Li Daoqiang's earlier words, to put it nicely, were magnanimous and broad-minded. To put it harshly, he was cultivating a romantic rival. How many men in the world could do that? So, he couldn't be sure whether Li Daoqiang's words were true or false. Could it be that he was deliberately saying the opposite? "What do you mean, Chief?" Ding Dian cautiously asked, hesitating as if he wanted to say more. Li Daoqiang glanced at him and chuckled lightly, "Don't overthink it. I'm just confident." A strong sense of dominance and authority filled the air. It seemed to clearly tell Ding Dian that even if his romantic rival grew stronger, so what? Everything was still under his control. Ding Dian looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Li Daoqiang continued, "Within my Black Dragon Stronghold, we value fairness. Learning any martial art requires merit or silver. I want you to teach the Divine Illumination Sutra to Di Yun. He can't afford it now, so I'll pay for him. Of course, you can refuse. After all, the Divine Illumination Sutra is your ultimate skill, and I can't force you to teach it to Di Yun. Don't speak yet. Let me finish first." Seeing Ding Dian about to say something, Li Daoqiang interrupted and went on, "I just want to lay everything out clearly. Don't worry. I've divided master-level divine skills into four tiers, including techniques and martial methods. The Divine Illumination Sutra I classify as a second-tier technique, worth two million taels of silver. If you agree, this money will definitely be given to you. You don't have to answer me right away. Take some time to think it over."
The martial academy of Black Dragon Stronghold was open to everyone in the stronghold. As long as one had silver, they could exchange it for martial arts. Martial arts were divided into two types: techniques and martial methods. Martial methods referred to external skills like combat techniques. For Houtian and Xiantian martial arts, Li Daoqiang divided them into four tiers. Within the same tier, techniques cost twice as much as martial methods. After all, techniques were the foundation. The prices for Houtian to Xiantian techniques were: ten taels, twenty taels, fifty taels, one hundred taels. Ten thousand taels, twenty thousand taels, fifty thousand taels, one hundred thousand taels. For the master level, since there were too few before, Li Daoqiang hadn't specified prices, but now he had. One million taels, two million taels, five million taels, ten million taels. After hearing Li Daoqiang's words, Ding Dian fell silent for a moment. Teaching Di Yun the Divine Illumination Sutra was no small matter. Though he thought highly of Di Yun, he wasn't ready for that step yet. After a pause, he said seriously, "I'll think it over carefully." "Mm." Li Daoqiang responded and didn't dwell on the matter further.
Different subordinates required different attitudes and methods. If it were the Blood Saber Old Ancestor, he could half-threaten him into handing over the Blood Saber Sutra. But for a trustworthy subordinate like Ding Dian, winning his heart was the best approach. In essence, people like the Blood Saber Old Ancestor weren't trustworthy; they only believed in the law of the jungle. Intimidating them and making them fear you was the best method. As for whether Ding Dian would ultimately agree, Li Daoqiang had no doubts. Birds of a feather flock together. Especially in a bandit stronghold like Black Dragon Stronghold, Ding Dian and Di Yun would eventually become the best of friends. Under Ding Dian's guidance, Di Yun would sooner or later become another master-level expert of Black Dragon Stronghold. He wasn't in a hurry.
Without further discussion, Ding Dian left, and Li Daoqiang cheerfully went to find Qi Fang. Having mastered the tenth layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, he felt not only joyful but also physically boundless in energy, indescribably strong. His feelings proved correct. After a long exchange, Li Daoqiang felt a bit helpless. He had just started to enjoy himself, and before he could exert much effort, Qi Fang was already spent. Of course, he wouldn't blame Qi Fang for that. Although women had strong endurance, the gap in cultivation between Qi Fang and Li Daoqiang was too vast. There was no helping it. Moreover, this was a point of pride as a man—how could he blame the woman? So, lying in bed, holding Qi Fang's warm, soft body, Li Daoqiang's thoughts drifted elsewhere. He needed to find more women. Especially women with high martial arts skills. But high martial arts alone weren't enough; they also had to be women rated as "grade-worthy" by the Great Bandit System. That way, he could achieve multiple goals at once. Were there such women in Jingzhou or nearby? He'd have to rely on his subordinates to search more diligently. Just in time, the next step was to rapidly expand Black Dragon Stronghold's influence.
...
One night passed. The next morning, Li Daoqiang and Ding Dian personally saw off Murong Fu and his group. After some polite attempts to persuade them to stay, Murong Fu and his party took their leave from Black Dragon Stronghold. Li Daoqiang watched his retreating figure with a hint of reluctance. Such a fat fish was truly rare. But he wasn't too disappointed. He and the Murong family would inevitably have more dealings. Speaking of which, the women involved with Murong Fu—shouldn't they be rated as "grade-worthy" by the Great Bandit System? Li Daoqiang pondered briefly and confirmed they definitely would be. But he wasn't in a hurry. The main priority now was developing Black Dragon Stronghold. As for those women, there would always be opportunities.
Murong Fu's departure from Black Dragon Stronghold naturally stirred up talk in the martial world. All sorts of rumors circulated, but one thing remained constant: It further highlighted Li Daoqiang's prestige. Without delving into Murong Fu's subsequent actions, Black Dragon Stronghold soon released a shocking announcement that caused a stir. Li Daoqiang ordered the stronghold to open its doors wide to the entire world, recruiting experts. Anyone who had reached the Xiantian realm or possessed a unique skill could join Black Dragon Stronghold. Regardless of their background—righteous or evil—they would henceforth be under his protection. This move naturally drew attention from all factions, including the righteous, demonic, evil, and outlaw paths. Soon, mainstream opinion was filled with criticism. In the eyes of the righteous, Li Daoqiang was essentially turning Black Dragon Stronghold into a den of evil, which they naturally disliked. Other factions watched with a mix of amusement and wariness. Another competitor had arrived, and with such force, they had to be cautious.
Within Black Dragon Stronghold, Li Daoqiang paid no heed to the criticism or other reactions. Having mastered the tenth layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, his concerns had greatly diminished. Few things could make him back down now, allowing him to advance boldly. The righteous's scolding and others' wariness didn't bother him at all. Though the righteous were strong, they were far from launching a campaign against him, as he hadn't done anything to provoke widespread outrage. As for other factions, they were too fragmented to fear. Ambitiously issuing the "Recruitment Edict" to the world, Li Daoqiang focused on developing Black Dragon Stronghold alongside his daily cultivation.
He poured large sums of silver into the intelligence network and recruitment efforts. With tens of millions of taels at his disposal, he didn't hesitate to spend. This was the time to use silver to strengthen Black Dragon Stronghold and earn more bandit points. With generous funding, Black Dragon Stronghold's outposts rapidly expanded deep into Jingzhou and beyond. The only bottleneck was a shortage of personnel, which slowed progress. But with ample silver, Houtian-level fighters could be recruited in large numbers. Coupled with the prestige of two master-level experts, Xiantian-level fighters were slowly being drawn in. Everything proceeded methodically.
Three months later, Black Dragon Stronghold's ranks of able-bodied young men had reached four thousand. Other intelligence teams and outposts across various regions numbered over two thousand, still growing quickly. In terms of Xiantian experts, four had joined Black Dragon Stronghold. All were individuals with questionable reputations, seeking shelter under the stronghold's protection. Two were at the second tier, and two at the first tier. Together, they provided Li Daoqiang with fifty thousand bandit points. Given the short timeframe, Li Daoqiang was fairly satisfied with this result. After all, he was starting from scratch, and building a vast organization was difficult. It required time. This was only possible because he had enough personal strength to support rapid early development. Otherwise, for a typical rising power, every step forward would be fraught with challenges, often life-threatening.
One day, while immersed in developing his forces, an unexpected visitor arrived. With eyes that carried an almost tangible authority, Li Daoqiang sized up the composed figure standing before him. The mysterious aura of the other's true energy caught his attention. It was a presence that seemed imbued with wisdom, as if seeing through everything. This person was no ordinary individual. Beyond his master-level strength, his demeanor of scheming and calculated control made it clear he was extraordinary. "Are you the Hundred Lifetimes Scholar?" Li Daoqiang asked calmly after a few moments of observation. This master-level expert, calling himself the Hundred Lifetimes Scholar, had come to him unannounced, completely unexpected. He had no clue why the man had sought him out. But the title alone warranted his attention. "Indeed, that is my name," the middle-aged man in white Confucian robes said with a smile. "The Hundred Lifetimes Scholar of the martial world has always been mysterious. Why should I believe you're the real one?" Li Daoqiang said indifferently. "Haha, there are many Hundred Lifetimes Scholars, but among them, I am indeed the one who goes by that name," the man replied leisurely, unfazed. Li Daoqiang understood his meaning. The Hundred Lifetimes Scholar was an organization. Each member could claim the title, but this man was the leader of that organization. After a moment's thought, Li Daoqiang smiled politely and said, "I see. So, what business do you have with me, sir?" "Indeed, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you, Chief," the Hundred Lifetimes Scholar stated directly.
(Thank you for your support.) ......