They possessed faces that appeared exceedingly honest, perhaps genuinely so, yet there existed an unwavering bottom line in their hearts: whatever decision the Council of Dwarven Elders made, they—the dwarves who had already become retainers—would defy their masters' commands to adhere to the will of the Elder Council.

To have such individuals as retainers was not helpful; one would constantly need to watch one's back for a potential stab in the back motivated by allegiance to the Dwarven Elder Council. For the supposed benefit of the dwarven tribe, betrayal was as simple as drinking cold water. Even the formidable personal charisma of the founding emperor of the True Strategy Dynasty, Emperor Fu Longzhen, was met with a backstab from his dwarven allies during a battle that nearly cost him his life.

Qian Jin did not believe he could compare to the Emperor Fu Longzhen, who was then at the peak of his spirit, stamina, and charm.

Dorata stared blankly at Qian Jin, not understanding why the young warrior had suddenly changed the subject, and nodded subconsciously.

"I require a batch of materials. If you can gather them, I can gamble with you again," Qian Jin stated, without glancing at Dorata’s reaction, continuing to list the required items: "Sharp Mountain Thousand-Year Ice Heart Stone, Abyssal Flame Stone, Soul-Wrought Iron, Life-and-Death Wood, Clarity Iron, Volcanic Core, Nether Serpent Oil…"

Dorata was no longer staring blankly at Qian Jin; he was utterly stunned. Did this young man’s family run a blacksmith shop? Without any hesitation, he rattled off hundreds of materials necessary for forging. The Volcanic Core, hailed as the fire that never extinguishes, could produce the purest heat when placed in a furnace.

For forging, pairing the Volcanic Core with the burning of Life-and-Death Wood and the application of Nether Serpent Oil was beyond extravagance; this configuration was clearly meant for forging Soul Weapons… perhaps even equipping the legendary Sacred Artifacts!

Furthermore, there were materials Dorata had never even heard of—he had no idea such substances existed. Perhaps only by consulting the Elder Council's ancient texts could one confirm if they truly existed.

"You… you…"

Dorata’s initial stupefaction morphed into visible excitement: "Even the Elder Council couldn't produce these conditions! If you fear another gamble, you can simply refuse!"

"It doesn't have to be all of them. Bring a portion of what you can find. If I deem the value sufficient, I might still agree to the wager," Qian Jin shrugged. "I assume you wish to acquire my Raging Lotus Combat Skill to help you complete the refinement of your Battle Soul, correct? You surely know the significance of refining a Battle Soul for any Golden Battle Heart warrior, right? Oh, yes! If you feel you cannot defeat me…" Qian Jin smiled faintly, his eyes filled with anticipation, "you can find the strongest blacksmith in your tribe to gamble against me. If I lose, the Raging Lotus Combat Skill is yours too. If I win, you must prepare all the materials I listed."

Dorata stared dumbly at Qian Jin’s retreating figure. This young man possessed terrifying observational skills! He had only proposed another wager, and Qian Jin had already guessed that Dorata wasn't aiming to win back the Divine Manifestation, but to gamble for the Raging Lotus Combat Skill.

Terrifying observation; terrifying combat power; a terrifying youth! Dorata’s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply. And when he spoke of gambling against the tribe's premier blacksmith, his eyes held a glint of excitement and anticipation—the very light a warrior shows when challenging a formidable opponent.

Abnormal! Dorata couldn't comprehend it. Could this young man truly be that powerful in the art of forging? Even if he had studied forging since he was in the womb, he had only been at it for twenty years.

Twenty years is a mere span for a top master who dedicates his life to pursuing the craft of forging. Master Bredas, the pride of the dwarven forging lineage, the most talented blacksmith in the Bredas family in a thousand years, started forging at ten and became a master in his thirties, setting the record for the fastest attainment of the master level in nearly a millennium.

Where did his confidence stem from? Dorata gazed at Qian Jin’s receding back, unable to understand. To dare challenge the blacksmith universally recognized as the strongest among the Demon, Savage, and Human races… it was as if he was guaranteed to win all the materials.

"This kid…"

Te Jiao Fei watched Qian Jin’s departing figure, shaking his head repeatedly. To join the bandit training only to end up like this—in less than half a day, he had subdued every trainee present. This outcome was utterly unexpected.

Subduing a hundred people in half a day didn't just speak to immense combat prowess; his endurance was astonishing. Anyone else with the strength to take down a hundred opponents would be gasping for breath, yet Qian Jin showed no sign of fatigue.

"An interesting young man… his actions are completely unpredictable," Ba Huang Wusheng appeared beside Te Jiao Fei, hands clasped behind his back, and stated calmly, "Even if you hadn't warned him, he would have done this anyway. This young man truly cannot be fathomed, cannot be fathomed."

"Indeed, he cannot be fathomed," Te Jiao Fei nodded repeatedly. "He clearly only possesses the strength of a top Battle Heart, yet in actual combat, he can overpower Golden Battle Heart warriors, and even defeat the Divine Manifestation that Dorata's state approaches—a semi-Battle Soul state. This combat ability is truly inscrutable! That isn't just crossing one level of combat; it's leaping across a vast tier. Even Bloodline Warriors…"

Te Jiao Fei trailed off, as there was no need to continue. This was practically a violation of common sense. Some Bloodline Warriors could fight above their level, but crossing realms was utterly preposterous.

"Heh heh," Ba Huang Wusheng chuckled softly, a hint of profound wisdom curling his lips as he shook his head repeatedly. "When I say I cannot fathom him, it's not just about his combat ability, but his entire being. He always gives me the impression that he will live standing tall until his body is destroyed. What hidden cards does he possess to give him such conviction? Or will he live standing tall regardless of whether he has any trump cards?"

Te Jiao Fei looked at Ba Huang Wusheng in surprise. This Bandit King of the frontier rarely offered evaluations, and an assessment as high as this for Qian Jin was unprecedented.

"Yes, he is a true man," Ba Huang Wusheng chuckled lightly. "If he doesn't fall in battle, he will have a bright future. It's just a shame… he hasn't awakened his bloodline power. Although I don't know what secret art he used to attain such formidable power, it likely wasn't a conventional method. The young man is a bit too hasty." Secret Art! Te Jiao Fei’s eyes brightened. Among warriors, secret arts and combat skills are as numerous as the stars. Ordinary warriors, striving to surpass Bloodline Warriors, have developed various combat skills. The dwarves' Divine Manifestation is one such method, a relatively balanced one.

There are many other secret arts, some requiring the sacrifice of one's body or life extension to achieve a temporary boost in combat power.

Harmful! Te Jiao Fei knew that the Demon race had a specialized secret art method for cultivating battle qi that required the castration of men, turning them into beings neither male nor female, in order to open the 107 Battle Acupoints—a supreme secret art.

Qian Jin's growth rate far exceeded any known secret art progression for ordinary warriors. By past inferences, the price he paid must be unimaginable to mortals, perhaps even more terrifying than the legendary castration.

"A pity… a true pity," Ba Huang Wusheng shook his head continuously, sighing endlessly. "Such a talented individual, yet he hasn't awakened his bloodline power. Otherwise, he would certainly hold a place among the younger generation of warriors."

Ba Huang Wusheng left. Te Jiao Fei left. Dorata remained standing in the courtyard, still lost in thought about Qian Jin’s parting words. So that was the Raging Lotus Combat Skill? If I can obtain this skill, I can refine my Battle Soul and potentially even reach Sainthood in the future! If only I win against him… in forging!

That's right! If I win against him, I profit! Dorata clenched his fist, thinking excitedly. The Divine Manifestation is a combat skill only dwarves can practice. If I win against Qian Jin in blacksmithing and secure the Raging Lotus Combat Skill, I can refine my Battle Soul, while Qian Jin is left frustrated with a useless skill.

To personally gamble against Qian Jin in a physical contest? Dorata instinctively loosened his tightly clenched fist due to excitement. With Qian Jin's presence and state, he had no confidence in winning! Perhaps he really had to seek the assistance of Master Bredas. No one in this world could surpass Master Bredas in the art of forging.

"As long as I can persuade Master Bredas to act, victory is certain!" Dorata grinned, throwing a punch in the air. "I imagine that brat Qian Jin has now realized that the skill he won from me is a worthless piece of trash that he cannot even practice, right?"

"Divine Manifestation…" Hiding in his room, Qian Jin flipped through the skill he had won, nodding repeatedly. Regardless of their origin, dwarves, when striving for strength and engaging in serious research, always manage to spark inspiration that is hard for others to imagine.

When fighting other races, the stout bodies of the dwarves had a disadvantage in one aspect, and they focused their techniques on compensating for this flaw. Their techniques not only filled the physical shortcomings but also caused their battle qi to intertwine and arrange itself in a strange manner, simulating something akin to the essence of a Battle Soul.

"Giant God Manifestation," "Heavenly God Manifestation," "Celestial Battle Form," Qian Jin quickly scanned the Divine Manifestation skill, grasping the general principle of its practice, and the smile on his face grew wider. No wonder Dorata was willing to gamble with him; this skill, in some sense, was a specialized technique approaching the nature of a Bloodline Skill, except that the dwarven tribe fundamentally could not practice it.

"What a pity, what a true pity," Qian Jin shook his head repeatedly with a chuckle. "Although this dwarf tried to set me up, he doesn't know that my Wind and Cloud Battle Qi possesses a very unique capability."