The moment Feng Zikang spoke, not only did Leng Jinchan stare dumbfounded, but even Luo Kedi was utterly bewildered. Only Mo Li felt a surge of gratitude; he knew he was no match for Leng Jinchan, and only the call of righteousness compelled him to stand his ground. Feng Zikang, a descendant of the School of Military, might not agree with his perspective, yet he stepped forward out of loyalty—how could Mo Li not be deeply moved?

"Martial Uncle... I feel that what Elder Xian Leng said has some merit... why did you...?" Luo Kedi asked Feng Zikang cautiously. Feng Zikang smiled faintly and countered, "Kedi, then tell me, does what Elder Xian Mo said also have merit?"

Luo Kedi scratched his head, offering a hesitant smile.

"It sounds like there's some truth to it..."

Feng Zikang burst into hearty laughter, then turned serious. "The schools of the School of Vertical and Horizontal and the School of Mohism each have their own rationale, but we of the School of Military have our own doctrine. Why be swayed by the ways of others? Guarding your true heart is the ultimate path!"

This was considered an instruction; seeing the youth favorably disposed, he didn't mind imparting a few words.

Luo Kedi remained perplexed at first, but after long contemplation, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his head with a loud laugh.

By then, Feng Zikang had already summoned his nameless iron sword and flown to Mo Li's side.

"Brother Zikang, you needn't..."

"Say no more." Feng Zikang waved his hand, then turned with a smile to Leng Jinchan. "Fellow Daoist Leng, Brother Mo is a companion through adversity; he even risked his life to save me not long ago. I, Feng Zikang, never owe anyone a favor. I am taking this fight now; do you object?"

Mo Li was greatly touched. He knew his selfless act back then when facing the Nine Hells Soul-Searching Art was rather foolish. Feng Zikang emerged unscathed and had easily slain that fiend, saving his life. He never expected that rash act of his would be remembered, even counted as a debt.

"A chivalrous warrior of the Military School, truly a generous and heroic man!" he silently etched Feng Zikang's kindness into his memory.

Feng Zikang certainly wasn't stepping forward for such a trivial reason, but this excuse was plausible enough. Leng Jinchan's face turned deathly pale; his previous composure vanished entirely.

He hadn't known Feng Zikang's true strength, but the battle against Wu Duya was a direct confrontation. Wu Duya possessed the destiny of a Dragon Ascending to Heaven, his cultivation and divine abilities having reached the peak of Qi Induction, yet he still perished under this young man's blade. Leng Jinchan was merely at the fourth layer of Qi Induction, his strongest attack being only his 'Three-Inch Unrotting Tongue.' He generally believed in the gentleman's way of talking rather than fighting; bullying the cautious and naive Mo School disciple might be possible, but facing this fierce and savage Military School youth was out of the question.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, this matter has nothing to do with you..."

"Less nonsense, let's fight!"

Feng Zikang had sustained minor internal injuries fighting Wu Duya and wished to end this quickly, having no patience for rambling.

Seeing no room for retreat, Leng Jinchan gritted his teeth and gave a pained laugh. "Fine! Fine! I schemed and calculated everything, yet I still meet this fate! Then come!"

He brandished the Yellow Dragon Banner in his hand. A vigorous, swimming dragon emerged from the banner, roared, and the mountains trembled!

Leng Jinchan's face flushed crimson, clearly indicating he had exerted his utmost in this single strike!

"A trivial trick!"

Feng Zikang sneered, his form flickering like lightning as he raised his sword and surged forward!

Blood splattered!

Leng Jinchan cried out in pain, transforming into a streak of bloody light that shot northeast like a meteor.

"I will surely repay this day! We shall meet again!"

His shrill cry echoed from afar. Feng Zikang shook his head, unconcerned.

An entire severed arm, still tightly clutching the Yellow Dragon Banner, dropped to the ground with a thud.

"I didn't expect this man's will to be so firm; he was determined from the start to sacrifice an arm to escape. His effort to incite the Yellow Dragon using his vital essence was merely a bluff, rather interesting..."

The moment Feng Zikang made his move, it was like a lion attacking a rabbit, his killing intent fully revealed. He disliked leaving behind loose ends; killing this person outright would have been the best outcome. Who knew that Leng Jinchan was not easily overcome? He sacrificed his limb and fled rapidly using the secret Blood Light Evasion Technique of the School of Vertical and Horizontal. Feng Zikang couldn't catch him immediately, so he let it go.

However, he wasn't afraid of retaliation from this mere fourth-layer Qi Induction disciple of the Vertical and Horizontal School. This matter had a just and open cause, and even if they brought their sect forward, he was not some lone wolf without a master.

How could the Dragon Tiger Mountain Military School, ranked first among the Nine Paths, fear the bottom-ranked Vertical and Horizontal School?

Feng Zikang moved forward, kicked the severed arm aside, and picked up the Yellow Dragon Banner, frowning deeply and sighing.

It was not... the one.

The reason he had intervened was precisely for this Yellow Dragon Banner.

The two fragments of the God-Demon Remnant he had previously acquired both came from two separate banners. Seeing this Yellow Dragon Banner in Leng Jinchan's hand—an object capable of gathering Qi into a spirit and harming people in the form of a yellow dragon—he wondered if it, too, contained a fragment of the God-Demon Remnant.

This gave him the pretext to engage Leng Jinchan in battle.

Yet, upon picking up the banner, it remained completely inert; clearly, it was just an ordinary banner.

If Leng Jinchan ever knew that his meticulous scheming nearly cost him his life, forcing him to shatter his arm and drain his essence just because of such a flimsy reason, he might actually die of rage on the spot.

Since it wasn't a God-Demon Remnant, Feng Zikang lost interest and held no value for the Yellow Dragon Banner. After a moment's thought, he called Luo Kedi over and gifted it to him.

Though Luo Kedi couldn't utilize the banner's divine powers yet, as his cultivation deepened, it would eventually prove useful on the battlefield formation.

Luo Kedi was blissfully stunned, constantly stroking the surface of the banner, unable to put it down.

Mo Li approached to express his thanks, but Feng Zikang brushed it off, instead asking about his plans.

Mo Li's mission for good deeds had been a complete failure; not only had he failed to mediate the conflict with the Southern Barbarians, he hadn't even maintained the status quo. At this rate, he wouldn't only receive no merit but would have to return to his sect to face punishment.

"I still need to remain in the Southern Barbarians..."

However, he didn't plan to do that. Instead, he intended to settle here and slowly walk his own path.

"Although the Imperial Court and the Southern Barbarians are now locked in mortal conflict, and the fighting won't cease anytime soon, I believe this war will eventually end. If the Southern Barbarians remain unchanged, the entanglement here will inevitably continue. Even if, as Leng Jinchan suggested, we massacred all the native tribes, it would be useless. A hundred years from now, the natives born and raised here would become the new Southern Barbarians, and the conflict would resume, never knowing peace."

"Only by fundamentally changing the Southern Barbarians and integrating them into the realm can this problem be cured."

"I will stay here, teach the barbarians agriculture, teach them literacy. Until the world of the Southern Barbarians changes, I swear I will not step out of this territory!"

Mo Li's tone was light, yet his resolve was absolute.

"But... wouldn't this greatly hinder your cultivation?"

How could cultivation in this savage land compare to the ease within the sect? Several bottlenecks would be impossible to cross. Although he was already a disciple of the fourth layer of Qi Induction, having crossed the threshold to the Path of Inquiry, separating the immortal from the mortal, human lifespan was still limited. In two or three centuries, he would be nothing but a pile of yellow dust.

Wasn't this sabotaging his own excellent prospect of longevity?

"The path of cultivation begins with cultivating the heart."

"If the heart is unsettled, what use is cultivating eternal life?"