The final defensive line of the First Battle Heart was instantly shattered. Qian Jin didn't have time to construct a new barrier; the battered Iron Arm Mantis Battle Soul slammed right into the First Battle Heart.

Boom! Qian Jin’s body, sprawled on the ground, convulsed violently, leaping half a meter into the air. His pores erupted, spewing blinding, crimson blood, transforming him instantly into a figure steeped in gore.

Is this it? Am I really going to die...? Qian Jin felt the Golden Battle Heart on the verge of collapse. His mind raced through his brief life, every memory crystal clear despite its brevity. He recalled every detail: the tears of his father, the sheer pride of his father...

The glory of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline... Duan Feng Bu Er's shameless tenacity... Fen Tu Kuang Ge's resolute persistence... Chek's icy composure... The flamboyant nature of Mu Ne Zhen Ce... Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin's slickness and brute force... Lucifer Liu Shui's sharp tongue... Luo Qing Qing's gentle grace... Gu Yue Jia Ying’s decisiveness, mixed with occasional tenderness... Bi Luo’s timidity... Huang Quan’s invincibility... Uncle Fabredis’s benevolence... Ba Huang Wusheng’s utter disregard for everything... Pan Hong Ji’s kindness... And that damn, domineering Qian Zhan Xuan...

Damn it! I still have so much left undone! To die like this, I refuse!

The Golden Battle Heart of the First Battle Heart felt as if it was about to completely shatter under the pressure. The intense pain had reached a level bordering on numbness; he couldn't move a single finger, nor could he even retrieve the hat that accessed the Endless World.

"From this day forward, you are my apprentice, Black."

"Qian Jin, come try my mysterious potion." "Idiot! Is that how you brew a potion?" "Win, and I'll tell you."

"Inscriptions? It’s actually very simple; you're just too dense."

The images of the teachers from the Endless World flashed through his mind...

Unwilling... so unwilling... A scene swept across Qian Jin’s mind again: within an army of millions, the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline warriors who never ceased, who only knew how to push forward!

Banners flying! Drums beating incessantly! Onward, never stopping! The Iron Arm might not be invincible, but the Iron Arm absolutely refuses to surrender!

Bang! The broken Iron Arm Mantis Battle Soul exploded! The Golden Battle Heart, which was about to be crushed, rebounded once more. The next instant, it began to spin wildly on its own axis. The power from the shattered Iron Arm Mantis bloodline Battle Soul was no longer tyrannical; it seemed to have found its home and automatically surged toward the First Golden Battle Heart, into the Third Battle Heart...

What was this? In that split second of confusion, an unexpected image flickered in Qian Jin’s mind: it was... Wan Yan Lifeng!

The descendant of this Iron Arm Mantis bloodline traitor stood amidst a sea of flowers—a peaceful floral expanse among the stars—smiling at him.

That smile was filled with warmth, that smile was filled with joy, that smile was filled with release!

What? What was happening? Qian Jin stared blankly at Wan Yan Lifeng's smile as the sound of Wan Yan Lifeng's voice rose in his mind.

"Young man, thank you..."

This? Dual Cultivation of Battle and Demon Arts! Qian Jin was stunned. Wan Yan Lifeng was actually a dual cultivator of Battle and Demon Arts, yet when fighting him, he had never displayed any magic, not even auxiliary magic.

This was Memory Transfer Magic, a simple spell designed to record the final words a deceased person wished to utter, words they didn't want others to know—a specialized form of magic.

Qian Jin gazed fixedly at Wan Yan Lifeng in his mind. The expression on the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline warrior’s face was benevolent, like an elder watching a junior.

"Young man, thank you. You truly are Qian Jin, and not some Jiliu Feijing." Wan Yan Lifeng’s calm expression revealed Qian Jin’s deepest secret: "I don't know who your so-called master is, but not many people still know the Battle Techniques of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline. Among them, I had a relative who was a bandit and happened to know some."

Qian Jin blinked in sudden realization as he heard Wan Yan Lifeng continue: "I know a secret that many people are unaware of. The person who killed my relative was named Qian Jin, and they took that secret manual of Iron Arm Mantis bloodline Battle Techniques. I once thought that even if you obtained it, it would be useless because the power of the bloodline cannot be changed. But... you actually managed to use it."

"The moment I saw you use the Gold-Splitting Continuous Slash, I knew you were Qian Jin. Although I cannot fathom how you can use the Battle Techniques of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline, I am deeply gratified. Your path as a warrior carries the honor of my Iron Arm Mantis bloodline."

"My ancestor made a gravely mistaken decision," Wan Yan Lifeng looked at Qian Jin calmly. "If I had been born in that era, I would have stopped our Clan Leader. No matter the humiliation suffered at the time, betraying one's own race was wrong. But the truth is, the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline clan are traitors, and I am the descendant of a traitor."

"I always wanted to do something," Wan Yan Lifeng’s smile carried a trace of bitterness. "I had considered returning to the Zhen Ce Dynasty, but what meaning would that hold?" "I once thought that if I could reach Sainthood, or even awaken the Heavenly Extremity level, I might try to kill the Great Demon King. Alas, my aptitude isn't great..." "When I learned that the Seventh Prince had come into contact with something called necromantic technology, I was very worried."

Wan Yan Lifeng looked at Qian Jin: "This matter is hard to explain, and I can't make it clear right now, but you must know this: the Undead are truly terrifying. You must be wary of them. But never speak of it, because no one will believe you."

"I once thought I could stop the Seventh Prince, but I never expected to be controlled by him using that necromantic technology," Wan Yan Lifeng’s smile was filled with relief. "Young man, thank you. Thank you for that final strike—you have set me free."

"I! Am a noble warrior of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline! I have my own honor! How could I be a dog of the Demon Race! How could I be eternally controlled by the Undead!" Wan Yan Lifeng’s aura suddenly shifted, becoming tens of times stronger than when he fought Qian Jin. "Young man, I have nothing left to give you, so accept my broken Iron Arm Mantis Battle Soul as a final gift."

"Heh heh... whether it's a Battle Soul or a Battle Heart, they can both be inherited. But that usually requires transmission between direct blood relatives..." Wan Yan Lifeng shrugged. "I don't think there's any blood relation between us, and you don't possess the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline, yet you can use its Battle Techniques. Perhaps you can accept my damaged Battle Soul?"

"Young man, I hope you are lucky, because in the last moment of my clarity, I could only control half of my body. Those Battle Techniques, administered by the controlled me, were struck into your body with enough force to kill you." Wan Yan Lifeng's body gradually became ethereal, seeming ready to vanish at any moment.

"But, if you are lucky enough to accept my Battle Soul, then those techniques can be easily controlled by you, and instead become a second gift."

"Of course, this first requires you to be able to accept the damaged Battle Soul of someone with whom you share no blood relation."

"Oh, yes! The basic prerequisite for accepting a Battle Soul is at least releasing your path as a warrior who constantly advances, awakening the honor of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline... Perhaps that might succeed. Even if it fails, it will leave your body and dissipate, rather than leaving you struggling to manage two things at once."

Wan Yan Lifeng’s spectral image completely vanished. Qian Jin stared dumbfounded into the boundless darkness. This opponent... had never truly exerted his full strength from the beginning!

This opponent knew his true identity from the very start!

This opponent, knowing he was destined to die by his hand, still chose to die by his hand resolutely.

This opponent—no! This warrior! This was a warrior possessing supreme honor!

"I... I actually... killed a noble warrior who was not a traitor..."

Qian Jin murmured to himself, recalling every action Wan Yan Lifeng had taken. A misjudgment! He had mistakenly killed a warrior...

An indescribable regret flooded Qian Jin’s heart...

"Thank you, young man! You saved me from the power of the Undead... There is no need for you to blame yourself." The phantom image of Wan Yan Lifeng reappeared once more, only to vanish without a trace almost immediately, as if it had never truly been there. Yet, his proud, unyielding spiritual imprint against the Undead was deeply etched into Qian Jin’s mind. The First Golden Battle Heart within his body throbbed once again.

As the Golden Battle Heart beat, Qian Jin felt a power calling to him from the depths of his soul—a feeling both ineffable and profound. The hot blood of countless Iron Arm Mantis bloodline warriors clashing with the Demon Race burned within him.

That broken Battle Soul settled deep within the First Golden Battle Heart like a seed.

What is this? Qian Jin was highly surprised. Battle Souls and Battle Hearts were never truly inheritable without a shared bloodline, and they could traditionally only be passed on when the person was in their prime, at the peak of their physical condition.

Wan Yan Lifeng, in this instance, was not in his prime, nor at his peak state; in fact, he seemed to be past his prime. Qian Jin was even convinced that Wan Yan Lifeng’s ranking on the Sainthood List was likely higher than what it was now.

Incomprehensible, yet undeniable! A portion of the essence within Wan Yan Lifeng’s broken Battle Soul was, Qian Jin could sense, firmly rooted in the Golden Battle Heart.

The rampaging Gold-Splitting Continuous Slash, Water-Severing Wave, and Sea-Slicing Battle Techniques instantly ceased their assault. They seemed to hear a summons—a summons emanating from the broken Battle Soul lodged within the First Golden Battle Heart.

The Battle Techniques of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline surged like a tide into the First Golden Battle Heart. The fierce impact threatened to rupture the Golden Battle Heart at any moment, causing Qian Jin to involuntarily let out a low groan.

The powers flooding into the First Golden Battle Heart rapidly began to merge with the Battle Techniques already present. Two identical sequences for the Gold-Splitting Continuous Slash fused together; the two Water-Severing Wave techniques also merged; and the Sea-Slicing Battle Seal independently formed its own domain, beginning to slowly rotate. Welcome 【Readers of Xia Yi Chinese Books】 to join this site group: 136995185