"Not really... but..." Duan Feng Bu Er crouched back down beside Gan Jing, whispering softly, "You're really an Apothecary? I know very well that Apothecary is an extremely profound discipline. Many people spend their entire lives dedicated solely to this craft and still fail to grasp its absolute limits.

"Bring me some herbs another day, and I'll mix you something." Gan Jing turned back to examine the practice methods for [Gold-Splitting Severance]. His recent viewing had indeed revealed something astonishing: he could actually practice this [Gold-Splitting Severance]!

That’s right! This specialized bloodline combat skill, usually only trainable with the power of a specific bloodline, the [Gold-Splitting Severance] of the Iron Arm Mantis bloodline, was only ever meant for warriors bearing that very bloodline!

Now, the Wind and Cloud Dou Qi could actually learn and practice it! Whether he could master it completely was another matter, but at least he could attain a certain level of proficiency.

Formless and Unfixed! Sky Nine! Clouds—they could transform into any shape imaginable, and the character for [Cloud] in Wind and Cloud Dou Qi was exactly the same!

For the first time, Gan Jing realized his Dou Qi could also be altered and imitated, like a cloud, to simulate the bloodline combat techniques of specialized bloodlines!

"Is this... the true reason why [Wind and Cloud Dou Qi] possesses so few innate combat skills?" Gan Jing looked suspiciously at his palm, feeling the control over the Dou Qi within him. "Is the name [Wind and Cloud Dou Qi] not just arbitrary? Can the Dou Qi truly be like formless clouds? Then what about the wind? What does that represent?"

Duan Feng Bu Er scratched his head, muttering sounds of amazement as he sized up Gan Jing's back. He had never seen such a young Apothecary. He didn't seem to be lying, but if he truly was an Apothecary and a warrior of the Nine Demon-Slaying Battles, it was utterly astounding! "Ouch ▲"

A spoiled voice rang out from the straw of another carriage. Ai Bijia shook her head, climbing out of the hay, clutching her magic staff and glaring fiercely around: "Who knocked me out?!" The mercenaries continued forward with their eyes fixed straight ahead, none turning to look at the irate Ai Bijia.

"Huh? Where are the Black Wind Bandits? Did they run off?" Ai Bijia suspiciously scrutinized the surrounding warriors, letting out a disdainful snort: "Hmph! Just relying on you lot? You certainly couldn't have chased off the Black Wind Bandits! It must be the fame of my father and mother that scared them away—0" A few mercenaries shot Ai Bijia cold glances, responding with equally disdainful sneers.

"What are you sneering at?" Ai Bijia felt her dignity had been violated. She straightened her back and suddenly spotted Gan Jing. Frost immediately coated her face: "That's right! You threw me into the mud earlier, and I haven't settled that score yet! Now..." Crack Crack Crack r▲r The caravan suddenly halted, and all the mercenaries glared furiously at Ai Bijia.

"You... you all..." Ai Bijia's arrogance deflated substantially, her voice shrinking to a whisper as she scrunched her eyebrows and muttered, "You treat me like this! I'll remember you all! When we get back to Yongliu Province, I’ll have my mom and dad arrest every single one of you!" "Fatty Liang! Get me some clean water!" Ai Bijia sat in the withered straw, fiercely striking the side of the cart with her staff: "Hurry up!" Boss Liang sighed, his heavy jowls shaking a few times. He thought to himself that he couldn't afford to offend the girl's parents, so he gestured subtly toward two nearby mercenaries.

Ai Bijia triumphantly accepted the water pouch handed to her by a mercenary, her eyes arrogantly lifted high as she let out a cold huff, murmuring loud enough for everyone to hear: "_So proud of yourselves? In the end, didn't you all have to listen to me anyway?"

Gan Jing couldn't be bothered with Ai Bijia any longer. All his focus was poured into [Five Slashes of a Thousand Armies]. Two years of life-or-death training in the Four Seasons Valley had forged a wild, unconventional fighting style unseen by others, but he was severely lacking in genuine combat techniques. Now that he had found a path connected to one of the former Ten Great Bloodline Warrior Families, and discovered he could simulate their techniques with his Wind and Cloud Dou Qi, he certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to learn.

Ai Bijia retreated into the carriage to wash up and change into clean clothes. Head held high, she reappeared outside the cart, her eyes immediately locking onto Gan Jing, who was lying in the straw. The fingers gripping her magic staff unconsciously tightened.

Zeng Chuan Dong flicked his horsewhip, the sound cracking sharply in the air, and looked up at Ai Bijia: "It’s best you don't provoke him; it will only bring you a lot of trouble."

"Him? What's so great about him?" Ai Bijia arched her eyebrows, her expression thoroughly dismissive. "He’s not some Bloodline Warrior. Do we, the Crystal Magic Tower, need to fear him? Even if he were the illegitimate son of your Flood Tide Fortress Guild Master, he’d still amount to nothing. Never mind! I’ll teach him a good lesson when we return to Yongliu Province!"

Ai Bijia swept another glance at Fen Tu Kuang Ge nearby, a trace of hatred creeping into her beautiful eyes: "Hmph! So what if you're a Demon-Slaying Warrior? I’ll call my older brother and sister to back me up then! Even if you’re a Demon-Slaying Warrior, you’ll still get beaten." Zeng Chuan Dong shook his head and cracked his whip again without speaking. As long as she didn't approach Gan Jing looking for trouble, that kid had even dared to kill the vicious Wan Yan Tie Gu. If Ai Bijia showed killing intent towards him, it was hard to guarantee he would show deference to the two leaders of the Crystal Magic Tower.

A distance of one hundred and fifty li meant that for a caravan not traveling particularly fast, it required nearly two full days.

In the frontier lands filled with danger and bandits, covering one hundred and fifty li peacefully was truly difficult. After dispatching Wan Yan Tie Gu of the Black Wind, the caravan encountered two more small groups of bandits. The mercenaries followed Fen Tu Kuang Ge, who unleashed the power of the Three Demon-Slaying Battles, and after two charges that swept away the menace, they safely reached the border of the Demon Realm. From a distance, Gan Jing saw living Demons for the very first time in his life!

The group of over thirty Demons were all almost the same height, each standing close to two meters tall, their solidly built muscles giving the impression of living rock.

Each having a pair of curved horns resembling a sheep's horns protruding from their temples, along with straw-yellow hair, indicated these were Beliya Demons, one of the seven major Demon tribes. Records from the Zhen Ce Dynasty described them as the weakest and laziest among the Seven Great Demon Tribes.

Gan Jing walked beside the carts like the other mercenaries, his peripheral vision secretly sweeping over every Beliya Demon. Their height and physique—give them weapons, and they were born warriors! Even if they were as lazy as the books claimed, their actual combat power could not be underestimated!

At the very least... Gan Jing glanced at the mercenaries beside him. At the very least, in a direct confrontation, it would take at least two of these mercenaries to defeat one of these Beliya Demons.

One-on-one? Gan Jing realized only a few of the mercenaries could secure victory in a fight to the death; the rest would likely be slaughtered by the Beliya Demons to accumulate military merit.

Boss Liang walked toward the Demon checkpoint with his hands behind his back, swaying slightly. He showed none of the timidity he displayed in the Zhen Ce Dynasty; he walked with the air of a true master.

The dark-skinned, sharp-nosed, fiercely proud Beliya Demon soldiers behind the checkpoint suddenly broke into fawning smiles upon seeing Boss Liang.

The corner of Gan Jing's lips curved into a faint smile. Although Demons generally looked down upon humans—with many even considering humans as two-legged sheep good for roasting and eating—they showed exceptional respect towards merchants from the Zhen Ce Dynasty. He had heard that the Demon Emperor had even issued specific decrees ordering that every merchant from the Zhen Ce Dynasty be treated well.

A merchant like Boss Liang, who had to bow and scrape in the Zhen Ce Dynasty, instantly transformed into a distinguished guest in the eyes of the Demons upon arrival here.

Gan Jing leaned back slightly, whispering quietly to Fen Tu Kuang Ge and Duan Feng Bu Er: "If you don't want to be visited by the Demon race's internal security with knives drawn in some secluded spot, you absolutely must not display the strength of a Demon-Slaying Warrior in front of these Beliya Demons."

Duan Feng Bu Er put away his usual casual demeanor, nodding with a rare look of seriousness. The Demons welcomed merchants from the Zhen Ce Dynasty, but they would absolutely not welcome any Demon-Slaying Warriors, let alone Bloodline Warriors. These were the executioners who slaughtered Demons on the battlefield; neither side would pass up any opportunity to weaken the enemy nation, even by the slightest margin.

Boss Liang chatted pleasantly with the Beliya Demon lieutenant at the checkpoint for a few moments, finally patting the lieutenant's arm—which was hardly thinner than his own thigh—with his plump hand, and waved triumphantly toward the caravan, shouting: "Alright! Come on over!"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge endured the gazes of the Beliya Demons, feeling an extreme annoyance, as if pricked by needles. His sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly as he secretly looked towards Gan Jing, only to find that he showed absolutely no signs of discomfort. He maintained the appearance of a diligent mercenary.

Zeng Chuan Dong pulled his hat down even lower and praised Gan Jing quietly beside him: "Good nerve! This must be your first time seeing a living Demon, right? You show no reaction at all—that’s something that kid from the Fen Tu family could study for half a year."

"I'm used to it," Gan Jing replied casually, his eyes secretly scanning the checkpoint's defensive measures, considering whether he might be able to hack off a few Demon soldiers' heads on his way out after the mission was complete, potentially earning some military merits.

Used to it? Zeng Chuan Dong looked at Gan Jing, who was quickening his pace, and grew even more puzzled. What could he possibly be used to? Getting used to Demons on the first viewing?

Gan Jing found it too tiresome to explain. Having spent the last two years frequently residing in dangerous areas filled with magical beasts, his nerves had long since become both incredibly sharp and remarkably thick-skinned. If he had to explain himself every time he met a new person, wouldn't he exhaust himself to death?

The caravan entered the Demon territory but did not immediately encounter any Demon villages or cities. Similar to the Zhen Ce Dynasty, the Demon towns and cities were also situated fifty li behind the border line—a reciprocal defensive measure against the Zhen Ce Dynasty.