Poison Undying was in a very strange mood. He had lived for a long time and was one of the strongest people on the continent. Usually, there was nothing that could surprise him. But today, he was seeing something he could not believe.
He stared at the young boy in front of him. He wondered why someone as strong as a Limit Douluo would bother setting a trap for him. After all, a Limit Douluo could easily beat a Level 98 Super Douluo like him in a fair fight.
Did they take him that seriously? Poison Undying felt the freezing cold air around him. It was so cold that even his spirit power was starting to freeze. For the first time in his life, he felt that he might actually die. He took a deep breath and relaxed his body. He stopped trying to fight and looked at Kong Mingan with a very serious face.
"Who are you really?" Poison Undying asked. He spoke with a voice that showed he was impressed.
"I am Kong Mingan from the Sun Moon Empire," the boy said with a calm smile.
Poison Undying frowned. He noticed that the boy didn't seem like he wanted to kill him right away. He waited for a second and then asked, "What do you want from me?".
"It is not about what I want you to do for me," Kong Mingan said as he shook his head. "I want to talk to you about the future of the Body Sect."
"The future?" Poison Undying was confused. He didn't understand why a boy protected by a Limit Douluo would want to talk about the future. It felt more like a threat than a conversation.
Before he could say anything else, Kong Mingan moved his hand. He tossed a simple-looking book toward Poison Undying. The Sect Master caught it and looked at the cover. It was titled "Body Tempering Method." At the bottom, there was tiny writing that said "v0.01."
Poison Undying looked at Kong Mingan, then at the white-haired Snow Empress standing nearby. He knew she could kill him in one second, so he decided to be patient and read the book. At first, he looked at the pages with doubt. But as he kept reading, he became more and more shocked. His breathing got heavy, and his fingers gripped the book so hard they turned white.
As the leader of the Body Sect, he knew exactly what this book was. His sect relied on their bodies for power. Usually, they just let their spirit power and spirit rings make their bodies stronger over time. But this book showed a way to actively train their bodies and energy. It was a systematic way to get stronger.
If his sect members could use this, they would become much more powerful than they are now. Even though this version was very simple and missing many details, the main ideas were worth more than any treasure. He was sure that with this book, he could change the Body Sect forever within ten years.
He looked up with excitement, wanting to ask a question. But Kong Mingan already knew what he was thinking. The boy tossed a second book to him. This one also said "Body Tempering Method," but the version at the bottom was "v0.3."
Poison Undying was stunned. He opened the second book and his shock turned into fear. This version was much better than the first one. It showed exactly how to move spirit power through the body and even had some simple fighting techniques. It was perfect for training the younger students in his sect. His hands started to shake.
Then, Kong Mingan threw a third book. Poison Undying held it with both hands as if it were a holy object. This one was "v1.0." He read just a few pages before closing it. He felt very serious now. He realized that these books weren't rare to Kong Mingan. The boy could just throw them away like they were nothing.
"What are these?" Poison Undying asked quietly.
"I wrote them," Kong Mingan replied. He smiled and added, "The version you are holding now, v1.0, is what the Sun Moon Empire army started using over two years ago. It is their basic training."
He continued, "The army uses v3.4 now. Because of this training, every soldier in the Sun Moon Empire has a body as strong as a Spirit Elder."
Poison Undying could not speak. He felt like everything he knew about the world was wrong. He couldn't believe an entire army was using this kind of advanced training. He felt like his Body Sect had been hiding away for too long and had fallen behind the rest of the world. He looked at the boy again. "How old are you?"
"I am eleven years old," Kong Mingan said.
Poison Undying was silent for a long time. Finally, he asked with a raspy voice, "What do you mean by the future of the Body Sect?".
Kong Mingan's smile grew wider. He took a step forward so everyone from the Body Sect could hear him. "I want to know what you think about the Body Sect moving to Shrek City."
Poison Undying's eyes went wide. He thought he had misheard. But Kong Mingan looked very serious. "Please, tell me more," the Sect Master said.
"There is no need to be so formal," Kong Mingan said. "I told you we are just discussing the future. Your sect will not lose anything. Just listen to my plan."
Kong Mingan began to explain his ideas one by one. Poison Undying listened very carefully. As he listened, his expression kept changing.
The Snow Empress stood next to them and watched. She narrowed her eyes. This scene felt very familiar to her. She remembered how Kong Mingan had made a deal with her before. He was doing the same thing again. He was giving the other person things they couldn't say no to. He was taking control of the conversation step by step.
She looked at Kong Mingan's face and realized something. She had been caught by him too. She had no way to leave or say no to him. Usually, a person in her position would be angry or sad. But for some reason, she didn't feel that way.
She thought her life with him was actually quite interesting. She looked at him with her blue eyes, feeling a bit confused by her own feelings. Things had certainly become very strange.
Long ago, Yu Xiaogang believed that the right path could change a person's life. Now, Poison Undying was seeing a new path for his entire sect. He realized that the world was changing faster than he ever thought possible.