Guided by the darkness and the famously familiar insider, Mu Ne Zhen Ce, the group skillfully evaded layers of guards and quickly located the vault that held the rewards.

A simple stone door, emblazoned with the characters for "Reward," stood in silence, broken only by the chirping of insects. Not a single guard was visible, making the place seem utterly abandoned. Qian Jin sighed. If Cheke Fu Li Te could unleash his bloodline power within the Imperial City and activate his Soul Domain of Invisibility, his infiltration would have been far easier. But now...

"No one?" Isazel raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Did the Serpent Emperor go for a leak? Now’s our chance!"

Lei Long Li also curiously scanned the surroundings. The Serpent Emperor would certainly not have left; he must be hidden somewhere. Yet, not only could Lei Long Li not pinpoint the enemy’s location, he couldn't even sense if he was present at all.

Duan Feng Bu Er rested his chin on his hand, observing. One of a snake's greatest abilities is concealing itself, preventing the prey from detecting its body. If Pan Hong Ji, who was nicknamed the Serpent Emperor, possessed such stealth abilities, they naturally wouldn't be inferior to anyone else's.

Lei Long Li secretly glanced at his companions. Noticing the looks of confusion on Fen Tu Kuang Ge and the others’ faces somewhat lessened the burgeoning sense of frustration in his heart. At least these peers hadn't located Pan Hong Ji's hiding spot either.

"Bu Er, the moment I charge out, attack the spot to the right of my body," Qian Jin instructed cautiously while staring at the stone door. "Lei Long Li, please unleash the Three-Colored Ten Thousand Thread Annihilation Storm to my left to deal with the Serpent Emperor's Second Combat Body."

Second Combat Body? Lei Long Li’s eyes darted around, searching the area near the seemingly empty stone door. The frustration that had just subsided resurged. How did Qian Jin find it? And how did he locate the Serpent Emperor's Second Combat Body? Was this the current gap between them?

"Everyone else, prepare for support," Qian Jin cautioned again. "The Serpent Emperor’s guarding this time seems serious. I can feel it. Although the Serpent Emperor intends to hold back, he also wants to test our capabilities. He absolutely won't let us pass easily. It’s not just the Serpent Emperor here; I can feel Li Ba as well."

Li Ba? The Ancestor? Lei Long Li’s frustration deepened. The Serpent Emperor excelled at concealment, but the Ancestor, with his personality of having stars overhead and feet on the ground, always favored direct confrontation. Yet, even Lei Long Li couldn't detect him hiding today.

"Li Ba? Didn't he go to eliminate Qian Wu Qing?" Duan Feng Bu Er pouted. "Did he already finish off Qian Wu Qing? Or did our comrade guess correctly, and Qian Wu Qing slipped away? That's the strongest Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warrior!"

A flicker of doubt crossed Lei Long Li's eyes. Qian Wu Qing’s strength was indeed considerable. If he had been ambushed and killed by the Ancestor, the Divine Capital City should have experienced a surge of Dueling Qi, even if only for a fleeting moment, but nothing of the sort had occurred. Could the Ancestor have lost the tail? How was that possible? That was the Ancestor!

"Don't worry about Qian Wu Qing for now. The Serpent Emperor clearly wants us to know that we can only rely on ourselves for everything," Qian Jin secretly adjusted the power within his body. "When the fight starts, everyone give it their all. Not just in attacking, but also find ways to escape. Being entangled by the Serpent Emperor is quite troublesome."

"Come on, come on, come on!" Pan Hong Ji sat quietly behind a rockery, in a position that wasn't difficult to detect. With his aura suppressed, anyone glancing over would mistake him for a humanoid stone sculpture.

Li Ba squatted not far from Pan Hong Ji, feeling a degree of depression. He, a powerhouse of his realm, had lost track of a junior he was tailing. Just around a single corner turn, tracking someone through the subtle locking of their aura should not be lost, even from a thousand meters away. Yet, this situation—one that shouldn't have happened—had occurred.

Li Ba felt an indescribable gloom, and his respect for Qian Wu Qing grew considerably. Even now, no one knew what Qian Wu Qing's Soul Domain was. Perhaps his Soul Domain was particularly suited for evading others? What, then, was Qian Wu Qing planning for tonight?

"Ready?" Qian Jin checked the people beside him. The three Dueling Souls within his body instantly erupted, breaking through to the Virtual Soul realm and sinking into his body. His frame shifted, turning into a cannonball that shot forward.

Almost simultaneously, Duan Feng Bu Er’s long spear flickered and flew out. Lei Long Li’s Three-Colored Ten Thousand Thread Storm appeared to Qian Jin’s left. Mu Ne Zhen Ce’s Soul Domain fully unfurled, instantly linking everyone’s spirits, achieving a state of mental communication without the need for words.

"Who dares to steal? Stop right there!"

Pan Hong Ji took a step forward, and the rockery beneath his foot dissolved into stone dust drifting in the air. His Second Combat Body materialized out of thin air to the left of Qian Jin's body, unleashing a powerful punch. That Three-Colored Ten Thousand Thread Storm suddenly exploded, shattering into countless fragments. The force of the punch pierced through the storm and struck near Qian Jin’s left side.

At the same time, Duan Feng Bu Er's spear let out a mournful cry. A massive surge of blue lightning shot down the weapon and slammed into Duan Feng Bu Er himself. The intense current transformed into terrifying kinetic energy, instantly numbing Duan Feng Bu Er's arm and making him feel as if he couldn't hold onto the spear.

The electricity, originating from the same source and meticulously cultivated by the Serpent Emperor Pan Hong Ji over these past days, had fully matured, forming a complete Soul Domain: the Thunder Soul Domain! Facing Pan Hong Ji’s Thunder Soul Domain, Duan Feng Bu Er's own Thunder Soul Domain power appeared fragile. Before even making true contact with the Serpent Feast, he felt the sensation of imminent collapse.

Two terrifying forces attacked Qian Jin’s body from the left and right, creating the illusion that evasion was impossible.

"Instant Movement Soul Domain!"

Duan Feng Bu Er’s Soul Domain suddenly opened, and Qian Jin’s body vanished in mid-air, reappearing outside the stone door. Pan Hong Ji’s body in mid-air actually trembled slightly—this was because when Duan Feng Bu Er moved Qian Jin, he had tried to casually toss the Serpent Emperor into the nearby pond for a little "bath." However, in the clash of Soul Domains, the Serpent Emperor's domain power was clearly controlled with greater mastery, managing to resist the possibility of being displaced.

"Want to dodge me? Not so easily!" Pan Hong Ji swayed his body and charged toward Qian Jin with lightning speed.

Duan Feng Bu Er’s Instant Movement Soul Domain expanded again. In a flash, Lei Long Li appeared above Pan Hong Ji’s body, Fen Tu Kuang Ge materialized directly in front of him, Duan Feng Bu Er himself appeared behind the Serpent Emperor clutching the sparking spear, and Isazel, activating his bloodline battle form, appeared to the Serpent Emperor’s right side.

In an instant, four young bloodline warriors simultaneously attacked to surround and kill the contemporary peak expert, the Serpent Emperor Pan Hong Ji. This was no friendly spar; it was a genuine battlefield confrontation.

Pan Hong Ji’s eyebrows twitched as he sensed the four powerful threats, his mind faintly throbbing as if foreign thoughts were trying to invade his brain, planting misleading information.

Mu Ne Zhen Ce? Pan Hong Ji felt a surge of admiration. The coordination among these youngsters was approaching flawless perfection, maximizing the expression of their individual traits.

Fen Tu Kuang Ge, whose body was the most resilient, handled the frontal assault, minimizing damage taken. Duan Feng Bu Er was the most cunning, naturally taking the rear position, while the other two struck from the left and right with perfectly timed actions—not a single error, clearly guided by unified thought control.

The Great True Gold Soul Domain forcefully stabilized everyone’s bodies. The Thunder Soul Domain clashed against the Thunder Soul Domain. Duan Feng Bu Er’s Instant Movement Soul Domain provided mid-range support, and Isazel’s Bloodlust Soul Domain further amplified everyone’s power, allowing them to perform above their usual standard.

For a moment, Pan Hong Ji genuinely felt the taste of danger. Qian Jin’s second combat body instantly vanished, and the next moment, a second head and a second pair of limbs sprouted from Pan Hong Ji’s body.

Second Combat Body Merged! Dual Heads and Four Arms! Pan Hong Ji spread his four arms in different directions to meet the attacks. In each palm, there was a visible black vortex, as if everything in the universe would be swallowed into it—the Serpent Emperor Pan Hong Ji’s unique Soul Domain, the Devouring Soul Domain!

At this moment, Pan Hong Ji held nothing back. Any reservation would be irresponsible toward these youths. Only by experiencing a true battle could they grow! As for Qian Jin? Li Ba was guarding the stone door!

"With me here! No one attempts to enter the treasury!"

Li Ba roared. His Three-Headed Golden Dragon Bloodline Battle Form materialized directly before the stone door. A casual punch unleashed behind him felt like summoning a gigantic tsunami, intent on flooding and obliterating everything in its path. The Three-Colored Ten Thousand Thread Storm, used by this old man, was immeasurably more powerful than when used by Lei Long Li.

"Freeze."

Huang Quan, who had been standing silently beside Mu Ne Zhen Ce, raised his hand and pointed at Li Ba. An endless frost storm swept out, freezing the Three-Colored Annihilation Ten Thousand Thread Storm, and simultaneously freezing Li Ba’s endless, tsunami-like fist intent—the tsunami seemed frozen by the boundless frost storm!

This girl's magic is this powerful! Li Ba’s heart jolted. Qian Jin’s people had reached him. He immediately activated Myriad Shadows, and simultaneously, Thousand Army split into ten clones, launching their respective Dueling Skills at Li Ba from different angles.

Splitting Gold Continuous Slash, Ascending Peak Eighteen Hammers, Sea Severing, Eight Forms of Bloody Battle, (Hidden Thunder) Dueling Skill, Kun Dueling Skill, Life and Death Star Seal, Earth Breaking Slash, near absolute zero Ice Flame Dueling Qi, and Qian Jin’s nascent Star Dueling Skill that integrated all others.

Ten killing moves, ten Dueling Skills! Although the power of each was inferior to Qian Jin's true body, the might of the ten clones, amplified by the power of the three Soul Domains, meant that any single clone could injure a True Saint level expert. If all struck simultaneously, it could severely wound a True Saint on the spot, forcing Li Ba to take it seriously.

Qian Jin unleashed his Thousand Army strike. His legs buckled slightly, nearly forcing him to kneel instantly. The bizarre seal made the energy consumption of this attack immense.

Excitement flashed in Li Ba’s eyes. Ever since witnessing the battle between Qian Jin and Li Ba (another character, likely a typo in the original context, perhaps meant Li Ba witnessing Qian Jin’s power previously), he had longed for a chance to test this young man. Today, he finally found a worthy opportunity he couldn't pass up. Serpent Emperor Pan Hong Ji, having pushed back the four youngsters, looked at Li Ba with envy and jealousy. His purpose in doing this, besides training the young ones, was to fight Qian Jin. He hadn't expected Li Ba to steal the chance.

"Want to enter the treasury?" Pan Hong Ji pushed back the four and turned, lunging again toward Qian Jin who had reached the stone door.

"Trying to get past us?" Duan Feng Bu Er spread his arms, unleashing his battle power to its maximum again. "Stay!"

"The likes of you? Not qualified!" Pan Hong Ji charged straight for Qian Jin without looking back.

The next moment, Pan Hong Ji had to refocus entirely, his pupils contracting sharply! This lunatic Qian Jin was incredibly generous!

Thousand Army! That was correct! Duan Feng Bu Er had four clones, Fen Tu Kuang Ge also had four clones, and Lei Long Li and Isazel, having just begun to work together, each had one clone appear. Including the four originals, a total of twelve young top-tier warriors launched an even fiercer attack upon him.

Pan Hong Ji felt the crushing weight of the pressure from the attacks and looked upon these young rivals with envious eyes again. Qian Jin was willing to share such a Dueling Skill with everyone—a generosity to be admired! If this Emperor possessed such a skill…

"Thunder Soul Domain! Expand, expand, expand! Devouring Soul Domain! Grow, grow, grow!"

Pan Hong Ji abandoned all restraint, intending to blast away all these youngsters obstructing his path to Qian Jin in a single strike.

Li Ba, busy dealing with Qian Jin’s Thousand Army, heard the stone door shatter behind him. Qian Jin had already transformed into a streak of light, plunging into the treasure chamber.

So fast? Li Ba was shocked. He had expected to delay things slightly, enjoy a good fight with Qian Jin, and then intentionally let him pass to steal things. But now, it truly became a case of the youth forcibly breaking through—to put it mildly, his defense had failed, although admittedly, there was an element of hesitation because he knew these youngsters wouldn't truly harm him. Still, being breached so easily was surprising.

Hoo...

Qian Jin’s forehead was beaded with sweat. Instantly activating ten Thousand Army clones to unleash their ten strongest ultimate skills had consumed nearly half his physical energy in that moment, even if it didn't technically overdraft his Dueling Qi or stamina. Normally, Qian Jin could handle it, but the seal on his body consumed his Dueling Qi and stamina excessively; even minor activations required at least ten times the obstruction.

"Dueling Crystal!" Qian Jin grabbed a Level Ten Dueling Crystal from his Dueling Realm and instantly absorbed every bit of Dueling Qi it contained, yet it failed to restore even five percent of his energy. The crystal turned into an ordinary stone.

Corpse Star Sword! Qian Jin spotted the long sword, stepped forward, picked it up, and placed it back in its original spot. Casually, he grabbed a Soul Weapon grade shield, making it appear as if he were merely robbing a shield.

The moment he stepped out of the chamber, Qian Jin had already consumed dozens of Dueling Crystals, yet he had only replenished less than ten percent of his Dueling Qi. The Dueling Qi reserves of a True Saint level expert were immense; Level Ten Dueling Crystals seemed paltry in Qian Jin's presence.

"Want to leave, junior?" Pan Hong Ji had pushed back everyone and positioned himself at the stone door. "Old Patriarch Li, the others are yours… now it’s my turn to try."

Li Ba smiled faintly. The Serpent Emperor truly hated being denied. He had just experienced the young man’s Dueling Skills and found it exciting. "Fine, I’ll block the others!"

Seeing Li Ba intercepting him, Qian Jin didn't slow down. His Angry Lotus Dueling Skill erupted completely under his feet, propelling his body forward like a speeding train! While perhaps less swift than Myriad Shadows in pure top speed, Qian Jin knew the raw explosive power of the Angry Lotus Dueling Skill was superior for propulsion.

The whooshing sound of his body friction against the air made Qian Jin resemble an ancient demonic beast dragon. His punch stirred up the winds and clouds, carrying a magnificent momentum that instinctively made observers want to retreat, lest they be submerged by the overwhelming tide of movement.

The Violent Soul Domain, the Burning Soul Domain, and the Thunderlight Soul Domain simultaneously unleashed their strongest might, all merging into this single punch, elevating the momentum-driven Dueling Skill to a new level of power.

Pan Hong Ji's pupils focused entirely on Qian Jin’s punch. It was a skill devoid of complex abilities, possessing only the purest, simplest power of violence, destruction, and annihilation!

Impressive! Pan Hong Ji silently praised again. At such a young age, he understood such profound principles, discarding the seemingly dazzling array of special abilities of various Dueling Skills, retaining only the destructive power meant to annihilate everything.

In Pan Hong Ji’s view, Qian Jin’s punch was not one punch, yet it was one punch. Within the vortex generated by the punch, the sequence of the Splitting Gold Continuous Slash was present, as was the sequence of the Eight Forms of Bloody Battle, and the Dueling Qi sequence arrangement of other Dueling Skills. They looked like a chaotic stew forcibly heaped together, appearing ready to fall apart at any moment, but the instant they did, they might erupt with even greater, more formless, and unpredictable chaotic Dueling Skill power.

I must not let it shatter! Pan Hong Ji’s mind cleared. Years of combat experience made him instantly understand: Qian Jin's current punch was still incomplete, and its weakness lay in its inability to truly integrate. Hitting this weak point could break the Dueling Skill.

That’s right! Pan Hong Ji trusted that many people would attempt this. But as the Serpent Emperor possessing the Myriad Solution Eye, he clearly knew that if he truly did that, the shattered fusion skill, once freed from Qian Jin’s control, might actually erupt with greater power, more chaotic and unpredictable, leaving no defense against it.

Thunder Soul Domain! Unleash with full power! Devouring Soul Domain follows behind! Devour! I refuse to believe I cannot swallow this punch!

Pan Hong Ji met the attack with his own punch, his arm entwined with explosive thunder energy, like countless sky-blue giant dragons surging forward, with a hint of a black power writhing beneath them, like a more terrifying demon hidden beneath the dragons.

So strong! Stronger than Qian Zhan Xuan! Qian Jin’s heart hammered. Pan Hong Ji, wielding the full might of both Soul Domains, despite being fatigued from operating under the seal, still unleashed a blow more powerful than what Qian Zhan Xuan had managed.

Don't retreat! Don't retreat! Don't retreat! Advance! Advance! Advance!

Qian Jin stamped his feet firmly into the ground and pushed forward step by step at high speed. With a final lunge in an archery stance, he brought his strongest strike forth. The atmospheric pressure in the sky instantly underwent a massive shift. This punch, containing the Kun Dueling Skill and the Life and Death Star Seal, was powerful enough to split space itself.

The pressure from Pan Hong Ji’s fist met the pressure from Qian Jin’s fist in the air, causing continuous explosions. The might of the Thunder Soul Domain instantly exploded outward, blue electricity scattering everywhere. Qian Jin’s Dueling Skill plunged into the Devouring Soul Domain. Pan Hong Ji’s expression shifted instantly. He slightly raised his left hand, gathering a powerful, chaotic energy at his fingertip, and the might of that single finger shot directly towards Qian Jin’s brow.

What is this? Qian Jin’s heart raced. Is this another unique ability of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline’s Serpent Emperor? To transform and release his own punch directly back at him?

Pan Hong Ji’s face flushed slightly. He hadn't expected Qian Jin’s punch to be so ferocious. The Devouring Soul Domain instantly felt as if it were about to be broken through. Pan Hong Ji was immensely powerful, and his Devouring Soul Domain could swallow all of Qian Jin’s Dueling Qi without reaching a state of being overstuffed, but the impact force of Qian Jin’s punch was too great. Although he wasn't overstuffed, the speed of the impact was too fast; the Devouring Soul Domain couldn't complete the full act of devouring in time.

Release! Pan Hong Ji needed to release. Back when he wasn't truly at his peak, he had specifically researched this technique: borrowing an opponent’s power and returning it to them. Even now, Qian Jin’s punch hadn't fully materialized, and Pan Hong Ji managed to complete the maneuver in haste.

Luckily, he didn't complete the full Dueling Skill, otherwise, I might not even be able to transform this punch! Pan Hong Ji was secretly shocked. The strike from his finger shot out—a black, chaotic, disordered stream of Dueling Qi sliced through the air and space itself.

Qian Jin activated Myriad Shadows underfoot. The afterimage was sliced into hundreds of fragments by that chaotic Dueling Qi. In that instant, Qian Jin’s body shot past Pan Hong Ji’s side.

Such speed! Pan Hong Ji once again exclaimed in admiration. Qian Jin’s judgment of time had reached the limit of absolute precision.

"Want to leave? Not so easily!" Pan Hong Ji twisted his waist, turned, and grasped empty air with a large hand, summoning a giant Dueling Qi palm towards Qian Jin’s back.

The giant Dueling Qi palm grasped in the air with a thump.

The next moment, Qian Jin was already thirty meters away.

Instant Movement Soul Domain! Duan Feng Bu Er’s lips curved into a smile as he reactivated his domain, sending Qian Jin several dozen meters further away again, while simultaneously moving everyone else swiftly backward, retreating from the battlefield.

The fight began swiftly and ended just as quickly.

In a matter of mere seconds, the ground before the treasury had been reduced to rubble. Since Duanfeng Buer was already bearing wounds, neither of these two great powerhouses could be contended with by the opposing side.

True Saint-level experts could only be matched by True Saint-level powerhouses; even a numerical superiority of Earthly Saint-level experts could hardly achieve complete advantage or contest them effectively.

Lei Long Li’s lips also curved into a faint smile. Although he hadn't gained any advantage in this battle—in fact, he had been completely suppressed—he had gleaned countless revelations from it. The immense pressure made the blood within his 〖body〗 surge with excitement.

Bloodline Awakening first required the bloodline to boil; if there wasn't even a sensation of boiling, how could power possibly awaken?

As the Rookie King competition moved closer to the finals, Lei Long Li desperately wished to become stronger, not only so he could contend with other awakened bloodlines but also so he could defeat and overcome Qian Jin.

Qian Jin, as he was now, whether the warriors participating in the Rookie King competition admitted it or not, was the undisputed strongest. For everyone who wanted to claim the title of Rookie King, the first hurdle was to conquer this towering peak; otherwise, nothing else mattered.

Having spent many days alongside Qian Jin, Lei Long Li understood what it meant to set one's mindset straight. While he retained the pride and glory of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon, he also knew that without correctly assessing his own standing, defeating Qian Jin was utterly impossible.

One must see oneself clearly.

Qian Jin allowed Duanfeng Buer to execute instant teleportation repeatedly. The single punch he had just thrown had drained a significant amount of his strength, and the fighting energy within his 〖body〗 was now less than twenty percent of its peak. His Dou meridians and orifices felt utterly desiccated.

Dou Crystals appeared in Qian Jin’s hands one after another, instantly transforming from fully energized crystals into inert stones devoid of Dou energy.

The Dou Crystal veins he had collected that day in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea were being rapidly consumed in Qian Jin's grasp. After exhausting nearly a hundred Dou Crystals, Qian Jin felt that the Dou energy in his 〖body〗 was still less than thirty percent of its usual level.

With this diminished strength, it was impossible to retreat faster than the Serpent Emperor. His only recourse was to rely on Duanfeng Buer's instant teleportation to evade capture.

"Is instant teleportation truly invincible?" Li Ba’s massive dragon form shuddered. He stretched a claw toward the sky, and boundless magical elements erupted like a volcano. They formed fine threads in the air, crisscrossing each other, yet lacking the ferocity of the Three-Color Myriad Line Annihilation Storm.

As they arranged themselves in the air, they formed a massive net that descended directly from the heavens, enveloping everyone below.

"Behold my Net of Inescapable Flight!" Li Ba urged the magical elements forward: "Collapse!"

Duanfeng Buer’s pupils contracted. These magical elements could even influence the state of space, imposing some constraints even on instantaneous movement.

"In that case... everyone figure out how to break through on your own! I will escort one person!" Duanfeng Buer roared, instantly enveloping Qian Jin’s form entirely within his instant teleportation soul domain. Space warped rapidly once more, and Qian Jin’s body shot forward a distance of a thousand meters in an instant.

As Qian Jin emerged from the magical domain, he snatched the Moon-Shooting Bow and three sharp arrows from his Dou Realm, nocked them onto the string, pulled back until the bow formed a perfect circle, and fired three arrows without even looking.

The three arrows spun rapidly as they flew, hurtling toward Li Ba like three devastating magical strikes.

In that instant, Li Ba felt the chilling illusion of being targeted by a Demon Race divine archer on the battlefield. He unleashed three consecutive punches into the air toward the incoming arrows, causing three sharp explosions to detonate overhead.

While Li Ba was distracted dealing with Qian Jin’s projectiles, Huang Quan struck again. A colossal icicle rapidly materialized from beneath his feet, surging upward with the force capable of piercing the stars.

"Damn it!" Li Ba cursed in alarm, letting out an expletive. The massive icicle was aimed squarely at his rear end—a spot that, if struck, even the body of a True Saint would not emerge unscathed.

"Scatter!" Duanfeng Buer swept his great hand, pulling everyone into another burst of high-speed flight via instant teleportation.

Pan Hongji watched the group vanish into the night sky with a faint smile. These youngsters were truly formidable! If this had been a battle to the death, he and Li Ba could likely have kept them all pinned down.

However... an ability borne from such power...

Pan Hongji and Li Ba exchanged a pleased look, mutual admiration shining between them.

"Congratulations, Patriarch Li. That boy, Lei Long Li, is quite promising; he's improved significantly since before."

"Your Duanfeng Buer isn't bad either," Li Ba replied cheerfully. "It's just a pity that Pan Mengshen is in seclusion attempting to force an awakening; otherwise, tonight would have been even more perfect."