They were not from the same world after all.
"I'm not entirely sure, but Brother Long seems like a trustworthy person. I've heard my elders mention him, and they say he's quite upright."
Mu Qi could only offer her perspective indirectly. Li Zhonglou nodded and didn't ask further.
"By the way, how did your competition go?"
Mu Qi smiled confidently, "It went quite smoothly. If nothing goes wrong from here on, securing a top ten spot should be no problem."
Li Zhonglou expressed surprise, "You're that strong?"
Mu Qi tilted her head slightly, a hint of displeasure in her tone, "I'm not just a pretty face, you know."
Li Zhonglou coughed lightly, "I didn't mean it like that. But since you're so confident, I feel relieved."
Mu Qi's expression froze, "What do you mean?"
Li Zhonglou said helplessly, "You can choose not to believe anything else that Wu Long said, but his evaluation of Xiao Cheng should be accurate."
Mu Qi finally understood.
"Ah, Brother Li, I'm sorry. This is my mistake. Don't worry, Brother Li, I'll help you once we're out!"
Mu Qi first showed an apologetic look, which then shifted to confidence.
"Xiao Ge's abilities are indeed stronger than mine, but overall, I won't be too far behind. He probably won't antagonize our Mu family over something like this."
Li Zhonglou was finally completely reassured.
"That's all I needed to hear."
At this moment, the first round on stage concluded. Uncle Quan announced the start of the second round without any delay.
Mu Qi had to go on stage again, so she quickly replied, "Then Brother Li, you should consider it. If you can also secure a good ranking, Xiao Ge will definitely be less likely to make a move privately."
These words actually moved Li Zhonglou.
As the saying goes, it's not the thief you fear, but the one who's always eyeing your belongings. Relying on someone else's deterrence was not a long-term solution. Moreover, even if Mu Qi offered help, by the time others had made their moves, trying to mend the damage then wouldn't be the best course of action.
"Perhaps I should just aim for a qualifying spot?"
Li Zhonglou looked towards the crowd again. The strongest among them were likely on the fifth floor. Anyone above that wouldn't just be called monstrous; such individuals were probably chosen ones!
If they truly possessed such strength, Li Zhonglou guessed they wouldn't be here competing for a mere one or two spots; the established powers would be vying for them!
Therefore, if he were to truly go all out, Li Zhonglou was confident he could even win the championship.
If he aimed for a lesser goal, it would be even simpler.
As for what standard would be enough to secure a spot, Li Zhonglou looked towards Wu Long again.
"What if I just aim for one spot higher than him?"
This guy was openly stating he was going to the forbidden area, so he would definitely be eyeing the qualifying spots. As long as Li Zhonglou could rank just one spot above him, he felt it was a sure thing!
Almost instantly, Li Zhonglou made his decision.
He realized that after he finished capturing people and completing his mission, his trip to the Lost Land was also for the purpose of improving his strength. If this forbidden area was truly as Wu Long described, it would be a good option!
Thus, Li Zhonglou began to wait patiently.
The competition for cultivation realms would only commence after Mu Qi and the others concluded their matches, so there was no use in him being anxious.
Meanwhile, Xiao Cheng and his younger brother Xiao Qiudu only discovered Li Zhonglou's identity as a cultivator when the third round began. After all, only cultivators among those present did not need to participate.
"I didn't expect this kid to be so secretive! Xiao Du, it's up to you later! Judging by his age, he's an outsider too, and probably not that strong."
Xiao Qiudu was the only cultivator who hadn't gone to the other side. Hearing his brother's words, his expression turned cold, and he nodded heavily.
Li Zhonglou had embarrassed him the moment he arrived, and then he had shown no respect to his own brother. If they were outside, he would have already made his move!
How dare a mere outsider be so arrogant on his turf!
Li Zhonglou glanced over with intention and happened to catch Xiao Qiudu's resentful gaze. He couldn't help but murmur to himself.
"It seems I really do have to participate. If these two don't make a move, it would be a miracle."
However, Li Zhonglou didn't pay too much attention. Even without Wu Long and Mu Qi's words, he wouldn't be hesitant in front of them.
Although doing so might bring enemies to his company and to Zhou Tong and others, for any person or company to truly grow, they must undergo trials!
Growth without tempering, in Li Zhonglou's opinion, was false and could not withstand storms! He didn't just want nominal strength; without sufficient personal power, even if he led the company to great heights, it wouldn't last long!
Therefore, in this regard, Li Zhonglou even hoped for someone to cause trouble for his company. Chen Pao could resolve most issues quickly, and the company wasn't lacking in manpower for the time being.
However, these were just options. If he could play it safe, Li Zhonglou wouldn't mind. He had no idea about the strength of the Xiao family. If he could stabilize the situation, Li Zhonglou would naturally prefer the stable route.
After that, Li Zhonglou paid them no further attention and walked to the fruit table by himself, enjoying the fruits slowly.
It was only three hours later, when Uncle Quan announced the rankings on stage, that Mu Qi and the others' competitions truly concluded.
And Mu Qi's ranking was exactly as she had said, just within the top ten.
"Qiqi, I didn't expect you to secretly take over Ocean Enterprise. I was just saying last week when I wanted to try, they told me they had already found a partner."
Mu Qi's two best friends also gathered around. Besides congratulating Mu Qi, they also teased her.
Their rankings were not low either. They had followed their boyfriends and received average scores, yet they still managed to enter the top twenty. Li Zhonglou couldn't help but feel a hint of curiosity about Mu Qi's background.
He had never even heard of the Mu family. The eight major families and sixteen prominent families in Shangjing did not include the surname Mu, yet Mu Qi's status was no less than theirs! This was what intrigued Li Zhonglou.
However, it wasn't too late to understand these things after they left. Li Zhonglou observed that the group of experts over there still hadn't made any moves, so he couldn't help but ask, "By the way, when does our competition start?"
The two girls had already learned of Li Zhonglou's identity as a cultivator from Mu Qi. An An directly explained, "Don't worry, it'll be your turn after we're done."
Li Zhonglou was stunned.
"You're done?"
Mu Qi suddenly exclaimed, then said, "I forgot to tell you, we can't be present at the cultivators' competition. We can only watch from the waiting room, so you'll be staying here alone."
Li Zhonglou felt a bit speechless, but it was nothing major. As long as it finished sooner, he had a new mission location to rush to.
Seeing that everyone else was heading towards the exit, Mu Qi quickly gave her instructions, "Brother Li, just follow Uncle Quan's arrangements later. Remember, absolutely do not make a move from the audience seats!"