"You know now, don't you? Among the younger generation, it's not just Pan Mengshen who can defeat you." Pan Hongji waved his hand, tracing an arc over Qian Jin's arm and then across the assembled warriors. "These few youths, if they wanted to kill you, they could do it in an instant!"

Instant kill! To be able to achieve instant kill against peers, against those who had also reached the realm below Entering Saint! The faces of the ten young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors burned with shame once more. Their gazes followed the line Pan Hongji had drawn with his finger, scanning each figure, searching for one they might possibly defeat.

Mu Ne Zhen Ce? The Prince had defeated him, which didn't prove much. Duan Feng Bu Er? Forget it! Judging by their previous exchange, if he truly clashed with Fen Tu Kuang Ge, it would be genuinely difficult to say who would emerge victorious.

This unfamiliar young man? The Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors focused their gaze on Cheerfulitz's face, trying to see through his eyes.

A smile, a faint, detached smile, bloomed on Cheerfulitz's face. It was a smile brimming with confidence, composure, and calmness—even one could call it expectation—an expectation for them to attack.

In the depths of that smile... lay endless killing intent!

The ten Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors instinctively shivered, suddenly realizing that this young man, so handsome and beautiful that even women felt jealous, might be the most terrifying among this whole group of youngsters!

As for Qian Jin? Long ago, he had already killed Tian Lian Ling Guan! Not long ago, he had severely wounded Jin Ze Tian Lu, a powerhouse who had Entered Saint. Such capability could only be described as... monstrous!

Following the path Pan Hongji had traced with his finger, the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors looked down the line and had to admit there truly wasn't anyone among this group they could possibly overcome.

"With abilities like yours, you still dare aim for the top ten in the Newcomer King Tournament? Are you just going to disgrace the top ten spots?" Pan Hongji's words were vicious, making the ten elite young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors wish they could burrow into the earth.

"Realize you're useless now?" Pan Hongji pointed at Duan Feng Bu Er. "You lot, follow this kid. When you can defeat him, you can return to the Pan Clan. Otherwise, stay obediently by his side and learn from him—see how a person grows! To consume so many resources in the Pan Clan and still fail to defeat a Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior who grew up outside the clan, do you even know how to write the word 'shame'? I'm ashamed for you."

The imposing aura they had carried when entering the courtyard—thinking Pan Hongji was number one and they were second—had utterly vanished. Their heads were almost tucked into their crotches.

"What?"

Pan Mengcheng, still half-sitting on the ground, spitting blood, suddenly looked up, staring at Pan Hongji in disbelief. To think that these elites trained within the clan would have to follow a warrior cast out like wild grass to grow?

"Disagree?" Pan Hongji grinned maliciously, pointing at Duan Feng Bu Er. "You can go up and fight him again. If you win, you won't have to follow him. Don't you find it humiliating that those who consumed so many resources fare worse than a young warrior exiled to fend for himself?"

Pan Mengcheng buried his head again. Although both were at the peak of Soul Battle, the gulf between them felt as vast as the distance between the stars and the earth.

Mu Ne Zhen Ce watched Pan Hongji with deep contemplation. This Serpent Emperor seemingly didn't just want to train the Pan Clan's younger generation; he also wanted to build a powerful support base for Duan Feng Bu Er. Was he favoring Duan Feng Bu Er over Pan Mengshen, whom the Pan Clan had been fully cultivating all these years?

Having ten peak Soul Battle experts trailing them at all times would quickly foster emotional bonds. This was gradually becoming a small faction forming around Duan Feng Bu Er.

"Heh heh... So, that's it," Pan Mengcheng's voice was filled with resignation. "We've been eliminated."

Eliminated? The nine young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors were startled simultaneously, instantly grasping the meaning behind Pan Mengcheng's words. The Pan Clan’s younger generation still had peak Soul Battle powerhouses; rumors suggested many had already left with Pan Mengshen to conquer battles.

Pan Mengshen was the foremost candidate for the next Pan Clan Head! Naturally, those following him were the most critically cultivated individuals...

"Interesting... very interesting..." Mu Ne Zhen Ce stroked his chin. "This must be the mechanism for competition, right? Assigning members to those qualified to be successors and observing their development."

"Exactly! You've been eliminated!" Pan Hongji's expression abruptly changed. "In the past, you would have been sent to the Human-Demon Battlefield for 'free' development. But you now have a new opportunity: follow him! If you can prove yourselves, you won't need to be eliminated."

"Serpent Emperor, do you have high hopes for them?" Qian Jin quietly asked Pan Hongji.

"A descendant of the Pan Clan..." Pan Hongji smiled gently. "I try to treat them all fairly. Because, we are all family..."

Family! Qian Jin's body trembled slightly. If these words had come from Qian Zhan Xuan, perhaps he wouldn't possess his current strength, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be happy and content today.

"Follow me?" Duan Feng Bu Er scratched his head, looking at Pan Hongji. "Uncle Serpent Emperor, making me babysit these good-for-nothing descendants, do I get a babysitting fee?"

Pan Hongji merely smiled without speaking. The ten Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors looked down at the floor, their complexions ugly. They were all elites, yet now they were being treated as children under the watch of a babysitter.

"Bu Er, since they are here, consider it a welcoming gift," Qian Jin said, turning to the guild masters. "Esteemed Guild Masters, you may examine which Soul Weapon suits you. I forged these based on the Soul Battle fluctuations of several of you. Those chosen, please step forward."

Yi held the peculiar kitchen knife, his face a mixture of excitement and awkwardness—the excitement of achieving Entry to Saint, contrasted by the embarrassment of having a kitchen knife as his Soul Weapon.

The eight ordinary warriors at the peak of Soul Battle held their eight Soul Weapons, utterly thrilled, while the other ordinary guild masters who didn't receive a weapon stood enviously in the center of the field.

"Uncle Serpent Emperor, please keep an eye out for us," Qian Jin said cheerfully to Pan Hongji. "Standing here won't benefit you much..."

Pan Hongji shrugged. He, along with Cheerfulitz and Mu Gui Wu Xin, took their leave. Powerhouses who had Entered Saint wouldn't gain much here.

Entered Saint? The Pan Clan's bloodline warriors swallowed repeatedly. Heavens! So many people achieving Entry to Saint at once here? Legend states that when an ordinary warrior enters Saint, they can stir the surrounding vital energy and influence the bodies, insights, and so on of those around them. Was this the gift?

"Eight of you," Qian Jin guided them to surround the eight ordinary warriors at the peak of Soul Battle. "You... may begin."

Eight massive, fierce Souls simultaneously ascended. Eight priceless Soul Weapons shattered simultaneously! The auras of eight powerhouses Entering Saint simultaneously erupted from within their bodies!

Eight different auras of Entry to Saint intertwined and vibrated against each other, creating an unprecedented, bizarre situation!

Historically, Entry to Saint was an experience achieved alone, under solitary circumstances.

Even for bloodline warriors, there was never an instance of them achieving Entry to Saint in a cluster. As for ordinary warriors achieving Entry to Saint, it was rarer than discovering a giant dragon. No one knew what would happen when eight ordinary warriors at the peak of Soul Battle entered Saint simultaneously.

Qian Jin didn't know either, but he instinctively sensed that if a group of ordinary warriors at the peak of Soul Battle entered Saint together, some strange qualitative transformation might occur.

When quantity reached a terrifying degree, qualitative change usually followed.

The eight auras of Entry to Saint entangled, entangled, entangled! Forming a magnificent pillar of light that shot toward the heavens. Almost everyone in the entire Divine Capital city could see the strange phenomenon erupting from the courtyard of the Warrior General Guild, an anomaly seemingly powerful enough to shake the stars.

This pillar of energy rapidly spun, instantly sweeping all the young warriors in the courtyard into its vortex. The bodies of the ten Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors emitted strange cracking sounds. Traces of black sweat oozed out of them. Bursts of formidable Dou Qi rotated at ultra-high speeds within different Dou Apertures. Their Souls twisted and writhed, appearing to be in pain, yet perhaps also experiencing an indescribable comfort.

Impurities! Even the Souls of bloodline warriors contained impurities! However, these impurities were usually too scarce, too few, to be noticed easily.

When eight peak Soul Battle warriors entered Saint simultaneously, everything changed! These ten Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors discovered the impurities in their Dou Qi and bodies with surprise, noticing them being expelled outwards. Simultaneously! Their strength! Their strength increased ceaselessly!

Not just their Dou Qi! But also their perception and understanding of the Warrior's Way...

Within the stream of energy formed by the eight Souls, illusions—or perhaps more accurately, images—began to appear. They were depictions of the life-and-death battles these eight warriors had experienced. Their combat experience, at this very moment, was directly sublimating into imagery through the mutual agitation of their Sainthood!

These images pierced through everyone's bodies, one after another. Each penetration brought the sensation of having personally lived through it. This wasn't just the feeling of battle; it was also an impact of emotion.

The self-respect of an ordinary warrior, the glory of an ordinary warrior, the soul's roar as an ordinary warrior unleashed their life!

At this moment, the ten young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors were stunned. Battles where life was abandoned and death was forgotten; scenes of throwing oneself forward to block a blade for a comrade—a collective spirit no less potent than that of bloodline warriors—impacted and shook their souls time and again.

A long, piercing cry suddenly shot up from the massive pillar of light, causing the courtyard walls to tremble repeatedly, as if they wished to prostrate themselves beneath the sound of that cry.

In that instant, Fen Tu Kuang Ge's long cry erupted! It wasn't just an outburst of a cry; his body, without any external aid, slowly rose into the air, his feet leaving the ground!

Entering Saint! For a warrior, to be able to fly without the assistance of magic, that was the sign of Entering Saint!

Fen Tu Kuang Ge activated no Saint Artifact, nor did he activate any Soul Artifact!

The shattered Soul Weapons and various pieces of metal scattered on the ground trembled... as if commoners had met their supreme king.

The Great True Gold Dou Qi radiated from Fen Tu Kuang Ge's body, enveloping all the surrounding metal. Even the fragments of the eight Soul Weapons that had exploded were enveloped. Those fragments still retaining traces of the Saint Aura from the eight ordinary warriors entering Saint began to corrode..., rapidly corroding. In the blink of an eye, all the metal in the courtyard started to decay, including the weapons everyone carried that were not stored in the Dou Realm.

The Great True Gold Dou Qi acted like a famished specter, furiously devouring every metallic aura in the courtyard, absorbing it all into Fen Tu Kuang Ge’s body.

His body, radiating a metallic golden sheen, constantly swelled. The bones within clicked and ground incessantly. Fen Tu Kuang Ge’s body was changing, transforming at high speed!

The moment the eight ordinary warriors entered Saint, the qualitative change produced by the stream of energy finally began to affect Fen Tu Kuang Ge's body. His Great True Gold Dou Qi spun wildly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All the Dou Weapons, Soul Weapon fragments, the broken Soul Weapons, and the common metal in the courtyard shattered!

Fen Tu Kuang Ge's body shook again. Qian Jin’s eyebrows twitched repeatedly. This was... the scent of a Soul Weapon!

Yes! Fen Tu Kuang Ge was exuding the unique scent of a Soul Weapon! Qian Jin was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. Could this Great True Gold Dou Qi actually cause a person's body to emit the scent of a Soul Weapon? How incredibly resilient was Fen Tu Kuang Ge’s body now? To the level of a Soul Weapon?

Rumble!

The Dou Qi inside Fen Tu Kuang Ge’s body exploded again, emitting an aura akin to a Soul Weapon shattering throughout the courtyard. His body soared repeatedly, rising slowly in the center position surrounded by the eight ordinary warriors, just like an emperor being escorted by countless generals toward the supreme throne.

Entered Saint! Fen Tu Kuang Ge, without a Soul Weapon, without a Saint Artifact, and without activating his bloodline power, unleashed the terrifying aspect of the Saint-level Dou Skill, the Great True Gold Dou Qi—he Entered Saint!

Can an ordinary warrior achieve Entry to Saint without anything at all? Without even needing to activate bloodline power?

Pan Hongji’s slender snake-like eyebrows twitched repeatedly. He thoughtfully focused his attention entirely on Qian Jin. The source of this Dou Qi was clearly not the Fen Tu lineage. This Qian Jin carried far too many secrets, didn't he?

Having devoured countless metallic auras, absorbed a portion of the essence of Lucifer's Heart, and experienced countless life-and-death moments while sensing the aura of Entry to Saint multiple times, Fen Tu Kuang Ge was like a phoenix reborn from ashes, or like an ugly duckling transformed into a beautiful black swan at this moment.

Soul Domain! The Dou Soul of Fen Tu Kuang Ge’s Great True Gold Dou Qi, upon achieving Saint status, unfolded a Soul Domain unique to him! A domain no one had ever seen before. The air was permeated with a metallic scent, as if a kingdom of metal enveloped everyone nearby.

"True Gold Soul Domain!"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge named his domain as if he were a king. As he suddenly clenched his five fingers, the surrounding air instantly solidified!

It wasn't a solidification into a physical form, but rather everyone felt as if they had been encased in a block of metal, surrounded by metal or something like ice that completely trapped them.

"True Gold Soul Domain, activate your power for me!"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge suddenly spread his five fingers, and the feeling of solidification vanished instantly. Everyone felt as if their internal bodies had been instantly lined with the presence of metallic armor—and armor rivaling top-tier Dou Weapons or even Soul Weapons!

Defensive power! Everyone’s defense instantly soared countless times.

Pan Mengcheng even felt an impulse to fight Fen Tu Kuang Ge again, wanting to see if the punch he took not long ago could still breach his current defense.

Power! Everyone palpably felt the strength Fen Tu Kuang Ge possessed after Entering Saint, and the multiple abilities held by that strange Soul Domain—it could restrict, impede, and delay others' movements, while simultaneously boosting the defense of his allies...

"Great True Gold Sword Finger!"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge pointed down from the air, his index and middle fingers forming a dazzling golden beam of light that instantly pierced the ground. Countless surrounding metallic auras followed this metallic sword light into the earth below.

With a finger strike that was almost physical, Fen Tu Kuang Ge couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh wildly, tears that could almost break hearts flashing in his eyes.

To reach this day, how much had he paid? Not just struggle, but also kinship! Kinship derived from the death of his older brother!

Fen Tu Kuang Ge achieved Saint status in an instant. The massive pillar of energy suddenly changed again. Everyone clearly felt some metallic essence entering their bodies, fortifying their physiques and strengthening their Dou Qi. This was a sharing of Entry to Saint that was almost complete.

Qian Jin, feeling the Shield Dou Skill and Wind and Cloud Golden Body within him become even more integrated, frowned slightly, speculating if perhaps he, too, could achieve Entry to Saint without any Soul Weapons or Saint Artifacts? The Wind and Cloud Golden Body shouldn't be inferior to the Great True Gold Dou Qi!

"I, Fen Tu Kuang Ge, re-enter Saint status today!"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge, suspended in the sky, reached out and dragged a Saint Artifact directly from his Dou Realm!

A Saint Artifact! Yes, a Saint Artifact!

The ten Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors, immersed in the pleasure of rapid improvement, genuinely looked as if their eyeballs might burst from their sockets.

What... what was he doing? Achieving Saint status using a Saint Artifact? Had this kid gone mad? This level of extravagance was unbelievable! Saint Artifacts were objects that became scarcer with every one used!

"Brother! Let us brothers enter Saint together!"

The battle saber Saint Artifact, emanating a ferocious beast aura, suddenly let out a roaring, shattering sound! The Great True Gold Dou Qi swept up the residual Saint Artifact essence and absorbed it into his body.

Entering Saint! The second time entering Saint! Fen Tu Kuang Ge, once the weakest warrior in this group, had now become the strongest in a single leap—achieving Entry to Saint twice in succession!

Fen Tu Kuang Ge's massive phantom Dou Soul hovered behind him. The boundless power of his Dou Qi slowly radiated outward, causing everyone's body to feel an urge to go mad, to become bloodthirsty.

"Star Madness Soul Domain?" Pan Hongji gasped, a trace of cold air slipping between his teeth and entering his lungs. Were the Soul Domains of those around Qian Jin all this terrifying and enviable? This was a special Soul Domain similar to magic. However, the berserk magic cast by mages would damage the warrior's body.

A warrior affected by berserk magic would suffer many latent injuries after the frenzy subsided, and might even experience a drop in strength. The worst cases would be completely lost in the frenzy until they died from exhaustion.

The Star Madness Soul Domain, however, was a special berserk domain with almost no side effects. The afflicted individual would only suffer exhaustion for a day or two afterward, and there would be no drop in cultivation level, nor would they be lost in the frenzy.

Typically, such a domain would not appear on warriors; rather, it might appear on top-tier mages. When a mage achieves Saint status to become a Saint Mage, the Magic Domain they possess—similar to a Soul Domain—could, if the Saint Mage specialized in berserk magic, manifest a similar berserk magic domain.

One body, two Saints!

Pan Hongji laughed. He truly hadn't expected that besides the Great Demon King, the Zhen Ce Dynasty would also have a case of one body holding two Saints, and neither of them being bloodline warriors.

Even more unimaginable was that the Great Demon King constantly needed to switch bloodlines to wield his power, whereas this ordinary warrior had no such issue and could directly manifest the full power of his dual Saint status.

Nine people, ten entries to Saint!

All the powerful warriors in the Divine Capital at this moment turned their gaze toward the massive pillar of Dou Qi light emanating from the Warrior General Guild.

"Warrior General Guild?"

The quiet courtyard was filled with blooming flowers. Many flowers that shouldn't bloom this season were radiating the most beautiful moments of life in their splendid blossoms.

Jiu Yang Fenghua held a scroll, gazing calmly at the pillar of Dou Qi light in the sky. Her Soul Domain covered every corner of the courtyard, urging various flowers to bloom. Seeds were scattered onto the ground, then visibly grew—sprouting, branching, and blossoming...

Things that normally required a long time to complete were rapidly realized within her Soul Domain.

"So many people achieving Saint status at once? Is this Qian Jin's ability? Is he trying to tell people something, or is he merely building momentum for himself?"

Jiu Yang Fenghua smiled faintly, lowering her head to look at the yellowed scroll, no longer paying attention to the pillar of light in the sky. "It is wonderful to be born in such an era; it only further proves how formidable my War God Family is, and how peerless I, Jiu Yang Fenghua, am."

In a manor filled everywhere with imposing architecture, Qian Zhan Xuan slowly walked out of a room with his hands behind his back. His eyes, like those of a tiger or lion King of Beasts, flickered with quiet joy. "Very good. My Zhen Ce Dynasty now has this many warriors who have Entered Saint. The great endeavor of exterminating demons will be complete within these few years."

“A pity, really…” Qian Xuanxuan shook his head and sighed. “For a blacksmith as outstanding as Qian Jing, if he had only stayed obediently within the Qian family, I could have certainly afforded him a respectable position. But to insist on becoming a warrior… Such recklessness! If people in the Qian family who haven’t awakened their powers all rush off to become warriors, how will the Qian family ever develop? This terrible precedent absolutely cannot be set! It would shake the very foundations the Qian family has built over countless years.”

“As long as we defeat him, using absolute strength to show him that ordinary warriors can never triumph over lineage warriors,” Qian Wushuang said calmly, as if he had reached a new level of understanding, “and offering Qian Cheng sufficient compensation, he will willingly return. Therefore, esteemed Family Head, you shouldn't lament such matters; you should be pleased! When he finally submits to our Qian family, all those forces he commanded will naturally become ours as well.”

“Ordinary warriors cannot defeat lineage warriors? Young man,” a faint pride echoed in the aged voice, “you speak too absolutely. Achieving that may be difficult, but the spine of an ordinary warrior will not be broken—that is our honor.”

The ancient voice suddenly descended from above the rooftop. Qian Wushuang’s body stiffened; he hastily looked up, his eyes flashing with surprise and wariness. How had he failed to detect anyone approaching? Who exactly was this white-haired elder?