What in the world is this? It’s tightening on its own? Gan Jin frowned, unleashing his full Four Battles Demonic Subduing Qi, twisting his body left and right to push his arms outward. He still couldn't break the net, not even a fraction. Instead, the more he struggled, the harder the black net constricted.

“Just stop struggling. This is something I asked Uncle Black to make for you.” Oulala skipped over with light, quick steps, carrying a pale yellow [Volcanic Potion] that emitted a sweet fragrance. She squatted down in front of Gan Jin. “I knew you’d resist, so I specifically commissioned this from Black... Open your mouth…”

Uncle Black? Gan Jin’s vision went black. The forging skill of that old master blacksmith, Yi Fu, could actually fashion a metal net so soft yet so incredibly tough? He probably couldn't break free at all.

Gan Jin looked at Oulala holding the [Volcanic Potion] in one hand and a completely black but incredibly hard flat-bottomed pan in the other, and smartly chose to compromise by opening his mouth.

Battle Weapon! Gan Jin had forged a Chopping Blade Battle Weapon to challenge Lucas, which he considered a massive luxury. Yet, Black had forged a flat-bottomed pan of Battle Weapon quality for Oulala! This thing was clearly not meant for frying vegetables. If he didn’t open his mouth obediently, the bottom of that pan would definitely meet his face—and keep meeting it until he complied.

Pain! A soul-tearing pain! Gan Jin’s face instantly flushed crimson, and he looked at Oulala in shock, seeking an answer. This pain was wrong! Yesterday’s potion was excruciating, but today’s felt deadly! It was far more potent and violent than yesterday's [Volcanic Potion].

“You feel it?” Oulala looked delighted. “This is the enhanced version of yesterday’s [Volcanic Potion]. I added the essence juice from the Impact Fire Fruit. Now it seems I added it just right—eleven, eleven, eleven…”

Gan Jin stared wide-eyed at Oulala, having absolutely no strength left to spar verbally with this mad, mysterious apothecary. Any strength he possessed was being used to suppress the pain brought on by the [Volcanic Potion]. Wasting energy arguing with this woman would only prove he was a fool.

Three hours… Gan Jin felt as if he had been cleaved into countless fragments, reassembled, thrown into a meat grinder, mixed around, reassembled again, and then submerged in a volcanic lava bath. His physical strength and Battle Qi had clearly improved again, but even his iron will, Gan Jin, shuddered recalling the feeling of dying and coming back to life.

“Here, be a good boy. Drink this…” After Oulala poured the memory potion into Gan Jin’s mouth, she then splashed a basin of stamina-restoring potion onto his body. “There. You can go study with the fool apothecary now.”

Dragging his exhausted body, Gan Jin once again headed to [Adams’ Apothecary Shop] to read the first volume of the Compendium of Medicinal Flora and Fauna for three hours. After waking, Gan Jin took the two girls and headed again to the Extreme Ice Lake…

Day after day, in the isolated Four Seasons Valley, Gan Jin would wake up and immediately bathe in either the Extreme Ice Lake or the Blazing Flame Lake. On the way back to the cave entrance, he would find a Battle Stone from the mine pit. Finally, he would don his magic hat in the cave and enter the [Endless World] to undergo Black’s forging training and suffer Oulala’s bizarre potions. Every time he approached the mysterious pharmacy, Gan Jin suspected he might return to the embrace of the stars, before heading to Adams’ place to look at his Compendium of Medicinal Flora and Fauna.

The sun rose and set; two years passed in the blink of an eye, and the winter in the Four Seasons Valley was nearing its end. The snow, hard as stone, was constantly melting as spring approached the valley.

The snow that had piled up at the valley entrance due to avalanches was decreasing rapidly every day. The ground near the entrance had long since become damp and muddy.

Gan Jin stood at the valley mouth amid the melting ice and snow, sighing silently. Perhaps by tomorrow, the ice and snow here would only reach his knees. It was truly time to leave.

Shui Sui Ying’er stood not far behind Gan Jin, gazing at his back, her heart filled with emotion. Two years in this Four Seasons Valley had allowed the boy, who was once spirited but still slightly immature, to undergo an unimaginable transformation. Not only had his body become tall and robust, but his strength had reached the peak of what the old man called a Demonic Subduing Warrior—the strength of the Nine Battles Demonic Subduing! He wasn’t even nineteen yet…

Biluo held the Centaur’s magic core quietly in her hands, continuing her meditation. Although her spiritual power growth over these two years had been slower than many gifted magic apprentices, traveling around with Gan Jin had honed her ability to enter and exit meditation anytime, anywhere while clutching a magic core.

If one only compared the proficiency of entering and exiting meditation, perhaps even a Great Mage could not compare to Biluo. However, after consuming one Green-Skinned Three-Armed Orangutan magic core and one-fifth of a Centaur’s magic core, she had only reached the level of a Fifth-Level Magic Apprentice, not even touching the qualification to be a Mage, let alone catching up to the Great Mage realm of Huang Quan.

“Let’s go.” Gan Jin stood with his back to the valley entrance, hefting the Slaying Horse Saber that felt almost fused with his body, and carrying the [Moon-Shooting] Bow he had crafted from surrounding iron ore a month ago. He quickly headed toward the Blazing Flame Extreme Ice Lake. “Today, I’ll try to see if I can reach the very center of the Blazing Flame Extreme Ice Lake, to experience what Teacher said—half being the body of Blazing Fire, half being invaded by the chill of the ice.” By the misty lakeside, the old man didn't make Gan Jin and the two girls wait an hour as usual. Instead, he had changed into a set of remarkably clean clothes, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the immense Blazing Flame Lake, an aura subtly different from usual emanating from him.

Gan Jin watched the old man’s back and sighed softly within his heart. Having spent so much time together, he truly regarded this old man as family. Leaving him behind brought a real pang of sadness. Should he ask him to leave with them?

“Impossible,” Gan Jin shook his head gently, cursing his own foolishness. If this old man wanted to leave, couldn’t he have done so any time? Though Gan Jin didn't know why he chose to stay, it was clear he truly didn't want to leave this place. “…Man…” The old man spoke to the Blazing Flame Lake, his low voice carrying a touch of vicissitude. “There will always be times for parting. When you have time, remember to come back and see this old fellow.”

“Oh.”

Gan Jin responded softly, his steps heavier than usual. He slowly approached to a spot not far behind the old man, unleashing the full might of his Nine Battles Demonic Subduing Qi. With a single move—the first-level technique [Myriad Shadows] from the [Endless World]—his body instantly vanished from its original spot. His foot tore through the air, producing pata-pata-pata sounds like waves crashing on the shore, as he kicked toward the old man’s rear!

Over the years, Gan Jin had been kicked in the rear by the old man countless times, sending him flying into the lake. Now that he was about to depart, he had to leave his master with an unforgettable memory. The old man flicked his ankle, sending bits of mud scattering wildly, and his body shifted slightly to the right, but the left side of his rear failed to evade Gan Jin’s kick… Bang! Splash!

The old man’s rear connected with the blow. His body flipped once in the air and plunged into the water like a massive boulder, creating a huge splash.

“It’s hot,” the old man said, emerging from the water, protected by his Wind and Cloud Battle Qi, as he looked at Gan Jin. “Kid, you are truly a freak. The highest Battle Qi rotation speed for the Nine Battles Demonic Subduing is usually between 1280 and 2650 revolutions. But your Battle Qi rotation just now must have been over three thousand revolutions, right?”

“Three thousand five hundred, fluctuating by about twenty revolutions,” Gan Jin replied, reaching out to pull the old man ashore. “Master, I came this time to tell you that I am truly leaving.”

“I know,” the old man said with a faint smile, looking at his soaking wet clothes. “From the moment I first saw you, I knew you couldn’t stay here forever. And since you’ve learned my [Wind and Cloud Battle Qi], how could you die old here? Kid, I’ll give you one last gift in a moment, and then scram out of the valley. Go accomplish what you need to do, and tell the world that not only those with bloodline awakenings can become great warriors.”

Gan Jin nodded heavily. Parting always brought a touch of sorrow that made one reluctant to speak too much.

“Follow me,” the old man swayed slightly, shaking off most of the lake water from his clothes. “This gift, you actually made it yourself. I’ve been preparing it for you for almost two years; it’s time you had it.”

Gan Jin frowned, thinking hard. What had he made himself?

In the two years Gan Jin had been in the Four Seasons Valley, this was the first time he had seen the old man’s dwelling—just a few simple wooden huts. In front of the door grew the Demon Copper Refining Tree stolen from the Moon Demon Flower Spider, bearing fruit that glowed faintly golden, swaying gently in the breeze.

“Oh! I remember now!” Gan Jin slapped his forehead and pointed at the Demon Copper Refining Tree. “This thing—I nearly lost my life getting it back! The old man smiled faintly. “Good thing you still remember.”

“This is impossible to forget,” Gan Jin shook his head like a rattle drum. “Three months ago, I almost became dinner for that thing. Master, you are ruthless! You made me steal this tree when I was only at the Third Battle Demonic Subduing stage!”

The two girls both let out a soft chuckle. Three months ago, Gan Jin had successfully entered the [Eighth Battle Demonic Subduing] realm. He suddenly remembered there was a Moon Demon Flower Spider on the mountain and decided to take its core before advancing further. Armed with his Slaying Horse Saber, he excitedly went up the mountain, only to be chased for three thousand meters by the Moon Demon Flower Spider, which never usually left its territory by five hundred meters. He fled in tatters with a massive hole ripped in the seat of his trousers.

Only through a true confrontation did Gan Jin realize the Moon Demon Flower Spider was far stronger than anticipated. This magical beast possessed a special ability to conceal its true strength.

Even having reached the strength of the [Ninth Battle Demonic Subduing], Gan Jin had no interest in paying another visit to the Moon Demon Flower Spider, though he occasionally coveted the extremely valuable magic core within it.

A: Just finished uploading the first chapter. My daughter pounced on me like an octopus. The little girl, just over three, is very lively. I played games with her for nearly two hours, leaving my back aching, but she’s still full of energy.

My wife has temporarily taken over playing with our girl, giving me this time to upload. Later, I still have to go play with the little villa (I live in a high-rise, so the child naturally calls it a villa, haha). It’s been a long time since I took my daughter to an amusement park. Today I plan to head out for a few hours, and I’ll get back to work afterward!

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