Fortunately, to increase efficiency. Or rather, having grown accustomed to gold, Li Daoqiang cautiously loosened his standards a bit when it came to the less valuable silver.
He used two large bags, each holding over three thousand jin of silver. One trip netted over six thousand jin of silver—more than sixty thousand taels, or over sixty thousand bandit points.
That night, Li Daoqiang made a full ten trips. In truth, if it were just running back and forth, he could have done far more than ten trips in a single night. But he also needed to clean the poison off the silver, which took considerable time. So he only managed ten trips, earning around seven hundred thousand bandit points.
Comparing the haul from the two nights made it clear just how precious gold was. Even Li Daoqiang couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret—if only it were all gold. Of course, he wasn’t about to turn his nose up at silver.
If not for that giant golden Buddha, silver would have been the bulk of the *Liancheng Jue* treasure vault. Gold was ultimately the minority. That giant golden Buddha was likely Emperor Liang Yuan’s painstaking effort to convert his silver into gold, melting it down into the Buddha to reduce its volume and better conceal it.
Glancing at the bandit points in the Grand Bandit System—over 4.7 million— Li Daoqiang suppressed his impatient excitement. There were still over two hundred thousand to go. Almost there, but it was daytime now, and safety came first.
Still, he returned to Tianning Temple. Even if it was hard to make trips during the day, he had to guard this place, just in case. The more critical the moment, the less he could afford to be careless. He was on the verge of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, and he needed to ensure maximum safety.
Back in the secret chamber, as soon as he sat down, Li Daoqiang felt the exhaustion hit him. Going two days and two nights without sleep was nothing, but over a dozen trips back and forth, coupled with the intense emotional swings of tension and excitement, and the meticulous cleaning of gold and silver— All of it combined, and the moment he relaxed, even he couldn’t help but feel drained.
Still, he was happy—tired from hauling wealth. Few people in the world could boast of such good fortune.
He ate some dry rations and closed his eyes to rest. When night fell again, Li Daoqiang resumed his arduous efforts to build his fortune.
After several more trips, he watched the bandit points in the Grand Bandit System hit five million. A surge of excitement washed over him once more.
After a while, he calmed himself and, under the cover of night, headed deep into the mountains. When it came to breakthroughs and strengthening his power, he never wanted to wait a single moment.
He ventured dozens of li into the mountains, found a cave, meticulously cleared the surroundings, and blocked the entrance with a massive boulder. Only then did he sit down, at ease, to begin his breakthrough.
With a thought— Five million bandit points vanished.
Instantly, an immense torrent materialized within Li Daoqiang’s body. Like an endless flood, vast and boundless. Yet it was also remarkably gentle. At the same time, the myriad mysteries of the ninth level of the *Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art* surfaced in his mind.
Following those mysteries, the torrent split into three streams, surging toward his true qi, his blood energy, and his mind.
*Boom!!!*
Like three thunderclaps in spring, a cataclysmic transformation erupted within Li Daoqiang’s body. Especially in his true qi and blood energy.
His true qi and blood energy, already at their limits, seemed to collapse inward at their cores. A black hole formed, and as soon as it did, it devoured all the true qi and blood energy. It frantically absorbed external spiritual energy as well. A radiant glow appeared on Li Daoqiang’s body. The normally formless, colorless spiritual energy outside was drawn in by the immense force, forming visible currents. The entire cave trembled under the power of these currents.
The black hole seemed insatiable, its pull growing stronger. Suddenly, the two torrents plunged into the black hole.
*Boom!!*
Two more thunderous roars, and the black holes exploded. Two entirely new forces emerged within him. One was as solid as liquid silver. The other was like a crystalline, translucent river of blood.
*Roar~!*
For the first time, the high-pitched cries of dragons and elephants truly resounded within Li Daoqiang’s body, spreading for over a dozen li. For miles around, countless animals went limp, trembling as they lay on the ground.
As the two forces within him grew stronger, the dragon and elephant cries became louder. Now, those two forces began to flow slowly through his entire body. They did not interfere with each other, yet they were mysteriously connected, as if complementing one another.
One coursed through countless meridians, opening those that had never been opened and fundamentally transforming others, enabling them to bear this new power. The other traveled throughout his entire body, enhancing every corner comprehensively.
This was a qualitative transformation.
Finally, as if completing these tasks, the two forces converged and surged toward his head. In his mind, filled with countless mysteries, another qualitative change occurred. The two forces merged with the third torrent.
Following a mysterious path, Li Daoqiang could clearly feel his spirit growing stronger, his control over the two forces deepening. Many things he had never noticed before were now laid bare, clearer than ever. A sense of overwhelming power, as if he could command everything, arose naturally.
But this feeling wasn’t due to a sudden surge in strength—it was because he had truly reached a new level. That innate confidence and assurance.
Grandmaster! Even though he hadn’t fully completed the breakthrough, Li Daoqiang already understood the might of a Grandmaster. If the Houtian realm was just the foundation, and the Xiantian realm was climbing the peak, then the Grandmaster realm was standing atop that peak. Every Grandmaster was a true powerhouse.
At last, all the commotion within Li Daoqiang subsided. The two forces returned to his dantian, meridians, and body. In his mind, the spiritual energy—now clearly perceptible and not weak—also calmed.
With his Hundred Battles Body, Li Daoqiang could master every ounce of his power more quickly.
Powerful. Indescribably powerful.
He glanced at the boulder weighing tens of thousands of jin blocking the cave entrance. With a wave of his hand, an immense force struck from several zhang away.
*Boom!*
A thunderous crash, and the boulder shattered into pieces, flying outward. A broad smile spread across Li Daoqiang’s face.
Grandmaster! He had finally reached this realm. In this world, he was no longer an obscure nobody.
From this moment on, if he wished, his name could spread across the land in no time. No force in the world could afford to ignore—or even fail to take seriously—a Grandmaster. If he wanted, his name would land on the minds of all the major powers. In one move, he would become famous across the world.
That sense of achievement, that feeling of renown, was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Fame and fortune—these were what everyone in the world pursued. Li Daoqiang was no exception. Those who were exceptions had seen through the mortal world and had few desires. He was certainly not that kind of person.
He could already imagine that wonderful feeling. Like in his past life, watching celebrities and tycoons, he had dreamed of being known by the world. He just lacked the ability back then, left only to envy from afar. Now, he had that ability.
Of course, it wasn’t just about fame—more importantly, there was fortune. A surge of lofty ambition rose within him. Standing at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, he felt his perspective had instantly changed. His previous plans would have to be overturned and redrawn.
After a brief moment of reflection, he set those thoughts aside. The matter at hand wasn’t those things. He turned his attention to the Grand Bandit System.
(Thank you for your support.) ······