Though the man had withdrawn from the Endless World, the physical pain lingered. The power that had leveled the house in an instant, though significantly reduced in the real world, was still far more than a person should endure.

“Comrade! What’s wrong with your comrade?” Duan Feng’er Er stared at Qian Jin in shock, a look of fury quickly crossing his face. “Who is it? Who ambushed your comrade! Tell me, I’ll avenge you! He actually dared to touch my cigarette warehouse!”

Cigarette warehouse? Qian Jin’s lips twitched—what nonsense was this? He raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow, caused by the pain, and carefully studied Duan Feng’er Er before asking faintly, “Are you a Bloodline Warrior?”

“Oh? Impressive!” Duan Feng’er Er gave him a thumbs-up. “I was just startled, so I activated my bloodline power just slightly before immediately retracting it. You noticed that?”

“Duan Feng’er Er…” Qian Jin recalled the name the General had called out and thought seriously. “It seems no one from the Bloodline Families carries the surname Duan Feng.”

“Exactly.” Duan Feng’er Er chuckled. “I’m an anomaly because my mother came from a Bloodline Family. Of course, she didn't have bloodline power, but for some reason, I did. Those old men wanted me to return to the family. Me? Go back? Go back to my ass! They sold my mother off as a concubine back then! And now they expect me to return?” Duan Feng’er Er was smiling, a very happy smile on his face. Yet, Qian Jin sensed absolutely no mirth in the young man’s expression, only simmering anger and deep hatred…

Such matters were not uncommon in the Zhence Dynasty; this happened not only in the families of Bloodline Warriors but also within other major families and merchant guilds.

“Heh heh… Things are actually quite good now.” Duan Feng’er Er used a fire-stick to light a cigarette and took a leisurely puff. “I even have to thank this damn bloodline power. At least now, no one in the Duan Feng family dares to provoke me. I’m the future of the Duan Feng family, after all!”

Qian Jin, mimicking Duan Feng’er Er, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his own (huái - embrace/bosom), lit one, and immediately started coughing violently. “It seems I’m really not suited for moving things.” Qian Jin pinched out the cigarette and, under Duan Feng’er Er’s gaze, tossed the entire opened pack over to him.

Duan Feng’er Er tucked away the cigarettes and leaned in closer. “So, chatting can get you cigarettes? How about I tell you more about the Abandoned Nine Yang matter? I believe, after hearing it, you will certainly…” “Scram—one—one—one—one—one—one!”

Qian Jin even began to suspect if this Duan Feng’er Er was the fat Luo Lin in a human skin. Aside from his build and strength, the two were just too similar—so similar that seeing him made Qian Jin want to kick him far away. “Oh, right…” Duan Feng’er Er scratched his head. “Too many stories told at once. What you gave me might not be enough. It seems you are quite satisfied with me…” Qian Jin was speechless; this person was not only overly familiar but also possessed an extreme self-admiration that Fatty Luo lacked!

“By the way…” Duan Feng’er Er turned his attention back to Qian Jin. “You actually possess a Dou Realm (Battle Realm)? You need to be careful about this in the future. Although this thing cannot be taken out of your body, it’s best not to let people see it. Many people in this world have psychological issues; even if they don’t, they can’t stand to see others doing well.” “I know.”

“Because you resemble a friend of mine, and you are very sincere,” Qian Jin leaned back against the straw in the corner. “Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you know this secret.”

“Really?” Duan Feng’er Er instantly perked up. “Is your friend as handsome as me? Where is he? Is there another perfect person like me in this world? I want to meet him. Introduce us later, okay?”

Qian Jin pointed a finger toward the roof. “He has returned to the stars. If you want to go there, all you need is a knife and a slice across your throat.”

Duan Feng’er Er became unusually somber for a moment. The words, at first hearing, carried no great sadness, but a perceptive person could sense the profound loss of a friend within them.

“It must be that my friend, sensing your loneliness, went to the God of Stars in the Star Realm and discussed it. Through destiny’s arrangement, you encountered me. Don’t worry! I will continue to promote my perfection—one—one—one—one—one—one—one!”

“Right.” Duan Feng’er Er abruptly changed the topic. “When you screamed just now, I felt your Dou Qi… I wonder if my perception was wrong, but that instantaneous impact felt like Demon Subjugation… Nine Battles?”

Qian Jin looked at Duan Feng’er Er twice more. The Nine Battles lasted only a fleeting instant. As Fabridis would say, the momentary burst and vanishing of Dou Qi was a sign of control. His own control was already so refined that many people couldn't even perceive the process of his Dou Qi bursting and disappearing. He hadn't expected this person not only to sense it but also to identify the Nine Battles Dou Qi. “Yes.”

“Oh? It’s actually true.” The playful grin completely vanished from Duan Feng’er Er’s face, replaced only by shock! Endless shock! A Demon Subjugation Nine Battles at this young age! Few Bloodline Warriors could achieve that, right?

“This, too, must be kept a secret,” Duan Feng’er Er looked at Qian Jin very seriously. “It’s best to keep it confidential. Of course, once you enter the Conquest Academy, with the backing of the Higher Academy, you won’t need to hide it anymore.”

“Have you heard of the Hydra Bloodline?”

Qian Jin turned to look at Duan Feng’er Er. Bloodline Warriors rarely told others about their specific bloodline if they could hide it. Revealing what their bloodline power was gave them an easier path to victory in combat. If a Bloodline Warrior told someone what their bloodline power was, it represented the transmission of true friendship.

Duan Feng’er Er straightened up from his bow, and his body suddenly shook! The dormant bloodline power within him swiftly activated, and his Dou Qi surged rapidly under the stimulus of the bloodline power: Demon Subjugation Warrior… Demon Subjugation One Battle… Demon Subjugation Two Battles… Demon Subjugation Three Battles… Demon Subjugation Six Battles! His eyes, black as gems, lost all trace of white. The eyes of a Hydra Bloodline Warrior were almost crystallized, blackness filling everything within the sockets!

In an instant, Duan Feng’er Er’s body was covered in a thin yet hard layer of black scales! The fingernails on his index fingers jutted out, looking like the two cold fangs of a venomous snake!

A Bloodline Warrior! A Hydra Bloodline Warrior! Duan Feng’er Er hadn't lied; he proved it with action. He was a Hydra Bloodline Warrior, ranked just below the Ultimate Bloodline Warriors!

The strength of Bloodline Warriors also had clear advantages and disadvantages, especially at the Awakening stage, where it was nearly an insurmountable chasm for any Bloodline Warrior. Except for the three major bloodlines inherent to humans and demons that could achieve Ultimate Bloodline Awakening, no other Bloodline Warrior had ever managed an Ultimate Awakening of their bloodline.

The Hydra Bloodline Warrior had exhibited Heavenly Apex Awakening more than once—a level only second to Ultimate Awakening! Because of this, the Hydra lineage was counted among the eight supreme Bloodline Warrior lines of the Zhence Dynasty, second only to the Elven King Bloodline, the Three-Headed Golden Dragon Bloodline, and the War God Bloodline—a super bloodline.

Qian Jin was indeed slightly surprised. He hadn't expected to encounter a Hydra Bloodline Warrior here, nor had he expected that Duan Feng’er Er, who did not belong to a Hydra Bloodline Family, could already possess the strength of Demon Subjugation Six Battles just by activating the initial awakening of his bloodline warrior power! Bloodline Warriors! They truly were an insurmountable peak towering over ordinary warriors!

Duan Feng’er Er retracted his explosive Dou Qi and returned to normal, looking at Qian Jin. “You really are a monster. I’m an Initial Awakened Hydra Bloodline Warrior, yet I’m not as strong as you. How did you train?” “Hard training,” Qian Jin replied simply. “I also trained hard,” Duan Feng’er Er retorted without yielding. “I also want to become a great warrior, so I naturally trained hard.” Qian Jin recalled his training over the past two years and said again, “Fighting to the death.”

“Fighting to the death every day,” Qian Jin added, failing to mention that he spent sixteen extra hours a day fighting to the death compared to others. Without the innate advantage of a bloodline power received with a silver spoon, when one is inherently inferior, one must make up for it with acquired effort.

Sixteen extra hours of fighting to the death every day meant that over two years, he had fought to the death for four extra years compared to others! “Fighting to the death?”

Duan Feng’er Er couldn't quite grasp it. Many people said their specially devised training regimen could turn living men into undead spirits; he supposed that could be considered fighting to the death. Was there an even more desperate way?

“Let’s spar outside another day?” Duan Feng’er Er looked at Qian Jin, clearly eager to try. “Deal.” Qian Jin also wanted to witness the famed Hydra bloodline power, one of the Top Ten Supreme Bloodlines, and see what made it so different.

The two conversed for a while longer, then settled down and began their day’s training. As warriors, they absolutely could not cease training, even when confined.

In a corner of the Earth Fort military camp, a young warrior was also carrying heavy stones on his back, holding a wooden practice sword in his hand, sweating profusely as he trained amidst a hundred surrounding veterans.

A Liu Ke watched the young warrior in the center from afar. That physique was the standard of a warrior, muscles full of explosive, elastic power. His fingers were long, and the skin on his palms was slightly rough—the hallmark left by relentless, hard training.

Fen Tu Kuang Ge! The pride of the Fen Tu family! The top scorer of this year’s Jinxi Prefecture examination! A Liu Ke smiled confidently. Qian Jin of Oakland? Whether or not you are the Demon Subjugation Warrior I suspect you are, you are finished this time! My student couldn't make it to the examination, so you can just repeat the year!

Under the siege of a hundred veterans, while bearing the weight of heavy stones limiting him, Fen Tu Kuang Ge was knocked to the ground by a bamboo cane and a wooden spear. Before he fell, nearly ten veterans with rich combat experience were already lying on the ground. “Impressive! Truly impressive! As expected of the future star of the Civilian War God Family!” A Liu Ke clapped and ran out, cheering loudly. “The descendant of the Fen Tu family is indeed formidable.”

“Aaaaaaaaaah! Tenth chapter, fourth update! Double monthly tickets!! Begging for double monthly tickets! Ten chapters of frenzy today, come get your monthly tickets! Aaaaaaaaaah! Don’t hold back, don’t hide them! ∫To be continued, if you wish to know what happens next, please log in to… for more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)F