After hearing this, a series of thoughts surfaced in Li Daoqiang's mind. The He Shi Bi, the Yang Gong Treasury, and the Evil Emperor's Relic—all seemed to offer immense benefits. Of course, this required careful planning; there was no rush. He would deal with it after the Hero Conference concluded.
"Go back. Be smart. Don't show any flaws." Li Daoqiang glanced at Bian Bufu and said casually.
"Yes, this subordinate takes his leave." Bian Bufu replied with utmost respect, then cautiously retreated over a hundred zhang before beginning to restore his own state. Only after fully recovering, appearing no different from before on the surface, did he return to his quarters.
Hundreds of zhang behind him, Li Daoqiang concealed himself in the void, focusing all his perception on this small village. A series of unusual auras emerged. Zhu Yuyan, Wan Wan, Bian Bufu, and another grandmaster-level expert. He glanced at an ordinary-looking civilian house, hesitated briefly, did nothing more, and turned to leave. Not to mention Wan Wan, whom he was determined to obtain, the Yin Gui Sect and the Demon Sect were far from as simple as they appeared on the surface. It was better not to force a fight to the death lightly. That would only bring more harm than good.
At the same time, inside that ordinary civilian house, Zhu Yuyan was listening intently as Wan Wan detailed the events of that day. Gradually, her expression grew serious.
"Wan Wan, you're right. Those fake nuns are best at seducing men. When the day comes that Li Daoqiang reaches a certain level and affects something, Shi Feixuan will surely choose the so-called 'feeding the demon with her body.'" Zhu Yuyan nodded, her tone growing colder as she spoke, as if recalling something.
"Then, Master, what should we do?" Wan Wan asked solemnly.
"No need to worry too much. Li Daoqiang isn't so easily influenced. Even if Shi Feixuan marries him, making him turn against our Saint Sect won't be that simple." Zhu Yuyan said with confidence. Wan Wan nodded but said nothing.
"Of course, being passive like this isn't the Saint Sect's style. When it comes to dealing with men, has the Yin Gui Sect ever feared anyone?" The next moment, Zhu Yuyan lifted her delicate chin, speaking with pride. Wan Wan's eyes brightened slightly, curiosity piqued. "Master, what do you mean?"
Zhu Yuyan paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Your junior sister, Qing'er, is almost ready to graduate." A flicker of joy, tinged with complexity, passed through Wan Wan's heart. She naturally understood what this meant, and in her own thoughts, it was the same.
"But Li Daoqiang is no ordinary man. Qing'er's skills are still shallow; she may not be enough to influence him." Suddenly, Zhu Yuyan frowned, as if troubled. Wan Wan remained silent, for saying anything at this moment would be inappropriate. Bai Qing'er was her rival, always watching her closely. Though her master favored her more, Bai Qing'er was still the second-best disciple of the Yin Gui Sect in this generation. The sect's interests came first. So she said nothing.
After a moment of thought, Zhu Yuyan furrowed her brows slightly and spoke slowly, "Let's wait and see. Li Daoqiang is greedy for wealth and lust, with clear flaws in his character. He's indeed a good target for recruitment, not to be missed easily. If Qing'er can't break through to the grandmaster level, she won't be able to influence him at all. Let's see if she can break through in a short time. If not, we'll have to call on the other branch."
Wan Wan was startled, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Master, the Ming Kingdom's...!" The Saint Sect was roughly divided into three branches: the Song Kingdom, the Ming Kingdom, and the northern barbarians. Leaving aside the northern barbarians, the Song and Ming branches rarely interacted, keeping to themselves.
"Though we're not on good terms, we're still one branch of the Saint Sect. Having them influence him is better than letting those fake nuns do it. The Ming branch has produced a promising successor in recent years." Zhu Yuyan said calmly, a flicker of hesitation deep in her eyes, as if she wanted to say more, but ultimately settled into composure. Wan Wan thought for a moment and knew who she meant. She felt little stir in her heart, confident she was stronger than that person. The only difference was that the other was older and temporarily more powerful. She nodded firmly in agreement.
"Alright, no need to rush this for now. Even if the Ci Hang Jing Zhai group wants to 'feed the demon with their bodies,' it won't happen quickly. The Hero Conference is imminent, and your duel with Shi Feixuan can't proceed. But since we're here, let's watch the conference. The scene will be a rare sight." Zhu Yuyan said calmly.
"Master, do you mean something will happen at the Hero Conference?" Wan Wan immediately caught on, curious.
"Just watch. It'll be a good chance to trouble those so-called righteous factions. After it's over, we'll plan two things carefully. This time, if we plan well, we can definitely strike a heavy blow against the Buddhist sect, and..." Zhu Yuyan spoke with a hint of smug anticipation, her eyes gleaming with determination. Wan Wan grew even more curious and intrigued.
...
On the other side, back at the temporary village, Li Daoqiang settled down, doing nothing further, waiting for the Hero Conference to proceed. At the same time, he began contemplating the He Shi Bi and the Yang Gong Treasury. Preparations could start now. He issued a series of orders.
Early one morning, he led a few people toward Dasheng Pass. Along the way, they saw many martial artists converging in the same direction. The closer they got, the more people there were. Finally, Li Daoqiang and his group stopped in a wooded area on a high slope south of Lu Family Manor, outside Dasheng Pass.
Dasheng Pass was a checkpoint in Xiangyang's defense system, naturally of great importance. The area was small and strategically located, so the Hero Conference was not held inside the pass. Instead, it took place at Lu Family Manor outside the pass. In front of the manor, a large open space had been set up with a big arena and rows of seats. On three sides of the arena, more and more martial artists gathered. All sorts of discussions buzzed, growing livelier by the moment.
In the woods, Li Daoqiang and his group took their positions, and he personally concealed their presence. The power of heaven and earth within a dozen zhang converged, forming what seemed like a small, independent realm. While it couldn't make them completely undetectable, it at least prevented anyone from identifying who they were. Once that was done, he began observing with keen interest, relying solely on his innate talent as a natural-born warrior to perceive, without using his spiritual power to manipulate the power of heaven and earth, lest he be detected by stronger experts. Thus, his perception range was smaller, and some details were less precise.
Soon, he raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing through him. There were quite a few grandmaster-level experts. Among the martial artists on three sides of the arena and within Lu Family Manor, over twenty grandmasters had already appeared. Looking at those hidden in all directions around the manor—well, excluding his group—there were over a dozen more grandmasters. Zhu Yuyan and Wan Wan were there, and Ge Shutian had also arrived.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted toward one direction. Then, he quickly looked away. One Wang Chongyang, one Holy Monk, and who was the third? Three supreme experts backing the scene—the righteous faction clearly took this very seriously. The Hero Conference hadn't even started, yet so many experts had already arrived, making him even more intrigued. Such a spectacle was rare.
And... His gaze slowly swept around, a flicker of anticipation passing through. Finally, he locked onto one direction. After a few breaths, it turned into certainty.
At the same time, on a hillside over a hundred li from Li Daoqiang, three figures stood side by side. Wang Chongyang was as impressive as ever, with a faint, sharp aura radiating from him. The Holy Monk wore a gentle smile, holding a feather fan, occasionally waving it. The third person, clad in a white robe, had a black braid hanging from his collar down to his abdomen. His face was lined with wrinkles, bearing the marks of a weathered life. Just looking at him, one could feel an unwavering, righteous resolve.
"There really are a lot of people here." Wang Chongyang's gaze, vast as the sea, slowly swept across the surroundings as he spoke meaningfully. The Holy Monk remained silent, while the old man frowned slightly and sighed softly, "I hope this brings good fortune, not disaster."
"It won't be a disaster. No matter who it is, they won't be allowed to cause trouble." Wang Chongyang said calmly, his sharpness intensifying. The Holy Monk glanced at him with a smile and shook his head, laughing, "After all these years, you're still so sharp."
"Heh, can't change it." Wang Chongyang smiled, unconcerned. The Holy Monk and the old man smiled but said nothing—it wasn't that he couldn't change, but that he didn't want to.
After a pause, the old man spoke thoughtfully, "The Yuan Kingdom will surely send people to cause trouble; a clash is inevitable. Below the supreme level, I'm not too worried. But among the supreme experts, there may still be variables."
Wang Chongyang shook his head and said seriously, "Marquis Shen need not worry. I believe no one will act rashly. Even if they come, they'll only watch at most. The situation is stable; whoever moves will die." The old man glanced discreetly at Wang Chongyang and the Holy Monk, a trace of worry deep in his eyes. But on the surface, he still nodded.
Time passed bit by bit. The atmosphere around the arena gradually reached a peak. Li Daoqiang could sense that the number of grandmaster experts was still increasing. Leaving aside grandmasters, the number of lower-level martial artists was also growing. Soon, it approached nearly twenty thousand.
Don't think that's a small number—it was actually quite large. After all, this was a Hero Conference hosted by the righteous faction. Most wandering martial artists and small-to-medium sects couldn't attend due to distance and other issues. Among those who came, several people usually represented one faction. Even famous, major sects sent only a few people. Nearly twenty thousand people, excluding the majority of nearby wandering martial artists and small households, represented an enormous number of factions. They almost stood for half the martial world of the Song Kingdom.
A little while later, a group of people emerged from Lu Family Manor. Immediately, the noise grew louder, spirits lifted. Everyone knew the Hero Conference was about to officially begin.
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