If the War Hall truly intended to kill Qian Jin, they would have no choice but to do it overtly! They would need to mobilize a large contingent of peak Dou Hun warriors to completely surround him, likely seeking aid from the mages of the Demon Palace.

But the Demon Palace was currently pouring all its efforts into recruiting a young female mage named Bi Luo, who, incidentally, was rumored to be Qian Jin's woman. Given such a relationship, why would the Demon Palace ever lend a hand?

“It seems they will have to…” Qian Jin sighed, observing Lü Chang’s expression. “Tell the supervisor of the War Hall that if they want to kill me, I will give them the chance.

Two months from now, I will personally pay a visit to the War Hall as a return gift for this assassination attempt.” Lü Chang sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, his entire body feeling as though it had plunged into an ice cave—he was going to storm the War Hall! No wonder!

No wonder Qian Zhan Xuan had sent word that Qian Jin was usually an easygoing person, yet harbored an arrogance within him far wilder than any Bloodline Warrior. The War Hall simply couldn’t control such a young man.

Now, Lü Chang finally believed the envoy sent by Qian Zhan Xuan: Qian Jin was even more audacious than described. In all of history, no one had ever dared threaten to crash the War Hall!

Even when Bloodline Warriors had conflicts with the War Hall, they always sought to resolve matters quietly elsewhere. If a Bloodline Warrior truly hammered on the doors of the War Hall, they would be offending every single ordinary warrior—a cost even a Bloodline Warrior couldn't easily bear.

The War Hall had seen astonishing geniuses before, but even when Fabreidis achieved Sainthood, he never returned to stir up trouble there. Yet here was Qian Jin, a young man who had only recently debuted, openly challenging the War Hall to a confrontation.

Duan Feng Bu Er watched Lü Chang’s pale face with a mischievous grin. Although Qian Jin often appeared a bit dull, he possessed a fiercely independent mind.

He would repay a single kindness tenfold, but if someone slighted him by an inch, he would return the favor with an undisguised slap. “The War Hall awaits, President Qian, at any time.” Lü Chang truly didn’t know what to say.

He had intended to discuss the internal issues of the War Hall with Qian Jin, but nine of his men had come for the assassination, and though he hadn't joined in, he hadn't obstructed it either—there was no shred of goodwill left between them. Watching Qian Jin and his entourage depart, Lü Chang let out a futile sigh to the heavens.

Perhaps this was the fate of the War Hall; neither the conservative nor the radical factions could guide it forward anymore. After countless years of evolution, the War Hall had grown overly arrogant, and its mechanisms rigid.

Perhaps Qian Jin’s visit wouldn’t be entirely a bad thing! Lü Chang even found himself somewhat eager for Qian Jin to reach the War Hall soon, hoping this young man might inspire new development and change the atmosphere that was thick with the scent of decline.

“Comrade, are you really planning to go to the War Hall?” Duan Feng Bu Er remained languid, watching Qian Jin examine the thin sword in his hand. “What’s so interesting about that thing?” “Qian Jin will definitely go to the War Hall,” Mu Ne Zhen Ce’s body swayed with the movement of his warhorse.

He turned to Tie Nan, who had silently followed them for days, never leaving their side. “Tie Nan, what does Qian Jin lack most right now?” “Power,” Tie Nan replied instantly.

“His influence is vast, but the actual combat strength within his overall forces is the weakest.” Mu Ne Zhen Ce hooked his thumb toward Tie Nan. “See!

Even my subordinate, who struggles with deep thought, knows Qian Jin’s shortcoming. Do you think Qian Jin won’t go to the War Hall?

And what is he trying to achieve by going there?” Duan Feng Bu Er smiled as he watched Qian Jin’s back. Although his companion didn't speak much, his mind was always working.

What kind of place was the War Hall? It was a gathering place for countless ordinary warriors!

Even warriors at the peak of Dou Hun cultivation were likely the most numerous contingent within the various factions! And they were the ones most eager for Soul Weapons…” If a single Soul Weapon could make a ruthless bandit leader like Yi willing to become Qian Jin’s shadow, what kind of stir would a Soul Weapon cause within the War Hall?

After the Newcomer King Tournament, they would inevitably move onto the Human-Demon Battlefield. Then, it wouldn't just be about individual combat power; the overall strength of a legion, the high-level command structure, would likely determine its future.

Qian Jin was paving the way for his future endeavors. “This sword…” “Qian Jin’s single sentence drew everyone’s attention.

Clang… The thin sword in Qian Jin’s hand shattered! “A clumsy splicing technique.” Qian Jin looked at the hilt in his hand, flicked his wrist, and tossed it toward Che Ke Fu Li Te.

“Take this Sacred Artifact as a gift.” A Sacred Artifact! That was the strongest type of warrior equipment available today.

A single Sacred Artifact could allow a warrior who hadn't yet entered Sainthood to contend with one who had truly reached that state. If a warrior entering that state was a War Saint, then equipment reaching that level was a Sacred Artifact!

Just as a warrior possessing Dou Hun was a Dou Hun expert! And if Dou Weapons broke through their realm, they became Soul Weapons!

A Dou Hun level expert, even if not at the peak, wielding a Sacred Artifact could essentially be equated to a Saint-level powerhouse! Sacred Artifacts were not merely powerful in destructive force or defense.

Their true strength lay in their ability to unlock the user's potential. Furthermore… like a Saint-level expert, a Sacred Artifact possessed its own special ability, analogous to the expert's Soul Domain, though the artifact’s ability was termed the Sacred Soul.

People knew Sacred Artifacts were immensely powerful, but few knew they possessed a Sacred Soul. Aside from true masters, only the top-tier Blacksmiths were aware of this.

However, imbuing a forged weapon with a sacred soul was a feat no Blacksmith alive could currently achieve. Qian Jin had studied Uncle Black’s notes and knew everything about Sacred Artifacts.

Having witnessed the standard of Blacksmiths among the major powers currently visible, Qian Jin was confident no one understood what a Sacred Artifact truly was better than he did. “What did you say?” Mu Ne Zhen Ce nearly lost his composure for the first time, almost tumbling from his warhorse onto the ground, staring intently at the sword hilt that Che Ke Fu Li Te casually gripped as if holding a piece of scrap metal.

Duan Feng Bu Er’s riding skill was worse than Mu Ne Zhen Ce’s; he touched down momentarily with his toes, falling off his horse only to leap back on, staring at the hilt in Che Ke Fu Li Te’s hand. Even Fen Tu Kuang Ge, who had been the most emotionally stable over the past few days, couldn't suppress a jolt, looking perplexed at the seemingly ordinary hilt in Che Ke Fu Li Te’s grasp.

The same curiosity and doubt filled everyone’s minds: was this broken-looking thing really a Sacred Artifact? Had Qian Jin’s eyesight failed, or had he been struck on the head recently?

“This is a Sacred Artifact?” Che Ke Fu Li Te examined it from all angles, finding nothing special about the hilt. “Remove the connecting piece of scrap metal on the hilt,” Qian Jin instructed, pointing at the object Che Ke Fu Li Te held.

“I don’t know what that Blacksmith thought when he saw this hilt, recognized it as a good piece, and then welded a longsword onto it, completely unaware that the hilt itself was a Sacred Artifact. The way he did that…” Qian Jin shook his head repeatedly.

“It’s like someone painting feet onto a snake!” Although the attacker had some discernment, he wasn't truly discerning! Qian Jin sighed inwardly.

If the assailant had wielded the hilt instead of the connected longsword, it would have been hard to say who would have survived the final confrontation. At the critical moment, the assassin could have sacrificed the Sacred Artifact, using it to force his own entry into Sainthood!

That effect would be even better than that of a Soul Weapon, achieving the purest refinement of his body, potentially even allowing the artifact’s Sacred Soul to devour his own Soul Domain, forging a much stronger one! “Ignorant of its worth…” Qian Jin shrugged.

Thankfully, the assassin didn't recognize its value, or none of them would have left here alive today. Che Ke Fu Li Te scraped away the last bits of residue.

As his fingers clasped the hilt, he felt as if the piece of metal was an extension of his own body, as if the entire hilt were part of him—an indescribable comfort. “Send your Dou Hun into it,” Qian Jin repeated Uncle Black’s notes.

“Communicate with it, awaken it.” Buzz… Buzz… Buzz… The hilt emitted a series of resonant, vibrating sounds. Everyone felt Che Ke Fu Li Te suddenly transform completely.

Traces of bizarre power bloomed outward through his body, and the formidable energy seemed on the verge of bursting forth from his skin. Clang!

Another metallic ring sounded, and the hilt sharply shot out a blade. It was fluid like mercury, interlocking and writhing to form a sword.

Thin as a cicada's wing, slender as a willow leaf, it possessed an indescribable aesthetic when paired with Che Ke Fu Li Te’s frame. Traces of Sacred Soul power emanated from it.

“A fine sword!” Che Ke Fu Li Te spoke with an unusually heavy tone, his eyes shining with joy. “Holy crap!

I’m jealous,” Duan Feng Bu Er stared fixedly at the longsword in Che Ke Fu Li Te’s hand. “It really is a Sacred Artifact!

With that thing, even a Comrade like you wouldn't stand a chance against him, right?” “Yes!” Che Ke Fu Li Te nodded confidently. “In a fight to the death, I can kill Qian Jin.” Qian Jin smiled, not arguing.

Che Ke Fu Li Te wielding that sword was fundamentally no different from a Saint-level expert. The only conceivable difference was that a Saint-level expert’s Soul Domain would be larger than the area controlled by the Sacred Soul emanating from Che Ke Fu Li Te’s sword.

Qian Jin was confident he could face off directly against a half-saint, or even several half-saints simultaneously, but fighting a genuine Saint-level expert was an entirely different matter. Although Che Ke Fu Li Te was powerful, he had a fatal flaw: it was incredibly difficult for him to reveal his true strength in front of others.

Within the territory of the Zhen Ce Dynasty, every time Che Ke Fu Li Te displayed his true power, the price was the complete elimination of everyone nearby who knew the truth.

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