Seeing Li Xiaotian chuckle, Almon's heart immediately rejoiced, knowing he had saved his life this time.
The entire scene was deathly silent, especially Ma Hao, whose mouth had been agape since then and hadn't closed.
The Sect Master of the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect was a figure far greater than heaven in his eyes, someone he had never dared to imagine meeting at such a high status.
But now, not only had he met him, but the other party was acting so submissively, with a humble attitude, showing no arrogance of a great figure.
The Holy Buddhas of the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect were also kneeling on the ground. Such a scene, if not seen with his own eyes, who could believe it was true?
All of this was because of Brother Li. Ma Hao thought to himself, stealing a glance at Li Xiaotian, a deep respect and curiosity arose in his heart.
The other party seemed to be a modern person as well. A modern person making these ancient immortal figures bow down—this kind of thing probably had no parallel on the entire Earth.
"Thunderfire Buddhist Sect, heh, Almon, you're the Sect Master, yet you don't even dare to resist and act so subserviently. Aren't you afraid of disgracing your status as Sect Master?"
Li Xiaotian's tone was casual, his eyes playful. Whether the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect was destroyed or not made no difference to him.
He had plenty of enemies; one or two more wouldn't matter.
"My lord! That's not quite right! As the Sect Master, Almon should wholeheartedly consider the sect. For the sake of the sect, what is this Sect Master's status?"
Almon quickly spoke, his mind racing. He knew his life was saved but still teetered on the edge of danger. Whether he could truly escape safely depended entirely on his subsequent actions.
Moreover, he had his own thoughts. Although this young man was an enemy, it's important to remember that enemies can also become friends. The Thunderfire Buddhist Sect had no great animosity towards this young powerhouse. Moreover, the person who provoked this powerhouse had already been killed by him. Therefore, there was no enmity between them now. His only consideration was to quell the anger of the present powerhouse and, incidentally, to rely on this formidable backing.
With this in mind, Almon continued.
"My lord, you are a Hegemon-level expert with a noble status, while Almon is merely a weakling. It is only natural for the weak to show deference to the strong! To bow to you, Almon feels no humiliation; on the contrary, he feels honored!"
As soon as Almon finished speaking, a hint of surprise flashed through Li Xiaotian's mind. This Almon was, after all, a peak Emperor-level expert. Such an attitude from him was more than just disregarding his own status; it was practically discarding any shred of dignity.
This was a thinly veiled attempt at flattery! Utterly devoid of shame.
Li Xiaotian believed that among the ancient figures he had encountered, none were like Almon.
Not only Li Xiaotian was surprised, but the powerhouses of the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect at that moment wished they could dig a hole in the ground and disappear into it, their expressions filled with grief, anger, and shame.
Was this their Sect Master? Was this the strongest in their sect? At this moment, they felt as if they were meeting their Sect Master for the first time.
"Heh, you do know how to talk."
Li Xiaotian chuckled. Since the other party was so accommodating, it would be pointless to continue pressuring him.
"This is my friend, who you referred to as a lowly commoner. I won't be staying here long, but I don't want him to be implicated because of me. Do you know what to do?"
Li Xiaotian pointed at Ma Hao, stating that he was an ordinary person after all, and he was just passing through, unable to stay here indefinitely.
"Of course! My lord, rest assured, since this brother is your friend, he will be a distinguished guest of my Thunderfire Buddhist Sect from now on. I see that this brother also has the talent for cultivation. Almon guarantees to my lord that he will do his utmost to help him break through to the Emperor level. At that time, even if this brother wishes to leave here, he will have the strength to protect himself."
Almon said, looking at Ma Hao with a benevolent expression.
Ma Hao was instantly dumbfounded, unable to come to his senses for a long time. The Sect Master of the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect was calling him brother?!! And he wanted to help him cultivate! To become an immortal figure!
This! This was simply unimaginable to him! It felt like a dream, so surreal.
"Good. Then I'll entrust him to you. However, you could also try to seek revenge against him. Once I leave, I probably won't return, so no matter what you do, I won't know."
Li Xiaotian said unhurriedly.
Hearing Li Xiaotian's words, Almon's heart chilled, and his face instantly turned fearful. He hastily said,
"My lord is joking. What happened today is in the past. Almon is not a petty-minded person. Helping Brother Ma is also helping myself. If Brother Ma breaks through to the Emperor level in the future, it will be a win-win situation for both him and our sect."
"No!!! Brother Li, there's no need for such trouble!"
Ma Hao had finally come back to his senses and quickly said. He then looked at Li Xiaotian and continued,
"Brother Li, I have a presumptuous request. Can you allow me to follow you? Rest assured, I'm not afraid of hardship or danger, I only ask Brother Li to take me in!"
Saying this, Ma Hao bowed deeply, his expression sincere. He wasn't foolish; Li Xiaotian possessed such terrifying strength, and following him would surely be better than staying at the Thunderfire Buddhist Sect.
Li Xiaotian frowned upon hearing this, not because he thought the other party was being presumptuous, but because it was too dangerous for an ordinary person like Ma Hao to follow him.
"Brother Ma, you must understand that I have enemies, and every one of my enemies is incredibly powerful, even stronger than me. Following me, you might die at any moment!"
Li Xiaotian said after some thought.
"If my enemies find me, to be honest, I can at most protect my family. I probably can't do anything else."
"It's fine, my life is cheap. If I die, I die. But fortune favors the bold. Now that I've witnessed a wider world, I naturally want to take a gamble. Either I'll return home in glory, or I'll die without a trace. Either way, it's better than staying in this broken town."
Ma Hao replied without hesitation. When he was young, he had the courage to run to Fo Province to do business impulsively, but life had dulled him. However, what he had seen and heard today had deeply moved him.
He also wanted to become a powerhouse like Li Xiaotian, and he wanted to live a different kind of life!
Almon, standing aside, said nothing, but a hint of envy flashed in his eyes as he looked at Ma Hao. He too wished for such an opportunity to follow a Hegemon-level expert!
"Heh, very well. Since you've made up your mind, so be it!"
Li Xiaotian suddenly smiled. He thought of his brothers in the Dragon King Hall back then. Weren't those brothers like Ma Hao, who followed him?
And back then, he wouldn't consider the consequences for newcomers. As long as they dared to follow him, he would accept them.
But now, he actually hesitated. He hadn't expected that his mindset had changed without him realizing it, becoming less decisive than before.