You've done a fine job with the greenery

After waiting for a long time without receiving any news of Wang Tiezhu's death, he finally relaxed.

Qin Shujian gradually put his mind at ease.

Nurturing an expert at Martial Entry Fifth Level was no easy task.

Every additional fighter at Martial Entry Fifth Level was indispensable to the Liangshan Stronghold.

If someone finally reached Martial Entry Fifth Level, only to be killed by players shortly afterward and fall back to Fourth Level of Martial Entry, the loss would outweigh the gain.

Then Qin Shujian glanced at his Life Source.

The three hundred-odd points of Life Source he originally had had increased by more than a hundred.

But most of his techniques had already reached extremely high stages, and upgrading them required a considerable amount of Life Source.

With just over four hundred points of Life Source, he could only upgrade the Seven Leaves Piercing Flowers Palm.

Yet upgrading a palm technique would do little to improve his current strength.

As for the Body Tempering Scripture and Everlasting Spring Technique he wanted to upgrade, this little Life Source was nowhere near enough.

And—

Qin Shujian looked at the Black Tiger Saber Technique, which had already reached the unity of man and heaven stage.

Come to think of it.

Of all his techniques, the Black Tiger Saber Technique currently interested him the most.

At the unity of man and heaven stage, he had already surpassed the Black Tiger Saber Technique's original limits. He could even manifest a black tiger phantom against his enemies, and had begun to glimpse something of its underlying essence.

Qin Shujian wanted to know whether there was an entirely new stage beyond unity of man and heaven.

Unfortunately.

Even the thousand-odd points of Life Source he had last time had failed to make a plus sign appear beside the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

Now, his Life Source ticked upward almost every dozen seconds or so.

That meant the bandits of the Liangshan Stronghold were constantly harvesting life source for him.

"Stronghold Chief, everything has been taken care of."

Niu Feng's words interrupted Qin Shujian's thoughts.

Coming back to his senses, he found that all the bandits of Mingai Mountain had assembled.

Qin Shujian immediately said, "Leave a few men to guard Mingai Mountain. Everyone else, come with me."

"Yes." Niu Feng nodded in acknowledgment.

With that said.

He immediately assigned one leader and a dozen or so Bandits to stay behind.

Mingai Mountain had originally had over fifty Bandits, but the players had just killed more than a dozen, leaving fewer than forty.

After leaving another dozen or so Bandits behind, only around twenty remained available to fight.

Among them were.

Niu Feng, at Martial Entry Fifth Level.

As well as one leader at Fourth Level of Martial Entry and two at Martial Entry Third Level.

The rest were Bandits at Entering Martial First Layer, with a handful at Entering Martial Second Layer.

That was already a formidable force.

"Move out!"

Qin Shujian gave the order.

The Bandits of Mingai Mountain led the way, while Qin Shujian and Niu Feng walked in the middle of the group.

The party of several dozen men.

Headed down Mingai Mountain.

As they walked, Niu Feng said, "Stronghold Chief, the Cloud River Stronghold is about thirty li from Mingai Mountain. At our pace, we'll get there in less than two hours."

At that moment.

Niu Feng was positively eager.

He could hardly help it.

With his old rival about to suffer, it was hard not to be happy.

Especially after truly witnessing Qin Shujian's strength a short while ago, Niu Feng already knew.

Never mind the Cloud River Stronghold.

Even Zeng Hong of Chaotic Gold Mountain would have no chance of escaping disaster against his stronghold chief.

Strength like that.

Was certainly not as simple as Entering Martial Sixth Layer.

He might even have reached Martial Entry Seventh Level, or perhaps Martial Entry Eighth Level.

Martial Entry Eighth Level!

The very possibility gave Niu Feng quite a shock.

Across the entire Rubble Forest, and even the neighboring Undying Plains and Lion-Tiger Plains, such strength would rank among the very best.

Chaotic Gold Mountain might have an expert at the Entering Martial Sixth Layer.

But even that was only a possibility.

But Niu Feng could guarantee that Chaotic Gold Mountain had absolutely no experts beyond the Entering Martial Sixth Layer.

Otherwise.

Given Zeng Hong's methods, he would have long since been unable to tolerate Mingai Mountain and the Cloud River Stronghold.

Mountain bandits!

They were called mountain bandits precisely because they were robbers who prowled the mountain forests.

So.

The Cloud River Stronghold was also located on a mountain.

Like Mingai Mountain, the mountain where the Cloud River Stronghold was located had no name. It only became known after the stronghold was established.

"You've done a fine job with the greenery." Looking at the lush mountain forest, Qin Shujian made the remark out of nowhere.

"Greenery?"

Beside him, Niu Feng looked utterly bewildered.

He had no idea what Qin Shujian meant by suddenly bringing up that word.

Seeing this, Qin Shujian shook his head slightly. "Never mind. Is the mountain ahead the Cloud River Stronghold's territory?"

"That's right."

Niu Feng quickly recovered and nodded. "The Cloud River Stronghold was established here, but we'll have to climb the mountain to reach it."

"Come up the mountain with me. Everyone else, stay below. Anyone who goes up or down without my orders is to be killed without mercy."

Qin Shujian's gaze suddenly turned cold as he issued the order.

"We obey." Hearing this, Niu Feng and the others understood.

He clearly intended to catch everyone in the Cloud River Stronghold in one fell swoop.

Immediately afterward.

Several leaders took the other bandits to guard the foot of the mountain, blocking the possible routes down.

As for Qin Shujian and Niu Feng.

The two headed straight up the mountain.

"Stronghold Chief, what should we do if Xu Yuanming refuses to submit?" Niu Feng asked tentatively as they walked, watching Qin Shujian's expression.

"Then the Cloud River Stronghold will have no reason to exist." Qin Shujian paused briefly and turned to look at Niu Feng beside him.

That indifferent gaze made Niu Feng's heart pound.

He dared not entertain any more ulterior motives.

As for Qin Shujian.

From the moment he had decided to move against the Rubble Forest, he had resolved to bring the entire region under the Liangshan Stronghold's control.

It was only because Niu Feng knew what was good for him that Mingai Mountain still existed.

Granted.

Now that it had been absorbed into the Liangshan Stronghold, Mingai Mountain had, in a sense, ceased to exist anyway.

But at least its people were still alive.

The way he treated Mingai Mountain was also how he would treat the Cloud River Stronghold and Chaotic Gold Mountain.

Qin Shujian also held the same attitude.

If the Cloud River Stronghold knew what was good for it, he would not mind absorbing it into the Liangshan Stronghold and turning it into part of his own strength.

If the Cloud River Stronghold refused to submit.

Then destruction would be its only path.

After learning that devouring and absorbing other factions' tokens could raise his faction's rank, Qin Shujian had already made up his mind.

Before long.

A sentry post came into their view.

Several mountain bandits also spotted them and immediately moved to block their path.

"This is the Cloud River Stronghold. No one may enter without permission."

"I am Niu Feng, chief of Mingai Mountain! I'm here to see Xu Yuanming!"

At a look from Qin Shujian, Niu Feng stepped forward, his clear voice booming like thunder.

In an instant.

Birds scattered in alarm.

Just as the Cloud River Stronghold's bandits were about to make their next move, one of its leaders hurried over from a distance.

"Is that Chief Niu?"