Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Second Place Forever
Qian Jin’s eyes immediately adjusted to the eye-piercing sunlight, and he stared at an elder who was standing beside the hole. The elder had a full head of white hair, and his hands were at his back as he smiled friendly. However, Qian Jin’s rapid and intense heartbeat didn’t slow down.
No sensation! Qian Jin didn’t sense anything at all! After Qian Jin had begun practicing and training in the Endless World, this was the first time that he didn’t sense someone approaching him this close! He didn’t sense this elder at all despite the small distance.
After a blink of an eye, Qian Jin quickly calmed down from his shock. The Level 10 Warrior Energy that instantly appeared around his body to protect himself returned to his body. The elder that was as strong as a bear and standing beside the hole in the ground was surprised as well. A sense of surprise flashed through his smiling face. He was surprised that this young man was already a Level 10 Warrior despite his young age. However, what surprised him more was that this young man could make such a decision in a split second during his shock and calm his disturbed emotions down.
“This…” Qian Jin swiped the dirt off his body with his hands; he looked a bit cleaner. Then, he put his hand up and reached out for the elder as he said, “Elder, I’m kind of tired after digging all these holes. Could you please help pull me out of here?”
The elder laughed as he reached out his hands and grabbed onto Qian Jin’s hand. Qian Jin instantly felt the power in the elder’s thick hands. It was the kind of power that he couldn’t fight against!
Qian Jin kicked the wall of the hole with both of his feet as the elder pulled and swung his wrist; Qian Jin instantly flew out of the dirty hole that he dug out.
The elder was surprised again as he watched Qian Jin land onto the ground easily and firmly. Qian Jin’s lower half of his body was stronger than he thought; if a warrior only focused on improving his or her warrior energy, he or she couldn’t stand still after getting pulled and threw by that force.
“Elder.” Qian Jin pointed out his thumb; he didn’t hesitate to show his praise for the elder. He also thought to himself, “Is the guardian of Oakland Fabreidis or this elder, who is as tough and thick as a bear, stronger?”
The elder smiled as he observed Qian Jin; he looked like he was appreciating a beautiful art piece. “Kid, what are you trying to find? Why did you dig so many holes on the ground?” he asked.
Although the elder had white hair and a white beard, his skin had no wrinkles. He had the skin of a middle-aged man. However, his eyes were very strange; they were a pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything in this world!
Qian Jin had seen these eyes once before. Qian Zenwu, the Head Elder of the branch family in the Qian Family, had a pair of eyes that was very similar to this elder’s.
Qian Jin didn’t like the feeling of being seen through by someone else. He raised his head and stared back at the elder. “This elderly warrior is much stronger than me. If he’s here as well, then he probably wants the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll too. It looks like the traveling poets are right. There are always more than one copy of a treasure map. I should just admit it directly! If I don’t dare to admit why I’m here, then I will be looked down upon,” he thought to himself.
“I’m here for Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll.”
The elder’s eyes that could see through everything suddenly shined. A sense of surprise and delight flashed on his face. “You found the map about Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll? You dare to come here despite the dangers in Four Season Valley?” he asked.
Qian Jin shook his head forcefully, and he shook out the soil and dirt off of his hair. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he said, “Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but others are born with grassroots in their mouths. If the people who were born with grassroots in their mouths don’t try their hardest and instead complain about their background and be jealous of other’s luck, then would these people have a chance of succeeding in life?”
A surprised expression flashed by the elder’s face for the third time today. He secretly gasped in admiration. “Although it’s impressive to be a Level 10 Warrior at this age and it’s rare to see people making a split-second decision, the most precious things this young man has are his eyes that can see the essence of matters, his brave heart and his daring attitude.”
“Interesting, very interesting.” The elder laughed as he nodded, “There are a lot of people who are older than you that still complain about their family backgrounds. They haven’t thought about the ancestors of the big families; these people were once just like them. Those ancestors of the big families once had nothing as well,” he said.
“Yes, elder. What you said is interesting as well.” Qian Jin didn’t feel any malicious intent from the elder. Since he was also very tired from digging all the holes, he started to chat with the elder. “It doesn’t matter if the map said that the location of the scroll is in this Four Season Valley. Even if it said that the scroll is on the Human-Demon Battlefront, I would still go there just to have the chance to become a great warrior.
“Human-Demon Battlefront? This recommendation isn’t bad.” A serious expression appeared on the elder’s face. “Then, you could try putting Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll on the Human-Demon Battlefront. But then the issue is whether you’d be willing to wait for someone like yourself to go onto the Human-Demon Battlefront to find it…” the elder said.
Qian Jin didn’t pick up where the elder had left off. Both of his eyes stared at the elder whose figure looked like a bear. He soon became very excited, and he asked as he stuttered, “El… Elder. You… you said you are the one who drew the map for the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll?”
The elder stroked his white beard on his chin and said with a proud expression on his face, “Of course! Not bad, you reacted faster than I thought. Yes, I’m the one who drew the map. If fact, I drew a few maps. Right after I drew them, I came to live in this Four Season Valley.”
“At the beginning,” The elder tapped the huge piece of rock and said, “I built my house on this side of the rock. But after a long time, no one came. Since I also grew tired of the view and scenery, I moved my place near another rock not too far away. If you didn’t dig up all these holes, I wouldn’t have known that you came.”
Qian Jin instantly felt like he had been greatly blessed; at the same time, he found it ironic. For all this time, he thought that Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll was a book, but it was actually a person! If he didn’t falsely believe the story from a traveling poet and didn’t try to dig up these many holes, he might’ve really missed this opportunity.
“Kid, not bad.” The elder tapped Qian Jin’s shoulder, and a lot of soil fell off of it. “You are really good! I was stunned when I saw you. I was only a Level 4 Warrior when I was in your age, while you are already a Level 10 Warrior! At first, I thought you were a bloodline warrior genius.”
Qian Jin smiled bitterly, but he didn’t give any explanation. The Endless World was way too mysterious; if it wasn’t for the Endless World and the crazy training, there was no chance that he could become a Level 9 Warrior. Furthermore, if he didn’t get the stimulation from the avalanche and the energy stone, he wouldn’t have advanced to a Level 10 Warrior anytime soon, even if he was lucky.
“What’s more important is that you still understand the importance of having a strong body and not just warrior energy.” The elder was going off and praising Qian Jin as he walked around him one round after another. “Most people only focus on increasing and adding to their warrior energy. They forget that the real container for the warrior energy is their body, and not their energy reservoirs! You are very special. Although your lower half body isn’t as strong as your upper half body, it’s still stronger than most people your age.”
Qian Jin was very thankful towards Blake in the Endless World. If Blake didn’t give him the mission of finding the mine in West Mountain, then his lower body would be a lot weaker. When he got pulled up by the elder from the deep hole, he probably would have had difficulty standing still.
“A Level 10 Warrior… with a strong physical body, you only need to improve a little bit. After you become a Demon Fighter, you will be able to learn the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll.” With one hand on his chin, the elder smiled as he said happily, “Not bad, not bad, I didn’t waste all these years for nothing.”
Qian Jin was feeling a bit uncomfortable after the elder stared at him for a long time. He quickly spoke to get rid of this feeling. “Do I have to become your disciple in order to get the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll?”
The elder laughed. He found what Qian Jin said very funny, despite it not being hilarious. “Of course! The Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll isn’t just some ordinary training scroll. How could I give it to you before you acknowledge me as your master?” he said.
Qian Jin didn’t doubt what the elder said. Just the elder’s power and strength proved everything! Although a set of advanced training scrolls couldn’t make a warrior great for sure, it would greatly increase that chance.
“It looks like you believe me, but you don’t know and understand the glorious history that the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll has…”
After, Qian Jin saw the elder sit directly down on the ground. He wasn’t planning on standing up and walking around anytime soon. He got the feeling that the elder was going to speak for a very long time. “Could it be that this elder has lived in Four Season Valley for so long and never had anyone to talk to? Now that he has finally found someone he can talk to, is he going to let out everything?” Qian Jin suspected.
“Kid, sit down and listen to me. If you don’t know about the glorious history that the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll has, then you won’t understand the honor regarding it. Without this, how could you train effectively in the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll?” The elder patted the wet soil beside him as he said, “I’m sure you know that there are six Ultimate Supreme Bloodlines in this world, right?”
Qian Jin nodded; he didn’t disagree. After mentioning the Ultimate Supreme Bloodline, most people in Zence Empire would say that there were three Ultimate Supreme Bloodlines, but they had forgotten that there were also three types of Ultimate Bloodline in the Demon Empire. In total, there were six Ultimate Supreme Bloodlines on this continent.
“But…” Qian Jin lightly frowned as he thought, “There seems to be no connection between the Ultimate Supreme Bloodline and the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll…”
“Great! You aren’t like other idiots who try to correct me and tell me bullsh*t like there are only three Ultimate Supreme Bloodlines.” The elder said in delight. “You frowned because you think there is no connection between the Ultimate Supreme Bloodline and the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll, right? Kid, you are wrong if you think like that! When the creator of the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll trained to its limit, the Elf King Bloodline warrior from the Qian Family had the Ultimate Awakening. Berjurski, the creator of the Wind and Cloud Power Training Scroll, secretly fought with all of the powerful warriors and never lost… until…”
An unfortunate expression appeared on the elder’s face. Even if Qian Jin was thinking with his knees and not his brain, he knew that this Berjurski probably secretly fought the most powerful warrior in Zence Empire at the time, the Elf King Bloodline warrior who had the Ultimate Awakening.
“Until he met Qian Kunge, the strongest warrior in Zence Empire. Both of them agreed to a secret fight.” The elder said in a pitiful tone as he sighed and lightly shook his head. “Unfortunately, he was just a little bit short! It was really close! He came a bit short and barely lost to Qian Kunge.”