At this moment, not only the people of Wuliang Mountain, but also many from Azure Dragon Temple and Celestial One Pavilion were all baffled.
Because they could never have imagined that Yin Jiaxiong would actually do such a thing.
Only He Nandou seemed to have expected this, as he raised his thumb to Zhao Ya once again.
The meaning was clear: he was highly praising Zhao Ya’s brilliant move.
In response, Zhao Ya merely smiled slightly.
In fact, Zhao Ya’s words earlier were not just for winning people’s hearts; he genuinely felt that if Yin Jiaxiong were to die just like that, it would be a real pity.
The key point was that Yin Jiaxiong’s nature was not bad; he just had an overly high opinion of himself, ignoring others.
After this battle, Zhao Ya believed he would understand the principle of "there are always people better than you" profoundly.
And once such a person is subdued, he is bound to become a great asset.
Sure enough.
Just as the elders and disciples of Wuliang Mountain were preparing, Yin Jiaxiong arrived among the ranks, then sincerely cupped his fists towards Zhao Ya.
"Temple Master Zhao’s words just now were like a great bell, ringing loudly and awakening me suddenly."
"Before, I was wrong. There’s nothing more to say; we’ll see each other on the battlefield."
Yin Jiaxiong’s character is straightforward, just like the Sword Dao he practices.
For him, losing is losing, especially since he was defeated in front of so many people, fair and square.
Moreover, after defeating him, Zhao Ya didn’t kill him but let him go instead.
This naturally left Yin Jiaxiong deeply ashamed.
He even had the thought of simply devoting his life to Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya didn’t say much either, just nodded slightly, then turned to attend to his own affairs.
Meanwhile, He Nandou approached with a smile.
"Mountain Master Yin, long time no see."
Yin Jiaxiong glanced at He Nandou. As both were heads of great sects, they certainly knew each other.
Previously, with his arrogant personality, Yin Jiaxiong might not have even glanced at He Nandou.
But now, after Zhao Ya’s blow, he had become much more restrained.
Especially since he had just joined, he naturally needed to be more low-key.
So he nodded with a smile, "Pavilion Master He, indeed it’s been a long time."
"Haha, from now on, we’ll be comrades in the same trench. Whenever there’s a chance, we must get closer."
"Of course."
As the two exchanged pleasantries, the disciples of Wuliang Mountain finally packed their bags and joined the ranks.
"Let’s go!"
At Zhao Ya’s command, everyone continued forward, heading straight north.
In the following days, any sects along the way that did not obey the Azure Dragon Order were subdued by Zhao Ya through force.
As a result, the group grew ever larger.
Meanwhile, as Zhao Ya stirred up turbulence beyond the world, thousands of miles away in the Northern Realm Snowfield, Kong Xiangdong was observing the distant movements with bated breath.
The difference now was that he no longer needed to climb the small hills miles away.
Thanks to the telescope brought by the Mechanical Sect, even in the camp, Kong Xiangdong could clearly observe the dynamics of the Black Ship.
A moment later, Kong Xiangdong raised his head, took a long breath, and then shook his head.
"At least compared to yesterday, there’s no change."
Jing Rou and Huang Liang, upon hearing this, showed little joy; instead, they furrowed their brows.
"That’s not a good sign," Huang Liang said.
"Indeed, I’ve felt the buzzing sound getting louder these days," Jing Rou concurred.
"The best course of action now is to stay vigilant and fully prepared, quietly awaiting Zhao Ya’s arrival," Liang Xin’an concluded.
He had been immersed in happiness recently, especially keeping his promise to Liu Yujiao, which made him more cautious.
If it were before, he would have already rushed to the Black Ship to investigate.
Everyone nodded, then left for their respective posts.
Liang Xin’an was in charge of the left defense line.
Due to the increasingly cold weather, patrolling at night had become a bitter task.
Fortunately, the cold-weather supplies were abundant, and with the shifts swapping, they could still manage.
Liang Xin’an walked around the defense line he was responsible for several times, confirming there were no anomalies before returning to the temporarily set up resting room.
By then, it was already dark, and the room was filled with people.
These were the ones responsible for guarding this defense line, and thus were considered Liang Xin’an’s subordinates.
Upon seeing him enter, they all stood up.
"Captain Liang!"
"Captain!"
Liang Xin’an waved his hand, "We’re all brothers, sit down quickly."
The people then sat back down.
Liang Xin’an chose a spot near the stove, planning to rest for a while before going out to patrol.
Someone handed him a wine pouch, and Liang Xin’an took two gulps, then habitually took out a sachet to fondly handle.
The conversation in the room gradually quieted down.
Some even leaned back in their chairs and fell asleep, snoring loudly.
Liang Xin’an fondly reminisced, immersed in sweet memories, eager to resolve matters quickly so he could return to the Mechanical Sect and be with Liu Yujiao forever.
Even Liang Xin’an himself found it strange.
Clearly, Liu Yujiao wasn’t particularly attractive, so why was he so captivated by her?
Was it because of her gentle nature?