Li Daoqiang didn't mind at all. In his excellent mood, even Xuan Cheng and Xuan Du seemed unusually agreeable.
With great understanding, he spoke directly: "That child, named Xu Zhu, is currently in your temple."
Instantly, the three eminent monks' expressions changed.
"You're not lying to us?" Xuan Cheng couldn't help but blurt out sharply.
The eminent monk's gaze also flickered with doubt.
How could that child be in Shaolin Temple?
Their minds raced with possibilities.
This matter was far from simple.
Li Daoqiang smiled unhurriedly. "For the sake of our pleasant cooperation just now, I can offer a free reminder—just ask Ye Erniang.
She'll surely recognize her own child.
As for the rest..." He paused, his smile growing brighter. "Eminent Monk, I, Li Daoqiang, love doing business. I believe everything in this world has a price.
As long as you can pay the price, I'll do anything.
I also know some intelligence on this matter. Interested in making a deal?"
The eminent monk's brow remained furrowed. After a moment's deliberation, he said, "Please, go on, Benefactor Li."
"Five million taels of silver, and I'll tell you everything I know." Li Daoqiang said earnestly.
The eminent monk was silent for a moment, then intoned, "Amitabha," and sighed. "If necessary, we will trouble you again, Benefactor."
Li Daoqiang was a bit disappointed—five million was no small sum.
Still, he said sincerely, "You're always welcome. Remember, Eminent Monk and both masters, I, Li Daoqiang, will do anything for the right price.
Come find me anytime. I never mind the trouble."
Facing such a big client, he saw no need to maintain any pretense.
Active salesmanship was the way to go.
The three monks' brows twitched, their hearts conflicted.
Without further words, they left with Ye Erniang.
As for the matter of that child, they believed Li Daoqiang wasn't deceiving them.
Simple reason—Shaolin Temple's strength spoke for itself.
Li Daoqiang might be reckless, but he wasn't foolish.
Watching them leave, Li Daoqiang felt a flicker of anticipation.
He'd been so proactive in his pitch; he wondered if Shaolin Temple would seek him out later.
As long as the price was right, he wouldn't mind playing the role of a black glove.
The thought passed in a flash, and he set it aside for now.
The urgent priority was strength.
His gaze turned deep, a surge of excitement rising as he headed back to Black Dragon Stronghold.
He sent a telepathic message to Ding Dian and Duan Yanqing that all was well, and told Ding Dian to bring Qi Fang and the others back.
Then, Li Daoqiang began his seclusion.
In the secret chamber.
With a thought, Li Daoqiang saw about 120 million bandit points vanish.
In their place, a vast, unmatched power surged.
Spirit, true essence, and blood energy roared together, rapidly strengthening.
The void within a hundred zhang rippled as if shaken by an overwhelming force.
After a dozen breaths, Li Daoqiang felt his power break through a limit, reaching another realm.
At the same time, his essence, energy, and spirit complemented each other, achieving a state of perfection.
A new sensation arose within him.
Pure and flawless.
Complete and without deficiency.
His body felt like a small world, self-contained and cycling.
Under Li Daoqiang's deliberate control, he locked the energy within a hundred zhang, preventing even a ripple from escaping.
Neither Duan Yanqing nor Ding Dian, who had already set out but was still some distance away, noticed anything unusual.
Powerful!
A strength that seemed capable of shaking heaven and earth alone.
Nearly half an hour passed before Li Daoqiang's inner energy settled.
He opened his eyes, his emotions now calm.
The mysteries of the eleventh level of the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Art, and the might of this realm—
All had been deeply understood, fully grasped, and mastered in that time.
Peerless expert.
Only now, having truly reached this level, did Li Daoqiang comprehend its meaning.
Reaching the level in combat power was different from reaching it in realm.
Now, his realm had been attained.
As for combat power, that went without saying.
With the talent of a born war god, just how far could he go?
Li Daoqiang couldn't help but wonder, a spark of anticipation and pride rising within him.
After a few seconds, he calmed down.
Though he didn't know exactly how strong his combat power was now, he was certain of one thing.
There were truly few in the world who could make him wary.
The next level beyond peerless experts was generally called the Heavenly Human Realm.
Aside from the elusive Grandmaster, this was the true pinnacle of existence in the world.
If the chance came, he'd have to fight a Heavenly Human.
With that thought, he smiled faintly in anticipation and turned his attention to the Great Bandit System.
Host: Li Daoqiang Realm: Grandmaster Martial Arts: Dragon-Elephant Vajra Art (Eleventh Level), Lingbo Weibu (Minor Achievement) Talents: Immunity to All Poisons, Born War God, Top-Tier Aptitude Bandit Points:
Little had changed, except for the bandit points. After all his efforts, they were nearly wiped clean.
Just over a million remained, which meant little to Li Daoqiang now.
Of course, even a million wasn't easy to come by, and he wouldn't dismiss it.
Originally, the eleventh level of the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Art required 125 million points.
But over the past few months, he'd never stopped training.
His top-tier aptitude wasn't just for show—it had saved him about five million points.
Next, his expression grew serious as he looked at the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Art, a number appearing in his mind.
625 million!
Still a fivefold increase.
Li Daoqiang let out a light breath, releasing the slight pressure this number brought.
Since he'd anticipated it, it wasn't too hard to bear.
With his current strength, as long as he worked hard, he believed he could obtain it within a few years.
For one thing, just Wan Sanqian, with the right approach, could yield him at least a hundred or two hundred million.
And there were plenty of other fat sheep in the world.
Swallow a few, and it would be enough.
Thinking this, he even chuckled to himself, feeling quite relaxed.
Simply put, it all came down to strength.
Powerful strength was the foundation of everything.
Though 625 million bandit points was a lot, with steady accumulation, he could achieve it one day.
He withdrew his focus and looked outward.
A surge of pride and boldness rose uncontrollably.
Riding the world, stirring up trouble, earning bandit points.
Compared to before, he now had far fewer concerns.
By afternoon.
Ding Dian returned to Black Dragon Stronghold with Qi Fang, Ling Shuanghua, and the others.
"Chief!"
Seeing Li Daoqiang, Qi Fang sighed in relief and called out softly.
Ding Dian also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Good, nothing had gone wrong.
He'd grown used to this life and didn't want it to turn uncertain again.
Li Daoqiang nodded to them without further words, letting them return to their quarters.
The next day.
Li Daoqiang summoned all the high-ranking members of Black Dragon Stronghold to the Assembly Hall.
Ding Dian, Duan Yanqing, Lü Tengkong, Blood Knife Patriarch, Yue Laosan, Yun Zhonghe, and a dozen others, all at least at the third level of the Innate Realm.
He swept his gaze over them, in such a good mood that everyone looked a bit more agreeable.
Truth be told, Black Dragon Stronghold's strength was nothing to scoff at.
There was also Huang Xuemei, a top-tier combat force, who could be counted in.
"Today, I've called you all here for two matters," Li Daoqiang said with a slight smile.
Everyone listened attentively, not daring to be careless.
"First, notify all forces, big and small, throughout Jingzhou. From today on, any force with members at the Houtian Realm
must pay protection fees to Black Dragon Stronghold each month, based on their strength level.
The previous deals with Jingzhou's second- and third-rate forces are canceled.
They'll have to pay up too." Li Daoqiang's tone brooked no argument.
Everyone was startled—this would shatter the fragile balance Jingzhou had just achieved!
But given Black Dragon Stronghold's current strength, it wasn't a big deal for the region.
So no one spoke up; they all silently agreed.
"Second, let's discuss where Black Dragon Stronghold should expand next. Share your thoughts." Li Daoqiang's tone was quite mild.
This time, the group was even more surprised than before.
Jingzhou was already considered Black Dragon Stronghold's territory, tacitly acknowledged across the land.
As long as the stronghold didn't provoke widespread outrage, no one would interfere.
Even the righteous factions would turn a blind eye.
But expanding territory was a different matter.
Though the world was vast, nearly every piece of land had an owner, occupied by forces of varying sizes.
With Black Dragon Stronghold's current power, small-scale expansion wouldn't be an issue—
Those areas were held by second- or third-rate forces.
Large-scale expansion, however, meant confronting first-rate powers.
And no matter how you looked at it, expanding territory was a major affair requiring caution.
After a long, silent pause, Ding Dian sighed inwardly and spoke first: "Chief, if we proceed with the first matter, Jingzhou will inevitably fall into chaos for a time.
So it's best to handle the first matter first before starting the second."
"Hmm, good point. There's no rush for the second matter. We can discuss where to expand first." Li Daoqiang nodded.
Then, everyone began to share their ideas.
All sorts of suggestions came up, and Li Daoqiang listened with a smile, never committing to any.
In the end, no firm conclusion was reached.
Li Daoqiang dismissed them, telling them to start on the first matter.
Soon after, Ding Dian returned alone.
"Chief." He bowed slightly, his expression grave.
Li Daoqiang looked at him with a smile. "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"
"Chief, are you really set on expanding?" Ding Dian asked seriously.
"Heh, tell me your thoughts." Li Daoqiang smiled, noncommittal.
Ding Dian said earnestly, "Chief, I believe Black Dragon Stronghold's foundation is still unstable. We shouldn't rashly expand outward."
"Then what do you think is the best way to quickly strengthen the stronghold?" Li Daoqiang dropped his smile and asked seriously.
Ding Dian was silent for a moment, then said solemnly, "Recruit experts from the evil and demonic paths."
"You mean recruit individual experts, not target established forces?" Li Daoqiang asked.
"Yes." Ding Dian nodded, his tone heavy. "Black Dragon Stronghold has only risen recently. For the long term, we shouldn't claim too much territory, or we'll draw too much attention.
Solidifying our foundation is the way forward."
(Chapter 2, requesting full subscription.) ······