The scroll elder smiled warmly, cupping his hands into a fist salute, and said, "Master Jiang, such an esteemed person though we’ve never met, yet you recognized this old man at a glance. It seems I, the All-knowing Madman, must indeed be quite a figure in the Martial World to catch your eye."

Jiang Dali stood with his hands behind his back and smiled faintly, "If the All-knowing Madman can only be regarded as a figure, then the standards for gaining fame in the Martial World are too stringent."

With his perspective, he could see at a glance that the All-knowing Madman’s strength was roughly around the Heavenly Human 5th Realm. For his age, such strength wasn’t supreme, but it certainly wasn’t weak either. However, such a person could not be evaluated solely by their power realm.

Imagine how formidable Tianji Twenty-Five is? The All-knowing Madmen’s achievements in arithmetic might be even greater, not to be underestimated.

"I wonder, Ying Yuan, why did you want to meet me this time, and what is your relationship with the All-knowing Madman? Last time I searched for you throughout the Ming Country Palace, but you avoided me. Yet now you appear voluntarily?"

Jiang Dali looked at a monk standing aside, whose face was like a fine jade, with clear eyebrows and eyes, possessing an incredibly unique aura, clad in a robe with red inside and yellow outside, and spoke with a smile in his eyes.

Since he, like Chuan Ying, had learned the War God Chronicles, and because the last time in the Ming Country Palace, under Ying Yuan’s secret guidance, he discovered the eunuch executioner disguised as a disciple of the Blood Transformation Divine Venerable, he held a slight sense of goodwill and affinity towards Ying Yuan. Therefore, he had no grudge about the avoidance last time.

Ying Yuan pondered lightly and said with a smile, "For those with an eccentric nature devoted to fine phrases, they would die if their words fail to astonish.

The old poems are shared indulgently as spring comes; flowers and birds should not cause deep sorrow.

The hasty departure last time was indeed my fault, but Brother Jiang, your current demeanor is quite different from before!"

"Oh?"

Jiang Dali raised an eyebrow, knowing that the demeanor he mentioned referred to his heart realm. With a bit of reflection, he understood what the other party implied.

Once, his momentum was like a rainbow, flamboyant and domineering, with inevitably heavy hostility. When he sought Ying Yuan, he was unavoidably intent on some competition, wanting to see what peculiarities the son of Chuan Ying possessed, similar to the intentions of Pang Ban. Ying Yuan, one who embraced a monastic life and shunned conflict, naturally avoided him.

But now he had reached the Returning to Truth Realm, his heart realm had transformed from the Extreme Realm to the Initial Heart Realm, making him appear more reserved compared to before, with the poise of a grandmaster. Meeting Ying Yuan again, he merely viewed him as an elder regards a junior, with no intention of competition.

Though simply this wouldn’t warrant such trouble from the other party, let alone involving Bai Xiaosheng to meet him.

"We’ve come to find you, Master Jiang, to discuss something related to you and important to the world, and we hope to discuss it with you. Please take a seat, and we can chat over drinks."

The All-knowing Madman proactively invited, personally pouring wine for Jiang Dali.

"Something related to me? And to the world?"

Jiang Dali appeared surprised.

He was most troubled by topics labeled "related to the world" nowadays.

Because whenever such topics arise, they inevitably involve some catastrophe or the trite plots of saving the people.

But he was merely a mountain bandit leader; instead of looting, saving the nation was not his proper job, and he had already earned the name of a Green Forest Hero among Martial World people.

Now it seemed, whenever there was a disaster, did these people think of finding him and putting the mantle of savior on him?

"I won’t drink this wine; just explain what you mean by related to me and the world? Does everything I do now relate to the world?"

Jiang Dali took the wine cup handed by the All-knowing Madman and set it down, speaking earnestly, ready to turn and leave at any moment, who cares to drink?

Want him as free labor?

He only looked muscular!

It’s not like his brain was filled with muscles too!

...

In the infamous rotten territory of the Holy Dynasty.

Within a valley shrouded in red mist that covered the mountains, suddenly echoed strange sounds like some creature sucking liquid.

The sound grew louder and more pronounced.

It seemed as if countless mouths were simultaneously sucking on some gourmet dish.

A terrifying and oppressive aura enveloped the entire valley.

On several surrounding mountaintops, a great number of disciples from the Blood Transformation Divine Sect, upon hearing the sucking sound, all bowed feverishly.

Then each hurriedly grabbed from prepared animal bags creatures chirping "squeak-squeak," resembling monkeys and lizards, and suddenly inserted razor-sharp, blade-like nails into the skulls of these creatures, swiftly splitting open the skull along the skin.

Shrill screams of the creatures immediately spread over several mountaintops.

One by one, the Blood Transformation Divine Sect disciples moved excitedly, placing their mouths at the edges of these monkey-lizard creatures’ "opened" heads, and began sucking mouthfuls.

For a moment, the chilling "suck-suck" sound became more distinct and resounding, as if countless greedy mouths sprouted simultaneously on several mountaintops, even the blowing wind reeked of blood, being devoured by the mouths.

In this intense and unique fervor, it seemed as if some field within this region was activated, causing the blood mist-shrouded valley surrounded by several hills to tremble and vibrate slightly.

Within the valley, in the sinking pit emitting a blood-red glow that seemed like a wind funnel.