The middle-aged man immediately dropped his spear and conceded. This Bloodline Warrior looked utterly ruthless; engaging him in a real fight would likely result in a fatal stabbing, so surrender was the better choice.

"No way? It's over just like that?" Duan Feng Er frowned, looking distressedly at the man. "How about this? I’ll only use the Nine Wars of Demon Slaying against you? If that’s too much, we can fight Eight Wars versus Nine Wars..."

The louder Duan Feng Er shouted, the faster the man walked away. The Bloodline Warrior's Eight Wars of Demon Slaying were not something an ordinary warrior’s Nine Wars could hope to counter.

"Ah! What a tragedy for me, not even getting a chance to make a move."

Duan Feng Er muttered incessantly, shaking his head and sighing as he retreated.

Qian Jin glanced at Ceeckfollette, then at Gu Yue Jiaying. One was unsuitable for revealing his identity, while the other was overwhelmingly powerful. But the problem was, if Gu Yue Jiaying won, people would simply say he relied on a woman.

"Dealing with you one by one is too troublesome," Qian Jin stepped forward and said calmly. "How about this? All of you attack me at once. If you manage to defeat me, we leave. If you lose..."

"All at once?"

Dichaduo’s brow furrowed severely, displeasure etched onto his face. "Based on what? Who do you think you are?"

"Me?" Qian Jin shrugged. "I am Qian Jin."

"Qian Jin?"

"Qian Jin!"

"The Qian Jin from Eternal Flow?"

"The Qian Jin who went to the Elven King Bloodline Warrior family?"

"The Qian Jin who allied with the Serpent Emperor Pan Hongji?"

"The Qian Jin who crushed the Lei family, a major power that had occupied Eternal Flow for years?"

Exclamations of varied tones, yet all carrying surprise, rose and fell among the crowd. Gazes filled with confusion and astonishment rained down upon Qian Jin.

Dichaduo also let slip his initial disdain and irritation, scrutinizing Qian Jin with a hard expression. "You are that Qian Jin?"

Qian Jin, hearing the bandits' surprise, grew puzzled himself. When did he become so famous? These deeds were done some time ago and hadn't truly circulated widely; how had they suddenly spread?

"One startling event might not create influence," Mu Ne Zhence said, gently fanning himself. "But when all the events pile up and someone deliberately ignites them, the effect is entirely different."

"Deliberately?" Gu Yue Jiaying studied Mu Ne Zhence and suddenly understood.

This Prince might not possess the strongest individual strength, but he had access and avenues others lacked. He possessed the insight and maneuvering skills honed by royal training from childhood. In a way, Qian Jin was like a fierce general charging headlong into the enemy formation on the battlefield, never knowing retreat. But Mu Ne Zhence was more like the commander orchestrating the entire campaign from behind the scenes.

When there was an opportunity to leverage, it was remarkably easy for Mu Ne Zhence to maximize the effect.

Qian Jin's reputation had spread rapidly, not just because the accumulation of his own actions was dizzying enough to cause vertigo, and certainly not just through the word-of-mouth among mercenaries. Someone was manipulating things from behind the scenes as well.

A Prince was a Prince, after all. Even if he appeared alone, no one knew what strength lay behind him.

"Qian Jin, you didn't know you were so hot right now, did you?" Duan Feng Er’s words were still lighthearted and rambling. "Even if the Great Demon King walked naked now, he couldn't draw attention away from you. I inquired all the way here and only just realized how formidable you’ve become, comrade."

Listening to the chatterbox Duan Feng Er drone on, Qian Jin finally realized that while he had spent a month in seclusion diligently practicing his Dou Qi and forging weapons, so much had happened in the outside world that he knew nothing about.

If he had known, he should have asked for details on the road to the Second Bandit Group these past few days. Now he felt like an idiot—the center of all this attention, yet the only one completely in the dark.

"Qian Jin, consider this my repayment for saving me that day," Mu Ne Zhence looked at the slowly understanding Qian Jin. "I, Mu Ne Zhence, never owe anyone."

Qian Jin smiled dismissively. Even if Mu Ne Zhence hadn't helped ignite his fame, he would have used his actions to spark it during the Newcomer King Tournament anyway. The timing was just a little earlier.

"Yes, I am that Qian Jin," Qian Jin shrugged, meeting Dichaduo’s gaze. "And I am the one about to take over this bandit group."

Dichaduo fell silent. After serving as the Vice-Captain of the Second Bandit Group for so many years, he had finally waited for the Captain to be recruited as a shadow figure, thinking it was his chance to rise.

But damn it! Another person had appeared to snatch the position, and it happened to be Qian Jin, the man currently making the biggest waves.

Yield? Or not? Dichaduo wrestled with the decision. Should he, an established Bloodline Warrior, just give way to a young, ordinary warrior? No! Regardless of how strong he was rumored to be, Qian Jin was still just a twenty-year-old youth!

How strong could a twenty-year-old ordinary warrior truly be? Looking through the entire history of Warriors and Demon Warriors, no one, demon or brute, had ever reached the Dou Heart realm! They had the peak of the Golden Dou Heart and could reach the Void Soul state using special combat techniques, yet they were supposed to fear this ordinary warrior? Dichaduo suddenly realized how foolish he had been, giving too much weight to outside rumors.

"You want to take over the bandit group? Fine!" Dichaduo spread his arms wide. Black features began to surface on his cheeks; coarse black hair, like a horse's mane, rapidly grew from the back of his head, and his arms were likewise covered in dark bristles. A wild, surging aura erupted from his body. "Defeat me, and no one in this group will object to you taking command."

Bloodline War Body! It manifested instantly on Dichaduo. The power of the Golden Dou Heart swirled around his body, and magical scrolls began to glow brightly—Armor Magic, enhancing his defense by ten percent!

Thunder Magic! Boosting Dichaduo's speed and reaction! Dragon Slaying Magic! A scarlet gleam flashed in Dichaduo's eyes. This special support magic, which activated potential and overdrafted the physical strength of tomorrow and the day after, also enveloped him.

Dragon Slaying Magic could instantly boost his Dou Qi by thirty percent! Dichaduo’s effective strength had increased by three-tenths. What did that signify? Yi’s expression turned grim; Dichaduo truly deserved his reputation as a veteran bandit, showing such caution even against the young Qian Jin.

In an instant, Dichaduo unleashed every bit of explosive power he possessed, laying out his entire foundation for the Captain’s seat. Even knowing that for three days after casting Dragon Slaying Magic, his strength would not exceed fifty percent, Dichaduo still deployed it without hesitation.

Raging Dou Qi and spiritual energy intertwined, coupled with his massive frame, Dichaduo resembled a demon climbing out of hell. A black Nightmare Void Spirit shadow, over ten feet tall, appeared behind him, looking like a Dou Soul that hadn't yet fully condensed into a solid form.

The enormous Nightmare reared its head, letting out a roar, its four hooves emanating blazing flames.

Void Soul! By combining Dragon Slaying Magic with his Void Soul combat technique, Dichaduo had forced his entire Void Soul to a state where it seemed ready to condense into a physical entity at any moment.

"Powerful, truly a powerful combat technique," Qian Jin gazed at the towering Void Soul, nodding repeatedly in excitement. If he could learn this specialized skill... "Very good! You are the strongest demon and man I have seen below the level of a true Dou Soul."

His three Dou Hearts spun wildly. Divine Possession! Massive egg-shaped surges of Dou Qi ascended into the sky—two dusky gray egg-shaped spectral images and one golden yellow one, resembling a rising sun! They soared up from within Qian Jin’s body!

The surrounding bandits’ faces changed immediately. Their legs involuntarily stumbled backward repeatedly, as if pushed by an immense pressure forcing them away. An indescribable sense of oppression tightened their chests; if they didn't retreat a few steps to avoid this aura, they might spit blood right there.

What was this? The bandit leaders looked up at the three huge, egg-shaped spectral images in astonishment, faint glimmers of fear shining in their pupils. Within these three egg-shaped phantoms, some terrifying demon seemed to lie dormant, as if all existence would be destroyed the moment they hatched.

Bizarre, this situation was utterly bizarre! Dichaduo felt every hair on his body trembling. He focused all his spirit on the three rotating, ascending egg-shaped phantoms as they rapidly sank back into Qian Jin's body.

The next moment, Qian Jin's body expanded and transformed like a demon breaking free of its shell—muscles writhed, bones stretched, and with sharp snapping sounds, he transformed into a demonic being that seemed to have traversed millennia.

In an instant, Qian Jin went from looking up at Dichaduo to looking down on him. His ferocious, oppressive might violently shattered the field of energy Dichaduo had generated.

This... This was...

Dichaduo wanted to believe it was Divine Possession, but that was a combat technique only Dwarves could practice. Moreover, even if it were Divine Possession, Qian Jin's current manifestation was excessive! The legendary Divine Possession wasn't described as being this overwhelming.

"Let me see just how strong this rumored Void Soul truly is," Qian Jin opened his right hand, fingers spread wide, and brought his palm down in a strike. The enormous hand instantly enveloped the small space, making it seem as if heaven and earth were trapped within his grasp, his might erupting fiercely!

What a fierce attack! Dichaduo’s eyes widened, his pupils contracting. A cold smile curved his lips, mixed with surprised admiration. For others, perhaps there would be no escape, but who was he? A Nightmare Bloodline Demon Warrior! One of the fastest Bloodline Demon Warriors in the world! Even if a star fell, he could dodge it!

A roar, half-horse, half-not, rumbled from Dichaduo’s throat. His two legs, which were nearly ninety percent similar to horse legs, pounded the ground repeatedly, leaving a series of dense footprints. Countless dust plumes shot into the sky, obscuring the location of his body.

"Trying to leave?"

Qian Jin’s voice carried an absolute dominance, sounding like a specter that persistently followed the high-speed movement of Dichaduo. His spread fingers continued to press down aggressively.

:Heh heh RO