Blydas felt an impulse to rush forward and strike Qian Jin dead right then and there, lest the Dwarven forging capabilities lag behind the Zhence Dynasty for a considerable time to come.

The Dwarves’ proudest forging skills were about to be surpassed by humans? Blydas desperately suppressed the urge to kill Qian Jin; rumors said this young man’s combat prowess was terrifying, strong enough to slay the Thundering Lion King, a warrior of the Griffin King bloodline.

Cannot defeat him, cannot kill him!

A feeling of utter helplessness washed over Blydas for the first time.

The smiths quickly noticed Blydas’s near-desperate expression, reading volumes into it. Yun Xinghui Sheng maintained his calm smile, stroking his white beard repeatedly. The reason he had spat blood earlier was not because equipment was shattered, but because of his anxiety over not finding Qian Jin.

Now, Qian Jin had returned! He returned with the expectations of everyone, manifesting as the absolute sovereign of the blacksmithing circle, forging a simple cleaver right before their eyes!

Although whether this cleaver could ultimately shatter the 'Shattering Whip' remained uncertain, creating such an item in such a short time was something Blydas absolutely could not achieve.

The disparity between the two sides was now starkly clear! The backbone of the Zhence Dynasty's blacksmithing circle, suppressed by the lover for who knew how many years, straightened fully in this moment.

“You… you…” Blydas’s eyes suddenly lit up as he gazed at Qian Jin’s wrist, “Let me ask—who did you learn your forging techniques from?”

Who did he learn from? Blydas recalled Qian Jin’s forging movements and suddenly realized they bore a striking resemblance to that massive scroll image in his family archives.

It was a scroll of unfathomable antiquity, appearing long before the Bly family even knew its origin.

The only certainty was that the Bly family’s rise to become the foremost forging family among the Dwarves was deeply connected to that painting hidden within the secret chamber.

Only Dwarves whose forging prowess reached a certain level were permitted to enter that secret room to observe the scroll depicting a figure with a forging hammer in hand, seen only from behind.

Merely a silhouette provided the Bly family with endless inspiration! It was because of this back view that the Bly family acquired their surname.

Blydas remembered tales from his childhood elders: their clan originally did not bear this surname; only when one member became the strongest smith of the tribe did they begin to use the name Bly.

Blydas had always assumed the human silhouette in the scroll was the work of an accidental master artist, not a true smith possessing such immense power.

Yet, Qian Jin’s previous actions carried the distinct echo of that painting, signaling to him that there truly was a human capable of enacting the deeds and essence captured in the scroll.

Realm! Yes! This was a difference of entirely disparate realms!

As for how vast this gulf in realms was, Blydas couldn’t articulate; he could only believe that the authority to judge the magnitude of this difference rested solely with Qian Jin’s pronouncement.

“Shattering Whip?” Qian Jin chuckled, grabbing the repeatedly shattered soul weapon. The cleaver in his hand descended as if chopping vegetables.

Clang! Metal sparks flew, and simultaneously, the rings of the Shattering Whip trembled, appearing as if ready to shatter the cleaver once more.

The crowd watched the unadorned cleaver tensely…

One second… two seconds… five seconds…

The cleaver remained a cleaver; it did not crack, nor did it shatter. It rested in Qian Jin’s grip, unchanged from its initial state, while the Shattering Whip gained a subtle hairline fracture…

“I lost…” Blydas’s mouth was filled with bitterness. Though the cleaver hadn't severed the Shattering Whip, the whip also hadn't damaged the cleaver, and this cleaver had been forged in less than a day.

Qian Jin casually tossed the Shattering Whip toward Blydas and began sweeping up the mountain of materials nearby. These were not just materials for forging soul artifacts, but also included ingredients for Holy Artifacts. The Bly family of the Dwarven tribe had amassed these treasures over generations—perhaps three, ten, or even fifty generations—and now they instantly had a new owner.

The moment Blydas’s palm closed around the Shattering Whip, the supposedly intact steel whip cracked with a sharp kacha sound! Yes! The Shattering Whip, forged over three long years, was broken so easily.

The surrounding smiths were stunned into silence, especially the high-level ones who understood the terror of the Shattering Whip. Such an immensely powerful weapon had been rendered useless by Qian Jin’s single cleaver strike.

Blydas’s eyebrows twitched violently as he glared at Qian Jin. Every piece of equipment possessed a weakness, unless it was a Holy Artifact which perhaps truly had none, but even soul weapons harbored vulnerabilities.

However, the weaknesses in soul weapons were incredibly subtle, hidden so deeply that they were near impossible to detect. Even a Forging Grandmaster might require a considerable amount of time to locate the flaw in a soul weapon.

Qian Jin merely picked up the soul weapon, looked at it, and sliced down with one blow…

What kind of vision was this? Cold sweat beaded on Blydas’s palms. This young man must not be allowed to live! Absolutely not! Otherwise, the forging glory of the Dwarves might truly conclude here forever.

Want to kill me? Qian Jin glanced toward Czekeflitte nearby; the Fallen Angel bloodline Battle Mage had already sensed Blydas’s chilling killing intent.

Qian Jin decided not to dwell on Blydas’s thoughts. Too many people were watching now; it wasn't convenient to directly eliminate this threat. After all, the old Dwarf held considerable prestige, and killing him openly might provoke dissatisfaction among the Barbarians.

Blydas was no longer contemplating how to steal Qian Jin’s forging methods; his mind was consumed with how to kill Qian Jin. This young man had perfectly integrated his Combat Soul into the forging hammer, combined with his unique forging and fire control techniques; he truly might become a Divine Craftsman in the future.

Even achieving the rank of Craftsman was difficult! Becoming a Divine Craftsman! That was the highest title in any trade, whether blacksmithing, apothecary, or others.

Usually, in the Zhence Dynasty, the Demon Race, or the Barbarian Tribes, only those who had passed away were posthumously awarded a Craft title. Qian Jin was poised to earn his title while still alive.

He was far too young! Blydas believed that even a pig, possessing all of Qian Jin’s current abilities, could become a Craftsman after another thirty years.

Furthermore, Qian Jin clearly was no pig, and his Combat Soul forging method was beyond the capabilities of any other smith.

“Blydas came all the way from the Barbarian Tribes; I suppose you must be exhausted. Perhaps you should rest today, Guildmaster Qian, and resume your contest another day?”

Suddenly, a voice filled with dominant authority rang out from the crowd, instantly drawing the attention of countless onlookers. Everyone present could discern the clear bias toward Blydas in those words.

In the Imperial Capital of the Zhence Dynasty, for a resident of the Dynasty to speak in such a way after witnessing the Dwarf’s arrogance, everyone wanted to know who the speaker was.

The speaker’s appearance was somewhat unique: his skin possessed a faint, dusty grey hue, and he was a towering figure, easily over two meters twenty tall, his shoulders seeming capable of holding up the sky. His gait was imposing, exuding an aura of absolute, solitary dominance. On the center of his light blue warrior’s tunic, a large character was embroidered: Hán ()!

A man from Hanlizhou!

Only one person dared to embroider this character on their chest—the pride of Hanlizhou, Jin Zetianlu!

Qian Jin’s gaze settled on Jin Zetianlu’s forehead, where a faint, almost invisible crest rested! Others might miss the insignia, but it could never escape the eyes of a disciple trained under Master Aknash.

The reason Jin Zetianlu’s skin was a pale grey was not due to the Battle Qi he cultivated; the true cause was the emblem on his forehead—an insignia belonging to the Undead race!

Jin Zetianlu is Undead? Qian Jin was somewhat surprised. Hanlizhou was no small distance from the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea. He hadn't expected the Undead influence to extend this far!

Jin Zetianlu was famous even within the Zhence Dynasty. Qian Jin had read accounts mentioning him and knew the man had never ventured into places like the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea. Yet, possessing an Undead emblem made one suspect where he might have encountered the Undead.

The Endless Deep Sea? The Ghost Warship?

In Qian Jin’s mind, a place he had never visited, and a legendary specialized warship, suddenly surfaced.

Blydas was slightly surprised that someone from the Zhence Dynasty would step in to help him at this juncture. A wry smile touched his lips as he carefully examined Jin Zetianlu, wondering what special motive this powerful, established warrior had for approaching him.

“Blydas, are you interested in resting at my place?” Jin Zetianlu’s body trembled slightly as he observed the hostile gazes from the surrounding crowd.

A cold, lifeless yet powerful Battle Qi erupted from his body, and a grey Combat Soul shot straight into the sky, expanding a circular Soul Domain around them…

Saint Attainment!

The power displayed by Jin Zetianlu instantly changed the expressions of the surrounding warriors—this Jin Zetianlu, who had been in seclusion for many years, had successfully achieved Saint Attainment!

A regular warrior! He had reached Sainthood without the aid of Master Qian!

Duanfeng Bu’er narrowed his eyes, studying Jin Zetianlu with a peculiar expression. This was truly too unexpected! For a regular warrior to achieve Sainthood, apart from Soul Weapons and Holy Artifacts…

“The Undead Emblem…” Qian Jin focused again on the location of the emblem on Jin Zetianlu’s forehead, marveling once more at the wonder of Inscriptions. Besides Soul Weapons and Holy Artifacts, there was another path to Sainthood—though the requirements were even stricter! At least, higher than those for Soul Weapons!

Inscriptions could also lead to Sainthood! But the carving and crafting of these Inscriptions were far more troublesome!

“Comrade, you still have a scheduled duel with him, haven’t you?” Duanfeng Bu’er leaned close to Qian Jin and whispered, “If things get difficult, I can step in? Achieving Sainthood isn't hard for me right now.”