Qian Zhanxuan suddenly stepped forward, raising a hand to send down a palm strike imbued with tremendous gravity. "It instantly enveloped Fabredis, and the earth immediately collapsed into a vast circular depression.

"I, Fabredis, am also a Saint Ascension strong expert!"

The Heavenly Reed Sword let out a clear cry, its light scattering in all directions. Countless currents of gravitational force were instantly severed. Within the radiance, they transformed into streams of fire dragons, which converged to form a massive fire wolf, shattering Qian Zhanxuan's Earthly Cauldron technique and lunging straight out.

The giant fire wolf loomed, making Qian Zhanxuan's figure appear so insignificant. He gently raised a hand, his knees remaining motionless. His body lifted into the air, and a single palm strike landed squarely on the fire wolf's forehead. The ferocious wolf, capable of incinerating the entire frontier wasteland, instantly disintegrated and vanished.

"The Gale Fire Wolf Sword has improved," Qian Zhanxuan said, his hands clasped behind his back as he hovered above the ground, looking down at Fabredis: "But have you forgotten that this technique was a gift from me? I know its weaknesses better than anyone. Even if you achieve Saint Ascension..."

"...you are still too weak." Qian Zhanxuan shook his head slightly. "Saint Ascension is divided into Virtual Saint, Real Saint, and True Saint stages. You are merely a warrior who has just entered the Virtual Saint realm. You don't even grasp the difference between 'virtual' and 'real.' You challenge me? You are not qualified yet. Fabredis, considering you are the first common warrior to reach Saint Ascension, I grant you one last chance: step aside, or die."

No one had anticipated this! Such a stratification existed even after reaching Saint Ascension! Duan Fengbu’er stared blankly at Fabredis. He had assumed that with this elder's arrival, even if he couldn't defeat Qian Zhanxuan, he could at least stall him long enough for the others to escape toward Ba Huang Wusheng.

Now, it seemed! Fabredis’s entry into Saint Ascension was still not enough to contend with Qian Zhanxuan.

"'Virtual'? 'Real'?" Fabredis shook his head faintly. "Can one truly distinguish them? For years, I have lived with only two driving forces: protecting my daughter... and finding and killing the true culprit! Now, I have found the true culprit... Do you think I will leave?"

"You cannot win. Your honorable resting place should be the Human-Demon Battlefield," Qian Zhanxuan sighed. "It’s not too late to turn back now. I rarely appreciate a common warrior as much as I appreciate you; you are the first. Do not disappoint me..."

"If you can't win, you just stop fighting?"

Fabredis suddenly puffed out his chest and lifted his head high. The Heavenly Reed Sword in his hand erupted with a brilliance never seen before, countless flames coiling around the blade. The fire of the Sacred Fire Soul Domain burned everything around them. Waves of sword cries sounded like a mournful, inexpressible requiem.

"Duan Fengbu’er, take Qian Jin and go," Fabredis’s voice was utterly calm. "A battle that burns life... always creates miracles. Wait for me in Eternal Flow City. I will hold him off. Then we will succeed in leaving."

Qian Zhanxuan remained suspended in the air, allowing Duan Fengbu’er to hoist Qian Jin onto his back, making no further move. "You are a warrior I admire. I will give you a chance to burn everything, elevate all your power, and launch one strike at me. The Sacred Fire Soul Domain—it slays enemies, burns their life essence, and unleashes greater strength. This Soul Domain is suited for group combat, not one-on-one! At your current level, you can only burn your own life to fight me."

The Sacred Fire Soul Domain! Fabredis’s unique domain: it slays enemies, burning everything to instantly enhance one's combat strength, consuming life force itself, capable of erupting with ten or even twenty times the power. But the life burned in return would be far greater, perhaps leading to death.

Let go of me! I’m not leaving!

Qian Jin didn't utter those words. A roar like that in this situation would only sound childish. His eyes were fixed on Fabredis's retreating figure. He knew he couldn't change his uncle’s decision now; staying would only complicate things for him.

"Trying to leave?" Qian Zhanxuan raised his hand and pointed gently. Overwhelming magical power instantly descended from the sky. An endless aura of freezing cold instantly wrapped around the group, and blocks of transparent ice instantly encased them completely!

Dual Cultivation of Battle and Sorcery! The ultimate awakening of the Elven King bloodline warrior. The magical power of Dual Cultivation far surpassed that of the Yellow Springs—the magic of Eternal Hibernation instantly imprisoned Qian Jin and the others.

Duan Fengbu’er, already heavily depleted, could only move his eyeballs, but he couldn't shake off the chilling ice layer.

Chekfurit’s fallen angel bloodline within his body also seemed completely frozen at this moment, sinking into slumber, unable to be awakened or activated to shatter this vexing ice.

"I said, no one leaves here today," Qian Zhanxuan swept his gaze over Qian Jin and the others with confidence. "You must die. As for Fabredis... you..."

A faint appreciation shone in Qian Zhanxuan's eyes. "You are quite good! This must be the strongest technique you created yourself, yes?"

"Qian Jin, I believe you can survive. You must also believe that I can inflict such heavy damage on him that he won't have the strength to launch any further aggressive attacks on you." Fabredis's face remained placid, showing no emotional turmoil because Qian Jin and the others were trapped. "Since you stayed, keep your eyes wide open. This is the last thing I can teach you—the Requiem, belonging only to me, Fabredis!"

The martial soul of the flame giant wolf rose again, its upward roar seeming to harmonize with the Requiem on the Heavenly Reed Sword. Waves of soul-shaking roars enhanced Fabredis's Saint Ascension strength.

Onefold... twofold... tenfold... twentyfold... thirtyfold...

"Qian Jin! Watch this! This is my fight. Watch how I wage this battle with dignity."

"Kids, watch closely! See the glorious battle of the old generation! I'll show you how I fight."

The ice enveloping Qian Jin began to crackle. "Qian Jin! You stay put, damn it! Stand there and watch! This battle belongs only to me, Fabredis! All my techniques! Shatter for me! Yu Ying, sleeping among the stars, please listen to this Requiem I pen with my life." Fabredis looked up at the sky. In the river of stars that had already appeared, a peerlessly beautiful face seemed to materialize—at least, it appeared within the scope of Fabredis's pupils.

A satisfied smile slowly curved the corners of Fabredis's lips. "Qian Jin, my son. My daughter, I entrust her to your care. Remember to tell her that Daddy loves her forever."

The overwhelming power instantly consolidated within Fabredis's body. A desolate aura, thick with deep affection, permeated the surroundings; even the few blades of grass nearby slowly flattened to the ground.

The tip of the Heavenly Reed Sword dipped slightly, then abruptly swept upward at an angle. Fabredis followed the sword’s motion. The long sword, like a rainbow piercing the sun, moon, and stars, shot straight toward Qian Zhanxuan, imbued with an unmistakable spirit of no return.

Qian Zhanxuan kept his hands behind his back. Love for talent flashed again in his eyes, and his face settled into the first serious expression since his appearance. "Worthy of being the warrior I recognized."

Facing the sword, Qian Zhanxuan suddenly thrust out his right hand. Endless Earthly Cauldron technique power enveloped his palm, which seemed to expand infinitely in an instant, making it impossible to discern whether the grasp was heavy or light. The technique had reached an indescribable level. If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, no one would believe such a casual grab could attain such mastery!

Fabredis's sword, held in hand, instantly entered the shadow of Qian Zhanxuan's palm. It seemed poised to pierce his palm, but as his hand executed a slight turn, the Requiem of the Heavenly Reed Sword suddenly bent rapidly the moment it lodged in the palm.

"Shatter and perish!"

Qian Zhanxuan’s commanding, confident voice drowned out the roar of the exploding sword and the clamor of the surging battle energy. The palm broke through the sword and penetrated everything, striking the center of Fabredis's chest. His body plummeted like a meteor toward the ground, crashing into the earth with a thunderous boom.

A faint blush swept across Qian Zhanxuan’s imperious face. The pores of his right hand opened, spewing endless flames that threatened to dye the entire black sky red.

"Not bad, to be able to invade my right palm... truly not bad..."

Bang!

Fabredis’s body slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. As the smoke cleared, Fabredis was still standing, head held high, chest out! Only his eyes had lost all vitality, and the smile on his lips seemed to convey: I am Fabredis! Even in death, I will stand! I... must... stand...

He did not struggle to rise; there were no heroic final words. He simply stood quietly rooted in the earth.

Death, sometimes, arrives just that quickly.

This was a warrior: perfectly healthy one moment, gone the next... Qian Jin, resting on Duan Fengbu’er’s shoulder, stared blankly at the trajectory Fabredis had carved across the sky during his descent. The elder’s final gaze was not fixed on Qian Zhanxuan, his sworn enemy, but directed toward him.

In that glance, so much was contained.

In that glance, the scene of the first time he met his uncle flashed in Qian Jin's mind.

In that glance, every subsequent meeting between the uncle and him flashed through his brain.

Every time, the uncle was in such a hurry to meet him.

Every time... the uncle was so easygoing.

The love of elders is truly felt only when it is lost, and only then does one truly regret not being better to them when they were alive.

The wind was cold.

The wind of the frontier, at this moment, was saturated with sorrow.

Grief began to well up from the depths of Qian Jin's heart. All his battle energy ceased circulating; even his three battle hearts stopped turning. Pain! A heartbreak like none he had ever known! This uncle, who treated him like his own son, was gone...

Qian Jin stared fixedly at the descent line. If it weren't for him... the uncle might not have died... If he hadn't forced his uncle into Saint Ascension, his uncle wouldn't have investigated the truth behind Gu Yueyu Ying's death. If he hadn't been present, his uncle might not have risked his life at this moment to severely wound Qian Zhanxuan.

"Qian Jin, it’s your turn now..." Qian Zhanxuan turned to look at the frozen group on the ground.

"So useless..." Amidst the ice, from those whose eyes were the only things capable of movement, came Qian Jin's mournful sigh.

"I... am truly useless..."

"How pathetic..."

The ice, so hard that even a Battle Soldier's slash might struggle to crack it, began to show countless fine fissures.

"All this time, I thought I had become strong enough..."

Crack... crack...

The ice started to fall to the ground bit by bit...

"All this time, I thought I could protect everyone around me..." The ice shattered like rain, falling away...

"How pathetic! I only managed to implicate my companions and lead them into a trap. I could only..."

The ice broke. Qian Jin's feet landed on the ground. Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes. "I could only watch my uncle fight to the death! I could only let my companions sacrifice, get hurt, bleed, and fall into traps for me again and again... Useless!" "So, the Four Fires were actually the Fire of Rage—a pathetic Fire of Rage..."

"I'm beginning to understand... why Uncle didn't want me to have this kind of fire."

"Unforgivable, unforgivable!"

Qian Jin slowly looked up at the domineering, self-assured Qian Zhanxuan in the sky. His gaze was deeper than ever, harboring endless sorrow. "You cannot be forgiven, and neither can I..."

Qian Zhanxuan's golden eyebrows twitched slightly, and he looked doubtfully at Qian Jin standing on the ground. Why did this person, who hadn't even activated his bloodline power, exude a coldness that made him uneasy? Why did this person, lacking even a Battle Soul, give him such a palpable sense of dread?

There was no tyrannical aura, no astonishing battle energy, yet it gave off an inexpressible sense of immediacy! Qian Zhanxuan stared at Qian Jin, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying more than it had against Fabredis.

"Qian Zhanxuan, you cannot be forgiven. I... cannot either..." A smile of release appeared on Qian Jin's grieving face. "Since neither of us can be forgiven, then I will take you with me to the stars to beg for forgiveness from Uncle and Gu Yueyu Ying..."

"On your own?"

In the quiet field, Qian Wutian's dormant Battle Soul suddenly surged forth. He stepped forward rapidly, closing in on Qian Jin, and brought his hand down in an aerial strike using the Qian family's Earthly Cauldron technique. "Patriarch, allow me to make the move! The humiliation he inflicted upon me that day, today I shall..."

"Retreat!" Qian Zhanxuan roared from high above. His body flickered, vanishing from his aerial position. Immense pressure instantly appeared above Qian Jin!

Danger! A dangerous aura! Qian Zhanxuan sensed that Qian Jin's body, seemingly devoid of any power, contained infinite peril. Anyone approaching him now risked being torn to shreds.

"Sleeping Battle Souls! You have obtained the sorrowful rage you desired. Awaken from your slumber."

Qian Jin, without lowering his head to look at the ground, slowly raised his unsevered arm and extended a single finger toward the palm of his opponent. The three battle hearts churned and surged, resembling thick, rolling storm clouds pregnant with infinite lightning.

The Battle Souls finally hatched from the battle hearts!

Three colossal Battle Souls soared into the sky, shattering some of Qian Zhanxuan's momentum. His finger pierced through Qian Wutian's Earthly Cauldron technique just as it was about to strike, landing precisely on his palm.

It was so simple, so gentle, even so powerless—like a person listlessly poking at an ant on the ground, devoid of interest.

Qian Wutian's palm instantly exploded. Infinite explosive force erupted like firecrackers, rapidly surging up his arm toward his shoulder... Submerged Thunder!

It was still the Submerged Thunder technique, but its power had multiplied countless times at this moment.

With just one finger, Qian Wutian’s entire arm was completely obliterated. The Submerged Thunder continued to surge deeper into his body.

Qian Jin's legs trembled slightly. Qian Zhanxuan's strike had hit only an afterimage. The residual force of the powerful impact spread outward in waves, carrying destructive power comparable to blades.

Myriad Shadows! Qian Jin stood quietly by the ice block containing Chekfurit and pointed toward it. The ice shattered...

The next moment, the ice blocks containing Fen Tu Kuangge and the others shattered one by one.

"You all go..." Qian Jin stopped looking at Duan Fengbu’er and the others, his eyes fixed on Qian Zhanxuan. "I must take him back to the stars."

"Wutian!" Qian Zhanxuan's palm strike landed on empty air. Without time to process his shock, he placed his hand on Qian Wutian's shoulder, surging vast battle energy into his body, attempting to suppress the impact of the Submerged Thunder.

Boom... boom...

The Submerged Thunder seemed completely to ignore Qian Zhanxuan's even fiercer power, continuing to destroy Qian Wutian’s body indiscriminately.

"How can this be..." Qian Wutian’s eyes were wide with disbelief as he looked at Qian Zhanxuan. He had undergone training knowing death was imminent precisely so he could defeat Qian Jin and reclaim his honor! Qian Wushuang had even said he could crush Qian Jin effortlessly now! But... why... why... Qian Wutian looked at Qian Zhanxuan, feeling his life force draining away bit by bit. Why didn't Qian Jin collapse as they said he would? Why did he only use one finger?

"I refuse to accept this..."

Bang! Qian Wutian's body suddenly exploded, instantly turning into a pool of blood and gore! Two eyeballs that had fallen to the ground stared fixedly at Qian Zhanxuan, seeming to plead their case: I was the Qian family's genius with the greatest hope for ultimate awakening! I had a boundless future!

Qian Jin? Just a stepping stone on the path to my fame! The True Strategy Dynasty should be unified under my leadership across the Human, Demon, and Barbarian races! I would achieve unparalleled glory for the Elven King bloodline family!

Qian Zhanxuan stared blankly at the pulverized Qian Wutian in his embrace. This warrior of the Elven King bloodline, a genius on par with Qian Wushuang, had died before he could even begin to write the glory of his lineage... He was killed by someone who hadn't even unlocked the Elven King bloodline power!

"You... shattered the Battle Technique..."

Qian Zhanxuan slowly rose to face Qian Jin. Only now did he realize that with that seemingly ordinary, effortless point, this young warrior had unsparingly detonated the Battle Seal of a Saint Battle Technique, Submerged Thunder! Only by allowing the Submerged Thunder technique to utterly shatter could Qian Zhanxuan not possibly suppress it.

"Violent Soul Domain, Submerged Thunder Detonation..." Qian Zhanxuan re-evaluated Qian Jin. He had ultimately been half a step too late. Otherwise, even under these circumstances, he could have saved the man! Qian Wutian's body was too weak! If he had been even slightly stronger, Qian Zhanxuan could have saved him!

Qian Jin turned back to look at the three colossal Battle Souls behind him. "Uncle, let's take him to the stars together."