Bai Xiaosheng’s expression turned solemn as he said earnestly, “To be honest with you, Chief, I’ve come precisely to invite you to join the Azure Dragon Society.”
Li Daoqiang’s expression also grew serious. After a moment of thought, he said, “Let’s not beat around the bush. What benefits would I, as the chief of this stronghold, gain from joining the Azure Dragon Society? Don’t bother with promises about what comes after—for me, those are all empty talk. What I want is something tangible, right in front of me. Otherwise, why would I risk joining an organization I don’t understand, or even know if it’s real or fake?”
Bai Xiaosheng nodded in agreement, a hint of approval in his expression, and said sincerely, “You’re right, Chief. That’s why we’ve already prepared a show of good faith.”
A flicker of interest appeared on Li Daoqiang’s brow, as if urging him to continue.
“First, as long as you demonstrate strength at the level of a supreme expert, you can immediately become a Dragon Head of the Azure Dragon Society. The society will also help the Black Dragon Stronghold grow. The fees collected will only be half of the original amount. Second, we know you value wealth. So we’ve prepared five million taels of silver as a gesture of sincerity to invite you to join,” Bai Xiaosheng said solemnly.
After much deliberation, these were the two conditions they had settled on to recruit Li Daoqiang. They seemed simple, but they were genuine benefits. The value of the first point—the half-price discount—was something Li Daoqiang could surely imagine, even if Bai Xiaosheng hadn’t spelled it out. The second point needed no explanation: five million taels of silver was a lot. More importantly, others seeking to join the Azure Dragon Society usually needed the society more than it needed them. But this time, to invite Li Daoqiang, they were proactively offering money, showing their sincerity.
As Bai Xiaosheng expected, Li Daoqiang clearly understood the sincerity behind these two points. But he wasn’t tempted. The first point required him to reveal his strength. As for the second, while five million taels was a lot, to him now, it was just so-so. More crucially, he felt the timing wasn’t right. With his and the Black Dragon Stronghold’s current strength, dealing with those old foxes felt risky.
After a moment’s hesitation, Li Daoqiang said directly, “I’ve seen the sincerity of Brother Bai and the Azure Dragon Society. But for now, let’s forget it.”
Bai Xiaosheng’s expression didn’t change. He smiled faintly and said, “Chief, do you have any other conditions? Feel free to speak plainly.”
“Thirty million taels of silver,” Li Daoqiang said bluntly without holding back. “Give me thirty million taels to prove your strength. With that amount, it’d be worth the risk for me to join an organization I don’t know.”
If they could come up with thirty million taels, then taking the risk would be worthwhile.
Even though Bai Xiaosheng had mentally prepared himself, his face stiffened slightly. Thirty million taels—that was truly an outrageous demand. He shook his head and said solemnly, “Chief, thirty million taels is too much.”
The implication was clear: no deal.
Li Daoqiang didn’t mind. He chuckled and said, “No rush. You can go back and discuss it slowly. Maybe the higher-ups of the Azure Dragon Society will agree.”
Bai Xiaosheng gave Li Daoqiang a deep look, then nodded with a smile. “Alright, I’ll report back and then give you my reply, Chief.”
Li Daoqiang nodded.
Bai Xiaosheng pulled a stack of ‘paper’ from his bosom and said with a smile, “Chief, this is fifty thousand taels in gold notes—the fee for this time.”
“Haha, Brother Bai is truly a man of style. I, Li Daoqiang, won’t stand on ceremony,” Li Daoqiang laughed heartily, reaching out to take the gold notes.
“Then I’ll take my leave.” Bai Xiaosheng clasped his hands in a salute.
“Take care, Brother Bai. The Black Dragon Stronghold welcomes you anytime,” Li Daoqiang said politely, though he meant it sincerely.
Bai Xiaosheng’s expression remained unchanged as he nodded and left.
Once Bai Xiaosheng had gone from the assembly hall, the smile faded from Li Daoqiang’s face. He glanced at the extra one million bandit points in the Big Bandit System and smirked. Truly wealthy. Coming once and spending a million taels without batting an eye. His interest in the Azure Dragon Society grew even more. No doubt, there would be plenty of wool to shear from them.
After a moment’s thought, he suppressed his eagerness. His strength was still insufficient; he couldn’t rush. It would be best to wait until he had mastered the eleventh layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique before joining the Azure Dragon Society and befriending those schemers. He had no confidence in outsmarting them, so he’d have to rely on absolute strength to deal with them. Only then could he ensure he didn’t come out on the losing end. So, no rushing.
After waiting patiently for several days without word from Bai Xiaosheng, Li Daoqiang set the matter aside. He wasn’t in a hurry anyway. After a few more days of preparation, handling stronghold affairs and ensuring nothing major was amiss, Li Daoqiang set off southwest with Blood Saber Ancestor and two other innate experts.
The martial arts manual he had his eye on was, barring surprises, still in its original place. Without rushing, eight days later, they arrived at the Wuliang Sword Sect on Wuliang Mountain in Dali.
Standing atop a high peak, Li Daoqiang gazed at the vast mountain range in the distance. Behind him, an innate expert stood respectfully. Soon, Blood Saber Ancestor and another innate expert approached together.
“Chief, we’ve confirmed that the so-called Wuliang Jade Wall is not far from here. In a month, the Wuliang Sword Sect will hold its East and West Branch competition,” Blood Saber Ancestor reported respectfully.
Li Daoqiang withdrew his gaze, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. A month—that meant it was still there. Lucky break. “Lead the way to the Wuliang Jade Wall,” he said calmly.
“Yes.” The two innate experts responded, and the group of four moved swiftly. With their strength, as long as they didn’t want to be noticed, the weak Wuliang Sword Sect couldn’t detect them. Of course, Li Daoqiang didn’t care about the Wuliang Sword Sect at all, so he didn’t bother hiding. It was up to the sect’s own luck and awareness.
Before long, Li Daoqiang spotted the Wuliang Jade Wall. He told Blood Saber Ancestor and the others to wait while he flew up to search for the Langhuan Paradise. With his strength and a defined search area, it wasn’t difficult. Soon, he found the destination.
Entering the cave, a lifelike jade statue caught his eye. Li Daoqiang’s gaze showed a hint of admiration—it really looked like a real person, beautiful as a fairy. No wonder Duan Yu was so infatuated; it was understandable. Then he stepped closer to examine it, secretly calculating how much the jade statue could sell for. Just the size of the jade alone was valuable, let alone the craftsmanship and effect. It might even be priceless.
Take it. He immediately decided to take the jade statue. Leaving it here was a waste; taking it could bring great value. After a few expectant glances, he got to work on his real goal.
He retrieved the items from the cushion in front of the jade statue and opened them: the Northern Dark Divine Art and the Treading on Waves Step. He first examined the Northern Dark Divine Art, pondering its intricacies—it was indeed a divine skill. But he quickly lost interest and set it aside, focusing on the Treading on Waves Step. That was his true target.
For him, who possessed the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique, the Northern Dark Divine Art was of little use to his own strength. The Treading on Waves Step was different. It was one of the rare master-level martial arts combining lightness and movement techniques. With his innate War God talent, the fastest way to boost his strength was to enhance his base power and speed. If he mastered the Treading on Waves Step, his combat ability would improve significantly.
Without wasting time, he memorized the entire Treading on Waves Step. Then he checked the Big Bandit System. Behind the martial arts on the info panel, besides the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique, there was now Treading on Waves Step (Uninitiated). It cost 500,000 bandit points to initiate.
Without hesitation, he clicked it. Instantly, Li Daoqiang’s spirit jolted as a flood of information surged into his soul. At the same time, his true energy flowed, moving through various meridians. His body began to move, as if weightless, with a hint of ethereal grace, stepping across the ground. In a flash, he traced the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes, leaving sixty-four neat footprints on the floor without a trace of disorder.
After a few breaths, Li Daoqiang stopped. A sense of delight rose within him. The Treading on Waves Step had been initiated, as if he had practiced it for a long time, ingrained in his soul, muscles, and meridians. The effect was excellent. He could accurately judge that his speed and movement had improved significantly, which would boost his combat ability in real fights.
He clicked again. 2.5 million bandit points vanished. Instantly, another torrent of information appeared. Li Daoqiang’s body moved again, stepping through the air, leaving footprints that faintly formed a massive phantom of the sixty-four hexagrams. His figure shifted within the phantom, darting forward and sideways, as if crossing space itself, appearing at any point on the phantom in an instant. The surrounding spiritual energy was drawn to the phantom, actively replenishing his consumption. An ethereal, immortal aura grew stronger, as if he were a celestial being.
After a while, Li Daoqiang stopped. A flash of excitement crossed his face. The effect was surprisingly good. At the minor mastery level, the Treading on Waves Step’s speed and movement aside, it boosted his combat power by at least 30%. Don’t underestimate that—at his level, every 10% increase in combat power was enormous. If before he thought he was at a disadvantage among supreme experts, now he was certainly not at a disadvantage.
With a thought, the bandit points needed to master the Treading on Waves Step appeared in his mind: 12.5 million bandit points. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t click. It wasn’t that he begrudged the points, but it would be wasteful. His innate War God talent was a divine tool for mastering martial arts, and with his top-tier aptitude, he could master the Treading on Waves Step on his own before long. Spending 12.5 million bandit points would be a waste. As for the 3 million he had spent earlier, it wasn’t much, and he had been eager to see the results, so it was fine.
(Dedicated to the alliance leader ‘Regardless, Unheeding’—extra chapter. From now on, three chapters a day. First subscription at just over four hundred—life is bleak, begging for subscriptions.) ······