Bocksli looked at Saboniss Guang’s serious expression and knew the patriarch would not back down, insisting on staying close to supervise him if he were to solely support Lucifer Stream; only by watching him nearby could he feel at ease.
“Fine.”
Bocksli had no choice but to agree. If their positions were reversed, he would do the exact same thing as Saboniss Guang.
The Mammon Demon Clan was precisely such a tribe: mutually supportive yet mutually obstructive, simultaneously distrusting one another while remaining wholly dependent on each other for survival—a tribe defined by avarice.
“But there is one issue,” Bocksli gazed at Saboniss Guang. “Do you think the other elders will agree to our arrangement?” Saboniss Guang forced a wry smile. Everyone had witnessed the extraordinary capabilities of Qian Jin with their own eyes, and they had all seen what Lucifer Stream had brought out.
The elders of the Mammon Demon Clan were not fools. The elders could likely guess what the patriarch was thinking. If they chose to object in this situation, it would be tantamount to forfeiting the opportunity to extract benefits from Qian Jin.
In another tribe, perhaps the elders might defer to the patriarch’s decision for the sake of the larger picture.
But, “This is the Mammon Demon Clan! The greediest clan among all the demons! The greater good? Other demons should consider it; we shouldn't, nor is it our place to. If there’s profit, grab it first!”
“It seems,” Bocksli said with a bitter smile, “we’ll have to tell them that the benefits obtained from Swift Flow Mirror will also be shared with them.” Saboniss Guang sighed and nodded. Relinquishing profit was indeed painful! But it was the only way to use the authority of the patriarch to suppress the other elders and secure even a tiny fraction more benefit for himself.
Saboniss Febil crossed his arms, the cold, sinister smile curving his lips, illuminated by the firelight, appearing exceptionally savage. If the patriarchs harbored such thoughts, it couldn't be better—he could openly object and use all sorts of means to obstruct them... including assassination!
And, “Even if such an assassination succeeded,” Saboniss Febil’s smile grew colder, “the patriarch couldn't say anything to me! Because this plan was their creation!”
The night continued to pass slowly...
The eyes of the many elders shone with greedy light, all contemplating how to establish a connection with Qian Jin to gain advantages from the Shock Demon.
As time dragged on... the demons noticed that whether it was Qian Jin, or the group including Burning Path Mad Song, Checkfort, Duan Fengbuer, and the Princess—all of whom clearly seemed to have reached the limit for absorbing Dou Crystal energy—showed no intention of stopping, continuing to draw power from the Dou Crystals.
These madmen! Are none of these demons normal? The demons cursed inwardly. There was a theoretical time limit to absorbing Dou Energy! Were their Dou Meridians and Dou Apertures somehow abnormal?
Abnormal! Qian Jin closed his eyes, sensing the strange auras of the demons around him. He could only sigh internally; the Dou Meridians and Dou Apertures of these companions were indeed not quite normal. Leaving aside the unique nature of Burning Path Mad Song’s Great True Gold Dou Qi, the others had also consumed Volcanic Potion for some time, making their Dou Meridians and Dou Apertures significantly tougher than ordinary ones.
However, Qian Jin couldn't understand: why could the dull Mu Nezhen Ce, who hadn't consumed the Volcanic Potion, also absorb Dou Energy beyond the limit? It seemed the Zhen Ce Royalty itself was quite an extraordinary royal line.
A night passed. Qian Jin slept briefly to restore his spirit, ate breakfast, and returned to his forging with the blacksmith’s hammer.
Day... two days... three days... four days... five days... ten days...
No one expected that this wait would stretch for ten days, with Qian Jin toiling over that single piece of equipment with his hammer for the entire duration.
Crimson firelight emanated from the large iron furnace, carrying an imposing aura. Although the tip of the chain was not yet sharpened, it already exuded an indescribable sense of pressure.
Qian Jin suddenly turned to look at Bocksli, startling the Mammon Demon Clan patriarch. Before he could fully react, he heard the voice, almost a command: “Come here for a moment.”
Bocksli acted without hesitation, rising and walking directly toward Qian Jin, only realizing mid-stride that he was obeying the command of a half-blood demon.
What was happening? Bocksli snapped back to awareness, deeply puzzled. He wanted to stop his advance but felt that stopping now would make his lapse in composure even more obvious.
Bocksli felt the mocking smile Saboniss Guang cast from behind him, slicing into his skin like a blade edge.
“Something you need?” Bocksli forced a casual tone as he approached, thinking inwardly, If you weren't still useful, I would swat you dead right now! Turn you into meat paste!
“Hold out your hand,” Qian Jin commanded without looking up. “Do not use any Dou Qi.”
Bocksli managed to squeeze out a strained smile, nodded back at the mocking Saboniss Guang, and slowly opened the fist he had clenched, forcing down the urge to punch Qian Jin dead right then and there, placing his hand before Qian Jin.
Hiss!
The scorching hot chain suddenly dropped into Bocksli’s hand, instantly searing the palm of the powerful figure—who was completely unprepared and using no Dou Qi—as if the flesh were cooked, releasing the scent of roasted meat.
“Ah!”
Bocksli shrieked in agony. Saboniss Guang’s eyes widened in shock, staring at the absurd scene. Had Swift Flow Mirror gone mad? How dare he burn Bocksli?
The elders of the Mammon Demon Clan jolted, their mouths gaping wide enough to fit an entire apple in surprise.
“What are you trying to do?” Bocksli’s pent-up fury finally erupted with the burn. Dou Qi sprayed out from his pores, clearly signaling that unless Qian Jin offered a satisfactory explanation, he would strike down this arrogant half-blood right there. “Enough.”
Qian Jin didn't spare a glance for the enraged Bocksli, his eyes fixed on the rapidly evaporating blood on the chain. He casually tossed the chain into a deep well beside him.
Sizzle, sizzle...
White mist continuously jetted upwards from the well opening, resembling a hot spring at a tourist destination, or perhaps like a fire burning charcoal deep underground.
With a slight flick of his wrist, Qian Jin pulled the chain—and the thin wire hanging from it—high out of the well.
The demons in the courtyard instinctively closed their eyes. Under the sunlight, the chain emitted a glare so dazzlingly cold that it hurt their eyes to look at it.
“Sharpen!”
Qian Jin flicked the chain and rapidly honed its tip on the whetstone nearby. Bubuolongsao stared blankly at his sharpening method, his eyes going vacant again. What kind of sharpening technique was this? He had never seen anything like it!
The diamond-shaped metal at the tip of the chain instantly released a light beam so piercing it seemed capable of puncturing stars and burning out a demon’s eyes, shimmering with a special glow under the impact of Dou Qi.
“What do you want to...”
Qian Jin looked up and extended the chain toward Bocksli, directly interrupting the furious patriarch of the Mammon Demon Clan: “This suits you. It’s a gift.”
The enraged expression instantly vanished from Bocksli’s face, replaced by surprise, astonishment, joy, and then sheer ecstasy... various expressions flashed across his face, finally settling on overwhelming delight across his perpetually grim countenance.
A Dou Weapon! Yes, a Level Ten Dou Weapon!
The moment Bocksli took the Dou Weapon, he knew it wasn't an ordinary one, but a truly top-tier weapon—a Level Ten Dou Weapon!
And it was more than just a Level Ten Dou Weapon! Bocksli had been lucky enough to touch a Level Ten Dou Weapon before, but he had never felt anything like this connection.
The chain, which was merely two linked strands, gave the demon the feeling that it wasn't just a weapon, but almost... an arm! A limb!
That’s right! Bocksli couldn't suppress the ecstasy churning within him. Holding the chain, he didn't feel it was a weapon; he felt it was an extension of his own arm, a part of his body.
How? How could this be? Bocksli had witnessed countless grand scenes, yet he was so profoundly shocked by the weapon Qian Jin casually tossed him that his mind felt slightly scrambled. He was in a state of ecstatic delirium, wanting to roar with laughter but afraid of appearing unsophisticated in front of Qian Jin. He tried to suppress his excitement and joy but found it impossible.
A Level Ten Dou Weapon! Even though the Mammon Demon Clan was resource-rich, even though they possessed four Sacred Artifacts, those belonged to the entire clan, not to him, Patriarch Bocksli.
A Level Ten Dou Weapon! Even Bocksli, the patriarch, had never truly owned one; the weapon he currently wielded was only Level Seven. Saboniss Guang’s weapon was also Level Seven.
Regardless of the level, Bocksli had never felt a weapon harmonize with him so perfectly.
“That burn just now was to imprint your mark onto this Dou Weapon,” Qian Jin frowned, offering a rare explanation. “Explaining it to an amateur like you, you wouldn't understand even if I did.”
Bocksli didn’t care about Qian Jin’s arrogant, instructional tone; ecstasy filled his entire being, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement: “Yes, yes! I wouldn't understand what you said, you are absolutely right.”
Being scolded and receiving a Level Ten Dou Weapon! What a wonderful trade! Bocksli would gladly endure being lectured by Swift Flow Mirror every day if it meant accumulating a set of Level Ten Dou Weapons.
A full set of equipment boasting the effectiveness of Level Ten Dou Weapons would undoubtedly unleash astonishing power in the hands of a strong cultivator.
A quick burn resulting in a Dou Weapon? Saboniss Guang’s mocking smile instantly froze solid. He stared dazedly at Bocksli, who was now radiating wild joy and constantly throwing him challenging glances.
At this moment, holding the Level Ten Dou Weapon, Bocksli savored the sight of Saboniss Guang’s previously mocking smile now frozen into a dumbstruck expression. An indescribable satisfaction surged through him.
Serve you right for smirking! Bocksli beamed, practically vibrating, barely restraining himself from running over to Saboniss Guang and shaking his backside in a victory dance.
Saboniss Guang’s eyes burned with jealousy, nearly popping out of his head. A Level Ten Dou Weapon! Even he, one of the two patriarchs of the Mammon Demon Clan, didn't possess one! And Bocksli had snatched one first!
Damn it! A quick burn earns a Dou Weapon? Saboniss Guang desperately wanted to rush to Qian Jin and ask, Does a quick burn really get you a Level Ten Dou Weapon? Then stab me a couple of times! If not, shoot me a couple of times! If that won't work, whatever you want!
As long as he got a Dou Weapon, as long as he was left alive, he would do anything! Saboniss Guang’s eyes glittered with naked envy, and the other elders of the Mammon Demon Clan also went mad, crowding around Bocksli.
This kind of item wasn't something easily seen!
While the elders flattered Bocksli, they cast even greedier gazes toward Qian Jin. Just ten days! This brat had forged a... Level Ten Dou Weapon in just ten days!
What did that imply? Did it mean forging Dou Weapons was as easy for him as drinking cold water? Could he forge them anytime he wished, something other master forgers would spend ages cautiously working on?
If they could curry favor with this half-blood brat, then their families, their descendants, and themselves...
The elders of the Mammon Demon Clan rapidly cycled through various possibilities in their minds, considering how to approach and flatter this half-blood demon. If possible, marrying their daughters to him would save on flattery costs. They just wondered if he had a taste for Mammon Demon Clan beauties?
Qian Jin sensed the increasingly bizarre gazes from the surrounding elders, feeling an immediate sensation of being targeted by beasts. He grew alert internally. Indeed! Coming to the demon realm was the right choice. Look at the mental pressure generated by their gazes—it’s absolutely a profound spiritual baptism!
Saboniss Guang endured for a while longer before finally giving up his pretense of authority. He rose and first walked toward Bocksli. “Li, congratulations.”
Bocksli waved the Level Ten Dou Weapon in his hand. “Guang, look. A Level Ten Dou Weapon...”
Level Ten Dou Weapon! To hell with it! Saboniss Guang stared at Bocksli with envy, jealousy, and hatred, feeling a sudden urge to kick this bragging Mammon Demon away.
Qian Jin noticed Mu Nezhen Ce, standing some distance away, giving him a thumbs-up. This strategy had been suggested by Prince Mu Nezhen Ce, accurately grasping the Mammon Demon Clan’s greed and the internal power struggle between its two factions. A slight tilt toward one side would immediately cause a tremor in the other.
Hmph! Mu Nezhen Ce returned a faint smile. He had helped Qian Jin significantly during this period, and now he was truly no longer indebted to him. Next, he needed to focus on securing followers. While Qian Jin might be difficult to make a formal retainer, he needed to at least secure his attitude to support Qian Jin’s bid for the throne—to become one of his genuine subordinates.
Not a retainer? That was fine! He could still be his closest subordinate, a subject! Mu Nezhen Ce slowly surveyed the others nearby. Duan Fengbuer possessed the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline but wasn't part of the ruling Nine-Headed Serpent lineage. If he could become a retainer, there was also Burning Path Mad Song’s Burning Path Family...
Yes! Mu Nezhen Ce nodded repeatedly. This team looked perfect, yet it held significant weaknesses: Checkfort’s identity, Lucifer Stream’s identity issues. If utilized correctly, Qian Jin and Duan Fengbuer wouldn't be able to afford to hesitate.
Friendship? Mu Nezhen Ce’s eyes flashed with an envy he hadn't noticed himself, but his lips curved into a slight shake of his head. Friendship was too ethereal, too luxurious; he couldn't afford it! Royalty required imperial bearing and style, a heart of steel! Royalty required ruthlessness!
The Third Prince, in his bid to seize the Emperor's throne, would even betray his own brothers—that was ruthlessness! Mu Nezhen Ce, having traveled beyond the borders, saw many things more clearly than before. If even the affection between biological brothers couldn't be relied upon, why hope for so-called friendship?
Indeed, if they truly reached a life-or-death moment... Mu Nezhen Ce unconsciously quickened the fanning rhythm of his folding fan, gripping the fan tightly with five fingers as he coldly watched Qian Jin and the others. In a true moment of peril, they certainly wouldn't be as united as they were now; they would each look out for themselves.
Even more so... Mu Nezhen Ce narrowed his eyes to a slit... even for survival, they would betray one another! As a member of the royal family, he had read too many accounts from history books and heard too many lectures from Imperial Tutors about such betrayals among supposed friends.
“Your Highness the Princess...” Saboniss Guang squeezed past the surrounded Bocksli and hurried, almost jogging, to Lucifer Stream, bowing deeply. His attitude was far more devout and humble than it had been days prior: “I, Saboniss Guang, swear eternal loyalty to Your Highness the Princess...”
Support! An open declaration of allegiance!
Lucifer Stream knew such a thing was inevitable, but witnessing it actually happen was still hard to believe. A patriarch of one of the seven great demon clans!
Although this clan had two patriarchs, a patriarch was still a patriarch! Saboniss Guang, one of the two leaders of the Mammon Demon Clan, could almost be said to represent half of the entire clan in pledging his allegiance to her.
How magnificent! What a situation! Even the current Crown Prince would find it incredibly difficult to persuade a clan patriarch to swear loyalty and support him, let alone the patriarch of one of the seven great demon clans!
Lucifer Stream felt like she was dreaming; this was something she would never have dared to imagine before, and now it had become reality!
Bocksli, surrounded by the elders, grew anxious seeing this. He quickly shoved aside the elders blocking his way and charged toward Lucifer Stream.
One Level Ten Dou Weapon wasn't enough! Two... ten... twenty! I need more! Bocksli roared internally, waves of greedy desire overwhelming his mind, yet he maintained a clarity he hadn't possessed before—he absolutely could not let Saboniss Guang gain precedence over him in this area.
At least, not by too long! Bocksli reached Lucifer Stream, immediately kneeling on one knee, bowing deeply, his expression even more devout than Saboniss Guang’s. He looked up at her with near-worshipful eyes: “Esteemed, beautiful, and powerful Princess, I, Bocksli, hereby swear my allegiance to you...”