The earth at the center of the battlefield churned as if pierced and stirred by hundreds of iron rods, rolling outward in layers. Blades of grass instantly froze, then disintegrated into flying ash, scattering away. The ground was sealed by ice in one moment, only to be scorched in the next, hardened into brick by sheer force. The overwhelming impact then pulverized those bricks into debris, carving a conical pit into the ground, a testament to the ferocious intensity of the Dou Qi clash.

In the head-on collision, every pore on Feng Liancikuang’s body snapped open instantly. Unprecedented pain erupted from his palms, and for a split second, he heard the faint snap of bone in his hand. The tearing agony shot straight to his brain. His spread fingers violently clenched inward, locking onto Qian Jin’s tightly held fist. The forty-thousand-revolutions Dou Qi erupted without restraint, and the Zero Degree Dou Sequence was discarded once more!

This life-or-death exchange made every joint in Qian Jin’s body possess an elasticity never before felt. The power contained in his knees surged into his calves, vibrating fiercely through his ankles and burrowing beneath him. The Gold-Splitting Consecutive Slash from the Heart of Earth Fire shattered and exploded outward!

Bang! Where fist met palm, Dou Qi visibly sprayed outwards. Dozens of gashes instantly split Feng Liancikuang’s palm, spraying blood wildly in every direction.

Saint-Grade Dou Technique! Gold-Splitting Consecutive Slash! The Soul Dou Sequence detonated! Transforming into myriad blades, Qian Jin’s attack power instantaneously doubled, then tripled! It violently carved its way into the palm of his opponent, who possessed the Golden Dou Heart!

“What kind of Dou Technique is this?”

Feng Liancikuang’s arm felt as if it were caught in a thousand cuts, violently churned and cleaved by countless knives. His entire limb felt like it was about to completely explode. He understood this was a critical strike aimed at the specialized Dou Technique that had entered his body; his arm would lose all combat capability soon.

Feng Liancikuang cried out in shock. Protected by his Dou Qi, even if an iron rod struck his arm, the rod should have been the thing to bend. Even against warriors of the Nine Battles of Demon Extermination, no one had ever gained the upper hand in a direct clash.

A mere Demon Slaying Warrior actually managed to injure him in a raw contest of strength? And almost instantly render his last remaining arm useless!

Why? Why was this happening? He couldn't comprehend it. His Golden Dou Heart was unleashing the most suitable Dou Technique—arguably even Saint-Grade—so how could he be wounded by a Demon Slaying Warrior?

The Dou Sequence within the Golden Dou Heart shattered again; it was the foundational technique from the Ice Flame Dou Qi Secret Scroll: Frost Descent!

Qian Jin tried to wrench his arm free from Feng Liancikuang’s grip, but unexpectedly, the opponent sacrificed everything, detonating his Dou Sequence again, displaying an attitude of revenge for his son, even if it meant death. Frost Descent, momentarily lingering alongside the Zero Degree Dou Sequence, blasted through and immediately channeled into the Earth-Splitting Slash Qian Jin had released into his arm.

Crack, crack, crack, crack…

The frigid Ice Flame instantly coated the exterior of Qian Jin’s arm in a thick layer of ice. In the next moment, the searing power began to invade his limb. Feng Liancikuang even heard, ahead of time, the scream Qian Jin was letting out due to the pain.

Hiss!

Qian Jin gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. Pain! It was truly agonizing! If not for the Four Seasons Valley, if not for Instructor Oulala’s training, if not for the enhancement of the Wind and Cloud Golden Body, he might have instantly been brought to death by this single blow.

Now? Pain! Intense, piercing pain!

Still not dead? Feng Liancikuang recklessly urged the Ice Flame Dou Qi within his body, driving it frantically into Qian Jin’s frame. In the blink of an eye, it wasn't just one arm; nearly half of Qian Jin’s body was encased in protruding ice shards.

Can’t hold on anymore! Qian Jin’s brow furrowed tightly. Whether it was the Hidden Thunder Dou Technique or any other technique, even if they shattered now, they couldn’t blast Feng Liancikuang away—the gap in their overall strength was still too significant. Perhaps in a few seconds, Feng Liancikuang would also be killed by the detonation of the Hidden Thunder Dou Technique, but before that…

The Dou Sequence of the Eighteen Hammers of Ascension Peak! Come to me…

The thought flashed through Qian Jin’s mind. The frenzied Ice Flame Dou Qi rushed along the Death Struggle Acupoint Meridian, impacting the Heart of Earth Fire. It was like a pack of hungry wolves descending upon a flock, aggressively lunging to completely engulf the rapidly spinning Heart of Earth Fire.

The Dou Heart! The strongest aspect of a warrior, and simultaneously their weakest! If external Dou Qi rushed directly into the Dou Heart, it could easily shatter! Many warriors, even if their Dou Hearts weren't destroyed, suffered damage that permanently locked them at the Demon Slaying Warrior stage, never advancing a step further.

“The Dou Heart? It’s here? Haha! I found it! Huh? Why is it here?” Feng Liancikuang’s eyes widened with immense surprise. He glanced cautiously around the surroundings, quickly clamping his mouth shut, wanting to keep the secret completely guarded: “No matter where you are! Break for me!”

In an instant, three more Dou Sequences in Feng Liancikuang’s body, not entirely compatible with the Ice Flame Dou Qi, shattered. They fueled the all-consuming Ice Flame Dou Qi, surging forth to envelop and surround the Heart of Earth Fire, freezing and burning it layer by layer.

Hiss! The hairs all over Qian Jin’s body simultaneously stood erect, spraying out a visible mist. Even the sound of air expulsion could be heard by the onlookers.

For a moment, Qian Jin and Feng Liancikuang were enveloped in thick layers of vapor, obscuring the sight of the crowd. Mu Ne Zhence casually flipped his wrist, taking a pair of goggles from his Dimensional Realm—goggles only generals wore! These special magical artifacts allowed one to see clearly even within fire mist!

“Young Master…” Tie Nan took half a step forward, staring nervously at the mist while simultaneously watching his surroundings warily. If something truly happened to Qian Jin, that woman named Gu Yuejiaying would genuinely use a blade to kill the Sixth Prince if she believed he hadn't taken good care of Qian Jin!

Unless the Sixth Prince fled back to the Imperial Palace, even the Royal Family would have no justification to kill a madwoman who hadn't yet assassinated a prince.

“Hey, don’t worry. Something interesting seems to be happening.” Mu Ne Zhence held Tie Nan back, focusing intently on the mist. He cared about Qian Jin more than Tie Nan; he owed Qian Jin a life debt from their time with the Billma Raiders. This favor needed to be repaid.

Feng Liancikuang smirked menacingly at Qian Jin. Next, this man’s face should turn pale, his lips turning purple from the cold, and then…?

“Huh? What is this…?”

The people outside the mist stared with surprise, all curiously trying to glimpse what was transpiring within.

Qian Jin’s face was not pale, nor were his lips turning purple from the cold. Instead, they were bright crimson! His slightly bronze complexion now looked like a boiled crab, as if the blood was about to burst through his skin, or perhaps he was so afflicted with internal heat that his skin reddened.

Hot! Qian Jin had never felt this hot! The Ice Flame Dou Qi, having just enveloped the Heart of Earth Fire—which seemed destined to be frozen and burned—suddenly acted as if it had consumed an aphrodisiac. It completely slipped out of Qian Jin’s control. The Eighteen Hammers of Ascension Peak Dou Sequence, which should have shattered, did not break.

Spin! Spin! Spinning rapidly! Amidst the Ice Flame Dou Qi that was almost cold enough to freeze Qian Jin’s blood, it rotated at high speed. In an instant, it thoroughly churned the Ice Flame Dou Qi that had nearly solidified, forming a colossal vortex centered on the Heart of Earth Fire, and then…

Devouring! Even Qian Jin was terrified! Instead of being frozen upon encountering the Ice Flame Dou Qi, the Heart of Earth Fire became excited. It spun wildly, ravenously swallowing the invading Ice Flame Dou Qi, dissolving the coldness of the Ice Flame, and then gulping down this strange, dual-natured energy.

“Rise… how can this be… Noooo…”

In a mere instant, Feng Liancikuang shrieked in terror. The Dou Qi within his body no longer sprayed outward; instead, it was forcefully tugged, pulled, and forcibly extracted by the opponent’s Dou Heart, channeled into the enemy’s core!

Robbery! Naked, blatant robbery! Feng Liancikuang felt the power level in his Dou Heart rapidly plummeting—Peak Demon Extermination Ninth Battle… Mid Demon Extermination Ninth Battle… Early Demon Extermination Ninth Battle…

The Golden Dou Heart flickered at a frequency of hundreds of thousands of times per second, as if crying for help, or perhaps howling in agony, as the Ice Flame Dou Qi was madly absorbed into Qian Jin’s body.

Qian Jin felt his skin, his meridians, and his acupoints stretching to their limit! This Dou Qi absorbed by the Heart of Earth Fire did not remain entirely within it. A portion was transformed into the purest battle energy, which was then absorbed by his other two Dou Hearts, subsequently being converted into Wind and Cloud Dou Qi!

Devouring, devouring, devouring!

Demon Extermination Eighth Battle… Seventh Battle… Sixth Battle…

In a flash, terrified tears streamed down Feng Liancikuang’s face. This was the direct extraction of his fundamental power! What was this? How could this be happening?

The sensation of his internal power drying up made Feng Liancikuang dizzy. His Dou Heart felt an intense, piercing pain, as if skewered by an awl.

Qian Jin felt as if he had been inflated with countless gases internally, as if he might explode at any second, yet he didn't. His two Dou Hearts frantically absorbed the Dou Qi, as if trying to crystallize. More battle energy didn't even have time to be fully absorbed and was ejected from his pores.

Power shifted drastically. In an instant, Feng Liancikuang felt his Golden Dou Heart about to revert to a basic Dou Heart. His fingers spread, only to find his palm firmly stuck to the fist. He kicked towards Qian Jin’s chest, but it felt like kicking a hardened iron block; the dull thud only shook Qian Jin’s body slightly, unable to breach the protective power of the Wind and Cloud Golden Body. However, the impact did force their fist and palm apart.

Feng Liancikuang rapidly shifted his feet backward on the ground, trying to retreat from the thick mist. A sharp glint suddenly appeared in his pupils—a streak of light flying from the mist. Its speed was so fast that he didn't even have time to react with evasion; the only thing that flashed through his mind was one word: Flying Dagger.

Thwack!

The flying dagger pierced Feng Liancikuang’s skull, emerging from the back of his head, taking with it a crater the size of a fist, trailing out red and white matter.

Thud… Feng Liancikuang’s body lost its center of gravity. Due to the momentum of his rapid retreat, he rolled dozens of times on the ground before finally coming to rest at the feet of Black Wind and Yi. Facing the sky, his vacant eyes were etched with terror, staring blankly at the surrounding bandit leaders, as if trying to convey the most horrifying thing in the world.