The formation conditions for this type of gemstone were exceedingly harsh. While it lacked the massive magical energy storage capacity of a Magic Core, it possessed a different utility: when found by a Master Artificer and subjected to complex, specialized processing, it could absorb the Battle Energy from a Dou Stone or Dou Crystal, refining it into the purest form of Battle Qi.

When a warrior depleted their Battle Qi rapidly during combat, they would either find a place to recover naturally or grip a Dou Stone or Dou Crystal to accelerate the process. However, if they held a processed Son of the Earth gemstone fully saturated with absorbed Battle Energy, they could instantly draw that Battle Qi entirely into their body for immediate use!

The amount of Battle Qi a Son of the Earth gemstone could hold depended entirely on the stone's inherent quality and the skill and capability of the Master Artificer who processed it.

There was a saying in the warrior community: [To possess a Son of the Earth is to possess an extra life!] Although this claim was somewhat exaggerated, it perfectly illustrated the stone's immense value.

The Son of the Earth currently before them was only the size of a thumb. If they could find a Master Artificer to process it, its selling price would likely exceed a hundred thousand gold coins!

Alas, Master Artificers were terribly rare, and none were within Boss Liang’s reach. He could only grit his teeth, sell the raw material, and earn what he could. "It truly is a Son of the Earth," Boske murmured, picking up the jade-green stone from the ground, his gaze devout and focused. "A second life for a Battle Mage..." "Indeed, indeed," Boss Liang nodded repeatedly. "When the opportunity arises, I will certainly find another one for Mr. Boske—ah!!"

The quiet village was suddenly pierced by Boss Liang's agonizing shriek. His stout body doubled over, only his head tilted back, staring at Boske, his tiny eyes filled with shock, surprise, and a dawning, disbelieving suspicion: "Why—why—why—"

Boss Liang could not comprehend why Boske would suddenly draw a dagger and stab him, nor could he fathom why Boske, the Mamen Demon who had been so polite moments before, now wore a savage and violent expression. "Why?" Boske grinned hideously, looking at the two items in his hand. "Goods worth fifty thousand gold coins—wasn't that enough for me to kill you?" "But..." Fatty Liang slowly sank to his knees, struggling futilely against the Grim Reaper. "But, if you hadn't killed me... we would have had many more opportunities in the future..."

"Next time, I'll just find someone else," Boske stated flatly, poking the forehead of Fatty Liang and pushing his corpulent body backward. "Move out," he commanded.

The instant Fatty Liang was stabbed, all the mercenary soldiers drew their weapons and clashed head-on with the charging Beliya Demons.

Qian Jin sighed as he looked at the dead Fatty Liang. The Mamen Demons were notorious not only for their greed but also for their short-sightedness. They cared nothing for future trading opportunities; they only saw immediate profit. Furthermore, they were infamous for breaking their word. This fat man had allowed gold coins to cloud his judgment; such an end was hardly surprising. But to let the [Son of the Earth] and the [Star Iron] fall into the hands of the demons?

A Battle Axe wielded by a Beliya Demon swept toward Qian Jin’s forehead. The demon could already visualize the ensuing splatter of red and white matter, its eyes brimming with bloodthirsty excitement.

The next instant, the Beliya Demon felt a searing friction across its palms. A sharp tug on its nose pulled its body off balance, and a powerful impact slammed into its lower abdomen, sending it flying backward uncontrollably. The battle axe spun through the air, rapidly growing larger in the demon's eyes as it followed closely behind.

Thunk! The axe buried itself deep into the Beliya Demon's chest, nailing him against the wall of a wooden hut. Blood trickled slowly down the handle.

"Slumbering within space..."

Qian Jin heard Ai Bijia’s chanting behind him, and a surge of killing intent flooded his entire being. While the citizens of the Zhence Dynasty were battling the demons, the little princess of the Crystal Magic Tower was still plotting revenge for being thrown into the mud last time! An unknown fire magic spell was not aimed at the demons, but locked onto Qian Jin’s body.

Smack! Ai Bijia received another chop to the cheekbone, interrupting her chant once more as she slumped softly. Zeng Chuandong snatched Ai Bijia up, gave Qian Jin a quick, apologetic gesture from afar, and turned, disappearing into the darkness with the girl.

Zeng Chuandong had no choice. A single exchange of glances had allowed him to read the resolute conviction in Qian Jin’s eyes—a determination to eliminate Ai Bijia, a potential destabilizing factor.

Zeng Chuandong slipped into the shadows and looked back one last time at the fighters engaged in battle, sighing softly. If their positions were reversed, he would make the same decision as Qian Jin. Unfortunately, life was difficult for the Torrent Fortress in the Eternal Province. Protecting Ai Bijia this time was a bid for future benefits. If Ai Bijia died, the Torrent Fortress wouldn't just have a hard time; how could a mercenary guild composed of ordinary warriors compare to the mages of the Crystal Magic Tower?

"Demon Slaying Warrior?" Boske’s triangular eyes glinted coldly as he flipped his wrist, drawing a foot-long short saber from his waist. Under the torchlight, the blade radiated a chilling sharpness. "Behead you, and I can claim an extra bounty..."

"Hey, there's a Bloodline Warrior here!"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, a long spear transformed into a coiling dragon in Duan Fengbuer’s hand, displaying three or five shimmering spear points in the air, making it impossible to discern the true strike. The attack locked directly onto Boske, unleashing the full power of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline of the Six Demon Slayers.

"A Bloodline Warrior? Already at the Sixth Layer of the First Tier?" Boske let out two piercing, strange laughs. His body suddenly erupted with the strength of a Seventh Layer Demon Slayer. His saber, fueled by Battle Qi, let out a faint hum and instantly became a streak of cold light slashing toward Duan Fengbuer’s spear.

A battle axe simultaneously swept in from the side, aiming for the waist. Qian Jin couldn't help but admire the demons' fighting spirit; knowing their opponent was a Demon Slaying Warrior and facing a numerical disadvantage, they still fearlessly raised their axes to challenge them.

The exact same scene replayed: the Beliya Demon was sent flying backward, and the massive battle axe spun through the air to catch up, finally embedding itself fiercely into the wall of the structure, pinning the demon there.

Two strikes, two Beliya Demons dead! Qian Jin felt a sense of luck. If this were a real battlefield, with demon attacks coming from all sides, killing enemies so easily would be impossible. Moreover, the powerful Battle Mages of the demons would have rushed forward long ago, never allowing him such an opportunity to strike.

The sound of clashing metal and shattering wood occurred almost simultaneously. The sparks from the metal collisions in the dark night looked unusually brilliant. The spear in Duan Fengbuer’s hand shattered; wooden splinters flew everywhere, and the spearhead, forged from a Dou Weapon, spun rapidly through the air before piercing the wall of a house, firmly lodging itself in the interior plaster.

Boske took half a step back, holding his saber. A trace of crimson appeared on his blue skin. He shook his wrist several times, gazing at Duan Fengbuer with surprise. "Human Bloodline Warriors are indeed powerful! Even though you are one tier lower than my Seventh Layer of the First Tier, you possess such destructive power. It's a pity your weapon is too poor; it couldn't support you in fighting above your rank. Slaying a Bloodline Warrior's head—I never expected such a glorious moment in my demonic life."

Duan Fengbuer's expression grew grim as he shook his wrists. "A sharp little blade! Even without a weapon, I can still kill you! But I really didn't expect your Battle Qi rotation speed..."

Qian Jin stood amidst the fighting, frowning slightly, not optimistic about the weaponless Duan Fengbuer. Boske’s blade was clearly a Tenth Grade Saber, just shy of being a Dou Weapon, which was why it managed to withstand Duan Fengbuer’s spear thrust without shattering.

"Sigh, let me help him out once," Qian Jin called out, retrieving the Dou Weapon spear he had obtained from the Four Seasons Valley from his Dou Realm. "Speaking of which, lending a weapon to such a shameless fellow, the chances of me getting this spear back are slim."

"Duan Fengbuer! Borrow this!"

Qian Jin flicked his wrist, and the long spear shot through the air. Duan Fengbuer reached out and snatched it. As Battle Qi flowed into the weapon, his eyes lit up immediately, and he grinned broadly, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Comrade! Thank you for gifting me this spear filled with friendship!"

Qian Jin felt an urge to find a rock and smash his own head in. He had expected this shameless fellow to try and wriggle out of returning the Dou Weapon after using it, but the moment he took possession, he claimed it as a gift.

This man had elevated shamelessness and effrontery to the highest realm; even Rolin resurrected could not match him!

The long spear moved like a dragon! Once in Duan Fengbuer’s hands, the Dou Weapon seemed alive, instantly manifesting as seven spear points, enveloping Boske in a tempest of vicious killing intent.

Qian Jin stopped watching Duan Fengbuer. Bloodline Warriors were not made of mud. The Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Warrior, who ranked among the top ten Bloodline Warriors in the Zhence Dynasty, represented a peak bloodline power. If even Boske, at the level of a Seventh Layer Demon Slayer, couldn't be taken down, he might as well die! Even if he hadn't been born into the Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Warrior family, he would still be a powerful Bloodline Warrior.

In the brief engagement between the humans and demons, the numerically superior mercenaries had failed to seize much initiative. If not for Fen Tu Kuangge, a Third Layer Demon Slayer, leading them, they might already be at a disadvantage.

Watching Fen Tu Kuangge in the fray, Qian Jin couldn't help but admire him—this was a true Demon Slaying Warrior! Without Fen Tu Kuangge, the mercenaries’ final outcome would have been defeat, but with this Third Layer Demon Slayer leading, their morale and overall momentum had definitely increased.

"Let's reduce the casualties among the mercenaries," Qian Jin declared, launching himself into the Beliya Demon ranks. He hooked his index finger around the side of an enemy's head and poked, hearing the sound of a watermelon being punctured. The preliminary simulation of the Wind and Cloud Battle Qi technique, [Dividing Gold and Continuous Slash], instantly pierced the Beliya Demon's skull.