Jiang He left the matter of purchasing immortal crystals and strengthening immortal items entirely to Jin Sidao.
Meanwhile, the banquet continued.
Drinking wine and having some small-talk with Wang Hou, Lü Dongbin, and the rest, night soon arrived even as Jiang He discussed the celestial battlefield as well as the Hundred Races with them.
Jin Sidao was once again pouring wine for the many immortals, while the True Immortals of the Ten Thousand Swords helped him serve their guests.
It was fortunate that with a strong support in Jiang He, none of the immortals were unhappy with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect due to somewhat lacking hospitality. In fact, even the Golden Immortals did not dare to complain or say much.
Then, just as the banquet was about to end at night, Wang Hou had a discussion with the various sect elites who were spreading their teachings and recruiting disciples in the Hua Nation.
Still…
Most elites of various sect pretended as if they heard nothing, with some even excusing themselves.
The Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal then approached Jiang He, along with the Taixu Sect’s chieftain and Yuan Spirit-tier Elder whom Jiang He was close to. Smiling, he asked, “Minister Wang, Mister Jiang, may I have a word?”
“No!”
Jiang He refused with righteousness and justification.
Seeing that all three were left baffled, Jiang He was not bothered to add anything and instead turned towards Jin Sidao, saying, “Let’s go, Jin Sidao. We’ll discuss the specifics about buying immortal crystals and strengthening immortal items.”
Jin Sidao promptly said, “This way, please, Mister Jiang… I have my own courtyard in the sect, so you may head over there.’
“Hmmm… The banquet is not over, so that would not be ideal, would it?”
“It’s fine. My patriarch would take care of matters.”
With Jin Sidao leading the way, he left in a hurry with Jiang He.
His intention was very clear.
Do not come to me over this matter.
While the Taixu Sect chieftain was left smiling bitterly at the sight, the Golden Immortal of the Taixu Sect had a dark look on his face.
He had come to Jiang He with the other two men who were on friendly terms with Jiang He, so he could use Jiang He to discuss about spreading their teachings… after all, the various immortal sects considered that, among the commoners, Wang Hou alone could hardly have achieved anything. If Jiang He was not backing him, could Wang Hou himself have suppressed all the immortal sects?
“Minister Wang…”
The Taixu Sect forced a smile and said, “I heard about the last meeting. I heard that my sect had always been working closely with the Hua Nation. I’ve already severely punished the disciple who made the call on his own.”
“Minister Wang, regarding sending our elites to clear out the other elites who were hiding and biding their time for reawakening, we, the Taixu Sect, would definitely offer our strongest support!”
“Once I return to my sect, I will send one True Immortal and three Heavenly Immortals to aid you and serve at your command.”
The Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal was basically prostrating himself.
After all, spreading teachings was a big deal for a sect.
For the cultivators, Earth was their home and homeworld. Despite fighting in space for thousands of years, they were still attached to the planet, or they would not have returned to defend it, journeying billions of light years and crossing endless planetary systems.
That was why the Dao teachings they left on Earth were vital for these cultivators.
Moreover, the various sects had kept themselves confined behind their mountains for over two thousand years. Now that the Revival of Qi had come after much difficulty, it was time to open their doors, recruit disciples, and pass down their teachings… if they were prohibited, they would be gone entirely centuries later.
“Don’t need it!”
Wang Hou appeared unmoved and refused, saying, “The Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Jiuhua Sect are sending ten True Immortals and fifty Heavenly Immortals to make a sweep around Earth together. Moreover, my Martial Arts Department (MAD) would dispatch some of our elites, not to mention that Jiang He’s cat, dog, and monkeys would help.”
“A formation like this could handle a slumbering Golden Immortal. Would we need your Taixu Sect?”
The look on the Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal’s face stiffened. He promptly switched gears and tried to strive harder, and scowled when Wang Hou remained unmoved, seething at the edge of his patience, “Don’t push me, kid!”
Even how he addressed Wang Hou changed!
Wang Hou was not angered, however, and even smiled, “Brother, the Hua Nation is under my care. You and the other immortal sects have neither offered your strength nor paid taxes to the country, and it naturally is up to me decide not to let you spread your teachings. How am I pushing you?”
“Cutting off our sect’s legacy is an unforgiveable grudge!” the Taixu Sect Golden Immortal coldly said.
Having burned all bridges, there really was nothing more to say, and the Golden Immortal even laughed coldly in disdain at Wang Hou. “Wang Hou, did you really think that you are invincible after founding Martial Dao?”
“Martial artists would never be nothing more, and your kind were never bright… did you think the elites of various sects would care about a measly martial artist like you?”
“You might not know this, but your so-called martial arts is slowly developed based on immortal arts because our homeworld’s Dao was sealed… it is nothing more than a lesser Dao!”
His aura erupting, the Golden Immortal glared at Jiang He, grunting every word, “On this planet, whatever Immortal Dao says goes… what does Martial Dao even amount to?”
Beside them, some of the Golden Immortals from the other sects who were already observing the commotion turned toward them. Some agreed, others sneered, and there was even one who snorted and quietly said, “Bleh, what’s this?”
“Does he really think himself an important figure now?”
“Who would even bother with you if not for Jiang He?”
Lü Dongbin, as well as other Golden Immortals and True Immortals, turned toward them in confusion. At the same time, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist promptly came to them and stood behind Wang Hou, saying somberly, “Brother Wang Hou is the leader of Hua Nation, fellow brothers. Aren’t your words out of line?”
“Hah!”
“The leader of Hua Nation?”
“He’s no more than a mere ruler of commoners! Was there a ruler back then who did not kowtow at us?”
“This has nothing to do with you, Wang Xiao’Er!”
The group of Golden Immortals all looked toward the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist with unfriendly eyes!
After all, Wang Hou had only permitted the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Jiuhua Sect to spread their teachings in the Hua Nation, which meant they were in opposition.
Indeed, the immortals who had attended Jin Sidao’s ascension banquet were not merely those from the important sects. Some who had returned alongside the eight immortals, unaware of what happened behind the scenes, turned toward Wang Hou with frowns after asking around.
Though they said nothing, they inwardly thought that Wang Hou was being too much.
You are cutting off their Daoist legacies!
That was no different from killing another person’s father or stealing their wife.
Still, considering that Jiang He was very close to Wang Hou, the many Golden Immortals communicated through their minds. Then, Lü Dongbin came forward and tried to persuade them, “Why don’t everyone take a step back? Our homeworld’s peace did not come easy…”
Even before he finished, Wang Hou had shot him a cold look and a fearsome smile. “What does this planet’s peace has to do with any of you?”
That retort left even Lü Dongbin unsure what to say right then.
Wang Hou, on the other hand, had completely threw away his soft-spoken presence and erupted with an overbearing Qi.
His Martial Dao Yuan Spirit rose to the air resounding, his qi raging and dyeing the very air blood-red.
“After you people were defeated, you sealed Earth before running and hiding… untold ranks of martial artists had died and bathed in blood when the Sky Demon legion arrived over six hundred years ago, stopping them with their bodies of flesh to seal the Stargate, and only then did they repel the Sky Demons!”
“The Earth was in a mess after the Revival of Qi, and the Sky Demons rose from the ashes at the time… where were any of you then?”
Kaboom!
There was a dull crash.
Wang Hou’s rising aura had caused the rumble as the air around him quaked.
Laughing thunderously with a voice the quaked heaven and earth, he said, “Perhaps because I had not made a move for a long time, everyone now thinks of me a pushover…”
He reached out and grasped toward the Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal from the distance.
A hand that blocked out the world descended from above.
Another force vaguely descended from the air as well, buffing Wang Hou’s attack.
The Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal paled in shock and promptly invoked his mystic treasures as well as cast his godly moves to stop it, but it had all occurred to suddenly…
He then noticed in astonishment…
Wang Hou’s cultivation was actually frightening!
It was even more fearsome that Wang Hou’s seemed to invoke another force which subjugated the Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal, preventing him from using much of his own strength.
And in the next instant…
Pow!
The Taixu Sect’s Golden Immortal was slammed by the palm into pieces.
His Yuan Spirit darted out of his remains, but Wang Hou’s qi shot toward him, catching and destroying him.
After killing the Taixu Sect’s Golden immortal with a single stroke, Wang Hou wheeled on the three other Golden Immortals who were mocking him. The trio had taken to the skies and tried to counter Wang Hou in panic, but even though Lü Dongbin himself jumped between them to stop the fight, Wang Hou knocked him away with a single palm.
“That… That’s…”
Stunned, Lü Dongbin could not help exclaim, “Grand Luo combat ability?!”
Nearby, Iron Crutch Li had risen to his feet as well and spoke somberly, “That man is naturally extraordinary since he could open the path of Martial Dao. His combat ability could now match average Grand Luo, and the most important part is that he draws upon the authority of the Star Map…”
“What?”
The many Golden Immortals present all paled at that.
The likes of the Modolo and White Sky God King were already a match against average Grand Luo. Though the best Golden Immortals would be overwhelmed against them, neither of them could kill them with certainty if their quarry attempted to escape.
And yet…
Being able to draw upon the authority of the Star Map was frightening!
Star Map was forged thanks to the combined efforts of important disciples from the Three Teachings… aside from the Saints, they were beings who could not be matched, and even the Mage of Xuandu, a chief disciple of the Human Sect, wielded an Eight-Trigram Map to fight Saints.
Though the Star Map was an acquired soul treasure, its authority was at the level of an innate soul treasure, surpassing even most of them.
And it turns out that Wang Hou commanded that authority…
Along with his Grand Luo combat ability, not even really Grand Luo would be a match for him on Earth!
In that very moment, the many Golden Immortals could not help thinking the same thing…
Wang Hou could be more powerful than Jiang He on Earth!
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He was standing at Jin Sidao’s yard some distance away and watching the commotion.
There was a smile on his face, and he eventually could not help chuckling, “I’ve always heard that Wang Hou is overbearing and unmatched before I knew him, and that certainly is proved through this day… By the way, Jin Sidao… Eh?”
Jiang He froze where he was even before he finished.
A crisp System notification jingled in his head—
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have been rewarded with an Annual Gift Pack, one year after obtaining this System.]
Jiang He was dumbstruck.
A great gift pack?
An Annual Gift Pack???
Wow!
