Elder Qin

"This..."

Facing Wu Dao's reprimand, Zhao Jianji felt his face flush with embarrassment despite his thick skin. He scratched his head and said, "Reporting to the senior, this junior is twenty-six."

"I'm nineteen, you're twenty-six. You call me senior—aren't you ashamed? One more word of nonsense, and I'll crush your skull!"

Wu Dao gave a cold warning and then fell silent. If they were out in the wilderness, he would have pulled this guy's tongue out without hesitation.

As for being nineteen.

He wasn't spouting nonsense. After his spirit reached the state of internal vision, given his understanding of the human body, he naturally knew the exact age of this vessel.

Nineteen...

Zhao Jianji twitched inwardly. I thought my skin was thick enough, but I didn't expect someone to be even more shameless than me.

What kind of nineteen-year-old youth is nine feet tall, with a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear, arms thick enough to run a horse on, looking like an ancient ferocious beast?

However.

Facing Wu Dao's warning.

Zhao Jianji didn't dare say another word and honestly turned back to stand straight.

In the pugilistic world, the hierarchy was strict. If he truly offended someone in the cocoon-breaking realm, with his own cultivation at the divine strength level, he wouldn't even know how he died.

With Zhao Jianji's chatter gone.

Wu Dao finally found some peace. Following the flow of people entering the city, he paid the entry fee after half an hour and stepped through the magnificent city gates.

After entering the city.

Wu Dao was in no rush to head to the white whale martial arts hall, as the so-called hero assembly wouldn't be held until tomorrow.

He first found an inn to book a room. After a full meal, like the other martial artists, he spent time wandering around Lancang City, getting a true taste of the exotic local customs.

It had to be said.

The scale of Lancang City was truly massive.

Wu Dao strolled idly, but even after walking for several hours, he hadn't covered the whole place.

The streets branched out in all directions, bustling with heavy traffic and lined with commercial buildings. Large residential districts stretched out in vast swathes, and from time to time, he would pass by massive, heavily guarded private estates.

Along the way.

He occasionally saw squads of men from the white whale martial arts hall maintaining order, appearing to have completely replaced the role of the official authorities.

But precisely because of the constraints imposed by the white whale martial arts hall, the overall atmosphere within Lancang City was not much different from that of a prosperous age.

Of course, that is assuming...

One ignores the swarms of refugees wandering outside the city like evil spirits.

As the sun hung low on the horizon at dusk.

Wu Dao had already grown tired of wandering and watching.

After visiting several pharmacies controlled by the White Whale Martial Arts Hall to inquire about the prices of precious medicinal herbs, he returned to the inn with a clear plan in mind, waiting quietly for the assembly to begin the next day.

The second day.

"Clang, clang, clang--"

At the break of dawn, a resonant bell tolled from the inner city.

Within Lancang City.

Martial artists from all corners of the land were rubbing their hands in anticipation, their spirits high as they flocked toward the spacious training grounds of the inner city, eager to make a name for themselves.

Nowadays.

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall was the absolute authority in the north of Guangqing Prefecture. Anyone who could climb this tree would not only have a bright future, but they could also walk with their heads held high in the martial arts world, standing a cut above the rest.

Not to mention.

With chaotic times approaching, it was difficult to stay out of the fray when the winds of change began to blow. Having a shelter to hide from the storm provided a bit more confidence, didn't it?

For these reasons.

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall had organized this Hero Assembly on a grand scale. The martial artists participating were a motley crew from all walks of life, with a mix of strength and skill.

Wu Dao followed the flow of the crowd, occasionally spotting renowned experts with god-like strength along the way.

Every so often.

He would also see a few Cocoon-breaking realm experts with distinguished temperaments, surrounded by others like stars orbiting the moon.

But Wu Dao only glanced at them with indifference; at most, they were slightly stronger than Uncle Ya, but their strength was quite limited.

Unlike the two middle-aged men carrying spears he had encountered yesterday—they were also in the Cocoon-breaking realm, yet Wu Dao could not 'see' through their depths at all.

With that comparison.

He guessed those two were either at the peak of their second rebirth or had reached the Transformative Force stage. He wondered what business they had in Lancang City, as he did not see them among the crowd participating in the Hero Assembly.

Once inside the inner city.

He soon arrived before a thick, towering wall guarded by heavy security. Through the gates, one could see vast white stone training grounds inside, where flags snapped in the wind and several black stone arenas had already been erected.

This was the headquarters of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall.

Looking down from a high vantage point, one could see a sprawling complex of pavilions, towers, courtyards, and rock gardens behind the martial arts training grounds. It was meticulously laid out and massive in scale—a city within a city.

Upon arrival.

Under the guidance of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall staff, the crowd began to split up based on their strength, entering different training grounds.

There was no need for any formal testing.

The gates were guarded by experts from the White Whale Martial Arts Hall at various cultivation levels. Their eyes were sharp, and they could discern a newcomer's strength at a single glance.

Guarding the Cocoon-breaking Realm training ground.

Was an old man with a flat nose and white hair. He carried a wine gourd and his face was flushed red, yet his eyes were crystal clear, devoid of any cloudiness. He fit Wu Dao's stereotypical image of an expert perfectly.

"Skull-crushing hand Black Pupil, you are quite impressive. However, it would be best to return what shouldn't be taken sooner rather than later."

When it was finally Wu Dao's turn to enter, the old man seemed to know everything about him. After taking a swig of wine, he squinted his eyes and spoke with a meaningful tone.

The sinister tone made it seem as if he held a grudge against Wu Dao.

The Elder Council?

Elder Qin?

Hearing this, Wu Dao understood immediately. He paused his steps, turned his head to glance at the old man, and chuckled.

"You should drink less now that you're old. If you 'accidentally' end up dead on the side of the road one day, that would be a real tragedy!"

Ever since he killed that group of bandits at the bridge, Wu Dao had known he had offended someone from the Elder Council of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall.

Therefore.

Ever since he entered the city.

He had been hiding his true strength. Not only had he suppressed his blood energy, but he had also retracted his mental armor entirely into his body.

To outsiders.

They would only think he was an ordinary hejin martial artist.

His goal.

Was to lure that Elder Qin behind the scenes out into the open.

If he hadn't hidden his strength.

With his power, which was comparable to a second rebirth, it would only be a matter of time before he became a core figure upon entering the White Whale Martial Arts Hall.

Elder Qin was not so stupid as to seek revenge openly; he would only resort to underhanded tactics in the shadows.

It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark!

Wu Dao never entrusted his life to luck, nor was he the type of simpleton who would wait honestly to be plotted against after offending someone before finally striking back.

Rather than living in constant anxiety, it was better to take the initiative, root out potential dangers in advance, and nip them in the bud!

This had always been Wu Dao's philosophy for living.

However, what he hadn't expected was that Elder Qin's hatred for him would be so intense that he would come to block his door and reveal himself, which actually saved him a lot of trouble.

"Heh, youth is a wonderful thing. You have so many days ahead of you."

Hearing the thorns in Wu Dao's words, the old man did not get angry. He simply took a slow sip of his wine, as if saying that they could take their time playing this game.

This old man was indeed the Elder Qin mentioned by the bandit leader yesterday. Upon learning that his source of income had been cut off, he had been consumed by rage.

That was why he had snatched this errand—he wanted to see what kind of monster Wu Dao was to dare to reach out and touch his interests.

Taking a look today, he saw nothing more than a hejin practitioner with an arrogant tone. He must have grown a leopard's gall to be this bold!

One had to know that he had spent a great deal of resources and effort cultivating that group of thugs. They were no different from his right-hand men, and over the years, they had 'earned' him an untold amount of silver.

But just yesterday, his right-hand men had been slaughtered to the last one by Wu Dao!

Cutting off a man's wealth is no different from killing his parents!

If Elder Qin hadn't been skilled at maintaining his composure—like a snake waiting to strike from the shadows—he would have lunged at Wu Dao to exact his revenge the very moment he saw him!

Thanks to Jingbao Xiaonenye for the tip.

Additionally, some readers keep mentioning the slow update speed. Please understand that during the new book period, I still need to follow the recommendation schedule. I will update more frequently once the book is officially launched.