Pan Hongji could not bother stopping Duan Feng’er at that moment. The shattered dream, long since broken, was reigniting in his chest. Only those who had truly endured that kind of pain could comprehend how unbearable the suffering was.

But… Pan Hongji rested his chin on his hand, eliminating the hidden danger! Saving the future generations of warriors from the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline—an undertaking of such magnitude! What price would have to be paid to achieve it? What terms would Qian Jin impose? “Right, Uncle, if you go find Qian Jin, don't beat around the bush. Just state your purpose clearly,” Duan Feng’er said with a grin. “Qian Jin is actually quite generous when it comes to these matters.”

Pan Hongji smiled as he watched Duan Feng’er’s retreating back. He had become so accustomed to assessing the material gains of every situation that he had overlooked Qian Jin’s true nature.

This young man was the sort who would repay a genuine kindness a hundredfold, but if you treated him poorly, he would never fawn over you just because you possessed authority, strength, or influence. He was truly hard as bone.

Hard as bone? Adams watched Qian Jin drinking the medicinal draught, his back to him as he focused on mending his shattered arm, and smiled faintly. His entire arm was nearly pulverized, yet he maintained a normal expression while swallowing the potion.

“Thank you, Teacher,” Qian Jin bowed deeply to Adams. “Teacher, I’m not in a good mood today and wish to request leave to go to West Mountain.”

Adams’ expression clearly faltered. This little fellow had never asked for leave before. Now he was actively requesting it? Moreover, there was an indescribable gloom clouding his brow. Could it be, “You’ve condensed your Battle Soul?”

Qian Jin’s eyebrows arched slightly before settling back into their usual placidity. Uncle Enlake knew what the Fourth Fire truly meant. It wouldn't be strange if Uncle Adams knew too. It seemed every teacher was aware of the Fourth Fire, yet no one was willing to speak of it.

The Fourth Fire… was the rage born of grief…

“Since you have condensed your Battle Soul,” Adams waved his hand dismissively. “Go to West Mountain to clear your head. As for Oulala and the other old fogeys, I will request leave on your behalf.”

Qian Jin bowed to Teacher Adams once more before stepping out the door. He stopped abruptly, turning back to look at Adams, who was working at his bench.

“What is it?” Adams looked at Qian Jin with confusion. Why did the boy’s eyes look different from usual?

“Teacher,” Qian Jin watched Adams quietly. “May… may I have a hug?”

“A hug? Me?”

A warmth bloomed on Adams’ stunned face, turning into a smile. His apprentice had grown up. This seemingly simple request for a hug was filled with deep affection.

“Come here! Give me a hug.”

Qian Jin approached Adams, who had opened his arms. Closing his eyes, he felt the solid, broad expanse of Teacher Adams’ back, and tears involuntarily welled up in his eyes. He had known Uncle Fabredis for many years but had never truly embraced him.

When the moment finally came when he wanted to hug him, that simple, everyday wish could no longer be fulfilled.

Some things, when they are within easy reach, we fail to cherish enough to actually do them. Some people, always close by, we neglect to care for adequately, only realizing their worth when they are gone…

“Boy, men are allowed to cry too,” Adams patted Qian Jin’s back gently. “There’s no need to hold it in.”

Qian Jin bit his lip hard and nodded slightly, the tears spilling against his will from the corners of his eyes.

“Go on, spend a day at West Mountain,” Adams patted his back again. “Boy, be a man. Keep the sorrow deep in your heart. A life without sorrow is incomplete; a life that ignores sorrow is even more so.”

Qian Jin didn't know how he left Adams’ room, nor how he traversed the village. Only when a wild wolf fixed its gaze upon him in the wilderness did he regain his senses.

“I’m not in a good mood today,” Qian Jin raised his hand and struck down the lunging wolf. Looking toward the West Mountain whose peak was invisible in the distance, he stated, “I’m going to climb that mountain… I want to climb to the summit and see the view around me. Today, whoever stands in my way, I will kill them!”

For an entire night, Qian Jin’s entire focus was fixed on the summit of West Mountain. He avoided no beast or magical creature he encountered; he simply annihilated them and kept climbing higher.

Magical beasts he usually wouldn't dare fight appeared utterly fragile in that moment.

In that one night, Qian Jin didn't actually reach the peak, but he defeated numerous formidable beasts he would never have provoked ordinarily.

Exiting the Endless World, Qian Jin felt the pain radiating from his skin. Although death in the Endless World wasn’t real, the agony it inflicted was truly carried over.

Throughout that night, there was hardly an inch of his body that wasn’t bruised or wounded. If not for the numerous bottles of high-speed recovery potions, he would surely have died countless times within the simulation.

The might of the potions—Qian Jin truly grasped their full potential for the first time. If Pan Hongji had the support of so many potions, and fought against Qian Zhanxuan with the same life-risking intensity in every blow, perhaps neither side would have been able to stand after just a few exchanges.

At that moment, if Pan Hongji had taken a fast-acting recovery potion, the doom of Qian Zhanxuan would have been sealed.

“Comrade, what’s wrong with you?” Duan Feng’er rubbed his eyes vigorously. They had only been separated for one night, but it felt like years had passed.

In that single night, Qian Jin seemed to have spent several years on the Human-Demon Battlefield. A heavy aura of killing enveloped him, as if he had just crawled out of a pile of corpses.

Younala watched Qian Jin retreat behind Chekefulite. Even looking at Qian Jin for a few extra moments felt suffocating, like a demon struggling for breath.

Qian Jin managed a few strained smiles. The night of slaughter had brought only exhaustion. His mind and spirit found no release. His only gain was significant experience from life-and-death battles; his growth in combat prowess in just one night was unimaginable.

“Let’s go…” Pan Hongji, mounted on his horse, watched Qian Jin emerge from the room and pointed toward Mu Guwuxin behind him. “Fabredis’s corpse is stored within his Dou Realm.”

Qian Jin nodded a silent greeting to Mu Guwuxin. The Dou Realm was a peculiar space; it could store anything but living creatures, and anything placed inside would remain completely unchanged for years, as if time within it had completely stopped.

Mu Guwuxin looked equally dispirited, waving a weary hand at Qian Jin in acknowledgment. The group set off in silence toward Yongliu City.

Hua Yanbujian stood quietly at the exit of the bandit camp, her beautiful eyes, focused through the iron mask, fixed on Qian Jin’s face.

“You are a bloodline warrior, but…” Qian Jin paused in thought. “You have awakened too few times. It’s safer for you to remain here…”

Hua Yanbujian suddenly vaulted onto the horse Qian Jin was riding. She gently pushed her iron mask upward, revealing her seductive, fiery red lips, and wrapped her arms around Qian Jin’s waist, pressing her lips to his.

Their four lips met, and Hua Yanbujian continued her initiative, sending her tongue deep into Qian Jin’s mouth, their tongues rolling around each other.

After a long kiss… Hua Yanbujian jumped down from the warhorse and looked up at Qian Jin. “I’ll wait for your return. I’ll wait for you to lift my iron mask.”

“Go on,” Bahuang Wusheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching Qian Jin. “If you can break into the top ten of the Newcomer King competition, the position of Outlands Bandit King will immediately pass to you. To confront the Qian family, you need your own influence.”

Every generation’s Bandit King has their own goals and vision. The previous Bandit King is forbidden from interfering—that is the rule. Young man, even if you lead the Outlands to join the True Policy Dynasty and fight the Lucifer Dynasty, that remains your freedom.

Qian Jin dismounted and bowed deeply to Bahuang Wusheng. Such a grand gesture could not be repaid with mere words or gifts. Perhaps only a sincere bow could express even one ten-thousandth of his gratitude.

Snake Emperor Pan Hongji watched Bahuang Wusheng with a hint of envy. That Bandit King was soon to be free; when would he be free? Duan Feng’er stubbornly refused to return to the Pan family. It seemed he would have to find Pan Mengshen to take over! Yet, he always felt that Pan Mengshen seemed slightly inferior to Duan Feng’er.

It wasn't a difference in strength, but an inexplicable feeling! Pan Hongji looked up at the sky. This was the intuition of a great figure who had spent years witnessing extraordinary talents, much like how he had sensed that this young man, Qian Jin, was utterly exceptional the moment he first saw him.

Qian Jin remounted his horse and looked back at the vast Outlands. This place had brought him boundless renown, the awakening of his warrior path, and also endless sorrow.

Hua Yanbujian watched Qian Jin depart and looked up at Bahuang Wusheng beside her. “The Qian family—will they truly allow Qian Jin to develop like this?”

“If you were Qian family, would you?” Bahuang Wusheng shook his head. “At the very least, if I were Qian Zhanxuan, I wouldn’t be truly comfortable until Qian Jin was dead. The Qian family might already be executing some peculiar plan right now…”

“Han Lizhou?”

“Precisely! Han Lizhou,” Qian Wushuang sat on a grand armchair cushioned with white tiger skin, looking down at Lei Wei, who was kneeling on the floor. “Though I don’t care about Qian Jin’s life or death, the Family Head was quite displeased upon his return. Since the Family Head desires Qian Jin dead, I won't bother waiting for the Newcomer King Tournament to dispose of him publicly…”

“But…” Lei Wei knelt on the floor, looking up at Qian Wushuang, who was younger than him. “Master Wushuang, what does this have to do with sending me to Han Lizhou?”