At this moment, Qian Jin finally understood completely: that Absolute Zero, the highest level of all realms, was not simply the result of a warrior cultivating that specific set of Combat Skills to its peak, but rather the formation of a rather unique Soul Domain upon achieving sainthood.

“If I practice this to its absolute limit now…” Qian Jin gazed at the still-empty slot on his War Hammer Battle Soul: “Could I perhaps form a new Soul Domain? The creator of the Ice Flame Battle Qi is truly a genius! To create a Soul Domain by pushing a set of Combat Skills to their very pinnacle!”

“Just a little bit more…” Qian Jin nodded repeatedly, looking at the final, yet-to-be-condensed Absolute Zero Soul Domain: “If this Soul Domain fully forms, I will have an even stronger aspect in actual combat.”

“Comrade, why don’t you focus on handling what you have in front of you first,” Duan Feng Bu Er looked utterly drained. “Don't you get exhausted when you manifest your Soul Domain?”

Qian Jin managed a wry smile, licking his lips twice. How could exhaustion even begin to describe it? He was utterly fatigued! Whether it was the Soul Domain or the Combat Skill! Previously, manifesting the nascent form of the Soul Domain only caused a certain degree of mental fatigue, but now that the Soul Domain was fully materialized, he realized that activating it every time demanded a vast amount of Battle Qi.

The more powerful the Combat Skill unleashed, the more Battle Qi required; the more potent the Soul Domain activated, the greater the drain on his internal energy.

For the first time, Qian Jin felt that once his Combat Skills became too powerful, the consumption of Battle Qi became the critical limiting factor. In his current state, an all-out burst might leave his Battle Qi completely depleted in less than two minutes.

“Once entering the True Saint realm, the battle isn't just about technique, nor just about strength; it’s a contest of the sheer endurance of one’s Battle Qi,” Qian Jin had to admit that in terms of Battle Qi sustainability, he was far, far inferior to those veteran warriors.

Even facing a True Saint of the level of the Patriarch of the Raging Bear Bloodline power, Qian Jin was confident that if he fully unsealed his power, he could certainly slay and defeat the opponent. But if the fight devolved into a protracted war of attrition, he would be the one to lose.

Qian Jin felt certain that the combined Battle Qi reserves of ten of himself probably wouldn't match the sheer abundance of Battle Qi possessed by the family wielding the Raging Bear Bloodline power.

Although experts in the Saint realm could draw upon the primal energy of the earth and the stars during combat, absorbing it into their bodies for replenishment… in the midst of such a life-or-death fierce struggle, the speed of replenishment was far outstripped by the speed of consumption.

Battle Qi reserves! Qian Jin clenched his fists tightly. Since his debut, he had achieved victory after victory through high-burst, high-damage combat styles. Now that his strength stood among the absolute peak echelon, while high burst still offered a significant advantage, facing those absolute top-tier powerhouses exposed the weakness in his Battle Qi reserves.

“I’ve always focused on increasing burst capability; now, I truly need to accumulate stamina in my Battle Qi,” Qian Jin sighed, understanding that this was not something one could rush. The training under the seal not only forged higher bursts but was also an excellent form of training for Battle Qi absorption.

Currently, due to the seal, the process of absorbing ambient primal energy to convert into internal Battle Qi was ten, even dozens of times harder than before. Therefore, all he could do was desperately absorb the surrounding primal energy for conversion. Over time, as his body fully adapted, the speed at which his body could draw in and expel ambient primal energy upon unsealing would be vastly superior to that of normal True Saint experts!

Perhaps! At that time in battle, he could truly manage to replenish Battle Qi while fighting!

Future true life-or-death battles might not be one-on-one engagements! Qian Jin was acutely aware that even if he had to fight another battle at the Qian Family, he would be facing the entire clan, making an abundance of Battle Qi a very necessary asset.

“What a pity… a True Saint expert was just killed like that.” Mu Ne Zhen Ce shook his folding fan, repeatedly sighing as he looked at the grim expressions of the Dwarf Elder Council. “I hope the Dwarf Clan doesn’t only possess this one True Saint expert. Otherwise, the strength of the Dwarf Clan has taken a massive blow!”

Latu barely suppressed a gout of blood, glaring at Mu Ne Zhen Ce with hatred. To be so boastful after losing the fight! If it weren't for the fact that the people currently in hand had no strong combat power, he wouldn't care what prince of the Zhen Ce Dynasty he was—he would fight!

“Mr. Latu, since the wager was agreed upon voluntarily, regarding the consequences of losing…” Mu Ne Zhen Ce shrugged. “You will concede, won’t you? From this moment forward, the Dwarf Clan shall officially recognize Qian Jin as your Clan Head, your true leader.”

Latu’s face, flushed deep purple, became intensely ugly; his thick beard trembled incessantly, and his entire body shook along with it.

“We wagered on defeat, not death! You killed our Laffey! We will file a protest with His Majesty the Emperor of your nation! Demand full compensation! Otherwise, we will implore the Barbarian Tribes to declare war on your nation!”

“Exactly! The bet was to defeat him, not kill him! You killed our Laffey! This differs from the terms of the wager!”

“Laffey was the pinnacle fighting force of our clan! By killing our primary combatant, you have severely damaged the combat strength and honor of the Dwarf Clan! You must provide compensation! Qian Jin must become a slave to the Dwarf Clan!”

Latu stared silently at Qian Jin. No matter how valuable Qian Jin might be, if he staked the entire future of the Dwarf Clan, and appealed to the Emperor of the Zhen Ce Dynasty, the Emperor would have to consider the Dwarf Clan’s stance.

Yes! Roar and rage! The hatred at the corner of Latu’s lips transformed into a sliver of triumph. Qian Jin’s value was indeed immense, but they were a tribe! A tribe with a long, ancient history! Qian Jin’s lifespan, even a few hundred years, was his limit! However, if the Zhen Ce Dynasty wished to stand for ten thousand years, they absolutely needed cooperation with the Dwarf Tribe!

Latu was extremely confident that any truly clear-headed politician would know which side was correct to protect! After all, Qian Jin was just one man; how many War Soldiers could he forge through constant smithing? But if the Dwarf Clan staked everything and worked together to forge War Soldiers for the Demon Race, the first force to be fully armed would undoubtedly be the Demon Race, not the Zhen Ce Dynasty!

Latu possessed an extreme self-assurance. Though Laffey was dead, his death was beneficial! If Laffey had merely lost the fight, Latu would have to find other excuses to default on the wager, whereas now, he could use Laffey’s death to counter-attack.

“That’s right! He must also hand over all his forging techniques! Killing someone—it’s his good fortune he isn't paying with his life!”

“Not just forging techniques, but also! His Combat Skills must all be…”

“Are you looking to die?” Chek’s voice, not loud, completely drowned out the agitated Dwarf Elder Council.

That soft voice was infused with a chilling, merciless quality, as if it could freeze everything solid at any moment.

At this instant, the Dwarf Elders realized that a strikingly handsome human stood not far behind Qian Jin, yet they hadn't noticed him at all until now! Upon noticing him, they sensed an aura of profound coldness emanating from the elegant young man.

“What did you say?” Latu stretched his face into a grim line. Even the current Emperor of the Zhen Ce Dynasty would not dare speak to the Dwarf Clan in such a manner. If the Dwarf Clan defected to the Demon Race’s side, it would be a catastrophic blow to the Zhen Ce Dynasty.

“I said…” Chek walked gracefully, his long black hair drifting softly behind his head as his slender longsword flashed out of its sheath, lunging like lightning toward Latu’s throat!

Fast! A strike swift as lightning!

Fierce! A sudden thrust without any warning or preamble!

Accurate! Just as Latu’s Battle Soul began to rise from his body, Chek had already retracted his sword and turned away, leaving Latu, whose Battle Soul had just begun to manifest, with a completely pulverized throat. Blood spurted out from the small puncture wound like water from a squeezed bag, spraying a dazzling stream under the internal pressure.

Kaka… kaka…

Latu’s nascent Battle Soul seemed to be violently forced back into his body by an invisible giant hand. He tried to open his mouth to roar in fury but found his vocal cords had already been pierced by the sudden, cold sword strike.

Not only the vocal cords! Blood also gushed out sputtering from the back of Latu’s neck!

Chek’s single strike had pierced Latu’s throat clean through, but the speed was so terrifyingly fast that many people failed to register exactly how the swift attack had occurred.

Death! Latu felt his life being rapidly drawn from his body by an invisible palm.

Latu stared wide-eyed at Chek’s handsome back—so beautiful! Beautiful in a way that bloomed with the brilliant flower of death!

Neither Latu nor the other Dwarf Elders dared to believe what they had witnessed: a human warrior dared to directly assassinate the leader of the Dwarf Elder Council!

They’ve gone mad! This is truly madness! The dwarves stared together with deep resentment at Mu Ne Zhen Ce, the Sixth Prince of the Zhen Ce Dynasty, a prince who had received excellent education, knew the meaning of political exchange, and understood how to govern a nation, willing to sacrifice any interest for the sake of national development.

The entire Dwarf Elder Council ignored Latu, who lay dead on the ground, and instead focused their furious gazes squarely on Mu Ne Zhen Ce. If they didn't get an explanation today, if this young man wasn't killed, and if Qian Jin wasn't handed over…

Knowing nothing of fear, having already lost two members, the Dwarf Elder Council felt no terror; instead, they realized this was the perfect opportunity to coerce the Zhen Ce Dynasty.

“Why are you looking at me? You are asking for death.” Mu Ne Zhen Ce shrugged nonchalantly. “Didn’t Brother Qie already say you were asking for death? Latu insisted on asking, so Brother Qie assumed you dwarves didn't understand the pronunciation of the Zhen Ce Dynasty’s language and demonstrated with actions to show you currently, temporarily, living dwarves—that you are asking for death!”

Mu Ne Zhen Ce spoke calmly, then suddenly erupted into an enraged roar, momentarily stunning the furious dwarves. Was this truly the language a wise and insightful prince should speak? Did he have any comprehension of how terrifying a great dwarf could be?

:There’s an eleventh chapter update today! Surprised? There’s another chapter coming soon too! I want to! RO