"No need for that, I'll follow your lead."
Li Chonglou didn't want to bother with such trivial matters, so the three of them returned to their normal state. Just then, the people Xue Zhu had called for arrived.
"What happened?"
Li Chonglou answered first, "Senior Shan Gui, he just left."
The mention of Senior Shan Gui successfully shifted the topic. Although some people noticed and recognized the man's corpse, the three of them, with only peak fifth-level strength, didn't suspect anything. They simply advised them to be careful and hurried away.
Wu Di knew Li Chonglou's intentions and couldn't help but say, "Senior Li, they are acquaintances. If they ask, they will surely know the reason behind this matter."
He had gone from "Brother Li" to "Senior Li," but Li Chonglou was not surprised by this.
In the end, the world of cultivators was still a world where the strong were respected.
"Then let Shan Gui explain."
Afterward, the three continued their route clearing.
A few minutes later, Fan Li and the other four also returned due to the unusual phenomenon, but they were also dismissed with a mention of Shan Gui.
The rest of the journey was much simpler.
Since the two of them knew their own strength, Li Chonglou no longer held back. Any exotic beasts they encountered along the way, whether at the sixth or peak sixth level, were instantly killed with a single blow, making the process incredibly smooth.
Before Fan Li's group had even cleared half the route, he had already led Wu Di and cleared their assigned sections.
The men who had left also brought the news back to their respective mountain strongholds.
"What? That guy can instantly kill even peak seventh-level experts!"
"As expected of Heavenly Dao power. I heard he's not even thirty yet?"
"Quite interesting. If the mission wasn't so urgent, I'd be tempted to go and spar with this fellow."
Some were shocked, some sighed, and some were obstinate.
However, upon learning that even a regular Captain had died at Li Chonglou's hands, those who had planned to contend for this Heavenly Dao power with their strength all abandoned their intentions.
Li Chonglou hadn't expected this sudden event to have such an effect. It was the first time he felt the benefits of displaying his strength.
Didn't this eliminate trouble?
"I wish I had shown my strength earlier. The strong are respected, this truly is a true statement."
Li Chonglou couldn't help but sigh at this. With Wu Di and the other no longer needing to hide their strength, their missions became simpler, essentially running errands.
And with the harassment from people from other mountain strongholds gone, the danger level dropped sharply.
For a moment, all three felt a bit bored.
As people spend more time together, even with differences in status and position, they subconsciously overlook them. Wu Di's conversation gradually became more frequent.
"Senior Li, why aren't you going to help Xue Zhu and the others?"
They were currently waiting for Xue Zhu and Shan Gui to clear the mountain strongholds, which was the real focus.
After all, powerful exotic beasts had their own territories, and clearing the roadside beasts was just child's play.
This meant that with Li Chonglou's strength, helping out would undoubtedly shorten the time required for the mission.
Li Chonglou shook his head, "Let's not, let's just proceed as normal."
Although he had unintentionally experienced the convenience of displaying his strength, Li Chonglou's inner desire was still to remain low-key.
Especially after learning that he carried the Heavenly Dao power, he sometimes even doubted if his inherent tendency towards being low-key was influenced by it.
Was it because he felt that being too high-profile would attract other unnecessary troubles, causing him to subconsciously make such a choice?
The influence of Heavenly Dao power was like a butterfly effect; a small incident could escalate into a major event, even threatening his life!
Li Chonglou had thought about it. Before he found a real solution to this thing, remaining as low-key as possible was the best course of action!
However, sometimes things did not go according to one's will.
He didn't want to court trouble, but that didn't mean trouble wouldn't find him.
At the second to last mountain stronghold that Xue Zhu and the others were planning, they encountered an extremely thorny problem.
Deep within the mountainside, there was a natural treasure trove, and the exotic beasts within were exceptionally powerful. Even the lesser beasts guarding the entrance were at the peak sixth-level realm.
At this point, Xue Zhu had also called Shan Gui for assistance, but they had only managed to push halfway into the stronghold before retreating.
"No, the numbers are too great, and the elite monsters are even at the peak seventh-level strength."
Xue Zhu frowned. The two of them, even working together, hadn't even seen the final boss, and resolving this place in a short amount of time was impossible.
Shan Gui, standing beside him, remained silent.
Xue Zhu found his behavior unusual and couldn't help but ask, "Shan Gui, what exactly did you do over there earlier? Why do you seem so troubled after returning?"
Shan Gui still intended to remain silent, but Xiao En, standing behind him,主动 spoke up, "Xue Zhu, the peak seventh-level expert on Li Chonglou's side wasn't killed by Shan Gui. It was him."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people following behind were greatly astonished, and even Xue Zhu was startled.
"It wasn't Shan Gui who killed him?"
Shan Gui's expression changed slightly, and he reprimanded Xiao En.
But the latter said seriously, "Shan Gui, the mission is paramount. Is this Heavenly Dao power really that simple? Now, even the mission is at risk of failing. Calling him over for help might still be in time."
Yes, although the missions they accepted had no time limit, the teams from other mountain strongholds were in the same situation.
If other teams completed their missions first and then came over to help with clearing, they would have to share some of the rewards afterward!
Xue Zhu saw that Shan Gui was hiding something and couldn't help but say, "Shan Gui, I hope you understand that this mission concerns all of us brothers! Don't let your personal selfishness affect everyone!"
This was more than just a reminder. Among ordinary people, there was a saying that obstructing someone's fortune was akin to killing their parents. For cultivators, nothing was more important than development. This mission was not only crucial for the two of them to break through to higher realms but also for their brothers in the team to advance.
If Shan Gui's personal considerations truly affected the interests of everyone, his captaincy might very well come to an end, and he might even incur a deadly feud!
At this moment, the man who had been standing behind Xue Zhu also spoke, "Shan Gui, the Heavenly Dao power is ultimately ethereal. As long as the mission is completed, we will always have opportunities to interact with people at that level. Why must you take the roundabout way?"
This statement directly hit Shan Gui's core. Yes, although Heavenly Dao power offered a chance to reach the pinnacle, there was more than one person possessing Heavenly Dao power. To truly reach that stage, one not only had to be able to withstand the influence of Heavenly Dao power but also needed time for development and to guard against others who possessed Heavenly Dao power!