The feeling of breaking through a bottleneck is a mental satisfaction, far more exhilarating than physical satisfaction if you don't talk about the process, but overall, they are just about equal.
Level forty-five, this was Li Qing's spirit power level after breaking through.
The twenty-five-thousand-year fourth spirit ring brought him a full five levels of spirit power. Even if his subsequent cultivation speed became slower and slower, he had absolute confidence in taking down the Blue Silver King before Tang San.
As for Xiao Wu...
Without the Yearning Heartbroken Red to conceal her aura, and with Tang Hao also dead, Xiao Wu going to Spirit City would be a guaranteed death. And Li Qing wasn't confident he could cultivate to level seventy before that.
But it's not a big problem.
Who said he had to let Xiao Wu go to Spirit City? Couldn't he just capture her and keep her? It would also prevent unexpected accidents from happening.
And he could also try to see if he could trick or force her to sacrifice herself.
"You dog, you scared me to death. Can't you be a bit more careful? This time was good luck, but what about next time? If you die, your wife will end up in someone else's bed."
Li Qing: "..."
I know you're concerned about me, but can't we change the metaphor? That sounds...
Forget it.
Li Qing stood up and said, "Dugu Bo, I'd like to ask you to make a trip to Nuoding City and help me capture someone."
"Who? Yu Xiaogang?"
Dugu Bo knew Li Qing had a grudge against Yu Xiaogang, so that was the first person he thought of when he heard this.
Li Qing shook his head and said, "I don't even put that trash in my eyes, so you don't need to go to such great lengths. The one I want you to help me capture is a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast that has taken human form."
"What?"
Dugu Bo's eyes almost popped out because this news was too shocking.
That's a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast!
Looking across the entire Spirit Master's world, how many Spirit Masters can possess a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring?
Li Qing didn't hide anything and immediately told him about Xiao Wu's situation. After all, with his current strength, if he encountered her, he would definitely be able to see through Xiao Wu's identity at a glance.
Moreover, he would need to keep her captive later, so it couldn't be hidden.
After listening, Dugu Bo said angrily, "Why are you only telling me now? If she's captured by other passing Titled Douluo, you'll have to cry about it."
"Let's go, let's go. I'll send you back to Heaven Dou City first, and then I'll go immediately."
Dugu Bo interrupted Li Qing, who was about to speak, because such a good thing was something you miss if you're slow. Even a second's delay could cause a change.
"Okay."
Li Qing stopped talking nonsense and immediately sped towards Heaven Dou City with Dugu Bo.
Upon arriving at Heaven Dou City, Dugu Bo didn't even send Li Qing back to Dugu Manor. He just dropped him off at the city gate and left, afraid that if he went too late, she would be captured by someone else.
As soon as Li Qing returned to Dugu Bo's place, he learned that Yang Wudi had been waiting for a long time, so he went to the living room.
"Clan Head Yang, you've been waiting for a long time!"
Yang Wudi quickly stood up: "Young Master Li is too polite, I just arrived not long ago myself."
"Please sit!"
After sitting down, Li Qing didn't beat around the bush but asked directly, "There are four single-attribute Sects. Clan Head Yang, what do you think of the other families?"
He asked this not because Li Qing wanted to take them all in.
There's no need to mention Tai Tan. His family was tricked so badly, yet after learning Tang San's identity, he immediately knelt. Taking him in wouldn't have much meaning.
As for Bai He, although not as exaggerated as Tai Tan, he does have a layer of kinship with the Clear Sky Sect after all.
As long as the Clear Sky Sect is willing to lower themselves and try to win him over again, there's a great chance of taking in the Speed Clan again, so there's no need to waste effort on that.
As for Niu Gao...
He might not have any issues, but his value isn't high, and he's not worth cultivating. When Yang Wudi becomes a Titled Douluo, he won't have gained anything, which might even cause unnecessary trouble.
Li Qing asked this just to see how deep the friendship between Yang Wudi and them was.
Yang Wudi's heart tightened. He hadn't expected the first question Li Qing asked to be this, because he didn't know the other party's true thoughts.
For a moment, he really didn't know how to answer.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Wudi said, "All four of our families were severely harmed by the Clear Sky Sect, so even if the Clear Sky Sect reappears, there's no possibility of us returning."
"Although Tai Tan has some foolish loyalty towards Tang Hao, Tang Hao is already dead. If Young Master Li is interested, I can help connect you."
"As for Bai He..."
"Among the four families, my relationship with Bai He is the best, so it's not good for me to comment too much. However, his sister is Tang Hao's mother. Young Master Li might need to consider this."
"Niu Gao is arguably the most straightforward. He doesn't have any lingering thoughts about either the Clear Sky Sect or Tang Hao."
Speaking up to this point, Yang Wudi didn't say anything more. He didn't deliberately slander anyone, nor did he deliberately praise anyone. He simply stated the facts.
"If they stand against me in the future, how will you choose?"
Li Qing's words were already very clear, just short of saying directly, "I want to take you in." He believed that since Yang Wudi had come, he must also understand his meaning.
Yang Wudi immediately fell silent.
One could only say that he was indeed worthy of reaching such heights so quickly. The questions he asked were sharper than the last. It seemed like no matter how he answered, it wouldn't be quite right.
Stand on Li Qing's side.
What kind of character does a person who can abandon long-time friends without hesitation have?
Stand on the old friends' side.
I take you in and cultivate you with all my heart, and at the critical moment, you want to turn against me?
Be neutral.
Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty. Perhaps useful to a certain extent, but not for important tasks. Since they cannot be used for important tasks, naturally, too many resources cannot be spent on them.
In the end, Yang Wudi still chose to follow his true feelings.
"If they conflict with you because of someone else, then I can deal with the person behind them. If it's about them personally, and it's irreconcilable, I will choose to be neutral."
Li Qing nodded. He was quite satisfied with this answer.
To be honest, if he had said he would stand on his side without hesitation, Li Qing might not have dared to trust him. Even if it were the truth, he definitely couldn't take him in.
Don't look at how nicely he spoke to Dugu Bo, but character still needs to be considered.
If Yang Wudi had shown an attitude of standing with him without hesitation, lying for the sake of profit would be somewhat understandable, but if it were his true feelings...
What else could you expect from someone who can abandon long-time friends without hesitation for the sake of profit?
"What is the biggest difficulty the Breaking Clan is currently facing?"
Although Li Qing wanted to give him the Immortal Herb as soon as possible so he could break through to Titled Douluo quickly, that's not how things are done. Sometimes, things that are too easy to get are often not cherished.
It's better to observe for a while first.
He knew that Yang Wudi had most likely come for talent improvement, but if he became dissatisfied just because he didn't directly help him improve his talent...
Then it would be better not to take in such a person.
Seeing that Li Qing didn't seem to have the idea of directly helping him improve his talent, Yang Wudi felt a bit regretful, but he didn't feel any dissatisfaction.
After all, he had just pledged his allegiance. How could the other party directly give him such a great benefit?
"Money."
Yang Wudi was very direct. Under the suppression of the Spirit Hall, although their Breaking Clan was slightly better off than the other three Sects, it was only slightly.
Money was still their biggest problem.
Li Qing nodded and said, "Giving it directly to you is impossible, and I don't have that much. I heard you are skilled in alchemy. I will go and negotiate with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to help you get a stable sales channel."