The team from the Martial Spirit Hall was stationed outside the City. They were surrounded by thick bushes andrge trees. They all stood in a formation, the pugilists, swordsmen, spear mean were on the outside, while the runemasters, formation masters, and beast tamers stood in the central ring, and in the core stood Alchemists.


    The Alchemists were treated as treasures, they had the power to procure pills that could bring people back from the doors of death. Elder San was standing in the void above the team. Suddenly, Shi Lang said, "Two teams in the east, three on the south, and two in the west are just waiting."


    His voice spread out through the group, but he made sure to use his spiritual senses tomunicate. Given his reputation, none of the people questioned him and immediately looked in the mentioned directions. A light chuckle spread out through the woods and a voice sounded, "Xiao Lang, you have grown stronger again."


    Shi Lang was surprised by this voice, and looked in the north. He found ady walking over gracefully. He mumbled, "Teacher Lao."


    Elder San appeared between him and Lao Yuesha as he asked with surprise, "To think the slithering ghost would be guarding and leading the team of youngsters herself. Broken Moon Hall sure is at the top of their game like always."


    Lao Yuesha chuckled and said, "Elder San, is the same not true for the Martial Spirit Hall?"


    The two people chuckled and cupped their fists in greetings. Then Elder San asked, "I remember you bringing Xiao Lang for the trial, but did not expect your bond to be so good. This brat actually addressed you as Teacher."


    Lao Yuesha nodded and said, "I found him in the woods one time, and his character impressed me, so I took him in as my student. The disciples of broken moon hall share the traits that he has, but we have never recruited a male disciple. That was the only decree left behind by the founding ancestor. Thus, I could only get him to the next best opportunity."


    Elder San nodded and said, "Call out your treasures, we will take the spirit vessel to travel."


    Lao Yuesha nodded and she let out a vessel as she came over to stand before the formation of the Martial Spirit Hall disciples, and said, "You kids have good reaction. I did not expect this batch to be so refined."


    The disciples all bowed in greetings. They heard the name, Slithering Ghost, when Elder San was talking to her. This person was not someone they could offend. Shi Lang cupped his fist to bow, and asked, "Greetings, Teacher Lao."


    Lao Yuesha smiled dotingly and said, "Good boy, Xiao Lang, have they been looking after you so well? You are at the peak of your realm in just a few months."


    Shi Lang nodded with a faint smile and that was it. The people around him were surprised to see his lips curl. They have never seen this cultivation maniac smiling. Soon the disciples gathered and they all exchanged greetings. Shi Lang could sense that all these girls had a faintyer of blood lust surrounding them.


    The males from the Martial Spirit Hall had initially wanted to mingle with them but the cold feeling made them freeze in their tracks. Elder San shook his head and took out a small boat from his space ring. He channeled his spiritual energy in the boat and it expanded into the size of a football field.


    The people flew up to the deck and Elder San took the captain position. The people retreated to sit down in various corners as they began to meditate. Shi Lang looked around and wanted to go and sit on the bow of the ship when Lao Yuesha said, "Kid,e, let me see how strong you have be."


    Shi Lang was surprised but he did not refuse and the two began to spar. Lao Yuesha did not hold back, but to her surprise, Shi Lang seemed to dodge her attacks and parry most of them with great efficiency. Even though his body was taking some burnt because of the strength difference between them, he was still doing something that none of the people on the ship could even imagine.


    A Dao Soldier was sparing against a Dao Empress and he was still standing on his feet after twenty moves. The people were sure that Lao Yuesha did not hold back after fifth blow. She was fighting with herplete physical strength, and normal Dao Soldiers would die from her sneeze, yet Shi Lang was on a roll.


    After thirty moves, Shi Lang could not take it anymore and coughed up some blood. Lao Yuesha took out a healing pill and fed it to him before she said, "Kid, I was right about you. You are a monster."


    The people nodded, including Elder San. Shi Lang scratched the back of his head, and then asked, "Teacher, may I talk to you?"


    Lao Yuesha smiled at him and nodded as the two of them came to the bow of the ship. Thedy asked, "You want to ask me about the Broken Moon Pce."


    Shi Lang nodded and said, "I have grown curious about the world again."


    Lao Yuesha asked intriguingly, "Oh, what caused this change in you, my dear cultivation maniac?"


    Shi Lang smiled faintly at her mocking words, and said, "Only when I know the world better will I be able to avoid obstacles on the way to my goal."


    Lao Yuesha nodded and said, "Good thinking."


    She then said, "Broken Moon Hall was established by Lady Moon. She was the lover of the founder of the Martial Spirit Hall. However, before they could be bound in the bond of matrimony, the founder of the Martial Spirit Hall, Master Bai fell in battle.


    Lady Moon avenged him, but she could not bear to stay in the sect without Lord Bai, so she moved across the river where she started a Sect of her own, Broken Moon Hall."


    She saw Shi Lang listening intently and continued, "Lady Moon fought and watched over the sect for three generations before she couldn''t anymore and then she left to stay in the tomb of Master Bai. This is why the two halls are in an alliance. To respect the bond of their founding ancestors."


    Shi Lang nodded and asked, "Has there never been any conflict among the two sides?"


    Lao Yuesha smiled and said, "That is impossible, people always have conflicts, but the conflicts in the two halls are resolved by the discussion of the Holy Elders."


    Shi Lang nodded and said, "The Holy Elders are quite strong, it is only feasible for them to mediate the situations."


    Lao Yuesha nodded and asked, "Did you be the Holy Disciple of the Martial Spirit Hall?"


    She asked the question with her spiritual sense and Shi Lang replied, "I became the warring disciple. I wonder if you know about that?"


    Lao Yuesha''s anticipation turned into shock. She almost eximed and said, "Kid, you have outdone yourself."


    Shi Lang smiled and did not say anything. He wanted to cultivate, when a soft voice sounded behind him, "Junior Brother Shi, can I trouble you for something?"


    Thedy who called him was the person from the Alchemy hall, she was shy and introvert but was one of the top alchemists in the younger generation of the sect. She was the grand disciple of Hall Master Yang.


    Shi Lang excused himself and then asked the girl what it was about, and then they began to discuss Alchemy. His actions bought even more surprise to Lao Yuesha, and even the disciples of the Broken Moon Pce were shocked, they could not help but listen to the discussion as if it was a holy sermon.


    ...


    Time seemed to have grown wings, the journeysted for seven days before they reached a mountain. Suddenly, a disciple from the martial spirit hall said, "The three houses are here."


    Shi Lang mumbled, "Three Houses, Two sects, and Two Halls."


    The disciple nodded and said, "The houses infiltrate many small sects, they control the quantity of the cultivators. The two sects control two streams, martial arts and Buddhism. The two halls control business,ws, and assassination."


    Shi Lang was surprised and then asked, "This distribution makes us the strongest."


    Elder San patted his shoulder and said, "Xiao Lang, we would have been the strongest if this world was run by Laws. The two sect masters are as strong as the Holy Elders of the Two halls, while the three houses are even weaker. However, we stand on this rank because these two sects need our support for business as they stay in recluse all the time.


    We need the three houses to maintain this status quo."


    Shi Lang clicked his tongue and said, "We are put in a bind, if the two parties decide to deal with each other directly, the two halls will be useless."


    The people nodded, and Elder San agreed, as he asked, "What would you do to solve this problem?"


    Shi Lang replied, "Confiscate the power from the houses and infiltrate them to get more information and data. Design a spywork to sharpen the sword from the shadows before it is out in the light."