The meaning was simple and clear.
If Li Daoqiang won, he could take the two million taels of silver and leave.
But if Li Daoqiang lost, or couldn’t handle the Dali Duan family, then he would have to back down on this matter.
This was the rule of the martial world—when two sides were deadlocked and unwilling to completely burn bridges or fight to the death, they settled it through a duel.
The winner took everything.
The loser had no right to argue and had to accept defeat.
Li Daoqiang’s faint smile returned, and he nodded without hesitation. “Fine. As it happens, I’ve long admired the Dali Six Meridian Divine Sword and the One Yang Finger. Today, I’ll finally get to see them.”
“Then please follow us to Tianlong Temple,” Duan Zhengming said solemnly.
This was the capital of Dali, and the destructive power of top-tier experts was too great to unleash here. Tianlong Temple, as Dali’s deepest foundation, was the best place for a fight.
Li Daoqiang didn’t refuse; he had expected this. Without further words, the group headed toward Tianlong Temple.
Half an hour later.
The gates of Tianlong Temple opened, and a group of elderly monks came out to greet them.
Among them were five masters at the Grandmaster level.
This showed sufficient respect.
Of course, it also carried an implicit warning.
Leading them was the abbot of Tianlong Temple, Benyin, who first nodded to Yideng and Duan Zhengming.
Yideng and the others addressed him as “Uncle,” and they exchanged Buddhist greetings.
Li Daoqiang watched and couldn’t help but form some thoughts.
Dali truly was a Buddhist kingdom.
Among all the nations, only in Dali did Buddhism hold absolute dominance.
It could be said to rule everything.
Of course, internal conflicts within Buddhism existed as well.
Dali’s Buddhist sect was entirely under the control of the Duan family.
While it certainly maintained close ties with other Buddhist branches in other nations, it also retained strong independence.
For the plans ahead, he had to be cautious.
He couldn’t rush, and he couldn’t afford mistakes.
Otherwise, he might end up not only failing to gain anything but also getting himself into trouble.
“Benyin greets Benefactor Li,” Benyin said, pressing his palms together and bowing to Li Daoqiang.
Though the other was a bandit, in this world, strength was what mattered. With Li Daoqiang’s power, the stigma of being a bandit had long faded.
“Greetings, Abbot Benyin,” Li Daoqiang returned the gesture.
“Please, Benefactor Li, come inside. Master Kurong is waiting,” Benyin said politely.
Unspokenly, he had taken charge of the situation.
After all, this was Tianlong Temple.
Li Daoqiang nodded and followed the group into the temple.
His every move was completely at ease.
Behind him, however, even the arrogant and unruly Blood Saber Old Ancestor felt somewhat restrained.
After all, there were too many Grandmasters here.
Surrounded by a group of Grandmasters—especially Buddhist Grandmasters who had once been his sworn enemies—he felt like a wolf thrown into a den of tigers.
If not for Li Daoqiang’s presence, he might not have even had the courage to take a step.
He could only keep his eyes fixed ahead, head slightly lowered, following Li Daoqiang’s footsteps.
Before long, they arrived at a wide square.
At the far end, a figure sat cross-legged.
He was tall, with a peculiar face—half withered and desiccated, half vibrant and full of life.
When he saw Li Daoqiang, his calm gaze met him, and after a deep look, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
After a moment’s thought, he actually stood up.
This startled Benyin and the others.
Their expressions grew even more serious.
“Amitabha. Benefactor Li, I am Kurong. Greetings.”
When the group approached, the figure spoke. His voice was cold, yet not unpleasant.
Rather, it carried an otherworldly, transcendent aura.
“Greetings, Master Kurong. I’ve long heard of your name. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation,” Li Daoqiang said with a smile, slightly intrigued.
This old monk had real skill. In terms of raw power, he was probably inferior to Yideng.
But in terms of insight, he surpassed him.
That single glance just now had made Li Daoqiang feel as though he had been partially seen through.
The man’s perception was undoubtedly formidable.
The Kurong Zen Skill was no small matter.
“It is Benefactor Li who surprises me,” Kurong said coolly.
Benyin, Duan Zhengming, and the others exchanged sharp glances, turning to Kurong.
What had Uncle Kurong sensed?
Could Li Daoqiang’s strength truly have reached that level?
Kurong’s series of reactions, combined with the rumors from the martial world, left them unsettled.
Even Yideng’s gaze deepened slightly.
“Heh, you flatter me, Master,” Li Daoqiang said calmly, as if oblivious to their stares.
He didn’t mind Kurong’s cold demeanor.
That was likely just the man’s nature.
As long as his actions weren’t out of line, Li Daoqiang wouldn’t quibble over personality.
“Since this is a duel, let’s begin. Yideng, you will spar with Benefactor Li,” Kurong said directly, turning to Yideng.
Benyin and the others were startled again.
This wasn’t what they had planned.
Yideng, as the strongest among them, shouldn’t have been sent out so early.
More importantly, it seemed Kurong intended for Yideng to decide the outcome in a single match.
This deviated from their original strategy.
But no one objected.
Yideng bowed to Kurong and replied, “Yes.”
Then he bowed to Li Daoqiang. “Benefactor Li, please.”
“Please,” Li Daoqiang said with a faint smile, composed.
Internally, he was analyzing Kurong’s intent.
Buddhist sects were never averse to ganging up on an opponent.
He had even prepared for a group assault—if not all of their experts attacking together, then at least the Six Meridian Divine Sword Formation.
But Kurong seemed to want Yideng to settle it in a one-on-one duel.
The surprise in the others’ eyes showed they hadn’t known Kurong would do this.
Could it be that Kurong had already confirmed he had reached the level of a peerless expert and was trying to curry favor?
With that thought, he and Yideng stepped into the center of the wide square.
All eyes immediately turned sharp, fixed on them.
Even Kurong, usually calm and aloof, showed a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.
“Benefactor Li, forgive me,” Yideng said, pressing his palms together.
Li Daoqiang gave a slight nod in response.
Then Yideng’s expression turned serious, and he pointed a finger.
A yellow beam of finger energy shot through the air, incredibly fast.
To Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the others below the Grandmaster level, they only saw a flash of yellow light followed by a dull thud.
When they looked again, Li Daoqiang had shifted two steps, and a hole had appeared in the wall dozens of feet behind him.
Between Yideng and that wall, a faint white trail seemed to hang in the air.
It looked as if a terrifying force had pierced through, leaving a scar.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the others were horrified. Under such speed and power, they hadn’t even heard the sound of the air breaking.
Clearly, that force had shattered sound itself.
Kurong, Duan Zhengming, and the others watched Li Daoqiang even more intently.
That movement speed just now—so fast.
It was fast in anticipation, and fast in execution.
The combination of the two had rendered Yideng’s finger strike useless.
Li Daoqiang had dodged it with ease.
“Excellent One Yang Finger. Master Yideng’s skill must have reached its peak,” Li Daoqiang praised lightly.
That single strike had already rivaled Murong Bo’s Canhe Finger in power.
And clearly, it was just a probing move.
Yideng’s gaze grew more serious, and he said sincerely, “You flatter me, Benefactor Li. Please be careful.”
With that warning, he pointed again, the yellow light even denser, as fast as lightning.
At the same time, he pointed with his other hand.
Another beam of yellow light flashed.
The assembled Grandmasters’ eyes lit up, and they silently applauded.
Firing two equally powerful One Yang Finger strikes almost simultaneously was something none of them could do.
The second strike was a prediction of where Li Daoqiang would dodge after the first.
But immediately, they frowned.
Li Daoqiang dodged the first strike with the same ease.
Facing the second, he twisted his body in an impossible way, changing direction and force, returning to his original spot.
In that brief moment, it seemed as though he hadn’t moved at all.
Only the two finger beams shot through the wall, vanishing into the distance.
Even Yideng frowned.
That movement technique, that speed.
Combined with Li Daoqiang’s apparent ability to anticipate his moves, it seemed to be the perfect counter to the One Yang Finger.
“Benefactor Li, your skill is remarkable. Forgive my offense.”
With a solemn word, Yideng’s monk robe began to swell slightly, and transparent currents of energy swirled around him.
The Grandmasters heightened their focus to the maximum—Yideng was about to go all out.
Li Daoqiang’s expression didn’t change. He even stepped forward.
The next moment, Yideng raised both hands, yellow light flickering at his fingertips.
The finger energy, several feet long, was much weaker than before.
But it came down like a torrential downpour, blanketing Li Daoqiang.
In an instant, the dense barrage covered an area two zhang around him.
It seemed impenetrable.
A storm of attacks, as if to annihilate everything.
The Grandmasters held their breath, stunned and thrilled.
Yideng’s (Big Brother’s) strength had reached this level!
As for Blood Saber Old Ancestor and those below the Grandmaster level, just watching made them feel suffocated and weak.
But then, their eyes widened.
Under that storm of finger energy, Li Daoqiang didn’t seem to move left or right. He simply walked straight toward Yideng.
The finger energy grew faster and denser.
But Li Daoqiang’s figure didn’t stop, step by step closing in on Yideng.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor let out a deep breath. Though he couldn’t grasp much, he could see that Li Daoqiang was unharmed.
Kurong and the others saw more, and their hearts grew heavier.
Li Daoqiang’s figure wasn’t still—he was moving too fast.
His ability to shift his force in an instant was astonishing.
Combined with his clear foresight, he moved as if he were slipping through space.
Even the blanket of finger energy couldn’t touch him.
(Chapter 1, thank you for your support.) ······