[White Whale Martial Arts Hall]

"Haha, you've got some mighty strength, sir! Zhao Wei of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall has learned his lesson!"

When you're outmatched, you retreat at once!

Zhao Wei suppressed the dull ache in his chest and laughed heartily. With a few quick steps, he dispelled the force and leaped into the air. His burly frame was like a great whale breaching the water and circling the moon; in an instant, he flew over the crowd and jumped clear of the battlefield.

Tyrant Whale Fist...

White Whale Martial Arts Hall.

A glint flashed in Wu Dao's eyes. Expressionless, he drew back his fist and made no attempt to pursue.

The Tyrant Whale Fist manual mentioned the origins of this lineage.

The Giant Whale Sect of fifty years ago.

It had once flourished throughout Guangqing Prefecture, with martial arts halls everywhere and disciples scattered across the land. Its reach had far surpassed that of Fangcun Sword Hall, Yun Tianliu's current sect.

It wasn't because the fist technique was especially powerful.

Rather, its founder had taught without discrimination and accepted disciples in droves. That, of course, had also planted the Root of Disaster that would bring about its later downfall.

Seeking quantity over quality was bound to produce disciples of all kinds, with wildly different character.

And with no strict sect rules to restrain them, many took up the fist and used their strength to run wild, bullying the weak and oppressing the good until the people of Guangqing Prefecture seethed with resentment.

Not only did the martial world gradually come to regard the Giant Whale Sect as an evil force, but differences in principle also split its ranks into two factions.

In the end, as internal conflicts intensified and the martial world and imperial court attacked from outside, the Giant Whale Sect collapsed. One of its core inheritances, Tyrant Whale Fist, drifted to the four corners of the land, like a fallen whale nourishing all things.

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall, as that burly man had called it, was one such successor.

Back at the Red Fire Mine,

Wu Dao had learned about Guangqing Prefecture's power structure from that "Wu Dalang," and knew the White Whale Martial Arts Hall's stature.

It was now the largest power in Guangqing Prefecture aside from the Four Seas Gang, which held sway over the south.

It had risen anew from the Giant Whale Sect's ashes, with more than ten thousand disciples and martial arts halls everywhere.

A group of Giant Whale Sect elders who had survived the old days also stood at its helm. Openly and behind the scenes, north and south, it seemed intent on standing as an equal to the Four Seas Gang.

Of course,

the main reason was that the White Whale Martial Arts Hall and the Four Seas Gang couldn't stand each other. One was righteous, the other wicked; they walked different paths and loathed the sight of each other.

If he could use this as a stepping-stone...

In the blink of an eye, Wu Dao's thoughts rose and fell, and he had already worked out a plan.

In this world, he was a rootless duckweed, without even a place to put down roots. His understanding of the world was woefully incomplete, and his every move was hampered. It was terribly inconvenient.

If he could find a stepping-stone to help him quickly fit in, learn about this world, and harness its influence to search for anomalies, that would be ideal.

And his identity as a fellow inheritor of Tyrant Whale Fist would make a fine calling card.

To be honest,

if he weren't wary that the Four Seas Gang had more sophisticated means of tracking down its enemies, he would have considered going to them and offering his allegiance.

Good and evil meant nothing to him, and neither did methods. What mattered was tangible benefit and self-interest.

As for fighting alone,

he had never considered it—not while he was still weak.

To make your way in the world, you needed connections and backing. When trouble came, you needed someone to clean up your mess and take the blame. You had to know how to ride on the strength of others.

Those who couldn't read the situation, who charged ahead like stubborn, reckless fools, were doomed to get nowhere.

A lone wolf could be pushed around however others pleased. If he caused trouble, all he could do was hide, never knowing if he'd see the next morning, until bitterness consumed him. That was the worst path of all.

Still,

though Wu Dao had already decided to make contact with the White Whale Martial Arts Hall, he didn't let it show. He merely glanced at Zhao Wei outside the battlefield, then paid him no further mind.

Guangqing Prefecture was neither especially large nor especially small.

A Divine Strength Realm cultivator or a Fist Dao Grandmaster was already a major figure in these parts. Such a person ought to have some pride. There was no need to lower himself or rush to attach himself to someone, only to be looked down upon.

Otherwise,

others would only see him as a simple-minded upstart, easy to manipulate, and he would have started out a step behind.

"What a temper!"

Outside the battlefield, Zhao Wei felt the swelling pain in the bones and flesh of his thick right arm and instinctively drew in a breath.

He had only been testing the waters just now, holding back his full strength. He hadn't expected Wu Dao to strike without a second thought, opening with a killing blow.

If not for his solid foundation,

that punch would have crippled his entire right arm!

"Still, I've at least confirmed that he isn't with the Four Seas Gang."

Zhao Wei circulated his qi and blood to heal his right arm, and the suspicion in his eyes eased a little.

When the Giant Whale Sect collapsed,

its greatest legacy split into two factions, one righteous and one wicked.

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall followed the righteous path and enjoyed a good reputation. The Four Seas Gang, meanwhile, had never changed its ways; it did nothing but filthy, despicable things, earning everyone's contempt.

So, though the two powers had shared the same origins,

their relationship was as hostile as fire and water.

They had fought each other for more than a decade without a clear victor, and their grudges had only grown deeper. They were practically at the point where seeing each other meant an all-out brawl.

That was why Zhao Wei and the others had been so hostile the first time they met Wu Dao, a stranger with Grandmaster-level mastery of Tyrant Whale Fist.

After all, Divine Strength Realm cultivators weren't cabbages or rotten potatoes. Just one more could tip the balance between the White Whale Martial Arts Hall and the Four Seas Gang.

Fortunately,

during their brief exchange, Zhao Wei had announced his affiliation with the White Whale Martial Arts Hall, and Wu Dao hadn't gone on a rampage or chased him down.

That showed Wu Dao wasn't with the Four Seas Gang. Most likely, he was a Scattered Fist Cultivator who had come into the Giant Whale Sect's legacy and, having achieved some success, had finally ventured out into the world.

With the right approach,

there was a chance they could bring him into the White Whale Martial Arts Hall.

Unfortunately, judging by his temperament, he was both arrogant and proud. Trying to recruit him with empty talk of their shared lineage and brotherhood probably wouldn't work.

But...

the realm was in turmoil, and the times were chaotic.

If the White Whale Martial Arts Hall wanted to preserve its foundation through the coming age of upheaval,

it had to bring in a steady stream of powerful new blood!

His thoughts raced like lightning.

In just a few breaths, Zhao Wei had reconsidered Wu Dao completely, and his desire to recruit him grew stronger.

"Stop!!"

A sharp shout rang through the night!

It broke Zhao Wei's train of thought.

The chaotic battlefield fell still for a brief moment.

Buzz!

Everyone present—including the three Divine Strength Realm cultivators, Wu Dao, Yun Tianliu, and Zhao Wei—felt their minds ring. Their consciousnesses were tossed in a raging gale, tottering as though on the verge of collapse!

"What's this?"

Wu Dao used Stealing Heaven's Secret, and his mind cleared in an instant. His gaze sharpened as he noticed the battered young Daoist crushing a silver talisman in his palm.

The mental assault from that instant must have come from it.

They'd driven the honest fellow to the edge.

"Heh..."

Wu Dao tossed aside the severed arm of some unlucky bastard, raised his brows, and stopped his rampage. With a leap, he put distance between himself and the Daoist.

Immortal Dao techniques were mysterious and unfathomable.

They weren't something mere fists and brute force could truly contend with.

If he really pushed the Daoist too far,

who knew what other "weapons" he had hidden away?

Any skilled predator knew how to weigh the costs and benefits, the gains and losses.

Wu Dao didn't want to come away empty-handed with his mouth full of thorns, damaging his teeth in the process.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

The night wind swept through.

The clamor and chaos of the battle faded away.

On the wasteland before Chunxiang Garden, mangled flesh and shattered bones littered the ground. The air was thick with the stench of blood, and the young Daoist's labored breathing, like a bellows, rang out with startling clarity.

In less than a few minutes,

of the fifty or sixty martial-world fighters who had been there,

fewer than ten remained. All were Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the peak of Internal Strengthening.

They were all battle-hardened veterans who had spent years walking the edge of a blade, with their fighting and survival skills honed to the utmost.

They had deliberately avoided the fight,

and the battlefield was in chaos.

Even Wu Dao couldn't simply kill them at will. Of course, if he truly set his mind to taking their lives, it would only be a matter of time.

Unfortunately,

the young Daoist's talisman had brought the slaughter to a halt.

Wu Dao licked his bloodstained lips, still wanting more.

"Alas, what a sin..."

The young Daoist shot Wu Dao an aggrieved look, then let out a long sigh and shook his head.

He seemed quite wary of Wu Dao.

Though he was unhappy, he didn't dare show it openly.

Wu Dao, however, didn't care in the slightest. He grinned, baring a mouthful of inhuman shark teeth, and flashed the young Daoist a grim smile. The Daoist shuddered and turned his eyes away.

"The Soul-Absorbing Gourd is a treasure of the Immortal Sect. If you don't follow this path, what use is it to you? Such a simple truth..."

Muttering to himself, the young Daoist walked to the center of the bloodied remains and picked up the Red Skin Gourd, which no longer gave off any light. He surveyed the corpses scattered across the ground, his face full of pity. "What a waste. It wasn't worth it."

"Heh, not necessarily."

At some point, Zhao Wei had come to stand beside Wu Dao, who was covered in bits of flesh. He chuckled softly. "If you really got your hands on that gourd, the Martial Dao has ways to wield it, too."

"Just make sure you can swallow it. Otherwise, it'll break your teeth."

Wu Dao gave Zhao Wei a sidelong glance. He knew the man's words carried an implication; Zhao Wei clearly knew the young Daoist's identity was no ordinary matter, and that he shouldn't be provoked lightly.

"He's from Huanglong Temple on Fuguang Mountain. Touch him, and you'll stir up a whole nest of hornets."

Zhao Wei glanced at the inconspicuous yellow dragon embroidered on the young Daoist's Divination Bag. He stroked his needle-straight beard, his eyes gleaming with both greed and wariness.