Empowerment

Hearing Ya Fei's explanation, Xiao Ming fell silent as well.

"Ya Fei, don't you think this method goes against the natural laws of cultivation?" Xiao Ming asked with a frown.

"Hehe, to be honest with you, Host, even Ya Fei herself does not know what to do. After all, some of this system's abilities are not something Ya Fei can easily control. All Ya Fei can do is help you make the most correct choice," Ya Fei replied with a smile.

"All right. Since that's the case, I can't force you."

After hearing Ya Fei's words, Xiao Ming nodded. He knew he had no way to influence Ya Fei's thoughts, so he simply said nothing more.

"All right, since you recommend it so strongly, we'll do as you say. Help these people raise their cultivation to the Grand Dou Master realm."

"Yes, Host. You currently have one million achievement points. This will consume seventy achievement points," Ya Fei answered respectfully.

"Seventy achievement points?"

Xiao Ming muttered to himself.

Before making the exchange, Xiao Ming had thought that, given Seven Baleful Intents and the others' current cultivation, it would not cost many achievement points. But he had not expected that raising the cultivation of all seven of them would require only seventy points. After all, he had a full one million.

If calculated at this rate, then as long as I have a group of cultivators with sufficiently solid foundations, I can build an overwhelmingly powerful force in the shortest possible time, Xiao Ming thought.

At the same time, Seven Baleful Intents and the others in the outside world suddenly sensed an incomparably vast power radiating from Xiao Ming's entire body.

Then, as though it possessed a will of its own, that power began surging into their bodies.

Having never witnessed such a sight before, Seven Baleful Intents and the others instinctively tried to resist at first, but Xiao Ming quickly stopped them.

"Don't resist. I'm helping you raise your realms."

"What?!"

Upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, Seven Baleful Intents and the others froze for a moment before staring wide-eyed in disbelief. They simply could not accept what Xiao Ming had said.

After all, such a thing was nothing but a fantasy in their eyes.

But Seven Baleful Intents and the others soon discovered that Xiao Ming had not been lying.

The moment that power entered their bodies, they could clearly feel their cultivation undergoing an utterly terrifying improvement.

The dried-up Dou Qi within their bodies seemed to have been nourished anew, beginning to regain vitality.

Seven Baleful Intents in particular had remained at the nine-star Dou Master realm for a long time. His foundation had long since been tempered countless times, and the main reason he had been unable to advance was his lack of sufficient cultivation resources.

But now, the vast power that had suddenly emerged from Xiao Ming made his foundation incomparably robust, even more stable than before.

Seven Baleful Intents knew that his foundation had been completely transformed.

At that moment, there was nothing in Seven Baleful Intents' heart but gratitude and excitement.

"Thank you, Stockade Master! Thank you so much, Stockade Master!!!" Seven Baleful Intents was already sobbing uncontrollably as he repeatedly knelt before Xiao Ming, expressing the gratitude in his heart.

Xiao Ming merely waved a hand, signaling for Seven Baleful Intents to rise.

"There's no need to be so polite. If you follow me wholeheartedly from now on, I naturally won't forget you. What happened today was merely a small trick."

If Seven Baleful Intents and the others had helped Xiao Ming establish his authority before the many mountain bandits because they feared the terrifying strength he had displayed, then their reverence and awe for him now came entirely from their hearts.

For most of their lives, they had suffered all kinds of malice from the outside world. Never had they encountered anyone like Xiao Ming, someone who showed them such kindness.

How could they not respect such a person? How could they not submit to him?

And that was precisely why they were now willing to follow Xiao Ming wholeheartedly.

"Thank you, Stockade Master!!!" Seven Baleful Intents and the others bowed deeply to Xiao Ming in gratitude.

At this moment, Seven Baleful Intents took out a tightly wrapped parcel.

"Inside is a map recording the precise locations of all the mountain bandits on the nearby peaks. Please inspect it, Stockade Master."

Xiao Ming accepted the parcel and opened it, only to be startled.

The map inside was a stack of paper twenty to thirty pages thick.

Such an enormous amount of information left Xiao Ming clicking his tongue in amazement.

It seemed Seven Baleful Intents had truly put effort into this. He had investigated the nearby mountain bandits and even identified their weaknesses.

"What level are these people at?" Xiao Ming asked.

"They're nothing more than brainless fools. Their greatest weakness is greed. If given enough money, they would betray us without hesitation. The reason I gathered them together this time was to use them to draw the bandits' attention, which would also lessen our pressure."

Hearing Seven Baleful Intents' words, Xiao Ming nodded in understanding.

He began carefully studying the mountain bandits' records. Knowing that these people were most fond of wealth, and that they committed evil solely for money, he realized that their targets could only be defenseless commoners like Little Peach and her mother.

"Mm, you did well. Since that is the case, I'll leave something to you. I hope you can grasp these people's movements as soon as possible," Xiao Ming said.

"Yes, Stockade Master!" Seven Baleful Intents replied respectfully.

"All right, you may all leave. Remember, keep an eye on Little Peach and her mother from now on. If they need anything, you must not neglect them." After speaking, Xiao Ming waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.

"Yes, Stockade Master!" Seven Baleful Intents answered respectfully.

Then, they all withdrew.

After Seven Baleful Intents and the others left, Xiao Ming looked at the map in his hand. In an instant, an exceedingly grand plan surfaced in his mind.

Xiao Ming wanted to use the advantages he now possessed, along with the manpower of Black Demon Stockade, to establish a force of his own in the shortest possible time and become a major power in Wu Tan City.

Although Xiao Ming was now the leader of this stockade, his influence throughout Wu Tan City was not particularly great. Therefore, he had to accomplish something worthy of publicity in a short time.