, he should eliminate him, removing all potential threats. But he was Yun Xinghuisheng's disciple, and had been for many, many years.

The bond between master and disciple sometimes surpasses even many familial ties! If one day Yun Xinghuisheng returned to the embrace of the stars, Lei Guangming would surely stand vigil over his spirit.