Fen Tu Kuang Ge stood outside Chekfulite's door, staring at Mute Zhen Ce, who was bleeding profusely from head to toe, his eyes wide with astonishment. He hadn't sensed any clash of powerful dou qi outside the cave, nor any ripple of ferocious magical bombardment. How then had the Sixth Prince sustained such severe external injuries?

And where was Qian Jin? If Mute Zhen Ce was rushing back this badly hurt, where was Qian Jin?

"Call out Che Shuai and Bu Er..."

Fen Tu Kuang Ge looked at the wounded Mute Zhen Ce with doubt. "Bu Er is in the other room. Che Shuai just came to me, saying he received the materials Qian Jin prepared for him and plans to enter deep seclusion, attempting to awaken his bloodline power and forcibly enter Sainthood."

Mute Zhen Ce was interrupted by Fen Tu Kuang Ge. In his mind flashed the memory of a few days prior when Qian Jin had indeed given Chekfulite a large batch of various elixirs, claiming that if he could enter Sainthood in a short time after taking them, the elixirs would serve to make him even stronger.

If he failed to achieve Sainthood in that short period, then all those expensive potions—enough to bankrupt a pharmaceutical guild in a city—would be wasted.

The Sainthood of a Bloodline Warrior was different from the Soul Weapon Sainthood of an ordinary warrior; the time required to activate the bloodline power for Sainthood was significantly longer.

Snake Emperor Pan Hongji had once said that the time taken for Sainthood—the time until the awakened power was fully realized—depended on the Bloodline Warrior’s will, strength, aptitude, experience, and dou ji (combat skills) combined. The last time Mute Zhen Ce underwent his own bloodline awakening to Sainthood, it took a full seven days from the initial stirring to the final completion!

The longer the time taken for the bloodline power to awaken into Sainthood, the stronger and more perfected the resulting power, and the greater the potential for future development!

Although Qian Jin's mysterious alchemy couldn't directly stimulate the awakening of bloodline power, he had also consulted Teacher Oulala for a long time and learned how to maximally prolong the duration of a Bloodline Warrior's awakening phase once it began.

"I can stall him until he starves before he finishes! You? At your current level, if you met someone with good aptitude, twelve days would be the absolute limit..."

Was Chekfulite's aptitude good? No one dared to draw a conclusion before. He was a mixed-blood; nobody knew his true heritage. But everyone knew he lacked the innate Eye of Destruction.

A demon without the Eye of Destruction was typically not a Fallen Angel Bloodline Warrior with the best aptitude—a fact repeatedly proven throughout the history of the Demon Race. At the very least, every Demon King in every generation possessed the Eye of Destruction and was undoubtedly the strongest Fallen Angel Bloodline Warrior of the Lucifer lineage.

Now, Chekfulite had absorbed immense amounts of Lucifer’s Heart. While he still lacked the Eye of Destruction, no one dared claim his aptitude was poor.

It could be said that Chekfulite had now entered the most critical juncture of his life! There were many differences between the Sainthood of a Bloodline Warrior and that of an ordinary warrior.

Normally, if a bloodline power began to awaken, a Bloodline Warrior could suppress it and postpone the awakening at will. But for this one awakening leading to Sainthood, once the process began, ceasing the bloodline power activation might mean never having the chance to awaken again in their lifetime.

Mute Zhen Ce clearly felt that Chekfulite in the stone chamber had initiated the awakening of his bloodline power; it could not be stopped now! If he stopped, he might never achieve Sainthood in this life!

In an instant, Mute Zhen Ce understood why Chekfulite chose to awaken his bloodline power now, intending to accumulate more strength and refine the essence of Lucifer’s Heart within him—that would have been the best path. But now, the Ancient Barren Sea was riddled with danger!

If a squad had one expert who had achieved Sainthood, their chances of survival would increase exponentially. Chekfulite had abandoned a better opportunity, choosing this moment to awaken his power...

"Go find Bu Er!" Mute Zhen Ce decisively gave up on rousing Chekfulite. "Qian Jin is in trouble..."

Bang!

The stone door of Chekfulite's chamber shattered violently. Choking, eye-stinging dust and debris flew everywhere, and the vague silhouette of the Fallen Angel Bloodline Warrior slowly materialized through the haze.

"What happened to Qian Jin?"

Chekfulite’s expression was icy, his speech noticeably faster than usual. His holy artifact shimmered in his palm, spitting out a narrow beam of sword light.

Mute Zhen Ce stared blankly at Chekfulite emerging from the wrecked chamber. He had come out! At the critical moment of Sainthood, right after initiating the bloodline awakening...

Tie Nan stood some distance from the cave entrance, watching Chekfulite burst forth. He couldn't comprehend it! Truly couldn't. Had these young people gone mad? The Master could endure pain, sacrifice dignity, even risk his life! This Fallen Angel Bloodline Warrior was abandoning what could be a lifetime of potential for the sake of death?

"What happened to Qian Jin?" Duan Feng Bu Er rushed out of the stone chamber in a flurry. "Where is he?"

"The Undead have surrounded this place. He broke through to call for help..."

Mute Zhen Ce hadn't finished speaking when Duan Feng Bu Er delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen, doubling him over. His words were cut short.

Duan Feng Bu Er had put real force into that kick. Mute Zhen Ce choked, spewing up sour bile, a look of indescribable pain crossing his face—a pain not of the body, but of the soul. He offered no explanation.

"You damn fool, why didn't you stop him? Why are you only calling us now?" Duan Feng Bu Er grabbed the collar of Mute Zhen Ce’s clothes, yanking his bent body upright again. He glared fiercely, then shoved him heavily aside. "That idiot Qian Jin always told me you would become our friend. I was truly wrong to trust him this time!"

"Where is he?" Fen Tu Kuang Ge restrained Duan Feng Bu Er's impulsive movement, his eyes fixed on the blood-soaked Mute Zhen Ce, clearly in agony. "Where is Qian Jin?"

"Don't speak of my Master like that. My Master..."

"Tie Nan, shut up! I truly don't deserve to be Qian Jin's friend; I never let go of my useless pride. Follow me. If we survive this, no matter how much you exclude me, I will be your friend. Even if you refuse to accept me, Mute Zhen Ce will treat you all as friends for life—true friends!"

Chekfulite followed Mute Zhen Ce, muttering almost inaudibly to himself: "It happened too suddenly; it’s abnormal! Is this a trap? Qian Jin had better be alright, or the family responsible for setting the trap will face extinction! I, Chekfulite, swear a blood oath!"

Three pairs of massive black wings unfurled completely, soaring instantly to a higher altitude to search for the battle that had already begun in the distance.

"Qian Jin! You absolutely cannot die! Live, you must live!" Mute Zhen Ce gritted his teeth and charged into the sand. "If you truly die! I, even if I have to charge to the stars, will drag you back!"

"Dare to kill my mobile supply depot! I will exhaust all my power in this life to flatten the Ancient Barren Sea!" Duan Feng Bu Er unleashed the Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Form, its movement skill riding the heat waves as he lunged toward the location where the Undead were clearly gathering in greater numbers. "Cover it with plants, let the Ancient Barren Sea vanish entirely and turn into an endless oasis!"

Tie Nan followed behind them in silence...

Approaching, approaching, approaching...

The sound of clashing dou qi faintly echoed in the air, the thudding roar of flesh meeting flesh...

The outermost layer of Undead warriors quickly detected the charge of Duan Feng Bu Er and the others. Without the command from the gray eyes in the sky, they automatically initiated a defensive battle.

Capturing Qian Jin alive was the paramount order. Therefore, the current tactic was to exhaust the prey. Before the prey was worn down, they must be given no chance to breathe, not even allowing him to know help was coming.

Large numbers of flying Undead warriors soared into the sky, and even more magic attacks were hurled mercilessly towards Chekfulite above.

"Little Concubine! Come down! Let's consolidate our strength!" Duan Feng Bu Er roared, his long spear like a dragon plunging into the enemy ranks!

A massive, black, intensely hot flame streaked across the air above Duan Feng Bu Er's head, instantly incinerating the Undead blocking his path into ash.

The power of Chekfulite's Eye of Destruction increased again. Having gained the essence of Lucifer’s Heart and possessing three pairs of Fallen Angel bloodline wings, the glance he swept across was like a harvesting scythe; its sheer power pulverized the Undead bones into dust.

"Watch my flanks and charge with me."

Chekfulite's holy artifact sword flashed, sweeping aside the Undead beside him. The six-pointed star in his pupils began to condense and release once more!

Duan Feng Bu Er silently moved to Chekfulite’s side. In this team, the warrior wielding a holy artifact was naturally the strongest. Even if this artifact was better suited for one-on-one combat rather than this kind of mass brawl, it was still a holy artifact!

Under normal circumstances, Duan Feng Bu Er would have contested with Chekfulite over who should lead the charge.

Not today!

Duan Feng Bu Er willingly ceded the position. The flames spitting from Chekfulite’s eyes had not yet dissipated when more Undead began to pour into the gap, showing no fear of being destroyed.

The passage that the beam of destruction had just blasted open was completely sealed again before it could fully widen.

Countless fireballs ascended, writhing and merging at high speed. In a short time, a second scorching sun appeared in the sky. Even before it began to descend, the group could feel the intense heat radiating from it.

"Little Concubine, destroy it!"

As Duan Feng Bu Er shouted, Chekfulite's eyes had already fixed on the fireball in the sky, spewing a beam of destructive sight!

The beam pierced through the fireball, causing it to shatter mid-air. Fen Tu Kuang Ge had already charged to the forefront of the group, his powerful body meeting an Undead punch head-on, his battle blade cleaving his opponent in two.

The compressed fireballs seemed endless, constantly combining and compressing in the air, refusing to give Chekfulite a chance to blast through the Undead army again with his destructive ray.

"Bu Er, watch me!"

Mute Zhen Ce roared. The strange, eye-like protrusion on his brow quickly swelled. A mental shockwave, ignoring the physical existence of the Undead, slammed directly towards the mages positioned at the center of the magic array.

Boom! The magic array erupted in a dazzling, waist-high burst of light. Mute Zhen Ce spat a mouthful of blood, his body swaying uncontrollably. "Damn it! A magic impact resistance array? I refuse to believe I can't break through!"

Mute Zhen Ce raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. The fleshy tumor on his brow swelled again, and successive mental shockwaves were released.

Bang, bang, bang...

The magic array glowed brilliantly again and again. Mute Zhen Ce’s pupils were slightly unfocused; what seeped from his forehead was no longer sweat, but bright red blood!

If the mental shock couldn't break through, he would suffer the backlash. The continuous assaults began to injure the Sixth Prince, who rarely engaged in direct combat.

Another scorching beam from the Eye of Destruction—Mute Zhen Ce's scattered pupils snapped back into focus. Blood!

The eyes of Chekfulite, which were releasing the destructive ray, began to ooze startling crimson blood!

"Little Concubine's Eye of Destruction is not innate; he can't use it continuously or too frequently, or he’ll go blind..."

Duan Feng Bu Er's words spoken in private on the Demon Race territory regarding Chekfulite surfaced in Mute Zhen Ce's mind.

Blind... blind... Brother Che’s eye might go blind!

Mute Zhen Ce looked up at the mage formation in the distance. He suddenly stabbed both index fingers into his own temples. Waves of powerful mental energy gathered at the fleshy protrusion. The mental power, which seemed long past its accumulation limit, continued to build, as if his brain might explode at any moment.

Royal Clan Secret Art! Life from Death!

Mute Zhen Ce’s eyes flushed red, and a mental shockwave, reaching the true peak, once again tore through the Undead, blasting into the magic array...

Boom! The nearest magic array exploded in a brilliant flash of magical elements. The bandaged mages simultaneously convulsed. Their bandages shredded inch by inch, and a dozen mages threw their heads back, spitting out visible gray streams of air. Their bodies instantly went limp.

In the blink of an eye, there seemed to be nothing beneath the bandages—only the bandages remained.

The compressed fireball magic suddenly vanished. Chekfulite lowered his head again, his eyes, already soaked in blood, once more unleashing a thick beam of destructive sight.

Overuse leads to blindness! Mute Zhen Ce followed the completely unconcerned Chekfulite, taking advantage of that split second to rapidly close the distance.

Bang! An Undead warrior attacking Qian Jin hadn't expected an attack from behind! Lacking the sense of pain, their reaction time was naturally somewhat deficient.

The reason humans react so quickly is that they fear pain! Even minor pain is instantly registered, allowing for immediate response.

The Undead's advantage is the lack of pain perception and fear of death, allowing them to fight without reservation. However, in terms of reaction speed, they are naturally a step, or even several steps, slower.

The destructive ray struck the Dou Soul level Undead warrior. He had barely withstood half a punch from Qian Jin, and now his back was hit by the destructive sight. He instantly collapsed, a massive hole burned through his chest by the searing light.

"You guys..."

Qian Jin forced his opponent back with a single blade strike, his gaze falling upon the group...

Almost simultaneously, an Undead warrior suddenly thrust a spear from Chekfulite's right side! The spear was incredibly fast and very covert!

Fen Tu Kuang Ge raised his hand and snatched the spear. The friction heat and destructive force could not inflict any agonizing pain on him, thanks to his Great True Gold Dou Qi. He immediately roared, "Che Shuai, what are you distracted by? Watch your right side..."

"I know," Chekfulite replied calmly.

Watch the right side? Qian Jin looked at Chekfulite, this mixed-blood Fallen Angel Bloodline Warrior—what was he using to watch his own right side? His perpetually blind eye?

Overuse of the right eye leads to blindness! Qian Jin had warned Chekfulite countless times, but now... this transplanted eye... was blind!

Chekfulite... he had completely lost the Eye of Destruction, lost his right eye.

"Ah... Ahhhh..."

Qian Jin stared at Chekfulite. In such a short time... such a short time... he had first lost Uncle Fabridis, and now... his friend had gone blind in one eye because of him, and perhaps... everyone would die here together...

Fire! The flames of the Earth Fire Heart condensed, gathered, and condensed further at this moment! Different flames continuously intertwined. The heat waves radiating from the Ancient Barren Sea, the light from the sun above, the various types of fire that had entered his body before—they tangled, entangled...

Again and again, they intertwined!

This entanglement formed a unique state. The hammer of his Dou Soul became more condensed and solid, looking as if it might transform into a real entity at any moment, or as if something was trying to grow out of the hammer.

It was the precursor to the formation of a Soul Domain! Qian Jin had experience with the rudimentary form of a Violent Soul Domain and knew that a new Soul Domain was forming within him.

Normally, Qian Jin would be ecstatic; his second Soul Domain was finally taking shape.

But now... Qian Jin felt no joy. There were simply too many enemies surrounding them...

"Warehouse! We will definitely break out!" Duan Feng Bu Er slapped Qian Jin's shoulder. "Although I don't know what exactly is happening, I believe we can do it! This isn't the first time we've faced a desperate situation like this!"

"Even if we really can't get out..." Duan Feng Bu Er chewed on the half-stub of a cigarette, a hint of dejected smile on his face. "So what? We have managed to live together, and now we will die together!"

"Live together... die together..." Qian Jin gently savored Duan Feng Bu Er's words and laughed. The fatigue on his body unconsciously lessened significantly. "Right! Live together, die together!"

The group laughed together, wiping the blood from their faces as they looked at the endless, dark mass of the Undead army surrounding them: "Dying together is also a kind of pleasure!"

As warriors! Ever since stepping onto the path of a warrior, they had all accepted the potential for death in battle. To die spectacularly in battle was also a form of glory, a glory that could shake the stars.

"Come on! Let's fight the most brilliant battle of our lives!" Qian Jin's internal Dou Soul circulated again. The embryo of the second Soul Domain had nurtured into a seed, looking like a gem embedded in the hammer!

But that hammer had two empty sockets, and now only one gem was set!