Over a million after the battle with Murong Fu. Four million six hundred eighty thousand after Ding Dian's breakthrough. Two million handed over by Ling Tuisi. Fifteen million eight hundred thirty thousand from the Murong family. Plus the steady stream of new recruits joining Black Dragon Stronghold these days, including a first-tier innate master. And various other odds and ends. The total came to around twenty-four million bandit points. The tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art required twenty-five million bandit points; he had already spent six million on it, and he'd been cultivating it all this time. Now, he still needed over eighteen million bandit points. He took a deep look, focused his mind, and tapped the option. Instantly, a formidable force surged within Li Daoqiang, and all the mysteries of the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art appeared before him. He directly harnessed that power to cultivate the tenth level. With every breath, the tenth level advanced by leaps and bounds; his true essence, blood essence, and even spiritual power grew rapidly. The three intertwined at times, interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Outside, it also caused a faint disturbance. Amidst a golden glow, the roars of dragons and trumpets of elephants grew louder, as if a dragon-elephant had matured and entered its prime. However, because it didn't require much external spiritual energy and was shielded by the secret chamber, it didn't cause a major commotion. Only those standing outside the chamber could sense that a primordial beast seemed to be slowly awakening within. That terrifying power appeared capable of shaking everything. After about half an hour, the leap finally ended. All the aura quickly retracted, perfectly contained within that figure. His eyes opened, and a pure golden flash passed through them. It held infinite power, as if it could shatter anything, break anything. He raised his arm, channeling a bit of true force, and the air rumbled. A smile spread across Li Daoqiang's face; the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art was complete. Infinite power, suppressing everything. That was the insight that arose in his heart upon achieving the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. Of course, the tenth level couldn't truly suppress everything. But that was the pursuit of this technique. Uniting the three forces of essence, energy, and spirit, using extraordinary wisdom to wield supreme power. At this point, even without the Innate War God or any formidable martial arts, he was a genuine top-tier expert—that was the strength of the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. Within the top-tier expert level, it held an absolute advantage in power. It allowed a cultivator to rely solely on this divine art to be an absolute top-tier presence. And if he added the Innate War God... A flicker of ambition passed through Li Daoqiang's mind; even some peerless experts might not be beyond his reach. Among the Grandmaster realm, the gaps between individuals were vast. Grandmaster experts, top-tier experts, peerless experts—these were three levels. Above that, there should be another level, but Li Daoqiang hadn't learned much about it yet, having only recently entered the Grandmaster realm. These insights were just what he'd gathered over these days. He guessed, barring surprises, it corresponded to the twelfth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. Peerless experts, as the name implied, showed their formidable strength. Each one was enough to stabilize a nation's fate. Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang was hailed as the number one man in Ming, highly esteemed by the Ming court. Huang Shang was appointed as the Grand Preceptor of Song, holding an exalted position. The Wanderer Ning Daoqi, the Sword Master of Goguryeo, and so on. These were all recognized as peerless experts. Besides the recognized ones, there were many others; at least in Li Daoqiang's mind, they should all be peerless experts. The Iron-Clad Divine Marquis of Ming, Wang Chongyang of the Quanzhen Sect, Shi Zhixuan in his prime, Song Que of Lingnan, and so on. In this chaotic world, there should be no shortage of peerless experts. But most were hiding for various reasons. From now on, barring surprises, he was one of them. Though his cultivation wasn't there yet, with the Innate War God, he should qualify to join their ranks. Li Daoqiang was very confident. Peerless expert~! He muttered to himself, his spirit surging with boldness. From now on, he no longer had to worry so much. There weren't many left who could make him cautious. After struggling and striving in this world for nearly three years, he had finally managed to barely reach the peak level. For a moment, he felt a mix of complex emotions. After a while, he smiled, let out a long breath, and calmed his fluctuating feelings. The road was far from over; the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art still had the eleventh and twelfth levels. He had probably only just stepped into the peerless level; barring surprises, there were still many experts in this world who could defeat him. He couldn't be careless, let alone slack off. He sank his mind and looked at the Great Bandit System. Nothing had changed; he checked the requirements for the eleventh level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. No surprises—it needed one hundred twenty-five million bandit points, five times that of the tenth level. Though he had mentally prepared himself, he still couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye. He let out a long sigh, completely abandoning any thought of cultivating the eleventh level anytime soon. From now on, he would have to accumulate assets bit by bit. If he wanted another big windfall, he'd have to find an opportunity like feasting on a fat sheep like Wan Sanqian. Such fat sheep weren't common. Each one was deeply connected, not easy to swallow. Even with his current strength, it was difficult. So, he couldn't aim too high; it was better to steadily build up his wealth. As for the chance to devour a fat sheep, he would have to wait patiently. After thinking for a while, he stood up and walked out. The stone door of the secret chamber opened, and Li Daoqiang's figure appeared, no different from before. This was another strength of the Innate War God—perfect control over his own aura. Though he had grown much stronger, as long as he didn't show it, no one could tell he had improved. It wasn't that he was deliberately hiding his talent, but since there was no chance to display it, there was no need to openly boast about his power.
Meanwhile, in a room at Black Dragon Stronghold. Murong Fu and Deng Baichuan were talking. "Brother Deng, you've worked hard this time," Murong Fu said, a hint of gratitude in his tone. "Not at all, Master; this is what I should do," Deng Baichuan immediately replied with a fist salute, his expression resolute. Murong Fu felt a warmth in his heart and began to ask about the events surrounding this silver transport. Deng Baichuan recounted the details. When he finished, Murong Fu snorted coldly and said angrily, "What a demonic sect; this time, the Murong family will remember this." Deng Baichuan nodded in agreement. Then, Murong Fu frowned curiously and said, "That senior who helped us—did he leave any clues?" "No, he came and went without a trace, seriously injured Bian Bufu, and then left directly. I also asked, but he said nothing," Deng Baichuan replied seriously. Any lie would have flaws; the more said, the more flaws. Thus, it was better to claim ignorance and let Murong Fu guess for himself. Sure enough, Murong Fu had no suspicions and began to ponder deeply. Who could it be? Why would they help the Murong family so much? Could it be a branch in Ming? No, contact with them had dwindled over the years, and besides, they didn't have such a top-tier expert. After thinking for a while, he still had no answer, so he set it aside for now, planning to find out later. "Never mind, if such an expert wants to hide their identity, we can't guess it. We'll find a way to thank them later. In any case, it's good that the Murong family has such an old friend," Murong Fu said solemnly. Deng Baichuan nodded, then paused and said earnestly, "Master, since we've paid such a heavy price, we should maintain good relations with Li Daoqiang from now on. Judging by his actions, he doesn't want to be our enemy. If we befriend him, we might ask for his help later. Even if it costs a lot of silver, it would be worth it." Murong Fu's face stiffened, but his great ambition suppressed his pride and reluctance. He took a deep breath and nodded, "I understand. I will." Deng Baichuan smiled slightly, feeling gratified. He knew well the pride of youth. But enduring what others couldn't was the mark of someone destined for great things.
That evening, Li Daoqiang hosted a banquet for Murong Fu and Deng Baichuan. Ding Dian also joined as company. This time, Murong Fu was completely different from the previous days, as if no conflict had ever occurred, chatting and laughing with Li Daoqiang and Ding Dian. This surprised both Li Daoqiang and Ding Dian, and they engaged in lively conversation. After nearly two hours, the banquet ended, and Murong Fu and Deng Baichuan went to rest. "This Master Murong is truly remarkable," Ding Dian said with admiration. Li Daoqiang nodded; Murong Fu was indeed talented. But in the end, it was all a mirage. Even though this world was more chaotic and opportunities to found a nation seemed plentiful, he didn't think highly of Murong Fu at all. Simply put, it was a matter of ability and character. Of course, that wasn't his concern; he wouldn't worry about it, only think about what he could gain from him. "By the way, I heard you've been getting close to Di Yun?" Li Daoqiang suddenly said casually, as if recalling something. A hint of caution flashed in Ding Dian's eyes, and he chose his words carefully, "In prison, I wronged him and beat him quite a bit. This is my way of making amends. Besides, he has a pure nature, is upright and resilient; the Enforcement Hall needs people like him." Since it involved Li Daoqiang's woman, Ding Dian had to be cautious. He knew well that no man would take such matters lightly. And the fact that Li Daoqiang allowed Di Yun to stay at Black Dragon Stronghold and treated him well already surprised Ding Dian. He naturally wouldn't let Li Daoqiang misunderstand; he was very measured in this regard. Li Daoqiang understood Ding Dian's concerns, which was one reason he liked Ding Dian—upright in character but measured and knowing his place. He appreciated such talent. So he smiled openly and said frankly, "Don't overthink it. Di Yun's character is indeed good, which is why I kept him at Black Dragon Stronghold. He's also talented. I'm relieved that you're teaching him, and it will put Qi Fang at ease. I believe you'll definitely help him become a key figure in Black Dragon Stronghold in the future." Ding Dian was taken aback, unsure of the sincerity behind the words. (Thank you for your support.) ······