The fearso aspect of a wealthy miser lies not in their riches, but rather when those riches can be transford into combat strength, it becos intriguing.
Upon reaching the foot of Linshan, dedicated disciples who welco guests greeted ng Zhang and his companion warmly. Led by the disciple, they ascended the mountain, passing through the majestic gates of Forest Mountain School, until they reached the halfway point, where Sect Master Xu Chengxian of Forest Mountain School awaited them.
"Sect Master ng, welco, welco! Your visit to Linshan truly brings luster to our sect," said Sect Master Xu.
"Sect Master Xu, you're too kind. Since our last parting, I have not forgotten your magnificence. Today, seeing you again, Sect Master Xu surpasses his forr self," replied ng Zhang.
Compared to the formidable wealth of Forest Mountain School, Taiyi Sect was rely a small faction. Xu Chengxian surpassed ng Zhang in both cultivation level and seniority. The fact that Xu Chengxian personally received ng Zhang, a sect master of a small sect, showed his exceptional character.
After exchanging pleasantries for a brief mont, Xu Chengxian reluctantly concluded the conversation and summoned a trusted disciple to lead them to the guest residence. Forest Mountain School, with its vast wealth, had dedicated buildings for hosting guests, forming an elegant architectural complex.
ng Zhang and his companion were arranged in a separate small courtyard. Between each courtyard were small groves, streams, and bridges. After resting in the courtyard for a while, Li Xuan led ng Zhang out.
This Foundation Building dharma eting held by Forest Mountain School invited almost all the surrounding cultivation forces, and the leaders of various major forces were present. It was a rare opportunity for exchange, a chance to get to know influential figures and establish connections with other forces.
ng Zhang was not fond of such social activities. He was neither a hermit solely focused on cultivation nor a gregarious socializer. Nevertheless, as the Sect Master of Taiyi Sect, dealing with others was inevitable. At the very least, he couldn't afford to make unnecessary enemies.
Overly arrogant people were likely to be isolated, while those who refused to socialize could be ostracized. As a sect master, expanding one's social circle and making friends was important. Even if they couldn't find allies, having more friends would help secure a more favorable external environnt for Taiyi Sect.
ng Zhang realized that he was no longer entirely in control of his life. Since becoming the Sect Master of Taiyi Sect, he was compelled to do many things he disliked. Li Xuan's advice made sense, so ng Zhang humbly accepted it.
As they left the small courtyard, they entered a large garden with pavilions, terraces, small bridges, and flowing streams. Many groups of people were already present, engaging in social interactions during this rare gathering.
Li Xuan, having been a mber of the Li family and the manager of a shop in Singing Sand City, had a wide circle of acquaintances. Now that he served a new master, he made full use of his advantages.
"Brother Ruan, it's been a while! This is Sect Master ng of Taiyi Sect. He's my new employer," said Li Xuan, introducing ng Zhang to a person from Golden Blade Sect.
"Sect Master, this Brother Ruan is a remarkable figure from Golden Blade Sect."
...
"Sect Master, this is Brother Chen, the foreign affairs elder of Flying Eagle Sect. Allow to introduce you both."
...
"Sect Master, this is Brother Gu. Don't let his loose cultivator status fool you; he surpasses many cultivators from prominent families."
...
Li Xuan led ng Zhang through the garden, engaging in conversations with all the relevant cultivators, making introductions on ng Zhang's behalf.
After making the rounds, ng Zhang's smile felt almost numb. Although he wasn't physically tired, he felt ntally exhausted and slightly irritated.
In the hierarchy of Twin Success Valley's affiliated forces, Forest Mountain School and the now-destroyed Li family belonged to the first tier, with many Foundation Building stage and Refining Qi stage cultivators. They were considered powerful and were given so respect by Twin Success Valley. The second tier included forces like Taiyi Sect's arch-nesis, Zhao Family. These forces had several Refining Qi stage cultivators and, with so luck, could produce a Foundation Building stage cultivator. In the presence of a Foundation Building stage cultivator, they could even challenge the first-tier forces. However, without a Foundation Building stage cultivator, their power would decline drastically, and they might face various crises. The third tier consisted of forces that had never produced a Foundation Building stage cultivator, relying solely on Refining Qi stage cultivators to maintain their status.
Over a decade ago, Taiyi Sect belonged to the third tier. However, after the chaos caused by the sand monster incident more than ten years ago, Taiyi Sect lost all its Refining Qi stage elders and fell to the bottom of Twin Success Valley's affiliated forces. Now that ng Zhang had reached the Refining Qi stage, Taiyi Sect was starting to recover its strength and barely qualified as a third-tier force. Despite this, Taiyi Sect was still considered quite weak among the various forces gathered in the garden.
When encountering individuals from larger forces, so were polite and exchanged a few words, while others simply ignored them. Li Xuan smiled and greeted people everywhere, but they didn't form any significant connections.
In a quiet corner of the garden, ng Zhang's face darkened. "Sect Master, there's no need for you to introduce them. I know them all," he said to Li Xuan.
He not only recognized them but was also quite familiar with them. These people were all Zhao Family's descendants, and the middle-aged man leading them was Zhao Dong, the one ng Zhang had fought with before.
Seeing Zhao Dong, ng Zhang noticed that Zhao Dong had reached the sa cultivation level as him, the Refining Qi stage, with a cultivation base at the seventh level. However, there was a hint of arrogance in Zhao Dong's eyes, seemingly provoking ng Zhang.
When ng Zhang's cultivation base was inferior to Zhao Dong's, he could still suppress him with the Blood Refining Martyr Art. Now that their cultivation bases were equal, ng Zhang didn't even bother to pay him any mind.
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