Qian Jin’s eyes instantly adjusted to the blinding line of light, fixing on the elderly man at the edge of the pit, hands clasped behind his back, a gentle smile fixed on his face that showed no hint of malice, yet his heart still hammered violently against his ribs. Not a single sensation! Not the slightest awareness!

Since the days of relentless slaughter in the Endless World, this was the first time Qian Jin had been completely unable to sense anyone nearby, let alone someone this close! Still, there was absolutely no detection. In the blink of an eye, the shock passed, and Qian Jin quickly regained his composure.

The Level Ten Dou Qi that had involuntarily erupted from his body subsided back into stillness. Standing beside the pit, his transformed body as robust and broad as a bear, the old man’s smiling eyes held a flicker of mild surprise. To reach Level Ten Warrior at this age was already startling enough, but what truly surprised him was that the youth could make sound judgment in that initial moment of alarm and so swiftly calm his shock.

"Qian Jin wiped the dirt from his hands onto his clothes, managing a slight semblance of cleanliness, then held his palms upward. "Old sir, I’ve dug so many pits; I’m quite tired. Could I trouble you to give me a hand up?" The old man smiled and extended his hand.

Qian Jin immediately felt the immense, irresistible power emanating from the old man’s broad palm—a force he simply could not contend with! With a swift upward tug from the elder, Qian Jin stomped off the pit walls, using the leverage to launch himself out of the filthy, muddy hole. The old man watched Qian Jin land steadily, another trace of surprise surfacing in his eyes.

His lower body stability was even firmer than anticipated; with that initial upward pull and subsequent fling, a warrior focused solely on advancing their Dou Qi would never have managed to stay upright. "Old sir—" Qian Jin gave a thumbs-up, making no attempt to hide his admiration for this strange elder. In his mind, he secretly weighed the power of Oklan's City Guardian, Fabridis, against the current strength of this small, sturdy, bear-like old man.

The old man assessed Qian Jin with a steady smile, his gaze akin to that of an art connoisseur admiring a beautiful piece. "Boy, you've dug all these pits. What exactly are you looking for?" Qian Jin gazed into the old man’s eyes—eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything in the world, set in a face that looked more middle-aged, with only the white in his head hair and beard betraying his true age.

Qian Jin had seen eyes like these only once before: those of Qian Zhanwu, the Grand Elder of the Qian Family branch. Qian Jin deeply disliked the feeling of being seen through entirely. He raised his eyes to meet the elder’s gaze, inwardly deducing that this warrior’s strength far surpassed his own.

The fact that the elder found him here likely meant he was after the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi. It seemed the treasure map legends, just as the bards sang, were true—there was never just one copy. He might as well answer directly; refusing even this would lead to him being underestimated.

"I am here looking for the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi." The old man’s eyes, those eyes that seemed to pierce all worldly facades, suddenly brightened, a faint flicker of surprise and mild delight quickly crossing them. "You found the map to the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi? You dare come here knowing it leads to the Valley of the Four Seasons?" Qian Jin vigorously shook his head, dislodging a cloud of dirt from his hair.

A bitter, ineffable smile touched his lips. "Some people are born shouting about golden keys; others shout about being born from the dust. If those born of the dust simply whine about how good others have it instead of staking their lives, do they have any hope of ever rising in this life?" The old man’s eyes showed surprise for the third time that day.

He secretly praised the youth inwardly. Possessing Level Ten Warrior strength at this age was rare enough; his quick judgment in critical moments was even rarer. What was most valuable, however, was this perception of the core of things, coupled with the audacity to stake everything—that was truly precious.

"Interesting. Truly interesting," the old man nodded repeatedly with a smile. "Many people older than you now only complain about others' origins and luck, never considering that those people's ancestors once stood in the exact same place they do now, possessing nothing of note." "What you say is also quite interesting," Qian Jin replied.

Sensing no hostility from the elder, and genuinely fatigued from digging so many holes, he decided to chat. "So, even if the map pointed to the Battlefield of Man and Demon, I would still come, for the chance to become a great warrior." "Battlefield of Man and Demon? That’s not a bad suggestion." A look of serious contemplation appeared in the elder’s eyes.

"Then perhaps in the future, you should try placing the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi on the Battlefield of Man and Demon. Although, I wonder if you would dare wait there until someone like you eventually shows up to claim the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi." Qian Jin did not immediately respond. He stared blankly at the bear-like old man before him, his expression unable to hide his excitement, his words beginning to stutter.

"Old... Old sir. You...

are you saying... you drew the map to the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi?" The old man stroked his white beard, a smug look spreading across his face. "Indeed, indeed.

Your reaction is faster than I anticipated. I drew the map to the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi. I made several copies back then, and then I moved here to the Valley of the Four Seasons..." "Originally," the old man patted a large rock, "my dwelling was right next to this stone.

But after waiting too long and no one showing up, I grew tired of this scenery. So I moved to another rock formation not far away. If you hadn't been digging just now, I might not have even known someone had found their way here." A wave of immense happiness washed over Qian Jin, mixed with a sense of the absurd.

He had always assumed Wind and Cloud Dou Qi was a book, only to discover it was a person! If he hadn't blindly trusted the bards' tales and stubbornly dug pits here searching for relics, he might have missed this opportunity entirely. "Boy, not bad," the old man clapped Qian Jin on the shoulder, causing damp soil to slide off.

"You are truly not bad! When I first saw you, you startled me. At your age, I was only a Level Four Warrior, yet you’ve already reached Level Ten.

Initially, I thought you must be a genius warrior awakened by a bloodline awakening." Qian Jin offered a wry smile and offered no explanation. The events in the Endless World were too bizarre. Without the brutal training there, he never would have reached Level Nine Warrior.

And without the stimulus of the avalanche and the aid of the Dou Stone, reaching Level Ten would have taken much longer, even with good luck. "More importantly, you understand the value of strengthening your physical body," the old man’s eyes shone with undisguised admiration as he circled Qian Jin repeatedly. "Too many people only pursue the refinement of Dou Qi, forgetting to temper the true vessel for that Qi—the physical body!

You are interesting. Although your lower body conditioning isn't as solid as your upper body, that's still rare for someone your age." Qian Jin felt a pang of gratitude toward Black in the Endless World. If not for that mission to find ore in the West Mountain, his lower body stability would be far worse; he likely wouldn't have been able to stand steady after being yanked from the pit just now.

"A Level Ten Warrior, with such a strong physique, with just a little more conditioning, you can become a Demon-Slaying Warrior and begin learning the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi," the old man said happily, propping his chin in one hand. "Not bad, not bad. Waiting all these years wasn't in vain." The way the old man stared made Qian Jin uneasy.

He quickly spoke up to dispel the strange feeling. "Do I need to become a formal disciple to obtain the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi?" The old man was so amused by Qian Jin's rather unfunny question that he let out a string of hearty laughter. "Of course!

The Wind and Cloud Dou Qi is no ordinary Dou Qi cultivation method. How could I give it to you without you becoming a disciple?" Qian Jin had no doubt that the old man spoke the truth; his sheer strength alone was proof enough! A powerful Dou Qi cultivation method, while not a guarantee of becoming a Great Warrior, could significantly improve the chances for that rise.

"It seems you are somewhat convinced, but you clearly don't understand the glorious history of the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi." Qian Jin watched the old man sit heavily on the ground, showing no intention of leading him around to tour the area. He seemed poised to launch into a long explanation. Qian Jin began to suspect the elder had been isolated in the Valley of the Four Seasons for too long and was simply overjoyed to finally have an audience.

"Sit down and listen, boy. If you don't understand the glorious history of the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi, how can you feel the sense of honor necessary to master it?" The old man patted the damp earth beside him. "Now, you should know that there are actually Six Ultimate Bloodlines in this world, right?" Qian Jin nodded, not denying it.

When many people in the Zhence Dynasty spoke of Ultimate Awakened bloodline warriors, they invariably mentioned the Three Ultimate Bloodlines, forgetting that the Demon Race also possessed three bloodlines capable of reaching the ultimate awakening. Thus, there were naturally Six Ultimate Bloodlines on the continent. However...

Qian Jin frowned subtly. What did this have to do with the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi? "Very good.

You didn't follow the example of many fools and correct me about the nonsense of the Three Ultimate Bloodlines," the old man said with great satisfaction. "Are you frowning because you think this has nothing to do with the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi? Boy, you are mistaken!

Back when the creator of the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi brought it to its highest realm, it coincided with the era when the Elf King Bloodline Warrior of the Qian Family was undergoing its ultimate awakening. Therefore, the founder of the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi, Bu Juetian, sought out powerful warriors everywhere for secret sparring matches, and he never lost a single one! Until..." A look of regret crossed the old man's face.

Qian Jin knew, even without deep thought, that Bu Juetian must have secretly challenged the strongest Qian Family warrior of the Zhence Dynasty at that time—the one with the Ultimate Awakened Elf King Bloodline. "Until he encountered Qian Kuangge, who was the strongest in the Zhence Dynasty at that time. They agreed to a private duel." The old man shook his head gently, sighing with profound regret.

"Alas, he was just short! Really, just a tiny bit short, and he narrowly lost to Qian Kuangge..."