Mùnè Zhence waved his hand dismissively, "You all go discuss it."

The Dwarf Elder Council huddled together, murmuring amongst themselves. Lafi occasionally erupted with a shout of "I object! How can our Dwarf Clan be used as a stake in a bet?"

Several elders of the Council hurried to comfort him. Latu had no choice but to turn back toward Qian Jin with a sigh, his expression one of utter helplessness. "I apologize, but we may need more time to deliberate on this..."

Qian Jin chuckled. These dwarves put on quite a performance, pretending to object while diligently persuading each other, all to inflate the perceived difficulty of passing the proposal and emphasize how invaluable their clan was.

"Take your time discussing it. Come find me when you’re done," Qian Jin said, rising and stretching, too bored to watch the dwarves' theatrics any longer. "Let's go check out the Newcomer King's arena."

"Wait!"

Latu called out in a rush, his voice tight with panic, afraid Qian Jin would truly leave.

Only Xingchen knew what those two masterful old foxes, the Serpent Emperor and Li Ba, might say to Qian Jin if he left their presence.

Latu's greatest fear was Pan Hongji and Li Ba speaking up. If they resolved to offend the Dwarves, all they needed to do was point out the critical importance of Blacksmithing Arts to Qian Jin. Compared to the invincible Blacksmithing Arts, the Dwarf Clan, even betting their entire race, would be worth less than a piece of scrap iron.

Qian Jin must not leave this place! Absolutely not! Latu shot a harsh glare at Lafi, inwardly blaming his brother for performing so poorly that the spectator was losing interest and considering departure.

Latu turned his gaze back to Qian Jin, inwardly cursing the young man for his lack of patience. We’ve only exchanged a few words, and you’re already showing such impatience.

Qian Jin paused his steps, a smile playing on his lips, and turned to face Latu. He was no longer the naive youth of the past. Countless life-and-death encounters and trials among the Demon Race had allowed him to completely comprehend and integrate the vast amounts of knowledge he had read. While he might still lack skill in formulating grand strategies, he had gained considerable experience in seeing through machinations.

"Guild Master Qian Jin, we have persuaded those who disagreed. We are now prepared to make the wager with you," Latu felt only deep depression. His original plan was to feign extreme reluctance, pressuring Qian Jin to add further stakes—for instance, if Qian Jin lost, he would be forbidden from using his special Blacksmithing Skills for the rest of his life, nor could he impart them to anyone outside the Dwarves.

Now... Latu couldn't worry about that anymore. If he didn't agree to the terms immediately, he would lose his only chance.

As Latu agreed, Lafi rushed forward impatiently, his massive War Soul shaking as it emerged—True Saint Level!

Latu crossed his arms and laughed. The combat strength of the Dwarf Clan had never been their strongest point, yet Lafi was an exceedingly rare exception, becoming the first True Saint level warrior in the history of the Dwarf tribe.

True Saint! In the Barbarian Race, any tribe presided over by a True Saint expert would see its status rise dramatically.

The Dwarf Clan had always held a high position in Barbarian history due to their forging expertise; now, with a True Saint expert anchoring them, their status was poised for a new elevation.

True Saint? The Serpent Emperor Pan Hongji looked at Lafi with surprise. Despite his passion for collecting intelligence, he had been unaware that a True Saint level expert had emerged in the Dwarf tribe! In the past, it was incredibly difficult for the Dwarves even to condense a War Soul, yet now they boasted a True Saint!

Lafi pointed his war hammer at Qian Jin. "You! You will surely fall beneath my war hammer! Among the True Saints, no bloodline power surpasses mine, Lafi! I am the strongest of the True Saints!"

The veins on Pan Hongji’s forehead twitched unnaturally. The veins on Li Ba’s forehead twitched as well. Both were True Saint experts and bloodline warriors. For the Dwarf to speak so boldly was clearly an insult to them both—it was nothing less than a direct challenge! A blatant challenge!

"You use a hammer? Fine! I’ll use hammers too!" Qian Jin flipped his wrist and dragged two war hammers out of the Dou Realm!

Both were Saint Artifact grade war hammers! One sourced from the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, the other from Uncle Black!

As the two massive war hammers settled in Qian Jin’s hands, his imposing aura instantly increased severalfold, causing both grand masters to share a peculiar sensation: this young man's strength had grown again; his realm had advanced once more.

Two Saint Artifacts, Three Saint-level War Souls! Qian Jin erupted instantly, feeling that the resistance to his Dou Qi circulation had increased tenfold, and simultaneously! The speed of Dou Qi consumption was also ten times faster than before!

The rate at which one War Soul consumed Dou Qi was vastly different from the rate consumed by three! While three War Souls granted immense offensive power, they also carried a drawback in another aspect: Dou Qi consumption. Especially when Dou Seals were engaged, it felt as though tenfold the Dou Qi was required to push the might of the Seals.

In that instant, everyone could sense that although both parties possessed True Saint strength, the power of the young warrior Qian Jin still overshadowed Lafi’s True Saint state.

It was truly just one tier, the pinnacle of current peak combat power, yet there was still a discernible gap. Qian Jin possessed three True Saint War Souls; aside from the most seasoned veterans at the absolute peak, those newly promoted to True Saint level were no match for Qian Jin.

Latu crossed his arms, showing no surprise, a faint, cold sneer playing on his lips. Did they think this was enough to defeat Lafi? Our Dwarf Clan has the Avatar of the Heavenly God!

The moment the name of the Dou Technique flashed through Latu’s mind, Lafi activated the Dwarf Clan’s special Dou Technique: Avatar of the Heavenly God!

The roaring, sharp Dwarf War Soul instantly converged entirely within Lafi’s body, causing the Dwarf to emit a terrifying pressure!

His short, stout frame suddenly possessed a mighty presence that seemed to look down upon everyone!

"Qian Jin! You are destined to lose!" Lafi flicked his war hammer in the air, his eyes gleaming greedily at the two war hammers in Qian Jin's hands—Saint Artifact grade hammers!

These were war hammers, but also blacksmithing hammers! Lafi knew well that if such hammers fell into his hands, his combat strength would skyrocket, and his forging abilities would also improve immensely—perhaps he could even forge Soul Artifacts.

Latu smiled. The Dwarf’s Avatar of the Heavenly God could bridge the gap with bloodline warriors! Now, Lafi could even beat Qian Zhanxuan—that old warrior—until he was crawling on the ground looking for his teeth.

"Avatar of the Heavenly God?" Qian Jin smiled and shrugged. The Ultra-Void Soul Dou Seal within his body began to rotate rapidly at this moment, emitting a dazzling glow. The three War Souls entered his body one after another.

"Let me show you my Ultra-Void Soul!"

With the three War Souls entering his body, Qian Jin’s aura surged continuously, as if trying to pierce the firmament of stars. He took one step, instantly eliminating the distance between them. It was almost like instantaneous movement. He raised both hammers simultaneously, one forward and one back, like a meteor chasing the moon, shattering the air with a roar as they smashed toward the Dwarf Lafi.

Lafi’s pupils contracted sharply. He hadn’t even registered how Qian Jin had moved to stand before him. The massive hammers instantly occupied his entire field of vision, as if the stars had merged with the hammers—these hammers were the stars, these hammers were everything!

Now, the stars were held in Qian Jin's hand! If he declared the stars would fall, the stars would certainly not remain suspended in the sky.

Dodge? Lafi felt the illusion that though the heavens were vast, he had nowhere to hide. His Dou Qi was locked down completely! Retreating would only invite a more ferocious pursuit.

Unable to dodge, or rather, having nowhere to dodge to, Lafi raised his war hammer in utter desperation. The Dou Seal of the Avatar of the Heavenly God within his body instantly shattered. The power, which had already reached its peak, surged again. His eyes felt as though they would split wide in an instant, countless blood vessels instantly filling his eyeballs, and the war hammer emitted the sound of war drums pounding within it.

"Second War Soul! Enter the Saint Artifact war hammer! Watch me unleash the Eighteen Hammers of Ascension!"

Qian Jin’s mind stirred. The second War Soul, a hammer-shaped war hammer, plunged directly into the Saint Artifact. In that instant, the War Soul and the War Hammer Soul Artifact merged! The massive Saint Artifact war hammer roared in protest, blooming with billions of dazzling, brilliant lights!

At this moment, what Qian Jin held was not merely a war hammer, but the Sun! The brightest thing in all the stars! The Sun radiating endless glory! The Sun nurturing all living things on the Great Earth!

Qian Jin looked like a God of Stars wielding the Sun, passing an inescapable judgment upon any creature beneath the firmament!

Life or death hung in the balance! Before Lafi’s eyes, there was not the myriad of lights, but a hazy grayness—that must be the future... all vitality... all paths... severed!

Death? Lafi’s eyes snapped open even wider, the corners of his eyes bursting outward and bleeding instantly. Yet, a smile bloomed within his pupils—a peculiar smile no one could have expected, a smile born of confidence in victory!

In such a situation, Lafi still managed to reveal an unimaginable grin!

"Qian Jin, you don't know what my Soul Domain is, do you? Time Slowing Soul Domain! Activate! Slow by one fold!"

Lafi’s Soul Domain finally unleashed its terrifying might!

Time Slowing Soul Domain!

Pan Hongji’s scalp tingled; his skin tightened abruptly, waves of cold running beneath it, his heart pounding uncontrollably. No wonder this Dwarf was confident of being the strongest True Saint!

Time... is there any Soul Domain more terrifying than controlling time?

Time, Space! These were the two most terrifying types of Soul Domains!

The current Great Demon King was called invincible in one-on-one combat precisely because of his unique Space Soul Domain, which exhausted his opponents!

Now! The Soul Domain possessed by the Dwarf Lafi was the even more terrifying Time Soul Domain!

Legends spoke of many forms of the Time Soul Domain: Slowing, Accelerating, Stopping, and even Reversing Time!

Any Soul Domain that manipulated time was incomparably terrifying!

And now, a Dwarf! The Dwarf tribe, which had never seen a True Saint expert, produced its first True Saint, and he possessed the Time Slowing Soul Domain! Even if it only slowed time by half, in combat, that alone was enough to decide victory or defeat.

After all, a True Saint is a True Saint; a True Saint is certainly capable of breaking through the protective Dou Techniques of another True Saint! Lafi had sufficient power to injure Qian Jin!

The war hammer began to slow down in time! Lafi’s war hammer suddenly accelerated, and his body shifted sideways, attempting to evade Qian Jin’s violent blow that could shatter the earth. His target locked onto Qian Jin’s lower abdomen, aiming for a critical strike.

In that instant, Qian Jin’s thoughts, his body, everything about him... began to slow down, by a full factor of two compared to before.

"Kun Dou Technique! Activate! Thousand Times Gravity! Activate!"

Qian Jin's body in the air slowed somewhat, but the Dou Technique within him instantly erupted with a new wave of power. His mind, which should have slowed by half, seemed largely unaffected; only his body felt a slight drag within the Soul Domain space.

BOOM!

A thousand times gravity suddenly weighed down on Lafi’s body. That immense gravity instantly transformed him into a turtle crushed by a massive stone, or a beetle pinned down by a finger. His speed was even slower than Qian Jin’s, almost static, and the earth beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.

How is this possible? Lafi felt as if every bone inscription in his body was about to shatter, hearing faint crackling sounds everywhere. His chest felt tight, desperate to spew blood, but even the blood was agonizingly heavy, making it impossible to open his mouth to spit it out.

How could this be? How could his reaction be so fast? Is my Time Slowing Soul Domain having no effect? Lafi stared at Qian Jin with confusion, looking at the incoming war hammer—the hammer he could no longer dodge.

Mysterious Potion! Qian Jin activated the Kun Dou Technique within his body, completely shattering the Dou Seal of the Kun Dou Technique, solely to completely suppress this Dwarf. He felt elated; thanks to years of consuming the Mysterious Potion, not only was his body stronger, but his reaction speed was far, far faster than many of today's strongest experts. The regular consumption of the Mysterious Potion, coupled with the special combat training sessions where he took on groups at Uncle Enlake's place, had fully activated its effects. In terms of cerebral reaction, Qian Jin was confident he was more than three times faster than Qian Zhanxuan.

Time Slowing? Slowing down thought speed? So what! My mind is still the fastest!

Fervor swelled in Qian Jin’s heart. Although the speed of his war hammer had decreased, Lafi’s speed had also slowed considerably.

Faced with Qian Jin’s war hammer, Lafi could no longer evade. His heart was filled only with astonishment. This man’s reaction speed was too fast; he was manipulating the Time Soul Domain!

Qian Jin’s first hammer collided with Lafi’s war hammer. The ferocious Dou Qi and Dou Technique power clashed, resulting in a deafening roar.

At the very first point of contact, Lafi’s war hammer shattered! Not into jagged shards, but pulverized! It turned to dust!

Lafi’s war hammer turned to powder. A burst of Dou Qi as vast as the starry sky rushed into Lafi’s arm. Even a True Saint’s body could not withstand such fierce impact. His hardened bones turned to powder without even a crackling sound.

This single blow was simply too powerful, too strong! Lafi didn't even have time to react. His entire right arm, along with his shoulder, was completely pulverized and vanished without a trace. Even the blood was forcibly pressed back into his body by the hammer's pressure, not a single drop escaping.

In just one strike! Lafi, a fellow True Saint, was instantly crippled. The wound was smooth and flat, as if cut by a Saint Artifact blade.

"Agh!" Lafi screamed, his eyes turning bloodshot. The intense pain ignited limitless killing intent and rage within him.

At this moment, Lafi cared nothing for any further value Qian Jin might hold, nor did he care about learning the Eighteen Hammers of Ascension. His mind held only one final thought: Kill Qian Jin! Completely, viciously, mercilessly kill Qian Jin!

As long as he could kill Qian Jin, Lafi was willing to pay any price, and indeed, he did so!

Qian Jin’s other war hammer was still descending. Lafi’s body’s Soul Domain suddenly swelled, swelled, swelled, and swelled again!

Soul Domain Detonation! The Serpent Emperor Pan Hongji’s eyes widened rapidly, his serpentine pupils contracting repeatedly. This Dwarf had gone mad! And he was truly betting everything!

Soul Domain Detonation would cause the warrior to drop from the Saint-Ascendant level back down to the War Soul level. Even a True Saint could not maintain Saint-Ascendant strength, not even Soldier Saint strength.

Soul Domain Detonation—this was far more terrifying than shattering a Dou Seal or a War Soul! The resulting power surge was enough to make even veteran True Saints struggle to resist!

Time! At this moment! Slowed down even further!

The greatest might of the Soul Domain Detonation was not merely the explosive increase in the warrior’s combat power; it was the instantaneous surge in the Soul Domain's power! This was the power unleashed when a warrior gambled everything—a completely self-destructive form of combat.

Lafi, at this moment, disregarded everything else. Having lost an arm and suffering grievous injury! Even if he survived, his strength might never return to its peak, and losing his right arm meant losing his ability to forge.

True Saint status was Lafi’s pride; forging was his second life.

Now, in the blink of an eye, his second life had been ruthlessly taken away.

Lafi had already hated Qian Jin to the bone. Soul Domain Shattered! War Soul Shattered!

Lafi made another move that drove both great masters to distraction: he shattered both his Soul Domain and his War Soul! Lafi’s strength surged once more. He was wagering everything just to kill Qian Jin!

This was no longer a move aimed at defeating an opponent; it was a decision to utterly annihilate a person.

"Die for me!"

Lafi unleashed the killing intent and roar from the deepest part of his soul. The wine glasses in the hall adjacent to the courtyard instantly shattered under the impact of the sonic wave, pop-pop-pop-pop.

Lafi’s power ascended to the most intense peak of his life. The surrounding space seemed to suffer severe interference. His body endured massive recoil forces, every pore spewing blood outward. This level of power had long surpassed the limits his body could sustain; he could collapse entirely at any moment.

Although a True Saint's body was robust, it still had a limit to what it could contain. The shattering of the Soul Domain, the shattering of the War Soul, and the shattering of all Dou Seals caused his power to surge violently while simultaneously exceeding the limits he could tolerate.

At this moment, Lafi spread the five fingers of his left hand, his short but incredibly strong palm reaching directly to seize Qian Jin’s war hammer! Boundless Dou Qi enveloped his large hand, condensing almost into a physical form, as if a giant Behemoth hand had sprouted from the Dwarf’s wrist!

This gigantic hand grasped through the air, seemingly capable of crushing not only the war hammer but Qian Jin’s entire body.

Soul Domain Burst! Time within the small arena slowed even further. Qian Jin’s speed instantly dropped again and again. Under the thousand-fold gravity, Lafi’s soaring strength remained as swift as a fish in water.

"No, don't..." Latu opened his mouth, the words still stuck in his throat. Watching Lafi determined to kill Qian Jin, Latu was furious. What use was killing Qian Jin? Only a living Qian Jin could teach them those superb forging techniques, which would make the Dwarf Clan the most powerful existence.

Blue electrical arcs, as thick as palace support beams, suddenly erupted from the war hammer in Qian Jin’s hand. The crackling electric light resembled a giant blue python with its mouth wide open, roaring as it lunged toward Lafi’s body.

Electricity! No one expected that electric light would suddenly spray from Qian Jin’s body!

Electricity was something typically only controlled by Mages.

Moreover, electricity—this type of attack with super-fast speed that was almost impossible to evade—usually required the joint effort of an entire Mage Legion to unleash.

Electricity! Only a Saint-Ascendant expert with a Thunder Soul Domain could use it, but Saint-Ascendant experts were already rare; perhaps one Thunder Soul Domain expert would not appear for centuries.

Now, electricity! A current as thick as a pillar, without the roar and thunder of lightning, silently burst forth from Qian Jin’s body, carrying a speed that almost ignored the time slowdown, slamming fiercely into Lafi’s chest.

Electric Light Soul Domain! Qian Jin’s other Soul Domain! This was the unique Soul Domain he possessed upon reaching Saint-Ascendant level with the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi! It lacked the brute force of the Thunder Soul Domain but possessed its own unique aspect.

The massive electric light erupted at such an extremely close range, striking Lafi’s body. No one anticipated this sudden shift in the battle situation.

Dodge? What a joke! Just as a smirk began to touch Pan Hongji's lips, the bolt of lightning slammed into Laffy's chest, pierced straight through his short, stout frame, and burrowed into the earth beneath.

In that instant, Laffy’s body hung suspended in mid-air, a colossal streak of blue electricity tearing through his chest, resembling a massive blue electric sword that skewered him like some gargantuan roast pig.

Countless threads of blue electricity surged into his body, rushing everywhere. His already less-than-fair skin instantly blackened and charred; his hair and beard shot bolt upright, then simultaneously ignited and vanished.

Dodge? Li Ba also wore a smile. When lightning is aimed directly, unless you are a warrior with the Instant Teleportation Soul Domain, you are guaranteed to be hit! Even if I am locked down by Qian Jin, I still can't dodge it; I can only rely on my own abilities to resist and fight back!

The speed of electricity… Li Ba could only shake his head. That speed was simply too fast! When fighting an opponent who wields electricity, the only way is to avoid being locked onto by them, otherwise, a hit is certain. This is why warriors wielding Wind and Cloud Dou Qi always have the capital to challenge Bloodline Warriors.

An electrical flash so difficult to evade! That alone is enough to give anyone a headache!

The tremendous current coursed through Laffy, shattering his Dou Souls consecutively. A True Saint-level expert of the Soul Domain, struck head-on by the might of the Soul Domain, did not immediately fly backward; instead, he surged forward, slamming a fist into Qian Jin’s lower abdomen.

Wind and Cloud Golden Body! Protect me!

As Qian Jin unleashed his Wind and Cloud Golden Body, now mingled with the power of his Holy Artifact shield, bizarre trails of Dou Qi patterns wove around him, forming a strange Dou Qi aura field that resisted Laffy’s full-power strike while injured.

Bang!

Shatter! It wasn't Qian Jin's abdomen or body that shattered, but Laffy’s enormous, muscular fist, which completely disintegrated upon contact with Qian Jin’s body. It was as if an ordinary adult had hurled all their strength against the hardest sledgehammer; the bones could not withstand the impact and exploded.

In his normal state, Laffy might have had a chance to injure Qian Jin with a single punch, but continuous shattering, while infinitely increasing his combat power, had utterly destroyed his body's capacity to contain that power.

Conversely, his body had become incredibly fragile—he possessed combat strength but lacked the vessel to carry it. That punch, landing on Qian Jin, not only failed to inflict damage but caused Laffy’s own body, fragile as tofu, to utterly fracture during the collision.

“Be defeated by me!”

Qian Jin’s War Hammer smashed down directly onto Laffy’s head. His body instantly turned into a pancake, leaving nothing recognizable as the corpse of a True Saint expert—only a bloody, unrecognizable smear of pulp.

In that moment, the explosive, fierce battle instantly reverted to the utmost calm. The onlookers stared blankly at Laffy, now a mess of gore. No one had expected such an outcome.

Qian Jin dispelled the Dou Qi he had raised, his forehead already beaded with sweat the size of beans.

Tired! Qian Jin felt an exhaustion unlike anything before. Every burst of Dou Qi consumed ten, dozens, even hundreds of times more energy than before, and pushing the Dou Qi became extraordinarily difficult each time.

Under such conditions, forget fighting—even moving slightly made Qian Jin feel deeply fatigued. This bizarre seal was terrifying. After exploding under such immense pressure for so long, how incredibly powerful would his might be once he escaped the high-pressure seal?

Time Soul Domain… Qian Jin looked again at the remains of Laffy, now just a pile of meat paste. The Soul Domain from just now was truly terrifying. If Qian Zhanxuan possessed such a domain, he wouldn't have lasted a minute against me on the first day of the Newcomer King Tournament. Someone like Qian Zhanxuan, armed with a time-slowing Soul Domain, would be nearly invincible.

Time… Time… Qian Jin repeatedly chewed over the word, remembering a secret Dou Technique from the Ice Flame Dou Qi he had once studied. The highest realm of that technique was called Absolute Zero, the effect of which was the ability to halt time for a short period!

PL: Ten chapters today. This is a double-chapter release because reading it connected feels more satisfying, so I haven't split it. That’s nine chapters now!!!! I want Monthly Tickets!!!!