Qian Jin felt the curious gazes of the bandits and offered them a friendly smile as he looked up. He then lowered his head, continuing to pour over the Ice Flame Battle Qi Secret Scroll that held his attention.

Fire has always been a product of extreme heat, yet this Battle Qi technique allowed one to temper the energy to an incredibly low temperature while retaining all the other capabilities of flame besides high temperature.

This should be a top-tier Battle Qi manual intended for one hundred and eight Battle Apertures! Qian Jin flipped through several pages, discovering that several pages detailing the circulation of the Battle Qi were missing. Instead, someone had added a few newly written pages based on their own speculation and exploration, creating what they termed a complete Battle Qi cultivation cycle.

However, by doing so, this top-tier manual, originally meant for one hundred and eight Battle Apertures, had been modified through guesswork into a technique for just over sixty Apertures, resulting in a significant compromise to both the speed of cultivation and the overall power of the Ice Flame Battle Qi, preventing it from unleashing its full potential.

“What a pity. I already possess the Wind and Cloud Battle Qi, so this one is unusable for me…”

Qian Jin murmured to himself, turning the scroll to the next page, only to find that the following sections detailed the practice of Battle Skills rather than Battle Qi cultivation methods.

, Frost Descent, — Lowering the temperature of the Ice Flame to that of severe frost, used to freeze the rotation speed of the opponent’s Battle Qi and burn their energy. This can advance to , Absolute Zero,

Absolute Zero, the advancement of Frost Descent, which can continue to evolve: ten degrees below zero, twenty degrees, thirty degrees, advancing to , True Absolute Zero, , where the power escalates beyond mere freezing and burning, allowing one to condense ice and bind fire into weaponry to strike the enemy.

True Absolute Zero advances to Absolute Zero. When Absolute Zero is unleashed, time ceases within its radius of effect!

Time stops! Qian Jin nearly bit his tongue as he stared at the skill in his hands. Time stopping within a radius of effect? What kind of concept was that? If the effective radius covered ten meters, it meant time would completely halt within that ten-meter bubble, allowing him ample time to evade and counter any incoming attack.

Time stopping… Qian Jin smacked his lips. What a waste! This incomplete Ice Flame Battle Qi Scroll yielded an impure quality of Ice Flame energy; there wasn't even a possibility of cultivating this Absolute Zero technique. At best, it could be pushed to the peak of minus thirty degrees? Minus thirty degrees Celsius seemed to be the absolute limit.

Condensing ice and binding fire into weaponry? Qian Jin frowned slightly. With the potency of such Battle Qi, if temporarily solidified into a weapon, perhaps it wouldn't be inferior to a Tier One or Tier Two Battle Implement?

“So, the Battle Sequence within my Body is Frost Descent?” Qian Jin mobilized the Battle Sequence of the Heart of Earth Fire, and wisps of frigid Ice Flame Battle Qi danced on his fingertips. “If I could apply this Battle Qi to forging, perhaps it would be helpful?”

Soul Weapons, in particular, required not only exceptionally high technical skill for their creation but also precise control over any temperature fluctuations. Often, the process demanded rapidly cooling semi-finished products that were intensely hot—a process usually involving dunking the equipment into cold water, sometimes even ice water.

But this method made temperature control even more difficult, all while risking the complete dissipation of the necessary residual fire energy within the equipment.

The Ice Flame Battle Qi, despite its extreme coldness, was still fundamentally flame energy. This characteristic would make it far easier to manage the residual fire energy and the overall temperature of the equipment.

“Interesting,” Qian Jin muttered, controlling the Ice Flame Battle Qi to swirl slowly within the Heart of Earth Fire, attempting to structure the sequence for the , Absolute Zero, Battle Skill, hoping to form a complete Battle Seal sooner.

Seeing the , Absolute Zero, Battle Skill again, Qian Jin couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly. Such a terrifyingly powerful Battle Qi method, yet he had never encountered any record of it in the notes left by his Qian family ancestors. A formidable technique capable of stopping time within its effective radius!

“How can I obtain the complete Ice Flame Battle Qi Scroll?”

Qian Jin lightly tapped his forehead. This Battle Qi set was simply too powerful. If he could assemble the entire set, even if he didn't cultivate it himself, finding a trustworthy person to practice it would yield immense strength.

However, gathering the entire scroll… Qian Jin doubted his luck extended to randomly encountering another enemy, or a hundred or a thousand enemies, and defeating them to acquire the remaining fragments.

“Perhaps…”

Qian Jin instinctively glanced towards the Hat within the Battle World. The Endless World was an infinitely miraculous place. Uncle Enlak was like an encyclopedia of Battle Qi and techniques; there was nothing he didn't know or understand. Perhaps he could assemble a complete set there?

“Exactly! I should give it a try!”

Qian Jin stood up, hesitating slightly as he looked around. This was not Eternal Flow City, where he was surrounded by numerous guards, making it nearly impossible for anyone to approach him while he slept.

This was the bandit group's encampment. He was currently just an ordinary bandit; anyone could enter his room, making it extremely easy for his secrets and vulnerabilities to be exposed.

Qian Jin knew clearly that reaching his current standing wasn't just due to his daily life-or-death struggles, but also because the Endless World had offered him immeasurable aid.

Without the Endless World, even possessing the cultivation method for the Wind and Cloud Battle Qi… Qian Jin shook his head lightly. He still wouldn't have achieved his current level of strength.

“Qian Jin, Qian Jin…”

Fatty Te Jiao Fei moved his heavy body with light, excited steps, shaking a very yellowed book in his hand.

“This is the Chokehold Battle Skill I mentioned last time. I think you’d be very suitable for learning it,” Te Jiao Fei looked at Qian Jin with evident admiration. “Your close-quarters combat skills are good, but many details aren’t optimal. This should help you, and it can also slightly boost your strength.”

Qian Jin took the Battle Skill manual offered by Te Jiao Fei, still finding it hard to believe this was real. In an era where everyone guarded their Battle Skill manuals fiercely, someone was offering one so generously, merely days after meeting.

“Oh, and by the way, the final strike in the Chokehold Battle Skill, ‘World Chokehold,’ is comparable to a sure-kill level technique,” Te Jiao Fei sighed, shaking his head repeatedly. “It’s a shame this skill demands high requirements for Battle Qi rotation speed and brute strength. I’ve considered it—your strength and Battle Qi rotation speed far exceed the norm, so you should be able to practice it.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” Te Jiao Fei chuckled as he looked at Qian Jin. “Don’t worry, I won’t pry into the secret of your abnormally high Battle Qi rotation speed, though I am curious. But everyone has secrets. If one constantly tries to uncover others' secrets, wouldn't life be exhausting? There are so many excellent Battle Skills in the world; trying to acquire them all? Only a madman would attempt that.”

Qian Jin smiled lightly. He hadn't expected an ordinary bandit to view matters so clearly. Where in this world did all the good fortunes belong to a single person?

“Right!” Seeing Te Jiao Fei’s bulky stomach, Qian Jin’s eyes suddenly lit up. He pulled out a notebook—no newer than brand new—from the Battle World and handed it over. “This is my return gift.”

Te Jiao Fei looked curiously at the notebook in Qian Jin’s hand. This was clearly not some ancient, long-circulated Battle Skill manual. What was it?

“, Quick Sand,?”

Te Jiao Fei was startled again by the name written on the notebook. He had never heard such a strange name, yet it looked like a Battle Skill manual.

Qian Jin smiled faintly, lightly touching his nose. He had won this item from Uncle Enlak, but it was only suitable for fat individuals with ample flesh. When he recorded it, he had casually given it a new name because the original title sounded unpleasant.

Quick Sand possessed powerful adhesion; once trapped within, it was hard to extract oneself.

“This…” Te Jiao Fei flipped open the notebook and read a few lines. His eyes, no larger than soybeans, instantly shone like stars in the night sky, his face displaying a mixture of shock and astonishment. “There… there is such a suitable Battle Skill for me?”

Suitable! Te Jiao Fei had never encountered a Battle Skill so perfectly suited to him. This type of technique couldn't be measured by terms like 'sure-kill' or standard rankings; its existence was highly unique. If a normal-sized warrior obtained this skill, it would only be a beginner-level technique. But in the hands of a warrior like Te Jiao Fei, who possessed significant strength and was stout, it would undoubtedly become a superior, specialized skill within the sure-kill category.

“Haha! This is truly excellent stuff! And the best part…” Te Jiao Fei made clicking sounds of admiration. “This skill is incredibly easy to practice!”

Te Jiao Fei quickly committed the first layer of Quick Sand to memory. Immediately, under the control of his Golden Battle Heart, his Battle Qi rapidly organized within his body. His protruding belly began to writhe strangely, as if hundreds, even thousands, of worms were squirming inside, creating a terrifying spectacle.

His previously soft belly instantaneously became incredibly pliable, loose and drooping as if it might genuinely fall towards his crotch, resembling quicksand.

Suddenly, Te Jiao Fei inhaled sharply. His stomach, which had been threatening to sink, snapped back up like a bent but highly elastic steel rod. A crisp, metallic sound echoed from his core, making his round, firm abdomen look as if it had been forged from metal.

“Good! Good! Good! This is wonderful!” Te Jiao Fei slapped his stomach and laughed loudly. “This is amazing! With this, I can even contend with that Bloodline Warrior, Beng Wuzui! As for the other Golden Battle Heart bandits? Haha! I’m going to go test it on them!”

His hazy eyes fixed on Te Jiao Fei’s stomach, blossoming again with a peculiar gleam. This Battle Skill couldn't be called overwhelmingly invincible, but it was thought-provoking, achieving the unimaginable, and certainly possessed formidable aspects. However, was the person who designed this skill fat? Or perhaps just incredibly bored?

If it was designed by a fat person, then its creation made a certain kind of sense.

If it was designed by a fat person… Yi truly didn't know what to say. To design a Battle Skill that wouldn't even benefit oneself? What level of boredom, or what level of power, did one need to achieve such a feat?

Yi secretly watched Qian Jin. This Battle Skill was clearly not created by Qian Jin; he must have learned it from somewhere. Given his age and understanding of Battle Qi, he wasn't yet capable of creating techniques himself. Just how many secrets did this young man hold?

“Qian Jin!”

A rough shout, tinged with urgency and concern, suddenly rang out from a distance.

Qian Jin snapped his head up and looked in the direction the sound had come from. This voice… this voice…