"This isn't a serious injury?" Te Jiao Fei's voice pitched into a razor-sharp squeak, reaching an ear-splitting height as he took in Di Cha Duo's state. "Then what is a serious injury to you? Being left unable to crawl off the ground? Qian Jin, you struck him down like that in one move?

Qian Jin felt the gazes of the surrounding bandits shifting rapidly, the initial shock gradually curdling into raw fear.

Di Cha Duo was a renowned bandit leader beyond the frontier too. For Qian Jin to have reduced him to this condition with a single punch—it seemed this 'Madman Qian' was truly as ruthless as the rumors claimed.

"One punch." Te Jiao Fei clicked his tongue twice, shaking his head repeatedly. "It's still me who's smarter. Di Cha Duo, you might not remember me, but I once exchanged a palm strike with you. That blow kept me bedridden for over a month. How powerful your Xu Hun Dou Ji is, I know best. Even now, I doubt I could put you down like this in a single hit."

"I remember you." Di Cha Duo shook his head faintly. "Back then, I was only using the Xu Hun Dou Ji, without unleashing the auxiliary magic to boost my speed, explosive power, and defense."

Te Jiao Fei’s eyes, not large to begin with, widened even further on his fleshy face. What did that mean? Had Qian Jin struck Di Cha Duo when he was truly at his peak state? The words Te Jiao Fei had just spoken were tinged with humility, but now, he truly felt terrified.

With all auxiliary magic cast and then using the Xu Hun Dou Ji? Te Jiao Fei wasn't confident he could defeat Di Cha Duo with one punch, let alone injure him this severely.

"No way?" Te Jiao Fei looked at Qian Jin with lingering disbelief. "Weren't you just at the Golden Battle Heart realm? How is the combat power you just erupted with even stronger than mine, who has already reached the Battle Soul realm?"

Qian Jin pursed his lips. It was best not to tell anyone about possessing three Battle Hearts; that was his greatest hidden asset.

"Perhaps," Te Jiao Fei stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Only in a life-or-death battle might I have a chance to beat you."

Qian Jin frowned slightly. A moment ago, this fatty had claimed he was no match for him, but now he was confident of victory in a fight to the death?

"Battle Heart and Golden Battle Heart can shatter Battle Seals," Te Jiao Fei stated with sudden seriousness. "Warriors in the Battle Soul realm also possess a higher-tier desperate measure: burning the Battle Soul for combat."

"Burning the Battle Soul?"

Qian Jin heard yet another new term. He wasn't a warrior who grew up guided by seasoned masters; many things considered basic warrior common knowledge were entirely unknown to him.

"Battle Soul Burn," Te Jiao Fei’s expression grew grave. "Qian Jin, if you encounter a warrior or Martial Mage in the Battle Soul realm in the future, you must be extremely cautious. It is a unique combat technique known to all Battle Soul warriors—shattering the Battle Seal to burn the Battle Soul, elevating combat power limitlessly. Its might is astonishing."

Shattering the Battle Seal and burning the Battle Soul? Qian Jin nodded repeatedly. Although he didn't fully grasp what it entailed, it was clearly something incredibly powerful.

"Warriors who burn their Battle Soul might die afterward, or their realm might drop, perhaps rendering them unable to improve their strength ever again, leading to gradual decline." Te Jiao Fei continued his explanation. "But, a warrior in the throes of Battle Soul Burn is terrifyingly formidable; it’s as if they can draw endless combat power from nowhere."

Qian Jin listened intently. He hadn't reached the Battle Soul realm yet, so learning about it now was certainly beneficial.

"In any case, that's not why I'm here," Te Jiao Fei shook his head rapidly. "I'm here to tell you that King Wusheng sent me to summon you."

"To see Ba Huang Wusheng?" Qian Jin couldn't help but wonder why this bandit king of the frontier suddenly wanted to see him.

"Come with me." Te Jiao Fei grabbed Qian Jin's arm and headed toward the Wusheng Hall. "You've been causing too much trouble lately. If we let you stay idle beyond the frontier any longer, this area might become even more chaotic soon. King Wusheng figures that since you have so much free time, he might as well advance your final assessment to become a bandit leader."

"The final assessment?" Qian Jin raised an eyebrow. So soon? Wasn't there still nearly half a year left?

"Didn't I tell you?" Te Jiao Fei sighed, shaking his head. "What have you been doing these past few days? Annihilating the Peike Bandit Group, incorporating the Second Bandit Group. Now, the other bandit factions both hate and fear you, and many have sent envoys demanding King Wusheng intervene to stabilize the situation. But the thing is..."

Te Jiao Fei stopped walking, grabbed his own thick waist, and his eyes—slightly larger than a rat's—darted over Qian Jin. "The thing is, King Wusheng really likes you, truly admires you. It’s incomprehensible. If someone had done what you did in the past, King Wusheng would have executed them ten times over. But you..."

The frequency of Te Jiao Fei’s head shaking increased. "Every time King Wusheng hears about something you’ve done, he just chuckles happily and says you’re quite interesting."

What Te Jiao Fei said only made Qian Jin more curious. Based on his understanding of King Wusheng, the things he had done should have warranted a stern warning from the king, if not outright execution. Instead, it seemed the king planned to send him off for an assessment.

In the not-so-grand Wusheng Hall, Ba Huang Wusheng sat serenely on a seat resembling an emperor's throne, flipping through a yellowed scroll.

"You're here? Sit."

Ba Huang Wusheng didn't look up, continuing to bury his head in the scroll, issuing a faint summons that restored the hall to its initial silence.

Te Jiao Fei bowed deeply, turned, and retreated from the Wusheng Hall. Ba Huang Wusheng still showed no reaction.

Qian Jin sat for a while, growing bored, and began examining the shelves of martial arts scrolls in the hall. Scrolls detailing various Dou Ji were placed there openly, without any security measures whatsoever.

Qian Jin's eyes suddenly lit up as he scanned the titles.

Seeing those characters, Qian Jin was so excited he almost cried out loud.

The Undying Monarch—one of the three ultimate bloodline Martial Mages of the Demon Race, whose strength rivaled the three ultimate bloodlines of the True Strategy Dynasty.

The six ultimate bloodline powers in the world—each possessed its own unique bloodline techniques. They weren't just powerful due to their bloodline; the bloodline techniques developed from these peculiar powers also stood at the absolute pinnacle of the entire warrior world.

The Qian Family’s Qian Kun Dual Techniques were considered the zenith of combat skills, envied, coveted, and hated by both ordinary warriors and bloodline warriors alike.

The Undying Monarch bloodline also possessed such a technique. The name of this peak technique was Sheng Si—Life and Death.

When combined, these two techniques formed a majestic title: the Life and Death Star Seal.

Legend held that any opponent struck by the Life and Death Star Seal would soon return to the embrace of the stars.

Qian Jin nervously and excitedly drew out the Undying Monarch bloodline technique scroll from the shelf. This was not something one could view just by having money or influence.

Ba Huang Wusheng smiled softly without speaking, still focused on the yellowed scroll.

The Wusheng Hall was profoundly quiet. Ba Huang Wusheng read, and Qian Jin studied diligently. The Undying Monarch bloodline technique contained numerous skills, far more than the rumored two.

Qian Jin discovered that both Sheng (Life) and Si (Death) required the mastery of other techniques first. Each skill had to be cultivated into a Dou Yin (Battle Seal), which were then recombined and arranged to form the true Sheng or Si.

Once both fundamental Seals were completely formed, they could be combined again to become the Life and Death Star Seal.

So many techniques? Qian Jin furrowed his brow in confusion. For an ordinary person, even if they could cultivate these techniques, their beard would likely turn white before they could successfully combine and arrange them into Sheng.

Bloodline techniques would always remain bloodline techniques. Not only were they difficult for other warriors to practice, but even if they could, the methods would be completely unsuitable. Only the corresponding bloodline power could complete the cultivation in a relatively short time, following the inherent principles.

All the data for Sheng and Si were recorded within. Relying on the super memory granted by Teacher Euralla, Qian Jin rapidly imprinted all the data into his mind.

Even with super memory, stuffing such vast information into his brain all at once left Qian Jin feeling slightly dizzy.

Ba Huang Wusheng finally lowered the yellowed scroll and carefully observed Qian Jin's expression, tinged with doubt. Among the many techniques placed before this young man, there wasn't just the famous Undying Monarch bloodline technique; there was also a Saint-tier technique that ordinary warriors could cultivate.

If such powerful techniques were laid before an ordinary warrior, or perhaps a non-Undying Monarch bloodline Martial Mage, any rational person would first choose to examine the Saint-tier technique. Yet, this young man had chosen the Undying Monarch bloodline technique first.

What did this signify? Ba Huang Wusheng’s brow slowly knitted together. The Dwarf Dorata had once mentioned that Qian Jin had won the special Dwarf technique, Heavenly God Incarnation, from him. This technique had always been exclusive to Dwarves. Yet, Qian Jin had displayed it once, and its power seemed far greater than when used by a Dwarf.

That technique was notoriously complex and difficult to truly master, yet Qian Jin could learn it quickly. Judging by the power displayed, he must have already combined the necessary Seals.

To master a technique like Heavenly God Incarnation only days after obtaining it—was his speed in cultivating Battle Seals accelerating even further?

Was it a variation similar to Heavenly God Incarnation? Or had he modified it into a new version suitable for his own practice? Or perhaps... had he truly mastered the Dwarf-exclusive Heavenly God Incarnation?

Perhaps the answer would come soon.

Ba Huang Wusheng’s brows slowly unfurled. If he could still learn the Undying Monarch bloodline technique after putting it out for him to see, then... what should he do?

Ba Huang Wusheng suddenly felt a wave of confusion. If Qian Jin could truly practice the Undying Monarch bloodline technique, he genuinely didn't know how he ought to treat him anymore.