All of this... was truly... Mu Ne Zhen Ce shook his head repeatedly, secretly admiring the Serpent Emperor and the Bandit King. The effect they instinctively conjured up without prior consultation between these two great figures and the great demon monster was simply too powerful! Where on earth did the Serpent Emperor even think of that? Could it be that the moment he met Qian Jin, he was already planning to secretly send Qian Jin on a tour of the Demon Race?

It was entirely possible! The folding fan in Mu Ne Zhen Ce's hand paused, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Even without the appearance of the Bandit King, Ba Huang Wu Sheng, the Serpent Emperor might have still found a way to arrange for Qian Jin to visit the Demon Race. That Pan Hong Ji was no ordinary person; he always preferred to calculate things far in advance.

The more Mu Ne Zhen Ce thought about it, the more plausible this possibility seemed. If the Serpent Emperor continued to overtly protect Qian Jin, then even if Qian Jin truly rose to prominence later, other factions would see him clearly—a person who grew up under someone else's shelter was hardly worth much notice.

However, everything had changed now! At least, on the surface. No one could see any trace of Qian Jin being helped; instead, they would only see a man who rose powerfully despite the immense pressure from Qian Zhan Xuan—a man who could not be crushed even by the Elven King Bloodline Family, one of the three ultimate bloodline powers!

Third Brother! Mu Ne Zhen Ce looked up at the sky. I never intended to fight for the throne. If you wanted the throne, you could have taken it, but I’ve reconsidered!

The struggle for the throne has always been brutal! I also understand your nature; you’ve always championed safety above all else. My existence is an eternal danger to you, and you will always find a way to extinguish any danger you perceive.

Since that is the case! Mu Ne Zhen Ce took a deep breath. Then I will become the Emperor! Only if I become Emperor Yan can our brotherhood avoid self-destruction.

The once magnificent carriage, now somewhat battered from combat, slowly rolled into the city.

The demonic warriors and mages surrounding the carriage were filled with confusion. The carriage seemed to have been caught in the aftermath of a battle. Had Master Jiliu Feijing been attacked? Weren't they told the Master was with Her Highness the Princess?

Princess and Master—either title was enough to ensure safe passage through the Demon Race territories. For two demons of such standing to be mixed together and yet attacked? Impossible! They absolutely had to ask about this later!

The carriage proceeded directly to the manor meticulously prepared by the City Lord and numerous factions. Qian Jin alighted from the carriage, supported by two demons, and walked straight into the rest chamber prepared for him. A sign bearing the words "No Visitors" hung on the door, stopping all other demons in their tracks.

The prominent demons of the city had keenly sensed the demons descending from the carriages; almost every single one bore injuries, and these were no ordinary wounds!

Only Lucifer Liushui, the Princess, had sustained the lightest injuries!

“Your Highness, you seem to be…”

In the grand reception hall, one impatient demon could not contain his curiosity and carefully voiced his confusion.

“We were ambushed!” Lucifer Liushui stated, her face grim.

“What?!”

“Who did it?”

“They’ve betrayed us!”

“Did they eat dragon gall? Are they tired of living!”

For a moment, the hall erupted in indignation. Lucifer Liushui surveyed the surroundings and sighed softly. If Qian Jin hadn't strictly forbidden her from naming the Seventh Prince, she could have capitalized on this incident right now to deliver a severe blow to him.

Lucifer Liushui would never forget the smile on Qian Jin’s face at that moment—a face that usually looked quite upright could reveal the grin of a cunning merchant.

“I will make the Seventh Prince understand that we know who ambushed us! I’ll force him to hand over all his assets! Otherwise…”

Otherwise? Lucifer Liushui certainly knew that if the Seventh Prince didn't surrender all his wealth, Qian Jin merely needed to leak the information externally, and the pressure on the Seventh Prince would be immense.

Princes... such beings were considered somewhat mass-producible by His Majesty the Great Demon King. The Great Demon King was currently vigorous and healthy, birthing new princes and princesses every year. Abandoning one prince to support another was a simple matter.

But! The only demon in the entire Demon Race who held control over both the Demonic Blacksmith Guild and the Inscription Guild was none other than the so-called Master Jiliu Feijing!

Under these circumstances, any demon with a shred of intelligence would clearly understand that rather than supporting a mass-producible prince, it was far better to support the unique Master Jiliu Feijing.

“The Black Dragon Guard!” Lucifer Liushui’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. “The Zhen Ce Dynasty knew this princess had recruited Master Jiliu Feijing as an attendant, making them deeply wary of me.”

The Black Dragon Guard! The demons’ hearts trembled! That was the Zhen Ce Dynasty’s most secret unit. Their primary duties, besides supervising the internal affairs of the Zhen Ce Dynasty, were gathering intelligence on the Demon Race and assassinating important demons within it!

If a demon from any faction in the Demon Race was assassinated by the Black Dragon Guard, besides grief, there was also glory! Being assassinated by the Black Dragon Guard was considered an honor among demons—it signified holding a position of great importance! Lucifer Liushui? Assassinated by the Black Dragon Guard! This implied that the Zhen Ce Dynasty held high expectations for Lucifer Liushui's future development within the Demon Race.

The leaders of the city factions began to subtly shift their expressions, carefully weighing the implications and the significance of the Zhen Ce Dynasty’s Black Dragon Guard appearing, which could greatly elevate Lucifer Liushui’s standing. Lucifer Liushui watched the changing expressions with secret delight. These were seasoned demons who had seen major events; for the sake of their future development, they should know whom to support for the best outcome. Although she couldn't openly move against the Seventh Prince, she had successfully raised her own value by leveraging the existence of the Zhen Ce Dynasty’s Black Dragon Guard.

“That’s right!” Mu Ne Zhen Ce chimed in, fanning himself languidly and appearing somewhat drained, “There was also one of the Five Dragon Guards among them.”

The Five Dragons? The demons were shocked again. The Seven Stars of the Dark Division. The Seven Guards of the Black Dragon! What were the Five Dragons? The Five Dragons were equivalent to the Five Stars of the Dark Division—what an incredibly high rank!

“The only reason we survived this time was thanks to Master Jiliu Feijing.” Mu Ne Zhen Ce yawned. “If Master Jiliu Feijing hadn't exerted his full strength at the critical moment, willing to take injury himself to kill the opponent! We might all be dead by now…”

Killed the opponent? The demons were astonished again. Rumor had it that Jiliu Feijing was very young and merely an ordinary demonic warrior. They had assumed that even if he were strong, he must have a limit. Now, to be able to defeat a Black Dragon Guard equivalent to a Five Dragon level—that was beyond ordinary power!

Lucifer Liushui secretly glanced at Mu Ne Zhen Ce. This Sixth Prince, with just a few words, had redirected the attention of all the demons back to Jiliu Feijing. In doing so, Qian Jin, who was equally famous in the Zhen Ce Dynasty alongside Jiliu Feijing, would have his reputation boosted again, which indirectly highlighted Qian Jin’s combat prowess.

Impressive! Lucifer Liushui cautiously scrutinized Mu Ne Zhen Ce. Previously, she had only thought this Sixth Prince had some tricks up his sleeve, but spending time with him lately, she realized she still didn't fully grasp him. His terrifying mental power alone was a significant offensive weapon, coupled with his on-the-spot adaptability.

Should she ensure he doesn't return alive to the Zhen Ce Dynasty? Lucifer Liushui stared at Mu Ne Zhen Ce hesitantly. If he were allowed to leave the Demon Race alive, this prince would surely become a great enemy of the Demon Race in the future! But if she killed him, then… Qian Jin…

Mu Ne Zhen Ce’s safe return to the Zhen Ce Dynasty would be of immense help to Qian Jin’s future prospects there!

Lucifer Liushui looked up to the heavens and sighed. How decisive she used to be with her killing intent! This annoying Qian Jin had made her less resolute! And while she was agonizing, he was off sleeping? Didn't everyone get tired?

Tired indeed! Qian Jin sighed while standing in a village within the Endless World. He had expected that coming to the Demon Race would be mentally taxing at most, and his body might relax more than it did in the Zhen Ce Dynasty. He never imagined it would be even more tiring than back home. How long had it been? He almost lost his life!

He walked into Uncle Adams’ potion shop. There was no need for many words; a vial of potion went down his throat, and his broken bones began to recover at an astonishing speed, once again displaying miraculous power.

“All you do is drink the potions I mix,” Adams said, looking up during a brief respite. “You should be learning to mix higher-grade potions! Even if you can’t manage this level yet, you should start learning. There are books over there; go look at them…”

“Okay…” Qian Jin nodded and walked towards the bookshelf, picking up the notebook Adams had indicated. This potion that provided instant recovery was incredibly complex and cumbersome. All the knowledge and techniques he had learned over the years were still insufficient to master it.

Qian Jin didn't rush to mix the potion; he carefully read through the sequences for preparing various draughts, selecting one called the Undying Potion. This didn't mean it made one immune to death, but rather that as long as the user hadn't died, drinking it would revive them.

Although the name of the potion was overly dramatic, suggesting capabilities it couldn't possess, it was still orders of magnitude more intricate than any potion he had previously encountered, with far better and more comprehensive healing effects.

Research… mixing… failure. “Research, mixing… failure…”

In Adams’ workshop, filled with limitless materials, Qian Jin’s few hours of failed research and attempts consumed enough raw materials to bankrupt an entire city’s potion guild instantly.

“Hoo…” Qian Jin looked at the single small vial of successfully mixed potion he held, shaking his head repeatedly in frustration. It was only here, in the Endless World, with its boundless materials, that he could afford to be so reckless with consumption to achieve such progress.

The potion materials he had used under Teacher Adams’ tutelage over the past few years would likely be enough to bankrupt every potion guild in the Zhen Ce Dynasty not once, but twice.

“An Alchemist… truly is a profession built upon being piled high with massive quantities of potion materials…”

Qian Jin couldn't help but sigh repeatedly. If he hadn't fortunately entered the Endless World, even with a slight aptitude for alchemy, he would never have made such improvements in the Zhen Ce Dynasty.